Chapter 12

Three Hundred Years Later:

Adelaide was alone standing at the bar of restaurant in a far off time and place, on a resort planet where she had planned to spend some time relaxing – although she had been alone for a long time, and still she missed the Doctor. Their century together had given her enough memories to carry her though several more lifetimes, even though the pain of their final goodbye felt like it would never fade.

She stood there in her silken dress, waiting for the insect bar staff, who were busy with other customers. While she waited, she thought she heard a sound like rushing wind, and it reminded her of a Tardis landing, but she dismissed the idea...

And then she wasn't alone any more.

"Adelaide," he said, and she turned her head and looked at him.

"I said I'd thank you one day," he told her, "And here I am."

She turned from the bar, and she didn't look a day older than she had when he had met her on Mars centuries before. She had taken care of herself, she hadn't even regenerated yet...

She looked at the man who stood before her, his slim build cut a dashing figure in his dark suit with silken lapels. He paused to run his fingers through dark, silky fantastic hair and she caught a glimpse of a very expensive wrist watch, it was made of gold and the skeleton kind, but the cogs were engraved with swirls that looked decidedly Gallifreyan...

She blinked, and carried on staring at him.

"Do I know you?"

He fixed her with his dark gaze, it was gaze that reminded her of the Doctor in his Tenth life, but this man was younger, he was no older than twenty five...

"Yes, you do know me," he replied, "How's Steffi?"

His question took her by surprise.

"She's fine. Bit clumsy, regenerated twice in the last two centuries but she's getting on okay – working for Unit currently. Are you a friend of hers?"

He smiled.

"I have two sons," he replied, "One of them works for Unit. He passed on the time manipulation device to enable you to get here. And my other son who sent you the invite for this holiday resort owns this hotel with his wife – she's the green one behind the bar."

Adelaide looked in surprise to the female insect people who were busy with customers.

"They look like head lice!" she said in surprise.

"But she's a very nice girl!" he replied quickly.

Adelaide was still staring at him.

He didn't look old enough to have grown up sons who worked for Unit and owned a holiday resort...

"Who are you?" she asked again.

He stepped closer and lowered his voice.

"I thought my appearance might give it away...like your husband, but younger? I had one hundred and twenty three happy years with Clara Oswald and together we had two sons. That was many years ago. After she died, I carried on alone, regenerated twice... and finally, I caught up with the right time and place to find you. Here and now. I said it wasn't the end."

"Doctor?" she said in surprise, and he smiled.

"This is a new start for me – I'm hoping this body will last for years, and I'm planning to keep out of trouble because the boys don't like it. I'm parked over there, when you're ready."

She looked across the room, down a tiled walkway that led out of the restaurant, and there it was, something she had not seen for many years:

The Tardis.

He held out his hand, and she took hold of it.

"Let's go," he said.

"I've missed you," she replied as they walked hand in hand towards the blue box.

"I was held up. Time, it's difficult to explain," he added.

"But you got here in the end," she said, and as they reached the Tardis they exchanged a smile.

"I see it now," she told him, "You do remind me of the man I married. That's why you chose this look when you regenerated?"

"It was time to come back for you," he told her, "And I'm never letting you go again. This time, we have all the time we deserve – no breaks, no pauses, nothing out of sequence. Just a straight line, unbroken."

She stepped closer and looked into his eyes, and saw the man she loved, the man who had saved her on Mars, reflected back at her.

"You take your time," she told him, "But you're worth waiting for."

He leant closer, they kissed, and then he held her tightly for a moment before letting go, and that was when he grabbed her by the hand.

"Let's run off," he said to her.

"You've nothing to run from!" she reminded him.

The Doctor smiled as he opened up the door and led her inside his brightly lit, newly redecorated ship and the door closed behind them. As she followed him over to the console and he activated the controls, he glanced at her as amusement sparkled in his eyes.

"You're right, I do have nothing to run from."

"So why are we running?" she asked him.

"Let's just run for the sake of it, because it's fun!" he exclaimed, and she laughed as the Tardis engines fired up, and then the blue box shimmered, faded out, and vanished from sight.

End