The Lodgers

By: SilverLunarStar

Epilogue


Note: Thank you to everyone who took the time to review, sent me a PM, favourited/followed, and read this story of mine! I hope I didn't bore you too much with this rewrite.


The next day found the newly formed couple on Craig's sofa, snogging.

"So have we spoiled our friendship, then?" he asked when they parted for air, bringing up a previous conversation they'd had.

Sophie grinned, looking quite pleased. "Totally ruined it."

"And what about the monkeys? We could save them together, you know. Do whatever we want." He didn't want her to give up her dream just for him, but he would help her fulfill it. He'd never been one for travelling, but thanks to the peek he'd been given of the Doctor's mind, he felt he understood the meaning of a hand to hold. "I could see the point of Paris if you were there with me."

She loved Craig, but he needed to learn priorities. "First, let's destroy our friendship completely."

Craig was definitely amenable to that and he showed her so by pulling her in for another snog.


Rose had just finished packing the last of their things (not that there was much to pack as they had never really unpacked) when the Doctor came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her, his hands resting on her stomach. She sighed and leaned into him.

"Ready to go, love?" He kissed her cheek and let go.

"Ready." She was so ready to go home, but she would miss Craig and Sophie.

"Come on, then. I'll just leave the keys on the hooks and we'll leave." He entered through the kitchen quietly, trying not to interrupt the snogging couple, and hung the keys on the empty hook, but before he could leave, he was stopped.

"Oi," came Craig's exclamation.

"What, you're trying to sneak off?"

Rose entered the kitchen, having heard them, and smiled sheepishly.

"Yes, well, you were sort of busy.

Craig and Sophie stood, walking around the sofa, and came up to the other couple.

"I want you to keep these." He grabbed the keys back and pressed them to the Doctor's hand.

The Time Lord was touched. He and Rose had made many friends along their travels, but he could count on one hand how many of them had actually given them keys to their home. "Thank you. Because we might pop back soon, have another little stay."

"No, you won't," Craig retorted. "Because I've been in your head, remember. Or you've been in mine. But Rose will make sure you at least come for a visit. Won't you?" He turned to the seemingly-younger blonde, still having a hard time thinking of her as a hundreds of years old part-time machine. Or goddess, as the Doctor liked to think of her sometimes.

"I will," she promised. "Thank you, Craig."

"Thank you, Rose. Doctor." He smiled when Rose hugged him and Sophie, surprised when the Doctor did the same.

Craig and Sophie watched as the two left, hand in hand, for their next greatest adventure.


The Doctor and Rose laughed in relief when the TARDIS sat on the patch of grass they'd first landed on almost a week ago. She'd been there all night, but Sophie and Craig had insisted they stay one more day.

They entered and were attacked by a frantic redhead. "Oh, I'm so glad you two are alright." She squeezed them tightly.

"We're glad you're okay, too," Rose remarked and the Doctor kissed Amy's forehead affectionately.

Rose placed her bag underneath the captain's chair and the Doctor shucked off his jacket, throwing it on top of the seat.

"Back in time, you two. You need to go to the paper shop and leave that note for me," he told Amy. "Probably have to land a distance away so we won't get caught in the time loop again." He checked the screen, running the scanners to find a proper place to land and confirming that the spaceship had indeed imploded. His sonic screwdriver was brilliant, but this was one of those times where he couldn't make room for error.

"Right little matchmaker, aren't you? Both of you. Can't you find me a fellow?"

The Doctor felt Rose's pain as if it were her own. They'd never closed down their bond after yesterday. He tried to ignore his own feelings as he told Amy, "I'll give you spending money if you want to stop by a little shop. Oh, rectifier's playing up again. Hold on. You write the note and I'll change that."

"Can I take Rose with me?" she wondered, hoping to make it a girl's day.

"No!" he said sharply, and then continued a little more calmly, "No. Rose needs to stay here. We can't have anyone see her and remember her. Could damage the timeline." 'And we already have enough of that,' he thought.

"Alright, alright. You got a pen?"

"Make sure it's a red pen."

"Just write whatever you think is important, Amy."

Amy nodded absentmindedly and went to the Doctor's jacket. Going through his pockets, she paused when she found a ring box. Opening it, she frowned at the ring. Why would…? Suddenly, she recalled the crack on her wall.

"Amy?" Rose touched her shoulder.

Quickly, she pushed the box in and, miraculously, came back up with a red pen and paper.

"Sorry, I just… Sorry." She shook her head.

"It's fine," Rose said, carefully. "I'm going to go make some tea. Would you like some?"

"Nah. I'm alright. I'm just going to head to my room and write this letter, then have a kip while the Doctor's fixing the recepto-whatever. Let me know when everything's ready?"

"Sure." Rose nodded and let the girl go.

"What's wrong?" the Doctor asked, head popping from beneath the glass floor.

"Doctor, we have to tell her. It's tearing her inside and she doesn't even know why."

The Doctor sighed, pulling of his goggles. "Rose, we've talked about this. She can't know. What will that achieve?"

"Besides knowing why she has a gaping hole in her chest?" she shot, coming to sit at the stairs leading to the underside of the console.

"Rose, you're being dra-"

"Remember the beginning of your eighth life? When you couldn't remember me?"

That shut him right up and he sighed, resting his head on her knees. Finally, he looked up. "Alright. We'll tell her after she leaves the note, okay?"

The smile she presented him with, along with the rush of warmth and love in his mind, gave him the courage necessary to face whatever their future held head-on. Whatever was after them, after the universe, they would figure it out and win. Together.

"Now, come on. A little lady told me that her rectifier is doing just fine. You owe me a good shagging on a bed, mister."

"Oi, I thought our shagging was just fine, brilliant really."

"Are you saying you can't do better?" she teased.

"Oh, Rose Tyler, you asked for it!" He scooped her up in his arms and brought them to their room, with the soundproof walls, and reminded her just how much better he could be without anything taking over their bed.

"Ow." Rose turned to her side after the Doctor had dropped her on the bed and brought her hand around the offending item. She raised a brow as she looked from the regular screwdriver to him. "No more projects on the bed."

"None that don't require nudity," he promised before beginning to shed her clothes, peppering kisses over her belly.

And because it was Rose, it was a promise he kept.