Doomsday Fic!

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Title: How Jackie Tyler Saved The Universe
Author: sarah531
Rating: G?
Summary: A missing scene from Doomsday.
A/N: This is the first draft of this. I reckon it’s not as good as it could be. It needs something more, but I’m not sure what.

How Jackie Tyler Saved The Universe

This is the story of how Jackie Tyler didn’t die:

It begins with three people waiting for Rose.

“She’ll be back,” Pete said uncertainly, staring at the wall. “I know that girl- seen her do her thing- you hold on, she’ll come right back in a minute.”

There was silence, and Jackie’s heart beat crazily, and she felt Mickey grab her hand.

“He’s right,” he said, in a shakey voice. “She’ll be back. Hold on, Jackie.”

And they held on, the three of them. Waiting in the dark. Jackie had waited so long already…and this was it. The final round. Her husband was back, her best friend was back, and now she just needed her daughter- the one who’d brought them all this far. She had to have faith, had to believe in Rose, but Rose-

“Rose isn’t coming back,” Jackie said slowly and tearfully, “because she doesn’t want to.”

“She will,” Mickey said, and he squeezed her hand and Jackie felt like crying, because Mickey had been left behind too and Rose had gone away without him and he knew. Rose had made her choice, and her choice did not include them.

The seconds ticked by, and they were long and awful.

Tick. Henriks going up in flames.

Tick. The months that dragged by without Rose, not knowing if she was even alive.

Tick. Rose in Downing Street, with a missile heading towards her.

Tick. Rose in the cafe, not eating chips and sobbing. Sobbing at her. What do I do with the rest of my life, Mum? What do I do?

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Jackie Tyler had no time machine.

“Pete,” she said finally.

“No.” Pete said. “She’s coming back, I know it.”

“She could be dead. About to die. Looking down one of them plunger things.” She felt the tears running down her face. “She could be dying, right now!”

“Jackie, love-”

“We need to go back. Me. You. Right this minute!”

Pete took Jackie’s shoulders and looked right into her face. “Jackie. Listen. There are cracks inbetween the worlds. You heard that. If you or me or- Mickey or anyone goes to get her- that could be it. The last crack. The end of it all.”

“But what if it’s not?” Jackie shrieked. “What if it’s not?” And then suddenly a thought slammed into her mind. “So what if she tries to come back then? How come you can’t go get her, but her coming back is alright?! What if she makes the world end?”

Pete looked uncomfortable. “It’s her decision.”

Jackie’s mind buzzed out. Her decision her decision her decision. Her decision had been to leave her mother behind. And oh it hurt and it was horrible and it was her decision.

So Jackie made hers.

“I’m going to go back,” she said. “I have to.”

“Jackie,” Pete said gently. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, but you can’t move the universe-”

“She moved the universe to save you!” Jackie screamed. “The other you, the dead you, she did everything she could to keep
you alive!”

“And,” Pete said gently, “she couldn’t.”

Jackie had known he would say that. He was her husband, nearly, and she knew. “Because you were already dead, and you dying made her what she is. But Rose Tyler isn’t dead, Pete. Not now. I would die for her, you get that?” she went on fiercely, and the world faded dizzily around her, as it generally did when people made declarations of self-sacrifice. “I would die. I’m going back, and you can’t stop me, because I know the world’s not going to end. It doesn’t work like that. I am going to save my daughter.”

And with the words I AM GOING TO SAVE MY DAUGHTER, her hand flew to the button- but Pete was faster, and he knocked it away.

“Jackie Tyler,” he said thoughtfully, “you are…”

Stupid? Delusional? Useless? Helpless? Unable to save your daughter, ever?

Pete looked into her eyes, and she saw her own reflection. “Fantastic,” he finished, in a sort of puzzled wonderment. “You would, wouldn’t you? And it’s dangerous, and I think I love you, so I’ll go.”

Jackie blinked.

And in the space of that blink, Pete kissed her and then he was gone. Jackie nearly fell to her knees, but Mickey was holding her up.

“You know what I went and learned, from you and tons of people?” he said, “Faith pays off.”

There was a flash of blinding light. It was not the end of the world, and it wasn’t even the end of her. It was Pete, and he was back, and he was holding a screaming Rose.

Jackie Tyler had saved her daughter.

And it was not the last story she would ever tell.