Disclaimer: YES! I OWN "DOCTOR WHO"! No, wait…crap, that's EastEnders. –cries and chucks it out window–

Journey's End

Metacrisis

"What do you mean I'll die??" Donna demanded, eyes wide.

"Doctor?" she looked at the original Doctor, who looked away quickly.

"Donna…" the blue-suit one whispered, "I was created from you, and you took on a Time Lord mind. And it isn't possible. You know that,"

Donna sighed, putting a hand on her chest and closing her eyes, "Yeah. There can't be…"

Rose stared at Donna, before looking from Doctor to Doctor, "But…but there's gotta be a way to save her, right?"

She turned to her Doctor for answers, and felt her heart drop when she saw the look in his eyes. That look of defeat.

"Noooo." Rose breathed, covering her mouth in horror, "Y-you're just gonna let her d—"

Rose couldn't even choke out the word. She looked at Donna, who tried to look brave, although she was visibly trembling.

"She won't die." said a voice. Rose turned to the human Doctor, who had a tiny smile on his face. He looked at Rose, "This brings us back to why I can't be with you, here, in a whole different universe. I resulted from Donna touching the hand, which was bubbling with that Time Lord regeneration energy. I'm part of Donna."

Rose nodded, looking at the original Doctor, who looked just as intrigued as she felt.

The human Doctor continued, "When I'm around, Donna's brain – with all that Time Lord intelligence – is stabilized. She can survive with it while I'm around. If I stay here with you, and let Donna go back to her universe, she'll die. Or…"

He gave his double a knowing look, "Or, he'll erase her memory of all of us."

Rose's head snapped back round to the original Doctor, as did Donna's.

"You. Wouldn't. Dare." Donna seethed. The Doctor-in-brown glared down at the sand.

Blue Suit touched Rose's arm, still speaking, "If I knew Donna was gonna be alright, and happy and healthy and fully in the know—" here, he looked pointedly at his double before continuing, "—I would stay. But I don't know that. I can't stay too far away for too long. Even here is probably hard for her mind, right now,"

Here, he looked up to the redhead, "How's your head, Donna?"

Donna looked unfocusedly at him. Her head felt heavy, and she was burning, heat radiating throughout her body. She could feel it, and she longed for something to cool her down. Her whole head was pulsating, and she could feel beads of sweat form on her forehead.

Oh God, I'm dying, she realized with a sharp intake of breath.

"I-it…hurts…" she breathed, her boiling head falling into her hands. The human Doctor was at her side in an instant, wrapping his arms tightly around her. Donna shuddered as her mind begin to calm down, and she allowed her head to fall onto the Doctor's chest with a sigh. The Doctor placed a cold hand on her forehead, pushing her sweaty fringe aside and smiling when he felt the skin cooling down beneath his hand.

"Feeling better?" he asked quietly. Donna mumbled something incoherent.

"Are you alright?" Rose said, ignoring both Doctors shushing her. Donna nodded, sighing again.

"I just need to rest," she said in a sleepy voice, her eyes already closing. Blue Suit nodded and looked up at Rose, the Doctor and Jackie.

"I'll just take her in so you guys can…talk."

He gave his double another pointed look as he led Donna back into the Tardis. The Doctor watched until the door closed, and turned back to Rose.

"D'ya think she'll be alright?" the blonde asked immediately. The Doctor nodded.

"As long as he stays with her, neutralizing her brain, the human and Time Lord parts of her won't battle and she'll be able to survive," he told her. Rose fixed him with a glare.

"Did you know he was her neutralizer?" she asked icily. The Doctor shook his head.

"No idea. But, I suppose, since he is the metacrisis, he'd know more about it than I would,"

"But he's you."

The Doctor met her gaze, for the first time since they'd arrived, "But, I don't know everything about a metacrisis, partly because it's impossible,"

He felt a proud smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, "Ah, but that's Donna."

Rose grinned back, "She's brilliant,"

The two stood in a silence for a moment, Rose studying his face intently. For a moment, it was just like old times. Then, he looked up at her, his brown eyes sad.

"Goodbye," he told her, turning away.

"No! Please, wait!" Rose exclaimed, reaching out and grabbing his sleeve. He stopped, not turning to face her.

"You have no reason to leave me here now," Rose breathed, misty-eyed, "Not if he's staying with you!"

He didn't turn, staying rigid. Rose gave an enraged sob, yanking on his arm in a futile attempt to turn him.

"Just look at me!!" she yelled. The Doctor jumped, spinning around so violently that Rose's arm was pulled, and she was pulled closer to him, feeling his warm breath on his face. She looked up at him, pleadingly.

"Please, Doctor, don't leave me again." she whispered, "Not when you have the choice,"

The Tardis rumbled again, and the Doctor let his stony face fall, to reveal his confused and torn feelings on his face, "I have to go soon, Rose."

"Let me come," she whispered, moving her hands onto his shoulders, "Please. I need you, Doctor. And you can't offer me anything here,"

"You have a life here. A family!"

Rose choked back a sob, whispering in a ragged breath, "Doctor, you're my family! I love you,"

It was out before he could stop it, coming out in a brokenly honest voice that made his own stomach turn, "Rose Tyler, I love you too."

Can anyone else feel the Donna-love radiating from that chapter? No? Alright…

I think I overloaded on the word "cool".

-GASP-!! He finally told her.

My sister's sitting here "Awwww"-ing, so hopefully that was good. –griiiins–

Review!