Arcadia's Love (Book TWO)

One Last Good Dream

"Tell me your favourite constellation, system, solar system, galaxy, anywhere!" I laughed, taking both of his hands and spinning us around and around in the room, the red sky of our home world above us, the twin suns slowly setting into a deep purple sunset that made it dance with colour as we both laughed, my long red curls flying.

The Doctor grinned at me, his deep blue eyes now finding my emerald. "I have never cared where I was as long as I was with you." He whispered to me, making me groan as we collapsed onto the cool marble floor in a giggly heap, cuddling together as we started watching the suns set. "You are my sun, my stars, my moons, my galaxies and super nova's my Seraphina Tate. My Dragon and my Princess, you are the light that guides me through the dark. And I love you with all my hearts and being, I love you and our daughter, our precious Song who will look through the Universe with bright, sparkling eyes as she lives and learns."

This... This was more than he had ever said, and something in me twigged something was wrong. Some small feeling of dread in my hearts that I'd been trying to ignore for so long bubbled up, plaguing my mind. "What's going on, Doctor?"

"Nothing. Why do you think something is going on, Phi?" He asked me, stroking my cheek softly, playing with a wayward strand of my hair. "I just... you need to know someone loves you still, will always love you, no matter what."

"Asa, Legacy, I feel like there's something you're not telling me. That there is something big coming and you're stopping me from seeing it. I can't see you, I tried to see you at the shop, when you wandered off but... You've blocked me." I muttered, pulling away and sitting up. "If you don't really want to be with me, then just tell me. Don't make it so I get paranoid and jealous and leave you instead. I've had enough people I care about playing mind games in my head to have you do it as well."

He sat up too, wrapping his arms around me as I felt my image turn back into whoever I was now, my long brown hair, tigers eye coloured eyes and tab skin. My nails short and stubby from where I'd pulled them out and my hands swollen and twisted.

"Why do you think I would ever leave you, my wife. I married you knowing you were struggling. That you were slowly losing yourself back into the rage you had fought against for so long." My husband whispered in my ear, tucking my hair behind it. "You are my universe and I will be with you until the end of my days and even then it will be longer because I will be in your hearts."

" Doctor, tell me why you're blocking me from seeing your time line."

That made him sigh, burying his face in my hair as he pulled me onto his lap. "Because you see so much pain. You feel the Universe cry when someone dies, when a war starts and when disaster strikes. I thought feeling my pain over watching you hurt would be too much for you to handle."

Oh, why did I ever doubt him? He was always there for me, trying to limit the damage I dealt to myself and to others, even if it meant putting his own pain and heartbreak aside. "I love you. Doctor Tate. My star and moon and everything. The man who heals the destruction I cause, yet still loves me despite the pain."

"I love you no matter what. I loved you as Alpha Sigma, as the Writer, as the Dragon Warrior, as Alice Pond, as Seraphina Dark, then Pond and now as Phina Tate. I love you more than anything, apart from possibly our daughter."

Twisting around in his arms, I pressed my lips to his, the usual fireworks exploding behind my eyes as we cuddled closer to each other, clinging on as though our lives depended on it.

" You're perfect to me, no matter what happens." He smiled? His jade eyes glowing with happiness. "Now, let's make the most of this before you wake up."

The Doctor:

Our name choosing ceremony, the leavers ball, the first night we ran away together, with Artikyor, Danny's daughter Susan. When she adopted Starfall and she first regained that life that faded after 20 years of the Council.

All of these things were her favourite memories of Gallifrey, and then it all stopped because our home wasn't there anymore. Suddenly it was wiped from the skies, because they became so blood thirsty that I feared for the rest of the universe.

Now we were just cuddled under the shooting stars, me wearing my 8th face again, and her just lying as her usual self, watching them burn through the nitrogen rich atmosphere, lighting up the scenes with bright oranges, purples, greens and brilliant yellows.

" I don't ever want to wake up." She smiled sleepily. She was falling asleep in the dream, which meant that her body was starting to wake up. "But I know I can't hide from my life forever, Dear Doctor."

Oh, I really wished that she could. Because when she woke up... I would have to go to my death, meaning she would be so alone in the world. Melody, River, she would be there, but not forever. We knew what happened to our beautiful, brilliant and perfect daughter, even though we tried so hard to save her, before either of us truly knew who she was.

"I know, Seraphina. But I'll be there when you wake up still. Remember, I'll be with you until the end of my days." I smiled into her hair, my lips brushing against her forehead as I felt my own being inside her head start to drift back into my own.

Please... I just wanted more time with her. To help her get through this, so she wouldn't be too scared to go back to her family and live with people who loved her like I did. Why did I have to leave her so soon, so soon after our daughter, after Amy and Rory going home, after everything?

But I suppose nothing lasts forever and he sky above me turned into glass, shattering down onto us, sending my spiralling back into my own head as I opened my eyes, seeing Seraphina waking up in front of me.

"Hey..." I smiled, kissing her softly as her own eyes flickered open, sparkling gold for a moment as they always did before fading to their usual gorgeous brown. "Happy anniversary."

"Happy anniversary, Asa." She smiled back, sitting up and stretching. "I really feel like I need another shower."

I smirked at that, watching her slip out of the bed, with nothing on, and limp to the bathroom, her ankle practically healed now. "Want some company?"

She laughed, turning to face me in the doorway to our bathroom then. "And who's the constantly horny one? I'll be fine by myself, Asa." Then the door clicked shut.

I knew what I had to do. I didn't want to do it, but I had to know why I had to die before I did. So I could leave her a note to read after this, to tell her why I did what I did. I just hoped she forgave me.

Getting dressed quickly, I wrote her a note saying that I was going out, and would be back as soon as possible. Then I paused in the doorway to our bedroom, where we'd slept together for so many years now. It was our 234th wedding anniversary today.

And my last gift. .. It was one last dream, one last perfect memory before I died. "I love you, Seraphina Pond..."