AN: This is the last chapter. I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. The first chapter of the sequel will hopefully be up in a couple of days.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed this story or added it to his or her favourite stories list. And a big thank you to Persiflage.

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

Epilogue

Martha stepped inside the TARDIS closely followed by the Doctor. She let out a sigh as she walked up the ramp to the console.

"What's wrong?" the Doctor asked as he stopped in front of the console next to where Martha stood.

"I think I'm going to miss Mike and Vanessa," Martha answered. It was only half a lie. She was going to miss them, but actually she was anxious about the talk she was planning to have with the Doctor now.

"We can always come back here for a visit if you like," the Doctor offered as he started to push buttons and pull levers to fly the TARDIS back into the Time Vortex. Martha smiled at him.

"Right, where to now?" the Doctor asked her after a few seconds of silence. Martha took a deep breath before she started to talk.

"There is something I need to ask you first," she began.

"Okay," the Doctor answered.

"Back in that room when we were captured by the Ladurians for the first time you kissed me."

The Doctor stiffened a bit but apart from that showed no reaction to her words. "What I wanted to know is why did you do that?" Martha couldn't quite grasp the look in his eyes and that unnerved her a bit. It was like he didn't want her to see too much of his emotions on his face.

"Was it because we were in a really bad situation and you didn't know if we could get out of it?"

"I suppose that must have been why," he said.

Martha let out a breath. "So it didn't mean anything. Of course not."

They both fell silent for a few seconds. Then Martha spoke again. "I think it's time for me to go back home. I only wanted to come back for a few days. I'll just get my things."

She turned around and left the console room to go to her room. After a few steps into the corridor she stopped to calm herself down a bit. She hadn't expected any other reaction from the Doctor, but now she knew that deep down she had hoped that that kiss would have meant something. She had been careful not to let herself hope but she still had.

She now knew for certain, and could go back home and go on with her life. But it still hurt.

She pushed the tears back down that were threatening to come and resumed her way back to her room. When she reached the room she swore to herself that the next time she called him she would make sure that she was really over him.

...

The Doctor had just landed the TARDIS in front of Martha's house when she came back into the console room with her bag over her shoulder. She walked over to where he stood to give him a hug.

"I'll call you when I feel like travelling the universe for a bit again," she told him with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Bye!" She turned around and walked down the ramp towards the door. He watched her as she walked through the door and wondered when and if he would see her again. He knew he had hurt her again but when she'd asked what that kiss had meant he just couldn't get himself to tell her the truth. He was used to pushing people away if they got too close by now. Especially with Martha. And now he couldn't shake the feeling that he had lost her forever. He couldn't stand that thought and in this moment he knew exactly what he had to do.

...

Martha stood in front of her door searching her bag for her keys when she heard someone calling her name. She turned around and was surprised to see the Doctor running toward her. He stopped in front of her, took her face in his hands and kissed her.

At first Martha was too shocked to move but after a moment she felt her body relax into his embrace. She parted her lips slightly and started to kiss him back. After a few moments he drew back and took her hands in his.

"I'm sorry," he began. "I should have told you the truth before, but I was too afraid to let anyone get too close to me again. I love you."

Martha stared at him for a few moments. She couldn't believe this was really happening. He'd said the words she had wanted to hear from him so badly since she had first travelled with him. The words she had thought she would never hear from his mouth especially not directed at her.

"I can understand if you don't want to give me another chance after the way I treated you when we first travelled together," he continued. "I'm so sorry for all I said and did back then. I never intended to hurt you like I did."

"It's okay," Martha told him. "It's in the past."

"Please come with me again?" he asked her.

Martha searched his eyes. "Did you really mean what you just said?" she asked him.

"Yes," he said.

Martha thought about his words for a moment. Was it a trick to get her to travel with him again because he was lonely, or did he really mean what he said? She wasn't sure but she knew that she would always wonder if she walked away from him now.

She nodded. "Okay. I'll come with you again," she said. She wasn't sure if it was the right decision but she could always go back home if she found out it wasn't.

The Doctor grinned at her and leaned forward to hug her. Martha smiled back at him when he released her. "But we still have a lot to talk about," she told him.

"I know," he said. He leaned forward to kiss her again. Martha wrapped her arms around his neck. They would talk about everything later. For now they were just happy to be together.

AN: Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.

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