The Doctor's Choice

The Oncoming Storm

He barely needed to guide her. The TARDIS knew exactly where he needed to go. By tracking Rose's phone, he immediately found out where they were being held. That was the easy part. You see, it might have slipped your mind how incredibly hard it is to imprison River Song. And also how difficult it is to transport people out of a parallel universe. So to find a place that had successfully done both and was not a smoking pile of rubble was a very rare occurrence. Maybe even a force to be reckoned with...
The Doctor, however, chuckled a bit at the thought. Amateurs.

He parked in what he hoped was a supply closet, and was thankful that for once his steering was accurate. He then opened the door very slowly, expecting to be staring down the barrel of a gun, but was happily mistaken.
He left the closet, and held a small rectangular device out in front of him, following the beeping noise it created. It got louder and louder, leading him down a maze of corridors, until it suddenly stopped. He had found them. He shoved the tracker in his coat and ran down the hallway; his footsteps were sure to alert nearby guards but he didn't care. He skidded to a stop at the sound of laughter, and turned to see River Song and Rose Tyler, talking through a grate in two separate cells. The walls were made from regnuranium, a material that was impenetrable on one side and glass-like on the other. He could see them, but they couldn't see him. He was about to announce his presence, but then he heard something that gave him pause.
"But are you, Rose? Are you still... in love with him?"
With bated breath, the Doctor waited for her answer. He knew he shouldn't hope, but he couldn't help himself. It had been over 1000 years since last he saw her, but time had had almost no effect. He loved her. He was married, he loved River Song, he should move on but...
He would never forget Rose Tyler.
And then she spoke. The sound of her voice almost caused him to break his silence, but he stopped himself, and listened.
"I-I don't know River. I.. I think so. You know him. You know what he's like. It's as if you're in love with all of time and space itself, he's ever-changing and constant and amazing and terrifying and he's a genius and yet he's the biggest idiot in the galaxy.... he's just... you know... fantastic. Absolutely fantastic.
I know he's in love with you now; he's probably forgotten that I ever even existed... but I don't think I could ever fall out of love with him...
I-I'm sorry."
A soft smile rested on both River and the Doctor's faces.
"It's ok," River said, "I don't blame you. I'll never stop loving that man. But don't worry, Miss Rose Tyler, because you seem pretty rememberable to me."

That was the Doctor's cue to come in. He knew now that Rose and River wouldn't fight over him, and besides, he, of all people, was wasting time. He walked quickly and quietly back up the hallway and prepared for his entrance.

Rose smiled. A real smile, a true smile. She hoped River was right. She did feel bad for admitting her feelings for the Doctor, because she knew that he was married to River, she knew that they were in love, but...
A skidding noise on the floor outside snapped her out of her thoughts. She scrambled towards the door and tried to look through the cracks.
"Doctor?", she whispered, half expecting no response.
"Rose? River? I'm here, don't worry, I'm here."
A sigh of relief escaped her and she felt a little petty satisfaction at the fact he called out for her first. She scowled at her own jealousness and tried to focus on the problem at hand; the fact that she was in a jail cell.
She heard River pounding on her door.
"Come on you idiot, I recorded the guards shifts and you have only a few minutes before they come along to feed us."
Rose could almost see the Doctor rolling his eyes and she smiled despite herself.
"Can you sonic it Doctor?", she said, trying to stay in the conversation.
"Rose? Sorry, it's still a bit of a shock hearing your voice... uhh, no unfortunately, the material the door is made out of, regnuranium, it's technically impossible to open with a sonic. I'll need a few more minutes."
River sighed from inside her cell and said,
"Hang on, I can use the sonic you gave me at the same time. Rose, there might be a tiny little explosion so stand back."
Rose grinned and backed up against the opposite wall, holding her hands in front of her face to shield herself from the blast. A few seconds later, the door exploded, taking part of the wall with it. When the smoke cleared, she looked up to see Professor River Song and the Doctor, smiling at each other. She pursued her lips and pulled herself up, getting a good look at the new new Doctor. He was older, definitely, but she didn't mind. His fashion sense certainly hadn't changed. He had gone grey, and laughter lines were etched into his face, but his eyes stayed the same. They never changed. Those eyes were now fixed on her, in an almost desperate way. The Doctor smiled, and stretched out a hand towards her.
"Hello Rose."