"Donna, James, Jenny, welcome to New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York." said the Doctor as he pushed open the TARDIS door, a grin plastered on his face.
Donna's left eyebrow raised, and she crossed her arms over her chest, not even peeking out the door as she suspiciously questioned him. "You're having me on, Spaceman. New New New…. Whatever… New York!?"
"I kid you not, Donna!" The Doctor held his hand out in the direction of the door, in an effort to usher his family out the door. "This is the fifteenth New York, on the planet New Earth. It's the year 5,000,000,039, ten years since my visit with Martha."
Still a bit hesitant, Donna slowly walked down the ramp and out onto a grassy field, the sun shining down, a slight breeze blowing. James and Jenny followed her, with the Doctor bringing up the rear and closing the TARDIS door behind him.
They all looked out at the city in front of them, and Jenny was the first to pipe up, "It's beautiful, Dad!"
"Beautiful! It's gorgeous! And a proper futuristic city, too! Look at those flying cars around the buildings!" Donna gaped and slipped her arm around the Doctor's, linking herself to him.
The Doctor's grin went even wider, if possible, as he watched the reactions of his daughter and Donna. He saw James was grinning too. Of course, James had his memories from his last two times here. For both of them, the memories were bittersweet, as the first brought back memories of Rose and the second of the death of the Face of Boe. He was thrilled that his choice of their first official stop on their new adventures was already making Donna this happy, and hoped to continue her excitement. "I've got some friends to check in on, and I was thinking we could do a little—shopping? If you like?"
Donna turned, her mouth wide open in excited shock (it reminded him of the look on her face when she had found him again at Adipose Industries). "Shopping! You're going to take me shopping in this big city! Oh, Spaceman, I bloody love you!"
The Doctor's grin turned into a warm, genuine smile, and he blushed a bit at her choice of encouraging words to him. "Anything for you, Donna." He then suddenly dropped her arm and started patting his pockets, then reached into his right pocket and pulled out a handheld, homemade device with a small screen on it. "But first to contact my friends. I looked up their number—let's see—," he faded off a moment as he punched numbers into the keypad and began turning some knobs, then suddenly a face popped up on the screen. "Brannigan, there you are, old friend!"
"What? Who? Doctor!? Is that really you?" The cat-man whose face appeared on the screen couldn't hide his shock and excitement.
"It is me! It's been ten years! I'm here with my family, was hoping you might be able to pick us up and we could come for a visit?" The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand as his left held the mobile communication device. He was hoping he hadn't overestimated the kindness and friendship Brannigan had displayed to him on his last trip.
"Of course, Doctor! Send me your coordinates and we'll come pick you up as soon as we can!" Brannigan responded excitedly.
"Brilliant, sending them over now!" The Doctor punched more numbers into the device and turned another knob. "See you in a bit!"
Just as the screen faded out, the Doctor heard James behind him, "Doctor, you need to see this."
He turned, and about 100 feet behind them, centered on the large hillside, was a huge monument. Engraved into the side was an almost perfect model of the Face of Boe. The Doctor audibly gasped and whispered, "Would you look at that. They built him a memorial."
The Doctor walked up to the monument and ran his hand along the side of the face. Donna watched the Doctor, then looked to the the writing below the face and read it aloud, "The Face of Boe. In the year 5,000,000,053 He gave his life to save our city." The four stood in silence for a few minutes, before Donna spoke again, quietly, "Didn't you say that Jack—"
The Doctor sniffed back the emotions that were at the surface. "Yes, not quite sure how it all ends up working out this way. I have a few theories, but I try not to worry about them too much for now. He wouldn't want it that way."
"I wonder what Jack would say if he knew this monument was here?" Donna wondered aloud.
James allowed a smirk to pull at the corner of his mouth. "He'd probably say they didn't catch his good side. Of course, he'd also argue that he doesn't have a bad side."
All four of them smiled together at the thought, before they heard what sounded like an old Earth car horn behind them. The four turned around fast and found a flying car similar to those they had seen from far off coming towards them, turning at the last minute so that it's side was facing them. After a moment the side door slid open and out stepped Brannigan—in a suit and tie.
"Brannigan!? Is that you?" The Doctor could hardly hold back his shock to see the cat-man dressed in such a way.
Brannigan was confused a moment then looked down at his suit. "Oh, oh, yes! I forget when the last time we saw each other was. I'm a member of the Senate now! You just caught me on my way home from meetings!"
"Oh, that's just brilliant!" The Doctor grin and moved quickly towards the cat-man who had once helped him save his companion from disaster. "You, Brannigan, a member of the new Senate!"
"Well, Doctor, introduce me to your family! When you were last here it's was just you and that Martha lass."
"Oh, yes! Martha went back home to her family. Thomas Kincade Brannigan, please allow me to introduce my brother, James. Long story, we'll get to that later. And my daughter, Jenny. Er, also a long story, we'll get to that one later too. And this is Donna—my—," he paused, wondering how he should describe Donna.
"Significant other?" James shrugged as he gave his input.
"Girlfriend?" Jenny offered with a grin.
Donna wasn't being very helpful. She wasn't sure what to call it either. She just shrugged and looked at Brannigan, holding out her hand for a handshake. "I'm his Donna."
The Doctor smiled as he looked at her, honored she would allow herself to be so 'claimed' by anyone, let alone him. He blushed as he turned back to Brannigan. "Titles are a bit difficult at this stage. But, we're together."
Brannigan smiled. "Well, it's good to see you so happy, Doctor. Come, everyone in, we'll head to my home and I'll introduce your family to my wife and kittens! Although they've grown up quite a bit since you last saw them, Doctor!"
The four Time Lords followed Brannigan to the 'car.' The Doctor sat in the front, next to Brannigan, while the other three sat in the back seats. Donna and Jenny were particularly entranced by the view out the side windows, watching as the cat-man took off and piloted the car back towards the city. While they traveled, Brannigan brought the Doctor back up to speed on the current state of New Earth and New New York. Since the re-opening of the upper city, the whole city had flourished and quickly revitalized. About fifteen minutes later, the car touched down on a parking pad high up in the air, right next to one of the high towers. They all exited the vehicle and Brannigan guided them into the building and onto a lift that took them up another 10 levels. Upon exiting, they were in a small foyer with one door, which Brannigan opened with a keycard.
"Valerie, kids, I'm home! And you're not going to believe who is with me!"
Several hours later, the Doctor and Brannigan were out on the balcony. Their families had enjoyed a wonderful meal cooked by Valerie. The Doctor couldn't believe, though he knew the number of years it had been, just how old their cat-children had gotten. James and Jenny were being shown some of the latest video game technology by Brannigan and Valerie's two sons and daughter. The Doctor stood by Brannigan, looking out over the city.
"You remember Milo and Cheen, the couple that had kidnapped Martha to get onto the fast lane? Milo works in my senate office now as one of my aides. They were good kids, just needed some guidance and direction. Their daughter is just a little under a year younger than my own sons and daughter."
The Doctor smiled and nodded, listening, but mesmerized by the city. "Oh, that's wonderful! I'll be sure to tell Martha."
"So, Doctor," Brannigan looked over his shoulder back into his home, where Donna sat at the kitchen bar with Valerie, chatting. "Tell me more about Donna." He then quoted the Doctor, "'Titles are a bit difficult'?"
The Doctor turned as well and watched Donna conversing with the other woman. "Yes, well. Donna and I have a lot of history, we've been through a lot together. She's my best friend. I love her—"
"And she loves you." Brannigan smiled towards the Doctor.
"Who knows why—but yes, I do believe she does. I hope to spend the rest of my lives with her." The Doctor smiled back.
"Well then, Doctor, why don't you ask the woman to marry you?!" Brannigan exclaimed. "Give the relationship a title. Don't you think she deserves it?"
"She deserves more than I could ever give her, Brannigan. I just don't want to rush her, if she's not ready."
Brannigan shook his head. "I do believe you should put your glasses on Doctor, because I think you must be blind to how she looks at you."
The Doctor blushed and looked away from Brannigan, and towards the glass doors, looking into the flat to find Donna staring back at him.
Donna smiled as the Doctor caught her gaze. She was listening to Valerie talk about her children's education, when she had noticed the sun setting and how handsome the Doctor looked as the light fell on him where he stood on the balcony. He smiled back at her, then turned his head slightly towards the cat-man and nodded as he said something to him. He motioned for Donna to join him on the Balcony.
Valerie noticed the exchange and smiled at the woman beside her. "Go on now, I believe your husband would like your company."
Donna blushed. "Oh, he's not my husband."
"Really?" Valerie was a bit surprised, having not been privy to the conversation her husband had with them before coming to her house. "You two carry yourselves as if you're married. You seem totally in love."
"You know," Donna began slowly. "We used to always get mistaken as a couple, even as married—only now—it doesn't bother me so much." Donna smiled once more at Valerie and slipped off the stool she had been seated on, heading towards the balcony doors.
As she approached, Brannigan slid the door open and allowed her to come out first before he stepped inside. "Come on out, my dear. I'll just give you two some time to enjoy the sunset."
Donna stepped over to stand beside the Doctor at the balcony railing. They stood in silence, looking out over the city, watching as the sun slowly continued it's descent. After a few minutes, Donna couldn't handle any more silence. "You're awfully quiet Spaceman. Normally you'd have already given me some great scientific explanation as to how the sun sets differently here than on Earth—or, something. You'd be babbling on about something."
The Doctor bowed his head slightly for a moment, a small sigh escaping his lips before he finally admitted, "I have a confession, Donna."
Donna wasn't sure if she should be happy he was speaking or concerned about whatever this confession was. "Go on."
"I 'babble' usually because I'm nervous, or because I'm trying to impress someone," the statement came out quickly before he could second guess the admission.
Donna's head bobbed back and forth as she weighed his confession. "Well, I can't say that I'm exactly surprised by that. But what does that have to do with your silence?"
"It means—I can be silent when I'm with you. I'm not nervous, surprisingly, even when I think about the things I do when I'm with you. And I don't feel like I have to impress you anymore. I feel—calm.." The Doctor turned his face away from the city to look at her, measuring up her reaction. He relaxed further when her mouth turned up in a smile.
"But—what do you think about when you're with me that should make you nervous?" she questioned, a small amount of confusion showing on her face.
He reached out and took her hands in his and his voice lowered to just above a whisper. "When I'm with you, like this, especially in the quiet moments, with no one else around—I think about what forever might look like with you."
They were so close, she didn't have to speak too loudly either, to be heard. Her chin tilted up as she looked up into his eyes. "What does it look like? Our future? Our forever?"
He rubbed the ring finger on her left hand between his thumb and forefinger. "I dream that perhaps one day, it will stop being a mistake when you're called my wife when we travel together."
She looked into his eyes in awe. "You want to—"
He interrupted her question with his own, feeling the sudden need to have the answer. "Do you— want to?"
She suddenly moved forward, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her head in his chest as she nodded quickly. He smiled and rested his chin on her head, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. He shifted to kiss her on the top of her head and whispered to her, "So do I."
She pushed back away from him enough to look into his eyes, both of them with tears welling in their eyes. She whispered. "Are we engaged?"
He shook his head quickly. "Oh no, I'm going to do this the right and proper way. We'll just call that a confirmation of intentions and desire. What happens next will be at a time and place of my choosing and hopefully a total surprise to you, the way all proper proposals should be." He grinned, the happiness inside spilling out through his smile and his eyes.
She smiled back, equally thrilled by how they had managed to seemingly beat fate not once but twice, being separated and rejoined and now prepared to live out the rest of their lives together. They turned to watch as the sun finished setting and darkness of night began to overtake the city. There was still adequate light, as the buildings in the city had plenty of lights coming from their individual rooms and towers. The sky was also filled by the twinkling of thousands of stars. But as the Doctor looked down and saw the light sparkling in Donna's eyes, he was sure none of the rest compared to the beauty before him.
