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it had started pretty simply, really. the doctor had been investigating some seemingly alien technology at a little shop in london when he saw her.
more accurately, he heard her voice.
"excuse me sir, can i help you with anything?" it was rose tyler. the doctor simply panicked.
he dropped his sonic screwdriver and in a haste to ensure she didn't see it, kicked it away and didn't even look as it skittered into an impossibly small crack in the wall.
"hmm?" he jumped. "oh no. sorry, i'm just browsing. you know how it is."
rose smiled and nodded.
"right. are you looking for anything specific?" she asked.
the doctor looked around to see what section he was in, and cringed when he saw he was in the women's clothing section.
"well, erm, yes actually miss uh-"
"my name's rose. rose tyler." she stuck her hand out. "pleasure to meet you."
"john smith." he smiled, shaking her hand firmly. "i'm searching for um, a little, well, erm, dress, for my, wife. yes my wife."
he seemed satisfied with the lie. seemed like looking like an old man had its perks afterall.
"of course. does she like anything specific? patterns, colors, sequence?" rose asked. she was engaged and trying to help him, and the doctor couldn't breath. he couldn't bear it.
"you know what, this was a bad idea. i'm sorry, i should go." he turned around and skittered out of the shop as fast as he could.
'great. now i've got no sonic and i just ran away from the one and only rose tyler.' he sighed and out his head in his hands as he reached the bench. even though he wouldn't admit it to himself, he knew he was going to have to go back.
if not for the alien technology, then for rose.
over the next few days the doctor visited her under the guise of picking out the perfect dress for he and his wife's anniversary cruise that they would be taking in a few months.
he had lost track of time. it had been days, and he was only supposed to investigate for a few short hours.
"well, mr. smith i'd say that your wife is going to absolutely love this, from everything you told me about her." rose smiled her signature smile. she had become more comfortable with john smith over those few days, and the two had formed an unlikely friendship.
to the doctor, however, it was much more than that.
"thank you, rose tyler." he smiled sadly.
"can i ask you something?" rose began hesitantly. he nodded so she continues. "when you say my name, well, you say my full name. it's never just rose, it's always gotta be rose tyler. why is that?"
he sighed, but she wasn't done.
"and every time you say my name you smile sort of funny. almost like it's a sad word and not just the shop girls name. why is that, mr. smith?" the doctor just shook his head.
he knew that she was beginning to notice something was off. he knew that soon, he'd find the technology, shut it down, and be on his merry way touring the universe.
without rose tyler.
"oh rose tyler," he shook his head, "if i told you, you'd never believe me."
the doctor picked up one of the dresses that she had picked out for his nonexistent wife and held it up.
"this is the one." his voice was merely a whisper. "i can't stay here any longer, it's time for me to get back to the real world."
"what do you mean?"
"oh, rose tyler. you're going to have adventures someday. you'll see things you never even dreamed of." he sighed again, and rose felt herself tearing up for a reason she couldn't explain. "when you do, do me one favor."
she tilted her head but didn't say anything so he continued to speak.
"don't forget me, rose tyler. remember the old man, this old doctor, from the shop, who you can't ever see again. and remember that he thanks you, and that he'll never forget you. even in his old age." a small smile crossed his lips so briefly rose was sure she had imagined it. "goodbye, rose tyler."
she didn't get to say anything as the doctor took the dress and walked off. he considered putting it back on the shelf and leaving, with no trace to put himself in her shop, but he couldn't do it.
the doctor bought the dress and made his way back to the tardis. as he crossed the threshold a smile crossed his face.
the doctor went back the next day to watch her from afar, but rose tyler simply hadn't appeared. the building had caught fire the night before, and people were swarming trying to figure out the cause of it.
only when he saw the headlines did he finally understand.
rose tyler was not coming back to the shop for work. she had gone off with a man who would change her life. and as she flew across the stars in a blue box with an alien man, she remembered the man who bought the dress.
she kept her word, she never forgot him. and he never forgot her.
this one absolutely FRIGGIN KILLED ME TO WRITE YALL.
