A/N: Hello! Just a quick note to say that, if this is your first visit to one of my stories, you probably won't understand this until you've read "A Tale of Two Hearts", which you'll find on my profile. Otherwise, enjoy! :)

It had been approximately five weeks, two days and roughly four hours since the Doctor had dropped Jenny and the Ponds' back off on Earth. Their last adventure had involved a creepy hotel filled with bad dreams and an alien Minotaur and, in some ways, Jenny had known right from the moment of Joe's death that it would be where they parted ways.

The Doctor was strong- much stronger than she would probably ever be- but even he had a limit. Too many people had died for him, not just in general but as a whole, and she didn't blame him for wanting to spare the people he cared about most from suffering, even if it did mean eternal loneliness for him.

So he had dropped them off outside a house he had bought for Amy and Rory, and had handed Jenny the Vortex Manipulator that he had previously confiscated from her after she had accidentally typed in the wrong co-ordinates and ended up in the Tardis bathroom just as he was stepping out of the shower. She had tried to assure him that it had been just as harrowing an experience for her as it had been for him, but he hadn't seemed convinced.

After he left Jenny had wandered the Earth for a while, reluctant to leave even though so many bad memories were held on the rock. She had been invited to stay with Amy and Rory, but she had kindly refused. The only domestic situation she was prepared to settle in would be with Tom and the boys, and they were gone, so she stuck to just keeping in regular contact with them instead. After a few months, however, something seemed to change. Something had happened to time and, having been in Egypt, Jenny quickly travelled back to England to consult with the Ponds'. Even they appeared different- as though they couldn't quite remember each other or their lives together, but even they had realised something was wrong.

A group was formed from the brightest and most brilliant minds in the country, led by the still elusive River Song... Melody Pond... Jenny still didn't quite understand the whole situation. She seemed to have appeared from nowhere (as usual) and, pretty soon, the Doctor had followed, explaining a fixed point in time had been changed- his death had been halted.

Twelve rounds of bullets, fifty three swear words and an obscene amount of running later, however, the Doctor- her glorious, damned father- had managed to rectify the mistake, marrying River in the process and, quite frankly, snogging her in a most inappropriate manner in front of his new parents-in-law and daughter.

He let them think he was dead as time righted itself and the imminent shattering of the entirety of reality was mended. He let Jenny think she was alone. But a small part of her knew he was cleverer than that. Rule one- the Doctor lies. It was almost the same as her rule one- don't listen to a word that anyone says.

Eventually she got a phone call from Rory confirming her suspicions- her father had, once again, managed to cheat his own death- but not before she had managed to mourn him.

That was why, as she sat on a cold, damp bench in the very same park where, months previously, they had found each other again, the familiar sound of intergalactic pistons straining against the handbrakes that he always managed to leave on caused very strange, conflicting feelings to bubble and churn inside her. Anger, for one, and a strange sense of betrayal.

Once the little blue box had fully materialised amidst the fog that hung in the cold air, the Doctor stepped out rather sheepishly.

"You took your time." Jenny didn't even bother to look up, never mind stand, which the Doctor noticed warily as he took a step forwards.

"I've been lying low for a while. You know- sticking in the Tardis," he replied, throwing a thumb out towards his wooden companion as though, by pointing out where she sat, it might make his excuse more believable.

"A phone call would have been nice," Jenny told him neutrally, finally looking up.

"I'm still not a hundred percent on how to use the phone to be perfectly honest," the Doctor muttered, scratching the back of his head in an attempt to find his I'm sorry face.

"You made me think you were dead!" Jenny finally lost her temper and spat her words at him, causing him to jump.

"Ah, so the plan worked then?" he asked brightly, quickly recovering from her outburst and clapping his hands together in his childish way.

"Not for as long as you'd probably hoped. But long enough for me to mourn you and attempt to move on... It failed miserably in case you're wondering how it went." She glared at him with hurt, dangerously dark eyes.

"Oh."

The Doctor didn't know what to say. He hadn't thought of effect his "death" would have on people, particularly Jenny. Now he thought about it, he never seemed to consider anyone's feelings but his own. He'd have to try and change that when he next had the chance.

"Why are you here?" Jenny asked him rather bitterly, looking back down at her feet again as traitorous tears threatened to roll down her cheeks and compromise her façade of indifference.

"Why do you think?" he asked before, realising she wasn't going to answer him, he sighed. "I've been wallowing in self pity for a while now, and it's gotten to the point where I can't stand the emptiness and silence in the Tardis. I'm lonely," he murmured truthfully.

"Don't you think that's a bit of a selfish reason to come back?" Jenny asked, eyes narrowing as she looked back up at him.

"I don't think, I know. But there's no harm in trying, is there?" he replied softly, tears prominent in the corners of his eyes as a sudden burst of pent up emotion threatened to force itself from his tired body. "So... fancy a trip?"

Jenny sighed. Of course she would always go when he asked her to, even though she was angry. She hated that he knew she would, too. He was able to read her like an open book, yet she felt like she barely knew him. She didn't at all, really, and it frustrated her beyond belief.

"I think we both know the answer to that," she retorted shortly, getting to her feet and ramming her hands in her trouser pockets in the only small act of defiance she had left in her. She would go, but she didn't have to be happy about it. "You know this isn't over though, don't you?"

The Doctor nodded earnestly. "Oh yes. I was actually expecting much more of an ear full if I'm honest. Although, actually, I think this passive-aggressive, silent crossness might possibly be worse..."

Jenny couldn't help but get some pleasure from that fact as she followed the lanky, stick of a man towards the Tardis. As the doors were opened and she stepped inside, however, the Tardis consciousness sent a loving, welcoming pulse of excitement into her mind and she couldn't help but sigh as most of her tenseness melted away.

"Missed you too," she whispered to the box as the Doctor darted past her to the central column and began pushing and pulling levers and buttons in a seemingly random order.

"You going to shut the doors then?" he called over, to engrossed in what he was doing to look up.

Jenny turned and, reluctantly, did as she was told. She still wasn't totally happy with him but, as she turned back to discreetly watch him, she found she couldn't stay mad after seeing a flash of complete emotional turmoil contorting across his face.

He really has been wallowing in self pity for a while... she thought to herself, as she moved forwards to sit in the swivelling chair and braced herself as they set off. Too long.

They were silent for a long while as they floated through time and space- the Doctor's eyes fixed pointedly on the monitor and Jenny sat watching his face for more fleeting signs of distress and loneliness. Just as the Doctor hadn't considered her feelings, she hadn't considered how he had coped with leaving his friends and family behind. They really were too alike.

"We could go and get them, if you want? Amy and Rory. They know you aren't dead, so we could go and pick them up if you'd like?" Jenny asked quietly after a very long time.

"No."

She had expected him to jump at the idea, or perhaps even scream at her for suggesting such at thing, but she hadn't expected that. His face remained impassive but his eyes, for once, told her everything. No was his decision, and it was final. But, Jenny being Jenny, she pressed him still further anyway.

"Well how about River then? Alternate realities and Teselecta be damned- she's still your wife..."

Her voice remained intentionally monotonal during the last part of her comment. She wouldn't let her conflicting feelings towards River ruin her father's happiness. If she was honest, she had nothing against River- she was actually pretty awesome- but there was just absolutely no way in the Universe she would call her mum.

"The fact that she's my wife is exactly why I can't..." The Doctor's voice was cracked as he spoke, but he didn't let it deter him. "Now that it's all over- now I know who she is, not just in general but to me- I don't know how many meetings we have left until she goes to the library."

It was hard for Jenny to stay mad at him when he was like this. He had told her about River's eventual death in the library and the sacrifice she made for him even though he didn't, at the time, know who she was, and it deeply saddened her that it caused him so much pain and guilt. There was still something playing on her deeply advanced mind that bothered her, however.

"So you're just going to make her sit in prison and wait?" she asked, a little more harshly than she had intended.

"She's a Pond- she'll be perfectly good at it!" the Doctor snapped in retaliation before, noticing Jenny's shocked expression, he paused in realisation of his despicable words. "I didn't mean that."

Jenny sighed deeply, wishing they could just go back to their awkward, surly silence, but she knew she had to finish the conversation now she'd started it.

"Do you know, Tom once told me a very wise Earth saying. 'You shouldn't let the fear of losing stop you from playing the game.' I never really understood it- he seemed to greatly underestimate the physical effects of fear on the body. For example, it'd be impossible to play football whilst paralysed with fear..." she trailed off once she realised she was rambling. "The point is, I didn't realise what he meant until this very moment. You can't let your fear of losing River stop you from spending a wonderful life with her."

The Doctor looked up at Jenny, saw determination in her eyes, and quickly found himself breaking down. She had seen and witnessed so much worse in her lifetime than even he had and she still found a way to be strong, to be a rock for others who needed her, and he couldn't even bare to visit the woman he... loved... because he was afraid. She may have thought he was the strong one, but he totally disagreed. He was ashamed, but he just couldn't. He truly was stood on a football pitch in front of thousands of people, paralysed with fear, as Jenny had perfectly put it.

"I... I just can't. Not yet- I need time," he croaked, wiping tears from his eyes.

Jenny sighed once more, then arranged a smile on her face and nodded in understanding. She wouldn't push him any further- it wasn't her place.

"Alright, if we're not having company then I'm taking you out myself. I'm already sick of you being such a grumpy old man," she laughed lightly, beginning to dance around the controls as the Doctor, a small smile forming in the corners of his mouth, stepped back and allowed her to, just once, take control.

"So, where to m'Lord?" she joked, purposefully trying to raise his spirits by pulling a face and bending in a mock curtsey in front of him. "We could always do Klom- Klom's lovely this time of year! Or Space Florida? Although, I'm not allowed in the theme park any more... long story." She looked up as she began darting around the console again, chuckling sheepishly, only to spot a fully formed smile on the Doctor's face.

"We could always try and superglue the Sacred Bowl of Indifference back together on Naphoon- you know, do a good deed and all that. It might make them stop taking shots at you in the future. What d'you reckon?" She finally came to a stop, hand hovering over a large lever.

"You're the boss. I go where you go," the Doctor replied, gesturing for her to do the honours.

"Space Florida it is then! I'll just have to find a disguise for the theme park," Jenny grinned, pulling the lever before, grabbing the Doctor's hand, she pulled him backwards towards the door.

They swung open of their own accord and Jenny, watching the Doctor for his reaction, stopped dead in the doorway when his face dropped. She swivelled on the spot to look outside.

"Oh..."