Disclaimer: The BBC owns the right to the Doctor Who characters, I'm just taking them out for a spin around the universe. Spoilers for "Journey's End", "The Next Doctor", and "The Planet of the Dead" set up this story.

Author's Notes: This is my first "Doctor Who" fiction ever. I've been a fan going back to the Tom Baker years, but David Tennant is by far my favorite :) Reviews will be most welcomed. I've been pondering this story for some time, and it's finally ready to be put down on paper, so to speak. Enjoy.

Journey's End

The Doctor activated the controls to send his ship, the TARDIS, into the Vortex. He removed his dripping wet jacket and threw it over one of the railings. He slowly walked around the console, watching the rotor move up and down, then leaned against the console staring off into space, deep in thought. He didn't even notice the rainwater dripping down onto the console. The TARDIS worried so about her Doctor, and he looked so sad. She reached out a tendril of thought, and found his defenses were down, and so allowed herself to eavesdrop on his thoughts.

Not so long ago, this very room had been filled with people, his friends, his "Children of Time" Davros had called them. Mickey, Jack, Sarah Jane, Jackie, Martha, his Human self, Rose, and Donna. Both of his hearts ached to think about Rose and Donna. He loved both of them in such different ways, and now they were both lost to him forever. Rose would live her life in the parallel universe with the Human self, and he did truly hope they would be able to find happiness together. But it wouldn't be with him, and that hurt. And Donna, full of fire and lip, always doubting her own worth, the most important person in all the universe, and now never able to remember any of it, unable to ever remember him and the great times they had together. He loved Donna as the best friend he had had in a long time, and he was still in love with Rose. He could never go and visit either of them like he could with Jack, Martha, Mickey, or even with Sarah Jane if he chose to do so.

This is the hardest part of having companions, letting them go, losing them. Most of the time they choose to leave for another life, returning home like Tegan, or choosing a new life like Leela. Sometimes they were taken from him - Adric, oh Adric, his guilt at the young boy's death never quite healed. Companions had brought so much pleasure and joy into his long life, but so much pain too. Was the pleasure really worth the pain? It was a question he had considered from time to time over his many years of travelling, but before he could come to a decision on the question, it always happened that someone would cross his path and he'd find himself with another companion. But this time - he had time to make a choice. He could stay in the Vortex as long as he needed to ponder the question. That is exactly what he did, leaning over the console of his beloved ship.

After an hour of deep thought, he whispered, "Never again." He muttered softly under his breath, stroking the console gently, "All I need is you, old girl, and I'll be just fine." The TARDIS hum changed to a sad one. Her Doctor mustn't be alone, he can't be happy if he's alone. This wasn't good. She allowed herself to be swept along in the Vortex and pondered this development, and considered how she might change her Doctor's mind.

The Next Doctor

Jackson and The Doctor walked away from the TARDIS towards their Christmas feast. "They break my heart", he had said, referring to his past companions while explaining to Jackson why he no longer had one. The lights inside the TARDIS darkened, and the hum deepened. Her Doctor was in such pain, feeling such sorrow, and truly thought that he would be better off without a companion. Didn't he know, didn't he understand, that they were her companions too?

The Planet of the Dead

The Doctor stood in front of her with the young woman, Christina, who seemed to be as full of energy and brilliant ideas as her Doctor. Oh, she would make a fine companion for him, "a perfect team" he said, surely he'll change his mind now after having whatever crazy adventure they had shared! If the TARDIS had a jaw, it would have dropped in shock when he told her "Never again." By Rassilon, he really meant it, he wasn't going to take on any more companions... ever?

The Heart of the TARDIS shivered with fear at the thought of never having another companion besides her Doctor. Oh, she loved her Doctor to be sure, but he was so much... MORE when he had travelling companions to run with. She remembered when he said all he needed was her, the TARDIS. But the TARDIS can't run with him, the TARDIS can't help him when he gets into trouble outside of her protective walls. Her Doctor was wrong, he needed more than she could give him, even if he tried to deny it.

The TARDIS decided that she wanted a companion, and that her Doctor needed a companion, whether he thought he wanted one or not. He made this decision never to have a companion and never asked what she thought about the idea. Well, she hated it, and for once, she was going to have to do something about it. Having made this decision, the TARDIS started a scan trying to find just the right one. A companion of her own. It didn't take her too long to find a good prospect, and as her Doctor sent her into the Vortex, she prepared to sound the Alien Alert alarm on the console. She wanted a companion for herself, and this one was perfect, and maybe someday, her Doctor would accept her as his companion as well.

Her Doctor might want to travel about the Universe alone, but his TARDIS certainly did not.

To be continued...