They took a few minutes to examine the rubble before getting back onto the ship. The Doctor began scanning, and it didn't take him long to find what he was looking for. He was quiet, too quiet, by the Archivist's summation.

"Doctor, what's our next step?"

"I find the Master and I see what abomination he's become."

"And me?"

"You?" He looked up. "You're not going anywhere. You stay here, on the TARDISes. You stay safe and far away from danger. I won't lose you."

Her eyes went wide. "Excuse me? You want me to hide?"

"Yes! Yes Telana, that's exactly what I want you to do! Because if he finds out you're alive, he'll—he'll do anything he can to hurt me—and if he knows you're alive, there's no telling what he'll do."

"I will not hide away and have you face him alone, Theta! Never again! We do this together, remember!"

"And if he kills you? Then there's no together, is there? There'll be no us! There'll be me, alone, again!"

"If you're going to try and make me hide away, then there's no us, anyway, Doctor. Because I'll not hide away every time we face danger. I am a Time Lady of Gallifrey, Doctor, and I will not be hidden in a closet simply because you've been around humans so much that you've picked up on their patriarchal tendencies. You said it yourself, sir, I am at least your equal, if not your superior, in many ways."

It seemed the Doctor had been properly shamed. He leaned against the console, arms spread wide and head hanging between his shoulders. "I just—I just don't want to lose you, Telana."

The Archivist sighed and came to his side, cupping his cheek with her palm and turning his face towards her own. "And I don't want to lose you either, Doctor. Now, I know you found him. Land the TARDIS a safe distance away. We'll split up and we'll find him."

She used their touch to open a wider telepathic bond with him. And, we'll communicate this way so that we don't alert him to our presence. She added silently.

A little later, the Doctor stood on a small cliff and sniffed deeply. They'd split up, even though he hated the idea. He either wanted her far away in safety, or by his side. Not wandering around this wasteland.

Suddenly he heard a beating. A rhythm of four beats and a rest. As soon as he heard it, he started running through piles of girders on the dockside.

I heard it. Where is he? Her voice rang out in his head.

Just stay back. I'll find him.

Doctor! She shouted telepathically.

He stayed silent. She'd be mad. He knew it. But he wasn't leading her to him, or visa versa. Suddenly, as he came around a corner he saw him. Standing on a pile of debris. They stared at each other only a moment before the Master leapt into the air and out of sight. The Doctor gave chase, running the direction he'd jumped. Moment's later, he found him again, waiting on a pile of girders. A bizarre flash and the Doctor saw his skeleton.

"Please, let me help. You're burning up your own life force."

The Master ran away again, and the Doctor gave chase. But this time, when he came around the corner, it wasn't the Master before him but—

Wilf. And with him, a crew of other elderly people.

At that moment, the Archivist walked slowly between piles of stone and rubble. She saw him before she heard him in her mind.

"I didn't think anything could surprise me anymore. Coming back to life does that to you. But you—you are a surprise."

He turned towards her, and the grin on his face made her blood run cold.

She glanced around, wondering where the Doctor was. But since he'd stopped communicating with her, she felt the need to stay quiet and do this on her own.

He saw her glances, and frowned. "Oh, no. No, no. Please tell me it's not true. You're looking for him, aren't you? Hundreds of years later and you're still chasing after him? Still pining away for him?"

She clenched her jaw tight a moment. And in that moment, she made a decision. She chose to believe. Not in the Master. But in the Doctor—her Doctor.

Doctor. He's here.

Where are you? What is he saying? Telana—no matter what he says, remember—I love you.

I know. I know, Doctor.

Don't do anything foolish, Arch. I'm coming.

"Well? What is it, Archivist?" He stepped closer. "What promises has he made to you?" And even closer. "Whatever he offers you, I can offer you more."

She finally chose to speak, and she thanked whatever gods existed for the strength in her voice at that moment. "What he offers, you could never give me."

Finally, he steps up right beside her and whispers in her ear. "Whatever he offers you—it's not real. You know that. He never cared about you. And he doesn't now. He'll leave you out to dry just like all his other playthings. One day you'll be just another of his memories—just like before. It's not too late, Archie—you can come with me. We can have everything. Aren't you hungry?"

Her whole body trembled, but she tried to remain resolute. She held her head high, swallowed hard, and spoke. "No more, Master. I will not listen to your voice in my head. I defy you and I banish you from my mind. Leave. Me. Alone."

His jaw clenched as he turned to look at her in disgust. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you!"

And with that he jumped away, leaving her a trembling, heaving mess.

A few moments later, the Doctor came running to the top of a pile of stone and spotted her. "Arch!" he called out as he slid down the side towards her, finally coming to a rest at her knees. She was on the ground, on her knees, weeping.

"Arch, oh Arch—what has he done to you? What did he say?" He cupped her cheeks with his palms and her eyes closed at the touch.

"Theta—" she sobbed before wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him tightly. "Please, just please—swear to me—promise me you aren't going to leave me. Promise me you're going to stay. Promise me you really care."

"Telana," he whispered before pulling her into a kiss. As he kissed her, he projected every loving thought, every image, every reminder he could of their time together since he came upon her as Christine.

"Doctor? Doctor!" A voice called out from the other side of the stone pile.

The Doctor pulled away from her and sighed. "We've got company. An old friend. He's found me. I can't figure out how, but he's found me."

"Who?" she said as she wiped at her cheeks, recovering as best she could from the inner turmoil.

"Wilfred Mott."

"Wilf?" She knew him from his memories. "Donna's grandfather?"

"One in the same."

"Doctor, there you are! You found your friend!"

"Yes, yes, Wilf. I found her. Wilfred Mott, may I introduce you to The Archivist."

Wilf took her hand and bowed to kiss her knuckles, which made the Archvist grin. "My lady, it is an honor to meet you."

"So the Doctor has had enough time to tell you a bit of my history."

"You're from the same place as his Lordship."

"That, I am. It's a pleasure to meet you, Wilf."

"Wilf insists on taking us to lunch," the Doctor explained.

The Archivist looked in the direction the Master had gone, then back to the Doctor in question.

The Doctor nodded. "I know—but—Wilf says it's important and, after that vision the Ood gave us—I think we should listen."

Archie nodded in approval and he took her hand, following along with Wilf.

It was an interesting bus trip later when finally the Doctor, the Archivist, and Wilf were dropped off in town.

"Wilf, what's so special about this place? We passed fifteen cafes on the way."

The old man didn't answer, but led the way in. A few minutes later they were settled in at a table.

"Oh, we had some good times, didn't we though? I mean, all those ATMOS things, and planets in the sky, and me with that paint gun." The old man chuckled, and then just as quickly, grew serious. "I keep seeing things, Doctor. This face at night."

That got the attention of both Time Lords.

"Who are you?" the Doctor asked as he examined Wilf closely.

Wilf gave him a strange look. "I"m Wilfred Mott."

"No. People have waited hundreds of years to find me. One of them sits at this table with us," he said, nodding towards the Archivist. "And then you manage it in a few hours."

"Well, I'm just lucky I suppose."

"No, we keep on meeting, Wilf. Over and over again like something's still connecting us."

"What's so important about me?" Wilf asked.

"Exactly. Why you?" the Doctor asked.

The Archivist elbowed the Doctor. Sometimes he could be so rude. Thankfully, Wilf hadn't noticed his comment or her action—he was distracted by something outside.

"What?" the Doctor asks, then follows his line of sight. Outside Donna is on the street getting out of her car.

"I'm sorry, but I had to. Look, can't you make her better?"

"Stop it." The Doctor said sternly. But Archie could hear the heartbreak in his voice.

"No, but you're so clever. Can't you bring her memory back? Look, just go to her now. Go on, just run across the street. Go up and say hello."

"If she ever remembers me, her mind will burn, and she will die." The Doctor had rehearsed in in his mind over and over again. He'd repeated it to himself over and over again.

The Archivist was less than convinced. But she felt it would do no good to either man to bring it up at this moment.

"Don't you touch this car!" Donna yells out at the traffic warden.

The Doctor chuckled. "She's not changed."

"Nah," Wilf laughed out in agreement. "Oh, there he is." A dark-skinned man approached the car. "Shaun Temple. They're engaged. Getting married in the spring."

"Another wedding," the Doctor said wistfully.

"Yeah."

"What did you say his name was?" the Archivist finally spoke up.

"Shaun Temple—why?"

"Hold on, she's not going to be called Noble-Temple? That sounds like a tourist spot." The Doctor scoffed.

"No, it's Temple-Noble."

"Temple-Noble," the Archvist mumbled.

"What is it?" the Doctor asked.

She shook her head. "Just something the Ood said to me. It's nothing, I'm sure."

He nodded, and turned back to Wilf. "Is she happy? Is he nice?"

"Yeah, he's sweet enough. He's a bit of a dreamer. Mind you, he's on minimum wage, she's earning tuppence, so all they can afford is a tiny little flat. And then sometimes, I see this look on he face, like she's so sad, but she can't remember why."

The Doctor looked at the couple as they loaded the car. "She's got him."

"She's making do," Wilf added.

"Aren't we all."

"Yeah, how about you? Look at you, you've seemed to have found a replacement just fine."

The Archivist was shocked and ashamed at the same time. The Doctor came to her defense. "Wilf, no. It's not like that. There's no replacing Donna Noble, I assure you. She was my best friend. I traveled alone for quite some time. I thought it was better. But I did some things. It went wrong. I—," the Doctor started to cry.

"Oh, my word. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have spoken so harshly."

"Wilf, the Doctor and I have known each other since we were children. We lost touch for quite some time. Then, by chance, he found me again in quite remarkable circumstances that neither of us was expecting. I didn't even know who I was then. It's a long story, but it took some time before I regained my memory and we realized how we'd known each other."

"The Archivist and I are to be married as well, Wilf. It was going to be happening on this day, for us, before we were called to this place and time."

"She should be there. To see that," Wilf said as they watched Donna and Shaun drive away. "She'd love to know you're happy, Doctor."

The Doctor cleared his throat and slid out of the booth. "I'm, uh, I'm just going to excuse myself a moment. Get some fresh air."

Wilf watched him walk away.

"He missed her a great deal, Wilf," the Archivist spoke up.

"Does that make things—awkward—between you?"

"Nothing of the sort. Donna and the Doctor had a very special friendship, but that's what it was, Wilf—friendship. He wants Donna to find happiness, and right now, he just can't see how that can be with him."

"What about you, ma'am. You're a Time Lord, just like him. Can you see a way around what's happened?"

The Archivist thought a moment, she wanted to be careful of her words. She didn't want to give false hope. But deep in her soul she believed there must be a way to save Donna Noble without having to keep her memories hidden. Then, there was what the Ood said—what she now believed had to do with Donna Noble—the future Temple. "I believe, Wilf, that there maybe some bit of technology, one day, that we find that can help Donna. But I don't know when, where, or how that will happen. So I can't make promises, and I can't say for sure it will happen. But it's a great big universe out there, with all sorts of dimensions and realities and—well, let's just say, my mind is open to the possibility."

"Well, ma'am, I'll take that. Thank you, very much."