A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, alerts, and favorites. I appreciate every one of them.

They were eating dinner, Emily watching her mother carefully. The Doctor was afraid that it would make Donna suspicious but it didn't appear to.

Meanwhile the Doctor kept a careful eye on Ten, wondering what was going on inside his head. He wished he could experience this moment from his point of view, and wondered why there weren't any memories about this,

He had nothing to confirm his feelings about Emily, and right now they were fighting for attention, when he needed to be focusing on Donna.

River had explained to him what she had found, and it really sounded easy enough. Except to do it, might cost her life. He hadn't told Emily, didn't know how to tell her.

If they did nothing, their little group would be one great mind short. The Doctor- Donna was an invaluable resource.

He had only brought Emily back home to see her mum because he was scared that this might be the last time. No matter how hard he might fight this, he could see the results right in front of his eyes. Every second, no matter what he tired to focus on, he saw her dying in his arms.

Sometimes in Nine's arms, sometimes in Ten's, but always dying. It was so strong of an end he imagined he could see specific details if he looked, but he thought it might kill him if he did.

He thought if he looked, if he could see it in great detail he might hide her from the universe that wished to claim her.

Donna's head was starting to droop, and Emily shifted in her seat. She hadn't eaten, eyes only on her mother. Her fear was present, but not overwhelming her other emotions. He could feel her right there, almost as if there was a psychic connection, even though there wasn't one.

Her one little heart was beating quickly, and he wished he could say something encouraging as she stood to lay her mother's head gently on the table. He didn't have the words but Ten stood, pulling her to him.

Her head on his chest he gently rubbed her back. Nine looked jealous, but that was hard to justify. He was jealous of himself, but the Doctor understood. He wished it was he that was the one that was protecting her, murmuring words of comfort to her.

Instead the Doctor instructed Nine to get the house locked up and he grabbed Donna. The three of them walked the distance to his TARDIS, ignoring Ten's. Ten followed him in but he wasn't surprised.

There was no way he was going to miss this moment for anything. He wished there were memories once again, because without them he felt so alone. If he could feel what Ten had felt then maybe he would remember that it wasn't just him here.

He walked Donna to the med bay, laying her on the bed with a gentleness he surprised himself with. He felt guilty at once, looking at her now. She was older, though what they were about to do was going to fix that, but she was so beautiful.

River was there in the room, and he loved her deeply, but Donna made his breath catch. This was his lost love, and now she was about to be found. It left him struggling to keep his feelings under control.

What would happen when she woke, if she survived, how would this work?

Emily was there, her hand tucked safely into Ten's until the Doctor motioned for Ten to help him. He asked Nine to keep her busy, knowing he couldn't understand the connection to this woman.

But he cared for Emily already, so he would help keep her distracted. He didn't want her to have to see this.

First though, Emily walked over to her mum and kissed her forehead.

"Take care of her," she told the three of them, and she and Nine left the room.

The Doctor walked over to the med- bay screen, searching for the right medicine to wake Donna up.

To bring Donna back they were going to have to kill her first.

DW

Emily followed the Doctor down the hall, deciding when it was just one of them that he would be the Doctor. She also knew that this Doctor didn't really care for being called Nine. Being the Doctor was a source of pride and she knew that he didn't have many things he could feel proud of right now.

It meant that much more that he would be willing to be called Nine, just for her.

She knew they were all keeping something from her, and as she followed him into a pretty garden she wondered if he would be willing to share what it was.

Some part of her thought he might be the most likely choice.

He was more straightforward than the others seemed to be, less concerned about what other people thought or felt.

He led her to a large field and then he went to the wall, pressing a few buttons the sky turned orange above them and a second fake sun appeared.

The grass beneath their feet was suddenly red and the leaves on the tress were silver. It was beautiful and he was watching her. Waiting on her to say something, and it occurred to her that this was what he lost.

Home.

"It's beautiful," she said honestly, and his lips twitched into a faint smile.

He was trying to share with her, the only way he knew how, and she didn't want to miss this opportunity.

"What was it called?"

He looked everywhere but at her, tears in his eyes. "Gallifrey."

"Beautiful," she repeated, sitting on the grass. It was soft beneath her palms, and she motioned for him to join her.

He did, mimicking her open hands facing down. They let the artificial heat fill the emptiness until he finally spoke again.

"How did you know it was gone?"

He asked it so quietly, and she didn't know how to answer. It was one of those times when she saw something others missed.

"I'm not sure," she admitted.

He looked at her now, his eyes clear and his face serious.

She wanted so badly to ask him what was going on with her, what they were hiding but she couldn't. He needed this way more than she needed to find out anything of her own.

"Will you tell me about Gallifrey?"

For a moment his eyes darkened, and she feared she had upset him. Then he nodded, and he began.

His voice took on a melody of beauty as he described his home and sadness when he spoke of the war. The Time War.

She knew that he was holding a lot back, holding in a lot of the hurt, but this was a start. There was probably more that wasn't said than was in that length of time, but that wasn't what mattered.

This moment did. Two people from different places, connecting in this way, and she understood that she loved him.

She loved the Doctor when he was the broken man before her, and when he was dark eyed and big smiles, and then as the final Doctor.

She didn't understand it but she knew that they loved her too.

"I've lost everything," he told her softly. And then he shocked her. "I have no intention of losing you too."

She didn't know what to say. Was he confirming her fears, could he see her death?

She wasn't scared, not really. If it came down to it, she would face it, but that didn't mean she wanted it.

She swallowed, opening her mouth, but closed it when he took her hand.

"If I asked you to come with me, to run away, would you do it, Emily?"