The Doctor ran round the TARDIS, muttering to himself. He set a course, feeling the ship start to move he stepped back watching each control spin and whirl. Then it shuddered and a small blue hologram appeared it was women in nurse's uniform.

"What?" he looked confused.

"Help us please, we need medics please help we are peaceful people. Please we need medics. If you can help please go to the co-ordinates we have just sent you. Please we need you. We need help."

"Well as you asked so nicely!" he smiled and hit a large green button on his control panel. The ship stopped moving; he grabbed his coat and ran to the doors opening them. He was in a hospital, people where rushing back and forth pushing beds with injured on. The paint chipped on the walls where trolleys had bashed into them, drops of blood on the floor. The nurse who had appeared in the hologram ran up to him, she smiled.

"Thank you, we need as much help as we can get?" she was blonde about 5'4 the uniform was dark blue, her eyes where deep blue as well. "I'm Sister Davies."

"Well how could I refuse a pair of eyes like that?" she laughed and turned.

"Follow me." He did they walked through to a ward where the patients where all jumbled around. More where arriving adding to the chaos. She took him into a staff room. Taking one of the other nurses and pulling her over to him.

"He's here to help, explain the system, I'm needed in theatre." She left swiftly. The young girl in front of him smiled sweetly before beckoning him to follow her. They headed out in to the hectic wards. She explained them as they went along. She checked a few patients telling porters where to take them. She worked quickly, in her dark blue scrubs, busying along the corridor.

"There are 3 wards," she explained. "People who will survive, who need little treatment not urgent treatment anyway, the other is for people who need treatment now. The last is critical and untreatable; we'll make them as comfortable as possible. We need to stop as many people regenerating as we are capable off."

"Right, why do you have so many casualties what happened?" he headed over to a first patient. He didn't register the regeneration part of her sentence. He was too intrigued by the set up of the wards and the people who where busying around them.

"Their signing the treaty today, so the fighting is even more intense. It's the last battle. It'll be over soon we're just waiting for the word."

"Right, sorry what's your name?" he asked her as she gave him marker pen and a card with the symbols on to indicate which ward patients where to be taken to.

"Catherine, you are?"

"I'm the Doctor." Giving her a flash of his perfectly boyish grin, he drew a non-critical mark on the man he was examining. Moving onto the next bed where a young woman was lying. It went on for an hour more, the casualties coming in non-stop, each case getting worse and worse.

"Here, I think you need a break." Catherine gave him a cup of tea.

"Thanks." They had cleared most of the hall ways the emergency ward was full and the in flow of patients had slowed to a trick.

"Less are coming in now. I think its coming to an end."

"That's good to hear." He drained his tea. "I'd better carry on!" He put his mug on a nearby windowsill that was blacked out. He moved onto the next patient. The double doors at the end of the ward opened and a girl in a kaki uniform ran through them. She was tall, with brown hair that was gathered into a bun on her head. The stars on her arm showed she was a Lieutenant.

"Catherine, Catherine." She yelled. "It's over, they just signed it." The smile on her face showed she was overjoyed.

"Lou, come over here, its James." She ran over to join her friend. "Doctor, I need your help." He scribbled on the patient he was examining and ran over. He checked the heartbeat.

"There's only one." Catherine looked terrified.

"Yes, there should be."

"No there should be two." He looked at her confused.

"Sorry. What do you mean two?" he raised his eyebrows as he said the word two.

"I mean there should be two hearts beating and there is only one."

"Where exactly am I?"

"You're in the Gallifreyan sector of the galaxy." Catherine informed him.

"It's not been called that for years. What planet am I on?"

"Your on Gallifrey, have you been living under a rock for 500 years or something?" the brunette answered him, not looking up from her friend.

"You could say that and so, what are you then?"

"We're Time Lords." He stepped back from the table.

"You can't be."

"We are we'll explain later." The brunette turned to look at him fully for the first Time and then he recognised her. He smiled in disbelief.

"Sorry," he said breathlessly. "You are?"

"Lieutenant Louise Carter-Jones. Sorry I have to go, things to do, people to see! I'll see you tonight, Cat." She looked at the Doctor quickly then she turned on her heel and left. The Doctor stared after her.

"Louise, she's a character." He said breathlessly.

"Yes she is she's one of the best." Catherine marked the man she was examining with a critical symbol, lingering for a while longer.

"She always was."

"What?" Catherine looked at him confused. He shook his head.

"What year is this?"

"Earth year 2010, present day." He smiled in disbelief. Then restarted helping with the assessment of patients.

"So are you going to rush off or would you like to stay a while? Unless you where heading anywhere particular."

"Well, I wasn't going anywhere specific so it wouldn't do any harm to stay a while." He gave her a cheeky smile. The Doctor and Catherine where walking across a central courtyard at the hospital. He opened a door and held it for her. The influx of wounded had stopped and they where finished for the day.

"Thanks to you, more people will have lived, I can't thank you enough." He didn't look at her. They kept walking

"You don't have to thank me."

"You can come and stay with me if you like we have a spare bed."

"Oh I don't want to intrude."

"You won't be, don't worry. You're coming to stay and I won't hear another word."

"You don't even know me!"

"You came to help, I recon your safe enough." They walked out of the hospital the Doctor looked around. It was Gallifrey exactly as he remembered it. How was this possible?

"So, you live alone?"

"No, Louise and James live with me. James is my bonded partner. He was in the hospital earlier; he regenerated a few hours ago, his second."

"Louise has a partner?" he tried to sound off hand but new he didn't.

"She did, she's been fighting a lot. She's just sort of going with the flow, not really settling down again. She's always looking."

"What does that mean?" he enquired.

"Her first partner went missing at the end of the original of the Time War, but was never thought to be dead, just missing with no trace. She's determined to find him. It's so sad because she's 3rd Generation so she's never met him she just has the memory of him and of everything she lost. She won't stay around for long, now the wars over. She's been growing the heart of a TARDIS and building one to house it. She's brilliant so smart!"

"She's building a TARDIS, she always said she wanted to! What do you mean 3rd generation?"

"Well the war killed all the Time Lords well all but two that we know of, one called the master, he was a nasty piece of work and he went back in time before he was born and warned the planet so they stopped it being destroyed!"

"But the war has a time lock on it how could he?"

"I'm not sure everyone always says that but I recon it's something to do with the fact that he was human during the war he didn't know about the time lock, he probable wanted Gallifrey so much just the belief he could get it back let him do it. I'm sure you know how powerful belief can be." He nodded knowing that Martha Jones had saved the world by making people believe in him.

"Anyway," Catherine continued her story, "because of that it caused there to be more than one Time war, so to replenish troops they've been going back and back in time, bringing people who have died back to life. She died originally so she was what they call, part of the old order, then when Gallifrey was re-instated that was the 1st generation, the new age. Then you become another generation each time you die you are brought back from the past. It's dangerous to do because if the person isn't dead then it can cause allsorts of problems so Lou refused to have him brought back and now she's starting to forget him."

"That's so sad."

"She's happy now the wars over, she has always wanted to travel. With the soul purpose of finding him, I just hope he's out there."

"Don't worry, He is." They walked up a street then up some stairs to red door. She unlocked it. Louise ran up to her hugging her.

"Oh it's over, Cat its over. We are free!" she laughed.

"Not seen you so happy in ages." She stepped inside the Doctor followed her in closing the door behind himself. James came through the door behind Louise. Cat wrapped her arms around him.

"Heya gorgeous it's over." He kissed her, "no more fighting." They smiled.

"I'm free! My ship is ready the universe is beckoning! And you've bought home the man from the hospital." She sounded very surprised.

"Hi I'm the Doctor." He held out his hand. James shook it. Louise surveyed him causiously and didn't take his hand.

"Do I know you?"

"We met in a past life, please just shake my hand." His expression was almost pleading. She looked into his eyes and took his hand. Immediately they both received a small electrical pulse that jumped up their arms. An orange energy wound around there hands. Then she let go putting her hands up to her face.

"Oh my." She almost collapsed in shock. Then a look of disbelief filled her face.

"Hello Louise, Long time no see." The corner of his mouth twitched up. She went up and slapped him. "I definitely deserved that."

"Hang on." Cat looked at him surprised. "You're… you're him."

"Yes, I'm the Doctor. I can't believe you're alive." He turned to look at Louise.

"We'll leave you two to it." James and Cat left the room heading up the stairs.

"Why didn't you come back sooner?" she stepped closer putting her hand on the side of his face. Looking deep into his eyes disbelief all over her face

"I haven't been back this way since the first war, I watched Gallifrey burn. I thought it was destroyed. It was destroyed. I thought you where dead."

"I was. Didn't you feel the bond?"

"No I was so convinced you where dead I felt nothing but pain." He ran his hand through her hair, staring into her eyes. "This is amazing. You're alive!"

"So are you!" they laughed. "Let's go sit down, do you want a drink?"

"No I'm fine thanks." They walked into a small living room it was cosy. She sat down on the sofa and he sat next to her. He just looked at her he was so happy he couldn't quite believe she was alive. She was younger than before she looked about 300 by his standards.

"So your 3rd generation. You've died three times?"

"Yes I'm, 900 and I've had my life split in 3! I died at the original age of 310 then 208 and at the moment I'm 382!"

"So the whole of Gallifrey is alive?"

"Yes, at the moment!"

"What do you mean?"

"Now the war is over they aren't going to bring anyone back, we lost 3000 people today. The whole population of Gallifrey is around 3500, not all of them have returned, there are only 21 Time Lords on Gallifrey we have no idea where around 450 of them are."

"What about the people we where looking after today?"

"Most of them are half lives or from other planets they will be sent home."

"21 Time Lords, well it's better than none." He smiled at her again.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm finding all this very hard, I've been alone for so long."

She wrapped her arms around him hugging him tightly. They sat there for a while just hugging. She breathed out onto his neck as tears started to fall. "Hey, hey don't cry." He patted her back then stroked her hair. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Good because I'm not letting you go!" she hugged him tighter. "I was expecting to have to search so far for you, to search forever." He laughed.

"Yes, you would have had to, I move around a lot!"

"We can travel together!"

"Yes we can." James and Cat came down the stairs.

"Are you two good?"

"Oh yes." The Doctor gave them a huge grin. They sat down opposite them. "So what's going to happen on Gallifrey now?"

"Well, I recon we'll clean up after the war and…" Cat trailed off

"Re-populate!" James Laughed. Louise joined in with him.

"Shall we go join in the celebrations?" Louise asked cheerily.

"Yes, Celebrations are great!" the Doctor jumped up. "I love a good party!" Louise stood up next to him, he offered her his arm and she looped hers round his. He turned to the other two. "Are you going to join us?" he offered his other arm. He raised his eyebrows and tilted his head slightly in a-you-know-you-want-to kind of way. Cat looked at James, she stood up slipping her arm through the Doctors and he then stood and joined her.

"It's going to be hard getting through the door!" James observed as they stepped out the room, laughing together.

"That's half the fun of it!" the Doctor opened the door and they slowly stepped out into the evening. They walked down the street arm in arm laughing and joking. They rounded a corner and there it was, the huge Citadel at the centre of Gallifrey.

"Wow, it's exactly as I remember!" the Doctor's eyes widened. "Are we going there?"

"Yes the emperor is holding a huge celebration, everyone will be there."

"Oh wow the emperor! I've always wanted to me him." They all laughed. "What's so funny?" the Doctor as incredulously.

"He's always wanted to meet you too!"

"Oh that sounds ominous." His mood darkened.

"You're legend here. Everyone knows you killed the original Darlek's the whole universe is in your dept." the Doctor suddenly looked grave.

"I killed you. How can people respect me for that?"

"You did what was right and anyway technically, you didn't do it now!"

"But everyone remembers that I did."

"Well yes but you didn't. We are here. I don't think I'm dead!" James added, feeling his chest with his free arm. They walked up the main parade, walking into the shadow of the colossal Citadel. Streamers hung from every surface. As they got to the door, Louise unlinked from the group, running forward, placing her hand on a security panel on the doors. They opened wide to let them enter, into the huge hallway of the emperor's tower. There were streamers everywhere; people where gathered in the room off the hallway, a large council room, dancing and singing filled the whole building. A large thrown at the top of the room. In which sat the oldest man in the universe. His old grey hair and beard gave him the air of a powerful figure, dressed in a long white robe he looked more like an Old Testament prophet than the most powerful man in creation. He looked up as the four of them entered, walking past the others celebrating the end of the devastation. They stopped in front of him bowing. He smiled wearily.

"My people," His voice boomed out over the room. "Today history is made." He paused, drawing in a long rattling breath. "I have grave news in this time of celebration." The whole room was captivated by him. "I am dying." The room was so silent the Doctor expected a tumble weed to float by. "I have no heir so to keep the line running all Time Lords will be registered and a DNA sample will be taken. One will be chosen at random for the Empire." Everyone looked shocked, except Louise. The room erupted into mutters as he finished. The Doctor looked at her.

"Why are you so calm?" She smiled,

"They had to catalogue everyone anyway but I'm exempt." He looked at her.

"But why?" she looked at her feet.

"I did certain duties in the war that I am owed for, I used my favours to be exempt from the draw, and I am free." She didn't look impressed with herself but he knew her well, she had been planning to find him and she wanted to be free to do so. He put his arm around her shoulders.

"I'm glad you're free, it means we can travel." She looked up at him, a huge smile on her face.

"Us against the world!" she laughed with him. A man came up to them, a tray with DNA kits and processors. He tilted his head as he spoke.

"Everyone is to be catalogued." He looked at the Doctor. "That includes you Doctor." His voice was high and slightly mechanical in rhythm. The Doctor took a tube and wiped the swab around his mouth, placing it back. He picked up the corresponding processor, removed his psychic paper from the pocket of his coat, and scanned it with the machine it bleeped in recognition. The man looked at the Lieutenant. She pulled a pass card out of her top pocket and ran a scanned over it. It logged her information and the man bowed as he left them, walking over to Catherine and James.

"How is that going to work?" the Doctor voiced his thoughts to Louise.

"I don't know he's the creator he can do anything."

"That's very true but the hierarchy shouldn't be continued, it's supposed to die out."

"Maybe not this time round." Louise looked at him seriously. He furrowed his brow, unconvinced. James and Catherine had been catalogued and walked over to them, hand in hand.

"So, how long are you going to stick around?" James asked Louise.

"We're leaving in the morning." The Doctor answered for her.

"Not hanging around then." Cat sounded sad. Louise looked over at her.

"No, sorry there's just so much to see. So much lost time." The Doctor took her hand. Cat smiled at her, James took her hand. Tugging her towards the dancing, she couldn't seem to drag herself away from her friend but she went and joined the mass of people dancing in the centre of the room, the music loud and raucous, everyone celebrated. The Doctor pulled her over to the dance floor as they joined in the celebrations. He watched her smile, laughing with her friends being congratulated on her bravery on the way she'd fought. He made his excuse of needing a drink and lent against the wall watching her dancing like there was no tomorrow.

He recognised a lot of earth music. He smiled at her wondering what he was dragging her away from, if she was giving everything up just for him. She was so similar to when he'd first known her, bouncy, friendly but war had changed her, she was younger looking than she should be he supposed it was because of how she'd been brought back from the past when she'd died. He'd known her growing up on the planet, the girl next door. Nothing extraordinary about her, his best friend, he'd dated the popular girls at the Academy. She'd always been there to walk home with; he remembered how jealous he was when she got a boyfriend. That was before they matured, Time Lords matured and then they would find there bonded partner the one soul mate for them. He recalled the moment it had happened. They'd been out in the summer weather instead of working on there assignments. He'd tackled her to the floor laughing about the break they'd made out of the Academy dorms, he rolled over so he didn't hurt her and then it happened she kissed him and the electricity flowed. A tingling sensation all over in recognition of the bond, yellow and orange sparks and lines traced all over them. Then they ran together they didn't go back for years, stealing the TARDIS together, the two of them against the world. He hadn't realised her come over to him, as she spoke he was jerked from his thoughts.

"We're heading home, the emperor wants' to meet you alone so I'll see you back at the house." She beamed up at him.

"Ah right!" he beamed back at her and kissed her quickly before heading up the room to where the emperor sat surveying the room. He bowed and proceeded up the steps to the throne. The emperor gestured to a door to the right of the Doctor and he went though it he was followed soon after by the emperor himself, the room was a small office, it was warm and cosy but the Doctor knew this wasn't going to be a cosy little chat.