Hey guys! Sorry I didn't update last weekend, but first the power went out. When it came back on, my house had no internet. When the internet came back, I had to get ready for Thanksgiving. So, this is the first chance I've had to write. So, better late than never.

Thanks for all the support on this story! Here is the Father's Day chapter. This one is a big one for Jessa, so I had fun writing it. I hope you enjoy it.

I don't own Doctor Who. ):


Rose, Jessa, and the Doctor all sat in the console room. They had dropped Adam off a while back and had been having adventures all throughout space. The Doctor was still a bit upset at Rose for giving Adam the TARDIS key, but had given it back to her with the warning not to do it again. Jessa and the Doctor were almost back to normal, and there was only a little awkwardness between the two when they were alone after an adventure in the TARDIS. The talks after adventures still didn't happen, and it made them both sad. They had both caught up on sleep after one particular adventure where Jessa had almost fallen off of a space deck after she had fallen asleep. The Doctor had caught her, but then on the same adventure, the Doctor had almost done the same thing but this time off of a speeding train. It was Jessa who caught him. So the next few days were spent lounging around and sleeping on the TARDIS. Other than that, except for less physical contact, everything was going fine.

Rose held a photograph of her father in her hand, looking in fondness. "Peter Alan Tyler, my dad. The most wonderful man in the world. My mum used to say 'he was always having adventures.'" She paused and looked at the Doctor. "So, I was thinking…..could we? Could we go and see my dad when he was still alive?"

The Doctor, Jessa noted, seemed suspicious. "Where's this come from, all of a sudden?"

Rose got a mischievous smirk, but lowered her head before the Doctor could see it. "All right then, if we can't, it goes against the laws of time or something, then never mind. We'll leave it." Jessa narrowed her eyes, Rose was playing the Doctor, and he was falling for it!

"No, I can do anything. I'm just more worried about you."

Rose looked at him. "I want to see him."

"Your wish is my command." His face grew solemn. "But be careful what you wish for." He stood up and started the engines of the TARDIS.

-9-

The TARDIS landed at a wedding. Jackie and Pete's wedding. The three time travelers stepped out and stood in the back of the registry office behind a small crowd of people.

The registrar spoke. "I, Peter Alan Tyler, take you Jaqueline Angela Suzette Prentiss.."

And then Pete tried to repeat. Key word; tried. "I, Peter Alan Tyler, take you, Jaqueline Suzanne…..Suzette…..Anita…" Jackie narrowed her eyes at him, and Pete looked around for help.

Jackie sighed at him. "Oh, just carry on. It's good enough for Lady Di." Jessa stifled a laugh. Beside her, the Doctor grinned. Rose had a contemplative look.

"I thought he'd be taller." She said. The registrar finished his part and the three left in the TARDIS again.

When they got inside, Rose told them how Pete died. "Mum told me that it was a hit and run driver, they never found out who. He was dead when the ambulance got there. She always used to say that she wished someone was there for him." She paused. Jessa felt her own eyebrows raise when she figured out where this was going. "I want to be that someone. So he doesn't die alone."

The Doctor merely looked at the console. "November the 7th?"

"1987." Rose confirmed.

He started up the engines again. When they stopped Rose stared at the door before slowly walking out. The day was average, quiet. Rose looked around. "That's so weird. The day my father died….I thought it'd be all sort of grim and stormy, it's just an ordinary day."

The Doctor nodded. "The past is another country. 1987's just the Isle of Wight."

Jessa looked over at Rose, concerned. She knew what it was like to watch family die. "Rose are you sure you want to do this? We can go back."

Rose looked at her a little sharper than she thought was necessary, but Jessa chalked it up to emotions running high. "I'm sure." That was the end of that discussion.

They walked to the curb of the pavement and waited. "This is it." Rose started. "Jordan Road. He was late. He'd been to get a wedding present, a vase. Mum always said, that stupid vase." Jessa could tell she was trying not to cry. She would've hugged the girl if she thought Rose would let her.

A car rounded the corner. "He got out of his car…." The car pulled over. "…..and crossed the road." The car stopped. "Oh, God. This is it."

The car held Pete Tyler. He reached over to the passenger's side and picked up the vase sitting there. He got out, not seeing the car that was speeding towards him. The driver of the car put his hand over his eyes. Rose turned her head into the Doctor's chest. Pete noticed the car and dropped the vase. Jessa flinched back when the car hit him. Rose looked up to see Pete lying in the road.

The Doctor looked down to Rose. "Go to him. Quick." But Rose didn't. She only stood there, watching.

The three leaned against the wall as they watched the ambulance show up. "It's too late now." Rose murmured. Both Jessa and the Doctor looked at her. "By the time the ambulance got there, he was dead." Her voice cracked, and she started to cry. "He can't die on his own." She looked at the Doctor. "Can I try again?"

The Doctor hesitated, but eventually nodded. As they walked back to the TARDIS, Jessa fell back, causing the Doctor to go back with her. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" She asked him. "I don't think she can just watch him, if it were my father I'd try to stop it."

The Doctor grabbed her hand. "Rose promised." But even he looked uncertain.

Ten minutes later, they stood behind their past selves, watching the car pull up again.

The Doctor turned to Rose. "Right. That's the first you, me, and Jessa. It's a very bad idea, two sets of us being here at the same time. Just be careful they don't see us. Wait until she runs off and they follow, then go to your dad." Jessa watched the whole thing with dread, she had a very bad feeling about this. The Doctor squeezed her hand in assurance.

Pete picked up the vase in the passenger seat for the second time. Rose shook her head. "I can't do this."

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to, but this is the last time we can be here."

Rose paused, and stared at her dad. Then she suddenly ran towards the car. "Rose! No!" Both Jessa and the Doctor yelled. Jessa reached to grab her, but barely skimmed her shirt. Rose ran towards Pete and tackled him to the ground, the car narrowly avoiding them both. The first set of their past selves looked shocked, and then vanished. Jessa and the Doctor looked at Rose in horror while Rose looked in amazement at her father.

"I did it! I saved your life!"

Pete was looking towards where the car went. "Blimey, did you see the speed of it?" He looked at Rose. "Did you get his number?"

Rose was still in shock. "I really did it! Oh, my God, look at you! You're alive! That car was going to kill you!"

Pete looked skeptical. "Well, give me some credit, I did see it coming. I wasn't going to walk under it, was I?"

"I'm Rose." She looked at him expectantly.

"That's a coincidence. That's my daughter's name."

Rose positively beamed at that. "That's a great name. Good choice, well done." Rose kept staring at him, smiling. It was obvious to Jessa that Pete was getting a bit uncomfortable.

"Right, I'd better shift. I've got a wedding to go to."

"Is it Sarah Clarke's wedding?"

"Yeah, are you going?"

"…Yeah." Rose lied. Jessa hoped that Sarah Clarke was not very picky about who attended her wedding.

"And do you and your friends need a ride?" Pete asked, gesturing to a very angry looking Doctor and Jessa, who was giving Rose a disapproving look. Rose nodded and they all piled into the car towards the Tyler flat.

When they got to the flat, Jessa followed the other three into the living room, shutting the front door behind her. Pete put the vase on the table. "There we go. Sorry about the mess. If you want a cup of tea, the kitchen's just down there." He pointed down the hall. "Milk's in the fridge….well it would be wouldn't it? Where else would you put the milk?" He was rambling now. "Mind you, there's always the window sill outside. I always thought if someone invented a window sill with special compartments, you know, one for milk, one for yogurt…..make a lot of money out of that." Rose was still staring at Pete with awe in her eyes. Pete continued, oblivious. "Sell it to students and things… I should write that down. Anyway, never mind that, excuse me….." He pushed past them and disappeared through a door. Rose took the opportunity to look around.

"All the stuff mum kept. His stuff. She kept it all packed away in boxes in the cupboard, she used to show me when she'd had a bit to drink." The Doctor was leaning against the doorframe, but he didn't say anything. Jessa just stood by the door, watching them both. She knew this was going to be a disaster. Rose looked through the things on the table, straightening them out. "Here it is. On display. Where it should be." She spotted a trophy and held it up. "Third prize at the bowling….first two got to go to Didcot."

She looked at it for a few seconds, before setting it down. Her attention was focused on some bottles sitting in the corner. "Health drinks. Tonics, mum used to call them. He made his money selling this Vitex stuff. He had all sorts of jobs. He's so clever." Either Rose had not noticed the glare on her back and the silence, or she just didn't care. She walked over to some plans sitting open. "Solar power. Mum said he was going to do this. Now he can." She smiled at the Doctor, but he didn't smile back.

Rose sighed. "Look I'll tell him you're not my boyfriend." Pete had called the Doctor Rose's boyfriend on the ride over.

The Doctor finally spoke, although the voice sounded suspicious. "When we met, I said 'travel with me in space'. You said no. Then I said 'time machine'." Jessa grimaced. This was going to get ugly if the very similar argument she and the Doctor had was anything to go by.

"It wasn't some big plan." Rose protested. "I just saw it happening and I thought…I can stop it."

The Doctor glared, obviously not believing her. "I did again. I picked another stupid ape. I should've known. It's not about showing you the universe-it never is. It's about the universe doing something for you."

That made Rose angry. "So its okay when you go to other times, and you save people's lives, but not when it's me saving my dad."

"I know what I'm doing, you don't. Two sets of us being there made that a vulnerable point."

"But he's alive!"

"My entire planet died. My whole family. Do you think it never occurred to me to go back and save them?" He had won that argument and everybody knew it, but Rose didn't give up.

"But it's not like I've changed history. Not much, I mean…..he's never going to be a world leader, he's not going to start World War Three or anything…"

Jessa interrupted, hoping to calm everybody down. "Rose, that's not the point. Ordinary people are just as important as extraordinary ones. And now a man who should be dead is not."

Rose snapped at her. "Of course you'd take his side, what else is new? He's the only friend you've got. Don't think I didn't notice you had no friends in our time, you lived right below us and I never saw you with anyone, and I can't say I'm surprised." Jessa glared at her, she had tried being nice but that was too far.

The Doctor apparently had similar thoughts. "Rose, that's enough." He said.

"No, I get it! For once, you're not the most important man in my life."

The Doctor was fuming at that point. "Let's see how you get on without me, then, give me the key." He held out his hand for the object in question. Rose only stared. "The TARDIS key. If I'm so insignificant, give it back."

Rose started to dig around in her pocket. "Alright then, I will." She pulled it out and slapped it into his hand.

"Well, you've got what you wanted so that's goodbye then." He grabbed Jessa's hand and they headed towards the front door.

Rose followed them. "You don't scare me." She didn't seem too sure of herself. She moved in the way of the door nevertheless. "I know how sad you are. You'll be back in a minute. Or you'll hang around the TARDIS, waiting for me."

The Doctor stared, coldly. "I've got Jessa." And then he pushed past her and out the door, still holding on to Jessa like a lifeline.

When they reached the sidewalk, Rose called out again. "And I'll make you wait a long time!" Before she slammed the door.

-9-

The Doctor was mad. No, he was well past mad, he was furious. Rose had gone too far. She had promised not to try and save Pete, and that's exactly what she did. He would like to think she hadn't decided to travel with him to save her dad, but what was he supposed to think. And then she had the nerve to blame him! Not to mention what she had said to Jessa.

Speaking of Jessa, she had been quiet since they left. But then he heard a sniffle. He looked over to see Jessa rub her eyes furiously on the end of her sweater. "Are you okay?"

Another sniffle. "Fine." Her voice was thick. It was very obvious she was not fine. The Doctor stopped.

"Come here." He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. They stayed like that for a while, and eventually Jessa's sniffles stopped. She pulled back.

"Sorry about that." He just shrugged and they kept walking down the sidewalk as if nothing ever happened.

The rest of the walk was spent in comfortable silence. The Doctor had cooled down a little during the walk, Jessa just being there seemed to do that. When they reached the TARDIS, the Doctor pulled out his key, but paused. He could swear that something was watching them. He looked through the trees and saw nothing. Narrowing his eyes a little in suspicion, he turned back to his ship and unlocked the door. There was nothing. It was empty, just an ordinary police-box. There was a gasp beside him.

The Doctor stepped into the box and felt around frantically, looking for something, anything that would give hint to the ship he knew was inside. And then he paused, and his eyes widened, he knew what this was. And it was nothing good. He stepped out of the box and grabbed onto Jessa's hand before he took off running. "We've got to go, I'll explain on the way!"

They ran, and ran, and ran. The Doctor explained what was going on to Jessa in between breaths. "There's this thing, alien really. Very bird-like. Name's not important." Pause. "When there's a fragile place in time, and someone manages to mess it up royally, like we just did, they come." Pause. "It's like cleaning out a wound, and right now they're going to go after anything they can until the wound heals."

He saw Jessa nod. "Right, got it. So we, being the ones that messed up, need to fix it, hopefully before these bird creatures eat somebody."

The Doctor nodded. "Glad we're on the same page."

They passed a car that looked very familiar. "Isn't that the same car that should've hit Pete?"

The Doctor grimaced. "Yeah."

"So that means to fix this, Pete would have to…." She trailed off.

Another nod. "But hopefully, we can fix this whole mess without needing to do that."

They came up to the church, and saw Rose outside with her parents and the rest of the wedding guests.

"Rose!" The Doctor called out.

He saw Rose turn, with a satisfied smirk on her face. "Get in the church!" Jessa called.

Rose's smirk fell, and she looked at what had caught the Doctor's attention. They were here. One of the creatures dove towards Rose, and the Doctor tackled her to the ground. They both scrambled up.

"Get in the church!" The Doctor repeated Jessa's words. Everybody immediately ran towards the doors, but they were soon blocked by yet another creature, reapers they were called.

"Oh my God, what are they?" Someone in the crowd called out. Some of the people who were already in the church tried to come out.

"Inside!" The Doctor called again, hoping they would listen. "Stay in there!" The reapers were still swooping down on the people. Once everybody was inside, the Doctor immediately shut the doors, just in time to block out the reapers. He immediately turned around and tried to find Jessa. He hadn't seen her come through the doors in all the pandemonium. He let out a relieved breath when he saw she was talking to some guests.

In the church, everybody was talking over each other, and the feeling of panic was present. The Doctor looked out the windows to see the shadows of the reapers fly by. "They can't get in. Old windows and doors, okay. The older something is, the stronger it is. What else?" He wasn't really talking to anybody, just thinking out loud. Outside, the reapers screeched again. "Go and check the other doors! Move!" That time he was talking to somebody, and the people surrounding him found themselves listening.

The Doctor ran to a big wooden door and pushed up against it. And then, as if his day couldn't get any worse, Jackie ran up to him. "What's happening?" She latched onto his arm. "What are they?"

"There's been an accident in time, a wound in time. They're like bacteria, taking advantage." He didn't really expect her to understand what he said.

He was right, she didn't. "What do you mean, time? What are you on about, time?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes, a familiar gesture when he was near Jackie. "Oh I'd might've known you'd argue. Jackie, I'm sick of you complaining…"

"How d'you know my name?" Well of course that's what she would take in from that conversation.

The Doctor ignored her. "I haven't got time for this…"

"I've never met you in my life!" Jackie was very persistent about that.

"No, and you never will unless I sort this out. Now, if you don't mind, I've waited a long time to say this, Jackie Tyler, do as I say. Go and check the doors." By the end of that sentence he was almost yelling, his voice strong and commanding.

Jackie was stunned into silence for a minute before saying, "Yes sir."

The Doctor grinned, and turned to Jessa, who had walked over after his little rant. "I should've done that ages ago."

"Yes, you really should've." Jessa agreed.

Just then, another man, the groom, walked over. "My dad was out there."

"You can mourn him later, right now we've got to concentrate on keeping ourselves alive." The Doctor told him, his voice wasn't unkind but instead firm.

The man nodded. "My dad had…."

"There's nothing we can do for him."

"No. But he had this phone thing, I can't get it to work. I keep getting this voice…"

The Doctor took his phone and put it against his ear. Jessa leaned in to hear as well. "Watson, some here, we need you. Watson, come here, we need you." Jessa looked at him.

"That's the first phone call."

"Alexander Graham Bell." The Doctor agreed. He handed the phone back. "I don't think that telephone's going to be of much use."

He grabbed Jessa's hand and pulled her with him to another door. The man called after them. "But someone must call the police."

The Doctor turned around, grim. "Police can't help you now, no one can." And then he turned back to the nearby door. He called back over his shoulder. "Nothing in this universe can harm those things. Time's been damaged and they've come to sterilize the wound." He looked pointedly at Rose. "By consuming everything in sight."

Rose got the hint. "Is this because….." The Doctor looked at her. He had calmed down, and he wasn't really angry anymore. She had the chance to save her family and she took it, she was only human.

Rose tried again. "Is this my fault?" The Doctor wanted to tell her no, to make the sad look on her face go away. He didn't like seeing her look so devastated. But, he couldn't because it was Rose's fault. She messed with time and this was the consequence. He said nothing and just walked to check another door. When he got there, Jessa looked up.

"I know what you're trying to do. Stall for time, think of another way. A way that isn't the obvious one we both know would solve the situation. And that's fine, great really. But Doctor," She looked at him seriously. "if there isn't another way, remember not everybody can be saved, and that's okay. If we have to take the only option available, we'd have saved the planet at one man's life. And that's a terrible cost but it would be necessary. So, if there truly isn't anything else we can do, we have to do what neither of us wants. And I'll be there with you." And then Jessa turned around, and continued to check the door, knowing the Doctor's silence expressed his gratitude more than words ever would.

Because Jessa understood. Understood that he didn't want to do this but there was no other choice. If he didn't save the Earth, then who would? There wasn't a choice. And she understood, unlike any other companion he had, she got it.

The silence was broken by Pete walking over. "There's smoke coming up from the city but no sirens. I don't think it's just us, I think these things are all over the place. Maybe the whole world." The Doctor didn't answer, just kept working. He couldn't talk to Pete knowing he might have to sentence the man to death.

"Was that a car?" That from Pete made the Doctor look up. Indeed it was. It was the car that was supposed to hit Pete. It turned the corner and disappeared. The Doctor turned around without saying anything. He felt a hand on his shoulder, it was Jessa. She gave him a meaningful look, and he nodded.

After another three doors checked, the Doctor heard Rose cry. He looked over to see her hugging Pete. She must've told him. And that made it hurt all the more. Rose finally got her dad, and he'd probably have to take him away again. Could he do that to her? But he knew the answer. No he couldn't, but he'd have to anyways.

Another door, another problem. The bride and the groom walked up. "Excuse me! You two seem to know what's going on." The groom called out to him and Jessa.

The man kept talking when he didn't receive an answer. "I just wanted to ask….." The bride, Sarah, cut him off.

"Can you save us?" The Doctor was going to say something, but a grip on his hand stopped him. He looked over to see Jessa look at him asking to take that one, and then turn to the couple. That was fine with him, he wasn't good at the emotional stuff.

"What are your names?" She asked them.

"Stuart Hoskins."

"Sarah Clarke."

Jessa smiled warmly. "Wonderful names, and what about the little one." She pointed at Sarah's stomach, which had a little bump. The Doctor was surprised she picked up on that.

So was Sarah. "How'd you know?" She looked down at her stomach, as if to see if she was showing that much.

Jessa chuckled. "No, you're not fat." Sarah looked embarrassed. "You're glowing. I've been around many pregnant people, and you start to pick up on things. That's how I know."

They both nodded. Sarah held her stomach. "I don't know what gender it is, don't want to know really."

Jessa nodded again. "A surprise. I like that, what's life without a little surprise. So, how'd you two meet?"

The couple glanced at each other before Stuart started talking. "Outside the Big Box Club. Two in the morning."

Sarah took over. "Street Corner. I'd lost my purse, didn't have money for a taxi."

"I took her home. Asked for a date."

"And he wrote his number on the back of my hand."

Stuart grinned. "Never got rid of her since. My dad said….." His smile fell. Sarah looked ready to cry.

"I don't know what this is all about. And I know we're not important…."

Jessa interrupted her. "Not important? Why wouldn't you be important? I speak from experience. I've travelled all around the world, seen and done things many would dream of. But I've never had a story like yours. No street corner at two in the morning, no getting a taxi home. And I'd give all my adventures for a story like that. It's the ordinary, seemingly small stories in life that truly are the best ones. So not important? Never. And to answer your question, yes. We will be trying and saving you. Stories like yours need to be told, and we're going to give you that chance." Sarah smiled at them with tears in her eyes.

The couple walked away. The Doctor turned to Jessa, "That was nice of you."

She shrugged. "It was the truth."

"Can you really tell if people are pregnant just by looking at them?"

"Like I said, I've seen a lot of pregnant people, there's just something different about them."

"But you've never been?" He didn't know why he asked the question, but he thought it was important for some reason.

"No." She paused. "I can't be."

The Doctor was stunned. "What?"

"It's not that I don't want kids. It's that I can't. A while back…something happened, and now I can't have children."

The Doctor looked at her guiltily. "I'm sorry. For asking."

She shrugged. "It's not your fault, you didn't know." She walked away, towards a window. The Doctor followed behind her. Eventually, they end up by a baby Rose, where Jackie promptly left her in their care. The Doctor reached down and picked her up.

"Now, Rose….you're not gonna bring about the end of the word are you?" He looked at the baby intensely. "Are you?" Jessa smacked him on the arm, now in a much better mood. The 19 year old Rose joined them. The Doctor glanced up at her. "Jackie gave her to us to look after, how times change."

Rose attempted a light hearted conversation. "I'd better be careful. I think I just imprinted myself on Mickey like a mother chicken." She reached out towards her past self. The Doctor quickly smacked her hand away.

"No. Don't touch the baby. You're both the same person and that's a paradox, and we don't want a paradox happening. Not with these things outside. Anything new, any disturbance in time makes them stronger. The paradox might let them in."

Rose put her hand down, dejected. "Can't do anything right, can I?"

"Since you ask, no. So, don't…..touch….the…..baby." He spoke slowly.

Rose narrowed her eyes. "I'm not stupid."

"Could've fooled me." Okay, so maybe he was still a little angry, but even he knew that was a little harsh. "Alright, I'm sorry." She looked back at him. "I wasn't really going to leave you on your own." He admitted.

"I know."

"But between you and me, I haven't got a plan. No idea. No way out." He couldn't tell her the only way out he knew was to kill her dad.

"You'll think of something." Rose told him quietly.

"The entire Earth is being sterilized. This, and the other places like it, are all that's left of the human race. We might hold out for a while, but nothing can stop those creatures. They'll get through in the end. The walls aren't that old. And there's nothing I can do to stop them. There used to be laws stopping this kind of thing from happening, my people would've stopped this." He felt Jessa squeeze his arm. "But they're all gone. And now I'm going the same way."

"If I'd realized…"

He looked at Rose. "Just tell me you're sorry."

She replied without any hesitation. "I am. I'm sorry."

The Doctor looked at her, and grinned. He pulled her in for a hug, and she returned it. But after a few seconds she pulled away and started to feel his jacket pocket. "Have you got something hot?" She reached into the pocket and pulled out the TARDIS key, but she dropped it when it started to burn.

"It's the TARDIS key!" The Doctor called brightly. He took off his jacket and used it to pick up the key. "It's telling me it's still connected to the TARDIS!" He gathered everyone in the church over. "The inside of my ship was thrown out of the wound but we can use this key to bring it back. And once I've got my ship back, then I can mend everything. Now, I just need a bit of power. Has anybody got a battery?" He looked around.

Stuart jumped up, holding up his dad's phone. "This one big enough?"

The Doctor ran over. "Fantastic!"

"Good old dad." Stuart handed the phone over. "There you go."

"Just need to do a bit of charging." He pressed his sonic to the battery. "And then we can bring everyone back."

After a while the TARDIS started to materialize. The Doctor grinned. "Right, no-one touches that key. Have you got that? Don't touch it! Anyone touches that key, it'll be, well, zap. Just leave it be and everything will be fine. We'll get out of here. All of us. Stuart, Sarah, you're going to get married, just like Jessa said." He moved towards the back of the church where Rose and Jessa were. When he sat down, Rose looked at him.

"When time gets sorted out…."

"Everybody here forgets what happened. And don't worry, the thing that you changed will stay changed."

None of them noticed Pete walk up behind them. "You mean I'll still be alive." They turned to face him. "Though I'm meant to be dead. That's why I haven't done anything with my life. Why I didn't mean anything."

"It doesn't work like that." The Doctor protested.

Pete scoffed. "Rubbish. I'm so useless I couldn't even die properly. Now it's my fault all of this has happened."

Jessa spoke up. "It's not your fault, Pete. It's nobody's fault." The Doctor saw Jackie coming over and left, not wanting to deal with the woman. Jessa followed his example.

Everything was fine until Pete said. "Oh for God's sake it's the same Rose!" He picked up baby Rose and put her into Rose's arms.

"Rose! No!" The Doctor cried, but it was too late. He went to take the baby from Rose, but a reaper appeared in the church. "Everyone! Behind me!" He called out to the others. "I'm the oldest thing here."

He waited for the reaper to take him but something else happened. Behind him he heard Jessa talk. "Sorry Doctor, but you've got a world to save." And then he felt a tug on his jacket before he was yanked backwards. He stumbled and looked up in time to see the reapers swoop down at Jessa.

"Jessa no!" He yelled. He realized a few things in those few moments. 1. Jessa was older than he was, or at least as old. The reapers could've changed direction in time to miss Jessa, but they didn't and they always go after the oldest thing. 2. Jessa was going to die, and he couldn't do a thing about it. 3. Most importantly, the Doctor realized that he was in love with her. Deeply, incredibly, fantastically, and hopelessly in love.

And then she was gone. And the Doctor's world shattered. He wouldn't see her anymore, not her smile, wouldn't hear her laugh. Never again. He would never get to apologize like he meant to all those weeks ago. And he only realized he was in love until it was too late. He sank to his knees, not paying attention to anything around him. He didn't know how long he sat like that, but he was brought into the real word by Rose shaking him. "Doctor? Doctor!?"

He looked at her, and she flinched. And he found himself thinking it was her fault, she messed up time. It was her fault Jessa was dead. He clenched his jaw to keep his mouth shut, if he started yelling, he wouldn't be able to stop. Rose tried again. "Doctor, is there anything we can do? What about the TARDIS?"

"There's not enough time anymore, the reapers are going to get in soon now." He ground out. "Nothing I can do." And he wasn't really sure there was anything he wanted to do either. He just walked over to a bench and sat down.

Everybody was panicking about dying, everyone except for the Doctor and Pete. The former sat on the bench, wallowing. The latter walked up to Rose, calmly. "There's a way out of this, you know. The Doctor knows too, but he wouldn't do that to you."

"What are you talking about?" Rose asked him.

"That car should've killed me, love."

Rose understood instantly. "But you can't…." Tears sprang in her eyes.

"I'm meant to be dead." He looked at the Doctor. "If I do this, will everything be alright again?"

The Doctor looked up, and he nodded solemnly. He wasn't sure if it could bring back Jessa but he hoped on everything it would.

Pete looked at his daughter. "Are you going to be there for me, love?" Rose nodded. "Thanks for saving me." He pulled a sobbing Rose into a hug before grabbing the vase he had earlier off the table, and walked out the church doors, ignoring the reapers. He stood out in the middle of the road, in the path of the oncoming car. He took a last look at Rose. "Goodbye, love…." And then the car hit, and the vase fell. The Doctor walked up behind Rose. "Go to him. Quick." She nodded and ran off towards Pete.

The Doctor looked around, all around him people were outside, watching. Stuart's dad was back, but where was….

"Hello Doctor." He spun around so fast, and there she was, smiling. Jessa, the person he knew he was in love with.

"Jessa." He breathed, and then he ran at her, and scooped her up into a hug. "You're alive!" He paused for a moment, there was something he should've said a while ago. "I'm sorry."

Jessa pulled back a little, confused. "For what?"

"For everything. For getting you k..illed" He stuttered over that word. "But most importantly for accusing you of using me. I almost lost you today, and I can't do that again, especially with you being mad at me and without you knowing that I'm sorry, I never meant what I said."

Jessa chuckled and hugged him again. "I was never mad. That's all I wanted to hear. An apology." Jessa released him from the hug, but kept a hold on his hand. They walked over to Rose, who let go of her father's hand and joined them.

"I'm sorry." She said. They both nodded in acceptance and the three of them walked into the newly returned TARDIS.

Later that night, the Doctor and Jessa were sitting in the console room just like they used to. The Doctor hated to ruin it, but there was something he needed to know. And this time he would do it without throwing accusations. "The reapers took you instead of me. There's only one way that that would happen. How old are you?"

"Don't you know to never ask a woman her age?" Jessa chuckled at her own joke, but quickly turned serious. "I don't know the exact number but I'd guess somewhere around 950." She turned to him. "But I was going to tell you, you have to believe that."

The Doctor was stunned. She was as old as he was. "How?"

"Remember that accident I told you about earlier? Same one did this." It was obvious she didn't want to talk about it. He could guess as to why. If something did this, he really doubted it was anything pleasant.

"Why didn't you tell me?" That part bothered him, did she not trust him? The thought hurt.

"I was going to, honest. But you need to know that as far as I can tell, I'm never going to die. I have to be alone all my life, that's my curse. And then I met you and you said you were 900 years old. And I felt hope. Hope that maybe I wouldn't have to be so alone. But then I thought 'what if you only live to be 1000' or something to that affect. And I couldn't get my hopes up without knowing, so I tried to find out. But I couldn't. There was nothing, no information. I was going to tell you. Please don't be mad at me." He looked over at her.

"I'm not mad. We've already done mad and it didn't work out for anybody involved. However, you could've just asked. I already told you about regeneration. Well, I've got 12 regenerations. Once I get to 12 and then die, I'm out. No more. This is number 9."

Jessa started to cry. "See, once you're done with 12 then I lose you too. I can stay with you for longer than I could anyone else, but I'll still lose you, and I can't do that. I can't lose you."

Hearing her say that, made him incredibly happy, even if it was a somber conversation. He pulled her into another hug. "It's alright. As long as I don't use all 12, it'll be fine. I'll be careful."

Jessa sniffled. "You better be." The Doctor chuckled.

There was a pause. The Doctor was deep in thought. He'd never expected this, but he found it easy to accept and be okay with. Someone that would live longer than him. And it happened to be someone he loved, even if she didn't love him back. He wanted to tell her, but he knew he would ruin it, so he'd keep quiet. And then maybe one day something could change. After all, they had forever to figure it out.

Jessa spoke up first. "Enough of that emotional stuff. For two people who declared themselves bad with emotions, we sure do talk about them a lot." She paused and then turned to him. "How about we go make tea like proper British citizens, then you could tell me all about the best year to go to New York."

The Doctor grinned and stood up. "I'd be honored." He held out his arm and she took it. They walked towards the kitchen chattering happily, the air between the two cleared. And everything was as it should be.