Author's Note: My head is in Arthurian mode, right now, after writing my King Arthur story all day yesterday. That's gonna be a fantastic story, by the way (story where Seo meets King Arthur). I just need to finish writing it and fix up the narrative voice a little.

Anyways!

This is the last story in the series "Child of Balime". The next story will start the new series, "Shockwave Vampires." The first book is also called "Shockwave Vampires", so that'll be easy to remember!

I know you'll all love "Reunion." It's one of those stories that just makes me laugh so hard, and is also touching and sweet. A really and truly great story, and one that'll please all my fans who've been rooting for this moment since "Adventures of a Line Hopper."

Enjoy!

(Response to Guest Review at end.)

The first thing the Doctor heard, lying on the ground, his eyes still closed, was a pleasant humming sound. One that made him think of the TARDIS, and smile.

When he opened his eyes and sat up, the smile dripped off his face.

"What?!" the Doctor cried.

He jumped to his feet, ran over to the nearby window. Pressed his hands and face against it, peering through the glass at the landscape below him.

"Same sky," the Doctor said. "Same trees. Same landscape. It has to be…!" He stepped back. "No. No, that's impossible. Even if I did, even if it is… it's outside the universe! And the walls of reality are sealed. How'd I get from being in the universe to being out of the universe, without anything or anyone to unlock…?"

A groan, from behind him.

The Doctor spun around, to discover Seo, getting up from where she'd been laying on the floor. Her hand against her head, squinting at the area around them.

Seo.

The Key.

The Doctor's skepticism all melted away, replaced by a smile. "I did it," he whispered. Then leapt up into the air, punching it with his fists. "I did it!" he shouted. "Ha-ha-ha! Who's Mr. Clever now?"

"Did what?" Seo asked. Then noticed the view outside, and leapt to her feet, racing over. "Ooh, another planet!" Her face beaming and curious, as she examined the landscape. "A red one. Like Mars! But two suns. So not like Mars. And no green lizard things trying to kill me — so definitely not like Mars." She furrowed her brow. Then looked up at the Doctor. "Do you remember how we got here, or…?"

She drifted off.

As she noticed the look on the Doctor's face.

"You know where we are?" Seo guessed.

The Doctor put an arm around her shoulders. Leaned down, pointing into the distance. "That," he said, pointing to the left, "is Mount Solace, where I used to go to pick fruit from the Ulanda trees. And that," pointing to a small settlement nearby, "is the Shobogan settlement where I used to go when I was skipping out on my lessons." He smiled, even wider, and pointed at the second sun in the sky. "And that, Seo, is the sun you're named after."

Seo blinked.

Then blinked again.

Then stepped away from the Doctor, suddenly wary. "That doesn't make sense."

"Well, not that sun," the Doctor conceded. "The real sun's back in our universe. But it looks like Gallifrey's managed to find two suitable alternative suns, and…!"

Seo stepped back, even further. "You've gone mad."

"What? No!" The Doctor spread his arms open. "This is Gallifrey. See? I saved it!"

Seo cringed. Then, in a soft voice, reminded him, "Father… you destroyed it."

"Yes, yes, yes, but then I went back and saved it!" the Doctor replied. He pushed back his floppy brown hair, as he hurried to describe what had happened with the Moment on Gallifrey. How Clara had intervened, with the three of him there at once.

And history had changed.

"So this time, instead of destroying Gallifrey," the Doctor concluded, "I yanked the planet out of the universe at just the right second, and moved it somewhere else. I didn't know if it had worked. Or if I'd just vaporized the planet completely. But, turns out… it worked!" The Doctor beamed. "I saved Gallifrey! See?"

Seo was silent.

Staring at him, her jaw dropped.

The Doctor's enthusiasm wavered, just a hair. "Impressive? Congratulations? Anything?"

"That's the most ridiculous story I've ever heard!" Seo cried.

The Doctor took a step towards her. "No, really. It's true! I changed my own history."

"You changed your own history," Seo double checked. "As in… you did the one thing you've put on my 'If You Ever Do This Seo I Will Shove You Down A Black Hole' list."

"Well… yes," the Doctor conceded. Fiddling with the cuff of his sleeve. "But I can get away with it. Because I'm a thousand years old and a genius."

Seo quirked an eyebrow.

And the Doctor had the feeling she didn't believe him.

"So when I'm that old," Seo replied, "then I'll be able to go back on my personal timeline and muck about with it like that?"

"What? You? No! Absolutely not!" the Doctor said. "Never, never, never, never! How many nevers can I put in? Never never never never! Not in a million, billion, trillion years! Not in all the history of the universe, and—"

The Doctor stopped himself.

As he realized that this wasn't helping to convince Seo that he'd actually saved Gallifrey.

"But it's all right when I do it," the Doctor added, quietly.

Seo crossed her arms.

Giving him a stubborn look.

"Look, Seo, it's complicated," the Doctor decided. "It was the middle of a war, time and space were falling apart, everything was up for grabs, and…"

A sound, behind them.

They both turned, and the Doctor started, as he recognized the silhouettes of the shadows approaching. He yanked his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket, then grabbed Seo by the arm and thrust her behind him.

Whatever had happened to the planet, he didn't know how the people would feel.

If they'd think of him as the man who saved them…

Or if he'd always be the one who initially destroyed them.

The Time Lords entered the room, all dressed in their ceremonial robes and gigantic hats, their faces all serious and somber. The Doctor backed away, hissing at Seo to stay behind him, trying to think through any and all escape options they might have.

Which was a bit tricky.

As he couldn't figure out how he'd gotten here in the first place.

"Doctor," the Time Lords said, in unison.

Then, as a group, they all bowed before him. Expressing their thanks and their gratefulness for being saved from certain destruction.

The Doctor lowered his sonic.

A grin spreading across his face.

"Oh, well, it was nothing!" the Doctor said, tucking his screwdriver back into his pocket, and letting go of Seo. He stepped forwards. "Just shows how clever I am." He adjusted his bow tie. "And impressive." He gestured at Seo, behind him. "She's impressive, too, at times. Except when she's not. She's a kid — no hard feelings, she's still working on it."

The Time Lords looked up.

Their eyes falling on Seo.

And the Doctor stepped a little closer to her. Protectively. Ready to leap in if the Time Lords decided she was some abomination or tool or something to be locked up forever in the Anomaly Vault.

"The child will be safe, Doctor," said one voice in the crowd, as one of the Time Ladies got up. Her eyes and face instantly familiar, her stance instantly one the Doctor recognized. She walked over to him. "You have my word."

"Romana!" The Doctor threw his arms around her. Then, hesitantly, withdrew. Eyeballing her up and down. "I thought you were dead. Or mad. Or dead and mad."

"You always did have a habit of underestimating me, Doctor," Romana replied, extracting herself from his embrace. She straightened her hat and her robes, and held out her hand to Seo. "Welcome, Seo. Welcome to Gallifrey."

Seo didn't take the hand.

Instead, just stepped back. Looking at all the Time Lords. Then at Romana.

"Who are you?" Seo asked, in a low, edgy voice. "What do you want?"

"Ah! Seo, this is one of my best friends, Romana," the Doctor said, trying to gently push Seo towards his friend. "Romana, this is Seo. A… well… daughter from an alternate timeline edited out of the universe who then wound up in my universe and I've decided to sort of take on."

He hurried through the last bit as much as he could.

In the hopes that no one around would notice it too much.

But he could see — everyone did.

He'd known they would.

"And if you lot harm one hair on her head," the Doctor continued, his voice edged with just that little bit of threat, "I'll hunt you down to the ends of… whatever universe you've wound up in."

"That won't be necessary," Romana replied. "I will see to it, personally, Doctor, that she is safe."

The Doctor was about to comment…

When Seo grabbed him by the arm and yanked him, violently, away from Romana.

"Who are you?" Seo demanded. "What are you? What is this place?"

"Seo," the Doctor sighed, trying to get his arm away from her, "I've told you. This is Gallifrey. These…" gesturing at the people around him, "…are Time Lords."

"That's not possible," said Seo. Glaring at the Time Lords. "You're not possible. None of you!" She spun her father around, turning her glare on him. "How can you accept this all at face value?" she shouted. Pointing at the Time Lords around them. "You almost killed these people! You really think they'd just forgive that and welcome you with open arms?!"

The Doctor hesitated.

"The situation… wasn't exactly like that," the Doctor tried to explain. "The Time Lords were about to die, anyways. Dalek ships were poised above the planet. Everyone was desperate! Rassilon even tried to end the whole universe and ascend in order to survive… although…" glancing around himself, with a cringe, "…I probably shouldn't have mentioned that…"

"Rassilon's scheme has since been exposed, and his status as President of Gallifrey revoked," Romana said.

"There! See?" The Doctor grinned. "We're all friends, again!"

Seo didn't grin.

She looked like she was about to explode.

"I've spent my whole life making mistakes I can't take back," Seo said, through her teeth. "Universes falling apart because of me. Drusilla being sired. Tosh and Owen dying. My own Mom, sentenced to…!"

She shook, trying to keep herself under control.

"If something like you're saying is possible," Seo said, very quietly, "and I could have doubled back and fixed all those mistakes and done everything right…"

"It wasn't like that," the Doctor insisted. "Generally, you can't. But this was one specific—!"

Seo thrust him away from her, irritated. "Just… stop it!" she shouted. Spinning around. "This can't be Gallifrey. It can't be possible! And when you come to your senses and realize that you've been tricked into some sort of… delusional episode… you're going to feel very stupid!"

Then stormed off.

The Doctor and Romana watched her.

Both not sure, for a few long moments, what to say.

"She came from the Axis," the Doctor realized. Hit himself on the forehead. "Oh, stupid Doctor! Everyone died — including me — in her universe, and she couldn't stop it. Of course she'd never accept my brilliant and amazingly clever trick saving Gallifrey. If she accepted it was possible to go back and save people…"

He paused.

His face falling.

"…then she'd never forgive herself," the Doctor muttered, "for letting them all die."

"But you didn't save everyone in the War," said Romana. "Just Gallifrey. The same way Seo's dad couldn't save everyone — just her. What's the difference?"

The Doctor smiled at his friend. "I missed you, Romana."

"Go after her, Doctor," Romana urged him. "Make her reasonable. Please."

Author's Note: Responding to "Guest", who reviewed Tartarus Gate.

Thanks for the review! I always put important actions on their own line in order to enhance the skimmability of my book. That way, if you want to find a specific section or just glance at the page and try to figure out what's going on, you can.

The habit of putting a death on its own line is actually thanks to a book I read a long time ago, in which a character died in the middle of a long and exhausting paragraph. However, because it was nestled so tightly inside, I actually missed it. I had no idea why this character wasn't showing up anymore, and it was only later in the book (when someone mentioned the guy was dead), that I discovered what had happened. I thought, "Why didn't this author make it obvious? I should put all my deaths on one line, to make sure everyone knows the character is dead!"

And now, you know the reason why I do that.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed Tartarus Gate! Hope you enjoy this story!