Author's Note: Originally published on LiveJournal on 12 December 2008.

*

Maria Jackson gently threw the blood red rose into the grave. It landed on top of the freshly inscribed name plate. Several handfuls of earth followed from different sources, completely covering the top of the coffin. A hand clasped her left shoulder, squeezing gently, while another darker hand rested itself on her right shoulder. The three friends stood still for several moments before enveloping each other in a tight hug.

Maria had already shed her tears and vented her thoughts about the injustice of it all. She had no energy left to cry, no strength to argue or to fight. The baton had been passed on, and even through her grief, she knew what a responsibility she now had. She even knew that as soon as she turned around there would be someone in the distance, standing next to a police call box, waiting for her to join them in saving the universe.

And there she was, young-looking, beautiful and immeasurably clever, ready for their first adventure together. Maria gave her a small nod before turning back to the grave.

"Goodbye Sarah Jane," she whispered as her voice cracked on the words.

Maria Jackson turned her back on the final resting place of her friend, mentor and lover and walked away to begin the next chapter of her life. Luke Smith and Clyde Langer could only watch as she left without saying goodbye. The Doctor ushered the young woman into the TARDIS and glanced back towards the mourners and graveside.

"My Sarah Jane," she whispered reverently, as a lone tear fell from her eye. She stepped back inside the TARDIS and closed the doors behind her.

It was time to move on once again.

*

Maria stood at the TARDIS console, staring blankly at the various switches, levers and displays before her.

"How do you do it?" she asked the Doctor, as she continued to stare. The recently regenerated Doctor went over to her new companion and took hold of her hand. She looked directly into Maria's eyes.

"You just do Maria. You just do." It was almost a plea, as though Maria had to move on for the sake of her own sanity.

"Do you remember them at all? Every now and then, even for a moment?" She couldn't imagine ever forgetting Sarah Jane's smile, or laugh or the way her voice cracked with emotion when she whispered 'I love you' while making love.

"No. I can't. It all hurts too much. You walk away from everything and start over again, it's the only way I know." For once the Doctor let a small amount of vulnerability show, she never could close herself off completely to Sarah Jane, and even less so to the woman whom she had loved so very much.

"She meant so much to me, to the universe, to you. How can you just...?" Maria paused and began to sob. She tried stopping the flow of tears by pinching the bridge of her nose. She sniffed and took a deep breath. The Doctor waited patiently. For all her emotionless bravado, she respected the Human need to cry, to feel things. That was one of the reasons she loved this species so much.

"It's okay to cry if you need to Maria. Time and space can wait a little bit longer." Maria shook her head, but the tears kept flowing.

"I can't, I have to be strong. I am strong. She needs me to keep it together." It had been programmed into her for so long to be strong for everyone else, she'd forgotten that she need time to grieve herself.

"No she doesn't Maria, she's gone. You can let go now." Maria looked up at her and finally gave in to her emotions. She cried for several minutes in the Doctor's arms.

"How about I start up this old girl and we have some adventures of our own?" The Doctor was always very good at suddenly changing the subject. Maria wiped her tears away with her sleeve and chuckled.

"What are we waiting for then? You've got a lot to live up to!"

THE END, possibly ;)