A/N: here, finally, is the end. Thank you so much for reading this far. :)
Part 28
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True to his word, Roderick arrived back in Donna's world a couple of days later.
"How are things going with John?" he had immediately asked.
"Not so good," she admitted. "What about you?"
"Ah," he stated sadly. "Things are tricky between us at the moment. I had to take the new farm manager there this morning, and the atmosphere was very frosty; but I keep telling John that he is still on the payroll, in an advisory capacity. He won't believe me."
"I'm sorry, Roddy," she mumbled. "If I had accepted his proposal all this wouldn't have happened."
"I fear it would have done. At least Aunt Verity approved the barn conversion plans, so I can get that underway," he commented. "And I had a chance to talk with Uncle Sydney… I mean my father, for a while."
She placed a hand on his arm. "That must have been…"
"Yes, it was; but it went better than I expected, so that's encouraging." He smiled warmly at her. "It was even rather nice."
"What about your Dad? Donald, I mean. Have you seen him lately?"
"Not much. I've restricted his access to everything, and it's on a need to know basis only. It's quite liberating, actually. Like coming out from under a rock. I've achieved a great deal by talking with my family; apart from the erm, the whole 'you' business. Aunt Verity is very supportive of you, by the way; they both are. So that's another mark in your favour."
"And John? How did he seem?" she tried not to ask, but relented.
"Same as ever, I'm afraid. He's been doing a lot of sitting with Jez by his side, staring out into space." A grimace flitted across his face. "If all goes well he'll be hearing some good news from the college in a few days."
"What sort of news?"
"One that I pushed into being because they couldn't make a decision if their life depended on it," he enigmatically replied. "It should cheer him up though."
"Roddy, you didn't!" she squealed.
"No, I didn't, not really," he calmly denied. "A patient of Martha's knew the outcome, and as I suspected, they wanted him but were faffing about over telling him. Now they will."
Relief flooded her on John's behalf. "You really are a Mr Fix-It under that bluff exterior, aren't you?"
He merely ruefully waved off the compliment. "Don't go telling everyone I do good deeds or I'll be inundated"
"I worry dreadfully about you driving back to London on your own," Jocasta stated as the three of them sat eating a simple dinner together.
Donna pretended otherwise. "I'll be fine"
"You could travel with me, if you like; it would be no bother to bring you back after Christmas," Roderick offered.
"I couldn't," she spluttered whilst giving the idea serious consideration.
"There you go! Splendid," Jocasta praised. She really didn't think her friend was capable of safely driving home so this news was immensely welcomed. "Just make sure that you hurry back to me. I'm using you as my excuse to cut short my stay at my sister's, remember,"
So before Donna could protest any further it was arranged. She would travel with Roderick, spend Christmas with her family and then return well in time for the New Year. Even Rodrick looked pleased about it.
"We can keep in touch over the holiday and help you ward off unwanted thoughts," he had whispered during the dessert course. "If we are going to be on our own this season, we might as well be lonely together," he reasoned.
Donna had laughed at that. "You're just after conning a Christmas dinner out of my mother!" Strangely enough the thought of him in the role of fairy godfather was pushing it a bit far. It'd be different, that was for sure.
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"Are you ready, Donna?" Roderick asked as he picked up her suitcase. The gentleman in him had insisted that he carry it.
She swept her gaze one last time over her bedroom to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything; especially Christmas presents. All except John's, that is. His one sat hidden behind the wardrobe door. "I think so," she replied with a sigh. "Let's be on our way to London."
"You don't have to go home for Christmas, you know," he pointed out, revelling in his new position of official friend to her and mediator for John.
Despondently she replied, "I know, but Mum would kill me if I didn't go back for a few days and I'm worried about Gramps."
"John still cares about you," he added in a much quieter voice.
"Perhaps he does," she allowed, "but we shall see."
They silently made their way down the ancient staircase and, having said to goodbye to Jocasta with promises to return soon, out to the waiting car. William welcomed them in, and Donna sat herself on the back seat while Roderick made his way round to the other side of the car to get in beside her.
He smiled reassuringly at her and lifted his arm in invitation. In response, she quickly snuggled into his embrace. "He really does love you," he whispered into her hair. "Have a sleep; you look tired."
Placing a delicate kiss on her temple, he let her slowly fall asleep on him and he tried to come up with a plausible solution. John had already missed out on far too much of life's delights, and Roderick was determined that Donna would get the man she wanted, if it couldn't be him. Mentally he pencilled himself in as a possible replacement should the absolute worst happen; but that was merely a pipedream. For now he would keep her as safe and happy as he could; he owed it to her for the way he had behaved in the past.
"Roddy," she murmured from next to his chest.
"Yes, pet?" he queried.
"Thank you," came the mumbled reply, and then Donna let herself drift away.
"Ah, the wanderer returns," John greeted the sight of Roderick the day after Boxing Day, outside the farmhouse door. They briefly hugged, enjoying this new development between them. "Couldn't keep away from us for long, I see, and come to cadge a breakfast. How was London?"
"London doesn't have the same appeal anymore," Roderick confessed. "Things are still strained between Dad and I, but it is of my own choosing now rather than his. I prefer the air up here. It's clearer."
"Where did you end up eating after all?" John wondered, since he had turned down his mother's offer.
"Sylvia Noble was kind enough to invite me," Roderick cautiously admitted. "It was good to see them all again. Wilf was looking particularly peaky, I thought."
"Oh," John exhaled in interest, resisting asking the question that was uppermost in his mind.
It was time to stop skating around the facts, Roderick decided. "Donna tried to be lively, but her heart wasn't in it. All she has done is worry."
"What about?" John blurted out before he could stop himself.
"Wilf isn't well, but her main concern is you," Roderick informed him.
His heart clenched with pain. "Me?"
"Yes. She wants to know when you'll stop being an idiot. I think you should know that she is seriously considering a job offer elsewhere."
"London?" John murmured; wondering how he'd cope if he couldn't see her every day.
Roderick ignored that, letting him think it, and pressed on with, "She also seems to be under the impression that you ran straight to Martha's charms to console yourself. I tried to dissuade her, I really did. Oh, and I forgot to give you this…" He handed over a brown envelope. "It's your first payslip."
John quickly pulled out the paper and then gasped with surprise when he read it. "This is… it's too much!"
"On the contrary, it is enough," Roderick countered. "I told you that you were no longer a farm labourer; you are a consultant. And that is an apt fee for your knowledge."
"But this means that…," John spluttered in realisation, unable to take in the enormity of it.
"That you are finally earning a decent wage, you have job security, and you will soon have a custom-built home," Roderick confirmed. "There's nothing stopping you now; and Donna is sitting at Jocasta's cottage. I brought her back with me."
"Ricky, you are…!" John was overcome with emotion. "And I've been a bloody idiot for not believing you. You've given me my life back, and more."
"You won't mind if I don't disagree, will you."
"No," John happily stated. "Oh God, what do I do now? Will she forgive me?"
"There's only one way to find out." There followed a shooing of hands. "Well? What are you waiting for? Go and see her. There's no time like the present."
Panic immediately set in. "Yes. But I… Where did I put her present? Am I dressed okay? Oh great, it's bloody raining now! Just what I need. The Land Rover is around here somewhere. Do I need to shave?"
"Just go!" Roderick urged him, laughing with clear amusement. "I'll tell Aunt Verity where you are."
He really didn't need the thanks that was thrown his way. Instead, he sent a quick text message to Jocasta as he entered the farmhouse. All of this was his Christmas present, and he was making the most of it.
The rain absolutely teemed down; so much so that by the time John reached Lilac Cottage his bravado had disappeared, to leave doubt in its place. Screwing up the last of his courage, but holding on to his desperation, he knocked on the door.
A few seconds later Donna stood there before him, her expression inviting him to explain himself as she stepped aside for him to enter. "Yes?"
Water dripped forlornly from the bedraggled ends of his fringe and his long eyelashes as he physically whimpered on the doormat. "I had to come and see you and tell you I've been a right idiot. Please don't go. Don't leave me. I am so sorry about the last couple of days."
The cold-hearted part of her wanted to hurt him, wanted some sort of revenge; whilst the rest of her wanted to throw her arms around him and never let go. "You don't need me anymore, John. I've been replaced, again," she bitterly stated. "It's for the best, all the way round. Roderick has arranged everything."
The set of his mouth turned grim. "Whatever he's told you, it isn't true."
"Then what is the truth?" she asked, surprising him by leaning to grab and then handing over a large towel, from a nearby laundry basket, to rub on his head.
She then gingerly sat down on the sofa, watching him.
"Thanks. The truth?" He stopped towelling his head for a second to peer at her from underneath it. "I wasn't a monk at university but I can't honestly say I was a wild partygoer. There was the odd groupie vibe from certain girls, that one bad experience with Daisy's relative; but the Martha thing started very innocently."
"Oh, I'm liking this story already," Donna sarcastically commented and sat down to listen. To her chagrin, he sat down by her side.
"Please, don't be like that. All I did was kiss her happy new year at a friend's party the one time I was able to go back and visit old university friends. It hadn't been more than that, but she tagged on to me after that, and to be honest, I did like the attention. Who wouldn't?"
Her eyes narrowed in anger. "So this is you merely liking the attention from me? It's all about you wanting to show off to your parents and Roderick in particular!" she spat out. "Martha had the good sense to bail when she realised you weren't really interested, but you thought stupid old me would hang on so that you could bleed me dry. Well, you're too late. Between you and your cousin you've already done it. There's nothing more to give."
"Nothing?" he asked in shocked tones. "But Donna, I don't think of you like that at all. You make it sound as bad as our Ricky warding off his problem with Daisy."
"What problem would you say it is?"
"Loneliness," he instantly answered.
She hadn't expected that; she'd expected it to be purely sexual. It made strange sense. "What about you?" she asked more softly.
There was a slight hesitation then he admitted, "The same; completely the same."
"What was life like before you erm... you met me?" she asked hesitantly.
"Lonely; so bloody lonely," he murmured in reply. "Sort of stab yourself in the leg lonely."
She couldn't help giving him a smile of encouragement then. "That bad then?"
"Yes." He then decided it was time to lay all his cards on the table and confess everything. "When I saw you that first day, hanging on the bottom field gate, waving your arms about to catch my attention, I couldn't believe you were a real person. I thought you were an angel."
"Yeah, right," she snorted in embarrassment.
"It's true," he emphasised. "That's why I was so stunned that you spoke to me. You are so beautiful, inside and out. Not perfectly beautiful like a doll, but warm, soft and gorgeous in a real way. You won my heart without even trying." By this point he had reached out and taken hold of her hands, to hold them possessively within his own. "I came here today not to stop you going if you have to, but I obviously don't want you to go back to London; since I've brought it up, you know, so please keep it in mind for future reference. I need you to... No, I want you to know... I love you. I know I've said that before but we were usually in the middle of doing it, or had just finished doing it, so I came here to prove that I can say the love thing at other less incriminating times. Not that I didn't mean it when I said it during... thingy, and for the record, all our times together were wonderful; gloriously so! Oh my god it was good. But please don't think that's the only reason I love you. And erm," he pondered the subject for some seconds. "I think that's it. Yes, I'm sure it is. The point being that I love you, not the whole I want to have sex with you thing, although if lovemaking is ever offered in the future I'd willingly consider it if and when you are ready. Have I said it enough to convince you yet? The loving you bit, because I really do."
"Wow!" she exclaimed under her breath, having let him ramble on. "That must be the most I've ever heard you say in one go."
"Is that it?" he asked in disappoint, biting his lip forlornly. "That's all I'm getting?!"
"I dunno. Bring that pouty bottom lip over here and let me answer you properly," she teased, drawing him closer and leaning invitingly towards him.
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As they sat exchanging kisses and unspoken declarations, Jocasta listened on the staircase, wanting to jump for joy. Not only was her friend happy again, but she had the perfect ending for her book figured out in her head.
The End