The Perennial Wanderer

by Ezeiel

"What you seek is seeking you." She's faced with a new crisis that she never expected to encounter. His new face was charismatic and somewhat hypnotic. To say she had an underlying fondness for him wouldn't cut it... resigning herself to the delicacy of infatuation made it sound neurotic. She was, in fact, harbouring affection for her Spaceman. DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DOCTOR WHO!

1. Prologue

A/N: Hello! So, this is my first attempt at a Doctor Who fanfiction, and hopefully it will be all right. This story commences from the episode 'The Shakespeare Code'. Please enjoy this attempt.

Updates will most likely be slow, as with my others due to studying as well as some issues saving documented work. Thank you!

Tenth Doctor/OFC relationship.

Amara's incarnations:

7TH: Yvonne Strahovski (season three timeline)

8TH: Keira Knightley (season three finale onward)

9TH: Emilia Clarke ("End of Time" timeline)

---

Looking at each other, knowing what Davros undoubtedly had planned, they both knew that this would only have one outcome, an outcome the Doctor couldn't bring himself to comprehend as he saw her remain unmoving to his right.

He wished he could have seen this earlier, wished that this wasn't the end. He'd been too slow, for such a long time while she'd been waiting to him, to find the Master, for him for centuries... and now, now one of them would die and the other would stay with a broken heart.

There wasn't even time to say goodbye properly, or to speak words of forgiveness. What might have been for all eternity would have no chance of happening... he had always known, deep down, that he was meant to be with her. Always... he'd just clung on to the memory of Rose selfishly and for too long.

He could see it reflected in Amara's eyes: The same realisations, the same feelings, and the same dread about what was to come. It hadn't been inevitable; they had always known this day would come.

He always left everyone behind, everyone who travelled with him were always left behind. They had all wanted to be with him forever and he had dropped them all the same... so many broken heart he never intended to break. And as he looked over at her, he saw the heart he had left broken unintentionlly. He would give anything, anything, to not break it.

When she had pushed him out of the way to sacrifice herself after that Dalek attack when he'd stupidly ran after Rose, he could only watch in pure horror as she'd deduced he was more important than her. He'd never seen Jack so furious, so full of hatred towards him in all the time he'd known him. He knew then that his decision had been reckless. He had never been so scared; left to believe that it would be only him left, that it would be him who got left behind, broken hearted.

But she had survived, that clever woman had survived. The pain had almost diminished with a new incarnation, he could see the pain in her eyes as she stood before Davros.

He never wanted to let her go, he didn't want her to change and he certainly didn't want to ever forget her... neither did he want to forget the moment of utter clarity when he had realised he loved her.

That prospect seemed to be dim as he stood helpless aboard the Crucible with her beside him, more than ready to accept her fate.

She was distressed, with Jack lying lifeless on the floor and Donna falling into a never-ending peril in the confines of the TARDIS, she could see no positive way out from their current situation. So many people lost all for a Time Lord. It hurt to think that they had created an army, unintentionally of course, but all the same it was an army. An army so devoted to them that they were risking their lives. And Martha, her good old friend, so plucky and brave and good... so prepared to do the right thing. Even Rose in her own way, she was another who had been enarmoured by him, who loved him and was willing to fight for him. She crossed a Parallel Universe just to be with him...

She wondered if her mother had ever been faced with certain death as she was now, or whether she had become neutral in the exploration of E Space. She didn't know, she would never know...

"And here we are... the beginning of the end."

"Oddly poetic for you, Davros." Amara commented with a slight frown, tilting her head at him. "Life is a circle. The end of one journey is the beginning of the next."

Davros glanced over at her for a moment before he wheeled around. "Activate the holding cells," Davros commanded as beams of energy appeared over them, glittering majestically which was seemingly odd for a Dalek construction.

Glancing over at the Doctor, Rose's gaze stilled when she saw his gaze hadn't left Amara as she stood away from him which immediately ignited her worry about his lack of attention to her. She knew he loved her, she would fight to prove that to anyone who would disagree.

He didn't even shift on his feet as Davros glided over to him. "Excellent... even when powerless and broken, a Time Lord is best contained."

Only then did the Doctor finally look up, his eyes glistening with loathing. "Still scared of me then?" He demanded, though his voice was slightly uneven and lacked the usual assurance that resonated within his cocky ego but instead, he sounded drained and helpless, unable to do anything. Reaching out, he pressed a palm against the light and caused it to ripple with blue light.

"I believe it's time we talked, Doctor, after such an awaiting reunion…"

Suddenly something in the Doctor snapped and he glared at the Dalek creator, "No, we're not doing the nostalgia tour. I want to know what's happening right here, right now, because the Supreme Dalek said 'vault,' yeah?" He would endeavour to destroy every Dalek in sight after having learned the appropriate information to help him.

He would do anything, and even if that meant he would have to bait Davros first. "As in, dungeon. Cellar. Prison. You're not in charge of the Daleks, are you? They've got you locked away down here in the basement, like, what, a servant? Slave? Court jester?"

"We have... an arrangement," Davros replied.

The Doctor laughed, the sound odd as it left his mouth, hollow and emotionless as he shook his head. "No, no, no. I've got the word. You're the Dalek's pet!"

"Doctor!" Rose's voice was shrill, and neither did she miss the eye roll from Amara as the woman stood farthest away from her.

Her shrill shout immediately drew Davros's attention over to her, "So very full of fire, is she not? And to think, you crossed entire Universes, striding parallel to parallel just to find him again, and when you do... he's not yours anymore... how does that feel? It shouldn't matter; she'll be dead soon enough..."

Amara bit the inside of her cheek in contempt. "Thanks for the head's up."

"No, leave her out of this." The Doctor hissed in pure rage, his body fizzling in a cold anger as Davros threatened Amara. He wouldn't touch her.

"But this one," Davros ignored him and turned to Rose, "She is mine, to do with as I please."

"Then why am I still alive?" Rose demanded, baring her teeth in frustration. She wasn't stupid, she knew that the Doctor hadn't been solely referring to her, she knew that he wasn't just telling Davros to leave her alone. She was so confused; she had crossed universes to find him again, strove to found him and when she finally achieved her goal, she found him safely in the arms of another.

"You must be here. It was foretold." Davros asserted, "Even the Supreme Dalek would not dare to contradict the prophesies of Dalek Caan." Pressing a button on the control panel, a light flickered behind him, revealing Dalek Caan sitting upon a platform, or what remained of him at least.

"So cold and dark," Caan wheezed, "Fire is coming... the endless flames..."

"What is that thing?" Rose questioned, hoping the Doctor would provide her with an answer, but he was staring at Davros, his eyes unwavering.

Instead, it was Davros who answered. "The last of the Cult of Skaro. He flew into the Time War, unprotected, but did more than that. He saw Time. Its infinite complexity and majesty raging through his mind. And..." He paused for a mere moment, gathering his breath before continuing. "He saw you. All of you."

Rose glanced at the Doctor.

"This I have foreseen in the wild and the wind," Caan declared, singing. "The Doctor will be here, to serve as witness, at the end of everything. To the end of his world... The Doctor and his precious Children of Time!" He paused, for what Amara assumed, to make the even more dramatic which Daleks seemed to be so fond of doing. "And one of them will die!"

Amara closed her eyes as Caan spoke, knowing that if it was spoken off, it was more than likely true. She knew she was the one to die in Caan's prophecies. She deserved the fate. It would be her until the very end.

The Doctor's hands tightened into fists, turning to look at Caan, seething. "Was it you, Caan? Did you kill Donna? Tell me, why did the TARDIS door close? Tell me!"

"Oh, that's it," Davros smirked, delighted at the conflicting emotions of the Doctor. "The end, the fire, the rage of a Time Lord who butchered millions..." the Doctor closed his eyes as Davros's words. "There he is," He laughed jubilantly. "Why so shy? Go on; show your companion... show her your true self. Dalek Caan had promised me that, too."

"I have seen it," Caan sung right on cue. "At the time of ending, the Doctor's soul will be revealed."

"What does that mean?" Rose pressed, hoping for an answer that she didn't receive. She frowned. She was confused; the Doctor knew she loved him and he looked so broken. He didn't even look that happy to see her again. Did he love this Amara...

"We will discover it together..." Davros announced with a sudden finality. "Our final journey. Because the ending approaches... the testing begins."

"Testing of what?"

"You'll know soon enough, but first..." Davros spun away from the Doctor and ventured over to Amara, a smirk pulling across his face. "Lady Chancellor, you're all bright and shiny and new again since last we met. Nothing to say?" Davros paused as Amara slowly looked up, her steely gaze falling upon his face. "You were overruled the day Gallifrey fell, were you not? How Rassilon ruined both your mother and yourself..."

Amara considered not replying, choosing to remain dwelling in silence but she knew that would do little to stifle Davros. "We created that monster the day the High Council resurrected him. Prosperity and power makes monsters, and Rassilon was a monster, a monster with a once friendly face who cared naught for the civilisation he had aided in creating seeing as he was prepared to commit genocide." Amara recited monotonously, unblinking as she recalled the decision. "You would have gotten along so well with one another."

"Universal conquest is absolute." Davros countered immediately.

"The universe is full of monsters with friendly faces. You are, of course, the exception." Amara paused, clasping her hands together in front of hair as she prodded the holding cell with her shoe. "O beware, my lord, of jealousy; it is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on... Gotta love ol' Shakey boy."

"Enough." Davros hissed before purring: "Always alive with fire."

"It only takes a spark."

Davros surged forward towards her holding cell, his smirk growing sickeningly sinister. "Which makes you the perfect test subject for the next major phase in global domination." He wheeled away as two humans... or humanoids, rather, marched in carrying what appeared to be a Mind Probe. "The Skaro Mind Mesmeristor."

Amara stared at the piece of technology for a moment, knowing that they fully planned to use it on her with Davros's evident attention upon her rather than the Doctor. "You forget yourself, I'm not human." She attempted weakly, knowing that by its name alone, it was a hybrid of a Mind Probe and Skaro Mesmeristor - they wanted information and total obedience? Surely that would result in... Oh, yes it would.

"It's had an upgrade since then. Quite a few upgrades." Davros explained briefly, wheeling around to face her again. "Remember, it was used on you before because you, Lady Chancellor, had so much power and you hid so much from Rassilon."

Rose, having regained her voice, turned to look over at the Doctor, panic rising within her. "Doctor, what is that?" She managed through a whisper, a deep frown pulling across her face.

The Doctor, who had been struck in a horrified silence, swallowed thickly and finally answered her. "... It looks like a Skaro Mesmeristor. It's technology can convert the human brain into a humanoid that will only obey them. But, I think, they've combined it with a mind probe. Except the probe doesn't look... it looks Gallifreyan in model."

Davros looked over at the Doctor for a split moment. "Still so very clever, Doctor."

"So, what?" Amara breathed, knowing that there was no decent alternative available to her. She didn't like being used as a scapegoat for anyone or anything, not unless she knew what for, and she knew that Davros would never reveal that to her. "You want the information in my head about what exactly? There's no guarantee I'll possess what you're looking for."

"If not, then you'll be incredibly useful in other ways." He informed curtly, noting the surprisingly void expression upon her face.

"As a gormless mute."

"And so much more." Davros aided with his smirk, raising his hands to her in amusement. "Rassilon wanted you dead, wiped from the Universe. I want to restore the power that was stolen from you. I could give you back Gallifrey."

Amara's hearts almost leapt into her throat at the mention of her home, the longing for it and the yearning for her past existence. "Gallifrey is gone." She answered stoically, gritting her teeth to contain the slow boil of anger. "It burned."

"How did it feel?" inquired Davros, tilting his head at her. "Did you listen to the songs of triumph? Did you weep in glory or in sorrow?"

Amara ignored him, letting a deep sigh pass her lips as she clenched her jaw. "If this is successful, you are to save Donna Noble." Davros went to open his mouth to speak but she persisted, silencing him immediately. He would listen to her, she would make him bloody listen no matter the consequences. "You are to let the Doctor and Rose go, you are to let all those you've enslaved go."

Davros laughed. "But that would make our domination worthless."

"You lot are dim," Amara breathed, turning around with a furrowed brow. "Look at all these people, these human beings... look at them and consider, just consider their potential."

"They are meaningless."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Amara reprimanded. "Anyway, who cares you have me to do with as you please. You could create clones and dominate far more vast galaxies with my genes, genetic splicing isn't actually that difficult." Amara explained simply, not regretting a single thing. She would not let him take the Earth and neither would she allow him to ruin another civilisation. She wanted to goad him, to infuriate him. "I'm almost disappointed that you hadn't considered that an option. Vast colonies of... well, me."

"You would sacrifice yourself for another pitiful planet?"

Amara nodded, "I've done it before, I'll do it again."

Davros was silent for a moment, contemplating something for a few seconds before he spoke again. "So it was you who ordered the use of that weapon when we failed to breach the Citadel's sky trenches..."

"After Arcadia fell, I couldn't let Rassilon continue with his farce." Amara recalled her actions and how reckless they'd been, she'd forced Koschei to sacrifice himself to the Daleks without a second thought. "I'm good at tinkering. A much more fascinating career choice, wouldn't you agree?" She smiled slightly, knowing she always belonged in the career path of her father rather than mother.

"I doubt anyone would ever condone the use of a De-Mat Gun, would you Doctor?" Davros finally looked over at the Time Lord as another deadly smirk was fashioned from the gallery of wrinkles strewn across his face.

The Doctor frowned for a moment, wondering if he'd heard him correctly. Had she... No. "Amara?" His voice was so quiet, so unsure and it broke her, it broke her so much that she could bear to look at him.

"You abused your power as Lady Chancellor, didn't you?" Davros cackled, finding pure amusement in watching the gradual inner-conflict cross her face. "You became your own worst enemy."

"I did."

Rose looked over at the Doctor again to find him silently pleading with Amara though she wasn't looking at him. She'd never seen him look so broken before, and it hurt her to know that he was breaking at the sight of losing someone who had replaced her. "Doctor?" He never replied, he didn't even glance her or register that he'd heard her.

He'd ignored her.

Amara clenched her jaw in frustration. "The weapons were in my care as High Chancellor, though I was forced to resign they still needed by biodata for clearance." She trailed off, frowning more severely now as she realised it was partly her fault. She couldn't let that get in the way of everything. "You're upset, aren't you? Because it worked, it served its purpose. If Rassilon had the Sash, Rod and Great Key we would have been faced with a dictatorship; he would have had ultimate power. As Chancellor, it was my duty to prevent that from ever occurring."

Davros scoffed, "You are corrupt, just like him... just look at the anger; the fury is alive within you, seething and hungry."

"You think I wanted to be Chancellor?" Amara retorted, staring at him deadly. "I was chosen by my predecessors; Flavia and Borusa decided to give the worst job to the offspring of the President. It could been seen as a mercy given to avoid insult, it was anything but." She paused, feeling her frustration increasing the more she was questioned. "There were three of us, and I did my job. I did my job."

"You abused your authority." Davros challenged ruthlessly.

Amara snapped then, for the first time the Doctor had ever seen her, she lost her temper to a Dalek. "Do you honestly think I wanted to use a Dematerialisation Gun?! There was no other alternative, I tried to find one. I am very clever, believe me, so when I found no other way..." Amara paused suddenly, closing her eyes to contain her frustration, her fists curling as she struggled to retain herself. She hadn't been this angry since Rassilon had ruined everything. "It was a last resort. I regret using it... it wasn't the right thing to do."

The Doctor erupted then, practically seething as he propelled himself at the holding cell. "I stole the Moment from the Time Vaults! I ensured that the Cult of Skaro would never see the sun rise again, millions wiped from existence. Take me!" He pounded on the cell, wanting to reach Amara as her cell vanished, releasing her. "Take me, please!"

Amara swallowed thickly, "There was no other alternative."

Davros smirked. "Look at her. You enjoyed the war, you miss it..." He neared her again until he was sat right in front of her, her eyes staring down upon him as she remained collected. "You miss the power you had. You thrived on it, and now look at you, powerful no more. Ruined and at my mercy... any resistance is futile."

"I'm not resisting, I'm obliging." Amara countered smoothly, her face falling to show no evident emotion that Davros thrived on. Clicking her tongue, Amara crouched so she was at Davros's level, regarding him for a short moment before she spoke. "Don't be a coward; they never did the war any good. If you're going to delete my existence, just do it."

Ceasing in his pounding on the cell, the Doctor froze and stared over at Amara in complete shock. "'Mara, you can't..." He begged, feeling his legs growing weak beneath him.

Amara looked at him then, the first proper look since having boarded the Crucible and he could see the tears in her eyes as she held his gaze. "What choice is there?" It was truth; they were cornered and there was no evident escape in sight and neither could see herself living any longer. If it meant the Doctor had a chance, then she would sacrifice herself if it meant he could help the Earth. "No more running."

Then she looked away and looked at Davros again. "'Mara, please..."

"Behold..." Davros remarked, nodding to two humanoids who silently strode over to her and seized her by the arms before pulling her towards a restraining chair that had been erected near the control panel. Davros pressed a button and the restraints snapped open, awaiting her.

Amara frowned... Dalekanium? It was a very slim chance of getting out it unscathed, that much she knew. Once in the chair, Amara found herself swiftly restrained at the wrists and ankles while her head was forced back against the head-rest to keep her frozen in place. "Dalekanium melded to a probe... I feel like electricity is going to be involved somewhere..." She blanched when she saw the probe moving towards her.

Davros sneered, "How clever of you..."

Adjusting her posture, Amara swallowed thickly. "I won't remember saying this, but chasing the wrong things makes you lose a good thing." She knew there was no changing Davros's mind or to coerce him into a different path.

"There is no victory without a battle, all Daleks know this. It is sweetest after the suffering of defeat."

"Anyone can deal with victory, but you, you haven't conquered your defeat. Only the mighty would ever do such a thing, you failed to destroy your enemies and for what?" Amara closed her eyes, frowning in thought as her eyes trailing over to finally look at Davros again. "Tyranny? Tyranny can never defeat the power of ideas."

Davros scoffed, "You are not seasoned in warfare- "

"All war is a deception. War isn't great..." Amara acknowledged softly, shivering at the sensation of the metal against her skin as she felt the low current thriving. "It's strange what desire will make those foolish enough to do. Then again, nothing great was ever accomplished without sacrifices."

As he saw Davros's hand move towards a button on the control panel which was wired up to the probe. "Wait! Don't, please..." The Doctor exclaimed, pressing himself against the holding cell despite the resistance he was fighting. "You can't!"

Amara smiled slightly as she looked over at him again. "It's not your fault, Spaceman." Never. She winked. She knew her words would do little to appease the Doctor of all people, but she couldn't bear for him to blame himself. Besides, she had a plan.

"This will hurt... endlessly." Davros's voice slithered into the air as another smirk crossed his withered face.

"Good thing I deserve it then." Amara agreed with a shaky breath. "But I don't think you understand; time doesn't heal anything, it merely teaches us how to handle the pain. A pain you seemingly cannot ignore. Pain changes people, Davros." She gave a great sigh before closing her eyes again, allowing her head to sit firmly against the head-rest, her jaw clenched and ready for the pain that was to come. "We cannot learn without pain. Remember that."

Her head snapped back as the sudden rush of electricity that surged through her skull, fizzling away as flashes passed across her mind's eye, flickering and screaming as she gripped the chair for support, her fingers curling.

Davros laughed as the probe powered up, emitting an amber light as it glowed around her crown. "Watch with a broken heart, Doctor!"

And he did. He couldn't tear his eyes away as he stared, horrified as a scream rippled through the air to greet them as a projection of blue light vibrated to glow above the probe.

---

They had broken into her rooms whilst she had slept. She was flung into small room, flung into a prison cell. She behaved with dignity. She hadn't been alone, of course, Braxietel and Flavia had visited and had informed her of the difficulty in regards to operating the Time Vaults via the need of her biodata for access.

They had supplied her with components to send out an alert; she was competent enough to fashion a device which would enable her to infiltrate Rassilon's administration. She would not go quietly, she would never go quietly. Communicators and sonics... broken technology was always so useful.

She didn't waste any time once she had constructed it; to rig every speaker was a simple thing if one knew how to do so effectively.

"This is the Lady Kliavia, Lady Chancellor of the High Council of Gallifrey. I have been betrayed and imprisoned by those who should have been loyal to Gallifrey, the High Council. People of Gallifrey, don't fall to corruption. Rassilon cannot save you, our civilisation may have been built on Rassilon's genocide but we mustn't allow it to fall back to the days of genocide." She carried on speaking as the door to her cell opened. "We are different from them..."

"Hand it over," Rassilon said, holding out his hand.

"I don't think so," Kliavia refused, backing away, her head held high. "I want everyone to hear."

"What makes you think they want to listen to you?" He moved closer towards her, a smile pulling across his lips. "And what makes you think anyone would care? You witless... Gallifrey is mine; it belongs to me."

She said nothing but neither did she make any effort to move.

"Kliavia," Rassilon said, stepping closer still, his frustration evidently displayed. "You are a clever woman, one of the cleverest, but you don't know when to be silent, so you've left me no choice but to silence you."

"You don't frighten me," Kliavia resisted with a flare of defiance. "But I frighten you, I've seen it... that's the issue with your type, you can never stand to hear that truth, what you really are."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Rassilon spoke. "I think I'll have to make an example of you, as you know, disobedience is not to be tolerated. You're forcing my hand."

Kliavia regained her voice immediately, fuming and alive with fury. "Never, Rassilon, will I betraying everything I've worked towards for something as ludicrous as this! Your lust for power has left you corrupt. I will not join you in this farce, never."

"Silence!" Rassilon bellowed.

"You've broken so many laws," Kliavia told Rassilon, her jaw clenched in utter despair and contempt. "This will be your undoing."

Rassilon rumbled with laughter as she drew her near, smiling wistfully. "My dear Kliavia," he murmured softly, "Gallifrey will never know."

Kliavia had opposed Rassilon's resurrection. They insisted she loved power, had allowed that to corrupt her and blind her from the truth. They had insisted that Rassilon was the one to lead them to victory. Rassilon would never succeed. Why couldn't everyone else see that? Rassilon was corrupt... having woken him meant their complete destruction.

...

"…so, the Daleks have declared a war on Gallifrey? If they break our defences we won't survive! It will be chaos, total destruction. We can't fight the Daleks! This is complete madness! There has to be another way."

She knew the outcome before the actual war had been declared. Both Time Lords and Daleks would be destroyed. The Last Great Time War... No Daleks. No Gallifrey.

"Rassilon, be reasonable! We can't go in for a war with the Daleks! It'll be a certain death for all of us!" Kliavia exclaimed in utter outrage, "It's genocide!"

"We can't agree to a war. We should at least consult it with the rest of the Council, we can't announce a death sentence just like this!" Another accused, and Kliavia was grateful.

"I have decided that we will fight!" Rassilon roared. "We will stand, and Gallifrey will be victorious."

"Daleks are Daleks! They thrive off of warfare and universal domination; we will die if we go to war with them! Just listen to your councillors!" Kliavia took a deep breath. "They have advanced weaponry available to them, strong enough to wipe out our civilisation, to reduce Gallifrey to nothing!"

"Quiet!" Rassilon exclaimed through gritted teeth, slamming his fists down. "The decision had been made. And if you don't like it you can leave, you'll be condemned as a traitor, abandoning Gallifrey to war. It's this or death. Your decision."

Kliavia's mouth fell, "You'd condemn your own people to death..."

"Don't complain." Rassilon warned lowly, his eyes glowing hazardously. "We'll fight, there's nothing more to be discussed."

"You are mad." Kliavia accused, "And you will lead us all to destruction."

---

Electrical charges hissed and crackled as the spat from the probe, rippling into the air from her head, swimming until they dispersed, having gathered in the probe which was practically vibrating with the increased power source, feeding and sucking it dry.

Davros looked over at the Doctor to see him pressed against the cell, his eyes glazed over as the other Child of Time thrashed in the chair. "Rassilon ruined her."

As the impulses increased in their activity, Amara's head rattled from side-to-side as her face contorted in pain, trying to maintain the assault on her mind.

Palms pressed against the cell, clammy and aching, the Doctor knew any attempt was futile. Davros would never listen to him. "Stop it! Just..." He trailed, banging his head against the cell in despair, tears gathering in his eyes as he stared. "Davros, stop it!" He begged, crumpling at the sight of Amara.

"He corrupted her, forced her to become the monster she had tried to avoid becoming all her life." Davros told him, wheeling around to face him properly, his fingers drumming against the console. "She's no better than he was."

The Doctor slammed his hands against the cell in outrage, bearing his teeth in fury, seething at Davros's ideas of justice. "He wrongfully imprisoned her, took away her rights as Chancellor! He obstructed her role on the High Council." He exclaimed, enraged and maddened.

"Corruption!" Caan giggled, vibrating with mirth.

---

Amara frowned, seeing a somewhat familiar red-haired woman across from them, visible through the window in the door. She'd never met her before, though when the woman clocked the Doctor and herself, she knew there was only one person it could have been.

"Donna?" The Doctor mouthed from beside her, utterly stunned.

Donna grinned widely, "DOCTOR!" She replied, seemingly excited by her gestures. "OH MY GOD."

"But... what? Wha... WHAT?" He paused in thought, confused and at a severe loss for words to be meeting her again. "How?"

Donna, on the other hand, was elated. "It's me!" She grinned.

Amara laughed in amusement at their conversation. "Well, yes, I can see that." The Doctor agreed with a nod of his head.

"Oh this is brilliant!" Donna boasted, grinning like a Cheshire cat at him before her eyes trailed to Amara. "Who's that then? New companion? You replaced me?!"

Amara laughed again before giving a wave. "I'm Amara," She smiled at the other woman. "You're Donna Noble?" Donna nodded eagerly. "I can't believe I've finally met you!"

"He's told you about me?" Donna frowned in confusion.

Amara went to speak again but the Doctor nudged her. "We have a bit of a problem to deal with, wouldn't you agree?" He frowned, getting both of their attentions. "What are you doing there?"

"I was looking for you!" Donna pointed, grinning again.

Frowning, the Doctor paused for a moment. "What for?"

"I, came here... trouble, read about it... internet. I thought, trouble EQUALS you!" She beamed, her hands moving erratically as she mimed away. "And this place is WEIRD! Pills! So I hid. Back there. Crept along. Heard this lot... Looked. You! Because they..." She stuck her thumb in the direction of Ms. Foster who staring right at them.

They all froze immediately.

"Are we interrupting you?" Ms. Foster pressed, glancing between the three of them expectantly.

"RUN!" The Doctor ordered to Donna, who immediately did as he instructed as Amara sealed all entrances with her sonic.

...

"Donna Noble!" At the sound of her name, Donna's head snapped up to see Amara pushed the curtain of beads aside to venture in the room with a slightly concerned expression pulling across her face. "Where's my number one temp of Chiswick, eh?"

The Doctor was standing behind her, his hands shoved securely in the pockets of his coat. "Everything all right?" He asked, tilting his head in question.

Staring at them for a moment, Donna wasted no time in throwing herself at them as she hugged the Doctor tightly to her. "Oh, god!"

The Doctor laughed at the gesture, "What was that for then?"

Pulling away from him, she sucked Amara into a tight embrace as tears started to stream don her face as the memories fizzled in her head. "You're all right..."

"I should hope so," Amara frowned. "Donna, what's wrong?" She tried to pull away but Donna was literally clinging to her, almost suffocating her. "What happened?"

Donna sniffled in her ear, "Oh, it was awful..." She managed as Amara rubbed her back before pulling away slightly.

"You're fine, I'm fine..." She glanced over at the Doctor, "He's always fine."

But Donna broke out into a fearsome bustle of tears that made Amara's face pale at its mere existence. Looking at the Doctor again, she frowned before helping Donna to sit down. "What happened?"

She'd known, as soon as Donna had disappeared from sight, that something was wrong. She always got that feeling whenever a companion wandered off alone; Martha had been the same... even Jack did it, deliberately to scare her. But the Doctor had kept her distracted, insisting about buying a memento.

Donna, not wasting any time, started to explain the entire ordeal to them both, about how she'd turned right and how the Doctor had died... how everyone had died, and that the Titanic had destroyed London. The labour camps and how she had been connected to the TARDIS. The more she spoke, however, the more she seemed to forget.

"I can't remember," Donna managed, frustrated and still distressed. "It's slipping... you know, like when you try and think of a dream and it just goes," She sighed, running a hand across her face as she looked over at Amara again.

The Doctor had noticed the beetle lying upon the floor, pulling out his glasses as he poked it with an incense stick, frowning.

"'Mara..." Donna let out quietly.

Looking back over at her, she frowned and took her hand. "What?"

"You died." Donna told her as tears spilled down her cheeks, her words making the Doctor pause in his movements. "I saw you... you were bleeding. Your face... there was blood everywhere but you weren't you, you were different." Donna sobbed, gripping her hands fiercely.

Amara frowned, "Different?" She repeated slowly, kneeling in front of her so she could look into her eyes properly. "How so?"

"You were..." Donna frowned for a moment. "You were human and you looked different, like not how you do now. But I knew it was you, like I just knew..."

Amara nodded slowly, understanding why she would have chosen to do such a thing... the only way to ensure death, even if momentary. "Yeah, you must have met my number six, my old face. Chameleon Arch... odd for me to resort to that... unless... " She stared into Donna's eyes and saw flashes of herself running, blood dripping from all facial features. "Who was chasing me? Who was I running from?"

Donna shuddered at the thought, "They were these weird ghost things... all blue and horrible..."

"Gelths?" She didn't understand why... well, she was evidently the only one left to torment in the alternative timeline. What she couldn't comprehend was the suicide... suicide wasn't something she'd ever considered. So why in that other life? The guilt? She couldn't be too sure... "Why was I bleeding, Donna? That couldn't have been the only thing..."

"You kept mumbling about electricity and a... Dalek? I think that's what you said, but you didn't know what that was." Donna told her, frowning softly as Amara's eyes widened slightly before she attempted to force a smile. "You had these two cacti things, one moment they looked human but then there were green and spiky."

Amara smiled slightly, "Vincocci using shimmers and probably another mate of mine, all hairy?" When Donna nodded she held both of her hands. It seemed so similar to her original timeline, except a Dalek had intervened rather than a Sontaran, which explains the need of the Chameleon Arch. "What you saw, it's not real but I can assure you... right now, I am very real."

Donna tried to blink away the tears that continued to fall. "But you died, I saw you die."

"It was the Gelths... survivors of the war, they blamed me for not stopping Rassilon. Some tried to possess my body, all the bleeding you saw... that was because of what the Gelths were attempting to do, it was tearing me apart internally." Amara sighed, composing herself before choosing to continue. "I used the Chameleon Arch because I couldn't bear the pain..."

"Did this actually happen?" The Doctor demanded, his nearest arm seizing Amara to draw her attention to him but she was too worried about Donna to give him an answer.

"You refused to regenerate," Donna breathed in a shudder as Amara stiffened beside her. "You shot yourself, and you died. I tried to help you but you were so... you called me the best Temp in Chiswick, and you told me your real name..."

"'Mara wouldn't do that," The Doctor shook his head profusely, "You wouldn't would you, Mar?" He paused when he saw the expression she was wearing. "... Amara?"

Amara stared at Donna. "I haven't even told Martha my real name..." She whispered, trying to shake her mind free of Donna's thoughts... not wanting to picture her end if she had never found Jack.

"You stole this man's gun..." Donna started again, pulling a hand free to trail it over Amara's face, recalling where the bullet had entered the skull. "He was try to talk you out of it with this watch, but you threw that into a barbecue and shot... you- you... shot yourself."

Amara winced when she felt Donna apply pressure to her skull, and realised she had met Jack, and used his pistol to end it... "Oh, Donna..." She pried her hand away to hold them again, "I'm so sorry."

"I hit you with my car..." Donna sobbed out again, replaying the memory over in her mind. "You just ran out into the road, I didn't mean to do it. There was so much pain in your eyes, and you wouldn't stop talking about him..." She nodded to the Doctor, "But you didn't know him, and you were so upset..."

"What you saw..." Amara held her hands more firmly, swallowing as she tried to calm the woman despite the slight images flickering through her mind's eye at the connection between the two of them. "The Gelths must have amplified my DNA reconstruction. Donna, forget about it; I would never do that. All that matters is now; none of it was your fault."

The Doctor's brow furrowed immediately. He couldn't help but think that somewhere previously, she'd been close to ending it... because of him. The guilt, what he felt, was eating him alive. He needed to know if she had ever been close, had ever considered ending it all... for him. "We need to talk about this."

"Not yet we don't." Amara brushed him off, only concentrating on Donna who still look distressed. "What I did to myself was what may have happened, not what did happen..." She paused briefly, gathering her thoughts to try and calm Donna. "What you saw was the guilt. It seems to me, from what you saw, that it had become manic, like obsessive. But that was because he died, and I could have regenerated, but I refused. I manipulated my biodata as a coping mechanism which backfired."

"Amara," The Doctor let out, reaching for her again. "Why would you do that? Why..."

Amara clenched her jaw before she chanced a glance at him. "I had nothing left... I wanted to die." She answered as his stilled, horrified and despairing at the future that could of been.

She winced slightly as she felt the vibrations pulsating from Donna's grip on her wrists. "That's it, that's all you have to do..." She smiled, nodding to guide her. "Just forget about it, the world that never was because you're my number one Temp, a hundred words per minute."

"What's happening..." Donna let out quietly, "It's slipping away..."

"Just let it leave you."

Amara stared at Donna, frowning when she saw flashes of total destruction, of Wilf and Sylvia... the stars had been going out. Total darkness. The Doctor's body being wheeled along, and... and... She winced, sucking in a sharp breath. "Oh, Donna..." She shuddered when Donna's despair hit her like a surging wave, crashing against her body.

"What's... what's wrong? Did I do something?" Donna rambled, her eyes widening as she stared at her friend, confused.

"Extrasensory perception." The Doctor explained as Amara slowly let go of her hands, bracing herself on her knees as she winced. "'Mara," His hands wrapped around her shoulders, rubbing her arm.

"And I made that happen?" Donna shook her head, not understanding.

"She took it away because you were so distressed," He explained, glancing at her as he engulfed her in his arms. "You met her as a human, and you remembered her because it had been horrific, so when you her again your memories of her reached out and she removed them..."

"So, she's..." He swallowed thickly, pressing chin against the top of her head. "Everything the human version of her experienced, she's processing it now so you won't have to relive it again."

"No, don't blame her." Amara pushed herself away from him to try and sit up. "I needed to know what happened... and it didn't necessarily react well with me. Don't blame yourself, it's not your fault." Amara took her hands again and smiled.

Beside her, the Doctor rested his forehead against the side of her head and caught a quick flash, a sudden flicker as a gunshot rang out. She didn't both to prevent him looking, to let him see her self-destruction. The day that he had died, she had wasted no time in running. He shuddered when he saw the Gelths tearing apart her mind, assaulting her while she'd been weakened by the attack from the lone Dalek. She'd been so utterly lost.

She had killed herself because he was no longer there to keep her going... she had nothing to live for.

Leaning back, she sent him a look and swallowed as he forced her into a chair and made her look at him. "It would have never gotten that far..." She rest her head against his shoulder and sighed. "It wasn't your fault... I saw no way out, and chose the cowardly way. Don't blame yourself."

Sighing, he pressed his lips to the top of her head before finally looking at the beetle. "It's one of the Trickster's Brigade," The Doctor spoke after a moment, wanting the topic for all their sakes. "A creature that can change lives in small ways... most times, the Universe just compensates around it, but with you..." The Doctor looked over at Donna and smiled slightly, impressed. "Great big parallel world!"

Relived, Donna starting to smile but she paused in sudden thought. "Hold on, you said parallel worlds are sealed off."

"They are." He agreed with a nod of his. "But you had one created around you. Funny thing is, it seems to be happening a lot, to you."

Donna frowned. "How do you mean?"

"Well, there was that world in the Library," Amara suggested with a slight frown. "Now this..."

"Just goes with the job I suppose." Donna gave a soft shrug of her shoulders; she wasn't anything special, she never had been before, so why now?

The Doctor frowned, looking at her for a moment. "Sometimes I think there's way too much coincidence around you, Donna. I met you once, then we met your grandfather that one Christmas. Then I met you again. In the whole wide Universe, I met you for a second time."

Amara smiled to herself, "You know what they say about destiny."

"Don't be so daft," Donna scoffed with a shake of her head. "I'm nothing special."

It was Amara's turn to scoff at the red-haired woman, "Oh, yes you are!" She assured, smiling amusedly. "You're brilliant."

---

Tears were forming in the Doctor's eyes as he stared at her, petrified as she screamed Donna's name, the veins in her neck constricted as she fought the probe.

The colour had drained from her face, having turned a ghostly white as the electrical charges flicked from her head, hissing as they crackled.

"Please," he turned to Davros, his voice broken with desperation. "Davros, I'll do anything." He glanced back at Amara and winced. "Put me in her place, use me!" He shouted through a clenched jaw. He wanted her to live, to save her... he would do anything for her. He didn't care what happened to him. "You can have me! Do anything you want with me, just get her out!"

---

"Why only thirteen though?" Koschei demanded with a frown.

Kliavia shrugged, "Why does it matter?"

"That's not an answer." He accused with a smirk, "Why doesn't it bother you that we can only live thirteen lives and not more? They never tell you the reasons why either..."

Kliavia smiled slightly. "Rassilon made it so."

"But why?" Koschei demanded through a deep sigh. "I have so many questions that need answering. Where did we come from? What are we, really?"

"Why do I talk to you?" Kliavia stared at him for a moment, "You always bring trouble with you."

"I just want to know why." He glared at her, bristling as he folded his arms across his chest. "I see that look, you know."

"Do you?" Kliavia challenged with a raised brow.

"Don't you ever get bored, Kliavia?" He sighed, smiling slightly. "Body after body, face after face... it's so repetitive and boring. Dull."

She was silent for a moment, watching before she decided to speak. He did worry her. "You yearn for the chaos, don't you? Death and suffering?" Kliavia pressed. "You'd let Gallifrey fall to the Daleks?"

"Let them burn. Let them all burn and just walk away." Koschei breathed, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as he pulled her against him. They were friends, they'd always been friends. "You'll never do that though, will you? You're far too honourable."

"There's always a choice," Kliavia told him sombrely.

"Such absolute faith, the future is destined for destruction," He smiled at her. "But you already know that, of course."

...

Kliavia glared across the room at Rassilon, her hands clenched into fists to avoid doing what she wanted to do... how she wanted to destroy him, to ruin him and to send him back to where he came from. Futile. There would be no changing what he'd already begun.

"I have done what none of you had the courage to do, Chancellor Kliavia."

"Is that what we're calling it now?" Kliavia was barely able to control her anger. "You tried to destroy a child, and now you bestow your courage upon him as a duty?" She spat, bearing her teeth as she seethed. "This isn't courage, this is madness."

"He will be brought back, just as I was." Rassilon supplied, uncowed. "We will survive, Kliavia."

Kliavia drew herself from the table, looking down her nose at Rassilon. "There is no I in we, Rassilon. Remember that."

Rassilon glared at her, anger polluting his mind.

Kliavia said nothing as she left the room.

She found Koschei in his rooms, just where she had guessed he would be lurking. "You are to go to Arcadia immediately." Kliavia breathed out heavily, her shoulders sagging. "You're needed there."

Resting a hand on her shoulder, Koschei pulled her to his chest, searching her eyes. "Rassilon seems to think I'd be more use here, that I'll help with his plans to defend Gallifrey."

"Go to Arcadia, Koschei." Kliavia commanded softly, reaching out to grip one of his hands. "Do you what you can there. Don't let them manipulate you for their own use. Rassilon will ruin you."

Koschei frowned at her, searching her eyes.

Kliavia closed her eyes when she felt his hand caressing her face. "You must leave," She told him, moving away immediately, regret filling her gaze. "Please. You'll be safe away from here."

He didn't at anything for a moment, simply nodded and turning away to leave.

Of course, Rassilon had found out and she couldn't help but feel triumphant at having defeated his desires of genocide.

"You put everything in jeopardy, Kliavia." Rassilon was pacing, his fists clenched, glaring at her as she'd uprooted his plans.

"Genocide is not the way to do!" She spoke simply, holding his gaze steadily. "I will not let you corrupt us."

"You'd condemn Gallifrey to save a soldier?" Rassilon neared her, and she braced herself. "You've lost your mind."

"I'm not the who should be dead."

...

"Martha Jones," She could practically feel the smile pulling across his face as he stood in the doorway, poised left.

"Doctor." Martha replied as he slowly moved towards her.

Rolling her eyes, Amara shot past him after having run through the door. "Martha!" She grinned, bolting over to her friend and practically throwing herself at the woman, hugging her furiously. "Martha Jones."

Laughing, Martha hugged her back enthusiastically, grinning at the Doctor in amusement. "I've missed you too, Mar."

Amara rolled her eyes and pulled away before pulling her into another hug, then stepping away properly to let the Doctor hug her as well. "You haven't changed a bit!" He chuckled, grinning.

Martha returned his grin, "Neither have you!"

"How's the family?"

"You know," She shrugged, not saying anything for a moment as she stepped away. "Not so bad, still recovering."

"What about you?" The Doctor added, not noticing that Martha had caught sight of Donna.

Amara followed Martha's gaze and saw Donna wandering over; she smiled and ushered the woman over with a smile. "Come on, my number one Temp in all of Chiswick!" She grinned when Donna smiled at her.

"Right," Martha paused when she acknowledged Donna properly. She was slightly disappointed, just slightly. "I should have known... didn't take you two very long to replace me."

"Don't be silly, Martha Jones." Amara scoffed, moving to drag Donna over to meet Martha with a wicked grin. "You'll get along famously, just you wait!"

The Doctor closed his eyes for a moment, "No, don't start fighting." He breathed, suddenly uncomfortable.

"Right," Amara grinned. "Doctor Martha Jones, Donna Noble, number one Temp in all of Chiswick. Donna Noble, Doctor Martha Jones, the Doctor's doctor and she's brilliant."

"Please don't fight," The Doctor bit out with a wince, "I can't bear fighting."

"Stop being dramatic." Amara chastised with a smirk.

"You wish," Donna brushed him off before turning to Martha, holding out her hand. "I've heard all about you, they're always talking about you."

Martha blanched at Donna's words. "I dread to think," She shot Amara a look as she laughed.

"No, no, no." Donna shook her head with another soft smile. "They say nice things, good things you know, nice things. Really good things."

"Oh, my God, they've told you everything," Martha's eyes widened in horror as her head whipped over to look at Amara, evidently still embarrassed about recollecting her fawning over the Doctor.

Donna smirked, "Didn't take you long to get over it, though." Donna nodded to the ring on her finger. "Who's the lucky man?"

"What man?" The Doctor interjected with a furrowed brow. "Lucky what now?"

"Martha Jones!" Amara flew at her again and hugged her tightly as she wiggled the fingers on her left hand at him, showing off her ring.

"Really?" The Doctor smiled. "Who to?"

"Tom." Amara whistled in amusement as the Doctor glanced over at her. "When they give you a phone, you use it. I like to keep in contact with people." She was notorious for calling Martha and Jack just to make sure they were all okay.

"He's in paediatrics working out in Africa right now," Martha explained briefly. "And yes, I know, I've got a doctor who disappears off to distant places, tell me about it."

"Is he skinny?" Donna asked suddenly as Amara laughed.

"No, he's sort of..." Martha thought for a moment. "Strong."

"He is too skinny for words," Donna pointed at the Doctor. "Right, you give him a hug, you get a paper cut."

The Doctor rolled his eyes when all three of them laughed, "I'd rather you were fighting," he admitted under his breath.

Amara rolled her eyes, "I love your hugs, Spaceman." Her heart warmed when he grinned at her.

...

She stared at him for a moment, observing his behaviour as he stood there, contemplating his choices. She knew he was planning something. "Spaceman..." She spoke slowly, feeling suddenly anxiously as he grew quiet.

"Right, so... well..." Scratching the back of his head, he looked at them all and swallowed thickly. "Donna, thank you. For everything. Martha, you too. Oh, so many times and Luke, do something clever with your life." He trailed off when he looked over at Amara, who was looking down at the floor.

Donna gaped, "You're saying goodbye."

The Doctor sighed, "Sontarans are never defeated." He looked her dead in the eye. "They'll be getting ready for war. And you know, I can recalibrate this for Sontaran air, so..."

Martha glanced over at Amara to see her glowering. "You're gonna ignite them, aren't you?"

"You'll kill yourself," Donna cried in outrage.

"Just send it on its own. I don't know... put it on a delay."

Amara cleared her throat, finally looking up with a steely gaze. "He's got to give them a choice." He always made everything so hard. "You can't... they're my enemy; I'm the one who should go..."

Setting the converter down, he strode over to her, pulling her to him suddenly, closing the distance before finally pressing his mouth to hers. He reached for her hands to hold them as he held the cuffs in his free one. He kissed her languidly for a several more moments, knowing it would be the only thing to distract her and give him time.

With a click, he fastened the cuffs to the metal rod on the wall and stepped away as he pulled away from the kiss, his eyes pained. "I can't lose you..." He bit out, backing away as she fought against the restrains.

"And you think this is the way to go about it?" Amara shouted in outrage, crazed as she fought against the handcuffs, not caring if they were cutting into her wrists. "I swear... this is not the solution!"

"I'm sorry," He moved over to the teleport and picked up the converter, hitting a button before he suddenly disappeared.

"No, no, no!" Amara exclaimed, nearly pulling her off as she fought with the restraint. "I swear to God if he doesn't come back..." Bracing her foot against the wall, she tried to free herself until she fell to a heap on the floor.

"It's just like before," Martha breathed out, clasping her hands over her mouth as she looked over at Donna. "She always put herself before him... it seems he's got smarter about it."

"Doesn't mean it was right, though." Donna countered with a frown.

"Martha, if you've got the key just let me have it." Amara bit out, biting her lip.

Luke, grimacing, he moved towards the teleport as the two woman tried to console Amara who was fighting the cuffs as best as she could. Running to the pod, he began working on the controls.

"What are you doing?" Martha pressed as she tried to help Amara, fighting her as the woman kept yanking herself away from the wall.

"Something clever." Luke explained before he pushed a button and disappeared, the Doctor appearing back within the pod.

"Give me the bloody key, Martha!" Amara shouted, knowing that out of the lot of them she would have had the handcuffs originally. "WHERE IS THE KEY?!"

The Doctor appeared in the teleport pod, perplexed as he moved to sit on the edge of the pod in relief.

Seeing him safely returned, Martha rushed over to hug him as Amara paused in her attempts to free herself, and stared at him, glowering as she clenched her fists. Turning away, she pressed her forehead against the wall and silently cursed herself for becoming so caught up.

Unlike Martha, Donna strode over to him a smacked him on the arm as hard as she could. "You idiot." She glared as Amara gripped the railing and yanking, flying from the wall and fall on the floor.

Jumping up, the Doctor ran over to her but she was on her feet again in an instant and marching from the room, leaving him stood there with Martha and Donna.

---

The Doctor gritted his teeth as Amara screamed again, a light shining from under her eyelids as she strained against the probe's force. "Stop it... Just stop it! Stop it!" He bellowed, almost sobbing when her back went rigid.

Sparks were flying everywhere; electrical ripples hissing all around them as smoke emerged from the probe to rise into the Vault.

"NO!" The Doctor shouted, lunging at the cell wall, pelting with the slamming of his palms in outrage, kicking as more smoke gathered.

"Let me go!" The Doctor struggled the holding cell, attacking it in any way he was able, desperate to get to Amara. "What've you done?!" He demanded, panicking.

Davros laughed, wheeling around to the look at Doctor. "The last children of Gallifrey are powerless."

The Doctor paled considerably, his eyes focused on Amara as the sparks became more aggressive. His hands curled into fists, shaking with rage, as he started pounding on the cell again.

---

"Throw him out!" Sky ordered, pointing over to where Amara stood in front of the Doctor, ready to fight off Biff and the Professor if she needed to.

"Throw him out!"

Sky smirked. "Get rid of him!"

"Get rid of him!"

"Now!" Sky stared after Amara as she held her gaze firmly, her face contorting devilishly from where she stood across the shuttle.

"Now!"

"Don't you dare!" Amara growled as Biff moved to grab the Doctor, his hands moving to push her only to jolt backwards when he was met with a static shock.

Staggering back in surprise, Biff looked at her accusingly. "What in..." The group stationed behind him fell silent as Biff braced himself against a chair, the shock ricocheted again, forcing him back further.

"I don't want to do this, don't make me... If I have to, I will hurt you." Amara declared as she knelt beside the Doctor while he remained frozen in time, so isolated and lost. Helpless. Terrified. Alone. Placing her hands on the chairs, she looked at the group again. "You won't touch him."

Biff froze, hesitating as he glanced back at his wife. "If you're not careful, we'll be throwing you out as well!" Val exclaimed, starting towards her.

"Val, be reasonable..." Amara warned lowly, her eyes falling upon the dishevelled woman for a moment.

"Throw them both out!" Val countered, pointing accusingly at both the Doctor and Amara. "Get rid of them both!"

Pale, Biff staggered forwards, "Professor, help me!" Biff hollered, bracing himself as the Professor hesitated in his movements.

Shifting on his feet, the Professor seemed conflict. "I can't..." Hobbes murmured, utterly terrified at the prospect of condemning another's life. "I… I- I'm not…"

"Professor, you're a good man..." Amara called him over to her with a soft smile before gesturing to the Doctor behind her. "So is he."

Glancing over at him, Biff scoffed at him. "What sort of man are you?" He glared at him darkly. "Come on!"

"Get them!" Val continued with her onslaught of demands, growing more hysteric with each passing moment. "Throw them out!"

"Come on!" Biff pulled the Professor along with him as they stumbled, hitting a row of chairs, sending shocks through the pair of them.

Jethro, who had retreated to the back of shuttle with hostess, stared in horror as Amara's eyes became illuminated with an arctic glow, ghostly and fierce. "Look..." He murmured, paralysed where he stood.

"Just do it, throw them out!" Val encouraged, rushing forward to help the two men until a static charge rippled to hit her leg, causing her to shout and freeze.

Holding Sky's gaze, Amara composed herself as she steadily climbed to her feet. Her head was buzzing, hissing away as she stared at Sky. Staring at whatever possessed her. Her head was vibrating. She still had no clue what the bloody thing was... but she wouldn't stop, not until her Spaceman was safe and sound.

"What are you?" The hostess demanded in outrage, shifting on her feet but making no certain moved to help.

"The help! I'd strongly advise you to..." Amara paused, feeling her mental barriers dissolving more fluidly. She swallowed thickly. Only one outcome. "Look at yourselves! Look at what she's done to you! You are not murderers, you're good people!"

"Get him out!"

"Cast him out!" Sky hold Amara's gaze firmly as she moved down the aisle, taunting Amara.

"Cast him out!" the Doctor repeated, his back turned on the commotion thankfully, but no less trapped.

"I want him out!" Val exclaimed.

"That's not going to happen because it's in her!" Amara ground out, feeling something shift within her mental barriers, her hand shaking slightly. It was fizzling away inside her head, like an angry swarm of bees after their hive had been shaken. Steadying herself, Amara chanced the trust of the others in the group, and moved forwards.

"Oh my God!" Dee Dee hands clamped over her mouth when she saw the light shining through Amara's eyes, almost blinding to witness as she pressed herself against the back of the shuttle.

"I liked Sky; she was a nice woman." Amara told the vessel firmly as the others cowered beside them. Whatever was in Sky had to leave the shuttle, and promptly. Stalling could work. "And for the sake of her memory, you won't harm anyone else."

Val, however, had her own ideas and tried again, "Do it!" The woman rushed forwards as Amara caught her, forcing her back into Biff's arms immediately.

Since she'd been shocked by Richard Lazarus's Genetic Manipulation Device, her Electro-direction hadn't been as dormant as it once was, something she hated to acknowledge. Something within her had triggered, enabling her to draw and harness power from internal electrical impulses.

Biff and Hobbes were gaining ground with Val jeering them on as Sky aided, smirking. Thankfully, Jethro, Dee Dee and the Hostess hadn't taken up arms against herself and the Doctor. As she stared at the oncoming onslaught, she was oddly reminded of the war. Except there would be no condemned fate. In this chaos, there will be safety. And that never happens by accident. "Forgive me," Amara muttered to herself.

Rushing forwards, she threw Biff out of the way and forced Hobbes into a chair when she directed a hand towards the nearest door to the shuttle as a static charge shot out from the tips of fingers into the system tripping it while her hands landed on Sky's shoulders, shocking the body as the door was hauled along, revealing the blinding light of the landscape. "Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus... hanc animam redintegro..." Amara recited, helpless as she forced the woman towards the entrance door which sucked her out before the emergency system slammed it shut again.

Breathing deeply, Amara closed her eyes. She knew she should have never have watched the Exorcist with Jack, but she still murdered someone... Behind her, the group had ceased in their commotion as she looked around at them, surveyed those involved for a long moment.

"I'm sorry!" Val threw herself down onto the floor as Amara's eyes found her, the light behind her eyes dying into nothing. "We didn't mean to... we were so scared..." She begged, cowering down as Biff her in his arms.

Amara frowned before kneeling beside the woman, offering her hand. Cautiously, Val took it and Amara quickly pulled her into her arms. "It's all right to be scared, but never let that fear overpower your sense of judgement and control you. A woman is dead because you condemned another's life. That is never okay." She pulled away and settled Val back against Biff. "You were scared, and she made you angry. Fear turns to anger, anger to hate, hate to suffering."

Biff stared at her, "Who said that?"

"Yoda." Amara smiled sadly as the use of the Star Wars reference. Looking between the Professor and Dee Dee, Jehtro and the Hostess, she sighed. " Look, you're not bad people, I know that. You just made the wrong choice because you were scared. You had every right to be scared."

"But your eyes..." Jethro spoke slowly, edging forward. "I saw them... change."

"Me too." Dee Dee stepped to his side.

Amara nodded, suddenly wincing as she met her knees, doubling over. "Yeah, they do that." Gritting her teeth, she sucked in a sharp breath as she felt the barriers of her mind mending, locking away that wrongful capability.

Gasping for breath, the Doctor shot up, his limbs flying. "It's gone, it's gone..." He repeated breathlessly, frowning for a moment as he realised that Amara must have done something. "'Mara?" Rolling over, his eyes widened as he skidded over to her, worry enveloping him.

"We didn't do anything!" Val shouted in protest.

Amara smiled at the woman, "No, you didn't."

As he reached over, he immediately pulled her to him, turning her over in his arms before propping her up against the wall. "'Mara, what did you do?" He gently wiped strands of hair away from her face, gazing down at her for a moment. "What happened? 'Mar... what did you do..."

She smiled when she felt him stroking the side of her face. "A revolt," She breathed, her eyes trailing over to Val for a moment, not hostility lurking with her unusually warm eyes. "Of brave people." She laid her head against his chest, rousing a sigh of relief from within him.

Despite feeling better, she knew the safest thing to do would be to get herself checked over, just to make sure there was no damage. He always seemed to bring out the worst in her, and those poor people had to face the brunt of it.

But the Doctor was too lost in his own thoughts. There she was before him, his Amara, always taking such good care of him – he thought too much, he knew that he didn't deserve it – she was always there, the other half he always needed to balance him out. "And though she be but little, she is fierce." He hummed in thought as she smiled.

"Too right, Spaceman."

He observed her slightly parted lips, his hands still caressing her face as he found himself suddenly compelled by her, knowing – as she always been – the most precious thing in universe. He tipped her chin so she was looking into his eyes, she needed to be watching him as he spoke. "I'm so sorry, 'Mara... I'm an idiot; I've been wrong about so many things."

Amara stared at him and he noticed the evident tears swimming in her eyes. He wanted to kiss her, to love her, to... He was shocked by the sudden desire that moved within him just then, filling him, consuming him. He felt like he was going to burst.

"Oi, you're fine, I'm fine..." She breathed, smiling slightly when she saw the look in his eyes. "We're always fine, Spaceman."

He stared at her lips that he felt like a fetishist, loving the way her mouth formed 'Spaceman' and 'we're'... he was her Spaceman, and loved that she had a claim on him. It made his hearts swell. But he didn't know what he wanted: to kiss her or to keep running. But he had always been good at the running, and he liked running. But he liked Amara more.

Rolling her eyes, Amara shifted slightly but made no movement to leave his arms. "Always running... you never stop to actually consider what you're running from." She frowned at him for a moment, "Do you even look behind?"

"I..." The Doctor struggled, closing his eyes in defeat. "Please, 'Mara... I don't..." he pleaded.

"You act as though you're lonely," Amara told him firmly. "I try my best with that, but you, you're too bloody stubborn and it's exhausting. I'm tired."

"Please… don't get tired of me."

"You are the most frustrating man..." Amara marvelled, wincing as her head made some more internally adjusting. "I don't know what you want, what you really want that is... Is this some sort of punishment? Are you condemning yourself?"

Her words hurt him because they besought the truth. "You don't necessarily deserve what you want, Amara."

"Whatever, Spaceman." She sighed, closing her eyes, breaking their eye contact. "Your issue is that you don't try."

"'Mara," He breathed out, forcing her to look at him. "The things I want... people will get hurt. I don't want that." The Doctor told her, knowing the plight was pathetic. He deserved what he wanted. "Everything moves on without me, Amara. Always. I always lose everything."

Amara clenched her jaw, "What is there to lose?"

"You."

She smiled at his answer, "I'm right here, Space Cowboy."

The Doctor smiled in reply, "It's not that simple, 'Mara." He sighed as he looked at her; she looked more weathered than when he'd first met. Their adventures had taken their toll, travelling with him and yet, unlike the others, she was still there.

"It is simple." Amara moved her hand to press it against his chest, between his two hearts as his other came to hold hers there. "I can wait."

...

"No!" Jenny exclaimed suddenly, pushing past the Doctor and Amara as a shot rang out. Jenny pushed Amara out of the way as Cobb fired, hitting her square in the chest, causing her to fall backwards into the Doctor's arms.

Amara's eyes widened, "Jenny!" She shouted as the Doctor fell to the ground with Jenny cradled in his arms, the other soldiers tackling Cobb to retrieve his gun. "Jenny! Talk to me, Jenny!"

Martha knelt down and began to check her. "Is she going to be all right?" Donna asked Martha, who gave a solemn shake of her head.

Martha dropped to the floor beside them, checking her over as Amara collected the gun, holding it firmly and recalling a very similar feeling from the war.

"A new world," Jenny breathed out in marvel, looking up at the gas. "It's so beautiful..."

Amara knelt beside her, reaching for her hand. "You need to hold on just a little longer, all right? Jenny?"

"We've got things to do." The Doctor told her softly, "You, 'Mara and me. Hey? We can go anywhere; everywhere... you choose."

Jenny smiled, nodding slightly as she looked at their faces. "That sounds good."

"You're my daughter and we've only just got started."

Amara bit her lip, "You're going to be great, just you watch."

The Doctor smiled sadly, "You'll be more than that... you'll be amazing." His smile faded slightly, "Jenny?"

Jenny managed a smile, squeezing Amara's hand before her eyes closed and her last breath passed her lips, her head rolling into the crook of the Doctor's arm. Pressing a kiss to his daughter's forehead, the Doctor reached for Amara pulled him under her other arm.

"Two hearts. Two hearts, she's like us," He looked at Amara with hope blazing within his eyes, "If we wait... if we just wait..." He glanced over at Martha but she shook her head at him.

"There's no sign, Doctor. There is no regeneration. She's like you, but... maybe not enough."

"No," He breathed out, pressing his forehead against Amara's as she turned to kiss his cheek. "Too much. That's the truth of it. She was too much like me."

...

"So, what do we do with this one?" Jack demanded, cuffing the Master in one swift movement as he looked over at the Doctor, hoping for him to confirm the monster's fate.

"We kill him!" Mr. Jones declared, striding forwards as Amara pushed through Martha's family to stand between them and the Master.

Amara clenched her jaw. "No, Clive."

"We execute him." Tish added, moving to stand beside her father.

"No, that's never a choice." Amara frowned them, pausing when she saw Martha's mother lifting a gun in threat. "No." She warned, backing away towards the Master. She would die before they killed him; no more would die at the sake of a Time Lord.

"That's not the solution," The Doctor added, stepping forwards in concern, more because the gun was aimed at both Amara and the Master.

"Oh, I think so..." Mrs. Jones slowly moved towards them, holding the gun with both hands despite her shaky grasp. That only increased Amara's worry. "Because all those things... they still happened because of him. I saw them."

Raising her hands in defence, Amara shook her head and held her gaze, hoping that with the right amount of persuasion she would change her mind. "Francine, it's better to save a life rather than take one."

The Doctor winced, rushing over to her and immediately offering her some support. She'd been chained up for nearly a year because of him, and she was acting as though it had never occurred. "'Mara, you shouldn't... are you all right?" He couldn't help but wrap an arm around her waist to keep her upright, although she seemed healthier than he had seen for a long while.

Amara sent him a terse smile, not wanting him to worry. "Oh, I'm alive and kicking." The pain was still there, lurking beneath the surface, unseen. It had never left.

"Enough with the poetry. Go on!" the Master jeered, fighting Jack as he grinned. "Do it!"

"Stop it." Amara reprimanded, glowering at him as she stalked over to him, wanting nothing more than to slap him into sense. "Stop trying to be all mighty and brave. It's not going to work this time, this is not the war." If the Doctor was to discover the complete truth, then there was no point in running from the truth.

"You're doing the look again. Always the look." He scoffed, writhing as Jack held onto him tightly. "You killed me once! You sent me away! You signed my death sentence!"

Amara stared at him plainly. "I tried to save you." She had, there was no lie in that but of course, Rassilon had her removed and had cut off all ties.

"But you didn't!"

"Francine, you're better than him," The Doctor tried to reason with Martha's mother, reaching out to retrieve the gun, pulling her into a hug as Martha moved towards them. He paused in realisation once he'd registered the Master's words, glancing back over at Amara and the Master in concern. "Wait... what?" He'd blamed her... had he missed something?

Ignoring the Doctor, Amara directed her attention back over to the Master. "I tried to help, you know that." She pleaded with him, feeling the regret crawling within her. It had been her fault, but she never wanted Rassilon to abuse his authority of him.

"Not hard enough." He spat, stepping towards her despite being cuffed, his eyes shining in pure fury. "You still haven't answered the question," The Master looked over at the Doctor with an expectant look. "What happens to me?"

"You're my responsibility from now on," The Doctor explained, shoving his hands into his pockets as he wandered over towards the Time Lord, frowning slightly. "The only Time Lord left in existence."

The Master laughed, glancing between the Doctor and Amara for a moment before he scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Oh, he still doesn't know? Oh, the dim-witted Doctor... dense Doctor." He laughed again, practically howling as a sneer formed. "How disappointing. How thick. How... slow."

Sighing, Amara ignored the look thrown her way by the Doctor so she could face the Master again. "Stop it." Amara gritted her teeth in annoyance as she glowered over at him.

"You can't trust him," Jack scoffed, moving towards the Doctor, eyeing Amara and the Master as the two engaged in a stare off. "I hate to say it, but you both sound insane!"

Running a hand over her face, Amara sent Jack a sympathetic look. "Look, what he did..."

"No," The Doctor acknowledged simply, sighing as he came to a conclusion. "The only safe place for him is the TARDIS." He announced gravely.

"You mean you're just going to… keep me?" the Master frowned, turning around to face the Doctor in outrage, a slow-burning fury of realisation.

The Doctor nodded solemnly. "If that's what I have to do," He looked over at Jack and sighed once more. He didn't really have much of a choice; he couldn't be responsible for allowing the Master hurt anyone else."It's time to change. Maybe I've been wandering for too long... now I'll have someone to care for."

Scowling, the Master turned back to Amara and sneered. "Is this what you wanted? To see me as a pet?" He demanded, thrashing against Jack so his grip loosened, allowing him to slip free to stalk over to her. "You made me a pet! You're just as bad as he was!" He spat, mere inches from her face.

"I never wanted that, and you know it." Amara exclaimed, utterly furious as a gunshot rang through the air.

The Doctor spun around see the Master collapsing in Amara's arms, his legs giving out beneath him as they sunk to the floor together. "No, no..." Amara's brain fizzled into a frenzy of panic as he slumped heavily into her arms just as Jack reached Lucy, seizing the gun from her hands.

Skidding across the floor, the Doctor rushed to his side and pulled the Master into his arms despite the incredulous look he received from Amara by doing so. "There you go. I've got you, I've got you." He murmured as he lowered the Master to the floor as Amara knelt beside him, feeling the guilt tugging in the pit of her stomach just like the last time.

"Always the women." He muttered in disgust, his eyes trailing to Amara.

"I didn't see her." The Doctor admitted, bowing his own head in guilt at having not intervened with Lucy.

"Dying in your arms." His eyes flew to the Doctor, a smile smirk tugging at his lips. "Happy now?"

The Doctor scoffed, adjusting his hold on the other Time Lord, "You're not dying, don't be stupid..." He swallowed thickly, knowing that by the way the Master was speaking, something was about to happen. Something he'd have no control over. "It's only a bullet. Just regenerate."

"No."

Amara blinked. "No?" She repeated slowly as the Master clenched his jaw.

"One little bullet. Come on."

"I guess you don't know me so well. I refuse."

Confused, the Doctor spared a glance at Amara who was staring as the Master with a thoughtful look. "Regenerate." His voice broke as Amara closed her eyes, looking down. "Just regenerate. Please! Please! Just regenerate! Come on!"

"And spend the rest of my life imprisoned with you?" The Master scoffed in disbelief before his eyes trailed to Amara. "This is all your fault, Kliavia."

The Doctor frowned, looking up at Amara. "Kliavia?" He asked quietly.

Sitting back on her knees, Amara's shoulders fell - there was no way he was going to regenerate because it was what the Doctor wanted. "For God's sake, just regenerate." Amara had started to panic; undoubtedly it was her fault, she'd forced him to go to Arcadia and to fight, and to go against Rassilon. The Master hadn't been wrong there.

"I'm not being anyone's prisoner. You made me Rassilon's..." The Master stared at her as Amara rose to her feet, turning away. He looked over at the Doctor, smiling at the tears in his eyes. "No regeneration."

"You've got to. Come on..." The Doctor shook his head profusely, refusing to believe that after everything, he was willing to die. "It can't end like this. You and me, all the things we've done... Axons? Remember the Axons? And the Daleks?" He asked, his voice shaking as it continued to break. "We're the only two left, there's no one else. Regenerate!"

"How about that?" The Master smiled slightly, holding his gaze firmly. "I win." Something shifted in his eyes as he regarded the other Time Lord, his smile softening as he stared at him. "Will it stop, Doctor? The drumming. Will it stop?" The Master let out a final shuddering breath as he lolled into the crook of the Doctor's arm.

Running her hands through her hair, she held her head in her hands for a moment, overwhelmed with the sudden regret at having made the Master what he was. A part of her told her that she wasn't responsible for the madness, but she hadn't aided him, she had probed the madness and manipulated him during the war. Maddened, she kicked the nearest chair as it tumbled over, rubbing a hand over her face until her face contorted in a sudden wince.

Stepping forward, Jack noticed how rigid Amara had grown, how her body had stilled in the moment she turned away from them. "Lady K, you good?"

Grateful her back was turned, Amara glanced down and pressed a hand to her top to find blood. "I'm good." She wheeled around, her hands clasped behind her back as her eyes found the Doctor still kneeling with the Master in his arms, tears strewn across his face.

Rising to his feet, the Doctor straightened himself out. "What did he mean when he said it was 'your fault'?" His brows furrowed as he replayed the Master's words over in his mind, finding the entire exchange rather odd.

"You know why." Amara told him quietly, another look of sympathy crossing her face. She knew that deep down he'd always known, he just never chose to acknowledge it. "I'm sorry. I really am sorry, but I just…I…"

Moving towards her cautiously, the Doctor stared for a moment before he pulled her towards him so she was stood so close. Hesitating, he leaned forward to press his hands against the centre of her chest, his eyes widening when he felt her hearts beating away.

Pulling away, he frowned, utterly perplexed and feeling somewhat betrayed. "Why didn't you tell me?" His eyes fell upon the necklace on her chest as he reached for the object, fiddling with it absently. "Why..." He breathed, clenching and unclenching his jaw as he looked up at her.

Amara sighed, removing the filter from the back of the necklace. "There's no need for it anyway... not now at least." She admitted, avoiding his gaze to stare at the ground in torment. "I was followed by what remained... Earth isn't always the safe haven it appears to be. I was hunted."

He stared at her for another moment, a glint of realisation dawning in his eyes. "I know you." He did, he recognised her from the past. He couldn't be sure how he knew her, but her face now revealed to him, was entirely familiar.

"Thank God, otherwise this would have been entirely awkward."

"What would be awkward?" He frowned deeply, tilting his head in question.

Amara laughed, "Awkward," She mused, staring at him for a moment as she contemplated a possible explanation. Wincing suddenly, she stepped away from him, sucking in a sharp breath. "Wait, what? No..." She glancing down and pressed her hand against her side again to see the blood stain far more vivid. She also figured the wounds on her back wouldn't make matters any simpler. Definitely not a superficial job..."Oh, that would explain it."

Looking down at her hand and spotted the blood stain on her hand, he stared towards her, panic taken over at the fear of losing another. "What's wrong?" He demanded in a fresh hysteria, his eyes wide.

"You need to step back." Amara instructed softly as she pulled her hand away from her chest to reveal the limb glowing faintly, a dim golden shade glittering through the cells of her skin. "Nants ingonyama bagithi baba. Sithi uhhmm ingonyama..." She smiled slightly at everyone's perplexed expressions, finding their evident concern somewhat flattering. Evidently the Lion King wouldn't lighten the mood. Don't make jokes when regenerating...

When she winced again, Martha sprang to life, moving to rush over to her friend. "'Mara!" She was about to touch her but paused when the Doctor pushed her away out of reflex.

"No. Stay back." Amara stepped away, holding her hand as it continued to glow, biting her lip as Martha came to a sharp halt. She sucked in another breath, doubling over at the energy rippled through her, surging to set her right. "Bugger it..." Standing straight, she held her breath and swallowed the lump in her throat. "Bugger. Bugger. Bugger. Bugger." She damned Boe for having been right... of course, the Master would be the one to show the Doctor who she truly was.

"You alright, Mar?" Jack called, moving forward slowly.

"Debata... ah..." Amara trailed off, cringing at the movement within her body, holding out her hand to see the skin glowing an amber radiance.

"Amara..." Martha's hands flew to her mouth, a sob passing through her lips.

Her eyes searched the room until they found Martha, biting the inside of her cheek as the woman made to move again. Amara held out her glowing hand to stop her. "Martha Jones, don't cry." She knew the poor woman was breaking but she couldn't help her, if the process was interrupted, inevitable death would ensue and there was no way to transfer the energy. "You were great. The best doctor the Doctor ever had, the kindness person I ever met. You helped save the world. Look at all you've achieved..." Amara trailed off again as she felt tears welling in her eyes for Martha's sake as she stood opposite her. "There's nothing to cry over. I'll still be me, I'll just look different... not too much I hope."

The Doctor stepped forwards, gulping as he gravitated nearer. "I can stay with you." He grabbed the hand she held out towards Martha, pulling himself towards her. "I'm not leaving you..."

Squeezing his hands, Amara wedged her fingers free from his hold. "Let go, Spaceman." He paused at her use of the name and she smiled softly. "I liked this face. Not the hair, never the hair. Ugh, the hair. Horrible hair."

"You can't!" Martha fought through Jack's arms as he held her back.

"Don't worry about me."

Sucking in a deep breath as her breathing became more ragged, golden energy swirled around her aggressively. Consumed, her arms glittered golden as she sat on her knees, her arms open as she threw her head back.

Jack stared, evidently confused as he found his friend looking very much the same as she did before. "But you're the same... how's that even possible?"

"I know." Amara commented thoughtfully, her eyes widening suddenly at the sound of her own voice. "Oh, no wait... new voice." She grimaced as the considerably normal tone in contrast to the previous which had been northern. "Disgusting. I sound all posh and proper. Bear with me... Good morning, Vietnam!" She exclaimed, testing out her new set of lungs, causing Jack to laugh at her antics.

Francine wandered forward, frowning as she came to stand just behind the Doctor. "What's going on?" She sounded scared as she turned to look at her daughter, worried by the severity of her reaction and the tears falling from her eyes. "This isn't funny."

"It's only partial at the moment." The Doctor informed them, his voice oddly quiet and lacking his usual assurance. "She's only healed..."

"Sorry." Amara apologised, running a hand through her hair. "Love a catch-phrase, though. This one's a bit posh. Innit."

"What is going on?" Tish questioned, her hands on her hips as she demanded to be answered. "I just wanna go home."

Amara sighed, hitting the area where she had been shot, hoping to kick start a reaction. Coughing, she doubled over and gestured to Lucy as the radiance trailed up to her neck, gaining strength. "She shot her husband, and incidentally, me too. My body was all "oh no". All Chic, y'know "Le freak - freak out!"" She gestured with her hands, laughing nervously as she felt herself becoming even more consumed. "Cue the magic."

Biting his lip, the Doctor tried to reach for her hands again, wanting to help her as the once dim golden glow grew into a forceful amber glower, shimmering in all its radiance, persevering as he firmly grasped her wrists and closed the distance between them. "Please... let me..."

Jack's eyes widened as he saw Amara resign all effort in refusing the Doctor to persistence to stay with her. No way was the Time Lord going to abandon her after having just lost the Master. "Just..." He readjusted his hold on Martha, grabbing Francine's hand and he pulled them back. "Everyone stay back 'til it's over."

Looking at their joined hands, Amara steadied her breathing, looking past the Doctor gradually until her gaze fell upon Jack when she mouthed 'thank you'. "Listen to Captain Sexy." Never would she pass up the opportunity to try and make Captain Jack Harkness blush.

Frowning, the Doctor eyed her frantically as he felt his concern rise within him. Regenerations never usually took this long... it had only been a bullet wound, she should have been fit as a fiddle by now. "It shouldn't be this slow..." He pulled her closer, inspecting her hands as they held his. He couldn't figure it out; it didn't make any sense. He gulped. "Something's wrong." He assumed, trying to pull her closer towards him.

Amara smiled at him gently, maintaining their distance as she held him at arm's length. "Mental barriers need to be broken down, so it'll probably..." She sucked in another shape breath, using his hands to brace herself as the glow grew stronger still. "Get volatile."

"Mental barriers?"

"Spaceman, there's a lot you don't know about me." Amara hummed, her eyes shining as she felt the seams of her mind ripple open, unwoven at her own desire

He gripped her hands tighter, holding her gaze. "I want to know." He didn't want to be alone anymore; he didn't want her to hide herself from him anymore. He didn't want her to run away, or for her to lie to him. He wanted her to trust him, to tell him the things he didn't know, to tell him everything was all right... he didn't want to be alone. He wanted to share his little world with her; he wanted her to join him in travelling. Forever didn't seem so bad when there's two.

"And you will."

The Doctor nodded, somewhat satisfied with her answer, knowing that she wouldn't leave him in the lurch. Amara kept her word, he knew he could trust her.

"It's starting..." She murmured as her whole body was engulfed in the amber hue, the pain raking through her body, practically ripped her apart from the inside out as her fingers coiled around his wrists, digging into the skin beneath each finger. "Apologies for this..."

"Wha..." The Doctor crumpled to the floor when a sudden shock of static jolted every cell in his body, his knees buckling as they met the floor.

The glow exploded from within her, her head thrown back as the light emitted shockingly, blinding everyone in the room as her eyes, ghostly and unsettling, glowing a furious screen of blue as static impulses crackled, hissing through the golden beams as the energy was released simultaneously.

When the light finally dimmed, she caught the Doctor as he fell forward into her arms. "I did tell you not to, Spaceman." She murmured as he looked up at her, his eyes scanning her face silently, pausing in slight surprise. Climbing to her feet, she helped him to stand carefully, watching him to see if he was all right. "Are you all right?"

"I'm perfectly fine." He answered, dropping her hands to step away, brushing himself down. Electro-direction? He'd only ever seen one person ever do that, and that had been...

"Oi, Lady K!" Jack called, drawing her attention. "You look smokin'."

Amara's brow furrowed at the comment, wondering how different her new appearance actually was to the previous one. "Good." Frowning, she ran her tongue along the bottom row of teeth, finding the sensation she was met with odd and slightly uncomfortable. "Oh, n- new teeth... New teeth? New teeth." Amara exclaimed, biting her teeth together so they made a chomping sound until she saw each and every one of them eyeing her curiously. "What's wrong? Is it the hair? It feels longer..." She ran her hands through it and sighed in relief when it felt longer than it had been, chestnut and decent enough. "Is it longer? It's not blonde which is a good thing. You sure I'm not a lion? Feels bit like a mane." She smiled when she saw the Doctor smile slightly.

Martha's family were scared; she was attempting to lighten the mood by cracking jokes and trying to be light-hearted which, unfortunately, seemed to be failing nonetheless. Glancing over at Martha, she frowned when she saw her friend staring at her, looking rather lost and dazed at the person stood in front of her. "Oh. I'm still me, Martha." Amara smiled at her as she removed herself from Jack's grasp, wandering forwards cautiously. "Just an upgrade."

Once Martha had reached her, she stared at for a moment, frowning. She sounded like Amara, she spoke like Amara and she moved like Amara but she didn't look like her. She didn't know what to think. It was so overwhelming. Tilting her head, Martha reached up and... poked her right cheek with her forefinger. Again and again. Four times.

Amara stared at her incredulously before smiling slightly. "I'll poke you in a minute, Jones."

"Sorry," Martha stepped away, finding she couldn't help but stare at Amara, more in awe than shock after having witnessed such a transformation. Was this what the Master was supposed to do? "It's just going to get some getting used to."

"Don't I get a hug?" She pouted, holding her arms out in offering as the woman eyed her cautiously. "I could use a hug. A hug would be wonder..." She smiled when she felt Martha fling her arms around her neck, almost suffocating her as she did so, holding her tightly. "There we go."

...

Her feet were planted in a field of red grass which swayed in which direction the next explosion sounded, blades of grass illuminated equally by the suns and the light of explosions in the distance.

Her hearts broke as she saw them, Dalek vessels and TARDISes falling from the sky like the shooting stars she dreamed off.

People were running, screaming, dying, and she, the Lady, was utterly helpless. Tears burned her eyes as her hearts ached at the mere sight. She yearned to end all the suffering, but she knew she would only create more.

Rassilon disgusted her. Her mother informed her that Rassilon, corruption at its finest, planned to take the Time Lords to abandon everything to leave Gallifrey at the hands of the children of Skaro. She couldn't stand aside and watch him commit genocide, watch as worlds burned, as millions died.

She stood, watching as her world burned around her. She didn't know what to do.

"It's the Lady!" a voice called out.

She glanced around to see a small boy with matted hair, bleeding, leading a small group of two others who appeared to have been hiding. Kneeling down to their level, she frowned. "What you still doing here?"

"They're looking for you everywhere... the Daleks and Time Lords." She inspected the wound on the boy's arm, frowning at how severe it was. "Please help us," His eyes were so wide with hope and brimming with tears that she didn't know what to say for a moment. She couldn't leave them there.

"There's nothing I can do."

"You're just like them..." The same child spoke, "You're just another one of them."

Her hearts constricted as she stared at them all. She couldn't leave him, she couldn't... she wouldn't... "Quickly... come on." She lifted the boy into her arms and ushered the others in front of her.

Kliavia blanched when she saw no available cover. Nothing. Not even any debris. She glanced down at the children and swallowed thickly. "Right, we're going to need to run and you all need to stay close to me. That is very important." She chanced a glance up at the sky. "When I say run, we run. Understood?"

They all nodded in unison and she stole another glance at the sky, steadying herself. "Run."

She sprinted, despite knowing the children would struggled to keep up, but she need to get to her TARDIS. She held the boy to her as she closed the distance between herself and the TARDIS. Hands frantically shaking, she rooted around for the key, panicking when she couldn't find it in its rightful.

Placing the boy on the ground, she checked everywhere else until she retrieved the key and went to force it into the lock. The key pinged off and landed in the grass somewhere.

Staring at the bloody thing, she tried to touch the door but her hand caused an unseen force field to ripple. "No..." She muttered, her eyes maddened as she slammed her fists against it in protest. "Bugger... Right, we have to go back. Is that understood?"

Spinning around on her heel and saw the three children looking at her, hesitant as she ran back over to them, pushing them along as they all broke out into a run.

Suddenly she was thrown as a once distance whistle grew nearer and nearer. The blast hit her, deafening her as her body hit the field around the TARDIS. Struggling, her vision grew darker and darker, black spots clouding what she could until only flames danced before she slipped into unconsciousness.

Not long after, they were leading her into the Council Chamber where the High Council sat with Rassilon at the head of it, regarding her with a smile while she scolded them all, making eye contact with each and every one of them before each of them turned away.

"Why?" Kliavia hissed, her eyes glowing hazardously as they finally found Rassilon. "Why would you do that?"

"If you would just- "

But Kliavia wouldn't listen, "What did you do to my TARDIS? Why would you keep me out?!"

"That is something you should not have," Rassilon reminded, his tone commanding as his voice echoed through the chamber. "We need your support in this."

"Murderer." Kliavia spat. "You've condemned us all." Her face contorted in anger as she charged at the table, causing members to leap from their chambers as several guards only just managed to restrain her.

"Is that a no?" Rassilon sighed, rolling his eyes. "A pity... You would have been so useful to our cause. Take the Lady Kliavia to one of the cells, announce her a traitor to Gallifrey."

She didn't fight, and allowed herself to be pushed and pulled as she was led along. She'd failed in her life's mission. They dragged her across several levels, up stairs and across floors until they reached an archway with a sealed metal door.

Suddenly she heard two thuds behind her and she turned to see the guards sprawled upon the floor as a woman stood above them. "Mother?" She breathed, her voice cracked, breaking as she spoke.

"You haven't got long." She told her sternly. "You better leave." Kliavia shook her head, reluctant. "Look at you... you're so much more than I will ever be. I have played my part." She caressed her face for a moment, smiling softly. "You're going to need to move quickly, they'll know it was me, so don't waste this chance. Get yourself out."

She gaped at her mother for a few moments before she was pushed into the door. And she did what she vowed she would never do. She ran.

Shout echoed behind her and she knew they were coming for her. And she wanted to let them take her away, but she couldn't be trapped with her mother. She would have been for nothing otherwise.

Brow furrowed as she approached her TARDIS, she dropped to the floor and began searching for the key that had been thrown from her hand until she spotted a glint within the long grass. She grabbed the key firmly and forced it into the lock, turning as she fell through the door, rolled and allowed the door to click shut.

"It's over," She concluded, her tone grave and completely broken. "We've lost."

...

Peering through the TARDIS door, Amara frowned for a moment, glancing back at Donna who was on the phone to her grandfather. "Fit as a fiddle again, all good- "

What she hadn't expected was to see the Doctor racing to meet her as he bounded down the rapt, practically pulling her off her feet as he swung her back and forth, rejoicing in knowing she was safe.

He nuzzled into her neck, tightening his hold on her as he realised he never wanted to let her go again, never wanted to give her up... He paused though, when he could smell himself on her, lurking somewhat hidden. "Never do that again."

"No way was I going to let them do anything to you," She breathed, looking up at him, her lips parted. "Humans and their miss-communications..."

She wound her arms around his neck while his held her firmly against his chest, his eyes clenched shut as he buried his face in her hair. "I almost lost you again." Her breath on his neck were causing stirrings within him. It had been a very long time since he'd held someone so close for longer than a hug. He always tried to put a distance between them, but he could see it. He had seen it for ages, and had done nothing to stop it. He was too attached to her, he was in love, he knew that. He wasn't stupid.

He felt her laugh against him, "I'm still here, Spaceman." Her fingers rubbed his back, her hold tightening even more around him. "There's no getting rid of me apparently."

He wanted to believe her. Desperately. But she was always sacrificing herself, and he wasn't sure he could handle it again. He didn't want to be alone again. But he could take comfort in holding her, warm, alive and hugging him back. In his arms, where she belonged.

One arm unwrapped itself as he ran his fingers along her cheek, lifting her face to look at him. "I can't lose you, 'Mara." Her eyes met his, puzzled mixing with hope.

Stroking her cheek, seemed to urge him to act on those desires he was denying himself. He blew out the deep breath he'd been holding. His hearts had begun beating furiously, not doubt she could feel them, hear them. He stared at her mouth for a long moment, suddenly remembering when he'd kissed her during the whole ATMOS fiasco.

He found himself moving closer to her, head bending towards hers, closing the distance between them and –

"You will never believe it!" came the raised tones that undoubtedly belonged to Donna Noble. "The cheek of it!"

Amara stepped away immediately as Donna strode into the TARDIS, an amused smile playing upon her lips as she squeezed his hand firmly, letting go before she turned to the face the woman. "Who's upset my number one Temp?"

"It's Gramp's birthday tomorrow."

The Doctor frowned, not following. "What's wrong with that?"

"He wants to have dinner." Donna announced as Amara laughed, leaning against the console. Donna stared at the Doctor, who obviously, hadn't understood her meaning. "With us, you twonk. Me. You. Amara. Dinner TOGETHER."

Amara smiled, "All right." She agreed, seeing nothing wrong with the suggestion.

"No, don't." Donna shook her head which made Amara frown. "You don't have to."

"Yes, we do." The Doctor argued with a grin though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "We like your Gramp."

"Really?" Donna started to smile.

"Of course."

Donna paused in thought, "Dinner might actually involve drinks down the local with a pub-quiz thrown in there too." She added, wiggling her brows at Amara who shrugged.

"All the more fun." She grinned, throwing an arm over her shoulder. As long as Donna was happy she didn't care.

The Doctor, however, frowned. Not because Donna had ruined their moment, but because he was too cowardly to go through with it. He would have to lay off trying to kiss Amara while staying with Wilf and Sylvia. He would have to abandon any acknowledgement of his feelings towards her for a while.

---

The Doctor pressed himself against the cell as she screamed, her voice cracking as tears streamed down her cheeks. He pounded on the cell, causing it to ripple but hold as he practically threw himself against it. "'Mara!" She couldn't be alone, he wouldn't let her suffer alone... "Mar..."

The memories fizzled through her mind, blurred and dispersing as she was greeted with a sudden darkness, cold and void... and quiet. She felt numb and oddly calm for the next few moments as she settled in the chair.

Observing, the Doctor fell to the ground as her eyes opened, burning an arctic blizzard as the probe powered down. He pressed his face against the cell, his eyes wide as he watched, hoped that she would come around and be her usual self. He needed her to be Amara.

"Doctor..." Davros cooed softly, "What do you feel?"

He felt numb and broken as she sat motionless, conscious, in the chair. Futile and helpless as she was subjected to a fate she didn't deserve, and it had been all his fault. He didn't feel anything, whatever he did feel, died with her. But the pain, the longing... it was overwhelming.

"Rage?" Davros pressed, "Sorrow? Despair?"

The Doctor didn't answer him, he wouldn't answer him. He couldn't.

"Oh, dear me..." Davros sighed, his eyes never leaving the Doctor for a single moment. "You loved her, didn't you?"

---

A/N: Hi!

I hope you enjoyed this sneak peak - please read and review.