CHAPTER 25

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AN EXPLOSIVE ENDING

"Omega, stop rocking my TARDIS back and forth, and I'll come out there and face you just like you wanted. We can talk this over, Time Lord to Time Lord," the Doctor said over the TARDIS' external speaker after he finally managed to crawl to the console despite Omega's constant attacks.

"More like madman to madman," Amy muttered.

"I don't want to talk, Doctor. I want to destroy you! Come out now or I'll bring your ship crashing down around you," Omega said in a furious voice.

"Well, okay then. If you're more interested in killing me than in stopping Rassilon from taking back control of Gallifrey and using the Time Lords to destroy the universe then you just go right on ahead then," the Doctor said.

"What?!" Amy said in disbelief.

The Doctor smiled at her as he mouthed the words 'Trust me.'

"Rassilon lives?" Omega asked.

The Doctor smiled in triumph as he said, "That's right. He's back and he's gathered together a whole fleet of ships to attack Gallifrey with. If he wins, he'll destroy this whole universe. Wouldn't that be a shame for you since you only just got back to it? You'll be blown up almost as soon as you've arrived."

"Rassilon lives! I'll rip him limb from limb! I'll scatter him into molecules! I will make him . . . BURN!" Omega screamed.

"I take it he really isn't a fan of this Rassilon fellow," Clara said wincing.

"You think?" Amy asked with a smirk.

"He blames Rassilon for the accident that trapped him in the antimatter universe. He thinks Rassilon sabotaged his ship in order to get rid of him so he wouldn't have him around as a rival for power. I'm not sure if he's right or not, but I certainly wouldn't put it past old Rassy. He really was a despicable person. Definitely not cool," the Doctor said.

"Take me to Gallifrey and I will destroy each and every one of these ships of Rassilon's. Then I will take great pleasure in slowly and painfully destroying him last," Omega said.

The Doctor frowned. That was not the answer that he had expected to hear. He definitely didn't want to bring that madman inside his ship with his family.

"Can't you go to Gallifrey by yourself? I mean if you have the power to shake my ship around like this then I assume that you can definitely return home by yourself," the Doctor said.

"I could but I choose not to. I want to go in secret aboard your ship so that Rassilon won't know that I'm coming until it's far too late for him to stop me," Omega replied.

"Doctor, you're not seriously going to let that loon on the TARDIS are you?" Donna asked in disbelief.

"Well, I only have one of two options, Donna. Either I keep him outside and he destroys us in a matter of minutes or I let him in and he hopefully destroys the Daleks and the Divergence and waits to try to destroy us later. I think I'll go with option two and buy us some time," the Doctor said.

"I'd rather go with option three and get the TARDIS out of here while Old Loud Mouth out there is distracted," Donna said.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Amy said as she raced for the console to dematerialize the TARDIS.

"Amy, no!" the Doctor shouted.

He was already too late though. The TARDIS dematerialized leaving the Earth behind as Amy put in the coordinates for Gallifrey. She was more interested in helping Rayna and the Time Lords than in messing around with some lunatic who couldn't stop shouting for two seconds. Her ears were still hurting from listening to him rant.

"See, Doctor? It was easy," Amy said in triumph.

Suddenly the Doctor started screaming as he started glowing all over his body. The glow became so bright that no one could see him for a moment and then finally it faded away to show the Doctor still standing there but in a daze.

Clara ran to him immediately as she said with concern, "Doctor! Are you alright?"

The Doctor looked at Clara oddly as he said, "Yes, I'm fine. I just feel a bit disoriented. Don't worry. I'll soon get over it."

"Are you sure? What happened to you anyway?" Clara asked as she gently touched his face.

The Doctor started to smile at Clara as he said, "Oh, it's nothing. Omega tried to kill me for running away from him but he didn't succeed. I'm fine. I just need a minute to get over his attack."

"I'm so sorry, Doctor. That's what you were trying to warn me about wasn't it? I didn't mean for him to come after you like that. Do you think that he'll attack the Earth in revenge now that we've left him there?" Amy asked in a worried voice.

The Doctor shook his head as he said, "No, Omega won't bother with the Earth. He isn't interested in humanity in the slightest. Rassilon is who he wants."

"I wish that your plan to trick him into believing that Rassilon was on one of the Divergence's ships had worked. We really could have used his help against them. Maybe you'll do your usual thing and come up with a clever plan to get rid of them while we're fighting them though," Amy said as she gave him a hopeful smile.

"The Divergence? The same ones that Rassilon trapped? They're attacking Gallifrey?" The Doctor asked still sounding confused.

Clara began to become upset now as she said, "What did Omega do to you? Are you alright?"

She gave him a small peck on the lips as she asked him this question, and the Doctor suddenly began to smile from ear to ear. As he eagerly returned her kiss, Clara felt at least somewhat better about him.

"He must not be in too bad a shape to kiss you like that, Clara," Amy said laughing.

"Clara," the Doctor said as he continued to smile at Clara.

"What?" Clara asked.

"Nothing. I just like saying your name," the Doctor said as he moved to kiss her again.

"He's acting weird even for him if you ask me. Maybe that light show shook a few brain cells loose," Donna said with concern.

"I could check you out in the medical bay if you want, Grandfather. She could be right. You might be suffering some kind of mental damage from Omega's attack," Susan Foreman said.

The Doctor momentarily smiled at her but shook his head as he said, "No, I'm fine. I'm just a little shaken up right now. I'll be okay eventually though."

"Are you sure, Spaceman?" Donna asked.

"Of course. I'm fine," the Doctor said as he started to stare at Clara again.

Clara smiled liking all of the attention but still feeling a bit worried about him. She wondered if she could convince him to let Susan run some tests on him later. She resolved to do her best to get him to do that after the whole fight with the Divergence was over with.

That was always presuming that they survived the fight of course.

"Doctor, I'm taking us to Gallifrey right away. We have to stop the Divergence. They almost wiped out the universe before, and we definitely can't give them a second chance at it again," Amy said as she moved back to the console.

"No, the Divergence must not destroy this universe. I'll stop them from doing that at all costs," the Doctor said.

"Well, almost all costs," the Doctor said as he smiled at Clara and gave her a tender kiss.

"I'm worried about him. He loves Mum but he's never been this loopy over her before," Susan Oswald said.

"I think it's sweet. Leave him alone, Susie. He's just showing her that he loves her. He almost died so that kind of changed how he looks at things I think," Jenny said.

"I think you're wrong, Jen. I don't know Dad that well yet, but even I know that something's wrong with him. The man that I was told about wouldn't just stand there making out with Clara when the people he cares about are in danger," Amelia said.

"This definitely doesn't seem like something that the Doctor would do, no. Then again I don't really know this version of him," Martha said.

"I do and he's not acting like himself at all. Susan, you and I are going to have to take him to the medical bay and check him out sometime soon whether he wants to go or not," Rory said to Susan Foreman.

After the Doctor kissed Clara for the tenth time in a row, Clara finally said, "Doctor, I really appreciate that you love me, but don't you think that we should be more worried about saving Gallifrey right now."

The Doctor looked at her oddly again as he asked, "Is that what you want?"

Now it was Clara's turn to give him a funny look as she said, "Of course it is. My friends are there and so is Oswin. She's like a sister to me. What's wrong with you, Doctor? They're your friends too."

The Doctor blinked as he said, "Yes, of course they are. I'm sorry, Clara. I'm not myself right now. We will save them. Don't worry. I won't let the Divergence do anything to anyone."

"Now that sounds more like it," Clara said as she smiled at him.

"All you have to do is ask it, Clara. I'd do anything for you," the Doctor said.

Clara blushed and looked away from him in embarrassment as she said, "I don't know what's happened to you, Doctor, but it's definitely not all bad."

"See? He's just discovered how much he really loves her after almost dying. It's so sweet," Jenny said to Amelia and Susan Oswald.

Both of her sisters shook their heads though. Something just wasn't right here, but they couldn't put their finger on exactly what it was.

"Come on, Casanova. We're just about to materialize in space just outside of Gallifrey's orbit. If you've got a plan, you'd better put it into place now," Amy said as she pulled him away from Clara.

The Doctor glared at her at first and frightened Amy for a moment and then his gaze softened as he said, "Of course I have a plan. I always have a plan."

"What is it then?" Amy asked skeptically as she felt more at ease around him once more.

"I'm still thinking of it," the Doctor admitted.

"Uh huh. That's what I thought," Amy said grinning.

"Don't worry. I'll finish coming up with it soon, and it will be the coolest plan ever made," the Doctor said smiling.

Then he frowned as he said in a disturbed voice, "Cool? Why did I say that for? In what way will the plan be cool? How can its success be measured in terms of temperature?"

"Doctor, I really think that you should be checked out in the medical bay," Rory said.

"You're not acting like yourself, Spaceman," Donna agreed.

"Doctor, maybe they're right. Let them run some tests on you after you defeat the Divergence, okay?" Clara asked.

"Alright. I'd do whatever you say, my sweet Clara. I'm at your complete command," the Doctor said as he smiled at her.

"I really like this new you, Chin Boy," Clara said blushing again.

Rory gave Clara a silent look of thanks and she smiled back at him. She was determined to use this new control that she had over the Doctor only for good. Well, mostly for good anyway.

The Doctor looked at Clara oddly again for a moment and then said, "Chin Boy? Yes, I like that. This body does have a huge chin doesn't it?"

"You really need to be checked out big time, Raggedy Man," Amy said as she continued to worry about him.

The Doctor seemed to be about to reply to her when the TARDIS materialized at last, and they all saw on the monitor for the first time exactly what it was that they were up against. There were hundreds if not thousands of Dalek and Divergence ships surrounding Gallifrey and bombarding it continuously.

The Time War had started all over again in spades.

"Doctor, please help! The force field around the Capitol is about to go down at any minute! Please tell me that you have some kind of plan," Rayna's voice said through the console.

The TARDIS began being attacked now as well and everyone was instantly slammed to the floor as the massive bombardment continued. They could hear several Dalek shouts and threats coming over the console and knew that they didn't have long to survive unless the Doctor could come up with a plan fast.

"Doctor, do something!" Clara said in a terrified voice as the TARDIS started coming apart all around them and catching on fire.

The Doctor stared at Clara for several minutes with his face filled with emotion. It almost looked like he was at war with himself.

Then his face became stern and resolute as he seemed to have finally come to a decision at last.

The Doctor wrapped his arms around Clara hugging her tightly and gave her a tender kiss as he said, "Tell the Doctor that he's a lucky man."

"What?!" Clara asked in complete incomprehension.

The Doctor immediately raced to the console and answered, "Hold on! Help is coming!"

Then before anyone could stop him the Doctor suddenly opened the TARDIS doors and ran out of them. To everyone's complete shock, the Doctor transformed and became a man wearing a large helmet and ceremonial robe. Somehow they all knew that this was Omega.

Everyone on the TARDIS looked at each other in disbelief as they finally understood now. When the Doctor had started glowing with energy, Omega had taken his place. Somehow he had made himself look like him in an attempt to replace him.

Where was the real Doctor though? What had Omega done with him?

They all watched as Omega started glowing with energy and started attacking all of the ships by himself. Both armies decided to concentrate on him now as the greatest threat in the area and left Gallifrey and the TARDIS alone.

Omega fought with the two massive fleets for several minutes as he destroyed one ship after another with massive blasts of energy from his hands. In the end though no matter how many ships he destroyed there were so many left that he knew that he would never destroy all of them before they managed to score a fatal attack on him.

He knew what he had to do now. He just had one last thing to say before he did it.

"Clara," Omega said through the console.

Amy gestured for Clara to come forward and she hesitantly did so. Why would Omega want to talk to her?

"Yes?" Clara answered.

"I wanted to explain why I did what I did. I wanted to take the Doctor's place so that I could be free from my old life and become someone else. I had already used his biodata to create a new body for myself so that I could escape from the antimatter universe, but then I managed to find myself trapped there yet again anyway. That was when I actually gave up trying to leave there and finally surrendered my absolute mental control of that universe that I had established over thousands of years as I let the world that I created for myself there implode. I then waited to die as the antimatter universe winked out of existence. I didn't die though. I became one with that universe and gained near unlimited power that I used to return to this universe still wearing the Doctor's body. I then came up with a plan to finally create a new life for myself. That was when I remade my body into the Doctor's current form, but I did it a little too well this time. Just like before when I tried to copy the Doctor I started to forget who I was and to start thinking like him. More than that, I started to feel what he felt as well including love. I fell in love with you almost immediately, Clara, because he loves you. Now though I think that I've learned to love you for myself. I can't let you die. I would never allow that to happen. I'm just calling you to say goodbye and to ask you to forgive me. I'm sorry if I hurt you by posing as the Doctor. I never meant to," Omega said.

Clara realized that he meant what he said so she immediately responded back with, "It's okay. I forgive you. You're going to do something rash and stupid to defeat them, aren't you? You're going to sacrifice yourself."

"Yes," Omega said.

"You don't have to do this. Can't you find another way?" Clara pleaded.

"No, I'm afraid not. I guess I've become more like the Doctor than I thought. Now I'm sacrificing myself to save others or at least to save one very special person anyway. He loves you, Clara. He loves you more than he's ever said. He's afraid to tell you just how much for fear of going too fast and losing you. It's there though. So much love infusing every fiber of his being. I can feel it because I copied him. Find him, Clara. Go back to Earth and find him. He needs you and I have a feeling that you need him as well. Goodbye, Clara," Omega said.

"No, wait!" Clara shouted.

It was already too late though. Omega exploded with a massive burst of energy that incinerated every Dalek and Divergence ship around Gallifrey instantly. Somehow Amy managed to dematerialize the TARDIS just in time to keep it from being destroyed as well.

"We have to go back to Earth and find the Doctor. He's got to still be there somewhere. He's got to!" Clara said as she began to openly sob.

"We'll find him, Clara. I promise," Amy said as she hit the fast return switch to send them right back where they had just come from on Earth.

Amy hoped that the Doctor wouldn't have gone too far from where they had left him. Then again knowing him he would have already found himself hip deep in trouble in just the short amount of time that he had been there.

She was right of course.

The Doctor realized immediately what had happened the minute that he found himself outside and saw the TARDIS dematerializing and leaving without him. Omega was trying to become him . . . again. The Doctor was now left completely stranded and all alone in one time and place, and he was already beginning to panic at such a horrible thought.

He immediately began walking back to UNIT HQ as he tried to get Kate Stewart to help him. Maybe she had another Vortex Manipulator somewhere. It was a horrible way to have to travel, but it was definitely better than being stranded here forever even if it was his favorite planet.

Unfortunately on his way to the Tower of London he ran across yet another group of the Divergence. They quickly surrounded him and entrapped him before he could slip away from them.

"Your friends destroyed our fleet somehow and delayed our plans to destroy the Time Lords, Doctor, but it seems that we still have gotten a consolation prize after all. We still get to kill you!" One of the Divergence shouted with joy.

"Oi! Back off of the Professor! Now!" A very familiar voice to the Doctor shouted.

He turned and smiled as he saw Ace, one of his old companions, standing there with a furious look on her face and several cans of Nitro-9 in her hands and no doubt several more in the backpack on her back. She no longer wore the black jacket with the badges that she used to wear and looked much older than he remembered her, but there was no mistaking her. He would know her and those cans of deadly explosives that she was carrying with her anywhere. She glared at the Divergence as she prepared to throw the Nitro-9 at them at any moment.

The Doctor had no idea if even Nitro-9 would affect them or not, but at this point he was willing to try anything. He just hoped that Ace had improved those timers for the cans because they had been a little bit too fast in the past and had almost blown them both up several times over as a result.

"Ace! How on Earth did you find me?" the Doctor asked happily.

"I told UNIT to let me know the next time that they saw you because I wanted to see you again. They called me as soon as you showed up and told me what you looked like now and approximately where to find you. It's a good thing too. I see you're already in trouble again so it's up to me to bail you out of it like usual. It's just like old times isn't it?" Ace said grinning.

"I wouldn't have it any other way. I see that you're still carrying Nitro-9 with you at all times even after I tried to get you to stop using it years ago," the Doctor said.

"Yeah, I'm afraid so. You know me, Professor. I'm just too stubborn to listen to anyone. I've always got to do things my own way," Ace said.

"Good. That's one of the things that I always loved about you. Never change, Ace," the Doctor said.

"I don't ever plan on it, Professor. Speaking of change, I hate the outfit. You look like a dork. And what's up with that chin? You weren't kidding when you said that you had no control over your appearance whatsoever when you regenerate were you?" Ace joked.

"Destroy her!" One of the Divergence shouted as they all started towards her at once.

"Professor, duck!" Ace said as she threw one of the cans of Nitro-9 straight at the Divergence surrounding the Doctor.

A huge explosion rocked the entire area and caused a massive cloud of dust to rise up everywhere that the Doctor quickly used to escape. He managed to make it to Ace, and the two of them started to run away together at top speed from the small army of Divergence following them immediately.

"Yeah, it's definitely just like old times, Professor. I've missed this so much!" Ace said with a huge grin on her face.

"Same old Ace. You're just as cool as ever," the Doctor said grinning.

"Too bad you're not," Ace said with an evil smile on her face.

"Oi!" the Doctor said as he pretended to be insulted even as he grinned away with a huge smile on his face.

Ace was back!

Next: It's the Doctor and Ace together again versus the Divergence. Will they be able to keep themselves alive long enough for Amy, Clara, and the others to find them?