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Progress

Nine

"Before I go, I just wanted to say that you were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. And you know what? So was I."

He was happy. There had been a time when he thought he would never be happy again. Rose had changed that. She had made him better without even realising, and he would never be able to thank her enough.

He would never say another word to her, in fact. Not like this.

It was odd, saying goodbye to somebody when you knew you were going to be standing in front of them in a few seconds time. And he would like to say that it was all for her benefit, but it wasn't. He was going to die, and be replaced by another man. He had to say goodbye.

Once he changed and he was another person, he would feel like it was all a bit pointless and melodramatic, of course, as he always did. But now, before the change, while he was this Doctor, he needed to give her a proper farewell. Because she had saved him, and, by extension, every other face that was to follow.

Initially, he hadn't enjoyed having this face. He had felt uncomfortable in his own skin, wondering why he was still alive, if he even should be alive. But through Rose, and Jack, and yes, even Jackie and Mickey the idiot, he had rediscovered everything he used to love about the universe. He had been able to release at least some of the guilt for what had been done during the Time War.

Stupid apes saving the Last of the Time Lords. Made him grin just thinking about it. It was a shame he had to die again to re-learn how to love life, but… dying for her, for a single precious human life was worth it. It always was.

And for the first time in many years, he felt at peace. He had hope for the future. Yes, he was going to die. But it was strange; he felt… fulfilled. Content. As though he had done everything he needed to with this face.

Although he regretted he had been so reluctant to engage in domestics. It had hurt Rose, he knew that. And he hoped, as this new man, he wouldn't hurt her in such a way again.


(A/N: Nine probably had the happiest ending of any of the Doctor's incarnations so far. Though he did spent most of his tenure behaving as if he wanted to die, so maybe it isn't that surprising that he seemed his most content just as he was about to regenerate.

Anyway, reviews please!)