[The End of the End of Time Part 2]

The Doctor's POV

I dive to get out of the Master's way, and am momentarily stunned – not so much about the Master's actions as my own injuries catching up with me. I might not be injured enough to regenerate, but I at least cracked a rib in my fall through the ceiling. I hear the Master yelling "You did this to me! All of my life! You made me!" all the time stepping closer to Rassilon and switching hands striking him with his energy bolts. "One!" the master begins counting. I begin to see my old friend who turned my enemy deteriorate in front of my eyes. "Two!" even though he can't tell, I can see that he will not last much longer – he is killing himself in my defense. "Three!" I can't even say that; he is truly killing himself in revenge – revenge against the man who took away the possibility of him ever being sane. "FOUR!" There is a blinding light and they, the Master, Gallifrey, all of them are sucked back into the Time War.

I find myself on the floor, laying on my back. I roll over onto my side letting an involuntary groan out at the same time. I definitely cracked a rib. That's nothing compared to the revelation the pain gives me. "I'm alive. I've…There was….I'm still alive." I think out loud, somehow managing to bring myself into a sitting position. I'm laughing and crying at the same time, trying to wrap my head around the fact that I lived. Unfortunately, this was short-lived. I hear the dreaded four knocks, the knocks that send both my hearts to the pit of my stomach. I let them repeat themselves, hoping that the pattern will change, but knowing it won't. I steel myself and turn around to face my inevitable doom. Wilf is trapped in the booth. He knocks again and waves at me.

"They've gone, then? Good-oh. If you could let me out…?" Wilf asks.

"Yeah." I replied, almost sighing.

"Only, this thing seems to be making a bit of a noise." Wilf adds.

I stand up. "The Master…he left the nuclear bolt running. It's gone into overload." For a minute I can pretend like I'm not about to explain my own death.

"And that's bad, is it?" Wilf asks.

"No…'cause all the excess radiation gets vented inside there. Vinvocci glass contains it. All 500,00 rads, about to flood that thing." I say, thinking of the fact that I am safe out here and trying to ignore that Wilf is in there. I look at him without really looking at him. He, of course, brings my fantasy crashing down around me.

"Oh!" he chuckles, "Well, you'd better let me out then."

I wish it were that easy. I know how this will end. Yet deep down inside I don't want to change. It's selfish of me and I have so many reasons, but the same reason that caused me to siphon my regeneration energy to my hand is the same reason I have for wanting to not have to regenerate or just die. I'm old, far too old, and I've done so many bad things. Sometimes I need someone to guide me. But I truly need more than that. I need someone to help me move on, to stop dwelling on the things that are so far in the past. Rose was that for me, once. Now she's with Handy and her family. Living life, maybe having children. Growing old. I am a selfish old man, but I want her to recognize me if she ever came back. Even if it was before me and her met up in the correct time with the Daleks for her, I crave being able to see her. To talk to her. For her to help me. But, I'm an old man. I could never ever do that to my Rose.

"Except it's gone critical. Touch one control and it floods." My cool mask stays in place. I can barely take the anticipation. Having to wait is even worse than it just happening. I take out my sonic and show it to Wilf, I'm being a bit cruel, I know. But I just can't take it. "Even this would set it off." I say non-chalantly.

"I'm sorry" Wilf says. I am losing control of my emotions. I can barely talk.

"Sure" I whisper, barely being able to get the words out.

"Look, just leave me." Wilf says.

"OK. Right, then…I will." I pace. My mask slips. I show my true emotion, my fear and my anger and that bit of sadness that I will never get to see Rose again. " 'Cause you had to go in there, didn't you? You had to go and get stuck, oh, yes! 'Cause that's who you are, Wilfred. You were always this. Waiting for me all this time."

"No, really, just leave me. I'm an old man, Doctor. I've had my time." Wilf says, non-chalantly.

"Well, exactly. Look at you. Not remotely important. But me?" I say. I am letting myself vent and rage and release. I yell at the ceiling, cursing the Time Lords for ever THINKING of coming to this planet."I could do so much more."

"So much more! But this is what I get. My reward. And it's not fair!" I yell, and at the last statement I push all the items off the desk, finding a physical outlet for all this. This final act of toddlerish behavior is what finally puts me in my place. I stand there panting for a minute, thinking of how innocent Wilf is in all this and how I've ignored him and scared him. He doesn't deserve that fate. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. Well, maybe Rassilon, but that's beside the point. He is innocent, I am not. I have done so many things over the course of my life, especially in this time since losing Donna, that forced regeneration would be the least of my worries. I deserve it. I sigh. I've really "Lived too long." I mutter the last part. I walk over to Wilf.

"No…no, no, please, please don't. No, don't. Don't…. please don't! Please!" Wilf begs me not to sacrifice my own life for his. He is so selfless, so brave, soo very much the opposite of me. I put my hand on the door to the other booth and reassure him. "Wilfred…it's my honour. Better be quick."

"Three." I think of all the things I have done that deserve this punishment.

"Two." I think of protecting Wilf, a friend who understands the slightest bit about war and life.

"One." I can't even think. I just act. I step inside of the booth and press the button. Wilf gets out of his booth quickly, not that I can see. I can vaguely tell that he is watching me in horror. I can feel every cell in my body absorbing the radiation. It's like an electrical shock, a very painful electrical shock. I can feel my cells dying. Will I even be able to regenerate? I start to fall to the floor. And when I look at Wilf again is when the shock comes. I can barely perceive what is happening, but suddenly the flow of energy is lessened, then stops in my chamber. I quickly find out why. The very person I so very much wished to see again was screaming in the utter agony that is being blasted with radiation. She saved me. A few more seconds and I would have died…no regeneration possible. As it is, it will take quite a while for the regenerative process to fully kick in. I have been granted time.

I realized that I was still on the floor. I sat up and noticed that Rose's chamber had stopped. She was still breathing.

"What…? Hello." Wilf said.

"Hi" I say.

"Still with us?" He asks.

"The system's dead. We absorbed it all." I sadden at the thought of Rose sacrificing herself for me. "Whole thing's kaput."

"And who's she? She looks familiar." Wilf asks.

"You must have met her during the Dalek invasion with the planets in the sky." I said trying to help him out.

"I remember now. She showed up out of nowhere. Saved my life. Then later asked why I didn't have a webcam." Wilf rambled, reminiscing.

"She was someone dear to me." I said. She may still be breathing, but the human body can only stand radiation for so long. I push open the door and pick her up ever so gently. I am reminded of the last time I regenerated. "Must it always end this way?" I wonder. She is so light, but she is crushing my rib. I still hold her. She saved my life. I can endure all the pain in the world to honor her.

"Well, there we are then, you're safe and sound. Mind you, you're in a hell of a state. You've got some battle scars there." The doctor rubs his sore rib with his arm. He feels it begin to heal. His wounds on his hands begin to crackle with regeneration energy and heal.

"But they've…. your face! How did you do that?" Apparently in my inventory I forgot that I had wounds on my face that would also be healing. I watch my hands as I can feel the energy beginning to flow through me. I should have just enough time.

"It's started" I tell Wilf. He comes over and hugs me sobbing into my jacket. I no longer need to pretend to be stoic, I am. I cannot celebrate the fact that I lived or mourn the fact that I have to change. She saved me. I am grateful, but devastated by her loss.

I lead Wilf into the TARDIS, but before taking off, I put Rose in a form of stasis in the Med bay. I want to talk to her – even just for a few minutes before she dies. The TARDIS assures me that the radiation will not do anymore damage until the stasis is removed. She is frozen in time. I return to the console and take Wilf home. When we step out to the familiar sight of the front door to the Noble house, we can see Silvia in the doorway smiling. "Oh, she's smiling. As if today wasn't bad enough. Anyway…. Don't go thinking this is goodbye, Wilf. I'll see you again, one more time."

"What do you mean? When's that?" He asks, confused.

"Just keep looking, I'll be there." I promise him.

"Where are you going?" he asks me.

"To get my reward." I state as I enter the TARDIS again. I proceed to rescue Martha and Mickey from a Sontaran and tell them goodbye without ever saying a word. I save Sarah-Jane's son from being hit by a car, and wave at her and her son. She knows what's happening. I introduce Captain Jack to Alonzo from the Titanic. They seem to hit it off. I give him a one-fingered salute, and he gives me a proper salute. I walk back to the TARDIS. I meet with the great grandchild of Joan Redfern; she asks me if I was happy. I showed up to the outskirts of Donna's wedding and anonymously give her a winning lotto ticket paid for by Geoffrey Noble, her Dad. And finally, as a bittersweet reward, a reward and a punishment. I visit Rose on New Year's Day 2005. The year our adventures started. She thought I was drunk. I couldn't correct her. If I could have one wish, it would be that she would miraculously survive this. But she won't, it's wishful thinking. I run out of time after she leaves. It is only the Ood song that lets me make it to the TARDIS. It's too soon. I need to talk to Rose. But it's inevitable. This time, when the regeneration energy flows through me, it's more of a raging waterfall than a slow stream. "I don't want to go." I cry out, as the energy builds to its climax and begins to change me in earnest.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! There will be more to come in the future! I used LizzieXX's tumblr to find the transcripts. Thanks for reading! Follow or Like if you enjoyed it!