Chapter Eleven

Once everyone was back inside the TARDIS, John and Jack kept watch over Boron while they stood by the console. The Doctor was taking Boron back home. Meanwhile, the others were in the TARDIS kitchen having some tea and biscuits while they waited for the Doctor to take them back home. While they did that, Rose excused herself. Setting her cup of tea down, she wandered out into the corridor. She slowly walked down the hallway, looking around, taking everything in so she'd have the memory before she had to go back home with John.

"Are you alright?"

Rose turned and saw Donna had followed her.

"Yeah, just saying another goodbye to the TARDIS before the Doctor takes us back," Rose said with a shrug.

"I wonder what will become of me," Donna said. "I don't want to go back but he has others traveling with him now, would he even want me to go with him?"

"I think he would. I think he'd take you back as long as he could stabilize your memories," Rose said. "Ask him, the worst he can say is no, yeah? And if he does, back you go to your family."

"But…"

"Yeah?" Rose said when Donna trailed off and fell silent.

"I don't want you or John to go back to the other universe," Donna said. "You're my friend and I wanna be able to see you. Maybe not the nutter so much, but you…you don't belong over there, you belong here."

"That's why I returned the last time and the Doctor took me right back because he didn't want John in the same universe as him."

Donna's jaw tightened.

"Could you excuse me a moment, Rose. I want to say something to the Dunce," she said.

Rose chuckled, figuring out what Donna was about to say to him.

"Glad I'm not you at the moment, Doctor," she murmured before she continued walking down the corridor.

Jack and John were chatting by the console when Donna stomped into the room.

"Where is he? Where is the Doctor," she said angrily.

"Ought oh, Noble's on the warpath," John said to Jack.

"Um, we've landed on Ruwan and the Doctor took Boron back to his house. He's outside somewhere. What's wrong?"

Donna walked over to John.

"Boron gave the Doctor a choice between us which is more than you'll have, I'm sure, when he takes you and Rose back to the other universe," Donna said to John. "So answer me truthfully, do you want to go back or stay here? Because if I'm able to keep my mind, I want you and Rose here where I can visit you."

"Um…well, I wouldn't mind staying here," John said. "But I'm not the one who has family in the other universe. If Rose came here, she'd have to leave her mum, dad and Tony over there. So, I would ask her this question."

"But none of it matters if the Doctor just decides to chuck you out the door again," Donna said. "Which is why I'm having a little chat with him when he returns."

Jack snickered when Donna walked over to his jump seat, plopped down and folded her arms over her chest while she waited. Jack and John shared a gleeful look.

"Anyway, where were we?" Jack said his friend before they resumed their chat.

Twenty minutes later, the door opened and the Doctor breathed a sigh of relief when he came inside and closed it.

"I think that's sorted out," the Doctor said to Jack and John. "He told me how he managed to pull Rose across the void so I think I can recreate…"

"Doctor, a word with you…"

The Doctor froze and John and Jack sniggered when they suddenly heard Donna speaking to the Doctor in a stern tone of voice.

"Yes, Donna?" the Doctor said, climbing the stairs and walking over to the jump seat.

"You were offered a choice between us today so I'm asking you to give John and Rose a choice between staying here or going back. They're both adults and they're capable of making their own decision. Not to mention I would like them here with me, especially if you take me back to my house. Will you do that for me instead of just going across the void and throwing them back out the door."

"Well, I…I suppose I can ask," the Doctor said, throwing a sheepish glance at John who sniggered.

"I told Donna, I wouldn't mind staying here but it's really up to her, she's the one with family over there. I will do whatever she wants to do. I go where she goes."

"AHHHH, THAT'S SO SWEEET!"

"Jack, get off me!" John said when Jack draped his body over him and wrapped his arms around him.

Jack chuckled and tousled John's hair.

"Glad that wasn't me just then," the Doctor said. "S'pose I should go find Rose then and ask."

"She's in the corridors…or she was when I last saw her," Donna said.

"Well, the TARDIS can take me to her then," the Doctor said.

He started to walk off when Donna got up and stopped him.

"Thank you," Donna said.

"Well, it was either defy you or risk a beating and I don't think I want a beating from Donna Noble," he teased.

He patted her cheek when she rolled her eyes and hurried up the stairs to the back door. As he walked, he asked the TARDIS to take him to Rose. The TARDIS instantly shifted the corridors and Rose gasped when he was directly in front of her in a heartbeat.

"I hate when she does that," Rose said, putting her hand over her heart. "I wanted to say goodbye to her before you took us back."

The Doctor's hearts lurched at that and guilt flooded his mind.

"Rose, Donna spoke with me," the Doctor said, coming towards her.

"That all? She didn't beat you senseless for not offering us a choice?"

"She was just about to before I stopped her," the Doctor said. "But she's right, Rose. It's unfair of me to keep forcing you to go back there. You're adults and you need to determine the course of your own life. John said he'll go where you go since you have family in the other universe and the decision will affect you more than him. What do you want to do?"

Rose chuckled.

"Good old Donna, I wasn't even going to ask but she seems not to be intimidated by ya."

"Yeah, she has a habit of getting in my face and issuing her demands," the Doctor said.

"Well, I'd like to stay here. On Earth, I mean…this Earth…we still have our TARDIS coral and I think John and I want to use that but in the meantime, we were planning to settle down for a bit, perhaps have a child?"

She came closer to him and took his hand.

"I have moved on with John but at the same time, I would like to still be friends with you. I missed you and the crazy times we used to have. I would like to travel sometimes if you'll have me, just for old time's sake?"

"In between makin' babies?" the Doctor said with a twinkle in his eye.

"I think we want one baby at the moment," Rose said.

"Ah, Rose, look at you, hard to believe you're the same girl I took to Satellite Five with me all those years ago," he said, putting his hand on her cheek. "You've grown and changed since then."

"Well, you've changed as well, not sure about grown," Rose said.

The Doctor chuckled and pulled her in for a hug. Rose wrapped her arms around him and sighed while the Doctor rubbed her back.

"Everything I did, I did because I loved you," the Doctor whispered to her. "I wanted only the best for you, I wanted you to have the happy ending you always dreamed about and now you can have that with John."

"Yes, but I still want you in my life as a friend," Rose said, looking at him. "You have River and I have my Doctor but that doesn't mean we can't be best mates, yeah?"

"I'd like that," the Doctor said. "I missed traveling with you after you went across the void. I missed having laughs and seeing the universe with you at my side. I would love to have you come with me on occasion…and John," he added quickly. "He and I need to work some things out."

"Good, because you don't need to be at odds with him," Rose said. "What about River though. Are you happy with her? Truthfully? I won't get angry."

"She makes me very happy."

"Good, because I want you to have someone," Rose said. "I don't want you to be alone, curse or no curse, you need some happiness too."

"Thanks," the Doctor said.

Rose squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek.

"Keep an eye on Amy and Rory, I like them and don't you dare get them killed."

"Well, with Rory, that might be a tall order," the Doctor said.

They shared one more hug together before they headed back to the console room.

(A week later…)

"Good morning, kiddies," the Doctor said as Amy and Rory came down the stairs and headed to the console. "Sleep well?"

"As well as we can on bunkbeds," Amy said.

"Bunkbeds are cool, I don't know why you don't like them," the Doctor said. "You can go up to the top or head down below. You could even throw a large blanket over the top bed and have a tent in the bottom."

"There ya go," Rory said to Amy, "that's how we'll solve our little problem, make them into a tent."

"What problem is that?" the Doctor said with a frown.

"Ugh, the man is completely gormless sometimes," Amy said with a dismissive wave. "So, what are we doing today, O fearless leader?"

"Well, Rose and John have moved into their new house, courtesy of me and I received a phone call from Rose and she wants us to come and see it. She invited Donna and her family and Jack and his team to come and have a dekko at their swanky new residence. So…interested?"

Amy and Rory smiled and nodded and the Doctor jumped up.

"Right! Let's go take a look then," he said as he set the controls for London.

THE END.