Author's Notes: As promised. More at the end. Happy reading! Oh, and I don't own anything.

Donna had no idea what to make of the sudden turn of events in her life. Her main emotion was concern for Zoe, but she still found the rest of it bloody confusing.

"Okay," said Donna, trying to work her way through the thought process, "he was human when I met him, but now he's not?"

Jack the elder shrugged. "It must have been some sort of biodata transformation matrix."

Donna nodded. "And you travelled with him in time and space? And so did Sarah Jane?"

"Yes," said Sarah Jane, "but he was a different man then."

"What's that mean?"

"We can talk more about that later," said Sarah Jane.

"When he dies, he changes bodies," said Rose.

"What?!"

"Thank you, Rose," Jack muttered as he looked out the window.

"What? I'm the one with the right to be mad!," said Rose. "You were all hiding the Doctor from me, going behind my back!"

Donna turned to Rose. "I'm sorry, did you ever stop and think maybe this isn't about you, you little twit?!"

Rose's jaw dropped. "You've got no right! You're just some woman the Doctor fell in love with when he was human!"

"Rose, shut up," warned Jackie.

"I'm sorry, Mum, but it'll be different now, won't it? The Doctor doesn't do domestic."

"Rose, seriously, stop it," said Jack the elder.

"What does that mean?," asked Charlotte. She looked at her mum. "Is Dad leaving us?"

"The TARDIS wouldn't let him," said Jack the younger. "She likes us."

"She doesn't like Rose," said Jamie.

"I'm not surprised there," said Jackie.

"Mum!"

Zoe shook in the coldness of the Family's ship. They had dragged her in and left her. The place was so strange. She didn't know how to get out.

The four walked in. They looked like ordinary people, but she knew they weren't.

"The others changed," said the old man, "so can she."

The younger man walked over to her. "Change!"

Zoe shook her head. "I don't know what you mean."

"Change!," demanded Hector.

"Your other spawn mates changed, so can you," said the woman.

Hector took her by the shoulders and shook her. "Change!

Zoe began crying. She wanted her mummy, wanted her daddy, she wanted to go home and hug Greta. She would give anything just to be able to go home again.

"What's it doing?," asked the girl with disgust.

That only made Zoe sob more.

"Oh, that's not nice."

Zoe looked up and saw the Doctor entering the ship. The Family looked at him stunned.

Hector sniffed. "The Time Lord is gone."

"Yeah," said the Doctor, holding up a fob watch. "All in here." He bumped into a control. "Whoops. Sorry. Yeah, changed myself back. Look, I'll give this to you. My life force, all in here. I just want my daughter back."

The Family looked at each other in confusion. The Doctor bumped into another control. "Whoops. Sorry about that."

"He's made himself into an idiot," said the woman in running clothes.

"So, yeah, either eat just me and get nothing," he said, bumping into another control. "Take this and it's all yours. Just give me her."

Hector held his hand out. The Doctor tossed it as the Goth girl shoved Zoe forward. He made a grab for her.

"Daddy!"

"It's alright," he said, kissing her on the cheek.

"Stupid man, did you really think we would let you go?" Hector looked at the others. "Family of mine, now we will have the lives of a Time Lord."

He opened the watch and they waited for...

Nothing. Nothing happened.

They looked at the Doctor in amazement.

"You know, actually, I didn't," said the Doctor, securing Zoe as he held her. "And you know, actually, oh, I think the explanation might be you've been fooled by a simple olfactory misdirection, little bit like ventriloquism of the nose. It's an elementary trick in certain parts of the galaxy. But it has got to be said that I don't like the looks of that hydroconometer. It seems to be indicating you've got energy feedback all the way through the retrostabilizers feeding back into the primary heat converter. Because if there's one thing you shouldn't have done, you shouldn't have let me press all those buttons. But, in fairness, I will give you one word of advice, run."

The Doctor bolted out with Zoe attached around his neck. He grinned down at her and she smiled back at him.

The blast of the ship propelled them forward, causing them to fall on the ground. The Doctor sat back up.

"Are you alright?," he asked Zoe.

"Yeah."

The Doctor stood and faced the family as they laid on the ground, looking up at him. They were at his mercy. He had had enough of being kind, look where it had gotten him.

"You want to live forever, well, let's see about that, shall we? I bet I can make that happen. Maybe you'd like to be in the event horizon of a collapsing star? Ever seen that? Nothing but darkness and death forever? Or what about you? Unbreakable chains forged in the heart of a dwarf star, that ought to do, trapped in a dying galaxy, yeah, big fella, that ought to-"

He stopped. Zoe was sobbing behind him. He looked back at her. Such a tiny, fragile little body, curled over herself as she shook from the force of her own tears.

He had frightened her.

He knelt down. "Zoe, Zoe, I'm sorry. Don't cry."

"Are you going to do that?" She looked terrified. She was looking at him as if he was a monster, some creature that had just taken the form of her father.

He didn't want to be that.

He looked back at the Family as they cowered, then back to Zoe.

"No. No. I won't. I'm sorry, please forgive me-"

Zoe screamed, the Doctor looked behind him to see Hector had risen and was opening his mouth. The Doctor threw himself over Zoe and then was surprised to hear the sound of machine gun fire.

Hector fell to the ground.

"That's enough, men!," he heard the Brigadier say. "Forward!"

The Doctor popped his head up. "Brig! Hello!"

"Uncle Ali?," asked Zoe.

"Hello, Zoe," said the Brig. He grimaced. "Hello, Doctor."

The UNIT soldiers began rounding up the other members of the family and cuffing them.

"So," said the Brig, "Doctor, what do we do with them?"

The Doctor looked. "Lock them up. Let them spend the rest of their lives together."

"Very well."

"Donna and the children?"

"Fine."

"The TARDIS?"

"Do you mean yours or the blue box at UNIT?"

The Doctor paused. "I meant mine."

"Fine."

"Daddy," said Zoe.

The Doctor kissed her on the forehead. "I know. Me, too."

Donna watched through the window, waiting for any sign of the Doctor and Zoe. Greta sat next to her on the window seat. She looked up next to her to see Jackie holding two cups of tea.

"Hope you don't mind," said Jackie, "I put your kettle on."

"No," said Donna, taking the cup. "Thanks."

Jackie shook her head. "Sorry about Rose. My daughter, she doesn't know when to quit sometimes."

"She travelled with him?," asked Donna.

"Yeah, until he left her."

"Left her?," asked Donna.

"Christmas Day. That ship over London, that was him."

Donna shook her head. "That was him?"

"Oh, and remember when Downing Street got hit by a missile? That was him. Well, Mickey did most of it."

Donna took another sip of her tea. Greta barked and she looked out the window to see the Doctor carrying Zoe up the road.

Donna rushed out.

"Mummy!," shouted Zoe.

Donna ran towards her and grabbed her from the Doctor.

"Oh, God," said Donna. "Oh, thank you, God. My baby."

"I was so scared, Mummy."

"Of course you were. My poor little girl. We'll get you a bath and I'll make you hot chocolate and then you are never leaving my sight!"

Donna started inside the house.

"Doctor!," called Rose.

The Doctor sighed and turned. He saw Jack behind her back at the rear of one of the UNIT trucks shaking his head. She ran towards him.

"Aren't you going to say anything to me?," asked Rose.

"What am I meant to say, Rose?"

"You and I... I thought..."

"No," said the Doctor. "That's over. I have another life now and Rose Tyler, you have got to find one of your own."

He walked away.

"That day, you were mad at me about the Daleks," said Rose.

The Doctor stopped and turned.

"I did it for you," said Rose.

"Yes," said the Doctor. "You know what worries me most?"

"No," said Rose.

"That doesn't scare you."

The Doctor turned and walked away.

Donna had a lot of work to do putting her household to bed this night. She had to see that her grandfather was alright and Sarah Jane took him home. This was followed by a call from Sylvia demanding to know what the hell had happened and why was Wilf saying John was an alien? After she put that discussion off with a series of excuses, Zoe was the biggest concern. She finally set her down with Greta as protection. Then the boys were as wild as they had ever been with Cousin Jack around, not to mention all the fancy UNIT things in their front path. Jack obligingly helped her wrangle them and got them to bed. Then it was finally off to Charlotte who had been sitting up in her room for hours,

"Charlotte?," said Donna. "It's time you went to sleep."

Charlotte shook her head. "What am I?"

Donna frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not human. What am I then?"

"Well," said Donna, sitting on the edge of the bed, "you're Charlotte Elizabeth Smith, you're beautiful, you're clever, you're talented, you're apparently a bit of a singer and you are my daughter. You're loved."

"Dad's standing on the other side of the door," said Charlotte.

The Doctor opened the door sheepishly. "Uh, yes."

"Why can I do that?!," Charlotte shrieked.

"That's enough," said Donna. She kissed her on the forehead. "Go to sleep and we'll sort it all in the morning. I'm sure your dad will be happy to help."

"I will," said the Doctor.

Donna shut the door on the master bedroom. She walked over and sat down on the bed.

"You are?," she began.

"I'm the Doctor."

She shook her head. "Your mother called you 'The Doctor'?"

"No, I chose it."

"And you're from?"

"Gallifrey."

"I thought you went to school there. You said it was in Ireland."

The Doctor shook his head. "It's definitely not in Ireland."

"Okay..." She sighed. "The children. What about them?"

"I used a device in my ship to transform myself. It's called a Chameleon Arch. I didn't realize that there was a fail safe in case I reproduced. The watches and Charlotte's locket transformed them into Time Lords, at least partially. I'll have to do a closer study to be certain."

"The baby?"

"There was no fail safe on the baby. She is part Time Lord."

"She?"

"Oh, right. I might have done a quick scan with my sonic screwdriver while you weren't looking. I'm sorry. I didn't think Time Lords and Humans were genetically compatible, so I didn't take any precautions-"

"You don't apologize for a baby," said Donna. "At least I know she's alright."

"I am sorry for that. I was going to tell you after the talent show. I didn't want you to worry any more."

"Okay," said Donna. "What do you do now? Do you have to report back in or something? Do I have to meet alien in-laws?"

The Doctor shook his head. "There's no one."

Donna looked up. "What do you mean no one?"

"Uh, they're all gone. There was a war with this race called the Daleks and Gallifrey, well, it burned. It had to, otherwise the whole of creation would have been destroyed."

"Well, there had to be other survivors..."

"No, there's no one. I would know. I would be able to feel it."

"So, what are you going to do now?"

The Doctor looked up. "Oh."

"They said you travel. That's what you do. Will you leave us?"

"Do I have to?"

"This was an accident, right? You can't have wanted this."

"Donna, where do you think I'm going?"

She was silent. The Doctor knelt down in front of her.

"There is nowhere better than here with you and the children. I mean, there are things out there to see, new worlds, new galaxies, but I couldn't enjoy them knowing you were back here. I couldn't do it alone. Not anymore."

"What are you saying?"

"Come with me."

"What? Pack up the kids in your outer space phone box caravan? I don't think so."

"If you tried it-"

"Doctor, I can't. I'm not ready. This is all too much."

"Right," said the Doctor.

"I have to know more. These are my children and I can't just-"

"I know," said the Doctor.

"It doesn't mean never," said Donna.

"And me?," asked the Doctor. "Do you want me to go?"

Donna shook her head. "No."

"You're not angry?," asked the Doctor.

"I understand," said Donna. "You were scared."

"Oh, Donna, you are amazing," said the Doctor.

"Stop it," said Donna.

"I will not."

Donna took a breath. "Just one more thing. About Zoe. I don't want her to open that locket if she doesn't choose it."

"No," said the Doctor. "Not unless she chooses it."

"Also," said Donna, "I'm going to need to hear why you blew up Downing Street."

The Doctor had parked the TARDIS on the top floor, just outside the eaves storage. The childen and Greta looked at him anxiously as Donna watched.

"Okay, we're going to have a look inside. A look!," he warned. "We're not going anywhere. We're just looking around and doing some scans."

The kids looked forlorn.

"And your Dad is going to show you some things about where he's from," said Donna. She looked up at the Doctor. "Isn't that right?"

"Yes," he said. The Doctor opened the door and the kids rushed in.

"Aren't you coming, Mummy?," asked Zoe.

"No, I've got to go through the eaves storage and look at the baby things."

"We can do that later," said the Doctor.

"You all start. I'll join you in a bit," said Donna.

"Don't be long," said the Doctor.

"Don't take my children to Venus," snorted Donna.

The Doctor smiled as he took Zoe by the hand and walked into the TARDIS.

Donna walked over to the end of the eaves storage. She opened the door up. She had leftovers from four children in there. She did a quick look through the clothes, some of Zoe's things would still be alright for a baby girl and the toys would need to be brought down. They would have to move Jack into the spare bedroom upstairs so the nursery could be on the same floor as their bedroom.

She wasn't really looking for that, though.

She pulled out a cedar box. Inside was the lacy, white family Christening gown, the one she had worn. The one all the babies had worn, well, except Jamie, they had to get a spare. He was too squirmy as a baby for it anyway. There were photos of her in it, Sylvia holding her proudly. Her dad and grandparents looking on.

Then was another thing. The thing Donna had tried to block from memory until she laid Zoe's locket to rest on her night table.

There was a small box with circles on it. She opened it revealing another locket with the same writing.

She shook her head as she took it in her hand.

No. She was Geoffrey and Sylvia Noble's daughter. Donna. She was nothing special.

"Daughter..." the locket seemed to whisper. "It's nearly time."

Donna shut the locket back in the box and the box back in a bigger box. She wanted to shove it inside concrete and toss it in the ocean.

"Donna!," called the Doctor. "I can help you with that later! I want to show you the garden!"

"Coming!," called Donna.

She walked down to the TARDIS where the Doctor stood in the doorway.

"Come on," he said, taking her hand.

Donna looked around in amazement. It was so big, so organic, so right. She found herself surprised it didn't seem more cold, more alien.

"This is your ship?"

"She's called the TARDIS."

The ship purred.

"She likes you," said the Doctor. "Seems to like the children. Mind you, she has zapped Jamie a few times already, but that's only because he puts his hands everywhere."

Donna ran her fingers along the console. "When you became human, she chose where you went?"

"Yes."

"Did she say why?"

The Doctor shrugged. "I don't know. I assumed it was so Sarah Jane could take care of me. I'm glad she chose where she did, though."

"Yeah," smiled Donna, "me too."

"Come on," said the Doctor. "Want to see a Bitizedian violet?"

"You're sure you're alone?," asked Donna.

"No," said the Doctor.

Donna froze in anxious anticipation of what his next words would be.

"I have you all, don't I?"

"Yeah," said Donna. "You do."

He held out his hand and Donna took it as they walked further into the TARDIS.

Author's Notes: Thank you all for your reads and reviews. I hope you liked it and if you want to review, that would be awesome. I started this story so looking forward to the idea of having a story that started and finished but, I kind of need a sequel now. I don't have the details on that, but I have another story I need to get under control first. Thanks again.

A/N Update 10/19: The sequel is entitled "The Most Extraordinary Life" and it's up now.