Author's Note:

So, I have to say that this is my favourite chapter up to this point. It was an absolute blast to write and I've been super excited to put it up ever since I got it finished! Of course, it wasn't even really in the plan. The scene was there but it was just meant to be a quick part of a larger chapter but then two old friends got chatting and they just wouldn't stop. The result was the most fun I've had writing anything in a long time so I really hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Oh, a quick note of updates. I think it's probably going to be another two week gap between chapters. I blame life. I work. And goats. (-_-) Oh well...

Happy Reading!

Chapter Eight

Spacey is Cool

Watching the Atraxi's ship disappear back into space Wilfred couldn't help but laugh. The Doctor had done it again. They all had. The world was safe once more, at least for the time being, but even that last thought couldn't dampen the old man's spirits. Beside him Amy was sharing his reaction, laughing outright in amazement while Rory just stared at the sky in awe and confusion. Wilf chuckled, taking pity on the poor kid and was just reaching out to clap him on the shoulder in support when a hand sized him firmly by the wrist and he was tugged away from the young couple and back the way they had come.

"Doctor!" the elderly man cried as he was pulled, at a speed much faster than he was comfortable with, down a flight of stairs, back through the first floor, down a second flight of stairs and into the hospital lobby, "Stop! Where are going? We can't just leave them kids up there! Doctor!"

But the Time Lord didn't reply and nor did he stop, leading them instead out the front door of the hospital and off across the lawn. "New TARDIS key!" he shouted over his shoulder, grinning like a child who'd been told Christmas had come early, "She's finished!"

"Whoa ho, no," said Wilf as he caught on to the alien's intentions, "No we are not runnin' all the way back to the TARDIS. I can't, Doctor, I'm sorry." And it was true, his old body just couldn't do what it once had and the adrenaline which had kept him going since he'd left the aforementioned ship was fading now that all imminent danger had passed allowing every bump and bruise he'd accumulated during their crash to come back in full force.

The Doctor brought them skidding to a halt and turned to face his companion, looking him up and down in concern. "Are you alright?"

Wilfred laughed a bit breathlessly. "I'm fine, just not used to all this running, is all."

The Time Lord frowned, glanced around the front of the building then his face slipped into a wide grin. "Oh!"
And with he grabbed Wilf's wrist once more and pulled him off to one side towards a few spare wheelchairs. "In you get, Wilf! No time to lose!"

Opening his mouth to protest against being treated like an invalid, the old human shut it again with a snap at the sight of the big, hopeful eyes the ancient child was sending his way. His ancient child, who was trying his hardest to help... "Oh alright," he grumbled, smiling in spite of himself as he lowered his battered body into the chair, "But Donna'd better not hear about this!"

Flashing him another grin the Doctor took hold of the handles and they were off once more, flying off down the road at a speed the elderly man doubted the wheelchair was really meant for. They bounced across the park where the spaceship had first appeared, past the duck-less luck pond, and back up the main street; then skidded past the ice cream truck, back up the village lane and into Amelia's back yard before finally coming to a halt in front of the magical blue box. Wilfred, who had been gripping the sides of the chair so tightly that his knuckles had gone white since his ride began, realised them slowly and stood up much to the displeasure of his aging joints.

The Time Lord, who didn't even seem out of breath after his latest run, stepped out from behind the wheelchair and bounced up to the wooden door. "Okay, what have you got for me this time?" he asked his ship, a little half-smile turning up the corners of his mouth as he retrieved the key from his jacket pocket, slipped it into the lock and pushed the door open. "Look at you," he whispered in awe as he stepped inside, "Oh, you sexy thing! Look at you."

Wilfred followed his lead and stepped into the police box as well, staring about in awe. It was still the TARDIS, he could see that much, but like her pilot the old ship had undergone a drastic change. The coral structures were gone and the console room was brighter than he'd ever seen it, coloured with orange and gold. The floor around the console was made of glass, revealing the inner workings of the ship below, and two sets of stairs climbed upwards and disappeared into the depths of the time machine. And then there was the console itself. Wilf had never understood how any of the former controls worked but even if he had it would be no help now. The ship had seemingly patched herself together with only what she could find but somehow it suited this new, playful Doctor to a T.

"It's beautiful," the old human mused out loud, turning to smile at the alien next to him.

The Time Lord smiled back, a smaller, more genuine smile than Wilf was used to seeing, his eyes alight with happiness. "She always is." He looked around once more and then was off, bounding towards the console as though he just couldn't stand to be away from it any longer and pushing and pulling at the controls as he danced around it. "Alright, Wilfred! We're off!"

The old human frowned at that. "Off?" he questioned, "Off where? We can't just leave. What about Amy? She waited all those years for you, the least you can do is say goodbye."

But the Doctor just grinned. "Oh don't you worry about little Amelia Pond," he said cheerfully, "I'll pick her up before she even knows we've left, just gotta drop you back home first. It's Donna's wedding reception after all!" And with that he pulled a final lever and the ship began to pulse happily around them as it dematerialized.

Home... Well, it was what he'd been thinking about, wasn't it? Going home. Being too old for this sort of life. And now he wouldn't actually have to tell his friend as much... Wilfred shook his head. The Doctor would be fine, he'd have Amy to keep him company now – presuming, of course, that she still wanted to come and the Time Lord didn't missing picking her up by another twelve years – he'd be fine. They both would. The old human heaved a heavy sigh but was prevented from following the thoughts any further by a sudden lack of movement.

"Here we go!" said the Doctor brightly, scampering to the TARDIS doors and peering out of them, "Home sweet home."

Wilf stepped slowly towards the alien and followed his lead, poking his head out the door and staring around. Donna's wedding stared back at him, the exact same wedding, the extra same day and, unless he was very much mistaken, only a few minutes after they'd left what felt like a lifetime ago. Gazing around at the scene the old man couldn't help but smile and he turned back to his alien friend. "Do me a favour, Doctor," he said fondly, letting the moment carry him, "If this really is goodbye then do something for me."

The Time Lord glanced back at him with a carefree expression. "Shoot."

"Say goodbye to her."

The Doctor's face fell. They both knew precisely who the old human was talking about. "Wilf..." he said slowly, "I can't, you know I can't..."

Wilfred nodded. "Aye, I know you couldn't," he agreed, the small smile still playing on his face, "But like you said, brand new you and all that, she won't know you..." He gestured across the lawn to where the wedding party was still gathered. "Go on, Doctor. Just run over there and say goodbye properly. Please."

The Time Lord didn't reply right away, and Wilf allowed silence to take hold as the two men gazed towards the group together. Donna was corralling Shaun for something, oxtail soup if her grandfather remembered correctly, and Sylvia was bustling around them undoubtedly nagging about something or other. It was beautiful. It was home.

"Oh alright then," said the Doctor suddenly, stepping out of the TARDIS with purpose, "But on your head be it!"

Wilf grinned outright at that and hurried out after him, leading the way towards the wedding party.

It was Sylvia who first noticed their approach and her father was surprised to see a look of relief flash briefly across her face. But then, she had watched him chase a dying alien into an old wooden box which promptly disappeared so maybe the relief wasn't that surprising after all. The anger that quickly replaced it certainly wasn't. "And where the hell have you been!?" she shouted causing both Wilfred and the Doctor to freeze a few meters away and Shaun and Donna to stop and watch the scene, "You swan off in the middle of your granddaughter's wedding! What reason can you possibly dream up for that!?"

Shooting a look back over his shoulder at the alien a few steps behind him whose eyes had gone impossibly wide, the elderly man chuckled. "Went for a quick walk," he explained, turning back to his daughter, "Had to stretch out them legs at bit."

Sylvia scoffed. "A walk," she repeated doubtfully but glanced at Donna out of the corner of her eye and let the subject drop in favour of another, "What on Earth are you wearing?"

Wilf glanced looked down at his 'borrowed' clothes. "A jumper."

His response was met with his daughter's best glare. "Well it's not one of yours," she snapped, "Where did it come from?"

"Oh give it a rest, Mum," Donna cut in, saving her grandfather from having to explain his newfound clothes, "When have you ever known Gramps to wear a suit for more than an hour?"

"That's no excuse..." Sylvia continued heatedly, "It's your wedding..."

But Wilf tuned her out with a practiced ease and turned his attention to Shaun instead. The dark skinned man seemed to be the only one who had noticed the Doctor's presence and he offered the retreating alien a kind smile. "It's alright, they're always like that," he said by way of greeting, "I don't think we've met, you weren't at the wedding, were you?"

"Uhh..." said the Time Lord uncertainly, glancing around before shaking his head, "No. No I wasn't. I'm a friend of Wilfred's, by the way, John Smith." He stepped forward and held out his hand.

"Shaun Temple-Noble," came the reply as the two men shook hands, "And over there's my new wife Donna and her mother Sylvia."

The women in question cut off their continuing argument at the sound of their names and made their way over to where the men had gathered. Sylvia was peering at the alien suspiciously while Donna just smiled at him.

"Donna," Shaun continued, "Mrs. Noble – "

"What have I told you about that, Shaun?"

"Sorry," the new husband smiled sheepishly, "Donna, Sylvia, this is John Smith, a friend of Mr. Mott's." The last part was added with a cheeky smile in Wilf's direction.

The old man rolled his eyes despite the fact that he was smiling.

"A friend of Dad's?" Sylvia repeated, glaring at the Time Lord, "I don't know you."

The Doctor glanced quickly at Donna before fixing his gaze on her mother. "We've met before, Sylvia," he said softly.

Watching his daughter's eyes go wide with realization, Wilf decided he'd better step in. "I ran into John on my walk," he told the group, "And thought he might as well meet the happy couple!" He grinned and danced his way up to Donna and Shaun goofily.

The redhead snorted with laughter but otherwise ignored her grandfather's antic, focusing on the Doctor instead. "Love the bowtie," she teased, folding her arms over her chest, "Very..." she cast around for the right word and smiled when she settled on it, "Spacey."

Wilfred's breath caught in his throat. He'd thought that everything was going well but maybe the Doctor had been right about this being a bad idea after all. He was just starting to panic when a crooked, happy, smile appeared on the Time Lord's face.

"Spacey, eh?" he asked, and got a nod in confirmation, "Well I can live with spacey. Spacey's cool."

"Spacey's not cool, you prawn," Donna laughed.

"Oi!" the Doctor cried out indignantly but he was grinning all the same, they both were.

"Donna..." Shaun reprimanded gently and both his wife and the alien jumped as though they'd forgotten there was anyone else there, "You've only just met the man, go easy on 'im!"

"Oh," the redhead blinked, "I have, haven't I? Blimey, sorry..."

"No, no," the Time Lord cut in quickly, waving a hand, "It's alright, it's more than alright... It's been a while since anybody had a go at me like that, suppose you could say I missed it..."

"Well, Donna'll be more than happy to fill that void," Shaun grinned, elbowing his wife gently.

The aforementioned wife gave her husband a good smack on the shoulder before turning back to the Doctor. "Missed it, eh?" she asked, "You're a strange little man, you know that?"

The Time Lord raised one eyebrow with a smile. "Thought I was 'spacey?'" he quipped playfully.

Donna looked him up and down before nodding. "That you are," she agreed, then smiled again, "Well c'mon then, John Smith, let's have a proper conversation. What do you do for a living?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Oh, you know, bit of this, bit of that," he said offhandedly.

"Bit of nothin' then," Donna translated.

"Maybe. But I'll have you know that I'm travelling."

"Yeah? Travelling where?"

The Time Lord smiled. "Wherever I like. Gotta make it interesting."

"Well, no wonder you and Gramps get on then," said Donna innocently, gesturing towards Wilf as she spoke, "He's always wanted to get out there and travel..."

Former companion and Time Lord stared at each other for a moment before the Doctor smirked. "Donna Temple-Noble, are you implying something?"

"Why yes, John Smith, I think I am."

"Now hold on," Wilfred spoke up, trying to frown even while his heart swelled with pride. Donna was letting him go, letting him follow his dream. The old Donna, the woman she'd been before the Doctor entered her life, would never have even considered it, let alone try to make it happen. Even if she couldn't remember it her travels had changed her and Wilf couldn't have been happier about it.

"Now hold on is right!" Sylvia added, fixing her daughter with a glare, "You can't just go around pawning your grandfather off on the first bloke who strikes your fancy!"

"Pawning?" Donna demanded, "Who's pawning? Gramps has been wantin' to travel since you were a little girl and you know it!"

"He's far too old, it's time he settled down and took life easy."

"Oh go on, Sylvia, a man's got to have the chance to live," Shaun piped up, "I'd go myself if I could afford it."

Wilfred stared at the group with a smile that was growing wider and wider by the second. He remembered his excitement when the Doctor, the old Doctor, had reappeared at Donna's wedding and he'd thought that maybe, just maybe he could stand among the stars one more time. And maybe he still could. He had Donna's blessing, and Shaun's and Sylvia would come 'round, she always did. And unless he was very much mistaken, even the Time Lord himself was smiling. "Guess you can't get rid of me that easy, John," the old man smiled back.

"You sure, Wilf?" the Doctor asked, staring him straight in the eyes.

"I'm sure." And he was. He was going to see the stars and run from monsters and meet aliens and be the Doctor's best mate in place of his granddaughter, in her honor. "Someone needs to look out for you kids."

The Time Lord rolled his eyes and Wilf could see him fighting the urge to point out that he was, in actual fact, the oldest one out of all of them. "Alright then," he said instead, "Well, come along then!"

"Whoa, whoa, hold up," the elderly man chuckled, holding up one hand, "I've still got to pack and say my goodbyes..." At the Doctor's blank face he chuckled again. "Tell ya what, you go get Amy and then pick me up at my place this evening, alright?" he suggested, "And don't be late 'cause I'll be waitin' for you."

The alien nodded quickly. "Yes, alright. No being late..." he smiled.

"Lovely to meet you, John," Shaun stepped forward and shaking the Time Lord's hand once more, "But we really ought to be going, still our wedding day after all!"

"Oxtail soup!" Donna shouted suddenly, "What did you lot let me forget for!? C'mon..." And with that she seized both her husband and grandfather by the hand and tugged them back in the direction of the chapel. "Say goodbye to your friend Gramps, you'll see him tonight!"

Wilfred glanced over his shoulder as he was dragged forcibly away, grinning. "I appear to be leaving!" he called, "Don't be late!"

The Doctor just grinned and chuckled as he turned away.