WARNING! Humor was not a priority in this one. This is often very...serious. sorry, but i didn't feel that this chapter really called for it that much. Oh yeah, and i did a time jump. A big one. You'll see what i mean. It may also get a bit cheesy. couldnt's help it.

Soooo...All you who reviewed on my last chapter, here is your chapter. Look carefully! Some of the names I had to modify slightly. Sorry, but I wanted to give you a tribute without making the chapter look stupid. If I have missed anyone please, please let me know so I can make it right. Thanks! Oh yeah, and sorry for the wait.

Also, some parts are a bit random. Sorry. It's my nature.

And if i used your name in the last chapter i didn't in this one. sorry, but I couldn't find a way to put it in here without messy references and kind of holding up the flow of the chapter.

At the open doorway of the TARDIS, Rose leaned into the doctor, her glimmering silver hair playing lightly across his face. Her husband curled his arm around her waist and linked their hands.

Rose sighed as she watched what would one day be New New Earth bask in the glow of its dual suns. Closing her eyes and opening her mind, the human/time lady listened to the singing of a new born planet and its stars in perfect harmony, the suns adding a deep bass to the voices of the universe. The light coming into the TARDIS lessened slightly as each sun abandoned its skies to the night on the piece of planet exposed to them. Rose reached up briefly to prevent Captain Jack's Sparrow from flying out the door, then returned her hand to the arm atound her waist

The doctor looked down at his wife, eyes sparkling in the gentle light let in by the TARDIS shields. Rose was much more than that, though. Together they had made legends, conquered evil, brought universes together to eliminate the void, gave birth to a whole new species, and spent eternity in each other's arms. He often wondered what he had done to deserve love like this. Having come to the simple conclusion long ago that he really didn't deserve her, the doctor had done his best to make her as happy he could. Even if that included going to revolutionary France to find a wedding dress. Honestly, all that work and he couldn't have found a skimpier dress in a Playboy magazine! But the point is, it made her happy, and he got to play knight-in-shining-armour again. Granted, this time it was in a Casanova-like costume, but still: the point stands. Rose had filled the gaping void left in in his soul at the loss of his people and healed the open wounds on his heart with her every smile….GAWD! When did he become such a romantic? Must be this body…

The doctor's green eyes met her blue ones as he leaned in and stole a gentle kiss. Rose drew back and searched his eyes. "I think it's time, love."

"Yes, I think so." He did too. For the first time in his lives, the doctor felt the deep, cold ache of death in his bones when he woke, remnants of the cold that haunted his dreams. It wasn't an altogether unpleasant feeling, it just made sure it was known. His body could live on for a long time yet, but his soul was ready to go. "Are you sure?"

Rose smirked at him then, revealing perfect white teeth. "If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't be here," she reminded gently.

"Point."

"8,000 years is a long time to live."

"Especially for a little ape such as yourself!"

"I haven't been just a stupid little ape for some time now, Doctor."

The doctor grinned again, realizing he really was becoming a sap in his old age as he shot back, "You were never just a stupid ape, Rose." Her hand left his and tugged his ear, trailing down to rest on his shoulder. It was a habit her last self seemed to have picked up. She tugged his ear and he fed her sappy pick-up lines.

"Okay, Romeo. And you're an old geezer too! 9,000 years is old even for a Time Lord!"

Her husband made a noise in the back of his throat. "Oi!" Thoughtfully, he continued, "Nine hundred years seemed old to me for such a long time. Looking back, I realize I was young then."

Rose smirked evilly. "You didn't feel all that old. You're right, though; I see just how many tricks you can learn in 900 years, let alone 9,000!"

The doctor grinned wolfishly and turned back into the TARDIS. Raising his arms as if to embrace the TARDIS, he spoke once more in his lovely Scottish accent.

"I never thought I'd get a happy ending, but here it is, eh, love? And look at our beautiful ship, Rose! Our beautiful, meddling ship! How many times did we redecorate 'til we got it to her liking? Sixty-three?"

"Sixty-four."

"Close enough. A pink TARDIS. Who'd have thought she liked pink anyway? Shame, all those years she spent in yellow. And then there's our beautiful children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, great great gran-"

"Alright, Doctor," Rose cut off his ramblings. He just grinned manically at her.

Twelve regenerations and thirteen bodies. THIRTEEN! And that mad, delighted gleam never left his eyes.

She would know, too. She'd met all of them, but that's another story...(A/N seriously. keep a lookout)

"We'll be leaving the TARDIS to Niella, then?"

"Well, I suppose! She's the only one not living on New Earth with the apes!" That got him a smack on the arm.

It was a good thing, then, that the TARDIS was so big. Niella's extended family alone was big enough to populate a small moon. Not that they're all living on New Earth, mind you. Niella's current family consisted of her two eldest girls, Keelie and Danielle; a rather feisty Arab mare named Whisky Girl; a Barcelonean dog, Seiya's Star which ended up being the moody little horsie's friend; and her TARDIS-modified human/Time Lord husband Jamie. The rest of her offspring had left to begin their own adventures. Only one turned evil, out of all the doctor's offspring, and she died at only two hundred years old. Wow was she a psycho drama-beauty quee! Again, that's another story.

But raising them all in one place had been...interesting. Niella's record number of little screamin' heathen was twelve at one time. The TARDIS hologram helped a lot with that.

Rose looked thoughtful. "And, after the TARDIS altered him, Jamie has been very adept at learning TARDIS controls...and TARDIS mood swings..."

Oh yeah, and the new TARDIS Gardens. Whole other story. TARDIS mating. Yum.

"He's a good man. Quick learner," the doctor said gruffly. Rose tried rather unsuccessfully to prevent the unladylike snort that escaped her nose.

"Finally glad you saved him from that soup pot on New Raxicoricofallapatorious?"

Her husband glared. "What was I supposed to think? Days after his rescue I walked in on him in bed with our daughter! Whatever happened to the 'boys are icky' stage? Twenty years into saving the universe and she falls for the first pretty boy she finds. Bloody blonde haired, blue eyed brigadier. Don't even get me started on her whole soldier complex!"

Rose flashed him a cheeky grin. "Maybe they were just smarter than us." Sad thing was, the Time Lord had to agree. Bloody inferior races showing their intelligence at the most inopportune times.

The doctor swept her up into his arms and spun her around until she was dizzy. "Could be," he mumbled as he set her down, "that good things come to those who wait."

"Look before you leap?"

"Mmm, yeah," her lover mumbled as he kissed her.

"So buy a parachute." The doctor laughed and chased her round and round the control column before pinning her to the control panel. Rose felt a certain lever dig into her back.

"Brings back memories..." Rose moaned into his mouth. She got no reply. Go figure.

Well, it seems you learn a thing or two in 9,000 years, eh?

"I think," he began, panting slightly, "that we should move this into the bedroom. Niella's packing to go on a 91st honeymoon with Jamie. Apparently they're going back to their wedding location:

Rose nodded fervently. "I don't want them to hear us when I make you scream." Theta just blinked at her. Time Lords do not scream! Most of the time...

"Is that a challenge?"

"Oh yeah."

"Bring it on..."

Rose brushed a soft strand of hair away from her lover's nose as he snored softly beside her. Their last trip to Earth before its abandonment by the great civilizations it had birthed had been...interesting. Mostly they had just gone round to the shops, eaten chips, and barely gotten home in time to avoid the viscious storm currently beating its brains out against the sturdy windows of their room.

It had started out as a last-minute adventure. They had followed a strange signal out of quadrant Delta Bex 19 J Forward Slash K all the way to the present time, stopped an alien invasion, home in time for tea.

On the way to the hotel the doctor was about to con his way into, they had stopped to watch the children playing on an old ghetto-esque playground. Standing there, hand-in-hand with the father of her children, Rose was reminded of what she had. And what she had lost.

A spot of green on the brick wall next to her caught her eye. Motioning to the doctor, she turned her full attention to the wall. Her jaw dropped as she realised what was spray painted in neon green and yellow.

Bad Wolf.

"Looks like we're meant to be here, eh, love?" Rose whispered. The doctor nodded in confirmation.

Although, that is not all that it said. Colorful mementos of teenage years long gone. Phrases such as "ROBINANDSTARFIRE4EVER" and "Suck Me" were emblazoned across the walls. So much for innocence. Ah well.

A cute little toddler came running up to the doctor, eyes wide and sparkling. "Nomen mihi est gaia!" he shrieked. The doctor picked him up.

"What's your name?" All he got was the wee one trying to take his nose in his pudgy little fist. Rose giggled, earning herself an exasperated look from her husband. She just shrugged and took the child just as its young mother, dressed in a shirt with the words 'Fender Strat Chick' emblazoned on it came and snatched him away. The doctor called after her retreating form.

"Oi! We weren't gonna take him you old-" SMACK. Never mind.

The 'young' woman shook her head. "That's enough, love."

"Bloody hell, she's lucky we caught that little monkey before he ran out into the street!" Rose put a soothing hand on his shoulder.

"She's a new mother. Scared to death. Couldn't you feel it?" The doctor nodded reluctantly.

"You still didn't have to hit me." His wife shook her head. Big baby. It was just his shoulder, for crying out loud. Honestly, he was making her sound like her mother, god rest her soul.

Rain began to sprinkle lightly on their heads.

Rose looked up thoughtfully. "Well, that wasn't in the forecast..."

"Just be glad it's not raining up," the doctor muttered. Rose, reminded of their one-time companion, smiled slightly and took her husband's hand.

"Best to get out of the rain, love."

They had sensed the storm long before it arrived, of course, but were soon distracted somewhat by the whole alien invasion thing. Just a bunch of Xaronax trying to infect the population with a terrible, flesh-eating, rain-borne disease and brainwash small children and monkeys. No big deal. Nobody died...permanently...

They spent the evening dancing and, well, 'dancing.'

The doctor opened one bleary eye as his love stroked his cheek. He raised his head off the pillow a little, revealing his adorably mussed hair. Rose grinned at him, and he groaned and buried his head in the pillow.

"Is it morning already?" He moaned. Rose placed feather-light kisses across the back of his neck, making him shudder in response.

"Actually, it's afternoon. The storm is blocking out most of the light."

"Mmm...might as well spend the day in bed then..." he murmered as he rolled over and trapped her beneath him.

"No arguments here."

"I'm curious..." Rose began as they walked back to the TARDIS, the fresh, damp air wiping away any tiredness from her mind.

"Mmm?"

"What the hell was with the scarf?"

The doctor snorted. "To be honest, love, I haven't the foggiest."

They tried to tell Niella gently, to avoid too much fuss. They really shouldn't have bothered. Niella was a Tyler after all, and as such, born for drama.

"But why?" Niella's sad, heartbroken look almost gave the doctor second thoughts. Almost.

"You know why, love," Rose whispered into her daughter's soft ginger hair. It's time, you know that."

"Yeah, I do," Niella admitted reluctantly, "but having you here always...it's a family business, saving the universe. Even if you do go off on your own sometimes."

The doctor gave a small, understanding smile. "You'll do just fine on your own. You're just as clever as me." He was tempted to add an 'almost' but decided against it. It would be a lie anyway. His daughter heard this in his mind an smiled in spite of herself.

Theta took his wife and eldest daughter in his arms and held them close, beckoning to Jamie to join them. His handsome but unsure face lit up, and he walked over to embrace his father-in-law.

"So proud," was all the doctor could say as he finally broke down. Niella collapsed into her husband's tight embrace, and they held each other as the doctor and Rose walked hand-in-hand back to the control room to set the coordinates for old earth, year 5.5/apple/26.

The doctor couldn't help thinking as he walked away that for the 'no second chances' sort of man he'd been back then, he certainly gotten two of them and at the same time.

Silent tears cascaded down the TARDIS hologram's lovely face. Rose quickly pulled her into an embrace with a telepathic 'thank you', then stepped away to allow the doctor a chance to say goodbye to his beloved friend.

"We owe everything to you," he whispered fiercely as he wrapped his arms around her solid form in a tight embrace. "See you again someday."

The TARDIS smiled through her tears and nodded. "Someday. Goodbye, my theta, my Rose. Until next we meet."

The doctor slowly stepped away from his ship, and she, in turn, walked back inside herself. Embracing Niella tightly, she closed the door. For the first time in centuries, the couple felt no urge to rejoin their ship and fly to safety.

The doctor turned to Rose while the whirring of the TARDIS engines faded away. Taking her hand in both of his, he pulled her close, and they slow danced to a tune only they could hear.

Rose looked over the doctor's shoulder. "Platform One. Our first date!"

Her lover grinned. "Yeah."

"My mum, she said that someday I'll be on some planet somewhere, but I won't be Rose Tyler anymore, won't be human."

"Ah well, you'll alway be Rose Tyler. My Rose."

A small smile graced her lips. "My doctor."

Massive solar prominances erupted from the sun as the dying planet moaned and shook beneath their feet. Rose tore her eyes from the flaming monster in the sky and looked back into the doctor's.

"If you're scared or having second thoughts, we can still turn back. For about...fifteen minutes."

Her confused glance prompted him, so he drew in a deep breath and forged on, worried she'd be mad.

"I still have a temporary link to the TARDIS."

"Why didn't you tell me?" There was no anger there, just a sort of tired curiosity.

"I was waiting for the right time to tell you; when you gave me your diary to read, I used it to write down the story of our lives. Mine, yours, and ours together. The TARDIS will record everything we say, think, and feel, then finish the story for me. I didn't think it was good to skip the chat. It would make the readers feel like they've lost something...but anyway, once it's finished, it will be the first book published on New New Earth. Our last legacy."

Rose smiled and nodded. "What'll it be called?"

"Doctor Who." Rose snorted.

"Nice."

"But 'Doctor Who' rules!" The doctor said indignantly.

"I'm more of an Outsiders lover myself, but I guess it could work."

The doctor mock glared at her. "Anyway, since we created that planet, I thought it was fitting. The colonial civilization, and our own descendants, can learn from our memories, from our triumphs and...losses." A shadow of something crossed his handsome face. A shadow the pain of his greatest loss. Then it was gone, replaced by the warm look that meant he was done brooding and ready to go again.

Rose just grinned and tugged his ear again. Her husband smiled and grabbed her waist, pulling her into him again. The doctor tucked his head into the crook of her neck for a moment until Rose spoke again.

"If this was our life, I can't imagine what heaven has in store for us," Rose sighed, wonder shining in her eyes.

"I can," the doctor murmured, looking into her eyes in that intense, straight-forward, you're-damn-right-I-love-you kind of way that made her insides melt like chocolate left in the sun. Oh yeah, meeting Shakespeare had done him good. "Besides, that is one of the greatest riddles of all time. No one who knows can tell us. I guess we'll find out soon enough..."

Rose kissed him. For perhaps the quadrillianth time in hi'I've heards life, marveled at how she could still make his head spin like the planet he was currently standing on.

Regaining some sort of equilibrium, he said thoughtfully, "I've heard it said, love, that everyone dies alone," Theta paused, continuing when Rose nodded in affirmation, "but I think that's only true if you're alone in the world."

"We haven't been alone for some time now doctor," Rose whispered.

"So true." the doctor turned them both back toward the sun in a sort of dance step. The shield holding back the sun protected their eyes as burst after burst rebounded against its walls.

Molten plasma like liquid fire raced across the glowing hot surface of the sun, casting a red glow over the planet that made it look as if the earth had already been consumed by flames. They turned as one back to the satellite.

A blue glow shone over it, and to their keen eyes it appeared as if a shimmering veil was pulled over it.

"It's almost time, love," said rose softly, "the shields are back online."

Tears traced their path down the doctor's face.

"Why are you crying, Doctor?" Rose asked gently. She reached up to wipe away a tear, but he caught her hand and kissed it tenderly.

"I'm not scared or sad or anythin'. I just...I'm so glad I met you."

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world," his beloved murmered.

As the primal fear of dying made itself known, Rose didn't fight it; she simply lay her head on his chest and released it to the burning sky above them.

Rose gripped his hands tighter as the serenity returned to her heart, feeling the need to reassure him.

"No more fighting, yeah? We go down together." The doctor smiled as he remembered a somewhat similar conversation they'd had in Cardiff so many years ago.

"I love you Rose. I always will." Rose's musical laughter rang out across the barren landscape, light and silvery as her hair.

"You make it sound like a goodbye, my dear doctor, after that beautiful little speech!"

The doctor grinned back at her. "I just want them to be the last words I ever say in this life. Because I do. I love you, Rose Marrion Tyler."

The woman in his arms smiled happily. "I love you, Doctor."

The doctor captured her lips in a gentle kiss as the shields holding back the sun let go, and they gazed into each other's eyes as the massive wave of energy bore down on them. They saw nothing, felt nothing, but each other while their souls passed together from this world and into the next.

So passed the Doctor, Oncoming Storm, Destroyer of Worlds, Savior of Realities, Father of the Human Time Lords, and Rose Tyler, Bad Wolf, Defender of the Earth, the Doctor's Companion, and Mother of the Human Time Lords.

The two greatest lovers any universe has ever seen left this world for the next, leaving in their wake hope, and a new passion for life. The doctor and Rose traveled on together, to the end of the stars, consumed in the perfect happiness of love, blissful new beginnings, and constant happy endings. Time Lords used to call it the wishful thinking of those stupid little apes afraid of the dark. Humans called it heaven.

Guess the 'stupid little apes' got it right after all...

At any given time, at any point in any universe, close your eyes and listen. There, from the darkness of space and the light of the stars, you will hear two souls singing as one. A message of love for the world and of hope for humanity.

THE BEGINNING

I will be starting a spin-off that goes into Niella coming of age in the TARDIS with Time Lord parents and a holographic nanny, but only until after I post a songfic that needs attention. I don't know what it will be called yet, but it is nearly finished already. It will be a doomsday reunion songfic. AND, obviously, the Niella story will be a comedy. How could it not? lol

Also! There is a very good reason that I didn't post til now, besides my inherent laziness. For some reason, my computer at home won't let me log in to so I had to write whenever I could.

Anyway, does anyone want to be penpals or something (over the internet)? Cuz that would be kewl. Doesn't matter where you're from!