Meeting You for the First Time Again

Chapter Seven

With all those questions running through my head, I walked slowly towards the box.

As I came up to the back of the TARDIS, I could hear yelling coming from the other side.

Drawing in a shaky breath, I peered around the side of the TARDIS.

I saw a man with shaggy brown hair, wearing monk robes banging on the front door, saying, "Clara Oswin Oswald, please let me in. I need to talk to you!"

Did the Doctor carry around a new assistant? ...One who like to dress as a monk?

He turned around, frustration clear on his young face. His eyes flew over in my direction.

I saw them widen. His face was young, but his eyes...his eyes were old.

He turned back to the door.

"I'm sorry, Clara, would you wait a moment?" he said.

"I'll wait all you want. You're not getting in this house anyway," a high pitched woman's voice rang from the house.

He nodded his head in defeat and turned back towards me. I came out from behind the TARDIS.

"Is the Doctor in there?" I asked pointing towards the box.

"Rose?" The man said.

"...yes. Has he said anything about me? I hope the were good things," I said.

"Rose, it's me," he said.

I paused. Of all the questions that had passed through my head, I had never considered regeneration.

"Doctor?" I checked my theory.

"Yeah," he smiled, but he looked worried.

"What is it?" I asked him, reading the expression.

"How did you get here? And where's my meta-crisis?" He asked.

"Can we go in the TARDIS? I'll explain there," I reasoned.

He looked over me as if checking to see that I was real and then reluctantly nodded.

He pushed the door open and stepped in. I waltzed in after him as if this was my home.

Immediately I started to explain.

"I was happy with meta-crisis, but I still missed you. You're the real thing. The only man that's held all of my heart," I said. But even I was unsure now. I didn't know this regeneration. He was the same man, but he seemed so different.

I continued, "So I told meta-crisis that I wanted to try and come back. We talked to the people at Torchwood and they made us a Vortex Manipulator. Gallifrey is still a live, functioning planet in the other universe, Doctor. And it was beautiful."

I looked up to see the Doctor's shimmering eyes. They looked both happy and upset.

"Meta-crisis and I went through TARDIS training and he was issued a TARDIS. The same kind, too. A Type 40. And we flew into the Medusa Cascade...and I wound up here," I ended there. I tried to edge around Meta-crisis Doctor's death, but I knew the Doctor hadn't forgotten so easily.

"He sacrificed himself to get you here," he said gravely.

"Well, I don't think he knew he was going to die," I argued.

"Rose, there isn't a way to get across with out someone risking their lives. You wouldn't have gotten here without the Meta-crisis dying. You could have been the one to die...he knew that because I know it," the Doctor explained.

It dawned on me for the first time that Meta-crisis Doctor knew he was going to die. He did it for me. It was either me or him. The whole reason we were trying to come here was because of me. If I ha known that one of us had to die, I don't think I would have pushed the attempt.

"Rose, are you okay?" The Doctor checked, resting his hand on my shoulder.

I nodded. "There's nothing to be done now," I settled.

The Doctor smiled weakly.

"Now Rose, you must be aware that I have a new companion...or I'm trying to anyway," he glanced back at the doors, which held the girl called Clara's home on the other side.

"Right...I- I'll just stay out of the way," I said, holding my head.

"No!" The Doctor exclaimed, grabbing my shoulders. "Rose I've had two companions before." He paused for a moment, looking distraught, as if remembering a terrible happening. Then he continued, "Would you consider being a co-companion?"

"I'd do anything to travel with you again," I smiled, but something kept tugging at the back of my head.

"Doctor, how many have there been?" I asked.

"How many what?" He raised his...I would say eyebrows, but there didn't seem to be eyebrows on his face. It made me want to chuckle, but I couldn't right now.

"Companions. How many since Donna?" I made myself more clear.

"Oh...two. Amy and Rory. But they were a couple. They traveled with me together," he hung his head down and I knew that he didn't want me to see the sadness on his face.

"What happened to them?" I wondered out loud.

The Doctor hesitated. I knew he was debating whether or not he should tell me. Finally he opened his mouth and said, "They passed."

"I'm sorry," I apologized.

"...Yeah," he spoke in a hushed voice.

I changed the subject, "So what's with this Clara girl? Why her?"

"Clara Oswin Oswald!" he exclaimed. "Now that's a mystery. I've met her two times before and both times she died - in completely different time periods. She's impossible! And you know I'm drawn to impossible people!"

"So let's go get us a second companion," I smiled, letting his excitement rub off on me.

He nodded and ran out the door. I shook my head.

To myself, I uttered, "Oh, Doctor. It's good to be back."