Salt- Final Chapter

Did you miss me? :D Sorry for completely disappearing off of the radar...but Uni saps my time. I mean, when I'm not in lectures or studying, I'm sleeping/drinking coffee...

You all knew this would come...eventually... :p

A sequel is in hastily-scribbled note form...not sure what it'll be called...maybe 'Wolves and Ashes'? More angst to come, of course [heh].

I don't usually ask this much...but please review. I'm quite rusty... xD

Bliss

Benevolent stars wink at each other in the half-dark, casting their glow on the two weary travellers. One positively radiating happiness; the other deep in contemplation, able to feel said other's happy swells of content.

And, yet, despite everything, there's the tiniest glimmer of doubt.

Him, born out of blood, and war, and anger. It only made her so much easier to love, but he wanted a share in it, too. He still couldn't quite grasp that her mind was untainted, even if a hollow dimness lingered around her eyes.

And…couldn't. Time Lord neuroses crept through the human barriers. The cold prickled at his flesh, damp seeping from the rain-speckled ground through his trousers.

Not pinstriped ones.

After all, there had to be some kind of thing that separated, well, this him from the Other. In the beginning he was left glaring at his reflection. Hating it. Self-loathing. His thoughts had even lapsed onto the notion of plastic surgery.

Only human, he dismissed. He was loathe to do something so dramatic, that would show clear his insecurity.

And, yet: he had coped. Somehow. Impossibility wasn't something he considered, but –now- there were no more far-reaching stars, new horizons and brand spanking new civilizations to discover.

Maybe.

His mind flicked to the mineral lump now sitting on the mantelpiece, oh, about a mile away, in their apartment. Would have to move her soon as well. A wry smile crept onto his lips at the memory of his other old girl.

Warmth pressed itself into his chest, the pressure making his single pulse flicker in tandem with Rose's own.

A sigh, deep and heavy, through his nose.

This is home now. They had more to discover – this was just the beginning. Through the frustration, tears and admittances…those were just a preliminary to this, this wonderful, stupid, horrible, perfect life.

Human. Life. Not lives. But no longer alone.

Another glance at the stars saw them fade into the ether, smothered by nightly clouds and the hazy, waxing moon. Like when he was born, in the midst of terror.

Stop. He wasn't supposed to be like this anymore, he had to let her help him. Heal him. Again. And oh how he tried. Not being reticent in showing Rose how he truly, really felt.

After all, he wasn't the scared, lonely little boy who armored himself with a long coat, obscure regard and apparently one hell of a gob.

Well…He still had that, there was no denying, he smiled inwardly, one palm creeping round to her front, settling on hers, over her jacket-clad abdomen. A sudden thought struck him as he thumbed the material, his skin only a few layers away from somewhere so amazingly capable of life. The process of genetic extraction and creating a child in the Looms was all well, but nothing compared this- the marvel of life.

The image of her, swollen and burgeoning with his child –his- struck a note of pride. Would she even want that- children? Despite the lack of a current TARDIS, their lives were not built for domesticity. Could he do that, put an infant in that danger? Subject it to death following their every wake?

The ghost of a frown settled. No. It wasn't. But he suddenly wanted that badly. With her. Like in 1913, a whole volume of pages came to life: white petals, cheering crowds. Euphoric happiness.

A shudder went through Rose and she pressed more tightly into him, feeling his swell of content through their link. That particular explanation had gone down better than expected- after all, it had many benefits. It only amplified the physical side of their live –something very recent, mind- to fever pitch, and whilst he'd babbled about them not being genetically compatible…something tugged at the corners of his mind.

'Oh.'

Was that..? He dove further, bearing in mind what happened last time curiosity got the better of him. Yeah, it gave you this. Isn't that for the better? The Doctor never would've.

Maybe if he's been given the chance..?

What chance? Bloody coward, that one. Said so himself.

Ah. Of course. At the heart of the Gamestation, locking eyes [or eye] with the Dalek Emperor, taunted as the foe, the heathen, willing him to kill both mutant Kaled and Human, with no distinction. He didn't. It would mean sacrificing Rose too.

And that wouldn't mean this, here, now.

The faintest threads of dusky red wrapped themselves around his silver aura, barely hanging. It –whatever it was- had very weak telepathic skills. Or…it was very young, barely out of the embryonic stage, maybe not even that…

His heart skipped, one, twice, his dark eyes widening so there was an equal expanse of white to brown.

Rose felt his whole body stiffen against the curve of her back, fingers digging into the hip, oddly silent. She craned her neck to see his wide, wide eyes. And that look she rarely saw.

One only reserved for those spectacular times. A look of stupefaction. Emotion so strong he looked almost confused by it.

'Wha'?'

'Oh, Rose…' The grin was softer than usual, but still split his face in two.

He turned round, their noses brushing, misty breaths encroaching on hers.

'How would you feel about being a mum?'

A tall, reedy figure watched from the slope of the grassy mound, the very corners of his lips curling wistfully. For him it was very much déjà vu. One of the couple let out a whoop of joy and proceeding to pounce on the other, almost sending them tumbling downhill in their lost moment. Their bliss was almost tangible.

With a last glance at the winking stars, he turned tail and headed into the depths of his ship. Leaving the night, rightly so, to the man he would never be. The one adventure he could never have.