Home, the long way round [1]

Chapter 17 - Death of the Doctor

“You are rambling, sweetie.” Maddie comment.

Then Jo looked at him. “So, you've a married couple in the Tardis.”

“Mister and Mrs Pond.” The Doctor hummed.

“Williams, dear.” Maddie corrected him. “Lets not confuse them.” The Doctor stuck out his tong. “Child!”

“I’m not.” The Doctor comment.

“Yes, you are.” Maddie countered. Sarah Jane smiled at them, she was glad that the Doctor found someone, to spend his time with.

Jo looked hurt. “I only left you because I got married. Did you think I was stupid?”

The Doctor frowned. “Why do you say that?”

“I was a bit dumb.” Jo shrugged. “Still am, I suppose.”

“Now what in the world would make you think that, ever, ever, ever?” The Doctor asked.

“We'd been travelling down the Amazon for months, and we reached a village in Cristalino, and it was the only place in thousands of miles that had a telephone, so I called you.” Jo explained. “I just wanted to say hello. And they told me that you'd left, left UNIT, never came back. So I waited and waited, because you said you'd see me again. You did, I asked you and you said yes. You promised. So I thought, one day, I'd hear that sound, Deep in the jungle, I'd hear that funny wheezing noise, and a big blue box right in the middle of the rainforest. You see, he wouldn't just leave. Not forever. Not me. I've waited my whole silly life.”

“But you're an idiot.” The Doctor told her.

“Rude.” Maddie comment, she gave him a look.

He winced, he didn’t like it when she looked like that. “Sorry. I’m not ginger.” He finished cheeky.

Maddie slapped his arm. “Oh god, sometimes you are a idiot.”

“Hehe.” The Doctor sighed.

“Well, there we have it.” Jo sighed.

The Doctor blinked. “No, but don't you see? How could I ever find you? You've spent the past forty years living in huts, climbing up trees, tearing down barricades. You've done everything from flying kites on Kilimanjaro to sailing down the Yangtze in a tea chest. Not even the Tardis could pin you down.”

“Hold on.” Jo looked at him surprised. “I did sail down the Yangtze in a tea chest. How did you know?”

The Doctor smiled. “And that family. All seven kids, twelve grandchildren, thirteenth on his way. He's dyslexic but that'll be fine. Great swimmer.”

“So you've been watching me all this time?” Jo wondered.

The Doctor looked a bit sad. “No. Because you're right, I don't look back. I can't. But the last time I was dying, I looked back on all of you. Every single one. And I was so proud.”

Jo grinned. “It really is you, isn't it?”
“Hello.” The Doctor comment to her, happily.

“Sorry, but we've got that lot back at home with the Shansheeth.” Sarah Jane interrupted their conversation.

“Yes, yes.” The Doctor nodded. “And I still need you, Jo. Now, that bag of yours, I can smell blackcurrant. Is it buchu oil?”

“Hand-picked in Mozambique.” Jo grabbed it and handed it over.

The Doctor grinned. “Oh, perfect. These circuits need connectivity. Wonderful.” He placed it over as then a drop fell. “Little tiddly drop. That's it. What a team. There. That should work. Intergalactic molecular streaming, with just a hint of blackcurrant.”