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Chapter Twenty-Eight
I Love You Grandfather:
After the death of Lord Castilian, Wildcard and the Doctor rushed towards Susan as fast as they could. Followed by his lord president and security, with Clyde and his mother closely behind. Rani seeing her friend in pain, was at her side, along with her father and the commander of security. The Commander had with him a scanner, he was checking the severity of the wound, Susan received from the coward. He looked up at Haresh and shook his head left and right.
The commander pulled out another device and placed it on Susan's neck, injecting her with a relaxant. Susan shut her eyes quickly, do to the sting of the injection. The commander said, "There you go my lady, this will help speed you on your way." Rani screamed, "No! She can't die!" Susan opened her eyes and looked up at the commander, nodding her head and said, "Thank you sir." The Doctor began to kneel in front of his granddaughter. Susan seeing him said, "Grandfather I feel cold."
The Doctor grabbing Susan's hand said, "I'm here Susan, your grandfather is here."
Susan was breathing heavily with the weapon still lodged in her chest. As Rani was crying she yelled, "No, please be alright, please!" Haresh gently passed Susan into the arms of her grandfather and stood up to hold his daughter, giving her all his love and support. Susan looked at her grandfather and said, "This hurts grandfather, I think, I think this is it."
The Doctor holding his granddaughter gently said to her, "I know child! You're my little girl; no matter what happens next you will always be my little girl, remember that." Susan looking at her grandfather smiled and took in another breath of air. "I love you grandfather." The Doctor holding her in tears by the cheek said, "I love you too, I will always love you." Rani still in her father's arms, let go of him and kneeled down crying. Then she yelled, "You're not supposed to die Susan! The matrix showed us, you're not supposed too! This isn't fair!" Susan reached out and placed her hand on Rani's cheek and asked, "When I showed you the future and when you joined with the matrix, what did you see Rani? Close your eyes, look into time Rani, did you see me?"
Rani with her eyes closed started to shake her head left and right, she couldn't see Susan. Rani started to cry, her father kneeled down behind her and held her. Sensing her father, she turned her head and started to cry in his arms. A moment later she turned and looked at Susan, still with tears she yelled, "You can't die Susan! You can't! I won't let you, I'll give you some of my life's to come, so will Clyde, won't you Clyde?" Stepping forward in tears Clyde yelled, "You bet I will! You can have as many as you want Susan!" Rani still in her father's arms yelled, "You see Susan, we all love you, you can't die!"
Susan and the Doctor were both in tears now, at such a gesture given to them. Susan still looking at Rani with a smile, said to her, "The women you saw getting married, is me Rani. It was you who gave me that image. All you saw was their backs, close your eyes Rani look again." Rani shut her eyes and looked into time, she could see the wedding and the bride turned to her left and looked at Rani. Rani opened her eyes, wiping her tears she smiled at Susan and said, "I'm going to miss you."
Susan took a deep breath in pain and said, "It will still be me, but with a different face and a new body, besides I'm tired of looking older than my grandfather." Susan turned her head towards the Doctor and said, "I hope you will like the new me grandfather." The Doctor full of grief, holding and rocking his granddaughter said, "You are my granddaughter Susan, no matter how many regeneration's you go through, you will always be my granddaughter." The commander holding a scanner in his hands said, "My Lord Doctor it's starting."
Susan looking at her grandfather with concern said, "This is my first time grandfather, total regeneration, I'm a little nervous." The Doctor still holding her said, "I'll be right here with you child, the suit will protect me, I won't let go." The lord president stepped forward and said, "Lady Susan, every Time Lord here stands together with you, we won't let anything go wrong."
Susan nodded to the lord president and she shuts her eyes asking, "Grandfather would you help me up, I want to do this standing?" The Doctor didn't say a word. He helped his granddaughter to her feet and positioned her gently in front of him.
The Doctor pushed the button on the center of her thermal suit, the entire armor retracted back into the hexagon on the chest harness. The cooling suit was saturated with blood. Rani and Clyde both approached her, each taking off her gloves, while the Doctor was holding her. Rani gently pulled the hood back seeing Susan as she is for the last time.
Susan was now gasping for air, she was feeling more pain each second. Opening her eyes she said, "I'm scared grandfather, going to miss being me." The Doctor holding his granddaughter said, "I know you are Susan, were all here with you. Good luck child." Then a little girl holding her father's hand approached Lord Wildcard, it was Mandy. Seeing the child he picks her up and holds her. As she was crying Mandy yelled, "I don't want Susan to go away!" Susan hearing the little girl, turned her head as she started to glow a golden light. She said, "Mandy, I have to fix myself now. I got hurt, this is how my people get better. I'm not going away sweetheart. It will still be me, but with a different face, so don't be afraid. I haven't forgotten what you told me about Mr. Wilds having something special for both you and your brother, I want to see it too."
Mandy still crying in the arms of Lord Wildcard just nodded her head. The Doctor yelled, "Everyone back up!" Rani wiping the tears from her eyes said, "Dad, we need we need to move back, there is going to be a lot of energy released." The Doctor still holding his granddaughter said to her, "I'll pull this out the minute you're in full regeneration. It's going to hurt more than usual." Susan looking at her grandfather shuts her eyes and nodded, the glow on her face was becoming brighter and projecting outwards in strands. She placed her hands around her grandfather, holding him at his shoulders. Her last words to the Doctor was, "I love you grandfather." The Doctor holding the first version of his granddaughter for the last time yelled, "Mask!" The Doctors face was completely covered. He said, "I love you too Susan, I will always love you." A second later there was a bust of energy, a fountain of golden streaming light coming from Susan's head and hands. Then her arms extended out wards. The Doctor seeing his granddaughter in full regeneration, grabbed the piece of the staff weapon, pulling it quickly out of her chest. A split second later, a burst of energy came shooting out of the hole in Susan's chest, hitting the Doctor in the face.
The momentum from the energy hit the Doctor with full force, except he didn't move. The suit absorbed the inertia from the impact. The Doctor wasn't going to allow anything to stop him from holding his granddaughter, he was going to keep his promise and not let go.
Susan screamed as her head tilted up wards, due to the pain. The fountain of energy was in full cascade, the light blinding to all who witness. As the Doctor looked threw his face plate, he could see Susan changing. Her hair went from short black to long golden brown, with locks on the ends. Her eyes were changing as well, from brown to green, her height and build remain the same. Than as quickly as it started, the regeneration was over. The Doctor yelled, "Helmet!" The face plate and helmet disappeared and the Doctor lifted his granddaughter up and started to carry her across the street to Sarah's house. The procession of onlookers followed behind him, everyone was silent. The Doctor passed by more and more people, Time Lords and humans standing together, seeing the new Susan for the first time. The Time Lords began applauding along with the human soldiers and neighbors alike. Everyone cheered them on, as the Doctor made his way to Sarah's house in tears.
The tears he had were that of pride. The Doctor was so proud of his granddaughter, that he couldn't make it to the door. He fell to one knee and held her close to his cheek. The Doctor said to Susan in front of everyone, "You don't remember this, but when you were born, I would spend every moment I had, holding you just like this. Your mother and father were so proud the day you were born. I was so happy to see you that first day. I wanted to catch a star and place it into a necklace for you. Remember when we would play all day and night, and your mother would get angry at me because it was past your bed time. Do you remember when you deleted the bath room in the Tardis when I was in that bathtub?" Hearing his voice Susan awoke and looked at her grandfather for the first time with her new eyes. She said, "I remember, I remember all of it grandfather. Please don't cry." The Doctor pulled his granddaughter closer to him and started to cry even more.
Susan put her arms around him and started to rub his back saying, "I'm here grandfather. I remember, I remember it all, I love you grandfather, I haven't forgotten." The crowed hearing Susan's new voice applauded even more.
Rani turned around and hugged her father so tight, that the emotion was returned instantly. Carla grabbed her son and held him tight as well, Clyde hugging his mother in return said, "I love you to mom. I love you to." Carla now started to really take notice of her son's appearance. Looking at him, she starts to rub his head and smile, and she grabbed her son again and continued hugging him. As the applause continued Jane approached the lord president and bowed to him. She gives him his staff and turns around walking towards her father. Seeing Mandy in his arms, Mrs. Reynolds came up quickly and said, "Come here Mandy, Mr. Wilds wants to hug his daughter he hasn't seen her for a long time."
Before Mandy let go, she kissed Lord Wildcard on the cheek. Lord Wildcard asked, "What was that for Mandy?" Seeing Jane standing in front of them she said, "That's for good luck Mr. Wilds, mommy does that to daddy all the time." Lord Wildcard smiled and glanced at Mrs. Reynolds for a second and could see her blushing. Smiling from Mandy's gift and rubbing her head gently, he passes Mandy into her mother's arms. Lord Wildcard turns around to see his daughter.
He holds out his arms and Jane full of excitement, jumps into her father's arms. The hug seen by the Reynolds family was powerful, Lord Wildcard told his daughter how much he loves her and how much he missed her.
The Doctor stood up along with his granddaughter holding her hand, there was more clapping of hands; Bannerman Road sounded like a theater. The Doctor and Susan turned and stood together waving at everyone. From behind Jenny exited Sarah's house and approached them. She taps Susan on the shoulder and they hug. When she let go of Susan, Jenny gives back her husband's stunner. Rani now ran up to Susan along with Clyde, all five were hugging one another happy that this moment was over.
The lord president took his staff and struck the surface of Bannerman Road, creating thunder. Everyone turned around to look at the lord president. Lord Wildcard let go of his daughter and said, "Jane, please stay here with Mrs. Reynolds." Jane nodded her head and turned to see Mandy waving at her in the arms of her mother. The daughter of Lord Wildcard smiled and finally introduced herself. Mandy seeing the pretty lady, had to have the first word before her mother.
Mandy at the age of five, with the gift of the gab, continued to tell a story. How Mr. Wilds, swooped down from the sky and saved her and her baby brother, with hand movements and sound effects. Jane and Mrs. Reynolds could only smile and laugh as they listened to her tell a story.
Lord Wildcard began to approach the lord president. He had his staff in hand and was stopped by the president personal security. The Doctor looking at his boyhood friend, walked up to him and said, "You know the law, put that staff away." The Wildcard turned and called Rani over to him. When she arrived at his side Lord Wildcard asked, "Rani, would you go put this back above the fireplace for me, and came back quickly, this concerns you and Clyde." Rani quickly nodded her head and took the staff from him and said, "I'll be right back my lord."
Lord Wildcard now had an angry face. He grabs Rani by the arm and escorts her to her father's side. Haresh thought his daughter was in trouble and immediately closed the distance between them. The Wildcard didn't say a word to her father, turning his head he whistled at Clyde and his mother, calling them over as well.
When they arrived both the kids were standing in front of Lord Wildcard with their parents standing behind them. Lord Wildcard, still looking angry said, "You too are now students of time. You have a lot of responsibility ahead of you and your education as well. The Doctor, Susan, Sarah and I, are going to be your teachers here on Earth. Now the next time either one of you call me lord outside of the great hall, you'll both be writing a five thousand page thesis in ancient Gallifreyen! The title, when to use proper Sur names! Here you will call me Mr. Wilds or Wildcard, got it! I'm a simple person kids. I grew up in the mountains on Gallifrey, my folk never believed in all that lord nonsense, especially among friends and family, understood!"
Rani was looking surprised. She really felt she was minding her manners. All the two kids could do was nod their heads up and down and say, "Yes Mr. Wilds." Lord Wildcard smiled and said, "Now please Rani, go and hurry back." Rani nodded her head and said, "Yes Mr. Wilds." Then she left. Haresh and Carla were laughing a little and Haresh asked, "What is your first name Mr. Wilds?" Lord Wildcard smiled and said, "Mister."
Wildcard turned around and headed towards the lord president and the Doctor. Clyde turned to Haresh, he could see he felt a little insulted. Clyde started to smile at Mr. Chandra and started to tell him he was being funny. Then Clyde continued to tell him why that's his name.
