"Alright, back home with you," he said opening the door of the Tardis as the golden retriever ran out the door and back up the street to the Ponds house.
He was about to close the door to leave when he stopped himself. He couldn't leave like this, he needed one more look, one more glance. He left the Tardis, hoping that the dark would be enough to disguise the ship. The wind was cold. It was later at night now and the stars were out. As he walked up to the house he could still see them through the window.
He crouched below the window sill staring at the families. To his surprise it was no longer just the Ponds and the Smiths but John had also joined them. They all sat around the table. There were only six of them in the room now, Martha, Mickey, Jackson, Rory, Amy, and John. They sat around the table eating pie deep in conversation.
He looked at them all smiling and laughing. They were all truly happy. He turned around to go back to the Tardis.
"He thinks that we don't know he's out there doesn't he?" Amy asked. They all knew that the Doctor was just outside of the window spying on them. He couldn't hide from the people that knew him the best.
John leaned back in his chair. He held Jackson asleep in his arms. Jonathan and Jacqueline were both already asleep on the couch. Jackson however had wanted John to read him a story. So he did and the boy quickly fell asleep in his arms.
"He tried to spy on us earlier when we were in the park." John said picking the boy up and walking towards the couch where the others were asleep. He laid the boy down next to the other two covering the three children with a blanket.
"Oh?" Amy asked, "How did that go?"
John chuckled to himself as he came back to his chair at the table, "Lynn made him fly her kite." The group broke into laughter.
"Yeah, I can picture that." Mickey said taking a sip from his tea.
"You should have seen her. That girl, she's got confidence." John said shaking his head.
Martha grinned, "hmmm wonder where she gets that."
"Her mother, most definitely her too brave for her own good mother." John said taking the final bite of his pie.
"Speaking of Rose," Rory said looking around, "where is she?"
"You always do park in the same place," Rose said as the time lord walked back to the Tardis.
"Rose, I—how'd you know?" He asked walking over to the very pregnant girl sitting on the bench next to his Tardis.
"First off you left the brakes on so we all heard it," he groaned and hit himself in the forehead. "Sit with me please, before you go." She patted the empty spot next to her on the bench inching over.
"Are you cold?" He asked her as he sat down, glancing at her.
"Oh not really," he took the scarf he had been wearing off and wrapped it around her neck.
"Better?" She nodded. "So you have quite the daughter. Did you know that?" Rose laughed her eyes shining.
"Yeah, she's something. Did you know that she loves pears?"
"Really?" he asked grinning, "how does John feel about that?"
"Oh he hates it; he's trying to convert her into a banana lover like himself. It's not going so well."
"Why are you here Rose?" He asked his smile fading as he stopped the small talk.
"I wanted to say goodbye and that I'll miss you and oh!" She grabbed his hand and placed it onto her stomach as she felt kicking.
The Doctor's grin grew back immediately. "What's his name?"
"Peter, and you met Jacqueline earlier."
"Jackie and Pete?"
"Yeah, they wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my parents. I wouldn't be here if it hadn't been for them. Who knows what you'd be like if you hadn't met me." She leaned against shoulder, smiling.
"Who knows, I might still be wearing leather jackets and I probably would've still had those ears." He put his hands up to his own ears pulling them out so they seemed larger.
"Hey, those ears were fantastic." She said smiling.
"Rose, I never said thank you."
"For what?" She said looking up at him.
"For making me who I am, if you hadn't come along…who knows…You made me who I am. You helped me Rose. I was selfish when I took you with me; I wanted to show off, I wanted to see the wonder through your eyes. I don't regret it though. I'll never regret you Rose."
"Me neither." She grinned at him her tongue poking out from her teeth as he had seen it do hundreds of times before. "I would never change it, even if I had the choice, but you have to go. Clara's out there, you have to find her again."
Rose stood up slowly and walked over to the Tardis with him. She gave his a large hug goodbye. He opened the door and stepped inside. He turned back around to see her.
He cupped her face with his hand and looked into the eyes he had memorized years before. "You're my best friend Rose Tyler."
"You're my best friend too Doctor."