Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who, the Duplicate Doctor, Donna or Rose. If I did, oh, Journey's End would have been an entirely different episode but I think I've already shown that.

Thanks for the reads and the reviews. I am glad you all enjoy my take on this, can't wait to hear what you all have to say about this one and enjoy!

John Smith didn't sleep at all on the ferry that night. He thought about Jackie's instructions, her insistence that Rose had to know the truth.

If Donna were here, she would have said the same thing. She probably was a little distracted by the fact that her head was about to blow up and she still had to tell her husband she was pregnant.

It was the first time that John did the math on the universe he left behind. Twenty-eight hours in Pete's World? The Doctor had probably wiped her memory by now and he was most likely explaining to Sylvia and Wilfred what had transpired.

It occurred to John Smith how much he didn't want to do that.

So, they were both in places they didn't want to be telling people things they weren't going to like hearing.

With a lot of trepidation, he knocked on the door of Rose's cabin. She opened it and he was greeted by the words every man wants to hear.

"Oh, it's you."

He was really starting to not like her and it had just been a month. He asked her to come for a walk on the deck.

"Rose, the Doctor's not coming back."

"We'll see."

"The walls between dimensions are closing. He can't, even if he wanted to."

"What do you mean even if he wanted to? Of course he wants to. He loves me." She shook her head. "Even you said so."

"You asked what he was going to tell you. You didn't ask if he would tell you yesterday."

"You would say that. You're just jealous of him."

Which was true. Right about then John wished he was sitting in Sylvia Noble's sitting room. The slaps the Doctor was no doubt receiving had to be better than this. So long as she didn't bring the axe out.

Rose turned to face the see. She gripped the railing. John turned to look out, unwilling to make eye contact.

"He met someone and he loves her and he is going to have a life with her."

"No," said Rose. "Not possible."

"It sort of snuck up on him. She makes him happy, happier than he's been in years."

"No!," said Rose as she turned to face John. "She was just there, that's all. Probably some sex pollen or something. I can forgive that."

"Forgive that?," John spat, temporarily forgetting to rail at her about the sex pollen comment. What had she been reading in this universe? "He doesn't want your forgiveness, Rose, he hasn't done anything wrong!"

"I don't care if she's the Most Important Woman in the Universe! I don't care if they got married! I don't care if she's pregnant! He loves me!"

The wind blew brusquely against John's face. "You knew she was pregnant? And you didn't think to mention it to him! The man you supposedly love?"

"He's not like that, he doesn't get married, he doesn't have children!"

"Not with you," John snapped.

"Take that back."

"No. What are you? Twelve?"

John wasn't paying attention to the fact that the deck was unstable as they went over some choppy water and he wasn't holding on to anything and that Rose had pushed him.

And he was about to go in the sea.

And it was going to be cold.

He hit the water and started paddling. At least his reflexes still had some Time Lord speed to them. He looked back up at Rose who had a shocked expression on her face and was covering her mouth. He tried to shout something about maybe calling for help but either she couldn't hear him or was in too much shock to move. One of the other passengers who had walked by threw a life preserver to him and the boat soon stopped.

He waited, treading water in the sea, alone as he waited for the crew to get out here and rescue him. Alone and adrift...

He would rather be at Sylvia Noble's even if she brought the axe out.

It would be warm there.

It had been three months since Rose Tyler's suspension from Torchwood and she was still sitting on her mother's sofa and she showed no signs of moving.

Pete's suspension had been followed by an evaluation by committee, most of whom were not friends of Rose. She might have been able to find the Doctor using the Dimension Cannon, but she had stepped on a lot of toes while doing it and Torchwood was just like any other office with plenty of office politics. Rose had started too young at Torchwood with a chip on her shoulder from her travels with the Doctor and had never quite developed an appreciation for the importance of observing office politics. She never gave money when it was time to buy someone flowers or a birthday gift, blew off Secret Santa and generally ticked people off. She wasn't there to make friends, she was there to find a way back to the Doctor. Not to mention everyone knew how she treated Mickey and later John, who were both well liked.

Despite the fact that the committee didn't really like her, they had requested a psychiatric evaluation to aid in making heir decision. Rose didn't fail, but she certainly didn't pass. Rose's obsession with the Doctor made her a liability and the committee thought it was just as well she stay away from things that could punch a hole in the universe until she was over it.

Which left Rose with nothing to do.

Jackie came into the sitting room.

"Rose, have you decided what you're wearing tonight?"

Rose didn't take her eyes off the telly. It was a WestEnders marathon on the Noble Soap Network. It was like EastEnders, only they lived on the West. Rose had never really been one for soaps, but what else was she doing? "Wearing? To what?"

"The school Christmas program. Your brother is counting on you to be there."

"The Christmas program is tonight? Christmas isn't for ages."

"Oh? Is that a fact?," asked Jackie as she motioned at the Christmas tree in the corner of the sitting room.

Rose shrugged. "I don't want to go."

Jackie's eyes got huge. "You don't want to go?"

Rose shook her head. "I'll stay here."

Jackie threw up her hands. "Fine, you're a big girl. I'm not dragging you to your brother's play kicking and screaming. You're not going to sit here on my sofa for the rest of your life, let me tell you that now."

"Okay, Mum."

Jackie left and Rose went back to the telly.

Donna smelled something.

She ran downstairs and into the kitchen which she was certain was about to catch fire.

Instead, she found John pulling a tray of biscuits out of the oven.

"You're... baking."

"Yeah, banana chocolate biscuits."

"You can bake?"

"I got a recipe off the Internet and followed the directions. I thought the children might want treats after the play."

"You made biscuits," said Donna.

John nodded. "Yes."

"Okay, now you're not just making Ethan look bad, you're making me look bad." Donna shook her head. "I have never made them biscuits. My God, even my mum made me biscuits. They're eight and I've never made them biscuits. I just buy them."

"I'm sure you buy very nice biscuits."

"Mummy!," Ella shouted from the hall and ran into the kitchen. She was holding bobby pins and a can of hair glitter. "I need my hair done!"

Donna looked at the bobby pins in confusion. "What am I supposed to do with those?"

"Mummy! It has to be in a bun! Lisette forgot to before she left!"

"Well, maybe one of the other mummies can help us when we get to school."

"Mummy..."

"Here," said John, taking off the oven mitts. He took the bobby pins from Donna and went to work on Ella's hair. Donna watched in amazement as he twisted and set Ella's hair into a perfect ginger bun. He then took the hair glitter and covered Ella's eyes with his hand as he sprayed with the other.

"Thank you, John," said Ella.

"Go have a look at yourself in the mirror and make sure it's alright."

Ella ran off. John looked up at Donna who was still staring at him in amazement.

"That does it, I'm sending you to the next Mothers' Tea."

"I'm good with Ella," admitted John. "Still working on Josh."

Donna snorted. "I'm still working on Josh."

"Is Ethan coming tonight?," asked John. It had been a few months, but he still had yet to encounter the man in the flesh, though apparently he had picked up the children for the only one of his visitation weekends he had managed to make in that time.

Donna sat at the table. "Doubt it. He told Josh he would, but he always says he'll come. Maybe he'll save it all up for the holiday. He usually likes to make a big showing at Christmas." She shook her head. "No, I'm glad he'll do it. He's their dad, I just wish he could spread it out across the year."

John had never been to a school Christmas program. It was fun. The children sang songs, dressed as ridiculous animals that were nowhere near the birth of Jesus- which he knew since the Doctor had been there, well maybe there had been a dolphin there in this universe, but it seemed very unlikely- and the dads competed to see who could take the best pictures. He had run into Pete as he snuck down front to get a picture of Tony as the Reception children sang carols. He thought for a minute that Rose might be there and all hell might break loose, but since the auditorium remained silent, he figured he was safe.

The Year Three nativity play seemed brilliant, even if Ella's take on the angel was a little dramatic and probably more dancing involved than actually occurred. Josh was sort of a ham himself, probably trying to show off to his dad, who still hadn't shown. Every time John glanced at Donna, she was checking her watch and had a look of foreboding on her face.

John heard the door slam towards the end of the Year Four performance. He turned his head back to see a man coming in with an extremely tall thin woman.

They waited until the end of the program and John went out to the front hall with Donna to await Josh and Ella.

"Ethan," said Donna, not hiding her surprise. "You've actually turned up."

Ethan had been the man with the tall woman who John could now see was practically anorexic. Ethan himself was slick, too slick, John thought. He was wearing a suit with no tie and too many buttons undone on his shirt. He grinned at Donna and John couldn't help but think he had been drinking.

"Why shouldn't I turn up?," asked Ethan.

"Oh, I don't know. Historical precedent?" Donna looked up at the tall woman. "Who is this then?"

"Petra."

"Hello, Petra," said Donna.

"She doesn't speak English," said Ethan. "She's Russian."

"Oh!," said John. Donna then watched in amazement as John chatted with Petra for a good three minutes in Russian.

"Sorry, who are you, mate?," Ethan asked, obviously unnerved.

"This is John, my boyfriend," said Donna.

"Boyfriend?" Ethan sounded as if he thought this was impossible.

"I'm sure I mentioned it," said Donna.

Before they could continue, Josh and Ella were running up to Ethan.

"Dad, did you see me?," asked Josh.

"Did you like the dance?"

"Yeah, yeah, it was great."

Donna fumed as John watched. Ethan hadn't been there, the year threes were finished before Ethan and Petra ever arrived. Donna wasn't about to tell her children that, though. She let Ethan play at being a dad, saying how great they had been.

"Dad, where are you taking us for Christmas?," asked Josh.

Ethan looked as if he had never heard of Christmas before. "No, I have to work this Christmas."

"But you always take us for Christmas," said Josh.

John watched Ella's face sink. Her resolve was apparently much less than Josh's.

"I know, son, but I have to go out of town with Petra to Majorca."

"We could go to Majorca!," said Josh. "We would behave and be no trouble and we could help you!"

"No, I'm sorry, but I promised Petra."

John felt something on his hand. He looked down to see Ella holding his hand. It felt nice.

"But Dad!," Josh whined, utilizing the last refuge of the child: whining.

"No arguments! That's just how it is!"

"Outside. Now," said Donna.

Donna grabbed Ethan by the wrist and dragged him out of the hall and into the cold.

"Blimey, Donna, you couldn't let me get my coat?"

"I hope you freeze to death."

Ethan straightened up. "Nice thing to say about the father of your children..."

"Are you the father of my children? Because you haven't seen them in months!"

"I've been busy. We've chatted on the phone."

"Yes, I've seen those calls, they pour their little hearts out to you and you barely say anything and then you have to go."

"Good God, Donna, you're worse than Lumic. Besides, can't imagine you've been mother of the year, probably had to put some time in with your new lover boy. Tell me, has he stolen from you yet?"

Donna slapped him. She couldn't believe it, she had never slapped anyone.

Yet somehow it felt right.

"Is that what you're going to do now, Donna? You're going to beat me? I'll have you on assault charges!"

"Oh, shut up. Don't you care what you do to them at all? You make promises and you break them and it rips up their hearts."

"I have a life, Donna. I have things to do."

"Fine," said Donna. "Fine, just stop lying to them. Stop saying you're coming to things, stop promising holidays, stop acting like you bloody care. Just stay away from them."

Donna ran back in the hall where John chatted with Petra as he helped Ella and Josh put their coats on over their costumes.

"Petra, Ethan's leaving," said Donna.

"Da?"

John translated, Petra said her farewells and was off.

"Dad's leaving?," asked Josh. "He doesn't want to take us anywhere?"

"No, sweethearts, I'm sorry."

"It's okay," said Ella.

"No!," Josh protested. "You're always saying he's not coming! You're trying to keep him away."

"No, sweetheart, I'm not, I'm really not."

"You just want us to like John instead!"

"No, sweetheart-"

"I like John," said Ella.

"I hate him!," Josh spat.

John nodded. At least he wasn't in the sea. "Okay."

Donna looked up. "No, John, it's not okay. Josh can't just say he hates you-"

"No, I'm fine with it. I like Josh, but if he doesn't like me, that's fine as well. Shall we go to the car? I have biscuits waiting at home."

Donna looked at John in shock. What on Earth was he thinking?

Rose pulled into the car park as she faced a sea of cars leaving. She had finally dragged herself off the sofa for this stupid Christmas program and now she had missed it. That was just great. She decided to pull in just to turn her car around and that's when she saw...

John. Putting a little girl in the back of a Land Rover, smiling at her, making a joke, He walked around to the passenger side of the car and that's when she spotted her.

Donna Noble. He was with Donna Noble. Or whatever this universe's version of her was. Whoever she was, they had both chosen her.

She dismissed that thought. No, they hadn't both chosen her. They couldn't have. Her Doctor could never be with anyone else.