A/N: And now the truth!

Part 6

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The Doctor woke with happy thoughts of Donna. He couldn't help himself; he just had to lie there smiling as he thought about their hours together on Felspoon. With almost a skip and a hop, he got out of bed and went into his bathroom. If things went well he would have Donna permanently away from Van… and in his bed.

He smacked the side of his head. Where had that thought come from? The plan had been to wrestle her away from Van so that she didn't make a fool of herself once it would be revealed that Van was genuinely her brother and not her lover. No, she was his lover. He smacked the side of his head again! What was he playing at, thinking such thoughts? She wasn't his; she was his best friend. The woman that held his hand through thick and thin, the woman that hugged him readily when he needed it, the woman who stood by his side as he faced the greatest tragedies possible, the woman that placed such loving 'thank you' kisses that made his insides melt; she was the woman who had returned his eager kisses as they lay in the long swaying grasses of Felspoon, making his body sing with pleasure so much that he had wanted to drag her into his bed. She was the woman that he suddenly realised he wanted to be his wife; and not in the way that they had jokingly beaten off all these months. He wanted children with her; he actually wanted to go domestic, he thought as the normal bitterness that invoked didn't arise.

The cooler water of his showerhead beat down on him as he placed his forehead on the cold tiles of the shower cubicle. He was in so much trouble! What should he do? He loved her; there was no other way to describe it. He had stupidly allowed himself to feel an emotion, to admit to an emotion, and he had been instantly speared by Cupid's arrow.

It wasn't his place to fall in love with a human woman; it was impossible. But as Van had pointed out days ago, Donna was no longer just human. She was part Time Lord now; and that made her unique, in a totally different way.

It wasn't fair! He shouldn't have to deal with this agony; he was supposed to be above such things. Look at how he had dismissed Rose off his back; that should never have been possible if he loved her as much as she had expected him to. Because you loved someone else. "I didn't!" he cried out as he battled with his thoughts. Yes you did. "I can't have done… could I?" he argued with himself. "I don't love like that… I never have done." Then what about Donna? "She… I love… I couldn't have… But I must have done!"

He drew in a sob. What was he doing? This had to stop because Donna would go to Van when he came back. She'd forgive his experimentation with Jack, the Doctor knew she would. It was Van's human side peeping out, being all curious about sex and… and…. They were going to have sex in his TARDIS, weren't they? Right where he would be able to sense every motion, every thought… everything! Could he even bear that?

It was time to go and get Van, and get this all sorted out! The Doctor was determined to take this last step, come what may. Once he had dried himself and got dressed, obviously.

# # # #

Donovan was sitting waiting for the TARDIS apprehensively when it appeared. He had arranged with the Doctor to creep surruptiously out of Torchwood after recent events. He was sure Donna would know something had gone on, and he was about to suddenly greet next Tuesday with a battered cheek.

The Doctor peeped out cautiously around the open door and beckoned Van over. "Quick before I'm seen! Donna is still in the shower so we won't have a scene right here."

Donovan couldn't help grinning like a loon and raced inside, hugging the Doctor once he was inside. "Thanks for this… brother. You feel different!" He immediately reached up and touched the Doctor's contact points. They both reeled with the invasion. You… No! You didn't! You hypocrite! You took her to Felspoon as well, of all places," he stormed as he pulled away. "You… and Donna! Oh no! Oh no!" he chimed out as he spun around in anguish.

To stop him getting motion sickness, the Doctor put out a hand to halt the incessant spinning. "That isn't the real problem, is it?" he asked softly.

Donovan went to protest loudly, and then changed his mind. "No, you're right; it isn't."

"And you've gone and given Jack exactly what he has always wanted. You do realise that I might never be able to look him in the eye gain?" The Doctor smirked to soften his words.

"Yeah, about that…" Van began to nervously rub the back of his head. "I think the whole incident rather proved our theory."

They both patted each other sympathetically. "Let's go put the kettle on. We've another scene coming up when Donna appears; but don't worry, she'll be fine about it, you know she will," the Doctor consoled him. They shared conspiratorial smiles and headed for the kitchen.

# # # #

"The wanderer has finally returned I see," Donna remarked sarcastically as she entered the kitchen.

Donovan smelt her scent as she wafted in and found himself interested anew in her. He couldn't help closing his eyes momentarily before he suggested to the Doctor, "Don't you think you ought to put your mental shields up a bit higher? I'm getting an overload here."

Donna whirled round in confusion as she stood at the sink refilling the kettle, and saw the Doctor's guilty expression. "Mental shields?" she echoed. "Why would you be so concerned about his thoughts, Van? Are they disrupting you from thinking about the tart you spent the night with? Or did it extend to all of yesterday as well?" She stood blazing at him, wielding about a full kettle in her right hand as she did so.

Van eyed the metal object with understandable fear. There was the audible sound of a gulp before he answered, "About that woman, Donna. It was a complete misunderstanding! You'll laugh…" He actually risked a nervous smile at that point. What was the matter with him? "She was just some woman we met in a bar who followed Jack home and…."

"Happened to waltz into your bedroom stark bollock naked!" Donna finished for him. "Yeah, I can see that as being a funny coincidence. About as funny as the fact you will never lay a single finger on me again."

Van glanced at the Doctor briefly. "I can see that one happening," he mumbled. "The thing is, Donna, I do have a confession and it has nothing to do with Kara directly."

"Kara, is it?" she practically spat at him. "Let me guess; she was young, curvy, with massive…" She held out her hands in front of her chest at this point to emphasise her argument.

Van leapt up and grasped her forearm. "Don't do this to yourself, Donna! Please don't! I was trying desperately not to think about you, about us, and Jack took pity on me. He was lovely. You can appreciate that thought, I know you can. In fact that's why I can too."

She was stunned by the information she was getting from him. "What do you mean you can too?" Her attention moved onto the Doctor. "Well?"

"We got back the test results about an hour ago and there's a strong genetic link between the two of you, too much of one for comfort if you had continued. I'm sorry," he stated.

"But… but it felt right," she flailed.

"That's my fault," Van told her gently. "I'm an empasexual."

"A what? What the bloody hell is an 'empasexual'?" she demanded.

Both men guided her to sit down on one of the kitchen chairs and gripped a hand each. Van took a deep, steadying breath. "It's something that I had suspected might have happened, and now I have my proof. Donna, I know you're going to get angry about this but you need to know. I let Jack kiss me, without me being drunk, and I liked it a great deal. Now don't start… hear me out, please!" He gave her hand a squeeze before forging on. "As soon as I came back on board the TARDIS all that went, all of that longing for him. Jack has some powerful pheromones, as you know; but it wasn't just that. Oh heck, you're not going to like this…" He slumped despondently back in his seat and gave her the full kicked puppy look.

"What's he on about?" Donna asked the Doctor.

"He knows," he replied.

Donna couldn't get her head around this for a second. Van knew about her kissing the Doctor and he wasn't spitting blood at her? Why? Shouldn't he be throttling someone right that second? "Van? I don't understand," she admitted.

"I take on the sexual desires of the person I'm with. I don't just feel their desire, I echo it back; and Jack has always fancied the Doctor, so I was an ideal choice for him," Van explained.

"Do you actually ever want someone because you do? And what does that mean about us?" she queried.

Van chuckled with relief; because she partly understood his plight, and because she hadn't walloped him one. "Donna, don't you see? You fancied the Doctor, and he fancied you! I was merely the happy medium inbetween. Well, when I say 'fancied' it turns out that it's a bit stronger than that, since you are in love with each other."

"In love?" Donna spluttered in disbelief and Van burst out laughing.

"You two are the absolute limit! I wish you could see it from where I'm sitting, or anyone else who sees you together. You're just so right as a couple, and you've been falling over yourselves to deny it." Van released her hand and rose from his seat. "Now excuse me while I make the most of not being pummelled into the ground and go have a shower. I've had an emotional few days so you'll find me having some quiet time in the library." When he got to the doorway he threw back at them, "Talk, the pair of you! This needs to be resolved." And then he disappeared, shouting, "And put your bloody mental shields up!"

The Doctor and Donna eyed one another cautiously, having both blushed profusely. It was Donna who found her voice first. "That was unexpected," she commented.

"Which bit?" he asked before he could help himself.

"The erm… the empasexual bit," she clarified. "About this tea…" And she went to stand up.

In a split second, the Doctor grabbed her wrist, holding her in place. "For what it's worth, I loved our time on Felspoon. But if this is all too weird for you, I'll understand and take you both back home to your mum's."

She smiled shyly at him. "Doctor, I am home. I don't want to go anywhere else."

"What else do you want?" he risked asking.

"Surely you don't expect me to go into my full beauty queen pageant speech, and declare I want world peace, doughnuts for all, and first dibs on the chocolate Hob Nobs," she retorted.

"Now that you mention it, no, I don't think so. Really? First dibs? But there are three of us now, so you can dream on about that one," he replied, giving her a cheeky wink.

She wouldn't have normally let him get away with that one, but his free hand was currently caressing her bottom, having travelled up there from the back of her thigh. Placing both hands on his shoulders, she tried to push herself away from him, but instead she toppled forward and suddenly found herself practically sitting in his lap. "Oh! Sorry!" she exclaimed in embarrassment.

"You have got to stop throwing yourself at me!" he answered with obvious glee. "You've just never been able to help yourself. Right from the very start."

"I was jumping for my life, Sunshine!" she huffed indignantly. "And you told me to."

"So I did," he agreed, grinning broadly. "And right after that I biodamped you. I know a good thing when I see it."

"If you are expecting some big declaration of undying love, you ain't going to get it, mister!" she told him sternly.

"Good! I wouldn't have it any other way. You weren't expecting…?" he vaguely asked.

"Oh no!" she confirmed. "We don't do that sort of thing. I mean, me doing this…" She swirled her finger through the hair at the back of his neck. "…doesn't have to be anything."

"True, it doesn't have to at all," he answered, bringing up his released hand to gently hold her jaw, guiding her head nearer to his lips. "But there is something I was expecting."

"Oh yeah?" she softly wondered, and allowed him to bring their mouths closer still. "What?"

He whispered, "This…"

Yes, she had expected it to be a kiss; and no, she didn't mind in the slightest. The touch of his lips freed her somehow, allowed her emotions to run riot through her body as every nerve ending tingled. How did he do that to her? Blimey, being part Time Lord was flipping wonderful! "Will it always feel this great to kiss you?" she asked him.

"Only if you stay with me forever," he said.

She briefly kissed him. "Is that an offer?"

"No, it's a demand," he insisted as he returned her kiss. "Let's find somewhere a bit more comfortable."

# # # #

Van found them later loosely wrapped around each other in bed, sound asleep. He placed a tray filled with tea things, fruit juice and cake on the side and smiled at them fondly, sighing wistfully. It was no use crying over spilt milk; and he consoled himself that if things carried on like this he'd soon be an uncle.

The End.