FINAL CHAPTER! Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews I've had for this story. I've had an absolute ball writing it, and loved that other people have enjoyed it. I'm undecided what to do next, there's some ideas on my profile page, though I really should finish some of the stories that are incomplete! Thanks again!

"I'm just too far from where you are, I wanna come home."

Waiting outside Tala's school in the spring sunshine, Rose knew she ought to say something now to Luke Reed. It had been a fortnight since she'd spoken to Tala about her father, and even though her daughter hadn't said anything more, she knew that Josh hadn't stopped his bullying. He was a Reed, of course he hadn't. Prolonged torture was practically their family motto.

She approached Luke now. He was on his mobile phone, swearing at frequent intervals as he described the football match he'd been to last night. She waited a few paces away. Finally, he finished his call and then looked at her, as if he'd only just noticed she was there.

"Rose. How are you?" he asked.

"Fine thanks." Rose nodded. "Luke, I need to talk to you about something Josh has been saying to Tala. He's not being very nice to her at the moment." She was aware she sounded like the kind of interfering parent that she hated, but she was not going to stand by and watch her daughter get bullied for something that was entirely out of her hands.

"Really? Well, you know, boys will be boys." Luke shrugged.

"No, it's not just kids being kids," Rose insisted. "He's being really spiteful to Tala, and I want it to stop."

Luke frowned. "Look, my Luke is a good kid, he wouldn't go round saying things to people to upset them."

"He's been taunting her about her name and how she looks," Rose said, stating the facts very clearly.

Luke's face fell a little. "Oh. Well… well, come on, Rose, you have given the girl a bit of a rough time with her name, haven't you? I mean, Tala Tyler…"

"I like her name," Rose defended her choice once again. She wished Britney Spears or someone would name their next child Tala; at least then she'd have to stop explaining. "And anyway, what business is it of yours, or Josh's, what I call my daughter?"

"Nothing! Only don't blame my son when he points out the obvious," Luke said, not being able to resist smirking.

Rose swallowed her anger and brought up her next point. "And I'd like you to talk to your son about the fact that he's been teasing my daughter about not having a father, when I assure you that she does have a father in the way that most, in fact, all of us have a father somewhere."

Luke's eyebrows rose. "Oh. Has he been saying that?"

"Yes."

"Well, to be fair, Rose… it's true, isn't it?"

"What is?"

"Tala doesn't have a father. Not a real one. Not like me, I mean. He's never picked her up from school or anything. In fact, no one's ever seen him, have they? Has Tala ever even seen him?"

"He works away," Rose replied firmly. Yeah, he certainly did work away.

"All the time?" Luke's old bullying streak wasn't hidden that far down after all. "Rose, you can't blame Josh for pointing out what everybody already knows. Tala's father abandoned her and abandoned you."

"No he didn't!" Rose suddenly found herself shouting at him. He'd tapped into that little girl in her again, exposing all her fears.

"Then where is he?" Luke demanded, looking around. "Because I don't see him. You're a single parent, Rose, and the sooner you get used to that, the better." He smirked unattractively. "You were always such a snobby bitch at school, always thought you were better than everybody else. Well, guess what? You're not! You're just the same as every other slapper off that estate!"

The words cut like a knife. Rose's firm stance weakened. This was just like school over again. She wished she was anywhere but here, with anyone but Luke, in any time but this one…

And then she heard it. That old familiar noise that had faded from even her dreams in the last few years. It sounded wrong at first, like she'd imagined it. Then her mind cleared and she realised she was awake and it was very much real. He was back.

The Doctor looked at the guy standing over Rose. He sized him up. In all fairness, he'd probably win in a fist-fight; this regeneration didn't lend itself to punch-ups. But that wasn't the be all and end all of fights.

The look on Rose's face when she'd seen him would stay with him forever. He'd seen shock, disbelief, a brief trace of irritation and anger, but most of all, he'd seen forgiveness and gratitude. He'd come when she'd needed him, to rescue her from her nightmares. Like he'd always done before. Like he always would.

"I'm not sure who you are," he addressed Luke Reed, "and I'm not really sure I want to know."

Luke glared at him. "This is a private conversation. What do you think you're doing?"

"Oh, I don't think," The Doctor said firmly. "I know. And right now, I know that your flies are undone."

Luke looked down anxiously to find his jeans very much done up. The Doctor winked at Rose.

"Made you look," he said, unable to resist a grin, which Rose mirrored.

Luke glared at him again. "Who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor," he informed him. "And I'm here to pick my daughter up."

At that moment the school door opened and the children poured out. Rose felt the same anxiety she usually felt, that Tala would have had a good day, that she wouldn't be hurt… a thousand and one fears that only a mother could have. There she was now, dragging her bag across the ground as usual, her blonde hair falling out of the pony tail Rose had so diligently put it into that morning. She looked a mess.

To the Doctor, nothing and no one had ever looked more beautiful. His daughter, walking across the playground in the sunshine. Luke was watching, obviously hoping that the Doctor would be shown up to be a fraud. The Doctor hoped he was wrong.

Tala hesitated as she neared the group. Her eyes flickered from the man in the pinstripe suit who somehow looked familiar, to her mum. Uncertain, she wobbled slightly.

The man in the pinstripe suit crouched down suddenly. His brown eyes met hers and a friendly grin spread across his face.

"Hi Tala. Remember me?"

And she did.

Walking away from the school, with Tala running ahead slightly, Rose asked the question that had been on her lips since he'd walked back into her life ten minutes ago.

"What took you so long?"

He smiled. "Well, you know what I'm like. Five days… five years… easy mistake to make?" he suggested hopefully. He shook his head. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Rose shook her head. "You're here now." She hesitated. "How long for this time?"

He shrugged. "Who knows?" As Rose's shoulders slumped he reached out and took her hand. "No promises this time, Rose. Just trust. I don't want to leave you again. I don't ever want to be alone again. But I can't promise you anything. Can you live with that?"

Rose considered for a moment before nodding. "It's a deal. No promises."

The Doctor grinned, and let go of her hand to pick up Tala. His daughter. As he held her in his arms, and gave her a hug only an absence of a lifetime could create, the Doctor thanked Holly. He was five years late for this, but she had been so right. Wherever she was, whatever she was doing, whoever she was with, he thanked her with both his hearts, and hoped she'd found the home she was looking for. Because, after a millennium of looking and travelling the universe, of looking backwards and forwards, of breaking hearts and having his broken too, the Doctor had come home.

Lyrics from "Home" by Michael Buble.