The ocean off Bad Wolf Bay washed gently over the smooth, grey shore. The wind blew across the water, bitterly cold. A solitary brown figure stood on the sand, silhouetted against the tear-washed sky. His wild brown hair, deep brown eyes and brown and blue pinstriped suit- everything about him was brown. Everything, but the tears that rolled down his cheeks as he stared out at the sea and sky.

The slightly transparent image of another figure appeared behind him, her blond hair still despite the wind, her black-jacketed arms hanging by her sides. She approached the man, who turned to face her.

"Where are you?"

Her voice echoed as she answered, "Inside the TARDIS. There's one tiny little gap in the universe left; just about to close. And it takes a lot of power to send this projection; I'm in orbit around a supernova... I'm burning up a sun, just to say goodbye."

He shook his head in disbelief, "You look like a ghost."

"Hold on." She pulled out her sonic screwdriver and fiddled with something, and her image solidified.

He took a few steps closer, "Can I-?"

She shook her head, "I'm still just an image. Don't touch."

"Can't you come through properly?"

She didn't take her eyes off his, "The whole thing would fracture. Two universes would collapse."

"So?"

She smiled slightly, the sadness showing through it. He looked away for a second, but she still didn't take her eyes off him. She looked at the bay, "Where are we? Where did the gap come out?"

"In Norway."

"Norway, right," she nodded, afraid of what was coming.

"About 50 miles out of Bergen. It's called Dålig Ulv Stranden."

"Dalek?" she asked, shocked.

"Dålig. It's Norwegian for bad. This translates as Bad Wolf Bay." They both smiled slightly, but his tears kept falling from his lashes.

His voice caught in his throat, "How long have you got?"

She looked at him sadly, "About two minutes."

He ran his hand through his hair, a smile breaking through the tears, "I can't think of what to say!"

They both laughed a little, and then looked at each other again. She looked past him, at a group of three people standing out on the beach in front of a truck, further along. "I suppose you've still got Joan, though."

He smiled, "Actually, there are five of us; Mum, Dad, me, Joan... and the baby."

She stared at him, "She's not..."

"No," he laughed, "it's mum."

She gasped, amazed, a smile playing across her lips. He went on, "She's three months gone, now. One more Smith on the way."

She looked back at him, concerned, "Well what about you? What are you-?"

He glanced back at the bay, "Yeah, I'm- I'm back working in the shop."

She nodded, "Oh, well, good for you."

He laughed, "Shut up. No, I'm not. Seems that the Torchwood on this planet's open for business. Think I know a thing or two about aliens." He was almost sobbing, now, the grief wracking his chest and squeezing it hard.

Her face was still; no tears fell, but her eyes showed all anguish ripping her apart as she smiled again, "John Smith, defender of the Earth!" She paused, "You're dead, officially, back home. So many people died that day and you've gone missing. You're on the list of the dead."

His tears fell thick and fast; he began to sob, quietly. She smiled at him, proudly, "Yet here you are, living your life day after day. The one adventure I can never have."

He spoke through his choking tears, "Am I ever going to see you again?"

She looked at him sadly with those old, sad eyes, "You can't."

"Then what're you going to do?"

"Oh, I've got the TARDIS; same old life, last of the Time Lords."

He wept, "On your own?"

She just nodded, not knowing what to say.

He choked as he struggled through his tears, "I... I love you."

She smiled, "Quite right, too."

He nodded, trying to smile back through his tears.

Her smile disappeared, "And I suppose... it's my last chance to say it..." she paused, trying her best not to cry, "John Smith-"

And her image disappeared into the wind, leaving no trace that it was ever there. He covered his face, sobbing into his hands; his heart felt like it was tearing itself into a trillion pieces, each carrying her image.

***

Back in the TARDIS, floating above an exploding star, the Doctor stood staring into the space where she had last seen John standing, and a few, precious tears rolled down her cheeks.