Summary:

It's the end of their journeys....

III: It will always be worth it

"WHAT?! Tom, no bloody way! I want to release at least fifteen more albums before I go to the other world!" clatters Matt.

"Calm down, everyone! I never said I wanted to see that fishing boat on that particular day; it has been around for more than a decade, wouldn't you want to be a part of something so epic? Even a year earlier would be enough..." Tom points out.

"Yes, that can be done," the Doctor agrees, setting a suitable date.

"Doctor, but if you wanted... could you save those people from that storm?" Tom approaches him, speaking in a low voice.

"Oh, Thomas... if I could do anything I want!" the Doctor replies with a sad smile. "Unfortunately I have to submit to laws of the universe that I don't like either."

Once the landing is complete, there is just time to dress like the fishermen of the 80s, before the doors of the TARDIS open directly aboard the Andrea Gail and the Doctor advances towards the crew, equipped with his trusty psychic card.

Soon they are all enlisted as new helpers, while the more experienced fishermen and sailors show the newcomers how to cast their nets.

"IT'S A PWOPAH FISH!" Matthew rejoices, as soon as he realizes that he has managed to catch a rather big swordfish in his net.
"Don't mind him, Ten, he always does that when he fishes." Chris mutters.

"I find it funny." smiles Ten.

"How cool is it to be on a boat? We should also do it in a video clip, sooner or later..." Dom proposes, looking out to enjoy the sea towards the sunset.

And sharing a fish-based dinner with the whole crew is also a unique experience, with the five 'illegal immigrants' enthusiastically listening to the sea adventures they are told.

"Don't you think it's wonderful to fish when there are these beautiful days? If I were you, I would avoid going offshore, even if I only see a slightly threatening cloud in the sky..." Tom comments casually.

"Rookie! What sailors would we be if we didn't always challenge those waves? Work is always work!" chuckles the captain.

"Tom, I know what you're trying to do...it's admirable, really, but no, you can't." the Doctor comments seriously, making himself heard only by him.

"I knew it, but I still wanted to try." Tom replies in the same way.

"I know, my friend, and this does you credit." Ten gives a bittersweet smile, then raises the volume of his voice. "Guys, I don't know about you, but I'm starting to get a little tired... what if we retired to our cabin?"

The Companions understand immediately and nod, getting up.

"But we didn't give you any cabins. The letter you showed us earlier said that you arrived by means of another boat..." one of the fishermen points out to them.

"Cabin, boat... little changes, the point is that we have to leave. The lifeboat will come to pick us up shortly..." explains the Doctor.

"By deep night? In this darkness?" Asks another of the fishermen, puzzled.

"Yes, my lifeboat is used to any kind of recovery, any hour... you won't even notice us." Counters the Doctor.

After a round of hellos and thanks, Tom, Chris, Matt and Dom set off in the direction of the TARDIS.

"Captain Tyne, I wanted to tell you that..." the Doctor is tempted to be able to change those people's fate.

"Yes?" The good man smiles at him.

"That... it was nice to meet you." Surrenders to the cruel laws of fate Ten, catching up with others.

"This was beautiful, intense, but also very sad at the same time," comments the Doctor.

"Yeah, but something tells me you're used to these scenarios," Tom guesses.

"Oh, even more challenging than that." sighs the interviewee. "Okay, we need something right now to cheer us up..."

"Yeah, Dommeh, and since only you are missing, forget about things like going to see the ancestors of the leopards in prehistoric times before they went extinct, because it would depress us even more!" Matt anticipates him.

"Enticing as it is, I'm not going to take you there, quite the contrary," informs the drummer.

"Tell me everything, where can I take you, Dom?" the Doctor smiles at him affably.

"I would like to go to a planet never seen, maybe in the future. And I like engines. Can you do anything about it?"

"Okay, say no more. WildWh3375 is the answer." sets the coordinates the Doctor.

"Wild what?" Matthew asks confused, but he could very well act as a spokesperson for his three friends.

The TARDIS begins its daring journey and this time the four Companions are even more eager to see what awaits them.

Of course, not before they go crazy in the wardrobe, where they come out in shiny, neon-filled suits, bright and flashy glasses, jackets with built-in LEDs and other rather flashy accessories.

The Doctor has already given a peek into their future and roughly recognized the outfit of one of their albums, but prefers not to tell them anything.

"But...it feels like the Abu Dhabi circuit." Dom murmurs, looking around as they move their steps on that sandy ground similar to the sand of deserts, towards the enormous and complex structure with a more than modern design.

"Yeah, excluding those robots, those guys with long necks, those guys with six arms and one eye, the ones that look like fluctuating masses of energy, yeah, it looks like Abu Dhabi." Matt corrects him, as ecstatic as he is.

"This is indeed a small planet but it is officially used as a racetrack. From 3000 onwards, a speed contest has been held every year and all the participants from every planet or galaxy meet here." the Doctor teaches them. "Follow me, a shuttle will take us to our seats to watch the race."

"Because of course we have tickets, don't we, Ten?" begins to understand how things work Chis, grinning.

"Obviously!" the Doctor smirks, waving his psychic card.

The four terrestrials couldn't say what thrilled them the most: the shuttle that took them to their destination at supersonic speed, the stands that float in the middle of what looks like a black hole, but which doesn't suck in anything or anyone, or the race in themselves, made up of spaceships one more aerodynamic and extravagant than the other, or the public that surrounds them, made up of every imaginable and unimaginable form of life.

Furthermore they discover that even the most unthinkable planets have something in common, because even on WildWh3375 it is possible to make bets, not to mention how much Matthew gets excited for the local currency, which is very similar to glitter dust, where each color represents an amount, the equivalent of one hundred pounds or dollars is red glitter, an amount they enjoy spending each on a different vehicle.

Once the race has begun, following it on the track is almost impossible, given the absurd speed; for this reason, scattered everywhere, there are maxi screens that allow you to see the slowed down actions, from every angle.
A show within the show.

All four lose the bet, but it's still fun to have tried.

As for Matthew's predictions at the beginning of their journeys through space and time, he was right, because during the competition Tom managed to flirt with a beautiful Venusian and a species of anthropomorphic female swan.

Maybe that's why he's the most reluctant of all when it comes time to get back on the spacecraft that takes them back to the TARDIS.

"I don't want to go back to it in the present, if it can't be as ultra cool as this future!" Matt mumbles, but deep down he's happy with the experience he's had.

All of them are.

Somewhat reluctantly, the Doctor takes them home.

He has already grown very fond of them, but he also knows that he cannot keep them with him all the time, as he knows that he will certainly find another female or male Companion to whom this fate belongs.

Of course, before reopening the doors, everyone has to go back to the Wardrobe to put back on the clothes they had at the end of their concert.

Dominic is the fastest to get dressed and reaches the Doctor.

Some things cannot escape the watchful eye of a Time Lord, and Dom's expression is one of them.

"Dominic, correct me if I'm wrong, but when it was your turn to choose a destination, you told me maybe the first thing that came to mind, but you really didn't want to go there." comments Ten and it's not even a question.

Dominic feels like a deer caught in the headlights of a car... or maybe more like a leopard caught in the headlights of a TARDIS.

"But you... how..."

"Century after century, believe me, we tend to become quite empathetic!" the Doctor clicks his tongue. "Come on, tell me everything."

"You're right, as beautiful and exciting as it was, that's not the place I wanted to go. I don't even know if you can take me there, and I certainly wouldn't want to take the three of them with me too," begins his confession Dominic, taking a deep breath. "I would have liked to go to the future, but not to another planet and not centuries ahead, simply to my own, let's say .. in about forty years?"

"I guess, everyone is curious to see their future, but.."

"That's not correct, Ten. I care about my future and Matt's, about us." Points out the drummer. "Now we're young and it's easy, girls come and go, even if this Gaia seems like such a serious bond for Matt..."

Hearing him snort in the last part, Ten can't suppress a giggle.

"I mean, it's fine with me too, I see Matt happy with her and she seems to treat him well...but the point is...then what's going to happen? Sooner or later he or I, or both of us will not just have girlfriends anymore, but there will be marriages, children and who knows what else... so I can't help but wonder if our love will be stronger than even that."

"I see... technically I already guaranteed a trip for each of you and then taking you to that kind of future is too dangerous, it would create a paradox, and if you and the future you inadvertently touch each other... No, I don't even want to think about it ..." Ten mutters and, even though he doesn't understand everything, Dom nods sadly.

"On the other hand, you are so cute that..."

Dom smiles embarrassed.

"No, don't get me wrong, it's just that you remind me a bit of him... physically eh, for the colors, blond.. Such indecipherable eyes..."

"Oh well, for that matter you have unmanageable hair like Matt and you're skinny like him... but that's not a good reason to keep doing what we're doing." Dominic takes a few cautious steps back, since they're unconsciously getting too close.

"Right. And anyway it was only in terms of appearance. About the behavior... no, you have nothing in common with him, and thank goodness, otherwise you would be a constant danger for Matt." the Doctor repents.

"As he is for me? Do you have any idea how many guitars that bastard tried to throw at me and how many times he succeeded?" Dom makes him laugh. "And by the way, these hours we've spent with you have taught me that anything is possible, so who knows, maybe you'll meet this someone so important to you again."

"Thank you, my friend, but for the good of the whole universe, I have to hope that is not the case. Rather let's get back to us, I've already explained the reasons why I can't take you where you asked me, but..."

"But?"

"I can show you." Ten smiles at him, loading him with expectations, which however Dom has to disillude.

"But now there's no more time. The others will be here shortly..."

"Not if my TARDIS wants to play naughty and get them lost in the corridors, right, Sexy?" grins the Doctor. "I wasn't referring to you, that's what I call the TARDIS," he hastens to point out. "Not that you aren't sexy, too..."

"Ten, we're back on the path of awkwardness, let's stop it!" Dom decides for both.

"No more awkwardness path, I promise, but I need you to come here near me, to see in this monitor..." the Doctor invites him, setting the right frequencies.

At first Dominic has no idea what he's looking at, but then he figures that out: the monitor displays an image of a Tour Bus, theirs, and then shows who's inside.
Their hair is whitened, a little more thinning, the shapes of their bodies softer, more wrinkles adorn their faces, but Dominic understands perfectly well that it's about him and Matthew, because the light in the eyes with which they look at each other is always the same.
They are lying on the same cot, holding hands, smiling and looking wonderful.

The images on the monitor fade out as Matt, Tom and Chris arrive.

"The wardrobe became a maze at one point," comments Tom.

"Yeah, we thought we'd be wandering around the depths of the TARDIS forever," Chris reiterates.

For Matthew it is more of a priority to get closer to his beloved, who has teary eyes from the intense emotion.

"Hey, baby, are you okay?" He strokes his hair softly.

Just like the Matthew from 2043 did.

"Yes, Matt, it's just a little melancholy for this incredible adventure that is over." Dom hugs him, thus hiding him from view as he says a 'Thank you' to the Doctor using his lips.

"I hate goodbyes," Tom mutters, walking over to the Doctor to shake his hand, but the Time Lord finds the hug a more appropriate greeting and that's what he does in turn with everyone else.

"It was an extraordinary experience, of which we will always keep an indelible memory, even if we will never tell anyone about it." Dom assures and the others nod.

"I still can't believe what happened to us. Thank you, Ten, thank you very much!" Chris smiles at him.

"Goodbye, Doctor, even if I prefer to say 'Goodbye' and then you know it, don't you? Whenever you want you are welcome on our Tour Bus so I can show you the Classic series!" Matt offers him.

"Definitely a very tempting offer!" smiles Ten, before pulling something out of his jacket pocket. "Since you were the only one who already knew who I am, I thought I'd give you a little gift, I built it while you were sleeping. For obvious reasons, it can't do the things mine does, but it shouldn't leave you disappointed." He explains, handing him a sonic screwdriver that looks very similar to his own.

"Ten, but it's beautiful!" Matt grins, activating it and hearing instead of the classic sound, that of guitar riffs, each time different.

Truly futuristic guitars.

"Wow, that's even cooler than I imagined!" he adds satisfied.

Ten smiles, before opening the doors of the TARDIS for them one last time.

"Just go home, I bet you miss it a lot, after all, you've been away for a while?"

"Huh, well, just a couple of days..." Tom grumbles.

"Oh right, I didn't tell you, did I? On WildWh3375 an hour lasts as... five years on Earth."

"Oh my God! And we have been there for at least a couple of hours!" Chris grows alarmed. "Bloody hell! I've missed ten years of my children! And the chances to have many others!"

"Just kidding!" Ten giggles, clicking his tongue. "An hour there just last two months on Earth." he points out.

"Huh.. okay, I can cope with just four months..." Chris mumbles, more relieved.

"Did you hear him, love?" Matt murmurs, wrapping an arm around Dom's waist. "We've spent four months together, isolated from everyone. Don't tell me anymore I don't find enough time for us."

"Well, Bells, it doesn't work exactly like that, to me it feels just like two days," Dom grumbles, before growings softer and smiling at him. "The most beautiful two ones I could have asked for."

"Geez, guys, it's a tragedy!" Tom yells, pacing around the threshold. "Four months mean that you missed at least half tour, thinks about all the pissed off fans, all the refunds, all the..."

"Tom, please, breath, relax... and shut the hell up!" Matt cuts him off. "You're forgetting the main rule of the TARDIS: time is very relative here, you'll see, the moment we step outside, it will be the same night, after that concert, where this crazy, amazing adventure started."

"Oh, Matt, I'll miss such a knowledgeable Companion like you!" Ten sighs.

"I've already told you that ours doesn't necessarily have to be a goodbye." The frontman winks at him

"For now I'll wander around the planets and historical epochs a bit, but then, who knows? Never say never. Enjoy your life and your successes, guys...and all that has to come." He greets them, returning to the console.

Matt, Chris, Tom and Dom come out in the same isolated spot where they got on and look now with some familiarity at that blue box as it fades with its sound until it vanishes into thin air.

Alone again, but with a heart enriched by that meeting, the Doctor sets out optimistically towards new adventures.

"Thanks, Sexy," he gently strokes the console. "You always know what I need."

The four friends remain for a few seconds to look at what is now simply air, outside the Palazzetto.

"We're about to go back to normal life, but before that happens..." Matt murmurs, looking at Dom and the blond understands without further words.

He slowly approaches the frontman, grabbing him by the shoulders and kissing him in a sweet but prolonged way.

Chris and Tom are used to that kind of show by now and they don't even notice it anymore, not even when things between their friends start to heat up a little more, before they remember the current situation... and above all the fact that they are not alone.

"We made out a lot on the Moon, at old Wembley, on that boat, at the spaceship race and even in the TARDIS, but it obviously wasn't enough." Chuckles Dom.

"It's never enough with you, Dommeh." Matthew murmurs, kissing the tip of his nose. "I just hope that Gaia can never feel you in my kisses, otherwise I won't even need to give her that speech anymore!"

"Come on, now go to her, I know you need it." Dom agrees, though he's not overjoyed about it.

Back in the backstage, Matt finds Gaia.

"Uh, here you are, finally, love, I've been looking for you..."

Gaia can no longer speak, because Matthew pulled her towards him for a long, passionate kiss.

"I missed you so much, honey." He smiles at her.

"These five minutes I was in the bathroom?" She giggles.

"It seemed to me a lot more." He shrugs. "Gaia, please, study as much as you can, get brilliant grades so you become the psychologist of the V.I.P.s and we can go to Hollywood!" He speaks to her all excitedly.

The girl looks at him confused.

"I should do... what?! Matthew, you're so weird... oh well, you're always weird!" She rolls her eyes, a little resigned, but also a little amused.

From afar Dom watches them and Matt has noticed.

He would like to go back to him, but Gaia pulls him towards her.

"I was looking for you because I discovered that my cousins also came to the concert tonight. Come with me, they want to meet you!" She drags him away with him, while the pianist greets the drummer with a look full of implicit apologies.

Unseen by Gaia, Dom waves at Matt in greeting, with a look of implied apology accepted.

Dominic knew from the beginning that Matthew was going away with her that evening.

Sure, then in the middle of that evening there were some very pleasant unimaginable unexpected events, but that's another matter.

Dominic knows there will be many more nights where Matt goes away with her, or at least with a girl who isn't him.

As he knows that sooner or later maybe he too will find himself in the same situation as his best friend and love of his life.

Dominic knows how difficult things are between them and probably how much more difficult they will get over time.

However Dominic also knows that their love is worth fighting for, it will always be worth it.

He not only knows it.

Thanks to someone very special, he saw it.

--

THE END

Notes:

Hope you've enjoyed WildWh3375, I have so so much fun inventing Planets XD