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rory looked around slowly as he realized that they had not arrived where they had wanted too.
"where are we?" rory asked the doctor slowly. "where's amy? this doesn't look like an alien planet."
"it's-it's a memory." the doctor spoke slowly. "the reskapator's, the ones that took amy, they have this, special power."
"what special power?" rory looked even more worried. "what do you mean doctor? is amy alright?"
"yes. she's fine, rory. the reskapator's are a non-violent species. they won't hurt her." the doctor looked around. "but they can create places. whole universes, events in time and place you there."
"i don't understand."
"this place, it feeds on memories, recreates them." rory nodded, a little less panicked.
"right, well this isn't my memory. i've never been here."
"i know. it's mine." the doctor spoke slowly. he shook his head. "and i am so sorry, rory, i am so so sorry. but we can't be here today."
the tears began prickling at the doctors eyes.
"why not?"
"because this is the day that rose tyler dies." the doctor nods over to where a man and a woman stand.
"where are you?" the familiar voice of rose tyler spoke up. the doctor turned to rose and shut his eyes.
"we've got to go." the doctor whispered.
"no." rory cried. the doctors head snapped towards him. "we can't just leave her here!"
the doctor carefully approached him.
"rory," he spoke slowly and cautiously, "amy isn't here. we got caught in a memory loop. this place doesn't really exist right now as we see it."
"i know." rory sighed, determination on his face. "i'm not talking about amy. i'm talking about rose. look, you can't just leave her here again."
the doctor's eyebrows shot upwards.
"yes, i know that you left her here. don't ask how, i just do." rory explained. "but even if it's just a memory. you can't leave her here. not again, doctor."
"how do you-"
"look, i don't know exactly what you two were, what you meant to each other or anything like that, but i know you doctor. okay, whoever she was, she was important to you." rory's voice softened. "and i know that you regret leaving her on this beach. so go to her doctor."
the doctor didn't say anything. instead he walked over to where rose tyler, the love of his life, was saying goodbye to his younger self.
"am i ever gonna see you again?" she cried, and he watched his younger self stare at her helplessly.
"you can't." he whispered.
"what are you gonna do?" he couldn't take it anymore.
"rose." he carefully walked closer to her as they both turned and stared at him. "you don't know me yet. but it's me, rose. it's the doctor."
his younger self glared at him.
"you can't be here."
"i know. don't worry." the doctor never took his eyes off rose. "i'm not. this is only a memory for me. but i couldn't just stand by and let you go for a third time."
"third time?" rose's eyebrows furrowed. "does that mean, i find you again?"
"i can't say. even though i'm not really here, you'll still remember this." he didn't even glance at his younger self. "you'll have two sets of memories, the way things really happened and how they're happening right now. oh rose, i am so, so sorry."
"i can't believe it's you." she breathed.
he didn't know what to say. he had no words for her, yet he had everything to say.
"i love you." it was the first that came out of his mouth, and rose's startled face made him sweat. "i couldn't say it then but i will now."
ten stared at the scene gaping like a fish out of water.
"doctor." rose whispered. she looked between him and his younger self. "you-you're still the doctor?"
"i'm still the doctor." his voice went softer. "i'm still me."
she sent him one of her signature smiles and he broke inside.
"come with me." he blurted out.
"what?" rose jumped back, startled again.
he held out his hand, realizing that he truly meant what he had said, even though he knew what would happen if she did.
"please. don't think. just come with me, take my hand. i'll take you barcelona finally." rose let out a pained grin. finally the doctor turned to his younger self. "i've got to do this."
"i know." he didn't say anything else.
"come with me." his voice cracked as he held out his hand to her once more. "please."
rose didn't say anything. she glanced at her doctor, his younger self, who nodded and with a smile, she took his hand.
the doctor gasped as the scene in front of him faded and he stood aboard the tardis, a new destination punched into the coordinates.
"she's gone." the doctor whispered. "she's gone."
"doctor," rory placed his hand on the doctors shoulder, "she may be gone. but you did it. you saved rose tyler."
the doctor didn't answer. he wasn't thinking about rory, or saving amy, or his younger self.
instead, he sat himself down on the stairs and put his head in his hands.
and for the first time in a long while, the doctor cried for the love of his life.
