[On the Run] Exit Stage Left

[nevermindtherunning]

It took three days to return back to the TARDIS, right where they had left it by the Great Wall. News hadn't arrived of the emperor, and to that, the Doctor was relieved. They were able to give a poor villager the horse and anonymously go their own way back on foot to the TARDIS.

He and Donna looked a little worn, but it was to be expected given what they had been through and their mutual determination to move as quickly as possible back to the TARDIS. Once unlocked and inside, he closed the door and placed his forehead against the cool door. Without a word, he stayed there, palm on door, just breathing slowly in and out.

And a moment later, he spun on his feet, looking up at the coral struts and the control console. It was over, wasn't it? Everything was over? They caught the time vortex and were sent back to their time, hadn't they? And now it was just Donna and himself.

"All of time and space, anywhere in the entire universe and you want to go to the beach." He offers Donna a smile as he walked up to the console, slowly pressing buttons and locking onto coordinates. "The blue moons of Xerxes VI, the most beautiful flowers you can imagine in infinite colors on Matapooshta, the longest waterfall in the galaxy is on Scwetzguld; you can't even see the bottom from the top or the top from the bottom! And you want to go to the beach." There's something endearing in his tone of voice.

Comments

[noblexcompanion]

Donna leaned against the railing, curling her hands around it. She had a smile on her face but it did little to disguise the exhaustion and the sadness she was feeling inside. She knew once she got into the safe sanctity of her bedroom she would break down. She'd been trying so hard to stay strong for the Doctor, to keep pushing onwards until they could reach the TARDIS, it'd drained her.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with a beach! You know what to expect with a beach - golden sands, blue seas, warm sun, and ice cream. It's safe. Besides, you've promised me a beach forever and we still haven't gotten there." Those other places sounded amazing though and Donna would gladly visit each and every one of them with him.

She pushed herself off of the railing and moved closer to him. "Wherever we're going can wait until I've had a bath and a sleep though. I reckon I got half of China's dirt on me. And we need a good cup of tea and..." She paused, "... can I have a hug?"

[nevermindtherunning]

"OH YES!" He grinned like a loon before wrapping his arms around her, lifting her up with the momentum and spun her 90 degrees.

For what it was worth, he was happy this was all potentially over; happy to be back in the TARDIS; happy that they were safe and in one piece and relatively unharmed.

"Have a bath and we'll talk later, yeah?" He imagined he probably reeked himself.

[noblexcompanion]

Donna clung to him for a little longer than was strictly necessary. She would cling to him forever if she could, but that wasn't an option. But at least one of them was happy, right? Or seemed happy. It was hard to tell with the Doctor sometimes.

"Yeah, alright Spaceman." She let go of him and trudged off for a bath. Well, a bath and a bit of a cry. But that was just between her and the TARDIS. Girls needed their little secrets sometimes.

She eventually dragged herself out of the lovely, hot, bubbly water and towelled herself off. She wrapped herself up in a fluffy gown and ventured to the kitchen to make some well earned mugs of tea.

[nevermindtherunning]

The Doctor was far, far from happy. The shower was freezing cold as he stood under its stream, not even bothering changing it, and really, it didn't affect him anyway given his lower core temperature. One palm was on the wall, steadying himself as he watched apathetically as the grime and dirt washed down the drain at his feet. He counted his breaths, 1...2...3...1...2..3...4...1...2...

Not so much like a Time Lord, he didn't know how long he stood there, he actually lost track of time before the TARDIS cut off the water as it kicked into conservation mode. Right, Donna was making tea, wasn't she?

She's alright; you're alright. Donna is safe. He told himself as he towel-dried his hair before wrapping said towel around his waist. It was all routine from here: t-shirt, dress shirt, pin-stripped trousers, socks, clean trainers. He forgoes the jacket or fixing his hair as he finally made an appearance in the kitchen. "Oh... a nice cuppa!"

[noblexcompanion]

"Good cup of tea fixes everything, so my Nan always used to say." She slid one mug towards him, prepared just the way he liked - even including the extra sugar she usually told him off for. She could make an exception, just this once.

She slid the extra two mugs back into the cupboard. There was no use for them now and it felt strange. The TARDIS felt empty without John and Rose. It would take some getting use to again.

"So, does this mean there will be no more Shadow Hunters on our backs?"

[noblexcompanion]

She continued to tease her fingers through his hair, raking her nails over his scalp lightly.

"That's rubbish and you know it! You're not toxic, just a trouble magnet. And we all know what we're letting ourselves in for when we travel with you. Me more than most." She had sought him out after initially saying no after all.

A sigh. "You need someone, Doctor."

[nevermindtherunning]

"I don't need anyone." He replies, perhaps too calmly. It was a repeat of a conversation they had upon their first meeting, and even though he thought she was right and desperately wanted to think she's right.... in the end, he was better off alone.

Always had been and always will be.

"Because of me, you nearly died at least three times back there. The emperor? The Shadow Hunters? I was so bloody reckless. And who is to say it won't happen again? I can't live with that. Not after Adric, not after Rose...." She belonged on Earth and live out her life without him.

[noblexcompanion]

"And back home I could walk out my house and get hit by a bus. Life doesn't come with guarantees, Doctor. You offer people a chance that they're never going to have otherwise. Travelling with you... it's... it's amazing. Yes, it's terrifying and some of it is terrible and heartbreaking, but I wouldn't swap it for anything else in the world."

She continued to muss his hair, trying to relax him enough that he could get some sleep.

[nevermindtherunning]

He nods silently, and then realized the stress of their 'adventure' was finally catching up to him, as well as the unresolved feelings with Rose. When he walked away from the beach, he pushed that all away from him, and even more so when he had to wipe Donna's memories.

"All I ever wanted was exactly that. To show Susan the universe, that there was so much to see and see it first hand, not far away. To make friends, to explore, to laugh! Not death, not loss or destruction, not fear!" He felt something at the corner of his eye, and once upon bringing his hand up, he realized it was tears burning at his eyes.

[noblexcompanion]

"Don't get me wrong, I love a good beach, but I don't want to waste my last trip on some silly beach when I can go anywhere and anywhen. The star cascade is supposed to be really beautiful to watch."

She took a sip of her tea, welcoming the short distraction.

[nevermindtherunning]

His energy is renewed as he quickly rushes off to freshen up, grab an apple from the kitchen and find his place at the TARDIS console. "It's absolutely brilliant, Donna! Oh, you'll love it!"

A flurry of fingers locking in the coordinates, and a throw down of the lever, before he looks over with a wide smile. "Ready?"

[noblexcompanion]

She didn't share the same level of enthusiasm. Sure, she was excited to go and see the stars. But it didn't take away that sick feeling in her stomach that it was probably going to be her last trip.

Dressed, ready and fuelled with tea she joined him at the console. "Ready."

[nevermindtherunning]

There was a bit of a sway to the TARDIS as she flew and finally the 'thud' sounded as they landed. He met her eyes, wide with mirth, before urging her to go to the door. He managed to find his brown coat and slipped it on just before throwing open the door. "Ah, Cotter Palluni's World!" A fierce wind hit their faces the moment, before anything else as they stepped out on the cliffs.

The land was a bit rugged and dry, but the skies were of various shades of dark purples and blues with clouds streaked with lightening.

"Aw, I haven't been here forever." He smiles appreciatively.

[noblexcompanion]

Donna laughed. "You and your little shops. You should open a shop of your own. I can just picture you nattering with all the customers and offering them cups of tea." It was one heck of a retirement plan.

Still, shopping definitely beat thinking about going home. "Come on, Spaceman! Let's go. Let's go. Shopping time's a wasting."

[nevermindtherunning]

"Yeah? They might not like my sugar usage." He comments wryly as they enter the shop. He browsed through some of the odds and ends, offered a smile to various patrons of the store and did infact manage to find some tea worth trying.

Although when Donna came around, "Your only option it that one there." Which smelled like mildewed tree bark, "The rest are toxic to humans." A shrug.

[noblexcompanion]

Ugh. The smell alone was enough to make her want to retch. It churned her stomach and made her want to puke. That wasn't tea, it was yuck in a cup. "Um, I'm fine. I think I'll pass, ta. How about a regular glass of nice, natural water?"

You know, that didn't smell funky and wasn't poisonous...

[nevermindtherunning]

He pointed in the direction she should go as he made his selection and picked out a few odds and ends to take with him later. As he waited for Donna outside the shop, he made some small talk with some of the visitors and was caught in an explanation of how Cinnamon was beneficial for the wound healing in one planet's race when she appeared.

"Ah, Donna!" He excused himself and joined her.

[noblexcompanion]

Donna sucked in a breath and turned her attention back to the storm. That wasn't a tear rolling down her cheek. It was a trick of the light. Honest. Yep, just the light and not a tear at all.

And that definitely wasn't another tear joining it.

[nevermindtherunning]

He lies there, watching the storm, stewing in his own thoughts until he looks over and sees her furiously wiping at her face. Great, Doctor, making your best mate cry.

A hand reaches up and rubs her back, trying to be comforting. "Don't be upset with me, Donna, please. Don't."

[noblexcompanion]

His comforting only brought a fresh round of tears that she tried desperately to wipe away. Stupid tears. Stupid emotions.

"Silly Spaceman, I could never be upset at you." Well, she could. She had gotten upset with him plenty of times.

"I'm fine."

[nevermindtherunning]

"I just need to be alone for a while; I've put you through far too much. It's too dangerous." He sits up and pulls her into a hug, "Please understand, yeah? I don't want you to be upset."

He was a bit upset himself, and seeing her like this was a bit heartsbreaking.

[noblexcompanion]

The tears she's been trying so hard to keep in roll down her cheeks. How can it be anything but an ending? He doesn't get it. He shows people the stars and then takes it away from them and expects them to just carry on.

She swallows hard, wiping at her eyes. "Never know, this time next year I might be prime minister. Or... I dunno... an author." Or still just a temp.

"Right then. Last stop, Chiswick."

[nevermindtherunning]

"There you go!" He doesn't catch onto her depressing thoughts as he looked at the suit cases and grabs a couple.

Once in the console room, luggage by the door, he wraps Donna in a big hug, whispering, "Thank you, Donna. Know I couldn't have done any of this without you and I'm sorry, so sorry for putting you in a such danger." Words couldn't express his regret over that. There wasn't anything she could say or do to replace that realization that he was too dangerous, made too many risks, potentially harmed his friends. Living with that every single second in the day nagged at him and dug him further into his personal angst. He didn't need anyone, and surly could barely live with himself for what had happened to Donna.

[noblexcompanion]

Donna clings to him, wrapping her arms around him as tight as she can. If this is to be her last ever hug with him, then she's going to make it count. She just wishes she could make him see that he shouldn't be alone and that despite the danger being with him is where people want to be.

"It's definitely been an adventure and a half. Seems so long ago since I went for an 'interview' with TARDIS Enterprises. I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat though. Danger and all."

And if this is likely to be her last ever chance, there's one more thing she needs to do. Something she has wanted to do for ages. Curling her hand against the back of his head, she pulls him into a kiss.

[nevermindtherunning]

He hadn't been expecting that, but then again what exactly could he expect these days? There wasn't anything to clue him into being universally accused to being a criminal, to have to run around and repair time lines, to see Rose again. But Donna had been through so much too...

"Take care of yourself, alright?" He spoke softly when they parted, "And your grandfather." Because he had always liked him, even if he never actually said it.