General Cobb stared up, looking past the barrel of the gun pointed at his head, into furious and ancient eyes. Eyes that had seen worlds come and worlds go. Eyes that had seen more pain and suffering than should ever be known. In that moment, as his fate was decided by a man who had known unfathomable grief, loss and pain, Cobb felt truly terrified.

As he watched the storm brew in the Doctor's eyes, suddenly he knew that he had made the gravest mistake when he had fired that gun. He wanted to close his eyes, to look away from the man whose infinitely powerful hands could end his life here and now, but he couldn't.

In a flash, the Doctor lowered the gun and sank to the floor to look directly into Cobb's eyes. His eyes were no longer flashing fire and death and destruction, instead they were desperate and fierce, as though he wanted so badly to make Cobb understand why he chose to spare him, why he had not taken his revenge.

"I never would," the Doctor said with determination. "Have you got that? I. Never. Would." he insisted fiercely, staring into Cobb's eyes and searching for the man's understanding of what he was telling him. Yet, he saw no comprehension, only confusion and lingering bitterness and the Doctor's eyes hardened. He stood and turned to address the others in the room, the ones that would be responsible for this new Messaline.

"When you start this new world, this world of human and Hath...remember that!" he urged, meeting as many eyes as he could and imploring them to do so. Tears gathered and burned in his eyes as a new wave of desperation came over him. "Make the foundation of this society," he shouted in declaration, "a man who never would!"

Knowing that the decision was now out of his hands, that it was now in theirs, the Doctor tossed the gun aside in disgust.

Completely drained, he felt himself slip into despair as he returned to the lifeless body of his daughter. He'd never expected to be a father again, but he'd allowed her into his hearts anyway. As he sat beside her, he could feel the tendrils of loneliness and a sorrow he had not felt since the Time War—and, perhaps, since he lost Rose—creep through him.

He realized that he'd done it again. He'd allowed himself to hope, to believe that he could be happy. This was exactly why he had fought against Donna and Jenny, and his own yearning. He knew that his sins would always return to haunt him, to crush any hope and any happiness he found.

He gathered up all the moments today that he had seen his daughter smile or laugh, or do something completely brilliant and fantastic; then he tucked them safely away, placing them inside that small part of himself where he kept his most treasured memories.

There Jenny would remain with the rest of the people he had ever loved and lost, the only part of those beloved people that ever stayed with him.

In that hidden place, they were forever with him and forever safe.

There, in that treasured place, he was never fully alone.


Notes: I've always wondered what was going through General Cobb's mind as he faced the Doctor in his Oncoming Storm mode, and what the Doctor was thinking about after he spared the man. I think this is a bit of a cannon/head-cannon fic.

All credit for Doctor Who goes to the BBC.