here it is! at last! the final chapter!
sorry it took me a while to upload this, i actually had it written about a week ago, it just took me a while to transfer it to my computer! :S sorry!

a HUGE HUGE HUGE thank you to EVERYONE who has reviewed this story!! you made writing it an absolute pleasure!
therefore, i would like to dedicate this final chapter to everyone and anyone who has reviewed. thank you thank you thank you!

please REVIEW this one, last time!! reviews love!

hope you enjoy and i don't let you down!

"Rose…" Rose's eyelids fluttered slightly, causing Donna to breath a sigh of relief at her sign of life, but the Doctor's gaze stayed firmly fixed on the young woman lying in front of him.

"Doctor…" she breathed, slowly opening her eyes and blinking furiously as she tried to focus on the scene in front of her.

A familiar, wonderful face swam into view and Rose's mouth slowly spread into a gentle smile. Letting out the breath he had been holding for too long, the Doctor grinned back, unable to contain his joy at Rose's life.

"Hello!" he grinned, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. For both their sakes.

"Hello," she breathed, unable to speak any louder than a whisper. Her smile increased as the Doctor lit up the whole room with his stupid, perfect grin.

Then he was pulling her to him, and they were hugging. Laughing. Never going to let each other go. Ever. Again.

Rose closed her eyes, breathing in the Doctor's comfortable, familiar, wonderful sent. Holding her tighter to him, the Doctor buried his head in her soft, blond hair. Anyone looking in at that moment would've struggled to see where one ended and the other began.

Finally and reluctantly, Rose and the Doctor tore themselves away from each other, but their hands remained firmly clasped between them.

"What…what happened?" Rose asked, once she had her fill of the Doctor's deep, brown eyes,

"You don't remember…" the Doctor whispered, understanding her so completely, Rose had to sigh contently,

"Um… I remember… there was a light… and I looked into the TARDIS… I remember…" Rose clutched her head and moaned slightly as she suddenly underwent a stabbing pain in her mind, "Um…I remember…"

The Doctor put a hand on her arm, causing her to close her mouth and just sit in silence, because, sometimes, they didn't need words, "Shhh…" the Doctor whispered, running his finger gently along the inside of her arm, "Don't try to remember…"

Rose closed her eyes, and allowed herself to be soothed by the Doctor's words and the gentle pressure of his finger on her skin.

"Will you tell me…someday?" she breathed, already knowing the answer,

"Maybe. Maybe you won't need me to tell you. Maybe you'll remember by yourself." The Doctor replied softly, "But I will tell you something…" he continued, "You were fantastic!" they both smiled at the long-forgotten word, "Absolutely fantastic!"

Donna smiled at the two. The Time Lord who saved the world, and the small human girl who saved him. They were perfect, and for a moment, Donna let herself be a part of that, and then she turned, and left the room, giving them space to be alone. They deserved that, at least.

.o0o0o

"Won't you come in?" Donna asked, as the Doctor took Rose's hand, ready to lead her off, "Not even for just a cup of tea?"

"No, we better be off. You sure you won't come with us?" Rose replied, giving the Doctor's hand a gentle squeeze, she knew how hard this must be for him, loosing someone else,

"No, you don't need little old me anymore, I'll just get in your way!" Donna attempted a joke, but the tears were obvious in all three pairs of eyes,

"You really don't have to go, you know," the Doctor whispered hoarsely, silently pleading for her not to leave him,

Donna reached over and pulled him into a final hug, "You've got Rose now, she'll look after you," she whispered into his ear, smiling reassuringly at Rose over his shoulder.

Rose stood back a bit, allowing the friends to say goodbye. She wasn't jealous, not at all, she knew the Doctor would always come back to her. Her Doctor.

Donna finally released the Doctor, and turned to Rose, pulling her into an equally tight embrace, "Look after him," she whispered, a small tear leaking out of the corner of her eye and dropping onto Rose's bare shoulder,

"I will," Rose whispered back, holding her friend closer to her.

This time, when Donna let go of Rose, she stood back and smiled,

"Take care, you two. And if you're ever in Chiswick, give me a buzz!"

"We will. And if you ever want to come back, well… you have our number," Rose offered, one final attempt at getting Donna away from her front door and back to the TARDIS.

The Doctor looked down at Rose, gratitude pouring out of his eyes for what she just said. Noticing the tears at the back of his eyes, Rose slipped her hand back into his,

"We'll see you again, Donna Noble. This isn't goodbye. Not forever, at least," she tried, winding her fingers through the Doctor's and tugging slightly, letting him know it was time to go, but she would wait if he wanted her to. She would wait forever for this man. He looked at her, and nodded his head, just the tiniest of movements, but Donna didn't miss it.

Donna watched as the two people interacted with each other, it was almost as if they knew exactly what the other was thinking. She was so happy to have met Rose Tyler, and to see the Doctor happy again. Truly happy. The happiness he only got when he mentioned her name, but only about 1,000 times happier. They would be just fine without her.

Eventually, Donna got rid of the time travellers at her door, and closed said door gently behind her. She pressed her ear against the door, listening to the sounds of the TARDIS disappearing from her life, and no matter what the Doctor and Rose said, she knew this would be the last time she ever heard that noise.

It seemed to sound different to Donna, that last time, almost as if it were hesitating. Donna realised that it was giving her time to change her mind. If she wanted to, it was allowing her to rush out and call the Doctor back to her. But she wouldn't do that. This was it. The end.

But that wasn't right. It was the end of her travels in time, yes, but why should that be the end of Donna Noble. No, she would keep going, in the Doctor's name, she would help. Never killing, of course, but helping.

A whole new life.

.o0o0o

"You okay?" Rose asked, shuffling slightly closer to the Doctor, her arm just brushing against his in the cold snow of Frapzor.

"I'm always okay," he replied, and they both knew he wasn't. Rose looked up at him, the man who gave her life, and smiled, but it was a hollow smile.

The Doctor smiled back, glad of her warmth on the freezing planet. He was so glad he met her. He had told her that once before, but he realised now that he didn't tell her nearly often enough just what she meant to him.

"Rose…" he started, trailing off as soon as he spoke her name, relishing the taste of it against his lips. So long, since he last said that word, too long.

"Yes Doctor?" she asked, looking up at him with those big, brown eyes. He wanted to drown in those eyes, never to look away from them, or her, again.

"Rose Tyler I…I…"

"I know," she replied, and he could see that was the truth.

The Doctor sighed, and slipped his hand out of her grasp, instead allowing it to rest on the other side of her waist, pulling her closer to him. Even now, after all this time, he couldn't say it. Those words. Maybe they'd never come. Maybe they'd never need to. She knew. He knew she knew.

"Me too," she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder and putting her arm around him, "Me too…"

He didn't know how long he stood there, her head on his shoulder, his hand on her waist, but by the time they began to head back to the TARDIS, the suns they had been watching set had all risen again, and the snow that had earlier covered them and their surroundings had melted, ready for a new day. And he felt ready too.

They walked back to the TARDIS, hand in hand. They both knew it wouldn't be the same as it was before this time.

It would be better. Much, much better.

The End.

Or a new beginning

so there you go. the end.
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