Thanks for your reviews everyone! They mean alot!

For those of you who were asking, Venetia means Venice which is known as the city of timeless beauty... so I thought it was rather fitting.

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A Recognised Gain

Part 4

The Doctor shoved his hands into the mess of brown hair on his head; his fingers clenched pulling at the strands as they clumped together. He honestly had no idea of what to do – she was dead – his Rose had finally died and he wasn't there to say goodbye. He let the tears slowly roll down his face staining his skin and his soul; it was either that of smash everything within the flat in an attempt to release the storm that was raging through his soul. His head fell in into his hands as him entire body shook with the force of the emotions that were pouring through his soul – he was barely clinging onto sanity, onto life – he was trying to hard not to collapse. He had to be there for Venetia – for his daughter who was now as alone as he was, the daughter they had tried to drag away and force to become a part of another family, the daughter who resembled her mother so much – the daughter who broke his heart. The Doctor pulled his knees towards him as he sat on the floor and lent his head against them, he couldn't breathe – every breath reminded him of Rose laughing, he couldn't cry – every tear burned through another memory, and he couldn't see – his eyes were clouded by her face. There was nothing he could do but sit against this wall as he slowly died inside.

The sun rose the next morning, its welcoming gentle light covering the city and awakening everyone to the beauty of the clear skies and crisp March airs. 'What beautiful weather', 'What a wonderful day' neighbours called out to one another as the crisp air stung at their cheeks. The sky was cloudless and blue, the sun was shining but its warmth was distant, the weatherman cheerily informed everyone of the temperatures and the slight chance of snow. It was a beautiful day to everyone except the Doctor and Venetia.

The Doctor stood at the window staring out over the world as they busied themselves by each living their own little existence and easily ignoring the other passer-bys. The Doctor never really did understand the human race and their need to ignore and judge everyone who wasn't familiar or the same as them. He looked out over the city searching for some of the darkness that clouded his vision – he was interrupted when the phone rang. The scream of the phone shattered the silence of the flat and the Doctor jumped as the noise filled the air – it tauntingly called to him as it rang and rang. He stood there staring at it unable to move from his spot as he remembered there was a world outside this flat – a world that might try and contact him. He didn't have the courage to answer it, to talk to people who send their regards, who want to tell him they are sorry, people who couldn't make it to the funeral but send bouquets of Lilies, people who the Doctor just couldn't deal with. He stood there watching the phone waiting for it to stop ringing – then it hit him, like a million missiles being shot into his heart at once, like all the pain of his entire life stabbing at him in one consecutive moment, like the death scream of everyone and everything that had ever died tearing at his soul – her voice calling out of the darkness.

'Hi this is Rose and Venetia Tyler. We're not in at the moment so leave a message and we'll get back to you. Thanks!'

A voice the Doctor thought he would never hear again – but he could, he could be tortured day after day by a primitive human recording instrument. His mouth opened but no sound could come out, she was talking to him from beyond the grave – it was strange how a small telephone device could make him wish he was dead along with her. The Doctor just stared at the machine remembering Roses' voice as he began to shake again – she was really gone, there was no getting her back this time, it was actually over. The Doctor was in such turmoil over hearing Roses' voice that he forgot someone was actually on the other end of the phone leaving them a message, he strained to listen over the sound of the blood thumping in his ears.

'This is Mrs Grant from social services' the dull voice of the lady rung out from the answer phone. The Doctors' ears pricked up as he remembered the systems that applied in England

'We will be returning tomorrow morning to check on the status of Venetia and to take her to the Therapist. During this time we will check your background information to ensure you are fit to care for a child – after this a decision will be made about where the future of the girl belongs.' The message ended suddenly sending the worlds of the Doctor and Venetia into a spiral, Venetia had heard the entire message and stood at the doorway clutching her Winnie the Pooh teddy bear. Her face was blotchy and her face was stained with tears that had been cried days ago, her eyes began to shine with tears as her lip trembled.

'You can't let them take me away Daddy' she whispered as she watched him cautiously. He rang his fingers through his hair

'But when they check up on me they're going to find I don't exist then surely take you away' he muttered to himself – he needed to think but he couldn't all he could hear was Roses' voice in his head.

'Daddy!' she called out sounding like the petrified child she was 'Daddy, you can't leave me as well!' she begged as tears streamed down her face.

He closed his eyes trying to think – he could take her in the Tardis, he'd done it before, he'd taken Susan – his own granddaughter – so why couldn't he take his child? He thought of all the possibilities – the things that could go wrong, how she could die, be injured, get lost and lose her innocence to all the death and darkness of the universe. But what kind of Time Lady would she be if she never travelled in time and space? How could her knowledge grow? How could she learn about the wonders of the world? How could she know the things her mother knew if she didn't come with him? But how could an eight year old girl make a decision as drastic as that?

The Doctor walked over to her and knelt in front of her – he put his hands on her shoulders and looked her very seriously in the eye

'If you stay with me – which I want more than anything in the world – it couldn't be here' he began to tell her. 'You know what I do, you know how I live – and I am willing to take you in the Tardis with me. Is that what you would want?' he asked her.

She closed her eyes and thought of the rock collections in her room, she thought of collecting them herself, of being part of the stories he told her, of feeling what her mother did and understanding why her eyes lit up whenever she spoke of the Tardis. She wanted to know these things, understand these feelings, she wanted to live the dream that her mother often spoke of.

'Yes please – I can't lose you as well' she told him in a quiet voice – her eyes begging him. He looked at her and sighed before pulling her into his arms

'Okay – but promise me you won't regret it' he begged her, his voice cracking.

'I won't I swear' she promised him as she cried into his jacket. They held onto each other not wanting to release one another, they knew they would be together now; Venetia knew she had a future but this day was going to be the hardest of their lives. It was the day of Roses' funeral.

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