Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who. My apologies, this was not as soon as I thought, but there were moving parts. Thanks again to anyone still reading this. You are awesome. Happy reading!

John looked at Donna. They were sitting with their backs against the white cot, looking at the door that would inevitably open with a gaggle of the Silence's soldiers on the other side. Donna had the twins in her arms as they slept contentedly with no idea of what was about to happen.

"How long do you think they'll be?," Donna asked John.

"I don't know," said John.

Donna nodded. "It's a time machine. Why don't they just come back to two minutes after they left you?"

"It doesn't work like that," said John.

"Why not?"

"You can't go back on established events."

Donna shook her head. "It's not established! How can it be established?!"

John didn't answer. He just got up and started fidgeting with the trashed console. He had already done so several times to no avail.

"How are the kids?," asked Donna.

"They're fine. It's only been a few days for us."

"And Donna's been looking after them?"

John turned to her. "They've missed you, but yes, Donna's been looking after them. Wouldn't you have done the same?"

"I don't know," said Donna.

"Yes, you do," said John. "You never would have left Zara and Chloe out in the cold."

"Do you still feel like you love them?," asked Donna.

"I can't help how I feel, Donna."

Donna sighed and looked at the new twins. "They need names."

Just then, another alarm went off to interrupt them. John leapt to the other side of the console.

"What is it?," asked Donna.

"The Silence. They're monitoring the progress of Gallifrey." He punched a few more buttons. "Rassilon!"

Donna just stared at him.

John looked up. "Rassilon's back."

"Who's he then?"

"Trouble," said John, pressing some more buttons. "And he's going live."

Ten watched in horror as the guards took away Donna. He had just lost the Oracle again and wasn't too keen on whatever Rassilon had planned for her.

It wasn't long at all before he could hear her screaming in pain in his mind's eye. He turned to Rassilon.

"Leave her alone."

"The Doctor. Lost without his women."

"They're better than you," said Ten.

"Oh, is this where the Doctor goes on and lectures me about humanity? You've always had such a weakness for that curious little species. No wonder that you ended up mating with one."

"Don't speak of my wife like that. She wanted to help you. She wanted to give you a chance."

Ten reached into his pocket for the sonic screwdriver. While it was still inside his pocket he pointed at the console's communications array as Rassilon began barking orders to the remaining guards.

The Time Lords had only managed to escape with the help of their counterparts from John and Eleven's universe. The only chance was to get them to rescind that support. Then Ten could work at the Time Lock and doing away with them for good this time. He looked at the panel, trying to subtly utilize the communications array on it. If he could broadcast to the whole planet, maybe those other Time Lords would change their mind.

John looked at the panel he had just sparked into life. "Oh, that's clever," he said, watching Ten. "He's nearly as clever as me."

"What?," asked Donna.

"He's trying to put on a show. I'm going to help him."

Eleven had turned away from the Chancellor and the women. He looked at the sonic screwdriver. Someone was trying to signal him and he had two guesses who it was.

He turned back. "Gallifrey is rising here, at this place, on Trenzalore."

"We'll be well away when it does," said the Chancellor. "We'll be certain to make your trial date on Gallifrey."

"I have done nothing wrong," said the Oracle.

"That's for the High Council to decide."

"High Council, haven't seen them in about a hundred years," said Eleven as he headed over to the communications panel on the chamber's far wall. "Trials are always fun. Oh, wait. I think I got that mixed up."

"What are you doing?," asked the Chancellor.

"I want to watch Countdown," said Eleven.

The Oracle and Mayantha frowned at each other. Just then, a video of Ten and Rassilon came up.

"Oh, look this is on," said Eleven. "Suppose we'll watch this instead."

"So, what's your plan now?," asked Ten.

"The Time Lords resume their rightful place."

"And what is that? Their rightful place?," asked Ten. "Last time I saw you, you had made a right mess of the universe. Not to mention Gallifrey, the dead rising again and again in a cycle of never ending war. Donna was trying to help you because that's what she does and she's right, you don't have to do this anymore. It can stop."

"That's Rassilon," said the Oracle, watching.

"It can't be," said the Chancellor.

Eleven turned. "You agreed to help them and you don't even know who you're dealing with?"

"They're us," said the Chancellor.

"No, they are a parallel version of us." Eleven pointed at the screen. "They're not like us. The Doctor hasn't been the awful one you thought he was all these years, he was the best."

"Do you suppose you might be a bit biased?"

"And what of the other Gallifrey?," asked Ten. "What if they don't want to declare war against the universe?"

"They will fall into line," said Rassilon.

The Oracle turned to the Chancellor. "You must know what Rassilon was like. What he was really like, not what we tell schoolchildren. Do you want us under his thumb?"

"I can understand how you got here, Chancellor," said Eleven. "You were trying to help, but there's a time and a place for everything. Their time and their place is over."

"They will bring destruction and it will bleed over to our world," said Eleven.

The Chancellor thought on this.

"All you have to do is walk away," said Eleven.

"And what about you? Do you expect me to believe you won't seek revenge for what happened with your daughter?"

Eleven paused. "No, I don't expect you to believe that, but I don't think you're selfish enough to risk our world's ruin to save your own skin."

The Chancellor nodded.

"Now, one more question, have you seen my TARDIS?"

"Mum, that's Lydia," said Mayantha.

They looked back at the screen.

"Oh, no," said the Oracle.

Eleven turned back to the Chancellor. "And I need it now, if you don't mind."

A Few Minutes Earlier...

Lydia ran in the building. The first thing she sensed was someone in excruciating pain. She got a flash of ginger hair and realized that was Donna.

Lydia hurried down the corridor. She spotted two Time Lord guards standing outside a room. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned, nearly screaming.

It was Trevor. He quickly silenced her. He held up his hand and walked over to where the men were.

"Oi! Time boys!"

He slugged one quickly. He ended up grappling with the other one. Lydia was wondering how best she could help when a shot rang out, shooting the other Time Lord.

She looked back to see River Song blowing imaginary smoke off her squareness gun.

"You didn't think I was going to leave you alone, did you?"

Lydia hurried to the controls for the door. She quickly realized the controls were familiar and opened it.

"How did you do that?," asked River.

"I used to live in a room like this," said Lydia. She hurried in. "Donna!"

Donna was in a heap on the table. The trio rushed over. Trevor picked her up from the table

"Oh, my God," said River.

"Donna," said Lydia. "Donna!"

"Come on. Wake up, Mum," said Trevor.

Donna's eyes were still closed as she groaned. "Did you just call me mum?"

Trevor looked sheepish. "No. Don't be ridiculous."

"Donna, come on," said Lydia. "We need you."

Donna opened her eyes. She turned to Trevor and River. "What the hell is she doing off the TARDIS?!"

"Oh, there's the Donna we all know and love," said River.

"That's enough out of you, Stiggy," said Donna. She took a deep breath. She was still adjusting to the sting of the device. "We have to help the Doctor."

"Yes," said River, "they are all pretty much screwed right now."

"There was this man. Ross? Rassy?"

"Rassilon," said Trevor.

"It's okay," said Lydia. "I know. This is the Fall of Rassilon."

"What do you mean you know?," asked Donna.

"When the Oracle was your teacher, she told you something. Something that didn't make sense," said Lydia. "That's the Secret of the Fall."

"What? Turn left?"

"No, there was something else, something you literally did not understand."

Donna frowned. "What?"

Lydia spoke something.

Donna's eyes widened. "What?"

"That's his name," said Lydia. "That's the Doctor's name. That's the secret to the Time Lock. It's what they wanted from me, well, aside from my DNA. It's what they just tried to get out of you."

"That's his name?!," Trevor exclaimed. "That's it?"

River rolled her eyes. "So, if we can get back in there we can reseal the Time Lock and encode it with the Key to Time."

"Which we'll have to destroy," said Trevor. He helped Donna up.

"The Doctor said it was more than a name," said Donna.

"It is," said Lydia. "You have to know him and you do, better than anyone and no one has ever known him like you. The controls are psychic."

"Is everything Time Lords do psychic?," Donna groaned.

"Yes!," said Lydia.

"I'm just saying, would a padlock kill you?," asked Donna.

They arrived outside the room.

Trevor looked at Donna. "Are you ready?"

"Do you have a plan?"

"The plan was to get here and come up with another plan," said Trevor.

"Typical," said River.

"River, go shoot at things," said Donna.

"Why?"

"They're not completely invincible, right? They're going to try not to get shot! Or we'll have some time while they regenerate. I don't know! Why do I have to do everything?!"

"She's right," said Trevor. "They aren't invincible. We just need to create a distraction long enough for Donna to lock the key."

"What do you suppose they'll do when they find out what the grand plan of Rassilon is?," asked Ten. "Do you think they'll still follow you?"

"They won't have a choice. Besides, are you going to tell them."

"I just did," said Ten.

The door opened. Ten saw River shooting. He bent down. Rassilon's guards were in disarray. He watched as Lydia and Donna made their way to the console. Trevor was there and he appeared to be blocking for Donna.

"Stop!"

The guards had River in hand. Trevor frantically tried to pass her the key.

Rassilon looked at Donna. "Get away from there."

"Right, just give me a minute," said Donna. She put the key in.

To their shared horror, nothing happened.

Meanwhile, on the TARDIS...

"Rose!," Jack said impatiently.

"No, I don't want to," said Rose.

They had spent the time since the others left discussing the Key to Time and what was required of Rose. So far, she wasn't receptive to the idea as might have been expected of anyone who was told the end of their life had to be in the next five minutes or so.

Mickey walked up. "Look, Rose, I know this has been hard-"

"Hard, Mickey? What do you know? You left me and came back here!"

"I didn't see you caring while you thought you were staying with the Doctor!," said Mickey.

Rory leaned over to Amy. "I think I've lost track of just about everything."

"I think this whole conversation would go a lot more smoothly if we could stay away from recriminations about the Doctor and Rose," said Ianto.

"Rose, it's simple, we need a complicated time space event to be the final piece of the Key to Time. You are dying anyway."

"And maybe I want to have a say in how I spend the rest of my life!," snapped Rose. "Maybe I want to talk to my mum!"

"Look, Rose, I understand you want to talk to your family," said Martha. "That's just not-"

"You, shut up!," said Rose. "You're just another replacement! Did you sleep with him, too?"

Martha gritted her teeth. She looked at Amy. "I think I'm gonna slap her."

"I love the Doctor!," said Rose. "He wouldn't want me to end up like this!"

"Oh, shut up!," shouted Amy. Just then, she noticed Mels had joined them. "You go on and on whittering about how you love the Doctor and how you're the only one for him, but you never show it!"

Rose pointed at Amy. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Look, from what the Doctor has told me, Donna saved him," said Amy. "He needs her. Maybe I don't know everything about this great love you and the Doctor supposedly share, but I do know when you love someone you want what's best for them. I know you don't try to kidnap their children and boot their wives out the door just because it's not what you had in mind!"

Rose looked down, ashamed, thinking of all the things she had said about Donna. She met Zara's gaze, one of fear.

She had made this little girl afraid of her.

What did that make her?

"You never gave up, I get that," said Amy, "but sometimes the best thing is to give up. If you give yourself over, if you become part of the key, you won't be a part of the Doctor's life anymore and that is hard. It'll be the end of your life."

"I thought you were trying to get her to do it," whispered Rory.

Amy ignored him. "You'll save the Doctor's life. You'll save his children and he'll know that."

There was silence as Rose thought on that.

"Or," said Amy, "he'll die and you'll still be dead in a month."

Rose's eyes filled with water until they finally burst.

"We need an answer," Jack said softly.

"Yes!," said Rose. "God, what do you think I am? What do I have to do?"

Ianto picked up the psychic parcel.

"What are we doing?," asked Mels.

Mickey motioned at Mels. "Is this ship working at all?"

"We have to make Rose into the Key to Time," said Jack.

"Here, let me see," said Mels. She took the box. "Well, warp star on a string, that goes round your neck."

Ianto passed the necklace to Jack who put it over Rose's head.

"Next?," asked Jack.

"This piece of Jethryk goes in your right pocket," said Mels, handing it over.

Rose stuffed the strange rock in her pocket.

"The tomb, you hold that in your left hand, the moon in your left pocket," said Mels.

"How do you know all this?," asked Amy.

Mels looked at her. "My mum told me." Mels took out the Holy Grail. "This is the last one. You hold it in your right hand and when you do, you become the Key."

Rose looked anxious.

Jack leaned over to hug her. "I'm sorry it had to end up like this."

Rose looked up. "I'm sorry, too."

Mickey walked over and gave Rose a squeeze. "I told you that Doctor was trouble."

Rose had to crack a smile as water started pouring out of her eyes. "Yeah. You were right." She shook her head. "I'm sorry."

They heard a rumbling.

"What's that?," asked Rory.

"That's the planet starting to come apart," said Mels. She held the goblet in front of Rose. "I'm sorry. We have to do this now."

"Wait," said Amy. She looked at Rose. "Do we need to tell anyone anything?"

"My mum," said Rose. She shook her head. "Tell my mum I'm sorry."

Rose grabbed the goblet from Mels. There was a great, white burst of light. The edges of Rose and the objects seemed to blur until they disappeared and when the light became almost too bright to bear, it stopped.

The key hung in the air for a second before falling to the floor of the TARDIS.

Jack knelt down and picked it up.

"We still have to get John and Donna," said Ianto.

"Might be nice to have someone who could pilot the TARDIS," said Mickey.

"Right," said Mels, walking over to the console. "Where are we headed?"

"You can pilot the TARDIS?," asked Ianto.

"Don't ask," said Mels.

Josh and Ella came out.

"Where is everyone?," asked Josh.

"Long story," said Martha. "What is it?"

Josh pointed at Ella. "We came to say something. I don't remember."

"My monsters are angry," said Ella.

Rassilon grinned at Donna.

"You sad little human," said Rassilon. He looked to Lydia and Trevor. "As I said, no place for half breeds and rejects in the new order."

"Do you think I'm impressed?," asked Lydia.

Donna looked at the girl in shock.

"I've been called a reject my whole life. I was tortured. Being called names by you isn't all that different which I grant you is a little surprising since you're Rassilon and all, but frankly, I'm just not impressed."

"You will pay for your insolence!," he growled and raised his gloved hand. Donna moved herself in front of Lydia.

Just then, more shots rang out. Trevor pulled Donna down, Donna pulled Lydia with her as they fell against the floor. They peered around the corner of the console to see Madame Kovarian and a horde of soldiers.

"What is this?," demanded Rassilon.

The soldiers had the Doctor in hand, guns aimed at his head. The same for Rassilon and the Time Lord guards. River found herself having changed jailers as the soldiers of the Silence took over.

"What do we do?," asked Donna.

Lydia thought she could hear something, like a click. She looked at the key as it sat in the apparatus of the console. She looked at Donna. "Try it again."

"What?"

"Do it!"

Donna put her hand on the key again and tried to turn it. Rassilon stared at her and again raised his glove at them and then...

Donna did it.

She thought not just of the name, the word that didn't make sense, but of the Doctor. The sad man who had looked so rejected when she had said she wouldn't travel with him on Christmas, holding his hand in the Pyrovilian capsule at Pompeii, the nervous man who said he hadn't meant the detox, the broken man after Midnight.

The way he had looked at her when he explained he had to take her memories away.

The proud dad who had held Zara, but even then she could detect a bit of sadness, as if he was remembering someone.

Rassilon and the others disappeared, Gallifrey finally vanished from their view. The Key to Time popped back out and Lydia picked it up.

There was still the matter of the soldiers of the Silence.

"Doctor," she said with her twosted smile.

River managed to fight off one of her guards and steal his gun. She pointed it at him.

"I think we've all had quite enough excitement for one day," said River.

"It's over," said Ten. "Let us go."

"One can never fully understand prophecy."

"Oh, I know that better than most," Ten grumbled.

The room started rumbling.

Ten looked up at the ceiling as pieces began to crumble.

"What's happening?," asked Donna.

"Well, you've sealed off Gallifrey, but it might still take the complex with it. We should go." He looked at Madame Kovarian. "Now."

"Very well," said Kovarian. "Just after we execute you."

"Think of killing him and it's the last thing you'll do," said River.

The guards turned their guns on River.

"No, no, no!," said Ten. "Stop! Don't hurt her!"

The building rumbled as some of the room began crumbling around them.

"What now?," asked Donna.

They heard the sound of brakes grinding.

Eleven stepped out of the TARDIS.

"Lydia, look what I've found!," he said cheerily. "Just managed to get her back from the Chancellor!"

He stepped out. "Oh, look! The armies of the Silence! Thought I might find you somewhere around here."

"I don't mind killing you either," said Kovarian.

"Thought you wouldn't, but there's just one thing you forgot: your masters."

Eleven pointed the sonic screwdriver at a big monitor.

"See, my friend, Ella just rang me. She has the astonishing ability to remember the Silence, which, really, I ought to look into sometime, but she's told me something quite interesting."

The screen was of the Silence. They seemed to be in an uproar.

"See," said Eleven, "they just found out their very existence was a sham created by the Time Lords and they are not too happy about it. Oh, sorry, guess that means your whole religion is not going to work out. I would suggest finding a new one. Something with a festival, I'd imagine. Or an elephant god. Those are fun."

"What are they doing?," asked Trevor.

"That's them getting ready to kill everyone on the planet," said Eleven. "Closing time, everyone! You don't have to go home, but you really, really can't stay here!"

The room rumbled again. The soldiers began to scatter.

"Get back here!," Madame Kovarian demanded. "Resume your place!"

The guards around the Doctor ran off. Kovarian took out her own sidearm and shot them. Ten looked up at her, suddenly surprised to see Donna slugging Madame Kovarian. Trevor got her gun as Kovarian struggled to sit back up.

"Now, don't follow us," said Trevor.

Eleven cleared his throat. "Right, might I suggest we leave?"

They hurried inside the Eleventh Doctor's TARDIS. The Oracle and Mayantha were already working on the controls.

"What about the other TARDIS?," Donna asked, looking at Ten.

"We've already locked on to it," said the Oracle. "They'll be coming along with us."

"Everyone is safe and accounted for," said Eleven. "We'll see them all at the next stop."

"Where are we going?," asked Lydia.

"It's a surprise," said Eleven.

"Oh, good," said Donna. "Because that's what I really need."