The Doctor waved his screwdriver, determined to to find the beam again. It was stronger this time and almost visible to the naked eye. Pure pulses of blue light surged through it to the two locations, one unknown to the Doctor. Martha hadn't called though. That was a bad sign. The screwdriver met his lips as he and Rose observed it for just a moment.

"I'm going to seal this, Doctor."

"And how do you propose to do that?"

"I'm going to walk through it and seal it with the energy I possess."

The Doctor turned. "No. No more death today. I won't lose you again."

"I'm going to walk through. Last time you tried to stop me, you got a new body for it. Want to wager on what will happen this time?"

"Rose Tyler, you are the most exasperating companion in the entire universe."

"And you love me for it."

"How do you know that?"

Rose reached up and kissed his cheek before gazing deep into his eyes. "Don't come after me. I moved on the second before my heart literally almost broke into two. We just weren't meant to be." Rose was trying not to cry and failing miserably.

The Doctor reached for her hand as she began walking. "Never say that, Rose. Never think that or feel it. You changed me, made me better."

"And so did the others. Just like another will. Just like a million more will. I don't live forever. Don't break your heart on account of me."

"But I want to, I need to, I have to."

"Just to be curious, what was it you were going to say to me when you were harnessing the power of that star?"

"Don't make me say it."

"But I want to hear it."

"I was going to say Rose Tyler, I think you're brilliant."

"Liar."

He watched her walk into the blue and then watched the light crack and dissipate. " and I love you."

That deep lonely pit in his stomach fell a bit wider. She would always do the right thing, his Rose. Always. Now his task fell to telling Donna's grandfather what had really happened to her.

Jack felt as though the gravity of the universe were falling upon him, one centimeter at a time. Ianto was gone. All was lost. All was lost and the world was black. He didn't care that the eye was pointing at him. He just clenched his hands deeper into his pockets and waited to join him. The last person he wanted to love. "I'm sorry Gwen. I'm so very sorry."

"Captain! What is that?!"

Jack looked where Luke was pointing. It was a ball of blue fire headed in their direction. Great, he thought, the end of the world and an asteroid. Perfect. I wonder how long it will take to wake up this time. He gave the oncoming fireball a severely annoyed look.

"And what is that look for? Well, hello, I guess as long as you're looking at me."

Ford opened his mouth and then quickly closed it again, using his better judgment. "Well, that was easy Ford. I guess I can be royalty if I can guide the stars with merely a snap of my fingers."

"Just on the home colony towards certain destinations, Donna. Other gifts come with time."

"I think I could live like this."

"Exterminate!"

"No, I rather think not." The woman with long red hair snapped her fingers and with a grimace, caused the Dalek to bend in on itself. "Well, it's not a set of stairs made of pure stars or anything, but that will do."

Jack couldn't breathe properly. "Think you could do that again?"

"Why?"

Rhys found his voice. "Considering that there are possibly thousands more the world over."

"Well, alright. Since you asked nicely." Donna took a deep breath and then snapped her fingers several times. "Like being a cosmic fly swatter."

Jack fell to his knees. "I don't suppose you could..."

She looked into his lovely sad eyes and then down to the crumpled man in a suit on the ground and the lady to his right. She turned to Ford. "Is there a way?"

"Only for one."

"Then what's the good of having power if you can't heal anyone?!"

Jack stiffened. "Then do it for Sarah Jane."

"No Captain! I have K-9 and I'm nearly fifteen. I'll miss her but don't lose the one you love on her account."

Jack turned to Luke. "What if I gave you a place with us here at Torchwood?"

Luke smiled sadly. "She'd be happy to know I'm taken care of."

Ford took something from his pocket and pressed a small black button. The box unfurled into a large, dusty book. He turned a few pages and began to type. "That should do it then. He'll wake up in one and half hours and need two aspirin and a stiff drink."

"Thank you. And, not that I'm ungrateful, but who are you?"

"I'm Donna Noble. And I'm a dead queen's heir! What do you think of that?"

"One more location Donna."

"Five more minutes?"

Ford shook his head. "Important, Ms. Noble. Very important."

She nodded and looked back only once as the Torchwood team moved together back to the darkness of the Hub, waiting for Ianto to wake and giving Sarah Jane a place among the saviors of Earth. Jack mentally put ringing Martha to phone the Doctor onto his list of things to do.

But Martha wouldn't hear her phone ring again. As the wave ceased coming and the electricity from Bad Wolf Bay petered to nothingness, Archie was finally able to approach and relieve her from the machine. He had been a father and a grandfather once, even though he looked only around Captain Jack's age. His heart was heavy with the guilt and sorrow he felt for her. Martha Jones was so young.

"We are here."

"A fat load of good that did! I waited for you, for the signal!" His voice was hysterical and burdened with tears. "She's dead."

"Ford, can't you just..."

"No, Donna. One life a day. That's all."

"But why bring us here then? To show me what I can't do?"

"No, to show you that I always have a plan B. Martha Jones will never live again. But, Archie, she will be like you."

"How?" Archie received the watch with confusion. It was silver and decorated with tiny orange flowers. "How does this help?"

"Dampening field to stabilize her soul. She'll be a living ghost. Well, technically dead ghost I suppose. But she won't be gone."

Archie snapped the watch on her wrist and Ford gave a tug on Donna's wrist. "Back to the Cascade. We'd best get back and introduce you to the rest of your family."

"And my body?"

"Tomorrow."

"You mean I'm stuck like a ghost for the rest of the day?"

"You weigh nothing. On the bright side."

"I never did think of the bright side, did I?"

"You will now."

PS: I don't own Ford Prefect. He belongs to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, just borrowing him for a bit. Hope this matched up to the finale, even though not everyone got their happy ending. RTD, you beautiful bastard, you will be missed! We expect great things from you Moffat!