Last chapter! Thanks for all the reviews! I've tried not to make it too sad, put a bit of a positive light on things. Special thanks to Scout Girl and Whisper Luna for their continuing support throughout this story.


He orbited the supernova for three whole days. It felt like an eternity, just spinning around and around. It gave him forever alone with his thoughts, but forever was too long now. He had too much to think about, too much guilt and pain. The Time War, Rose, Reinette, Sarah-Jane… all those people he could have saved if he'd been a bit quicker, a bit smarter, a bit more humane. Forever used to mean he had all the time in the world to make everything right; now forever was just a life sentence, a testimony to what he'd gained and others had lost. But forever was too short too. Rose had said she'd stay with him forever, and she hadn't. He felt irrationally angry at her for that, for letting him down. But she had no choice, he knew that. He was just being stupid.

His first reaction was to hide himself away, stay circling this supernova, not harming anyone. He could cry and wail and no one need ever know anymore of him. For the first time in his life, he was scared of the universe outside. It had taken away too many of his friends, too many people he… It was a cruel place. But he couldn't hide forever.

His second reaction was to get straight back out and begin fighting battles and saving people, like some modern day super-hero. Like saving others would begin mending the chasm in his hearts. He could save a thousand people, a million, the entire universe. But it wouldn't make up for those he'd lost forever.

He rode a wave of energy out of the supernova, letting the TARDIS go where it wanted. It didn't matter where he went, he had no one to share it with.

His third reaction was to find someone to spend forever with. Someone to hold his hand and hang on his every word. Someone to fill the TARDIS with their stupid ape rubbish, and lose things and wander off. He'd told her he wouldn't find another but… forever's a long time. And yet not long enough. Forever would end sooner than he expected, it always did.

Nothing ever lasts forever.

Except this. He knew this would, that he would never stop the ache in his hearts or his pain. It might get less in time, he might find it easier to cope with. But the feeling would never go away. And he didn't want it to, not ever. He wanted this feeling forever. Because it was amazing, he loved it, he wanted more. It had changed his life, and changed him. It had taken him places he'd never been before, made him experience things he'd never have thought possible. And it was forever.

Hurtling through space on the back of a supernova, the last Time Lord said what he thought he'd run out of time to say.

"Rose Tyler, I love you."


In a different universe, on a very different day, Rose Tyler lifted her head off her pillow as the alarm woke her up. The breeze was ruffling the curtains and the sun was shining brightly. She couldn't help but smile. It felt like today had been made for her by him. He'd spoken to her in her dream. And he'd told her what she'd always known.

"I love you too," she said softly. And she knew it was forever.