Two canons sounded in succession. The game makers knew the Doctor wasn't dead yet, but there was no way he could survive that wound. No one had seen a gun in the Games before. The Doctor could feel Rose. He could hear her too. He raised his arm, touching her cheek, and whispered the only thing he could, "I. Love. You." His blood slid out of his body, soaking the grass. He felt Rose get pulled away from him. He let out a shaky breathe, giving into the darkness, giving into the peace and the love from his family that were calling him.

Rose was being pulled away from the Peacekeepers. Away from the dead body. Rose struggled against them. Trying to get back to the Doctor. She wouldn't let them take him. She just couldn't. "NO! JOHN! NOOO!" Rose sobbed as she was put in a room by herself. She hugged her knees tightly to her chest. His last words echoing in her head. I love you. That's why he was so protective over her, why he'd wanted her to go home. He loved her...

As Haymitch walked into the room, Rose stood up and began hitting his chest. "Was this your plan all along! With his dying breath him telling me he loves me so I could go home! I TOLD YOU I WANTED HIM TO GO HOME WHAT THE HELL HAYMITCH!" Rose shouted before she collapsed to the floor in tears. She was soon enveloped in a hug by Rory then Haymitch too.

"That boy knew what he anted. I promise we'll do everything we can to help you get through this sweetheart." Haymitch said trying to comfort Rose. Rose just shook her head.

"How can I get through this when the man I love is dead?"

The Doctor drifted through space. There was no pain. No fear. No doubt. He was happy. He looked around, seeing his parents, his family, opening their arms for a hug. He cried. His family was there, and they didn't blame him.

"Sweetie?" His mother asked. He knew what she was going to say. And he knew what he had to do. He looked past his family, seeing the two paths that lay ahead. On path was bright and fun, that lead to happiness, the other was dark and fearful that would lead to pain.

He looked back to his family, being nudged to the cross roads. He kissing his mother on the cheek, hugging his father. He knew what he had to do. He clenched his fists, walking down a path.

The long train ride back to district 12 was agonizing. Knowing the Doctor was coming back with her...but not alive. He was coming home for a funeral. She sighed as she lay in her room on the train. Crying her self to sleep every night since the game's ended. The echo of River's gun firing at him at the last second. Waking her up and she'd still continue to cry. The Doctor was gone...and there was nothing she could do. Once she arrived back in 12, she ran into Jackie's arms followed by Donna's and Wilf's.

"I'm so sorry..." Rose whispered though her tears. "I tried to save him...But..but she shot him..." Rose said to Donna who's eyes were filled with tears. Rose headed back to her old home, to gather what little things she had to take to her new home...in the Victors Village.

The Doctor opened his eyes, sitting up with a gasp. What seemed like gold glitter fell off him. He looked around the white medical bay. The vibrations under him told him he was on the train. What happened? Did Rose win? Did she stop River? He tried to sit up, but a gloved hand pushed his back down.

"Rose? River?" He tried to asked, but he was given another shot. He wanted to sleep, but he wanted to find Rose and see if she was alive. But if he was on the train, going back to 12, that meant he was alive and she was dead. He failed. he sobbed as the darkness pulled him under.

When he woke again, he was placed on the floor in a luxurious house. Victors Village. He pulled himself up, leaning on the wall, his wound still hurting. He tried to move around the best he could, but froze, hearing the door open. He turned to the door, ready to fight off any capitol people, but his heart stopped, seeing the figure in the door.

With her belongings in hand, Rose kissed Jackie on the head and smiled. "You can always come visit me Mum whenever you want...I promise. Don't be a stranger kay?" Rose said trying to laugh despite her heart feeling like it was still shattered into millions of pieces. Even though she wasn't asleep, she still could hear the echo of River's gun on her ears.

Rose made the long silent walk up to the cottage. The only noise as the crunching of the gravel. As Rose stepped up the stairs to hr new home, she couldn't help but notice Haymitch out of the corner of her eye with the widest smile on his face.

"Welcome Home Sweetheart." He said. "Got you a house warming present inside." At his words, Rose's eyebrows creased in confusion but when she opened the door and saw the Doctor standing in the entry hallway, her things fell to the floor and she just stood there in about the same amount of shock the Doctor must have been seeing her. He was alive... The Doctor's eyes went wide, seeing the blonde in the door way. Dun dun dun. He was dead. He had to be. They both died and River won the games. Its the only possible explanation. He hesitantly took a step forward, reaching out to her.

"Rose." He said, once, reaching out to her. He needed to hold her. He ran towards her, embracing her, pulling her into his chest. She was solid enough. But they didn't mean that they weren't both dead.

"Oh Rose. My Rose." Rose rushed over to the Doctor at the same time as he did and hugged him tight. More tears spilled from her eyes, but these weren't tears of sadness. These were tears of joy.

"Doctor...Oh my god..." Rose laughed tearfully clinging to him for dear life. Hoping this wasn't an illusion or a dream haunting her. Rose pulled back and ran her fingertips along his cheeks and smiled. "I love you too..." She whispered.

"My Rose." He repeated, not wanting to let her go. "How? What happened? With? River?" HE questioned, not really wanting to break the peace, but needing to know if he was dead. He was shot after all. Rose pulled back slightly enough to still look at him, but a smile was still on her tear streaked face.

"I killed River. Slit her throat...then I ran over to you and you...you had died in my arms..." Rose whispered as the memory came back to her. "Haymitch must have begged them to bring you back...I won...I won the Games Doctor...District 12 finally had a winner...and it was me."

"You did win. You won the games. You won me, my heart." He kissed her. Finally. Pressing his lips to hers in a fevered need. He didn't think of his family that were mourning him. They didn't matter. Rose mattered. Rose gasped quietly and slid her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Pulling herself closer to him, still kissing back in the fevered need that he was giving her. He was right. she'd won him and his heart, and she wouldn't have it any other way. Because she was in love with him...and was never gonna let him go.

He pulled back, looking into her eyes. "We did it. We survived. The Doctor and Rose Tyler, forever."