We'd gotten Rose and ourselves into the TARDIS after that. The Doctor was in incredible pain, despite making an effort not to show it. I held his hand as he leaned against the console, while Melody flew the TARDIS.

"I've programmed her to be suspended in the Vortex for a while." She walked towards us and turned to the Doctor. "You alright? I've heard regeneration's painful. Not really surprised, though."

"I'm- ah!" He squeezed my hand. I placed my other hand on his arm. "I'm fine. Well, I'm dying, but I'm fine."

"Don't say that." I murmured, and he looked down at me, forcing a smile. "It's literally what's happening to me, Liza, what else can I say?"

"No," I swallowed. "You're- don't say it like that. Like- like it's actually happening." I'd been in denial the whole time, trying to convince myself that the regeneration wouldn't be that hard to get through. Boy, I was wrong.

"It is what's happening, Liza." He pulled me into his arms and stroked my hair. His voice was so soft and comforting. I just wanted to close my eyes and pretend that none of this was actually happening. "And, believe me, the person I'm gonna turn into, they're still gonna be me."

"I know," I murmured. "I know you're both the same person- but he's not you! I mean, you;re both the same person, but he's more of a changed version of you. And even though he's an amazing person, I'll still always miss you."

He chuckled and buried his face in my hair, pressing a kiss onto the top of my head. "You'd better. You're brilliant- did you know that?"

I looked up at him and he smiled at me. "You never cease to amaze me- always keeping me on my toes."

I smiled at him and shrugged. "It's what I do."

He grinned as I lifted my head. He turned towards me and placed his hands on my shoulders. "You're brilliant. Always remember that, eh?"

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. "And so are you." He smiled and turned to the console, "Me? Nah, I'm just a daft old man with a box."

Melody cleared her throat. The two of us turned to her and she shrugged sheepishly. "Sorry, but she's waking up." She gestured to Rose, whom she was kneeling in front of.

Indeed, she was waking up. "What happened?"

"Don't you remember?"

"There was this singing." She sat up.

"That's right. I sang a song and the Daleks ran away."

"I was at home. No, I wasn't, I was in the Tardis, and there was this light. I can't remember anything else."

"Rose Tyler." He smiled at her. "I was gonna take you to so many places. Barcelona. Not the city Barcelona, the planet Barcelona. You'd love it. Fantastic place. They've got dogs with no noses. Imagine how many times a day you end up telling that joke, and it's still funny."

"Why can't we go then?"

"Maybe you will, and maybe I will. But not like this."

Rose stood up, smiling. "You're not making any sense."

"I might never make sense again. I might have two heads, or no head. Imagine me with no head. And don't say that's an improvement. But it's a bit dodgy, this process. You never know what you're going to end up with-" He doubled over in pain. I tried to reach for his hand, but he moved away from me. "No, I don't wanna hurt you."

"Doctor, tell me what's going on!" Rose demanded.

The Doctor doubled over again and leaned against the console, unable to speak. Melody, however, covered for him. "He absorbed the Time Vortex and it's killing him."

"What?!"

"You see, the Time Lords have a way of cheating death. But it- it changes them."

"Changes them how?!" She turned to me. "You'll see." I whispered. I swallowed again. The Doctor turned to the two of us. "Before I go-"

"Don't say that!" Rose exclaimed.

"Before I go-" The Doctor insisted. "Rose, Liza, I just want to tell you that you were both fantastic." He then tilted his chin, almost as if coming to a realisation. "And you know what? So was I."

He grinned at the two of us. I smiled as well, wiping a couple of tears that were flowing down my face. The Ninth Doctor then bent backward, expelling a massive amount of golden light.

The End