The Doctor was pacing, he was going after her, but not until he knew what he was going to say to make this right. And not until she had a minute to calm down, so that he could get her to listen to him. He hated himself right now, hated that he wanted to keep the ring on him instead of hidden like it should have been. How could he go back now, and he realized what he was going to have to do to make this right again. Even if she hated him, even if she said no, this was worse. He could take her rejection better than he could have her hurting because she thought he still wanted Rose. He may have missed her, even now, but those days were gone and he had found love again.

He walked out of the hall, ignoring the TARDIS urging him to hurry. He was scared to make this trip and he certainly wasn't going to run to her room, since this trip could be the last time he got to be with her. If she asked to go home he didn't know what he would do. He would take her friendship if that was all he could have but he couldn't do it without her, not now.

Good old TARDIS though, if he wouldn't hurry, she would move the room for him, and she did. Donna's room was suddenly in front of him and he sighed and reached up to knock at the door, and then dropped his hand. He tried again but couldn't get himself to make the noise to let her know that he was there. He was staring at the door trying to find the strength to move again when it opened and she looked out at him, her face calm, but her eyes holding tears back.

"I thought I told you to leave me alone?" She told him, but her voice wasn't angry, really it just sounded tired.

"You did," he agreed calmly, but he wasn't going to stop now. "May I come in Donna?"

"Your TARDIS," she said and stepped into the room.

He stepped in ignoring the fact that she had called it his TARDIS. He had hurt her and deserved worse than that tiny jab. "Our TARDIS."

She sighed and sat down on the bed but she didn't argue with him about it being theirs which gave him a sliver of hope. She wasn't looking at him, instead focusing on the stars that now covered her ceiling. "It was like this when I came back. She seems to think this is what I want."

"She does that," he agreed. "Can we talk about this please?"

"I told you that it wasn't my business."

"Did I tell you that I loved you?"

"Yes," she said very softly and looked down at the ground.

"Then it's your business." He wanted to hold her, to make this pain nothing but memory, but he didn't move. He would say his piece and then she could make up her mind.

She looked up at him, the tears breaking free. "I can't be mad about something that happened in the past, Doctor. And I'm not. But I can't be second to someone else."

"Donna," he started reaching into his pocket to pull out the ring. He was still arguing with himself but he knew what he had to do to make her see that she wasn't second to anything. "I want you to know that this wasn't how I thought this would go, and that you really don't have to say anything to this, unless you want."

"Say anything to what?"

He dropped to one knee in front of her, feeling sick and scared, his hearts running. "Donna meeting you was the best thing I could have hoped for, no, more than I could have hoped for. You are more than I deserve, but I think I might like to try to deserve you. If you would let me. You know I'm capable of messing things up, and it'll happen again, but I won't give up on us, won't stop working for this."

"Are you proposing to me?" She was giving him a look that he couldn't read.

"Yes," he nodded. "I wasn't going to do it yet, but not because I don't mean every word. I didn't want to mess this up Donna. I didn't want to push or rush you, but I had to make you see. Please see. I love you."

"You're proposing to me," she repeated wiping at her eyes.

"Yes," he said. This wasn't going as bad as it could have.

"Get up," she told him.

And there it goes; as long as she didn't want to leave he would make this work. "Donna."

"Shush," she told him calmly. "It's my turn to talk."

He stood there waiting, though he wasn't sure for what. For her to tell him that she was packing her bags or to tell him that they couldn't be more than just friends, he supposed.

"You can't imagine how much that hurt me, Doctor. And I wasn't even mad, I just felt like I was losing something I just found. And then you do this. What do I say to this?"

When she looked at him he knew that she wanted an answer. "Say yes, say no, and just don't leave me please."

"What do you want me to say? You said that you weren't going to ask yet, do you want me to say no?"

"I wouldn't have the ring if I wanted you to say no. Not now or ever. But I am willing to try this again when you are ready, Donna."

"And what if I do say yes, what then?"

"Then we talk about this, hopefully after a kiss." He tried not to let his hope show. He didn't want her to feel obligated.

"Why do you want to marry me?"

"That's a very long list, love."

"I've got time," she gave him a smile that made him weak and made him want to kiss her then. "Give me the ring."

She held out her left hand and he slid it on slowly. "Do I get to kiss you now?"

"Maybe," she agreed but she reached up pulling him to her.

When they had to break for air she sighed. "We aren't getting married tomorrow. This is still a day by day thing."

"I've got time," he told her and set to work unbuttoning the pajama top she had put on.

"I just got dressed," she told him but she was pulling his tie off, and working on his shirt.

"You'll have to forgive me then," he murmured kissing the skin as he exposed it.

Yes he had time, and if someday he got to say I do, if nothing stole her away or stopped them, then he would be the best husband to this woman that she could ever have.