New chappie up! *cheers loudly* I know what you're all saying- FINALLY!!!!! And I'm sorry it's late. Hopefully it's good enough to make the wait worthwhile

Anyways, this is the final part of my rewrite of The End of the World. I will write a one-shot with flashbacks for my rewrite of The Unquiet Dead, not a full rewrite (sorry!)

I got so many reviews for the last chapter I wanted to thank them all at once here instead of sending a PM to each one. It's gonna be really long, sorry! But the actual CHAPTER is long too, so it evens out XD. Here we go!

: I did send a PM to you, I think, telling you the episodes that explain the Jack/Face of Boe plot. If not, tell me :) Big thanks for the first chapter 7 review!

pheobep3: I'm updating now! XD

rara saryn: Yay! A new reviewer! I will keep going, because of people like you! Thanks!

Bad Wolf Jr: OMW!!!!!! Another new reviewer!!! Uber awesome and gracias XD I'm really glad you liked the last bit! It's always fantastic to hear what people did and didn't like :) Very glad you don't think Zoe is a Mary Sue as well! Phew! Relief!

StarofClamity: Well, I didn't really update soon, but I hope you don't hate me! You've been a faithful reviewer and I mucho appreciate it!

WeepingAngerl123: Good grief woman! (or man) Your comments are WILD! Your comment made my day because what you said you liked is the stuff I really try to accomplish! To know people can see that is a writers dream! As I'm sure you know- you write awesomely XD

TARDISgirl192: Cheers to faithful reviewers! Love them and love you my darling! Glad you liked it. I plan on Zoe getting more and more frustrated as she finds herself falling for the Doc ;)

shay silverdawn: Maybe seven IS a lucky number: you are the THIRD new reviewer I got on chapter seven! Wowzer and awesomeness! Thanks for doing your thing!

SciFiGeek14: :O I didn't even think about the barrage balloon! I was just thinking in general when I had Jack say that! Coolness! Mucho Gracias for the review!

cat2772: OMW! So sorry you didn't get the conversation! Please tell me what you didn't get and I'll clear it up for you! See, everything makes sense in my warped and twisted brain, but I forget healthy brains don't think like me XP Also, so glad you don't mind my OC and the Doc falling in love instead of him and Rose. That was my biggest hang-up and fear!

DoctorBadWolf89: You don't have to wait any longer to see what happens! Cheers to you for reviewing!

ROGMethos: I'm so so sorry! I hate to repay your faithfulness in reviewing with bad news, but like I said above, I'm fully rewriting the next episode! I will have flashbacks to certain scenes though! Does that help?

** **

"The planets end! Come gather, come gather! Bid farewell to the cradle of civilization! Let us mourn her with a traditional ballad!"

Zoe rolled her eyes at Cassandra's melodramatics and smirked as Toxic began to play. Her eyes proceeded to bug out when she heard Jack sing along in her head.

Soon, tears were streaming from trying to hold in her laughter at the giant face's purposely off-key singing.

"Stop it Jack! I can't breathe!"

She stuffed her fist in her mouth to stifle a squeal as he hit a high note.

Oh yes, she thought, holding her aching side, this is what's worth living for.

** **

The Doctor strode away from the remains of the steward with Jabe; there was nothing else he could do here. At least no one else was stuck in a room without a sun filter, thank the Other.

"Where are we going?" the sentient tree by his side said.

"To the rest of the guests. One of them is responsible and I intend to find out who."

He didn't look at her as he spoke, detaching himself in preparation for whatever was coming. No doubt it would be unpleasant, like most of his life.

In the back of his (genius) brain, he was going over the situation at light-speed. Foremost, however, was his worry over Zoe. He had a very bad feeling she was going to be one of his more jeopardy friendly companions, and it was making him nervous. Despite her self-deprecating, he could tell she was entirely capable of doing something he might do, which was not a good thing.

No, that was an understatement.

It was a horrible thing.

The Doctor shut out the guilt of past actions as he picked up speed, forcing Jabe into a run to keep up with him.

** **

Music was still coming from the 'i-pod' when he entered, but he ignored it, all his focus on Zoe. When he saw her talking to the Face of Boe, a weight on his chest he hadn't even realized he had was lifted. She was safe.

Apparently Zoe was as glad to see him, because as she turned and met his gaze a grin blossomed over her face and she rushed over, engulfing him in a hug.

The Doctor grinned back, one hand at the back of her head as she tucked her face into him and sighed. He chuckled when she finally stepped back.

"Miss me?"

She blushed and swiped at him half-heartedly. "Stuff it!"

He spared another moment to smile at her before turning back to the matter at hand. The music was off now and Jabe had gotten their attention, telling the rest of the guests about the Steward's death. Lady Cassandra was accusing the Face of Boe, exclaiming: "Talk to the face! Talk to the face!"

He rolled his eyes and plucked the spider from Jabe's bark-y hand.

"Easier way of findin' out- somebody brought their little pet on board. Let's send him back to Master."

** **

Zoey watched as the spider scuttled off, heading at first for Cassandra. She glanced at the Doctor as he looked at the piece of skin, and could see the wheels of his mind turning, coming to a conclusion in under a second- and the correct one at that. Then the spider moved on, stopping in front of the black-robed figures.

"The Adherence of the Repeated Meme! Jacques!"

"That's all very well, and really kind of obvious," the Doctor said, strolling towards them like it was a day in the park, "but if you stop and think about it"- he grabbed a Meme's arm as it launched at him and effortlessly pulled it off- "a Repeated Meme is just an idea. And that's all they are; an idea."

With a quick tug of a wire, five empty black cloaks fell to the ground and the Time Lord tossed the arm onto one of them.

"Remote control droids. Nice little cover for the real trouble-maker. Go on Jimbo! Go home!" His boot-clad foot poked at the reluctant spider, urging it on. It stopped in front of Cassandra, and this time, stayed there. The multiple guests collectively gasped and started murmuring.

"I bet you were the school swot and never got kissed," Cassandra sneered at the Doctor. "At arms!"

The Doctor stepped in front of Zoe protectively. The effect of the manly gesture was lessened, however, by him putting his hands on his chest in a (frankly) gay way. Oh, well.

Zoey watched and listened as Cassandra explained her plan like all the villains do. She shared the disgust of the Doctor as the reason became clear.

"Five billion years and it still comes down to money."

"Do you think it's cheap, looking like this? Flatness costs a fortune. I am the last human, Doctor. Me- not that freaky little kid of yours."

It was a good thing the Moxx of Balhoon spoke then, or else Zoey would have done something regrettable.

"Oh, shut it, pixie! I've still got my final option."

Earth death in three minutes. Earth death in three minutes.

Everyone in the room looked up at the ceiling as the soft and calm voice pronounced their doom.

"And here it comes! You're just as useful dead, all of you. I have shares in your rival companies. They'll triple in price as soon as your dead!" Cassandra said smugly. "My spiders are primed and ready to destroy the safety systems. How did that old Earth song go? Burn, baby, burn."

"Then you'll burn with us!" Jabe spat. The Doctor looked at her concernedly before turning back to Cassandra, his expression cool and calculating.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I know the use of teleportation is strictly forbidden, but… I'm such a naughty thing!"

The murmurs around the room grew louder and Zoey's clenched fists shook with anger.

"Spiders: activate!" Cassandra ordered, and explosions rocked the station.

"Forcefields gone, with the planet about to explode. At least it'll be quick. Just like my fifth husband."

The skin-trampoline snickered, and Zoe wondered just how many people's death over the years she was responsible for.

"Shame on me. Ba-bye, darlings," she trilled sweetly. "Bye-bye." And then she was gone.

And now it was time.

** **

The heat was growing quickly, melting any energy to worry away. Zoe didn't know how the Doctor had any strength to remark about where the manual reset was as they stood on the fan room's platform, but somehow he did, and she drew on her last reserves as well in preparation.

She saw him pull the handle to slow the fans down. She saw it snap back up once he let go. And she saw Jabe looking at it.

Zoe ignored her pounding heart and the lump in her throat. This was the part she dreaded, feared. There was no way to tell how it would end up, but she had to try, had to do this.

She put her hand on the trees arm and shook her head slowly, taking a hold of the handle herself and heaving it down with all her might.

The accompanying sound and her grunt of exertion drew the Doctor's attention, and his eyes widened.

"You can't! The heat's gonna vent through this place."

Zoe swallowed at the look in his ice blue eyes and inhaled, the heat suffocating her. She nodded.

"I know."

"You're gonna burn!" he insisted, panic twisting his face.

"Then stop wasting time," she paused, "Time Lord."

Maybe it was his mastery over time, or maybe it was just an illusion, but the moment seemed to freeze as the Doctor and Zoe locked eyes. A fierce desperation saturated them and with a blink a decision was made.

"C'mon."

And the Doctor led Jabe through the fans.

She watched them detachedly as the atmosphere seemed to thicken with heat. Her hands began to stick to the metal handle and she knew if she pulled away the skin would be left behind.

It hurt- oh, did it ever hurt- but she couldn't seem to care. All that mattered was the Doctor and Jabe, who'd now paused to look back at her.

Keep the handle down, keep the handle down, ran through her head like a mantra.

The Doctor and the tree moved on, and the pain got worse.

She was burning. Not on fire, like Jabe had been, but she could feel the heat like a physical force as it blistered her skin, evaporating any sweat on it and leaching her life away. It was unlike anything she'd ever felt and nothing she'd want to feel again.

Zoe figured she would never feel anything again anyways.

An anguished scream came unbidden to her lips as a wave of hundreds of Fahrenheit's consumed her, body, mind, and soul. All she knew as the pain faded to black was her name being yelled by a wonderful man in leather.

** **

To be concluded…

** **

…Psych!

** **

Time had been his enemy before, thought the Doctor, but it didn't make it any easier. Even with the shields raised and the fans slowed down enough to pass through, he couldn't wait any longer to go to Zoe. He moved through time without being aware of it, stopping only at the corpses side.

Corpse? Could she really be dead?

Shaky fingers touched the body and he nearly gasped with relief at the stirrings of life within it. Her form was still frozen (how ironic that term was) in position, holding down the handle simply by her weight on it. Swallowing his concern, he gingerly removed her hands from the switch, wincing and biting back a cry as he had to peel them away.

"I'm so sorry."

He turned to look at Jabe who'd appeared beside him.

"She's not dead," he hoarsely whispered. He repeated himself more steadily.

"She's not dead. Not yet. If I can just get her back to the TARDIS…"

The Doctor stood with renewed vigor and gently scooped Zoe into his arms. He turned to the tree, hope glistening in his eyes.

"I can save her!"

** **

He burst into his ship and raced down the hall to the infirmary, not caring if Jabe came inside as well. He didn't care about anything but Zoe at this moment.

Skidding into a sharp turn he murmured thanks to the TARDIS when he saw the infirmary door wide open.

Quickly divesting Zoe of her singed clothes, not even aware of his actions, the Doctor lived up to his title.

He slipped her into a medical robe than placed her on a gurney and wheeled it into the stasis pod. He inwardly groaned at the readout on the screen as it assessed her total injuries: severe burns, especially on the right side of her body, resulting in massive skin loss and dehydration, to only name a few. All her organs were being put under stress, many of them already failing.

A slight movement alerted him to her return to consciousness and he immediately ordered a sedative to keep her unconscious. The only thing worse than seeing her body limp and destroyed would be seeing her screaming and writhing in agony at the pain from her injuries.

"Will she be alright?"

His head turned sharply. He'd forgotten about Jabe. It appeared she'd found her way here.

"Yes. The stasis pod will keep her relatively stable until I can do more."

"Why wait? What are you going to do now?"

The Doctor straightened to his full height and looked down at Jabe. His features were stoic and unmoving, but his eyes were raging and dark with danger, barely containing a storm in their ice-blue depths.

After a moment of that look he simply left, the silence his only answer.

It was enough to chill the tree to her core.

** **

Zoe drifted back to reality softly. It annoyed her to no end that reality consisted of bright lights and beeping and a slight sting in her arm.

She scowled and managed to peel her eyelids back to look around, immediately flinching as the light burned her retinas. A shadow lessened the intensity and she cautiously tried opening them again.

The Doctor's emotionless face greeted her. She smiled blearily.

"Hello."

His mask shattered and he grinned, joy and concern and the ever present guilt warring for prominence in his face.

"Hello," he whispered in reply.

Zoe's smile widened and she shifted.

"Can I sit up?"

The Doctor mutely nodded and grabbed a pillow out of her range of vision, easing it behind her. His hand on her skin as he supported her stung and before she could control it she let out a small cry.

"What is it? Where does it hurt?" Panic immediately took over the Time Lord. Zoe smiled wryly at it and shook her head.

"Nothing. It just stung a little when you touched me. Not life endangering, that."

As soon as the words left her lips another mask appeared on the Doctor's face, shutting off any feelings from leaking through.

"Oh. That would be because your skin is brand new. Gonna be extra sensitive for a while."

He turned and was about to walk away when Zoe's hand involuntarily snaked out and grabbed his wrist.

"Don't go."

He blinked in surprise. "I wasn't leaving."

"No, I mean stay right here."

His shoulders slumped fractionally in unspoken acquiescence and he grabbed a nearby stool to sit on, taking the hand on his wrist in to both of his, softly rubbing the skin on the back of her hand. He stopped when he reached a small needle inserted in her that lead to an IV nearby. Gently and deftly he removed it, placing his thumb firmly over the miniscule drop of blood at the entrance point. The Doctor stayed that way, staring at it silently while Zoe studied him in turn.

"So, you gonna tell me why my skin is brand new?"

He looked up at her then, mask still in place. "The old skin was burned off."

Her face fell at the gravelly tone and she considered his words. Her skin had already grown back?

"How long was I out?" she inquired.

"A few hours."

She made and 'o' with her mouth in surprise. "And I'm already better?"

The Doctor stiffened and didn't meet her eyes. "Yeah."

"Wow. You are impressive."

Her attempt at lightness went over badly as the Time Lord suddenly dropped her hand and left his stool striding to one end of the room then back, stopping at the foot of her bed.

"Don't. Just don't, Zoe. You almost died."

She recoiled at the ferocity rolling off of him in waves before gathering her senses and gingerly leaving her bed. He didn't move as she approached him until only a foot of distance was left.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have joked around. But I'm not dead." Zoe placed a hand on his cheek tentatively. "See?"

His eyes flickered close and he released his white-knuckled grip on the bars of the infirmary bed. "Zoe," he sighed, and when he looked at her his weariness was obvious.

She swallowed nervously and stroked his cheek softly before letting her hand fall and link with his.

"I'm better. You made me better after I was a stupid ape and got myself hurt. You did nothing wrong today."

His gaze sharpened, but at least the weariness had dissipated.

"Don't ever do that again." With his free hand he waved a finger in her face. She grinned, tongue peeking out.

"If it saves someone else, just you try and stop me."

A smile played at his lips but his eyes were dead serious. "I will. I will try to stop you, even if it means knocking you out and tying you up and locking you in the TARDIS."

She looked at him fondly, ignoring the shivers the statement created in her.

"I had to do it. Jabe would have died."

"You could have too."

"When a tree burns it's just ash. You can't fix ash, Doctor, but you could fix me."

His grip on her hand tightened. "I nearly didn't."

For the first time since meeting him, Zoe saw a flicker of fear in his eyes.

"You burned."

It was then that it clicked for her.

Gallifrey. Gallifrey burned. The Time Lords burned.

I burned.

Tears pricked her eyes and she wrapped him in a hug, as much for her own benefit as his, soaking in comfort.

A cool draft brushed her backside and she realized she was in only a paper-y gown. She frowned.

"Doctor… where are my clothes?"