A/N: Hey Guys! New chapter is up and this one is very important, as The Doctor discovers something that even he didn't see coming and it changes everything...

Also, just thought I'd let you know that I've put up my very first One Shot "A Friend Lost" and I'd love to hear your honest thoughts about it because I've never done one before :s

But get ready for a good one here and don't forget to favourite this, me, or just review! :D

His Darkest Hour

Chapter Four: Deja-Vu

It didn't take long for The Doctor to reach the Research Lab, but getting in might take him a little bit longer, considering the great domed figures that stood guard on either side of the door. Or it would have, if The Doctor didn't have the most feared things he could hold in his hand, his screwdriver and a Jammie Dodger? Really?

Ignore the Jammie Dodger, that was a mistake.

The Doctor making mistakes?

We all make them Alex. Don't forget when we found the Kreeble's nest... I say don't go in there, it could be dangerous and what does the curious human do?

Let's not talk about that. Back to the screwdriver... He raised it slowly, taking aim down the length of his arm at his target, but it wasn't the Daleks. He shrank back into the alcove, crouching and testing, activating the sonic again and again as if searching- "Just a litttle bit more" he urged, the cold stone pressing against his back as the sonic whined, straining to reach its target. The Doctor winced, any louder and those Drones would hear it, as he shrank back further, hearing one turn towards him, starting forwards to investigate the eiree sound.

But then the sonic finally found the connection it was looking for and The Doctor immediately shut it off for fear of being detected. He needn't have see, the connection he had been seeking was the one he had set up just moments before, deep behind a solid iron door.

The explosion shook the walls of to tunnel so hard great cracks started to form in the stone. Dust fell and coated both the Daleks, who had turned to each other, weapons flicking back and forth.

"The Weak have destroyed a Remedine Repository!" One said, its deep voice echoing through the space like thunder. "We must exterminate!"

"Exterminate!" The other agreed, and they started to glide away, before they initiated their hover fields and flew off down the tunnel.

The Doctor left the alcove, brushing dust off of his jacket and completely missing the fact it was covering his hair. "What do they mean the Weak? That was me." He muttered, slightly hurt that his handi-work had gone unnoticed yet again, but then he remembered why he was here and darted through the doorway the Drones had left unguarded.

The sight sickened him just as much as it had the first time he'd seen it, two once great machines reduced to only one purpose, dragging Skaro out of the Time-Lock and keeping it there for him and The For to fight upon. "Don't worry old girl," he whispered, stroking the lower console that he could only just recognize as his own, "You're safe now... so this" he waved generally at the monstrosity, "shouldn't really be here."

He began checking around, moving from one side of the console to the other, then scanning the memory banks that ran the length of the walls to see if they held any clues, but they didn't, they were just processing and reprocessing the command of "sustain", no clues as to why his little re-write hadn't worked.

The Doctor began to get frustrated, clutching his hair and roaring, "why does nothing make any sense!" Then he let go of his hair, stepped backwards and breathed deeply. "Okay Doctor," he muttered, "just think. What are you missing?"

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain shoot through his chest and he collapsed to the ground, visibly shaking. "Ah! What?" His breathing was heavy as he clutched his chest. "Doctor, you're getting too old for this."

As he crouched there he heard the fighting that echoed high above him and the pounding of footsteps... as someone ran down the dark tunnel outside towards him. He heaved himself to his feet, still grasping at his chest as he threw himself between the memory banks and soniced the lights dark, leaning against the wall and willing his breathing to quiet down. He wouldn't stand a chance against For in this state.

The footsteps stopped suddenly outside and he heard the sound of For's sonic ring as he tried to break open the doors. Sweat fell in a bead down The Doctor's forehead and he let out a muffled yelp of pain, his hand covering his own mouth as another jolt of pain coursed through his chest.

And then the door slid open and the man stepped inside, looking around for The Doctor, who was willing himself to ignore yet another searing stab of pain that pushed him down the wall onto the floor. He chanced a look around the memory bank just as the man soniced the lights back on and watched him freeze, he himself rooted to the spot.

The man retreated until his back was flat against the steel door. "No! That's impossible!" The Doctor stared as his younger self soniced the door open, eyes still fixed on the two TARDISes before him and fell back through the door, closing it from the ground.

The Doctor dragged himself to his feet, stepping out from his hiding place and staggering for the door, leaning on the frame to watch himself run back up the corridor to try to save For. What was going on? He hadn't meant to come back here, back to the start of it all. No wonder the Drones had thought the Weak were the ones that had destroyed that Remedine Repositor, he technically hadn't destroyed them yet.

"But how?" he muttered to himself, leaning his head back against the door frame in an attempt to regain himself. "I meant to land six months after this, surely my piloting skills aren't that bad?" And then, as he stood there still breathing deeply in and out even though he could feel no trace of the pains that had sparked through him he realised exactly what was happening. It sent a cold feeling pulsing through his veins.

There was a reason his attempt to rewrite what had happened here hadn't worked, a very good and obvious reason that he couldn't believe he'd missed. It had been the last nail in the coffin, the last paradox that such a small space outside of the Time-Lock could handle.

The moment he'd tried to steal back his TARDIS and break the connection with the older Daleks, the walls of time around this world had begun to unravel and shrink... and it was collapsing so fast that it was even affecting him. Anymore of this and his entire nervous system would shut down, and he knew The For would be feeling the same things. Empires have ripped apart planets for Time-Lord DNA, and they could soon leave the new Dalek Paradigm with not only that but two TARDISes as well.

This was no longer about him against For, it was about the very survival of their species and the rest of time, because a break here would quickly spread throughout history.

With a grim slash of determination etched into his face, The Doctor heaved himself up against the wall and began to inch himself towards For and the distinct possibility that this time, he might not be able survive this. As another knife seemed to dig deep into his chest The Doctor was left with no illusions about one thing;

Time was running out.