‘No,’ she admitted, with a shy smile.

The Doctor grinned widely. ‘It’s nice to see that there can be happy endings after all,’ he said. ‘And no story with a mistreated girl who gets to be queen, marries for love and ends up with the pick of the litter can possibly be bad. Which one have you chosen?’

‘I’m still deciding,’ Donna admitted. ‘I like the smoky‐grey one. She’s got spirit. Did your story have a happy ending?’

‘She’s cute,’ the Doctor agreed. ‘But I’d choose the tabby myself. I’ve a weakness for tabbies. And my story hasn’t ended yet. Great happiness mixed with great sadness. The transmuter’s destroyed, the Master’s paid for his crimes with his life – well, one of them at least – and I think Susan’s all right now.’

‘And what’s the downside?’ asked Donna.

‘I still haven’t found Sam,’ the Doctor said. ‘A lot of very good people died.’ He sighed. ‘And my coat was ruined. But every progress has its price.’

Donna turned to Becca: ‘I’m going to take the grey one, and I shall name her after you,’ she announced.

‘All right,’ Becca agreed, thrilled as Donna picked up her chosen kitten.

‘Will it work, Doctor?’ Donna asked, turning her attention back to him. ‘You’ve seen the future, haven’t you? Will the reunification plan work?’

‘Tomorrow?’ The Doctor nodded. ‘Yes. The day after?’ He shook his head. ‘You don’t need to know. You’ll find out as it happens.’ He brushed the straw off his trousers and stood up. ‘Well, I have to be off again. I just stopped by to check on things and to reassure you that you didn’t have to worry about the Master or the transmuter.’

‘Or the Daleks?’ Donna asked.

The Doctor shook his head. ‘As I said, the Daleks are like cockroaches – no matter how many you kill, there always seem to be more. But they won’t be your problem.’ He gazed into the distance. ‘I wish I could say that they won’t be mine, but I know better.’

Becca scooped up the tabby the Doctor had been admiring. ‘For you,’ she offered.

The Doctor looked down at the tiny bundle and smiled. ‘I don’t know that I could give him a good home,’ he apologised. ‘But thank you for offering.’ He smiled at Donna. ‘That generosity of spirit is one reason why I like you humans so much.’

Becca didn’t understand what he was talking about, but she couldn’t help liking him. ‘You can give him love, can’t you?’ she asked.

‘Yes,’ agreed the Doctor gently. ‘I think I could do that.’

Author’s Note

Many thanks to Jason C. Penny for his invaluable comments on matters Gallifreyan, and to Dave Becker, who helped out with Susan’s life story. Don’t blame them for any mistakes that may have managed to sneak in, though. I’m sure the real reason is a computer virus…

And thanks to Becky and Luann for tea, and Kate Nation for gracious hospitality and lots of amusing stories.

The Doctor continues his search for Sam in the following novels:

Dreamstone Moon

by Paul Leonard

(May 1998)

Seeing I

by Jonathan Blum and Kate Orman

(June 1998)

Published by BBC Books

an imprint of BBC Worldwide Publishing

BBC Worldwide Ltd, Woodlands, 80 Wood Lane,

London W12 0TT

First published 1998

Reprinted 1999

Copyright © John Peel 1998

The moral right of the author has been asserted

Original series broadcast on the BBC

Format © BBC 1963

Doctor Who and TARDIS are trademarks of the BBC

ISBN 0 563 40574 0

Imaging by Black Sheep, copyright © BBC 1998

Printed and bound in Great Britain by Mackays of Chatham

Cover printed by Belmont Press Ltd, Northampton