Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who.

"Hurry up!" I yelped at the Doctor, roughly pulling him behind me. I threw the small amount of things I was carrying onto the couch, and then tugged him towards the sliding door.

"Catherine, settle down." His smooth voice echoed in my mind.

Normally, I would've listened to him, but not this time. I'd seen something, a light of some kind, and he hadn't. That shade of blue had set off a surge of emotions, and I knew where it had come from. However, the Doctor denied that any such light existed.

My throat was dry from apprehension when we finally did make it outside. Something had happened to the TARDIS, and I wanted to know what it was. The Doctor still thought I was crackers, but I knew what I saw, and I'd seen a TARDIS blue flash of light.

Although I was slightly afraid that my iron grip might break a few bones in his arm, I pulled him through the yard and only released him when we reached the TARDIS. It was in the same exact spot we had left it, and nothing seemed to have changed. There were no lights, nothing to pull attention to it. I'm not the sort of person to doubt myself, but I was starting to get a little curious as to whether something had actually been there or if I'd just dreamed it up.

My foot started tapping anxiously as he took his time digging his TARDIS key out of his pocket. "Can you hurry, please?"

"Oi, keep your trousers on!"

"You're being tedious on purpose!" I whined.

He grinned, but focused on the lock. "Just building you up so I can tear you down."

Finally, he allowed the door to open. Shooting him a scowl, I sped through the doors and looked around, noting anything I didn't recognize. I didn't note much. Really, all I saw was an unfamiliar book on the white chair-things, and that could've been there all morning.

As normal, the floor buzzed warmly beneath me, inviting me further into the domed room. I listened and took several steps, but I also noticed that it was stronger this time. A bit more vibrant, if I may. She was normally happy when I visited, but this time she seemed ecstatic. Like she had something exciting she needed to tell me, but couldn't find the words to say it.

"I told you so." I jumped when I heard the Doctor's voice in my ear. He'd stepped up behind me, a cocky smirk on his face and his hands buried deep in his pockets. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

"I'm not blind, Doctor," I frowned at him.

"Pretty close, though."

I opened my mouth to answer back with a witty retort (not really, I was just going to repeat the 'I'm not blind' statement), but froze when I felt a sort of tug in my head. It felt like someone had painlessly removed my skull without my notice and was busy at work poking my brain. I decided to call it a headache of sorts, and went to say what I'd meant to come out of my mouth the first time. "I know what I saw, and that light was TARDIS blue."

He gently gripped my bare shoulders, and my stomach clenched at the feeling of skin-to-skin contact. "You're just tired."

"Why won't you just believe me?" I protested, shaking his hands away after a moment of hesitation. I didn't want to lose that warmth.

"Because there's nothing to believe!" He exclaimed. "The TARDIS can't just shoot out random lights!"

With this, he threw himself into a lecture about how the TARDIS couldn't shoot lights. As he spoke, I felt that tug at my brain again. I tried to drown it out, just as I'd done before. However, the more I tried to get rid of it, the stronger it became. The sensation had grown too intense to ignore, and it was only getting worse. I was losing all feeling in my limbs, and I couldn't focus on anything. The Doctor's voice was drowned out of my mind, and the gentle prodding led my eyes to the pink lips in front of me, still moving rapidly to try and make their point. I don't know why, and I don't know how, but the poking in my mind led me to do something I never would've done on my own.

I reached out, grasped handfuls of his lapels, and kissed him.

As soon as our lips touched, the prodding stopped, and I had control again. Before you could say 'hot', I'd jumped away from him and covered my mouth. For a few moments that seemed to stretch and I could've sworn were actually a few hours, we just started at each other. His eyes were wide with surprise, and his shoulders slightly hunched. I had a feeling I looked somewhat similar. We both started directly into the other's eyes, completely still.

"I'm sorry!" I yelped through my hands, taking several steps away. Finally, I turned and ran from the time machine.

I heard him call my name as I made my way onto the grass and ran through the open sliding door. His voice echoed several times, but I needed a moment. So, as I ran through my house and towards my room, I ignored my clenching heart and eventually slammed my bedroom door behind me.

My mind started racing as I dropped myself onto my bed. Had I really done that? Why had I done that? Not that I regretted doing it. Well, most of me did, but a part of me couldn't stop thinking about his lips. They'd been slightly rough and chapped, but warm and comforting at the same time. I wouldn't really have minded kissing him again.

At that thought, my heart throbbed, and I came to a conclusion.

I loved him.

I'd known that I liked him, and that I was physically attracted to him, but love had never even seemed an option. I hadn't realized it, but I'd even been trying to keep myself from falling in love with him. He was strictly unavailable.

I sighed and cradled my head in my hands, trying to sort out my thoughts. I wasn't really succeeding, as everything was still a jumble two minutes later, when my heart started pounding at the sound of his voice.

"Catherine, TARDIS, now!" He yelped through the thick mahogany of my door. His voice was loose, far past joyful.

Good, he wasn't angry. Maybe he felt the same? Highly improbable, but a girl could dream, right?

So, I got to my feet and cautiously made my way back downstairs. He'd left the sliding door open on his way out, and I made sure to shut it this time. I was blaming him for my AC bill this summer.

He'd left the TARDIS door open for me, and I couldn't stop myself from taking a deep breath before going inside. However, I hadn't really needed it. When I entered, he was too busy dancing around to notice I was there.

He spun around the glowing Console several times before he caught my eyes glued to him, and then he grinned. "Catherine, look!" He yelped, slamming his hand down on a lever with a red handle. "She's working!"

My first initial reaction was joy, which I believed was normal and only added to my love theory. The emotion that followed, less strong though more persistent, was grief. The TARDIS was working again, and he could leave. As I'd always assumed, he wouldn't have any problem leaving me behind. I'd miss him more than ever, though.

I pushed a smile to the surface. "That's great…"

"More than great, this is brilliant!" He yelped, spinning and dancing around the Console again. "I wonder what did it, why she all of a sudden- Are you alright?"

I was slightly confused for a moment, but then felt a salty liquid slip past my lips. "Oh…" I mumbled, reaching up to rub the tears away. "Yeah, I'm fine."

He looked at me through his eyelashes, a serious look on his gorgeous face. "Catherine, what's wrong?"

I smiled falsely again. "I'll just miss you, that's all."

He took a slow step towards me. "Well, you'll get on, right?" He smiled falsely now. "It's not like it'll be the end of the world."

Maybe not yours, but probably mine. I thought, nodding in fake agreement.

"You know," He started, looking down at the controls as his right hand fiddled with some sort of dial. "The TARDIS is a time machine, which means she knows exactly what will happen, when it will happen, and where it will happen. Maybe, at this specific time and place, she saw us."

My brow furrowed. I understood what he was saying, but why he was saying it was still a mystery.

"Come with me, Catherine."

My heart leapt into my throat, and I opened my mouth to reply with a 'yes'. However, I stopped myself, and made a decision to give him the correct answer.

"No."

He looked surprised, but eventually looked away from me again. "Oh, alright, um, 'course…" He mumbled. I almost could've sworn that I'd seen a faint blush coming to his cheeks. "I just thought that you… wanted to."

Guilt seeped into my being, and I frowned. "I do, but you said that you couldn't take me, and I assume there's a reason."

"It's part of a… rule," He said, staring me in the eye. "One I'd be willing to break."

I shook my head. "No."

He stared at me sadly for a moment, and then nodded, his brown hair bouncing. He looked completely serious. "Alright, if that's what you want."

I nodded. "I'll just leave you to it, then." I turned to leave, but he stopped me once more.

"One trip," He called. "There's just one place I wanna take you."

I turned to face him again, and examined his face. He'd told me the story of Martha, and how it had all started out as 'one trip' for her, too. "Only one."

He nodded and grinned at me, his eyes crinkling around the edges. "Only one." With that, he hit a button, and everything started shaking.

My mind spun as I gripped the cold metal railing, the shaking of the TARDIS causing the butterflies in my stomach to buzz around and jab violently at my insides. The minute it has sprung upon me, I'd fallen in love with this feeling of excitement and impossibility. The magnificence of it all was mind blowing. In fact, I was extremely disappointed when I'd remembered that I'd be going home after this.

Suddenly, the TARDIS made a last jerk, tossing me to the metal grating in the process, and remained still. I started to wonder if that's how she was supposed to fly, or if the Doctor was just in fact a terrible pilot.

"Here we are!" He yelped, faking joy very well, as he flipped a lever and then reached down to help me to my feet. "Just a quick stop."

I nodded, and smiled when he latched onto my hand and pulled me towards the white wooden doors, grabbing his overcoat from the nearest support-beam on the way. With a single shove, the doors were open, and we stepped out onto a seemingly normal street. I was guessing it was late October, if we were still in Minnesota that is. The road was paved poorly, the few road signs scratched and bent, and the people slumped as they walked. Upon closer inspection, I realized that I recognized the fashions of the time, although I hadn't really worn them myself. Oddly patterned skinny-jeans, big hair, and brightly colored jackets.

"Doctor, is this the 80's?" I asked, looking up at the tall man.

He sneered and nodded. "The dented era!"

Ignoring that statement, I blinked. "Why?"

The sneer faded and was replaced by a knowing smile. He shook his head and pulled me down the street, shutting the doors of the TARDIS with his trainer-clad foot.

As we walked, huddled together against the chilly air, I examined my surroundings. Lots of things seemed familiar, but where'd I'd seen them before I had no clue. We eventually found ourselves at the bottom of a large stone staircase, which led to a magnificent church of the same material. Once more, I got the feeling of recognition.

"Why are we here?" I asked as I ripped my gaze from the church.

He sighed. "November 9th, 1988." He mumbled, squeezing my hand tightly as he stared at the beautiful stained-glass windows. "You said you didn't remember."

I suddenly understood why everything had a sense of familiarity. This was the place I'd grown up.

"Really?" I asked against the rough lump in my throat.

He nodded down at me. "We can go in, if you want."

I slowly nodded in return, and we started up the steps. Due to my lack of muscle, my legs started burning halfway up, but I didn't notice. I was too focused on what was inside that church. When we reached the door, my eyes shot past all of the people dressed in black and rested on the casket near the altar.

We slowly and quietly made our way past the benches that several people sat on, tears streaming down their puffy red faces. Finally, we found ourselves at the head of the room, looking down at the wooden box that my father would never rise from.

I took a shallow deep breath. "We had to keep the casket closed." I mumbled against the oncoming tears. "He looked horrible. Apparently, the plane left a lot of shrapnel."

The Doctor reassuringly wrapped his arm around my shoulders as I reached out and gently touched the cold, shiny wood.

"I'm probably running around here somewhere without any idea of what's happened…" My eyes stung and my voice was coarse, but I chuckled against it anyways. As another wave of emotion collapsed on me, I reached up and rubbed my eyes behind my glasses, my hand coming away covered in moisture. "Can we go now?"

With a nod he released my shoulders and guided me gently back outside, silent all the way. We stopped as we reached the bottom of the stone steps, and I instantly pulled him into a tight hug.

"Thank you." I mumbled roughly against his chest, his arms encircling me tightly in order to return the hug.

I felt him gently press his lips against the top of my head. "You're welcome."

Keeping that gentle memory in my mind, I stepped back and wiped my eyes once more before grabbing his hand again. "Time to go home."

His eyes darkened a few shades and the gentle smile that had been on his face fell, but he eventually nodded and we started back to the TARDIS. Neither of us walked very fast. We wanted to spend as much time together as we could before I was back home and he was zooming about time and space. I wondered if he'd miss me. I knew he wouldn't come back, but I'd be happy to just rest at the back of his brilliant mind.

In the time it took for me to absorb the fact that these were the last few minutes I'd be able to spend with my magnificent Doctor, we'd reached the TARDIS. He immediately put us into flight, and I took my time admiring the beauty of the ship. She hummed as I gently stroked the edge of the Console, and I wondered if she'd seen this too. The sad end to a most wonderful story.

"Ooh…" The Doctor mumbled, his brow furrowing and mixing with the sadness in the features.

"What's 'ooh'?"

"She doesn't want to leave you behind," He mumbled, stroking any random part of the ship he could get his thin hands on. "I'm not the only one that's gonna miss you." My heart fluttered, and I hardly noticed when the ship started shaking again.

Just as before, we landed with a jolt. I didn't fall that time! Albeit rather clumsy at times, I could definitely hold my own on my feet.

After realizing what that jolt meant, where we were, I decided that I hated it. It had been fun and surprising at first, but now it was just a reality check. The final reality check I'd be getting before I finally lost this wonderful, odd man that I'd come to love.

I took a deep breath, and blinked rapidly as I stared down at me feet. "This is it, then."

He nodded, staring at and fiddling with the controls, the blue light flooding his features.

"Felt like it would never end for a while."

He just nodded again.

For a few long and awkward moments, I waited for him to say something, or to hug me like life depended on it. But he didn't move. He was stone, just as he'd been around Adam or when he talked about the rest of his dead race. It was then that I realized that I didn't want him to say goodbye.

"See you." I choked on my words as I turned to leave it. I was several steps out the doors and away from the blue box when I heard his voice again.

"Hold on, just," He threw the doors wide open and held his hands out. "Just, wait here for a moment. Just a tick. I'll be right back." With that, he disappeared again. After several moments of standing in the light of the rising sun (he must have brought us back a few hours after we originally left) he reappeared. "Here." He mumbled as he threw a warm, silver chain around my neck.

"What is this?" I asked as I gingerly held up the key that was hanging from the chain and examined it.

"TARDIS key."

My eyes flashed to his solemn face and I pulled the chain from my neck. "Doctor, we've been over this," I mumbled as I held it out. "I'm not-"

"I know." He interrupted, grabbing the dangling chain and setting it in my palm, wrapping my fingers tightly around it. "I still want you to have it." He smiled gently, but it didn't reach his eyes. "That key is an extension of the TARDIS, which is an extension of me… sort of." My heart leaped at that thoughtful idea.

I nodded slowly, and draped the chain around my neck once more. My heart was pounding in my chest. This key was a thoughtful, and I daresay romantic gift.

"I'm not gonna say goodbye, you know." He mumbled, pulling me out of my reverie.

I smiled sadly. "Me neither."

We shared a look, and then he pulled me into a tight hug. As his arms encircled me, I buried my face in his collar bone and reached around him to return the embrace. Neither of us said anything, both of us having a general idea of what the other was thinking and knowing that words would ruin the moment.

Pressing my cheek against his lapel, I finally spoke. "You should probably go."

He tenderly rubbed my back. "Right, yeah, I should… I should leave." He strained to speak as he pushed me away. "I could always, y'know… pop by for a visit, every now and then."

I was touched that he didn't want to go. To be honest, I didn't want him to go either. But I had a whole life ahead of me. So many choices and mistakes to make, more connections to form. However, I could hardly call that a life if I lived only for him to "pop by for a visit".

So, my decision made, I shook my head. "Best not," I mumbled, smiling up at him gently.

"Right then," I could tell by his voice and eyes that he was shocked and even a little insulted that I had said no. "I'm off." He spun on his heel and I rolled my eyes.

"Hey!" I yelped as I reached out and grasped a handful of his overcoat, making him turn and face me with that sad look on his face. Seeing that look, it took all of my willpower to pull even a pert fake smile to my own face. "I'll miss you…"

As soon as the words had escaped my lips, his eyes shone and a tiny smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. The tiny smile twitched, and he nodded before turning again. With my last three words echoing through my mind, I watched him disappear through the blue doors. When the tails of his overcoat were finally out of sight and the doors were shut, I felt a lump rise in my throat.

As a strange whirring sound I immediately worked to memorize erupted from the little blue box, a sudden wind blew on my face and it started to fade in and out of sight. After only seconds, it was gone, and the only sign it had ever been there was a light, dead patch of grass in the middle of my lawn.

A/N: Alright, this is it. That was the end of the actual story. There's still the epilogue, but that's rather short and not exactly necessary. I mostly wrote it because I felt this didn't have enough closure. Well, that and I really didn't want it to end. Then I got into the sequel, and I moved on. I didn't forget! No, I love it all the same.

Christmas is slowly closing in on us. I'll admit, I'm very excited. Not really for the presents, but more for the family. A lot of my dad's side lives out of state, and they all come here for Christmas. If you think I'm odd (which I'm sure you do), you should meet my cousin. He's a blast, even though he has no life. Yeah, he has about five hundred movies... in alphabetical order... Yup, that kind of no life. And, even though he's in his late twenties, he still lives with his parents. Anyways, really off topic!

So, I'll be back on Saturday, I think. Christmas Break starts today, so I'm planning on doing quite a bit of writing in the next week and a half.

Hope you all enjoyed, I love you!

Jazmine

PS

I was looking at my stats yesterday, and this is my most successful story. I just want to thank you all for sticking through it, and making this story as popular as it is... even though that's not much. Still, more than I hoped for. Thank you all so much!