A/N: Well. This is it! All done. Finished.

Well... There is definitely room for an epilogue, of course, and I might well write it, but for now I am comfortable to leave it where it is.

Thanks to everyone who read this little tale of mine, and especially thank you to those of you who took the time to comment and let me know what you think. I really and truly appreciate it.

I honestly hope that if you made it this far that I didn't disappoint you. Thanks again!

~~oooOOOooo~~

There were tears in his eyes and a definite break in his voice when he made his plea to stay just that little bit longer, but when he stated that he didn't want to go, it was clear that the Time Lord's resolve was shattering. This wasn't a side of him that Rose had ever seen before. Even when they said goodbye on the beach and he was clearly upset by it, he didn't seem to be as traumatised as he looked to be right now.

She peeled herself from Ten's side and approached Eight with all the caution she would have if she was approaching an injured animal. His name passed gently through her lips as she held open her arms for him. "Doctor?"

He walked into her arms and dropped his forehead onto her shoulder. His arms came up quickly to clutch at her shoulder blades. "I shouldn't let this hurt me as much as it is," he admitted brokenly without lifting his head from her shoulder. Slowly he turned his head to bury his eyes into the crook of her neck. His arms shifted and tightened to curl himself into her; one arm curled around her waist, the other holding a flattened palm in between her shoulder blades. His hold was tight enough that her back was forced into a light backward arch.

"I don't cry, Rose," he admitted almost inaudibly. "I've never wanted to cry like this." He inhaled a shaking breath. "I don't want to cry like this. I shouldn't cry like this."

She felt his tears against her neck. She could feel the moist heat of his breath against her throat. She couldn't help but fall apart with him. "It'll be okay, Doctor. You'll be okay."

"I'm not," he answered with a petulant, and very wet whisper. "And I'm not ever going to be."

Rose felt his hold tighten yet further. His shoulders and chest jerked almost violently against her as he succumbed to his agony. "You have us now," she offered pitifully. "You brought us home, and we aren't goin' anywhere."

"How can you ask me to do this?" he challenged hotly against her neck. "How can you give me something worth fighting for, and then ask me to give it up like this?"

"How can you say that we're both worth fighting for," she asked him somewhat sagely. "If you're not willing to go into battle?"

"Don't you dare rationalise it so perfectly like that," he growled. "It's not fair."

Behind his shuddering back, the TARDIS groaned with insistence that he finish his goodbyes and leave.

Rose's eyes shot up to glare at the blue Box. "He's comin', alrigh'?" she snapped at her. "Just give him a minute."

"It's not her fault," he defended softly. "She's fighting off a recall order from Gallifrey. The more she fights against it, the more it hurts her."

"But you're hurtin', too, Doctor."

"My soul is dying," he corrected dramatically against her neck, still unable to pull away from her. "Don't make me go."

The pathetic way that he made that request gave Rose the strength she needed to draw back from him and try to be the one who held it together and gave the advice that would hopefully help him through it.

"Doctor," she began gently as she slid her hands down over his shoulders and then long his arms in urging for him to release her. "Come on, Love. Listen to me." It was a struggle to convince him to let her go, but he finally loosened his hold and released her.

He let out a defeated huff and looked up briefly toward his older self before he fell into a despondent stand in front of Rose. "Like it or not, I have to say goodbye to you all, don't I?"

Rose pressed her lips tightly together and slowly nodded her head.

"Don't make me," he pleaded softly. "Between the both of us-" He waved toward Ten without looking in his direction. "I'm sure we can make it work."

Rose lifted her head high and inhaled fast and deeply through her nose. She wiped at her eye with her sleeve and then exhaled with purpose. "If you don't go," she began bravely. The crack in her voice betrayed the courageous front she was trying so valiantly to project. "If you stay with us, Doctor, then this…" she flicked her hand between them. "This will never happen. You and me, we won't happen." Her voice softened. "Arkytior .. Our daughter will never happen."

She hoped that reminding him of how intertwined their timelines were that the Time Lord inside him would rise to the surface and agree that they must be preserved at all costs.

She didn't count on the insolent and petulant 800-year old brat within him being a more powerful and driving force than the Time Lord.

"There are ways to make sure that it all comes to pass, Rose," he countered without looking at her. He toyed with the fob watch he had attached to his belt. "I've done my fair share of manipulating timelines to make sure things happen." He lifted his eyes and smiled. "Have I told you yet just how easily manipulated flux points really are?"

Rose let out a breath and looked back toward Ten. She tipped her head at him and widened her eyes in order. "Well? You gonna step in and tell him he's wrong, or not?"

Ten readjusted the seat of Arkytior's little bottom on his arm and nodded gently. He took his time to walk across the rocky terrain toward them. "She's right, of course, Doctor," he offered apologetically. "You know she is. There are things that have to happen, and obstacles that we need to cross before we can settle down and have our family."

"That's a very fine position that you're in to be able to give me your wise words," he snarled in reply. "You have our family. You will leave here with them. Leave with the family that I ensured we'd have."

"You forget…"

"I forget," he growled. "Me? How dare you. You are the one who forgets that it was me who found Rose at the most frightening and pivotal time of her young life. It was me who birthed our beautiful child. It was me who brought them back home when you told them it was impossible."

"And it's you who's acting like a spoiled child," Ten snapped sharply. "Pull yourself together and start acting like a Lord of bloody Time instead of a Loomling throwing a temper tantrum in the nursery." He looked away a moment to school his breath with controlled inhales through his nose. After a second he looked back to his younger self and softened his tone. "I stood in the place you are right now, Doctor. I stomped, begged and pleaded and wept just like you are now. I get it. I really do. This is a pain that I didn't know I was going to survive."

He looked up to the TARDIS standing behind the Doctor. "But I promise you. The second that her doors close behind you, that pain will stop." He looked back to his younger self. "You'll go back to Gallifrey. You'll fight in the war with a photograph pinned to the rotor of the TARDIS and the words Arkytior Alleliah in your mind. You might not understand their importance to you, but you'll hold both in the highest regard and turn to them when you're at your lowest points. Trust me. I know that's asking a great deal – because we never seem to like trusting ourselves – but please try. You'll fight that war, you'll survive everything that those damn Daleks will throw at you, and then you'll come back to Earth." He looked toward Rose with a smile on his face. "You'll find yourself in a department store basement filled with plastic mannequins looking at world domination. In that basement you'll take the hand of a beautiful blonde human girl. You'll tell her to run."

"And we'll never stop runnin'," Rose finished with a smile. She took Eight's hand and held it against her chest. "You and me, Doctor. We've got so much to look forward to together. Those memories of me and you runnin' about space and time are so important to me. So important to us. Don't take them from me. Please?"

"But I have to forget," he whispered sadly. "When I leave, I'm going to forget it all, and I don't want to."

Rose grinned widely and clutched more tightly at his hand. "Then we'll make those memories together, Doctor. Just think of how amazin' it's going to be after the war when you're back to travellin' and causing mischief across the universe." She dipped her head to kiss at his fingertips, and looked up at him through her lashes. "Do you really just want to be told second-hand stories about who we are together, or would you prefer to actually live it?" She waggled her brows. "Oh, how much fun we had."

His lips pursed with intrigue. "Fun, you say?"

"Oh," she sang in a manner so much more Doctor than it was Rose. "You have no idea what a merry time we have together. You'll want every day to be today. Charles Dickens, Face of Boe, Queen Victoria and bein' knighted and banished in the same day, warewolves, cat nuns, even the devil himself…"

He abruptly tugged his hand free of hers and then lunged forward to clutch her hard against his chest in a fierce embrace. "My beloved and precious girl. Only you can possibly know just what it is that drives me most; how to make me bend to your will blindly and with full faith."

"Curiosity and intrigue," she said cheekily. "Always the way to the Doctor's hearts."

"That and my precious child's brilliant laughter," he said with a sad smile as he looked toward his child, who watched him with wide and unblinking eyes.

"Best sound in the universe," Rose agreed. "Oh, and the TARDIS, of course."

"Of course, my dear," Eight agreed. He inhaled deeply to centre himself somewhat and then strode proudly toward Pete. He extended his hand and offered the man an honest smile. "Peter Tyler. The honour to know you has been all mine. I don't know what my future self is like, and whether or not you like him much, but I expect you to keep him in line and make sure to give him a decent kick in the rear if he plays up."

"That's my job," Jackie piped up quickly. She waited only long enough for a single shake of hands before she threaded herself in between the two men to embrace the Doctor with a warm mother's hug. "You be careful out there, Doctor. You fight the good fight, but remember to come back home and rebuild your family. With us. Me, Pete, Rose and Kate."

"It's my vow, Jackie."

"Oh, call me Mum," she offered with a sniff. "I love you, you daft alien. Don't you go forgettin' it, neither. We might not get along in the start n'all, and your cheek might cop my wrath when you bring my lil' girl home late, but I love ya, yeah?"

"And you're in my hearts, too, Jackie Tyler," he breathed gratefully. He pulled back from her embrace and held her at arm's length to offer her a smile and a light bow of his head. "Mum."

She playfully punched at his shoulder and then wiped clumsily at her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket. "And don't you be forgettin' it."

The Doctor didn't speak again before he turned and swooped Rose into his arms and lifted her from the ground in a spiralling, spinning embrace that made her squeal out with delight. "Oh my Rose," he sang as he slowed the spin and then set her feet on the ground so that he could cup her face in both of his hands and draw her into a tender and loving kiss. "My hearts beat for you, my precious girl. For now and into all time, everything I do is to get back to you to begin our life together and make our family."

"Works for me," she sang with a tongue-touched smile.

…That was swiftly claimed with a swooping and dramatic kiss. A kiss that only ended because of an urgent little whine from an impatient little girl who wanted a cuddle from her daddy. He moved in quickly to pull her free from Ten's arms and then pulled her into his chest.

"My sweet little Kerfluffiedaw. Regardless of what your grandmother believes about your namesake, you take that title and you simply own it. Unicorns are brilliant and majestic creatures, pigs are intelligent and non discriminating." He smiled into her face and then kissed her dewy forehead. "And you, my precious child, are both."

She purred little bubbles from between her lips.

"And you are forever in my hearts," he vowed softly. He looked up to his older self with sad and pleading eyes. "Protect them, Doctor. Love them with everything you have inside you."

"I will," he answered with fierce passion in his oath. "My word on my TARDIS."

"And you know the old girl will hold you to that."

Ten nodded with a laugh. "Oh, won't she just?"

Arkytior hiccupped a high-pitched sound and erupted into gleeful laughter at her own sound. Her laughter dies down somewhat as she rounded her little mouth through different sounds that she discovered she could make if she twisted and turned her tongue inside her mouth.

"La la, ma ma," she babbled out. "Da da." Her eyes widened. "Dadadadada."

"Rassilon," Eight croaked as he watched his little girl string together a series of syllables that he could believe, just for a moment, was her calling him father, and not just her babbling nonsensically. "I can't," he managed with desperation as he held her toward Ten. "I can't do this. Please. Please take her."

Ten quickly swooped his singing child into his arms and looked worriedly toward Eight. "Doctor?"

"I. I." He struggled to pull together his words. He looked between the family he'd known these past few months and finally shook his head and took a stride backward. "I can't do this. I have to go. If I. If I don't, I won't."

He turned abruptly and stalked toward the TARDIS. Rose was quick to follow behind him. "Doctor!"

He shook his head and strode faster. "I have to go, Rose. Now." He shoved open the door and looked back one last time. "My hearts," he vowed with heartbreak. "Always there, all of you." He stepped across the threshold and disappeared. "Goodbye."

The blue door slammed loudly behind him, leaving the barren and icy field around the group silent beyond the cooing of a young infant.

Rose looked momentarily lost. She shook her head and danced on her feet with indecision as to whether or not to follow him to ensure that he was going to be okay. Today she'd seen a side of him that she'd never seen before, and she wondered exactly where and what he was going to do from here. "Will he be okay?" she asked worriedly when she felt Ten's arm circle across her back.

"He's fine, Rose."

Donnna, unlike Rose, had definitely seen this side of him before. She knew how dangerous it could make him if he wandered off alone in this condition. She shook her head and moved to stalk toward the TARDIS.

"We're not really lettin' him go like this, are we?"

"Donna," The Doctor called sharply. "Step away from the TARDIS. He has to leave, that's the way it goes. He'll be fine."

Donna spun on her heel and levered him with a hot glare. "Fine, yeah? Fine you say? You tell me, after he's given up his whole family to go into war, the war that destroyed half of Kasterborous, you tell me he's fine?"

The Doctor nodded and gently handed Arkytior to Rose. He thrust his hands into his pockets and approached his current companion warily. "He may have done all that," he said carefully, and with both brows arched high and his head turned just slightly off centre to her. "And when he walked away, he was absolutely heartsbroken, but I promise you, he's fine. He will be fine. Absolutely fine. Nothing but fine and dandy."

"Like you were fine when I first met you right after you lost Rose?"

He looked down at his feet and cleared his throat. "That's different."

"How is that different?" she howled in question.

"It just," he began with a wince. "It just was."

"I watched you try and kill yourself," she growled darkly. "Almost drowned yourself beneath the Thames you were so messed up with grief over losin' Rose. You've been a reckless mess ever since. And you want to send him off to war with the same pain?"

"You don't understand," he snipped in reply. "I had all the memories and felt all that pain. He-" he shoved his hand toward the TARDIS. "He gets to forget. He doesn't have to feel the pain that I did …" He looked toward the TARDIS, and to a glossy piece of paper on the rocks. "At least not yet, anyway."

Donna glared at him as he walked toward the TARDIS and then stooped to pick up the paper. "How can you be so sure of that?"

"Because I was there once, myself," he said quietly as he took a look at the photograph he held in his hand. With a huff, he pounded on the TARDIS doors. "Doctor! Doctor, open up."

The right door to the TARDIS flew open, and the Eighth Doctor popped his head out. His brows were set high with curiosity and his lips pursed with surprise.

"Yes, Yes. I hear you," he boomed out with humour in his voice. He stopped short when he saw a man in pinstripes standing just a short stride back from the door. "Well. Hello. I'm the Doctor. What can I do for you?"

Ten offered him a smile and held up the Polaroid photograph of him, Rose and little Arkytior. "You dropped this," he answered warmly. "And I thought I'd give it back to you."

Eight curled around the door to exit his time ship. He left the door open and took a couple of stride out. He shivered lightly in the cold. "Well. It's kind of brisk out today, isn't it?"

"Typical climate for this time of year," Ten offered. He held forward the picture. "From me and my wife. As a thank you."

Eight's brows lifted high as he took the photograph. He looked at the picture, and then lifted his eyes to look across at Rose and her little girl. "As a thank you for what, exactly?" He grinned with apology. "You will have to forgive me. This current incarnation of mine does tend to be a little forgetful. Perhaps it's because I was so far away from my TARDIS when I regenerated." He petted at the side of his ship. "I didn't have her help in navigating my new form."

Ten grinned and nodded a knowing bounce of his head. "Yes. So you've said."

Eight pocketed the photograph and petted the pocket with his fingers. "I'll keep it here for safe keeping. Now if you wouldn't mind, could you remind me just what it was that I did for you and your lovely family, Mr. … I'm sorry, what is your name?"

"John," Ten answered in a beat. "John Smith." He looked back toward Rose, who watched with an expression of utter devastation. "My wife, Rose, and my daughter, Kate." He looked back to his younger self. "We got separated, and you were kind enough to help us come back together. For that," he took a long breath. "For that, I am truly and very grateful to you."

Eight grinned widely. "I did, did I? Well, that is good to hear. Having a family is a gift, a very important gift. I'm glad that I was able to help you all reunite." His words paused when Rose broke from her silent stance, and she warily approached him. His head tilted and his brows pinched to see the look of sorrow on her beautiful face.

"Oh my dear," he cooed gently when she approached. He lifted his hand to thumb away the wetness of her cheek. "I hope these are happy tears," he said gently.

She rolled up onto her toes and pressed a kiss against his cheek. She lingered just a little while, smiling at the way he lightly tilted toward her touch before she pulled away from him. "Thank you, Doctor."

He touched at his cheek as a blush rushed across his cheeks. With an embarrassed splutter he quickly stepped back. "Oh. Yes. Yes of course. You're very welcome." He backed up toward the TARDIS doors and clapped his hands before wringing them together. "Well I imagine that we've already passed on our goodbyes and farewells. Do take care of yourselves." He looked toward Ten. "And, John. Do take care in making sure that you don't find yourself separated from your lovely wife and child, again."

"I don't intend to,' he answered as he hooked his arm across Rose's back. "You take care of yourself, Doctor."

"I will. Of course I will. I always take care of myself." He thought about that with a wrinkle in his brow. "Well. I certainly try to at the very least. Can't always be helped, though, to end up inside a little mischief and mayhem from time to time." He petted his pockets and gave a slight bow. "Thank you again for the reminder of our time together, John. I'll be very sure to cherish this memento."

"I hope so."

The TARDIS whined for attention. Eight let out a moan and rolled his eyes. "Yes. Yes, dear. I'm coming." He tipped his fingers to his forehead and gave a lazy salute of goodbye. "Well, I must be off. Things to do, places to see. Mischief to avoid – if at all possible."

He continued to natter to himself as he disappeared inside the TARDIS. The door closed gently behind him, and in less that a couple of seconds, the light on the top began to flash and the old girl dematerialized from view.

Rose inhaled a deep breath and let the final sounds of the TARDIS engines drown out across the landscape before she looked toward the Doctor at her side.

"He truly did forget about us, didn't he?"

The Doctor lightly nodded his head. There was no happiness in his eyes, or even relief for the pain spared to his Eighth self. He actually found himself questioning whether or not knowing that there was hope of happiness in his future would have been better than not knowing anything at all.

"If you knew about us," Rose offered as though reading his mind. "I mean when we met. Wouldn't it have made things different?"

"Very," he breathed quietly.

"And not in a good way, right?"

The shake of his head was almost imperceptible.

"We're here now," she offered him as she laid her head on his shoulder. "And we're not goin' anywhere."

He tightened his hold and dropped his head onto hers. His chin crinkled as he grinned a cheeky smile. "Well. I'm not entirely sure about the school system or real estate around here, but I can look into it if you're so keen on staying." He lifted his head and looked around, oblivious to the straight stare of disbelief she was giving him. "I think we can make it work, though. Plenty of space so that we don't have to live too close to your mother…"

She slumped, groaned, and then knocked him with her shoulder. She shook her head as she turned on her heel and headed toward the TARDIS. "You go ahead and look into that, then. And while you're at it, look at a way of heating this place up a bit. It's bloody freezing."

He watched her walk back to the TARDIS with wide eyes. "You know I was kidding, right, Rose? I really have no desire at all to set up house here."

She turned to give him a wink and pushed open the door of the TARDIS with her backside. "I'm going to change our stinky little princess' diaper, then I'm putting her to bed. Don't be too far behind me, yeah? I'm tired, I might just fall asleep on you."

"Rose Marion Tyler," Jackie shrieked with disgust as she followed behind her. "There'll be none of that nonsense happening in this shag-box of his while your dad and I are onboard. You can just wait until your dad and me are settled somewhere this box isn't, yeah?" She turned to Pete with a roll in her eyes. "Best we get him to drop us off quick-smart. With his poor piloting skills, you just know he's gonna end up us stuck on Mars or somethin'."

The Doctor watched with wide eyes and a gaped mouth as his family disappeared into the TARDIS. His gaped mouth shifted into a wide grin as Donna stepped up beside him and knocked his shoulder with hers. "I don't think I've ever seen you smile like that."

"Like what?" he answered innocently. He tried to drop the smile, but it wouldn't fade.

"Like a kid who got everything he ever wanted for Christmas, all at once."

He stretched his arm across her shoulder and tugged her against him. He pressed a hard and chaste kiss against her hair. He growled out a happy sound, tightened his hold across her shoulder, and then released her with a laugh. "Donna Noble. I am the kid who got everything he ever wanted, all at once!"

"I'm so glad to hear that," she answered him with legitimate happiness for her best friend. "If anyone deserves to be happy, Doctor. It's you."

"Oh don't tell the universe that," he warned playfully. "She'll take that as a challenge." He looked upward and grinned toward the sky. "But you know what?" He dropped his head and looked toward Donna with thrill. "I dare the universe to take that challenge. Because there's no way, no way at all, that I'm going to let it take away my family again."

She smiled a teary, yet happy smile. "I'm glad to hear that."

"And so am I," he breathed with obvious relief. He was quiet for only a short moment and then clapped his hands together. "Right. So where to now, Donna Noble? Shall we jet off to Cacury, where the rain falls from the clouds in a magnificent perpetual purple waterfall that rolls across the landscape like a wet freight train. Never in the same spot for longer than a second, but over the millennia it's been pouring, erosion from the waters have carved a one-metre-width lake right through the landscape. There's no water anywhere else on the planet, just along this one line right through its centre."

"Oh, I think-"

"Or how about, Reskoria Naephus? They have the most unique species." He tilted his head. "Well, not unique in that no other planet has anything like it. Reskoria has an atmospheric composition very similar to Earth. Their sun is the same basic distance away, and has about the same chemical makeup as the one that lords over the Mutter's Spiral – Which is where Earth is, by the way."

Donna rolled her eyes and shook her head with a smile. There was no sense in trying to get a word in right now. He was happy. He was excited. He was going to ramble on a mile a minute and not stop to even take a breath.

"So Reskoria," he continued as he pressed his hand lightly against Donna's lower back to walk her toward the TARDIS. "Has life forms very similar to what you have on Earth. And while they are very similar in their shape and share the same basic physiological behaviours, they have very different colouring to what they have on Earth. Take their version of the Swan, for instance. Not like Earth Swans in that they just wallow around in rivers and ponds and generally fall victim to all sorts of pond lice and what-not. No. Their species is actually quite intelligent with a very intricate form of communication that has seen them rise up out of the food chain and actually take a leadership role on Reskorian society." He opened the TARDIS door and walked them both into the console room. "And get this. They're blue. A bright and brilliant shade of blue that has even the old girl herself wheezing in jealousy."

He suddenly let out a gasp of remembrance. "Rose!" He victoriously slammed his palms on the console, twisted, and then down along the main corridor toward the living quarters. "The Swan! I finally figured out what it actually was!"