The Power of Words

Epilogue

"I think you need a Doctor." The Doctor whispered to Rose before kissing her soundly on the lips, drawing the time vortex into himself. Rose collapses against him as The Doctor exhales the energy, watching as it flows back into the TARDIS. The console closes silently, sealing the energy away.

"Ew!" A young female voice exclaims as golden energy, not dissimilar to what just exited The Doctor's lips, dances along his arms. Glancing around, The Doctor doesn't see anybody as he hurries Rose into the TARDIS and sets it to dematerialize before Jack Harkness can reach the ship.

"You know? I don't think I've ever seen you without hair before." The same young voice as before mused. "I don't like it."

The Doctor looks around wildly. "Who are you? Where are you? How did you get on my ship?"

The voice scoffed in return. "Give me a few minutes, I'm still getting the hang of this materializing thing."

"What are you?" The Doctor yelled at the TARDIS ceiling.

Rose groaned from the floor and he immediately refocused his attention. "What happened?" She asks.

"Don't you remember?" The Doctor asks cautiously in reply.

"It's like there was this singing..." She responded groggily.

"That's right. I sang a song and the Daleks ran away." The Doctor replied, resigned.

"I was at home. No, I wasn't, I was in the Tardis, and there was this light. I can't remember anything else."

Golden light flared brighter along The Doctor's skin.

"Rose Tyler. I was going take you to so many places. Barcelona. Not the city Barcelona, the planet Barcelona. You'd love it. Fantastic place. They've got dogs with no noses. Imagine how many times a day you end up telling that joke, and it's still funny." He mourned.

A snort could be heard from the ceiling. "Overrated."

"Then, why can't we go?" Rose inquired.

"Maybe you will, and maybe I will. But not like this." He sighed, before calling to the voice. "It is not overrated!"

"Doctor, you're not making sense." Rose replied, "and who are you talking to?"

"I might never make sense again. I might have two heads, or no head. Imagine me with no head. And don't say that's an improvement. But it's a bit dodgy, this process. You never know what you're going to end up with." The Doctor replied, distractedly. "Can't you hear that voice?"

"I see you are always this dramatic." The voice commented, "You'll be fine. I assure you, you will have a head. A cockamamie head, but a head."

Suddenly The Doctor doubled over in pain and Rose rushed towards him, yelling for him.

"No!" The Doctor responds, "Stay away!"

"Doctor, tell me what's going on." Rose pleaded.

"I absorbed all the energy of the Time Vortex, and no one's meant to do that. Every cell in my body's dying." He exhaled in pain.

"Can't you do something?" Rose asked, anxiously.

"Oh, where'd you pick this one up, then?" The voice snarked, "Should be obvious you're doing everything you can."

The Doctor glared out at the room. "Excuse me, I only take the best! But, yeah, I'm doing what I can now. Time Lords have this little trick, you see, it's sort of a way of cheating death. Except it means I'm going to change, and I'm not going to see you again. Not like this. Not with this daft old face. And before I go..."