Hey there! Me again! This took ages to wack out but you know me. I'm going on hols soon with some friends of mine (next monday) so I'm trying to finish the story before then! It'll be a task but I'll manage.

Thanks for the sunburn sympathy, I really appreciate it :)

Thanks also for all the reviews! They've really cheered me up!

Dur'id the Druid: There is only one watch. Kara has it, is that what you meant?

Innogen: I think you're right! I'm so excited! Less excited about Tennant leaving but I'll manage. Glad you like the Master too!

ironyheartsap : You bet!

not-for-lack-of-trying: thanks for the continued support!

Anyway on witht he show!

Allons-y

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"What is it?" Baltar repeated and everyone sense the importance of that question.

The Doctor carefully took it back and held it up to the light almost reverently. "It's a Chameleon Arch," he said after a moment.

Chapter Fourteen: Chameleon Arch

"What is a Chameleon Arch exactly? More alien technology I take it?" Baltar asked, subconsciously reaching out to take it.

"It's impossible for a start," the Doctor said, still turning it over out of Baltar's reach. "But I like impossible!" He looked up at them with a mixed expression and a lopsided grin, "a Chameleon Arch was an invention our people. Remember I told you that our ships are designed to blend in and not be noticed? Well actually I told Kara that but comment still stands. The Arch does the same thing, it changes the form of the host to hide him from detection."

"It's the last line of defence," the Master added glaring at the thing.

"What exactly does it do? You made short work of that Dalek thing, what do you need to hide from?" Lee Adama asked, cocking his head and moving to stand in the corner thoughtfully.

"The problem is there is never just one Dalek, there are always more. It was difficult enough to kill one. Imagine if there were thousands," the Doctor said, watching their eyes widen. "Daleks can track Time Lords across the entire universe if they really, really want to and that is a dangerous thing. A Chameleon Arch is used for situation like that. They stop us being Time Lords by rewriting our entire biology and installing a new personality. Creates a new person in essence." The Doctor put the Arch down slowly and scooted back, gazing at it steadily.

"It rewrites your biology? As in every cell? That's a work of genius!" Baltar exclaimed.

"Well, we are Time Lords. We're meant to be the wisest beings in the universe," the Master snapped.

"Rewriting every cell," Baltar mused, "it would involve a complete structural break down. Cell by cell and atom by atom. Doesn't that hurt?"

"Ripping apart your biology? Of course it does. Never felt anything like it," the Doctor replied, yawning.

"You've done it?" Baltar leaned forward, every inch the scientist for the greasy hair and grubby white coat. He was in awe of someone so much smarter than him.

"Both of us have. Problem is this one has been used, albeit a long time ago. It's very presence hints the impossible," The Doctor pinched his nose and closed his eyes. "A Chameleon Arch is only found in a TARDIS and from the look of this one it's been used in the last five or so decades. It also looks fairly new which indicates the TARDIS it was attached to was very young. Probably not even a century old. That means it survived the Time War. That's impossible!" The Doctor stood and began to pace. He stared into the reflections on the metal walls thoughtfully. Looking at the reflected semicircle of commanding officers and officials behind them.

"Also, judging from the state of that thing," the Master interjected, "I'd say that something went wrong, badly wrong. Look at it! I doubt the transfer was even complete."

The Doctor suddenly stopped. "All these things," he said slowly. "So many things."

"Things?" Roslin asked, confused. It was like they were caught up in something bigger than themselves and she'd never really believed there was anything in the universe bigger than their war. But here they were, small humans standing before ancient creatures that exuded wisdom and danger. They were facing things that none of the gods had ever spoken of. She was simply overwhelmed with it all.

"It's all connected. Everything! We've been blind! So very, very blind and thick. So thick!" He threw his hands up and carded fingers through his hair as he feverishly paced to and fro. "Ugh! My head! My head!"

They watched him move frantically as his mind put things together faster than they ever could.

"Every time we use a Chameleon Arch we appoint a keeper to awaken us at the appropriate time, they open the watch, the container of our original self, and reveal it to us to restore us to Time Lord status," he told them, gesturing randomly as he spoke. "This Arch has been used and I would assume that, as tradition dictates, the user would have appointed a keeper to guard his watch, the most sacred thing he'd ever make. Now what on this ship told us it was looking for the keeper?" His brown eyes swept over them watching realisation dawn on their features.

"The cat?" asked Tigh incredulously.

"You said it was a 'cytronian'" Baltar confirmed.

"It isn't a cytronian," the Master disagreed, "he always knew that. Based on the design maybe but that thing was constructed for a specific purpose. Initially a companion but now I'll bet it's become the keeper."

"That thing fell out of the vent where you found it," Lee Adama said, suddenly realising, his eyes widening.

"If the Arch is here it is highly likely that a TARDIS is also here, a TARDIS with a working Chameleon Circuit. They're covered in perception filters, something even we wouldn't look twice at. It's truly brilliant! When did you say you found the Lost Angel and the Demons?" the Doctor turned suddenly to Sharon, gazing intently.

"Just after we finished the first war with the humans," she confirmed, confused.

"About four decades ago?"

"Yes?"

"And you say the Lost Angel registered as Cylon but not Cylon?" There was a tenseness in his tone and he was literally vibrating with excitement, his voice getting louder and louder.

"Yes," Sharon replied slowly.

"And is he always sedated? To get cleaner 'prophecies'?" the Doctor continued, ghosting forward until he was directly facing her, inches from her. No one moved. Even the Master was paying rapt attention.

"Yes, he spoke more clearly. He talked of the Vortex and falling," she trailed off uncertainly.

Everyone jumped when the Doctor suddenly exclaimed; "HA! Molto bene!" and a huge grin plastered across his face. "Your Lost Angel," he continued, "isn't a Lost Angel at all, he's a Time Lord fleeing for his life. Forty years ago this Arch was used and you found the Angel. He picked a species which didn't decay and wither, he was planning to hide for a long, long time." He rubbed his hands together and went to move to the door.

"Why is his being sedated important?" asked Helo curiously.

"When a hidden Time Lord dreams they remember their true selves, this is exaggerated by the fact that the Chameleon process seems to have been interrupted. Put that together with the fact that this time line has been sped up by ten years and the new elements introduced and you have a Time Lord subtly manipulating time to get what he wants! Better yet it means another one of us survived! Someone actually survived!" He was almost dancing.

"And what does he want?" There was Adama again, the voice of reason.

The Doctor shrugged, "I don't know yet. Makes things more exciting don't you think? One thing is certain; we need to get on that ship! Not to mention sort out the Daleks on the other ship." He pulled the Master on his feet and dusted off his white shirt. He needed to take him back to the TARDIS after all.

"Wait just a second," Tigh growled and the two aliens spun to face him, one smirking and one beaming. "How do you plan to do that?"

"Well my ship can take us there pretty quickly," the Doctor said easily.

"Right inside the Cylon base star and resurrection ship where this supposed Lost Angel is?" Tigh licked his lips and narrowed his eyes.

"I'd say so," the Doctor was no longer paying attention.

"It can penetrate their defences without even going into battle?" Tigh asked carefully.

The Doctor's head snapped up and his eyes became cold. "I should have known," he sighed. "No, you cannot use my ship to harm, maim or otherwise hurt the Cylon fleet." Best to nip a rose in the bud so to speak.

"You speak like you have a choice," Lee Adama chuckled, "we outnumber you fifty thousand to two. You could end our war!" He was looking at those either side of him.

"We are prepared to take your technology by force if necessary," Roslin added, standing.

The Master actually laughed in their faces. "Hm, very amusing," he sniggered, for the first time his madness was showing. There was a wildness in his eyes that worried them.

"Force does not scare me, Saul Tigh," the Doctor replied, smiling coldly. But even that smile was beginning to fade.

"Oh really," the commanding officer smirked.

The Doctor walked up to him swiftly and looked him straight in the eye, well slightly above as he was taller. Suddenly, to Tigh, he seemed to grow to a hundred feet tall. "You do not scare me," he enunciated slowly, his voice terribly cool. "I have seen the destruction of everything and hurled down powers far greater than can imagine. I have fought on the front line of the fiercest battle in the universe and crippled empires. The Daleks called me the Oncoming Storm because I do not stop, I do not cease. I have seen false gods and bad gods and demi-gods and would-be-gods. And I have been their destruction. I have faced death and the end of all things and I am still breathing. So, Saul Tigh, someone so small as you, so scared as you and so human as you does not scare me!" He was literally shouting in Tigh's face.

"Been awhile since I seen you that angry," the Master chuckled, "must have something to do with leaving R-"

"Shut up," the Doctor snarled. He turned back to the shocked command, "one of my species could still be alive after all this time. You will not stand in my way of saving them." He swept out the room, forgetting the Master completely.

There was more stunned silence. "You know," the Master said after a moment, drawing all the attention to him. "I once wondered why he ran away. Why he who had fought with things called gods and demons had fled. A young alien Hunter, formerly of the Family of Blood asked the same thing. Funny, we reached the same conclusion." He looked to the ground and shook his head, laughing to himself.

"What was that?" Roslin asked, still watching the door where the Doctor had exited.

"He was being kind," the Master said softly. That certainly got attention. He looked them dead in the eyes, "I killed millions, ran from our war, sided against our homeworld and tortured him. He forgave me. He forgave me! And that hurts worse than any other punishment he could have given. But he is crueller in a way, he let me live. Let me live in his mercy forever." He began to walk away, "advice from someone who's done it. Don't make him angry. It's as he said. He's the Oncoming Storm and you can't stop him. Not even the Drums can stop him."

He walked out of the room leaving silence in his wake.

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That's right, Doctor! You get angry at Tigh! Sorry this is pent up frustration at Saul Tigh in the series, it's what I wish I could have said to him! grr. I also thought the lines from Satan's Pit were appropriate...

Anyway, what did you think?

Please review! It really helps! I'm also starting a new series of one shots based in the Doctor Who world so look out for them!

Love you all!

- D