Well, I hadn't planned on this being the end until I wrote it. It seemed like a good place to stop, but fret not friends-I'm thinking that there will be a sequel to this. I make no promises, but it seems right to do. However, it will not be immediate because I've got some other projects that are on my mind.

This was going to be up on Friday, but then I had to drive home from school for break, then Saturday was nuts, I was gone all day Sunday, my internet was broken yesterday...but here it is now. Apologies for the delay.

Thank you for all the love from this! I sincerely appreciate it. Please drop a review, if you've ever enjoyed this story.

Chapter VII

["I have stood here when the whole air was full of the noises of Charn… all in one moment one woman blotted it out forever." -C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew]

The air was thick with silence as they all just simply stared and stared and stared. It didn't feel real for the Doctor to be standing there in the doorway of the TARDIS, his arms extended with fingers wiggling. After everything they had been through, this seemed too easy. River was the first to break the silence as she grinned, "Hello, sweetie."

That was all it took. Amy stormed over, stomping her feet all the way, and as soon as she reached him, slapped him so hard that he was sure to be seeing stars for days. "Oi!" the Doctor squealed, covering his stinging cheek with his hand, pulling back in case she decided to smack him again.

"What was that stunt for, eh?" she shouted, hands on her hips. The Doctor cowered in fear, with good reason. "Hell of a party we had. Beach, wine, laughs, and then a murder? What kind of game are you playing at?"

"I had-"

"I thought you died! We all thought you died! I stood over my best friend's dead body and cried because I saw him die and couldn't do anything about it! You were dead! You invited us all the way to America, just so we could watch you get shot! I have half a mind to smack you right into your next regeneration."

"Amelia, I-"

"Don't you interrupt me! Your wife thought you were dead! What kind of rubbish husband knows he's going to die and doesn't even tell his wife!"

She paused for breath and he meekly put his hand in the air like a child. "May I speak now?" he asked softly. She glared at him, but said nothing else. "In my defense, I didn't have a choice. It was a fixed point in time. Time said I had to die, but that doesn't mean that I had to die alone. You're smart, Amelia. At this point, you'll have figured out that because of Clara, my wonderful, impossible Clara Oswin Oswald-" Clara grinned bashfully as he spoke of her, "-I had a future. A future where I would see you again. And may I just say, Pond, it is good to see you!"

He wrapped his arms around her, but she didn't move to embrace him in return. "And where are we? Rory and River and me, where are we?"

The Doctor stepped back, "Well, I saw River not too long ago in this very spot. Future River, that is, lovely to see you again, Wife. I'll be over there in a minute to say hello to you. As for you, Amelia Pond, you are off on vacation with your lovely husband. I'm due to pick you up soon, but things keep happening and getting in the way. Don't worry, I'll be on time."

Amy stared at him for a few seconds longer, then allowed a smile to spread on her face, and jumped on him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed a kiss to his cheek. He swung her around and around in circles, practically singing in joy.

Clara looked to Vastra, Jenny, and Strax, sharing a knowing look. Wearing smiles as a mask, they all tried to conceal the sadness they knew that the Doctor harbored. This reunion meant more to him than anything else they could possibly think of.

The Doctor released Amy and walked over to her husband. "Sorry about the hug."

Rory sighed. "I would've granted permission anyway."

Grabbing Rory by the shoulders, the Doctor smiled and kissed both of his cheeks. Rory cringed and pushed the Doctor away, shoving him in River's direction. He looked at her carefully for a short time before pulling her into his arms, whispering something in her ear that was meant for just the two of them. He patted her cheek with the palm of his hand, then moved along to the Patermoster Gang, kissing them each on the cheek.

"Hope you haven't been waiting too long," he said.

"Only six years, sir," Strax said.

Madame Vastra rolled her eyes. "It has only been about two minutes since you jumped into your time stream. It would do Strax well to shut up and let the civilized women talk."

"Well, even if I hadn't been able to get out, the TARDIS would have appeared to take you home. I programmed her that way in case something like this ever happened. Useful things, emergency programs." The Doctor stepped over to Clara, giving her a rather dramatic hug. "My impossible girl, making everything into a soufflé. Soufflé girl after all, Clara Oswald."

"It's good to see you, Doctor," Clara said with a smile. She held up her hand for a high-five, and just as the Doctor's hand moved in to smack hers, she quickly rotated her hand into a fist with her thumb sticking out. "Turkey!" she quipped, laughing as the Doctor failed to understand what had happened. "Artie taught me that one, insisted on having me show you some time. 'Course, he probably would've preferred to do it himself, but after the whole Blind Man's Bluff fiasco...they're going to be in trouble."

Clara's eyes flicked over to Rose, who was watching the scene with a sadness across her face that only Clara could understand out of the group. She remembered every life she ever had, every time she saved the Doctor. She remembered trying to get his attention as the lever began to slip, trying to give him time to figure out a plan. Maybe that wasn't exactly saving his life, but it was saving his Rose. One of many times she failed.

Finally, the Doctor's shoulders gave a bit, chest collapsing as he took a deep breath. He turned, and looked at Rose for the first time in years (not counting the brief encounter in his time stream because, honestly, who knew if that was real or a delusion). He looked at her, and she looked at him, and finally he smiled.

Once he had moved directly in front of her, she tried to smile as she said, "You've regenerated."

He nodded. "Good different or bad different?"

"Just different."

They stared at each for a few moments longer, then he hastily pulled her into his arms, resting his cheek on the top of her head, breathing in her hair and the smell of Rose. Closing his eyes, he held her as tightly as he could, never wanting to let go. She closed her eyes, leaning her head against his chest, fingers tightly clutching the lapels of his coat.

Amy and Rory watched, their own hands intertwined as they wondered just who Rose was to him beyond what River had told them. River looked on in sadness, Clara in understanding. Both women knew what they meant to the Doctor, how they were important in different ways, but how they could never measure up to Rose Tyler. They may have saved him in their own ways, but she saved him.

After some time, the Doctor pulled himself away from Rose and turned back to the rest of the group. With a broad grin, he said, "Let's get you lot home. And thank you."

When the door had shut behind Madame Vastra, Jenny, and Strax, the Doctor cranked up the time rotor and moved the rest of them into the Vortex, setting the coordinates for Lake Silencio, Utah. Amy pouted at him, a superficial look on the outside, but quite real beneath the physical expression. "We just found you again and you're already going to take us back?" she asked, trying not to reveal how hurt she truly felt.

He looked at her sadly, thinking of a rooftop in Manhattan and of a cemetery on the outskirts of the city. Oh, Pond. His Amelia Pond, the girl who waited. Raggedy man, goodbye. Instead of showing his feelings, he hid the damage. Plastering a great smile on his face, he followed his own rules. "Don't worry. We'll see each other soon," he lied. Well, lied to himself. For she would see him soon. He would never see her again.

Rory walked over to grab Amy's hand, but the Doctor was faster. Quick as lightning, he pulled both of them into a fierce embrace. He didn't need them to get out of his time stream, nor did he need River. It was for his own selfish pleasure that he asked Clara to bring them along. Yes, it may have delayed them finding Melody, but she turned out to be fine. Besides, the TARDIS was a time machine, too.

He wanted to see them again. He had travelled with them on and off for over a century of his life. They were two of the most special people he had ever met in over a thousand years of traversing the universe. His best friends, his mother- and father-in-law. Was it really so wrong to want to see them again, to be able to say goodbye to them in a better medium than a deleted message on their answering machine? He could never see them again properly, he would never really know what happened to them.

River told him that Amelia had become a writer, that they had adopted a little boy, had lived out their lives in New York. With all of these facts, the Doctor would have guessed that it was possible for him to close the door on their lives. He had gone longer without knowing what had happened to Sarah Jane or Susan or Leela. Despite all of this, they were his Ponds. Amelia was the first person he met after the most difficult regeneration of his many lives.

Sometimes, he thought Time Lords lived too long.

The ship landed with a shudder, despite River's best efforts. Allowing the couple to disengage themselves from him, the Doctor ignored the pit in his stomach and the tears that threatened to sting his eyes. He would not cry, for they would see him again.

When he opened the blue doors, they saw the outside of the diner they had stopped in what felt like decades ago. The sun was down, the inside lights bright. Amy and Rory stepped out, turning back to face him. "When're we gonna see you again?"

He grinned, shoving his hands in his pockets to keep them still. "Oh, a few minutes. I'd say five, but I don't want to make promises I can't keep."

Amy's smile grew, and she stepped toward him to hug her raggedy man once more. She moved back after a brief period to allow River to say her goodbyes. As he pulled the woman who may or may not have been his proper wife into his long arms, the Doctor whispered in her ear, "Don't feel guilty. It wasn't your fault, Melody."

She leaned back and looked into his eyes, tears pricking at her own. In a low voice, she said, "I know you're much further along than me, and I'm probably gone by now. Don't be alone, Doctor. When Clara leaves, don't abandon Rose. You deserve each other." It hurt to say, but it was the truth.

With that, River took a step backwards into the chilly American air. Right on cue, the sound of engines screeching echoed from several feet away. The Doctor smiled once more, then closed the TARDIS doors in his own face. Running a hand through his hair, he squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to give in to the tears that held him hostage.

The TARDIS left of her own accord, or so he thought. In reality, being one with the TARDIS and having had a past self as a Time Lady brought incredible knowledge to two women and made them quite capable.

Rose and Clara were quiet as they flew the police box, careful to keep her making the noises he loved, knowing that the sounds brought him comfort in trying times. Before long, the ship had landed again, and all was still. Save for the shaking man by the door.

Clara took tentative steps toward him, placing a hand on his back when she arrived. Rubbing soothing circles against the purple material, Clara began humming a simple tune she learned as a Time Lady on Gallifrey. The Doctor collected himself and straightened up, ready for the next bit of adventure.

Giving him a reassuring smile, Clara moved around him and opened the door with her back to it. The Doctor looked beyond her, facial features falling in recognition. Her smile, tainted by sadness, wavered before strengthening. "I'm gonna go visit my mum. That's the one thing I've been wanting to do since I first lost myself. I blew into this world on a leaf, and I want to visit her. It feels like the right thing to do."

He cannot keep her from leaving, but it still pained him.

"I expect a visit on an upcoming Wednesday. I think there's an exhibit at the National Gallery I'd like to see, and maybe we can take Angie and Artie with us. They miss you, want to spend more time with you, even if you aren't my boyfriend. Of course, we could always give the Spacey Zoomer another go, but it'll have to wait for another Wednesday."

The Doctor, feeling content once more, smiled and gave her a single nod. "I'll be here on a Wednesday, no telling which one."

Clara laughed, "You always say that. Maybe I'll take my mum a soufflé. Although, they always turn out to be rubbish. Still, it's the thought that counts."

It was the Doctor's turn to laugh. The heartbreak that remained constant on the horizons of his mind waned as he remembered spunk of Oswin Oswald, his first soufflé girl. "My impossible Clara, born to save the Doctor."

Her smile grew beyond what he would have thought possible, and she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear as her eyes flicked deliberately back to Rose, who was curled up and looking very unhappy on the captain's chair. "Run, you clever boy and remember her." She winked, and then she was gone, leaving him with the promise of a future Wednesday and a certain set of instructions.

After a few seconds of silent reflection, the Doctor turned and looked at Rose. Perched in what looked like an uncomfortable position with her knees tucked under her at an odd angle, her forehead was scrunched up, her eyes squeezed together, her hands clutching at the hair by her temples. A simple flare from the TARDIS in his mind alerted him to what he suspected to be wrong.

Footsteps soft against the floor, the Doctor scooped her up into his arms, carrying her out of the cold metal of the room. She didn't seem to notice that he had picked her up and was moving her, and to be honest, he didn't have a plan. He wandered the TARDIS corridors aimlessly until the sentient ship got tired of his muttering and sent him in the direction of the library. Upon seeing the door, he wondered why he didn't think of the warm, spacious room in the first place.

The basic layout and theme was the same as when Rose was living on the TARDIS, so the familiarity was sure to comfort her in ways that he could not. Of course, he should have known that just his presence was enough to bring her happiness. Watching her carefully as he set her down on a long sofa, the Doctor sat down next to her, pulling her tense body against his chest and wrapped his arms around her.

"Rose," he murmured against her hair, remembering the last time she had been burning from the inside out. "Rose, I'm going to help you, but I need you to look at me."

Carefully pulling her hands down from her head and rubbing his thumbs tenderly against the soft skin on the backs, the Doctor noticed that her face was flushed. Even her skin was radiating heat. When she finally opened her eyes, he was unsurprised to see them shining gold around the edges of her irises. "It hurts," she moaned, a shimmering tear falling down her cheek.

"Oh, Rose," he whispered. "My Rose. I'm going to help you, better than last time, but...but it's going to hurt, and it won't be easy. I can't take it all away, like I tried to before, but I can make it better. I'm going to need your help, though. I have to go into your mind, and I need your permission to do that." He had been so alone for so long that just the thought of having a mental connection with someone made him feel dizzy.

She nodded, eyes squeezed shut in miserable pain. "Doctor, please."

Not wanting to waste any time and cause her any comfort, the Doctor raised his relatively cool fingers to her warm temples. Only gingerly touching, the Doctor knew he would have to restrain himself from fully immersing himself in her mind. "If there is anything you don't want me to see, imagine a door and close it. I promise not to look, and I won't spend any more time than I absolutely have to."

Nodding again, Rose whimpered, the pain increasing steadily after her trip into the TARDIS. Finally, the Doctor pressed his forehead to hers and reached out with his mind. She gasped in surprise at the contact, but was able to control the involuntary flinch.

The Doctor was surrounded by the gold of her mind. He felt like he was on fire, like he was regenerating in flames as he made his way through her subconscious. To his surprise, no doors flung up, but he kept himself from looking around anyway. Brief emotions and memories fluttered past him, but he paid no attention.

When he reached the center of her mind, he was hardly surprised to see two words written in gold upon Rose's very essence: BAD WOLF. What else could it have been? He hadn't gotten rid of it the first time, and it had only grown, augmented by the increased travel between realities. He tamped down the intensity, creating mental filing cabinets for the mass of information crammed into her post-human mind, momentarily comparing it to a twenty-first century zip file.

After he had sorted through the information and put it away so it would not constantly be at the front of her mind, the Doctor retreated slowly, triggering sleep in the process. Rose fell limp in his arms as he fully exited, her skin cooler to the touch and her mind not crying out in pain. She looked so young to him when asleep; how much time had passed since he left her on the beach the second time?

Hours passed before her healing sleep ended and she woke up naturally. He was waiting for her, his arms still holding her close to him. She turned her head to look at him and gave a shy smile. "Hello," she said softly.

The Doctor grinned. "Hello. Any more pain?"

She shook her head minutely and sighed. "I feel...tired. Like I could sleep for a thousand years."

With a small laugh, the Doctor pressed his lips to her hair. "It's the healing process, like when I regenerated. Your mind has been overexerted and needs time to acclimatize to the changes. Rest now, I'll be here when you wake up."

Slightly wary, Rose's brown eyes narrowed. "Promise?"

He nodded, incredibly serious all of a sudden. "I promise, Rose Tyler. I will never leave you."

Understanding the double meaning of his words, Rose allowed herself to fall asleep in his arms. Watching her rest peacefully, the Doctor realized that for the first time in over a hundred years, his hearts did not hurt.

It turned out that Rose, while not immortal, would not age. She was not a fixed point in time like Jack Harkness, but was rather a part of Time itself. Bonding herself to the TARDIS on Satellite Five had had lasting effects, the most noticeable being her regenerative abilities. Unlike the Doctor, she would not change appearance, but was able to heal herself when injured. Simply put, she would live until she no longer wanted to or until the universe's Time ran out.

On occasion, Rose would go visit Amy and Rory in New York. It always hurt to say that the Doctor was unable to come as well, but they understood. She was not human, nor a physical being that disrupted the space time continuum. Rose, or the Bad Wolf, as she came to be known around the universe, did not need a TARDIS or a Vortex Manipulator to travel, merely taking command of the time and space around her to bend to her will.

The Ponds were comfortable with their new life together, despite the difficulties of being thrown back in time in a foreign country and no friends. They made do, and even started a new family of their own with their adopted son.

River Song was a closed chapter in the Doctor's book of life. Rose occasionally broke River out of prison to give the woman a break from her mundane life, often because of the guilt Rose felt for stealing the woman's husband. Of course, River argued that he was never really hers to begin with; the Doctor had always belonged to Rose. She never really had a chance.

Visiting the Doctor's friends became a hobby of Rose's. She never wanted to encroach upon his space, but felt a duty to his friends. She attempted to visit his granddaughter, Susan, and her husband, David, but could not find any trace of them in the universe, leaving only one possibility for what had become of them. This became one of her secrets kept from the Doctor, although it hurt her to prevent him from having closure. Sarah Jane received visits from the Doctor and Rose, and often on their own as well. Rose held the Brigadier's hand as he passed away, sat in the back row at Mickey and Martha's wedding, and sent an anonymous card to Donna for her baby shower. She had donated time and money to Ace's charity, and found out the truth about what happened to Peri.

She told him nothing, wanting to keep the man she loved sane and happy.

Rose and the Doctor picked Clara (and occasionally the Maitland children) up on Wednesdays, and had grand adventures flying around and saving the universe. When Clara eventually decided that she had had enough adventure, she asked the Doctor to run and remember her, and not look back.

As for the Doctor himself, he still suffered heartbreak, but was able to walk straight through it all with his pink and yellow girl holding his hand. Ultimately, the Doctor was able to collect enough of his courage to drop to one knee and ask Rose to be his wife. She cried when she said yes, and he recreated the customs of his people as best he could. He bound their hands and minds together with greater conviction than he ever had before.

She knew his name, his true name, and spoke it aloud, unafraid of Silence falling. That threat had passed long ago. They had no hope for children, but it was no matter because the universe itself was like their child. After all, they were always busy protecting it.

When he regenerated into an older man with grey hair and a Scottish accent, Rose simply laughed and said that it was good she had a thing for older men. He playfully smacked her, then kissed her and made it better. They were both too passionate for a perfect marriage, often fighting and nearly destroying a planet in the process, but it was a perfect marriage to them.

The universe had tried to tear them apart, but it had never succeeded. For as long as Time itself existed, the Doctor and Rose Tyler would be in the TARDIS, as it should be.

Thanks again and please review!