Chapter 14: Last of the Time Lords

Disclaimer: No ownership at all.

An old fashioned lantern was held by a man somewhere in his late twenties with a scruffy beard. A boat offshore answered with a light of its own. A figure dressed in black waded ashore and strode up the beach. The figure's name was Martha Jones. Martha asked, "What's your name, then?"

The man replied, "Tom Milligan. No need to ask who you are, the famous Martha Jones." Martha grimaced. "How long since you were last in Britain?"

"365 days. It's been a long year."

Martha and Tom walked up the beach as Tom asked, "So what's the plan?"

Martha replied, "This Professor Docherty. I need to see her. Can you get me there?"

"She works in a repair shed, Nuclear Plant 7." replied Tom. "I can get you inside. What's all this for? What's so important about her?"

Martha answered shortly, "Sorry, the more you know, the more you're at risk."

Tom said, "There's a lot of people depending on you. You're a bit of a legend."

Martha asked, "What does the legend say?"

Tom replied, "That you sailed the Atlantic, walked across America. That you're the only person to get out of Japan alive. Martha Jones, they say: She's gonna save the world. Bit late for that."

Martha saw his truck and asked, "How come you can drive? Don't you get stopped?"

Tom replied, "Medical staff. Used to be in paediatrics back in the old days. But that gives me a license to travel so I can help out at the labour camps." They both got into the truck. "Story goes, that you're the only person on Earth who can kill him. That you, and you alone, can kill the Master stone dead."

Martha remembered Rose whispering in her ear. "Let's just drive."

The Valiant sailed above the clouds. The Master said, "Citizens rejoice. Your lord and master stands on high playing Track 3." The door to the conference room/bridge opened and the Master spun around. "I Can't Decide", by Scissor Sisters played and the Master sung along.

He strutted in then slid to Lucy who was wearing a red gown. He gave her a long kiss then sat in one of the chairs at the table and spun around as Francine, in a maid's uniform, served him tea. He ran up onto the bridge, unlocked a door and began knocking on it.

Rose came out in her tattered clothes with her wrists in chains. The Master said mockingly, "There she is. Little Nixei. Not so little anymore though, is she?"

Rose snapped, "Leave me alone."

The Master smirked and said, "Oh, but are you going to leave your Doctor all alone? I can do anything I like to him."

Rose looked at the Doctor, still in chains, and said, "I just want to see Jack."

She started to leave when the Master said, "Oh no you don't. Sit, or your precious Theta gets it. I want to show you something." She stopped and sat down next to a window while the Doctor watched her. The Master pointed his screwdriver at the Doctor's legs and said, "Too bad. I lied."

The Doctor's knees buckled and Rose tried to get up to help him. The Master pointed his screwdriver at her and she sat down again with a cry, clutching her leg. The only thing preventing the Doctor from falling completely was the chains. The Master started his screwdriver again and the cuffs unlocked. The Doctor went down and the Master forced him into a wheelchair. Rose watched tearfully, unable to do anything. He pushed the Doctor around the room in the wheelchair ending up by the window where Rose was sitting and said, "It's ready to rise, Rose, Doctor. The new Time Lord Empire."

Some Toclafane spheres floated by. "It's good, isn't it? Isn't it good? Anything? No? Anything?" He waved his hands in front of Rose's and the Doctor's face. "Oh, but they broke your hearts, didn't they? Those Toclafane, ever since you worked out what they really are." He smirked. "They say Martha Jones... has come back home. Now why would she do that?"

Rose gritted her teeth and snapped, "Leave her alone."

Master asked, "But you said something to her, didn't you? On the day I took control. What did you tell her?"

Rose shared a look with the Doctor and replied, "I have one thing to say to you. You know what it is."

"Oh, no you don't!" The Master got up and pushed the Doctor away until he hit a wall.

The P.A. system blared to life. "Valiant now entering Zone One airspace. Citizens rejoice."

The Master clapped his hands and shouted, "Come on, people! What are we doing? Launch Day in 24 hours!"

Rose pressed three fingers against her thigh. The Doctor saw it and nodded. He pressed three fingers against his shoulder. Francine saw them and walked by and out into a corridor past Clive, who was now a janitor. She held up three fingers and kept walking. When Tish, also a maid, passed Clive, he signalled her with three fingers. Tish approached a gated area and a guard let her in.

Jack cheerfully said, "Morning, Tish. Where's Rosie? She visits me every day. Took a day off, did she?" His wrists were manacled like the Doctor's. Arms outstretched, the chains attached to the wall on either side. "Ah, smell that sea air. Makes me long for good old fish and chips." He laughed. "Yeah. What do I get? Cold mashed swede. Some hotel. Last time I book over the Internet." Tish fed him a spoonful then held three fingers against the tray where he could see it. Jack winked.

In a rocky valley, there was a monumental stature of the Master carved in rock. Martha said, "All over the Earth, those things. He's even carved himself into Mount Rushmore." Tom said, "Best to keep down. Here we go." They peered over rocks. "The entire south coast of England... converted into shipyards. They bring in slave labour every morning." The ships in question were rocket ships, silos as far as the eye could see. "Break up cars, houses, anything, just for the metal. Building a fleet out of scrap."

Martha murmured, "You should see Russia. That's Shipyard Number One. All the way from the Black Sea to the Bering Strait. There's 100,000 rockets ready for war."

Tom asked, "War? With who?"

Martha replied, "The rest of the universe. I've been out there, Tom. In space. Before all this happened. And there's a thousand different civilizations all around us with no idea of what's happening here. The Master can build weapons big enough to devastate them all."

Tom asked, "You've been in space?"

Martha quirked an eyebrow. "Problem with that?"

"No. No, just uh... Wow. Anything else I should know?" Martha replied nonchalantly, "I've met Shakespeare."

Two Toclafane came up behind them. Tom turned and faced them. Martha stayed still. Toclafane 1 said, "Identify, little man."

Tom stammered, "I... I've got a license. Thomas Milligan, Peripatetic Medical Squad. I'm allowed to travel." He held up the licence. "I was just checking f..."

Toclafane 2 said, "Soon the rockets will fly and everyone will need medicine. You'll be so busy." They laughed and flew away.

Tom said, "But, they didn't see you."

Martha took out her TARDIS key and asked, "How do you think I travelled the world?" They walked back to the truck. Martha explained, "'Cause the Master set up Archangel, that mobile network, 15 satellites around the planet, but really it's transmitting a low-level psychic field. That's how everyone got hypnotised into thinking he was Harold Saxon."

Tom said, "Saxon. Feels like years ago."

Martha went on, "But this key's tuned into the same frequency. Makes me sort of... not invisible, just unnoticeable."

Tom said, "But I can see you."

"That's 'cause you wanted to." She laughed.

Tom said, "Yeah, I suppose I did."

Martha asked, "Is there a Mrs Milligan?"

Tom asked, "No. No. What about you?"

Martha replied, "Nope. Now, come on. I've got to find this Docherty woman." She got into the truck.

Tom said, "We'll have to wait until the next work shift. What time is it now?" Martha replied, "Nearly 3:00."

A clock on the bridge read 14:58. Rose looked over at Francine and Tish. Clive and Jack could both see the time. Jack began to pull on his chains.

The Master walked into the room followed by Lucy and said, "Time for my massage. Who shall I have today? Tanya. Come on, sweetheart. Lucy, have you met Tanya? She's gorgeous." He took off his jacket and threw it onto the table. "Tanya, when we get to the stars, I'm gonna take you to Katria Nova. Whirlpools of gold."

The bolts holding Jack's chains slowly came free of the wall. The Master sat down and said, "You two should get to know each other. That might be fun." Tanya began to massage his shoulders.

Jack groaned as he pulled the chains free. He then pulled out a steam hose and turned it on his guard. At the same time, Clive threw water on some exposed wiring, starting a fire. The PA system announced, "Condition red!"

The Master asked, "What the hell?" He went up the stairs to the bridge.

"Repeat: condition red."

Francine grabbed the Master's jacket and threw it to Tish who handed it to the Doctor. He took out the laser screwdriver and aimed it at the Master, who said, "Oh, I see. Puts hands up."

Rose said, "I told you. I have one thing to say."

The Doctor pressed a button but screwdriver didn't work and the Master laughed. Clive was caught and armed guards stopped Jack, who groaned, "Oh, here we go again." He put out his arms and the men fired.

The Doctor kept trying the screwdriver. The Master leant over and whispered, "Isomorphic controls." He took the screwdriver then turned to Rose and slapped her. "Which means they only work for me. Like this." He shot the wall beside Francine. "Say sorry!"

Francine cried out, "Sorry. Sorry. Sorry!"

Tish shouted, "Mum!" She ran to her.

The Master asked, "Didn't you learn anything from the blessed Saint Martha?" He turned back to Rose and said, "You've been a very bad girl, Rose."

He slapped her again and the Doctor shouted, "Leave her alone! Whatever you want to do, do it to me, just leave her alone!"

The Master asked, "Oh, you mean like this?" He shot the Doctor with the screwdriver. The Doctor screamed and fell out of his wheelchair. Lucy ran over, picked up the Master's jacket, and helped put it on. "Siding with Rose Tyler and the Doctor is a very dangerous thing to do. Take them away."

A guard yelled, "Move! Come on." He forced Francine and Tish out.

The Master said, "Okay. Gotcha." He lifted the Doctor into a chair. "There you go." He sat on the edge of the table, next to the chair Rose was in. "Oh, do you know, I remember the days when the Doctor and the Vixen, oh, the famous duo, were waging a time war. Battling Sea Devils and Axons. They sealed the rift at the Medusa Cascade unassisted. Ooh. And look at them now. Stealing screwdrivers. How did they ever come to this? Oh yeah. Me!" He laughed.

Rose whispered, "Koschei, please. I just need you to listen."

"No, it's my turn. Revenge! Best served hot. And this time... It's a message for Miss Jones."

Tom cut a hole in a chain-link fence large enough for both the two of them to squeeze through. They then ran across an open area of the compound before reaching their destination. Professor Docherty, an older woman, was hitting an old monitor when they found her. Tom asked, "Professor Docherty?"

Docherty replied, "Busy."

"They, uh, they sent word ahead. I'm Tom Milligan. This is Martha Jones."

Docherty said, "She can be the Queen of Sheba for all I care. I'm still busy."

Martha chimed in, "Televisions don't work anymore."

Docherty sighed, "Oh, God, I miss Countdown. Hasn't been the same since Des took over. Both Deses. What's the plural of Des? Desii? Deseen? But we've been told there's gonna be a transmission." She hit the monitor. "From the man himself." Static appeared onscreen. "There!"

A grainy black and white shot of the Master appeared. He said, "My people. Salutations on this, the eve of war. Lovely woman. But I know there's all sorts of whispers down there. Stories of a child, walking the Earth, giving you hope." The Master walked to stand beside Rose and the Doctor. "But I ask you... how much hope has this woman got? Say hello, honey." Rose glared at him. "Except she's not that hopeful. She's tired. But she's not breaking. What if I bring her more pain? Will she break if I do this?" He used his screwdriver on the Doctor again. "Pain and pain and pain again." Everyone watched as the Doctor writhed in agony and collapsed. He then aimed the screwdriver at Rose and said, "Still nothing. Here's what we'll do." He turned to her. "You are going to do what I say or your Doctor dies, got that?" Rose said nothing. "Let's try this again, have you got that?" He fired the screwdriver and Rose fell to the floor but said nothing. He shot the screwdriver again and Rose crumpled as he said, "Down, down, down you go." He stopped and there was silence. "Rose." He bent down to Rose and held her roughly by her chin. "I'll ask one more time. You obey or he dies, got it?" Rose nodded, trying not to cry. The Master smiled and walked back to the camera. "Received and understood, Miss Jones?" He ended the transmission.

Tom said, "I'm sorry."

Martha's heart broke to see her like that. She said, "Rose's still alive. That's what matters the most."

Docherty said, "Obviously the Archangel Network would seem to be... the Master's greatest weakness. 15 satellites all around Earth, still transmitting. That's why there's so little resistance. It's broadcasting a telepathic signal that keeps people scared."

Tom suggested, "We could just take them out."

Docherty said sarcastically, "We could. 15 ground-to-air missiles. You got any on you? Besides, any military action, the Toclafane descend."

Martha argued, "They're not called Toclafane. That's a name the Master made up."

Docherty asked, "Then what are they, then?"

Martha replied, "That's why I came to find you. Know your enemy. I've got this." She pulled out a computer CD. "No one's been able to look at a sphere close up. They can't even be damaged. Except once. The lightning strike in South Africa brought one of them down. Just by chance. I've got the readings on this."

Docherty put the disc into the computer. She banged on it a few times before it worked. She sighed again, "Oh, whoever thought we'd miss Bill Gates."

Tom asked, "So is that why you travelled the world? To find a disc?"

Martha replied, "No. Just got lucky."

Docherty said, "I heard stories that you walked the Earth to find a way to build a weapon." Martha again remembered Rose whispering to her before Docherty's voice pulled her out of her daze. "There! A current of 58.5 kilo amperes transferred charge of 510 megajoules precisely."

Tom asked, "Can you recreate that?"

"I think so. Easily, yes."

Martha grinned, "All right then, Dr Milligan, we're gonna get us a sphere."

Tom was outside the plant, gun in hand, waiting. He fired three times then took off running, a sphere following. Martha was watching for him while Docherty made the final preparations. Martha shouted, "He's coming! You ready?!"

Docherty shouted back, "You do your job, I'll do mine!"

Tom yelled, "Now!" Docherty turned on the power and the sphere was caught in an electrical field. It dropped to the ground.

The three approached, Tom with his gun aimed at it. Docherty said, "That's only half the job. Let's find out what's inside."

The Master took a somewhat timid Lucy into the Valiant's conference room and said, "Tomorrow, they launch." He walked into the room, Lucy clinging to his arm. "We're opening up a rift in the Braccatolian space. They won't see us coming. Kinda scary."

Rose pleaded from her spot next to the Doctor, who was now awake, "Then stop."

The Master went on, "Once the empire is established and there's a new Gallifrey in the heavens, maybe then... it stops." He looked at Rose. "The drumming. The never-ending drumbeat. Ever since I was a child. I looked into the vortex. That's when it chose me. The drumming, the call to war. Can't you hear it? Listen, it's there now. Right now. Tell me you can hear it, Rose. Tell me."

Rose gritted her teeth, "It's only you."

"Good."

The door opened and a sphere entered and said, "Tomorrow, the war. Tomorrow we rise. Never to fall."

Master chuckled, "You see? I'm doing it for them! You should be grateful! After all, you love them. So very, very much."

Docherty was working on opening the sphere. She said, "There's some sort of magnetic clamp. Hold on, I'll just trip the..." The clamp opened and Docherty opened the sides like petals. "Oh my God!" Martha and Tom peered inside. There was a withered human head attached to machinery. Lights came on and it opened its eyes. The three jumped back, startled. Docherty whispered, "It's alive."

The head said, "Martha. Martha Jones."

Tom said, "It knows you."

The head went on, "Sweet, kind Martha Jones. You helped us to fly."

Martha asked, "What do you mean?"

The head replied, "You led us to salvation."

"Who are you?" asked Martha.

The head said, "The skies are made of diamonds."

Martha gasped, "No." She backed away. "You can't be him." She remembered the little boy on Malcassairo, no more than ten, so full of dreams and hope of a new world.

"We share each other's memories. You sent us to Utopia."

"Oh my God!"

Tom asked, "What's it talking about? What's it mean?"

Docherty asked, "What are they?"

Tom urged, "Martha. Martha, tell us. What are they?"

Martha replied, "They're us. They're humans. The human race from the future."

Martha explained, "I'd sort of worked it out, with the paradox machine. Because Rose said, on the day before the Master came to power, she said... when the Master was stealing the TARDIS, the only thing she could do was fuse the coordinates. She locked them permanently. He can only travel between the year 100 trillion and the last place the TARDIS landed. Which is right here, right now. The Master had the TARDIS, this time machine, but the only other place he could go was the end of the universe. So he found Utopia. The Utopia Project was the last hope. Trying to find a way to escape the end of everything."

The head said, "There was no solution, no diamonds. Just the dark and the cold. We made ourselves so pretty. But then the Master came with his wonderful time machine to bring us back home."

Docherty said to the head, "But that's a paradox. If you're the future of the human race, and you've come back to murder your ancestors, you should cancel yourselves out. You shouldn't exist."

Martha said, "And that's the paradox machine."

Tom asked, "What about us? Why kill us?"

The head laughed madly, "Because it's fun!" Tom then raised his gun and shot it.

Martha, Tom and Docherty were in the latter's living quarters. Docherty said, "I think it's time we had the truth, Miss Jones. The legend says you've travelled the world to find a way of killing the Master. Tell us, is it true?"

Martha replied, "Just before I escaped, Rose told me something. Rose and the Doctor and the Master, they've been coming to Earth for years. And they've been watched." She took a case from her pack. "There's UNIT and Torchwood, all studying Time Lords in secret. And they made this. The ultimate defence." She opened the case to reveal a special gun.

Tom scoffed, "All you need to do is get close. I can shoot the Master dead with this." He held up his gun.

Docherty put a hand on it and said, "Actually, you can put that down now, thank you very much."

Martha went on, "Point is, it's not so easy to kill a Time Lord. They can regenerate; literally bring themselves back to life."

Docherty said sarcastically, "Ah, the Master's immortal. Wonderful."

"Except for this." Martha picked up the gun in the case. "Four chemicals, slotted into the gun, inject him... kills a Time Lord permanently."

Tom asked, "Four chemicals? You've only got three."

Martha replied, "Still need the last one 'cause the components of this gun were kept safe, scattered across the world. And I found them. San Diego, Beijing, Budapest and London."

Tom asked. "Then where is it?"

Martha said, "There's an old UNIT base, north London. I've found the access codes. Tom, you've got to get me there." She gave him a look that said clearly that she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Tom and Martha took their leave. Tom said, "We can't go across London in the dark. It's full of wild dogs; we'd get eaten alive. We can wait till the morning, then go with the medical convoy."

Docherty offered, "You can spend the night here, if you like."

Tom replied, "No, we can get halfway, stay at the slave quarters in Bexley. Professor, thank you." He shook her hand.

Docherty said, "Good luck."

Martha said, "Thanks." She kissed Docherty on the cheek.

Docherty asked, "Martha, could you do it? Could you actually kill him?"

"Got no choice."

Docherty said to Martha, "You might be many things, but you don't look like a killer to me." Martha looked away and took off behind Tom.

Martha and Tom crept down a dark street of row houses. They snuck past the guards and up to one of the houses. Tom knocked on the door and whispered, "Let me in. It's Milligan." The door opened and he and Martha rushed in. The house was crowded with people, barely room to move.

A woman asked, "Did you bring food?"

Tom replied, "Couldn't get any. And I'm starving."

The woman said, "All we've got is water."

Martha said sympathetically, "I'm sorry."

Tom explained, "It's cheaper than building barracks. Pack them in, 100 in each house, ferry them off to the shipyards every morning."

A boy asked, "Are you Martha Jones?"

Martha replied, "Yeah, that's me."

"Can you do it? Can you kill him? They said you can kill the Master, can you? Tell us you can do it. Please tell us you can do it."

A woman asked, "Who is the Master?" Everyone started talking at once.

Tom said, "Come on, just leave her alone. She's exhausted."

Martha put a hand on his arm and said, looking at the others, "No, it's all right. They want me to talk and I will."

Martha sat on the staircase surrounded by everyone in the house and said, "I travelled across the world. From the ruins of New York to the fusion mills of China, right across the radiation pits of Europe. And everywhere I went, I saw people just like you, living as slaves. But if Martha Jones became a legend, then that's wrong because my name isn't important. There's someone else. The woman who sent me out there. The woman who told me to walk the Earth. Her name is Rose Tyler. She has saved your lives so many times, and you never even knew she was there. She never stops. She never stays. She never asks to be thanked. But I've seen her. I know her. I know what she can do. And I love her so much because she's my family."

The woman who greeted them at the door pushed her way forward and whispered, "It's him! It's him! Oh my God, it's him! It's the Master! He's here!"

Martha stood up as a boy said, "But he never comes to Earth! He never walks upon the ground!"

The woman hissed, "Hide her!"

Tom threw what looked to be a blanket or tarp and said, "Use this."

The Master walked down the street outside, flanked by armed guards. There were also spheres present. Inside, Tom cocked his gun and squatted by the mail slot to look outside. The boy went on, "He walks among us, our lord and master."

The Master called, "Martha. Martha Jo-hones." His voice turned high-pitched. "I can see you!" Normal voice. "Come out, come out wherever you are. Come and meet your master. Anybody? Nobody? No? Nothing? Positions! I'll give the order unless you surrender. Ask yourself... what would Rose Tyler do?"

Martha removed her TARDIS key and shook off the cover. Everyone looked in her direction. Outside, the Master was still waiting. Martha stood by Tom at the door and put her hand on the gun. He slowly stood. With a little smile for everyone inside, Martha opened the door and stepped out. Master clapped, "Oh, yes! Oh, very well done! Good girl! Rose trained you well." Martha walked into the street. "Bag. Give me the bag. No, stay there. Just throw it."

Martha took off her pack and threw it onto the ground. The Master fired his laser at it, destroying everything inside. "And now, good companion, your work is done." He held out his laser.

Tom ran into the street, gun aimed at the Master. "No!"

The Master shot Tom instead and he fell to the ground. Martha could only glare as the Master chuckled and said, "But you... when you die, Rose should bewitness, hm?" He inhaled deeply. "Almost dawn, Martha. And planet Earth marches to war."

On the Valiant, the Master said, "Citizens of Earth, rejoice and observe." The door to the conference room opened and two guards escorted in Martha. She walked forward alone. To one side she saw her family and to the other side was Jack. At the base of the stairs to her right was Rose next to the Doctor, who were both still chains.

Rose smiled softly and nodded in greeting. Jack moved to go to her but stopped when his guard motioned with his gun. The Master ordered, "Your teleport device. In case you thought I'd forgotten." Martha reached into a pocket in her pants and threw him the manipulator. "And now... kneel." Martha did what he said. "Down below, the fleet is ready to launch. Two hundred thousand ships set to burn across the universe." He went to a comm. Link. "Are we ready?"

A man's voice came on the link, "The fleet awaits your signal. Rejoice!"

The Master said, "Three minutes to align the black hole converters. Counting down!" A clock on the wall counted down the seconds. "I never could resist a ticking clock. My children, are you ready?"

There were billions of spheres waiting above the Earth. They chanted, "We will fly and blaze and slice! We will fly and blaze and slice!"

The Master said, "At zero, to mark this day, the child, Martha Jones, will die. Ha, my first blood. Ha, any last words? No?" He looked at Rose and the Doctor. "Such a disappointment, this one. Days of old, Doctor, you had companions who could absorb the time vortex. This one's useless!" He ordered Martha, "Bow your head." He chuckled. "And so it falls to me, the Master of all, to establish from this day, a new order of Time Lords! From this day forward..." Martha giggled. "What? What's so funny?"

Martha asked, "A gun?"

The Master asked, "What about it?"

"A gun in four parts?"

The Master replied, "Yes, and I destroyed it."

Martha asked again as Rose smiled, "A gun in four parts scattered across the world? I mean, come on. Did you really believe that?"

The Master asked, "What do you mean?"

Rose chimed in as she glanced at the Doctor. "As if I would ever ask her to kill."

The Master said, "Oh, well, it doesn't matter. I've got her exactly where I want her."

Martha said, "But I knew what Professor Docherty would do. The Resistance knew about her son. I told her about the gun, so she'd get me here. At the right time."

The Master scoffed, "Oh, but you're still gonna die!"

Martha raised an eyebrow, "Don't you wanna know what I was doing? Travelling the world?"

The Master sat down on the stairs, "Tell me."

Martha replied, "I told a story, that's all. No weapons, just words. I did just what Rose said." Rose grinned and looked at Martha feeling extremely proud of her. "I went across the continents all on my own. And everywhere I went, I found the people, and I told them my story. I told them about Rose Tyler. And I told them to pass it on, to spread the word so that everyone would know about her."

The Master sneered, "Faith and hope? Is that all?"

"No, 'cause I gave them an instruction. Just as Rose said." She stood up. "I told them that if everyone thinks of two words, at one specific time..."

The Master mocked, "Nothing will happen! Is that your weapon?! Prayer?!"

Martha went on, "Right across the world. Two words, just one thought, at one moment... but with 15 satellites!"

"What?"

Jack whispered, "The Archangel Network."

Martha said, "A telepathic field binding the whole human race together, with all of them, every single person on Earth, thinking the same thing at the same time. And those words... are Bad Wolf." The countdown reached zero and a gold field rung around Rose.

The Master ordered, "Stop it. No, no, no, no, you don't!" Jack closed his eyes and muttered, "Bad Wolf."

Francine said with her eyes closed, "Bad Wolf." Large plasma screens on the walls showed crowds of people across the world gathered in public places all saying "Bad Wolf".

The Master ordered, "Stop this right now! Stop it!"

Lucy closed her eyes and whispered, "Bad Wolf."

The Doctor closed his eyes and whispered, "Bad Wolf."

Martha muttered, "Bad Wolf."

Still with an energy field about her, Rose waved her hand and her eyes flashed gold as she disintegrated hers and the Doctor's chains. Her eyes glowing more gold than ever, she said in what sounded like a double voice, "I've had a whole year to tune myself into the psychic network and integrate with its matrices."

"I order you to stop!"

All over the world people said, "Bad Wolf" including the people who sheltered Martha and Tom. Lucy whispered, "Bad Wolf."

Rose said, "The one thing you can't do. Stop them thinking."

The Doctor, Martha and Jack laughed as the Master was shocked. Using the telepathic field, Rose levitated up and said, "Tell me the human race is degenerate now when they can do this."

Martha ran to her family and hugged Francine. Tish hugged them both.

Master shouted, "No!" He fired a laser at Rose but the field deflected it.

Rose said, her eyes shining sympathetically, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

That Master snapped, "Then I'll kill them!" He aimed the laser at Martha and her family but Rose waved her hand again and threw it across the room telekinetically. Unarmed, the Master panicked, "You can't do this! You can't do... It's not fair!"

Rose whispered, "And you know what happens now."

"No!" Rose floated to the Master who backed away down the stairs. "No! No! No!"

Rose said, "You wouldn't listen, Koschei."

The Master shouted, "No!"

Rose whispered, "Because you know what I'm going to say." The Master curled into a foetal position. Rose landed and walked over to the whimpering Master and wrapped his arms around him and whispered, "I forgive you, Koschei."

Master shouted, "My children!"

The spheres screamed, "Protect the paradox! Protect the paradox! Protect the paradox!"

Rose shouted, "Jack! The paradox machine!"

Jack ordered some of the soldiers, "You men! With me! You stay here!"

The Master pulled out the manipulator and activated it. Rose shouted, "No!" She put her hands on it as the Doctor lunged for them and the three disappeared.

The Master, the Doctor and Rose materialised on a rocky cliff. Master spread his arms and said, "Now it ends,Nixei, Theta." Thunder rolled. "Now it ends." Alarms sounded at the nearby shipyard.

Jack raced through the corridors of the Valiant, guards with him. Martha, on the bridge, said, "We've all 6 billion spheres heading straight for us!"

The Doctor said to the Master, "We've got control of the Valiant. You can't launch."

The Master smirked, "Oh, but I've got this." He held up a small device. "Black hole converter inside every ship. If I can't have this world, then neither can you. We shall stand upon this Earth, together, as it burns! The three of us!"

Jack reached the TARDIS but there were three spheres guarding it. The other spheres raced back to the Valiant. Jack and the guards fired at the spheres. A guard said, "Can't get in. We'd get slaughtered!"

Jack grinned, "Yeah. Happens to me a lot." He went in firing.

Martha and Tish watched on the bridge as the spheres got closer.

Rose said, "Weapon after weapon after weapon. All you do is talk and talk and talk. But over all these years... and all these disasters, I've always had the greatest secret of them all. I know you. Explode those ships, you kill yourself. That's the one thing you can never do." She held out her hand. "Give that to me." The Master hesitated then slipped the device into her hand.

Jack made it inside the TARDIS. He fired at the casing, causing sparks and destroying the paradox machine.

The Doctor, Rose and the Master fell to the ground as the Earth shook. They fought for control of the manipulator. Rose took them back to the Valiant. Just as they were about the reach the ship, the spheres disappeared. The ship rocked as the paradox was destroyed and Martha was thrown back only to be caught by Rose who grinned at her proudly.

The Doctor shouted, "Everyone down! Time is reversing!" He fell to the floor, holding Rose's hand who lay face-to-face with Martha. The three of them laughed.

Francine spotted a gun on the floor that must have fallen unnoticed from one of the guards. She looked over at the Master as he clung to the railings. Time rolled back and on Earth, people were screaming, not knowing what was going on.

They then disappeared as did the statue of the Master and the shipyards. Time slowed and the Valiant stilled. The major cities on Earth were all back to normal. Rose noticed that the Doctor fell limp and checked on him. She gasped when she saw that the only thing left of him now was a hand. She carefully put it back in its jar.

Rose wiped her tears and checked the controls and said, "The paradox is broken. We've reverted back, one year and one day. Two minutes past 8:00 in the morning." She turned on the comms.

A male voice spoke on the comms, "This is UNIT Central. What's happened up there? We just saw the President assassinated!"

Rose said, "You see? Just after the President was killed, but just before the spheres arrived. Everything back to normal. Planet Earth restored. None of it happened. The rockets, the terror. It never was." Then said quietly, "He never was."

Martha, not hearing her, asked, "What about the spheres?"

Rose replied, "Trapped at the end of the universe."

Francine said, "But I remember it."

"We're in the eye of the storm. The only ones who'll ever know."

The Master made a break for it but was stopped by Jack as he returned and said, "Whoa, big fella! You don't want to miss the party." He ordered a guard, "Cuffs." He cuffed the Master's hands behind his back. "So, what do we do with this one?"

Clive said, "We kill him."

Tish growled, "We execute him."

Rose said, "No, that's not the solution." They heard a gun cocking.

Francine aimed a gun at the Master and said, "Oh, I think so. 'Cause all those... things, they still happened because of him. I saw them."

The Master shouted, "Go on! Do it!"

Rose whispered. "Francine, you're better than him." She reached out and took her hand.

Francine dropped the gun and Rose took her in a hug. Martha then took her as Rose faced the Master, who said, "You still haven't answered the question. What happens to me?"

Rose replied, "You're my responsibility from now on. The only other Time Lord left in existence."

Jack went to Rose and said, "Yeah, but you can't trust him."

Rose replied, "No. The only safe place for him is the TARDIS."

The Master scoffed, "You mean you're just gonna... keep me?"

"Hmm. If that's what I have to do." She looked to Jack. "It's time to change. Maybe I've been wandering alone for too long. Now I'll have someone to care for." A gunshot rang out and the Master staggered backwards. Lucy was holding the gun. Jack took the gun from Lucy as Rose ran to the Master.

Jack coaxed, "Put it down."

Rose whispered, "I've got you. I've got you." She lowered him gently to the floor.

The Master said, "Always the women."

"I didn't see her."

The Master asked, "Dying in your arms, Nixei. Happy now?"

Rose tried hard not to cry and said, "You're not dying, don't be stupid. It's only a bullet. Just regenerate."

The Master whispered, "No."

"One little bullet. Come on."

The Master scoffed, "I guess you don't know me so well. I refuse."

Rose pleaded, her voice breaking, "Regenerate. Just regenerate. Please! Please! Just regenerate! Come on!"

The Master asked, "And spend the rest of my life imprisoned with you?"

Rose whimpered, "You've got to. Come on. It can't end like this. You and me, all the things we've done. Axons? Remember the Axons? And the Daleks? We're the only two left, there's no one else. The Doctor's gone, so please, please. Regenerate!"

The Master asked, "How about that? I win." He paused, "Will it stop, Nixei? The drumming. Will it stop?"

Rose's eyes flashed gold as she held two fingers to his forehead. The Master whispered, "Thank you." Rose held the Master close, rocking back and forth as she cried. She screamed in despair and loss as the others simply looked on.

That night on Earth, Rose lit the Master's funeral pyre. She had put the Doctor's hand in a bundle next to him as well. She watched for a bit before walking away, sadness on her face.

Back in Cardiff, Martha and Jack were standing at the rails while Rose sat on the rail looking out over the bay.

Martha said, "Time was, every single one of these people knew who you were. Now they've all forgotten you."

Rose replied, "Good."

Jack clapped his hands, jumping over the railing, "Back to work."

Rose smiled, "I really don't mind, though. Come with me."

Jack said, "I had plenty of time to think that past year, the Year That Never Was. And I kept thinking about that team of mine. Like you said, Rosie, responsibility."

Rose laughed, "Defending the Earth. Can't argue with that." She hugged him and nicked his manipulator.

Jack yelped, "Hey, I need that!"

Rose scolded, "I can't have you walking around with a time-travelling teleport." She used her sonic screwdriver. "You could go anywhere, twice. The second time to apologise."

Jack asked, "And what about me? Can you fix that? Like the Master? Will I ever be able to die?"

Rose replied, "Nothing I can do. What I did with the Master was an after effect of the telepathic power. You're an impossible thing, Jack."

Jack laughed, "Been called that before." He started to leave then turned back and saluted. "Ma'am." He turned to leave again and stopped. "But I keep wondering... what about ageing? 'Cause I can't die but I keep getting older. The odd little grey hair, you know? What happens if I live for a million years?"

Rose laughed, "Jack, I really don't know."

Jack chuckled, "Okay, vanity. Sorry. Yeah, can't help it. Used to be a poster boy when I was a kid back on the Boeshane Peninsula. Tiny little place. I was the first one ever to be signed up for the Time Agency. They were so proud of me. They Face of Boe they called me." Rose almost fell down off her spot on the railing as she and Martha were caught by surprise. "Hmm, I'll see you." He ran across the Plas towards the water tower.

Martha muttered, "Can't be."

Rose gapedafter him, "No, definitely not. No." Martha laughed. "No." Rose laughed genuinely for the first time in days.

The Jones family was back home and together. Rose watched from outside as she leant against the TARDIS. Francine looked out at her before she went inside. The TARDIS was back to normal. She reclined on the jump seat and put her feet up on the console as she waited for Martha. Martha entered the TARDIS and Rose peered around the central column and seeing Martha's face said quietly, "Okay."

Martha said, "I just can't."

Rose said, "Yeah."

"Spent all these years training to be a doctor. Now I've got people to look after. They saw half the planet slaughtered and they're devastated. I can't leave them."

Rose smiled, "Of course not. Thank you." She hugged her and murmured. "Martha Jones, you saved the world."

Martha laughed, "Yes, I did. I spent a lot of time with you thinking I was second best. But you know what? I am good. You gonna be all right?"

Rose pulled back, "Always. Yeah."

"Right, then." Martha gave her another hug and walked out. She started off then turned and went back inside the TARDIS. Inside, she reached into her pocket and tossed her mobile to her, "Keep that."

Rose tossed it back to her and smiled, "Got my own. And my number's in yours. Put it in when I zapped it."

Martha smiled, "Good. 'Cause I'm not having you disappear. If that rings, when that rings, you better come running. Got it?"

"Got it."

Martha said, "I'll see you again, missy." She smiled and turned to leave.

Rose called her back before she could walk out the door. "Hey, Martha." Martha turned back and hummed. "I am so proud of you. Don't you ever doubt that, alright?" Martha beamed and nodded before walking out as Rose started up the TARDIS.

Rose put in the coordinates and showed up at a certain doorstep in Cardiff. She pressed the buzzer and Ianto opened the door, beaming with a cup of coffee in his hand. Rose asked, "Is Jack in?"

Ianto nodded and went inside as Jack came out. Rose put her hand out and asked, "How about one more adventure? For old time's sake?" Jack grinned, closed the door, took Rose's hand and they ran across the Plass to the TARDIS.

In the TARDIS, Jack sat on the jumpseat watching Rose dance around the console. He asked, "So, where we going? One adventure, better make it good."

Rose grinned and worked a few of the controls when a ship's horn was heard and something crashed into the TARDIS throwing Rose and Jack to the floor. Jack looked up to see the bow of an ocean liner had broken through the wall. Rose asked, "What?!" She coughed. "What?!" Jack picked up a life preserver that read "TITANIC" and tapped Rose on the shoulder. When she saw the life preserver, her exact words were, "What?!"

A/N: There we go. That's done, then. Please review.