"Wait a second, speaking of the mind machine, where is it?" The Doctor said, twisting around to be face to face with Callum. Callum shrugged,
"I don't know. Warrick's the only one who knows how to use it anyway."
"No, he isn't. The man who created it knows how to use it. Probably better than he's let on. OH! Speaking of second chances, I know someone who's about to use his." The Doctor held grabbed Sela's hand as he rushed out of the room with Kel racing to stay ahead of him and Mason following close behind holding tightly to Tyce's collar.
It didn't take as long as the Doctor had expected to reach the meeting chamber where Warrick kept his guard and without any hesitation, the Doctor pushed through the door.
"Hello, Granddad. Fancy a family reunion? You two have so much to get caught up on." He growled, standing face to face with the man who was so much more the monster he resembled now.
"Doctor? I didn't expect you to deliver the key to me. Thank you. For that you may leave without any interference." Warrick's voice box promised smoothly. The fact that he never even moved his mouth made it all the more eerie but even though Sela knew she ought to be frightened she wasn't.
"I will not ever let you or anyone else harm this girl. Do you understand that? You're clever enough and certainly must have some of the wisdom that comes with age by now to comprehend . You. Will. Not. Ever. Hurt. Sela." The Doctor stared into the other man's unblinking eyes, the warning clear. Warrick twitched slightly.
"TAKE HER!" He ordered loudly to his remaining henchmen, but they didn't move.
"YOU WILL DIE IF YOU DON'T HELP ME!" The metallic voice screamed, shaking them into action.
"You will die no matter what you do. You do not want this to be the last choice you make!" The Doctor shouted in return, stopping them.
He turned back to Warrick, "You're time is up. There is no shield and there is no key for you. I don't believe if they knew the truth they'd follow you. Do you Dr. Kallor?" He asked, spinning on his heels and focusing his stare directly on Cerro.
Cerro stumbled backwards, "I- I … No. Or, I don't know. What truth?
"The fact that all this time the only threat that he's got against you all is the threat of aging. The fact that the shield did the same thing to you as to your trees out there. It made your bodies unnaturally durable. Gave you the longevity to consider yourselves invincible. Kel, do me a favor, yeah? He's quick on his feet." The Doctor looked straight at Cerro and gave him an almost imperceptable nod before turning away as Kel snatched him by the collar in the same way that Mason held onto Tyce and led him away.
"Sela Thirn." The Doctor said softly, looking at the girl. " Look at you, sixty-three years old and not a day over 18. Don't be scared, they're not going to hurt you. All of you, he cannot hurt you! Warrick here wants to stop time and believe me, no one can do that." He finished as memories of explaining the curse of the Time Lords to Rose raged through him.
He turned from Sela with a grimace of pain and demanded of the few that had remained with Warrick. "But time is a gift." He paused, taking a deep breath, "Every second. And the very fact that it is not forever makes it all the more precious. You don't need Warrick or Gadric. They only use up your time hurting others for their own gain. Is that the kind of world you want to live in? If it remains this way what will it be for your children? Where is the machine?"
"But wait, Doctor, there something I can do for you after all. I want the key to my life and you... You want something just as badly, don't you?" Warrick said, sounding smug even through the computerized voice box. "I can send you back there. I can use this machine to send you to your Rose without any of the damage you believe has to keep you apart. I know where your heart lies. Come now, let's make a deal."
The echoes flooded through the Doctor, bringing all the agony as if every moment was happening all over again at the same time. He closed his eyes but it was if he was standing on Bad Wolf Bay all over again so he opened them and there she was, right in front of him. Everywhere. His memories played out all around him like holograms, blocking his senses so that it was all he could see and she was all he could hear.
"My Doctor. It wasn't your fault and you know what? I wouldn't have missed it for the world." The words were whispered close to his ear, outside of the noise of the projected memories and his vision cleared. He saw that Sela now stood between him and Warrick.
"You can take his offer, Doctor. You deserve that; a life with her. I thought I could change my purpose but really, this is what I am isn't it?" There were tears in her eyes but she held them back and loosened her hold on the Doctor's hand.
"No. That is not who you are, Sela Thirn. I could never sacrifice you and anyone else this monster might hurt for myself and Rose would never want me to." He answered quietly, pulling her back.
"Neither can I!" came a shout from behind Warrick's chamber as sparks flew and the electrical humming the chamber created stopped. Cerro stepped out from behind it, holding the power cable he'd cut.
"He put the machine in there with him. It would never shut down until he did. I am so, so sorry." He said in a rush of fear and determination.
The Doctor nodded sharply as the voices and images and physical pain faded until they stopped completely. He felt strange. He was relieved definitely but also something else... He felt hollow.
"Doctor...I...I could...she's mine..." The real Warrick's voice rasped.
"Time's up." The Doctor grimly told him, turning away from the monster and leaving the cave in silence with Sela behind him
Once they were outside people seemed to pour out of their hiding places now that they could see the danger was gone.
"What was that? What's going on? Who are you?" Questions were flying everywhere, most of them seeming to be directed at the Doctor but some people, people Sela had never met, were asking her for answers as if she were someone who should know.
"I um-" She stuttered, looking to the Doctor for help. "You are a newswoman, aren't you?" He encouraged.
She cleared her through and turned back to the crowd, "Just wait for the news. There's going to be a new information program. Instead of a blip we will get all the of the information from now on." She announced in a shaky voice.
Even though there was plenty of grumbling they were all still so used to following what they were told that they accepted the announcement.
"That's not likely to happen much longer. Brand new world for you now, Miss Thirn, one you and all the rest of your people learn to really live." The Doctor told her, looking up at the sky where the tear had been.
"I'm- i'm going to miss you." She said as tears sprang to her eyes. She knew he was going to leave and she had grown so used to seeing him, even if she'd always believed him a dream.
"I think you're going to be just fine." He smiled, hugging her tightly just as her sister's family rushed over to them. Perryn grabbed her right out of the Doctor's arms as Callum apologized over and over for letting her be in any danger.
The Doctor quietly made his exit, spotting Cerro standing at a distance watching her. "Dr. Kallor." He sighed, "You could be brilliant, you know. You really could. You've got plenty of smarts, you just need sense."
Cerro nodded, gulping, "What's- what's going to happen to me?" He asked in a shaking voice. The Doctor shook his head,
"I really don't know but it seems to me that you were only one of the people used as pawns in the bigger game so I doubt they'll judge too harshly. Here's something I do know though; You have to tell her. No matter what happens trust me, you will always regret not telling her if you don't."
Cerro nodded in understanding, squaring his shoulders and marching over to wait for his turn to approach Sela. The Doctor smiled sadly and continued walking until he reached the TARDIS.
"Well old girl, just you and me again." He sighed, throwing his coat over one of the coral struts and slumping into the jump seat. He closed his eyes, "I'm here." Rose's echo reverberated through his memory and he smiled. She was out there, alive and living and still in some ways she was never going to leave him.
The TARDIS' console gave an alert and he opened his eyes to see all of his screens showing a readout of activity on the Earth's moon.
"All right." He said, getting up and setting the coordinates, "Allons-y."
Hi everyone! That's the end and I am so sorry it's taken me so long to finish this story. It kind of got away from me but I really appreciate everyone who has followed it and everyone who has taken the time to read it. I hope you all like it and please leave me any comments you have. Thankyou!