A/N: Okay folks this is the end. There isn't anymore to write and well it's been fun. I might do another Human Nature/Family of Blood Story later on, who knows. I rather loved those two episodes and there are so many possibilities with it. Thanks for reading. Please R/R

XXX

Chapter Ten

Joan had been sitting up all night in the cottage, thinking over all that had happened, waiting for him, for John, no not for him, for the Doctor. It had been a cold freezing night and Joan sat there, sat there in a numb state of shock. She had lost the man she loved. During the night, after the bombardment stopped, Martha and Tim had gone to the village to see what they could do for the survivors, since Joan was a nurse she should have gone as well, but she couldn't. She just couldn't. Instead she spent the whole night and part of that next morning sitting in a chair, in the cottage beside a cold pot of tea, a pot of tea that had been made by the Cartwright's before Lucy Cartwright or Sister of Mine had killed her host parents. She sat there, John Smith was gone and in its place was a man, a man who brought forth cold unfeeling retribution. She had sat there and read John Smith's or rather the Doctor's journal all night. She read of his little mercy, his swift punishments to those who defied him. That was not John Smith. That was not the man she wanted. Martha or Tim often came back during the night and told her the news of what was going on but she just sat there, so very cold and numb.

The Doctor entered the cottage and she got up from her seat and walked to the window looking out it rather than looking at him. She could not look at him, at least not now. She was still hurting from what happened last night, "Is it done?"

"It's done."

"Police and the army are at school, parents have come to take the boys home. I should go; they'll have so many questions. I am not so sure what to say."

She turned and then looked at him and her heart almost leapt in her chest, he looked like, him, like John Smith. She said, "You look the same. Goodness you must forgive my rudeness; I find it difficult to look at you." She struggled to say the name but she did, "Doctor, call you Doctor…" She didn't want to call him that, it hurt. What kind of name was that? It sounded so empty, so unfeeling, at least to her. "Where is he, John Smith?" She had to ask, although she knew that the answer would most likely hurt even more. He just stood there, stood there so empty looking. Although inwardly, somehow she knew, somehow she knew he was hurting as well. There for a second she thought she saw his lip quiver. He answered, "He's in there….somewhere." She felt like she was going to cry but she managed to keep a straight face as well, "Like a story. Could you change back?"

The Doctor was unmoving, he was not John Smith. John Smith had feeling and emotion. He wouldn't have done what he had done. He wouldn't have done what was done to the Family. The Doctor felt old; old, weary, and tired. John Smith would have hugged Joan, if he had come in. He would have come in and kissed her passionately. But the Time Lord couldn't. He couldn't. Because it would have hurt, it would hurt because, such memories that would give him. Humans die, humans wither and die. He couldn't show love or attachment because it would make it worse. But it already hurt; it already hurt so very much. He said solemnly, "Yes…."

Joan's heart skipped a beat, if only for a moment. Oh if he'd only say he would. But then she realized, no. The Doctor wouldn't do that. In a way, John Smith and the Doctor were similar, they both were self sacrificing, and they both would sacrifice what they wanted for the common good. And since that was the case, she knew he wouldn't, but she asked anyway, "Will you?"

Although he could have, like his 8th self had said, like he also had said so many times, he would have liked that kind of life. Yet, so much danger, and he…he was the only Time Lord left. The universe needed him. Oh how he wished, he could leave the galaxy alone, but it called him or was it the TARDIS? Whatever the case, he couldn't change back. He said coldly, although it hurt him to say it like that, "No…"

"I see. Well then…." She paused for a moment gathering her thoughts looking away from him, as it hurt to look at him and then she said, "He was braver than you, in the end that ordinary man…you chose to change. He chose to die."

The Doctor listened to her words, such a remarkable woman. She was so perceptive. He stepped a bit forward out of the darkness of the shadows and into the light of the morning that shone through the window. "Come with me."

"Sorry?" She didn't understand what he meant.

"Travel with me…."

"What?" She was a bit shocked at what he was saying.

"My companion…."

"That's not fair, what must I look to you, Doctor? I must seem so very small."

He said hoarsely and almost in a whisper, "No…" His voice managed to rise after that, "We could start again; I'd like that. You and me, we could try at least. Because everything that John Smith is and was, I am capable of that too."

Joan's voice cracked lightly, "I can't."

"Please come with me…"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

She knew the next words would hurt, they hurt her even and she paused before she spoke them, "John Smith is dead, and you look like him."

The Doctor's hearts were beginning to break, how could he not feel something for her? He had after all fallen in love with her, even if he had been human at the time. He still….loved her. And how could she say that? He was John Smith, he was part of him. They were two parts of the same person. He walked over to her further into the light. "But he's here, inside, if you look in my eyes."

She looked into his eyes for a moment and then said, "Answer me this, just one question, that's all. If the Doctor had never visited us, never chosen this place on a whim, would anybody here have died?"

They looked at each other, exchanging glances. His eyes went wider. He knew, it was true, every where he walked, every where he went, death and destruction followed. He was cursed. He couldn't answer that.

She said softly and very inaudibly, "You can go."

The Doctor's hearts broke inside of him but he didn't show it and he slowly walked out the creaking door.

Joan slowly walked over to the table and looked at the journal. She picked it up, and she began to cry.

-0o0-

The Doctor slowly began to trudge back. He took out his sonic screwdriver and turned it on. He knew where his TARDIS was. But he was looking for his other self's TARDIS. And the sonic screwdriver pointed it out. He walked slowly to that TARDIS, he saw his 8th self and Martha talking to each other, and he slowly began to approach….

The 8th Doctor smiled at Martha. "Well it's been….interesting to say the least."

Martha sniffed lightly.

"Oh you're not getting a cold are you? Or becoming one of the Family?" He said mirthfully.

A few tears went down Martha's face and she hugged him, "Oh you silly, wonderful man. I….am not, it's just that…."

She said softly into his ear, "I love you…"

"But…I am….my other self…."

Martha said bitterly, "He doesn't give me the time of day. You do. I love you…."

"But I am the same man…"

"No, you're not. You're different than he is. You're not the same."

The 8th Doctor's hearts fluttered lightly in his chest, "I see…"

Martha suddenly threw her arms around him and kissed him, whether he wanted it or not.

There was a bit of a cough and the 10th Doctor said, "Hey….Fabio….hands off!"

The 8th Doctor let go of Martha and smiled lightly, "It was her idea…"

"Yea and it takes two to dance…."

The 8th Doctor smiled, "And how often have you danced?"

"Oh quite a bit actually…"

The 10th Doctor looked at his 8th self, "I owe everything to you. Well to myself actually, but you know what I mean. Oy, tenses…and pronouns, it's the only thing the Time Lords had difficulty with." The 8th Doctor laughed lightly, "We really should do something about that."

"Yes, we should."

The 10th Doctor embraced his 8th Self and said softly in his ear, "Thanks…."

The two let go and then they looked up and saw Tim.

"Doctors, Martha…"

The 10th said, "Ahh Timothy Tim Timber…"

"I just wanted to say goodbye. And thank you, because I have seen the future and now I know what must be done. Its coming isn't it? The biggest war ever."

"You don't have to fight." Martha said.

"I think we do."

"You could get hurt."

"Oh so could you, traveling along with him, but it's not going to stop you…"

The 10th Doctor said, "Tim I'd be honored if you took this?" And he offered Tim the watch.

The 8th Doctor said, "Well since my other self hasn't offered it….how would you like to come and travel with me?"

The 10th looked at him, "You can't…."

"Why not?"

"You just can't…." The 10th Doctor didn't want Tim dragged into the Time War.

The 8th Doctor said, "No offense, but that's Latimer's decision not yours."

Latimer sighed, "I'd….well, as long as I get home to help out when that time comes during that war…."

The 8th nodded, "Time machine, Tim. Be home and you can have a cup of tea all in the same breath."

The 10th rolled his eyes, there was no sense arguing. If Tim wanted to go with his 8th self then he really couldn't deny it to the boy. He probably would have ended up offering to take Tim, but he really wasn't in the mood after what happened with Joan.

"Still….take the watch, Tim." The 10th Doctor said.

Tim took it and smiled and he held it and he said, "I can't feel it."

"No, it's just a watch now. But keep it with you, for good luck." The 10th said.

Martha hugged Tim, "Look after yourself." He smiled and she kissed him on the cheek.

The 8th Doctor smiled and then taking Tim by the hand, they waved good bye and both of them stepped into the TARDIS. The 10th Doctor and Martha watched as it dematerialized.

Martha sighed, "So what happened to him…..umm yourself and Timothy?"

The Doctor sighed, "I got him home alright, just in time for tea and to save his friend's life during the war, it was Hutchinson, ironically, after he called him a coward." The Doctor chuckled lightly, "As for myself….that's another story. Time War, you know. But I have some memories of home, which I never had before…." The Doctor smiled and then taking Martha by the hand they walked back to his TARDIS. The Doctor unlocked the TARDIS door, "Well off we go then."

Martha paused for a moment, she knew that the Doctor had probably planned to see Joan and she hadn't asked, "Doctor….about Joan. How was she?"

The Doctor kept a sober face, "Time we moved on."

Martha knew the Doctor was hurting a lot more than he cared to admit and she said, "If you want, I could go and…"

He said firmly, "Time we moved on…"

"Then meant to say, back there last night, I would have said anything to get you to change."

The Doctor said amusedly "Oh yea…course you would…yea." He knew though, he knew how fond Martha was of him, after all there were all those kisses he had with Martha in his 8th incarnation. Strange girl Martha, to fall for his 8th form, but so much had happened…it suddenly felt like ages since he had seen her. Time Travel...it defiantly made for strange happenings. His feelings felt a bit odd suddenly for Martha, blast it, his 8th self would had to fall for her.

"I wasn't really…"

The Doctor shook his head, "No….NO..no…

"Good."

"Fine."

"Carry on, yes…" Martha understood, well maybe not really, but she tried.

The Doctor then said his brow a bit furrowed, "And I never said….thanks for looking out for me."

He smiled and then gave Martha a big ole hug…

The Doctor after they had hugged opened the TARDIS doors and they walked inside, a few moments later….the TARDIS dematerialized.

-0o0-

The TARDIS was outside a memorial and they both wore poppies, both him and Martha. They looked on and saw Timothy, an old man now, with dozens of medals pinned on him. He saw the two and he turned his head briefly at them and smiled. In his hand he still carried an old watch. It was a bit old and tarnished but it still ticked. It would tick on forever….