This is the last chapter.

They went back through to the other basement, which was now falling to pieces. They made their way through the debris in silence. For although the Doctor wanted to jump for joy from the delight of having Rose back, it would be sad to lose Martha. He cleared his throat.

"Um, does anyone know where we're going?" he asked. "Martha and I kinda woke up here, but we don't actually know where we are."

"Oh, I know the way out," replied Rose, who took the lead. The Doctor nodded.

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"Well, here we are," said the Doctor as they reached the TARDIS.

"Great, see ya," said Martha.

"What?" said the Doctor. "Martha, the least I could do is give you a lift home."

"I don't want it," insisted Martha, her voice almost down to a whisper as she choked back the tears. "I just want to get this over with. I just want to get home and finish my degree, and move on."

"Degree?" questioned Rose.

"Martha's a medical student," explained the Doctor.

"Oh," said Rose. "Um, Martha, do you think you and I could have a word in the TARDIS? In private?" Martha went to shake her head, but the Doctor gave her a look that told her to do as she was asked. She sighed and followed Rose inside.

"Oh, it's good to be home," commented Rose as she looked around the ship.

"Well, it's all yours now," said Martha. "Can I go now?"

"Just … listen to me," said Rose. "Listen, I know what a relationship with the Doctor is like. I've been through it all before."

"Yeah, except yours wasn't one-sided," said Martha.

"Oh believe me, there were times when I didn't know what the Doctor felt about me," said Rose. "Like, have you heard of Madame de Pompadour?"

"Yeah, the Uncrowned Queen of France," recalled Martha.

"Yep, and almost Uncrowned Queen of the TARDIS," said Rose.

"What?" said Martha.

"Long story," said Rose, sighing. "The point is, the Doctor isn't very good at showing his feelings."

"He seemed to show 'em all right with you just now," said Martha.

"But it took him time to realise that," said Rose, getting her point across. "And when it's just the two of you in the TARDIS, the tension can seem unbearable. But you've got to get through it all, coz at the end of the day, you know you wouldn't miss it for the world." Martha looked Rose, and thought about what she'd said. Here was a girl, younger than herself, with wisdom far beyond her years. What was more, she really seemed to understand the Doctor. There was so much she wanted to say, but all she could manage was:

"Okay."

"Okay?" repeated Rose.

"Yeah," replied Martha. "I mean, I understand what you're saying. Meeting you has really opened up my eyes. Every time the Doctor mentioned you, I used to get this huge bout of jealousy. But now after meeting you, I dunno, it's just so much clearer. About you, about him, about everything." Rose smiled.

"Yeah, meeting a previous companion tends to do that to you," she said. Martha cocked her head to one side. "Never mind."

"Right," said Martha. "Well Rose, thanks for the talk. I now know that you're going to make the Doctor happy, and that makes me happy."

"I'm so glad you feel that way," said Rose. "You can still come with us if you want."

"Nah," said Martha. "I've still got a life here, I'll be fine. But you take care of the Doctor."

"Don't worry, I will," promised Rose. They then hugged, and together, opened the doors of the TARDIS. The Doctor was standing there with his arms crossed.

"Where are the claw marks?" he asked.

"Doctor, we're adults, we know how to work things out," said Rose. Martha nodded.

"So are you still leaving?" the Doctor asked Martha.

"Yeah," answered Martha. "But now it will be with much better thoughts. I still don't like that I could have died just now, but I understand why you valued memories of Rose so highly."

"Thank you," said the Doctor. "She's very special to me. As were you, Martha Jones. Just in a different way." Martha ran into the Doctor's arms, giving him one last hug.

"I'm going to miss you," she admitted.

"Tell you what," said Rose. "If you ever feel the need to talk about the Doctor, look for a Sarah Jane Smith. Trust me, she'll help you."

"Who is she?" Martha asked.

"You'll find out," replied Rose. Martha nodded and turned back to the Doctor.

"Goodbye Doctor," she said.

"Goodbye Martha," said the Doctor, giving Martha a quick peck on the cheek. Martha blushed.

"Goodbye!" she called to Rose.

"See ya!" exclaimed Rose. Martha turned her back, and walked away from the TARDIS. She'd gotten about 20 metres when she turned back. She saw the TARDIS, and her life with the Doctor, disappearing. But it didn't matter. The Doctor was happy, Rose was happy, and she had a new outlook on life.

"Always look on the bright side of life," she sang as she walked down the street, a smile on her face. She may not have ended up with the Doctor, but she ended up having the time of her life.

The End

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