The Best of Times

by The Time Lord Oracle

The Doctor and Gazelle have survived The Year That Never Was and are now engaged. They reunite with Donna Noble, who joins them on their travels, and the trio look set to enjoy the best of the times, but behind the scenes, dark forces lurk in the shadows. Prophecies are being foretold and our intrepid heroes are in for some interesting challenges

13. Journey's End

The Best of Times

Journey's End

Regeneration energy poured out of Gazelle, completely enveloping the Time Lady. Finally it died away to reveal that she was now a statuesque woman in her mid twenties with wavy light brown hair with blonde highlights and dark brown eyes. "Right then." she spoke up in a Birmingham accent "Where were we?"

Sarah Jane braced herself for death as the Daleks aimed their weapons at her "Exterminate! Exterminate!" they bellowed

Suddenly, there were two flashes of light either side of the car and Jackie Tyler and Mickey Smith appeared, both carrying huge guns. They fired on the Daleks and destroyed them with ease. "Mickey!" Sarah Jane gasped, getting out of her car and hugging the man

"Us Smiths gotta stick together." he grinned

"Jackie Tyler, Rose's mum." Jackie cut in bluntly "Now where the hell is my daughter?!"

Ianto and Gwen continued to fire on the Dalek, Gwen screaming blue murder. Suddenly, the both noticed something and ceased fire. The Dalek hadn't moved and the bullets they'd fired were frozen in mid air, like they'd been stopped by an invisible wall. Gwen slowly reached out to touch it, her finger making a ripple in the air "What the hell?" she frowned

In the TARDIS, the newly-regenerated Gazelle was crouched over the jar containing the Doctor's severed hand, venting excessive regeneration energy into it. "That's better." she said as she finished "Don't wanna be falling into a come with Daleks mucking about." she stood up and turned to the Doctor, who had come over to her "Now then, I don't wanna sound vain, but how do I look?" she asked him

"Beautiful." the Doctor told her "You're still the most beautiful woman in the universe." he promptly threw his arms around her and kissed her "Oh, I'm so sorry, dear." he sighed. He viewed regeneration as a form of death, and her previous incarnation had basically died, all because he'd failed to spot that Dalek.

"It's alright, my love." Gazelle told him, as they broke apart "I'm still here. It's gonna take more than a psychotic pepper pot to tear us apart."

Rose cautiously approached the Time Lords "You gonna be ok?" she asked Gazelle "No coma or anyfink?"

"Nah." Gazelle told her "I vented all the excess into the Doctor's hand. Remember? That Christmas, he lost it in a swordfight?"

"But you're still... you?" Rose asked hesitantly. She remembered how different the Doctor was after his regeneration. He'd gone from broody and serious with a playful side, to happy-go-lucky with a dark side.

"I'm still me." Gazelle reassured her "New body, new face, new voice, but I'm still the same woman I was at hearts. Remember the first thing I said to you, in that lift all those years ago? You asked if the Autons were students, and I said 'Why wou..."

"'Why would they be students?'" Rose interrupted, and hugged her old friend "Oh, Gazelle, I'm sorry. S'all my fault." she'd been so thrilled to see both Time Lords that she'd failed to spot that Dalek until it had fired at them. If she'd been more alert, she could have shot it before it had a chance to attack her friends.

"It's alright, Rose." Gazelle soothed "I'm a Brummie now. I like Brummies!" and the three old friends had a group hug, just like old times.

"You can 'ug me if ya want." Donna remarked to Jack, happy at watching the reunion. Jack just laughed "No, seriously." Donna told him "You owe me one from the weddin'." Jack complied

"Oi, you two, plenty of room for you here." Gazelle called to them, and they both joined the Time Lords and the other Human for a five-way group hug.

At Torchwood, Ianto and Gwen were checking their instruments to see what had stopped the Dalek "It's a time lock." Ianto noted "The ultimate defence programme. Tosh was working on it, never thought she finished it, but she did! The hub's sealed in a time bubble, nothing can get in."

"But that means we can't get out." Gwen realised

"Nope. Not without unlocking that Dalek." Ianto confirmed "We're trapped inside. It's all up to Jack now."

Unknown to her occupants, the TARDIS was surrounded by four Daleks "Report. TARDIS has been located." one announced

"Bring it here." a deeper Dalek voice ordered over the comm "Bring the Time Lords to me. Initiate temporal prison!"

The four Daleks backed up as a blue circle of energy appeared around the TARDIS. In the console room, the lights suddenly went out, as did the glow in the Time Rotor "Power's gone!" the Doctor realised "They've got us!"

"Looks like a chronon loop." Gazelle added, checking the monitor, which was still working. Then, the TARDIS jolted to one side, sending everyone to the floor.

Outside, Sarah Jane, Jackie and Mickey were hiding behind a van, watching as the TARDIS was pulled upwards by a tractor beam "Transferring TARDIS to the Crucible." a Dalek announced

"Those teleport thing, can we use them?" Sarah Jane asked Mickey "If they've taken the Doctor and Gazelle to the Dalek ship, then that's where we need to be."

"It's not just a teleport, it's a dimension jump." Mickey replied, pulling out a white circle with a yellow button in the centre "Man, this thing rips a hole in the fabric of space." Pete's World's Torchwood had done some refining on their dimension jumps in the years since Canary Wharf. They didn't cause as much damage as they used to do and sealed the holes after them, but they all preferred not to use them unless it was absolutely necessary.

"But can we use it?" Sarah Jane pressed

"Not yet." he replied "It burns up energy. Needs 'alf an 'our between jumps."

Sarah Jane decided there was only one thing for it "Then, put down your guns." she ordered gently

"Do what?" Mickey stared

"If you're carrying a gun, they'll shoot you dead." Sarah Jane told him, then she came out of their hiding place with her hands up "Daleks? I surrender."

"All Humans in this sector will be taken to the Crucible." a Dalek told her

"She's bloody mad!" Mickey shook his head. Although the Daleks were extinct in Pete's World, he'd heard all about them from Rose and knew how evil they were.

"Yeah, but Mickey, if they've got the Doctor an' Gazelle, then they've got Rose too." Jackie said, and threw down her gun "And us, we surrender." she said to the Daleks as she and Mickey came out with their hands up too.

Martha was getting ready to get to work "Now Jack's explained the base code, I know how this teleport works, I think." she said as she strapped her teleport backpack on "But you stay indoors." she told her mother "There's no Daleks on this street, you should be alright, just erm... keep quiet."

"But where are you going?" Francine asked her

"I'm a member of U.N.I.T, and they gave me the Osterhagen Key. I've got to do my job." Martha said, holding a hand out to keep Francine at a distance "I'm sorry."

"Martha, what's an Osterhagen Key?" Francine asked "Tell me, what does it do?"

"Love you." was all Martha said. She pulled the ripcords and disappeared.

She reappeared in a German forest, about 60 miles from Nuremberg. "Exterminieren! Exterminieren!" she heard a Dalek yell in the distance, no doubt to some unfortunate people

"Halt! Sonst werden wir sie exterminieren! Sie sind jetzt ein gefangener de Daleks!" another Dalek's voice said. Martha peered through the trees to see Daleks combing the forest. She turned and ran off in the opposite direction, avoiding them.

"There's a massive Dalek ship at the centre of the planet." Jack explained to the Time Lords "They're calling it the Crucible. Guess that's our destination."

"You both said these planets're like an engine." Donna reminded them "What for?"

The Doctor turned to Rose "You've been in a parallel world." he said to her "That world's runnin' ahead of this universe, you've seen the future. What is it?"

"It's the darkness." Rose replied grimly

"The stars were goin' out." Donna mumbled, a memory from the alternated universe the time beetle had created coming back to her

"One by one." Rose confirmed "We looked at the sky an' they were just dyin'. Basically, we've been, um, buildin' this travelling machine, this... dimension cannon, so I could come back an' warn ya both. Suddenly, it started to work, an' the dimensions started to collapse. Not just in our world, not just in yours, but the whole of reality. Even the Void was dead. Somefink is destroyin' everyfink."

The Doctor and Gazelle looked at each other grimly, the pieces of the puzzle fitting together. Dalek Caan must have cracked the walls of reality when it broke into the Time War. That was why Rose's dimension cannon had started working. And it seemed that whatever the Daleks were planning to do, it's effects were leaking through the cracks into all realites.

"In that parallel world..." Donna began thoughtfully "You said somefink about me." she told Rose

"The dimension cannon could measure timelines." Rose confirmed "An' it's wierd, Donna, but they all seem to converge on you."

"But why me?" Donna questioned "I mean... what've I ever done? I'm a temp from Chiswick."

"Not just any temp, but a supertemp." Gazelle encouraged her

The monitor bleeped. "The Dalek Crucible. All aboard." the Doctor swallowed, taking his wife's hand, as with a thud, the TARDIS settled

"The TARDIS is secured." a Dalek's voice came from outside

"Doctor, Gazelle!" the deeper Dalek voice called "You will both step forth or die!"

"We'll 'ave to go out." the Doctor said grimly "Cos' if we don't, they'll get in."

"You both told me nothing could get through those doors!" Rose cried in alarm

"You've got extrapolator shielding." Jack added

"These Daleks aren't like the ones on the Gamestation." Gazelle told them "Those were insane hybrids, these are pure Daleks at the height of their power, they can do anything."

"Right now, that wooden door... is just wood." the Doctor agreed.

Donna tuned out the conversation, hearing a heartbeat in her mind.

"What about your dimension jump?" Jack asked Rose

"It needs another 20 minutes." Rose told him "An' anyway, I'm not leavin'." With Daleks threatening the whole of creation, there was no way she was going to just turn tail and flee.

"What about your vortex manipulator?" Gazelle asked Jack "I'm guessing ya got it working again?"

"Yeah, but it went down with the power loss." Jack replied gloomily

"Right then, all of us together, yeah?" the Doctor sighed, then he noticed Donna in a world of her own "Donna?"

Donna snapped out of her daze "Yeah?"

"We're sorry, Donna." Gazelle said to her "But there's nothing we can do."

"No, I know." the ginger nodded

"Surrender, Time Lords, and meet your Dalek masters!" the deep Dalek voice demanded from outside

"Crucible on maximum alert." a normal Dalek's voice added

"Daleks." Rose laughed nervously

"Oh, God!" Jack laughed nervously too

The Doctor faced them all "It's been good, through, 'asn't it?" he said "All of us, all of it. Everyfink we did." he turned to Donna "You were brilliant." he turned to Jack "You were brilliant." then it was Rose's turn "You were brilliant." finally, he turned to Gazelle "An' you were magnificent." he kissed her

"And you were outstanding." Gazelle replied, kissing him back, then turned to the others "We've had the best of times. And there's no one we'd have rather spent them with than all of you."

The Doctor took a deep breath "Blimey." he exhaled, taking his wife's hand, then the Time Lords stepped out of the TARDIS and onto the Dalek Crucible, Rose and Jack following. Donna began to follow, but stopped when she heard that heartbeat again.

The Doctor, Gazelle, Rose and Jack watched Daleks swarming about in the air, all chanting "Daleks reign supreme! Daleks reign supreme!"

"Behold, Time Lords." the deeper voice said, and the quartet turned to see that it belonged to a larger, red-painted Dalek. This was the Supreme Dalek "Behold the might of the true Dalek race."

Then, Gazelle noticed Donna was still inside the TARDIS, apparently looking for something. "Donna, c'mon, it's not much better in there." the Time Lady called to her

Donna began to make for the doors, but they suddenly slammed shut in front of her "Doctor? Gazelle?" Donna called, banging on them "What've ya done?"

"It wasn't us." Gazelle answered, racing over to the TARDIS and trying the doors to find that they were wedged solid "I dunno what just happened." she tried her sonic screwdriver on them, but to no avail.

"Oi, oi, I'm not stayin' behind!" Donna grumbled

"What did ya do?!" the Doctor glared at the Supreme Dalek

"This is NOT of Dalek origin." it retorted

"Doctor! Gazelle!" Donna called, frantically banging on the doors

"Pack it in!" Gazelle demanded to the Supreme Dalek "She's our friend! Let her out!"

"This is Time Lord treachery." the Supreme Dalek said

"Us?" the Doctor glared "The door just closed on it's own!"

"Nevertheless, the TARDIS is a weapon and it will be destroyed." the Supreme Dalek said, and the section of floor beneath the TARDIS promptly opened, causing the box to drop through it

"What're you doin?!" the Doctor cried "Bring 'em back!"

Inside the TARDIS, Donna could only hold on for dear life as the box seemed to be falling through a tunnel.

"What the hell are ya doing?!" Gazelle demanded of the Supreme Dalek "Where's the TARDIS going?"

"The Crucible has a heart of z-neutrino energy. The TARDIS will be deposited into the core."

The Time Lords were horrified "You can't!" the Doctor cried "You've taken the defences down, she'll be torn apart!"

The TARDIS landed in the white energy globe that made up the heart of the Crucible. The console room promptly burst into flames. Donna was knocked to the floor, and began to inch her way towards the console, hoping to try and pilot the box away.

"But Donna's still in there!" Rose glared at the Daleks. Just when she thought the pepper pots couldn't be anymore cruel, they go and do this.

"Let her go!" Jack growled

But the Supreme Dalek wasn't listening "The female and the TARDIS will perish together." it gloated "Observe." a holographic screen popped up, showing the TARDIS bobbing in the core. "The last children of Galifrey are powerless."

"Please, I'm beging you." Gazelle pleaded "We'll do anything. Put me in there. I don't care what ya do to me, but get Donna outta there!" But, of course, asking a Dalek for mercy was like talking to a wall, and the Supreme Dalek ignored the Time Lady's pleas.

Donna was on the floor of the TARDIS, nearly overcome by the smoke. Suddenly, she heard the heartbeat again, and then she noticed the jar containing the Doctor's hand starting to glow, like it did when Gazelle vented her regeneration energy into it. She reached out towards it with her hand, and the energy began to sweep up her arm. Then, the jar shattered, throwing her back.

The Time Lords could only watch the screen helplessly "You are connected to the TARDIS, Doctor." the Supreme Dalek gloated "Now feel it die."

Donna sat up and noticed that the hand was now lying on the floor, still glowing. The energy reached up, forming the shape of a man. Once fully formed, the energy subsided and he sat up to reveal himself as the Doctor. "It's you!" Donna gasped

"Oh yes!" the New Doctor grinned

Donna glanced down at his body, then quickly averted her gaze "You're naked!"

"Oh yes." he repeated, then got to his feet

"Total TARDIS destruction in ten rels." the Supreme Dalek announced "Nine, eight, seven, six.."

The New Doctor started typing in commands at the TARDIS console, ready to pilot them away to safety.

"Five, four, three, two, one." the Supreme Dalek finished it's countdown, and the TARDIS faded from view, apparently destroyed. "The TARDIS has been destroyed. Now tell me, Time Lords, what do you feel? Anger, sorrow, despair?"

"Yeah." the Doctor growled, glaring at the screen, while Gazelle buried her head in his shoulder.

"Then surely if emotions are so important, surely we have enhanced you both?"

"Yeah?" Jack scowled "Feel this!" he pulled out a revolver and fired at the Supreme Dalek, the shots just harmlessly bouncing off it's casing.

"Exterminate!" the Supreme Dalek retorted, and fired it's laser at Jack, killing him instantly.

"Jack!" Rose cried, kneeling down next to him "Oh my God! Oh no!"

"Rose, come 'ere, leave 'im." the Doctor said to her, knowing Jack would be alright in a few minutes

"They killed him!" Rose breathed. She didn't know of Jack's immortality. The Doctor and Gazelle had told her that Jack had survived the Gamestation and had stayed behind to help rebuild Earth.

"I know, I'm sorry." the Doctor said "There's nothing we can do

"Escort them to the vault." the Supreme Dalek ordered it's drones "They are the play things of Davros now."

A couple of Daleks escorted the Doctor, Gazelle and Rose away. The Doctor glanced behind him and saw Jack wink at him.

In the TARDIS, the New Doctor had dressed himself in a plum t-shirt and the Doctor's blue suit trousers and red converse and just was finishing up repairing the damage "All repaired, lovely!" he said "Shh! No one knows we're 'ere. Gotta keep quiet. Silent runnin', like on submarines where ya can't even drop a spanner. Don't drop a spanner." he grabbed the Doctor's blue suit jacket and slipped it on "I like blue, what d'ya fink?"

"You. Are. Bonkers." Donna stared at him

"Why? What's wrong wiv blue? Gazelle likes blue."

"Is that what Time Lords do? Lop a bit off, grow another one? Ya like worms!"

"No, no, no, no, I'm unique. Never been another like me. Gazelle put 'er regeneration energy into the hand. Look at that." he held up his right hand "I love that 'and! But then you touched it, WHAM!" Donna jumped "Shh! Instant biological metacrisis. I grew outta you." he looked taken aback at that "Still, could be worse."

"Oi, watch it, Spaceman!" Donna snapped

"Oi, watch it, Earthgirl." the Metacrisis Doctor snapped back, sounding exactly like her, something he immediately realised "Oh, I sound like you! I sound all sorta... rough."

"Oi!" Donna hissed

"Oi!" he hissed back

"Oi!"

"Spanners, shh!" the Metacrisis Doctor shushed her "I must've pick up a bit of your voice, that's all. Is it, did I? No! Oh, you are kiddin' me, no way! One 'eart." he placed his hand on his chest "This body 'as one heart!"

"What?" Donna checked for herself "What, like ya Human?"

"Oh, that's disgustin'!" the Metacrisis Doctor grumbled

"Oi!" Donna snapped

"Oi!" he snapped back

"Stop it!" Donna glared

"No, wait." the Metacrisis Doctor frowned "I'm... part Time Lord, part Human. Well, isn't that wizard?" he huffed sarcastically

"I kept 'earing that noise." Donna frowned "That heartbeat.

"Oh, that was me." the Metacrisis Doctor replied "My single heart. Cos' I'm a complicated event in time an' space. Must've rippled back. Convergin' on you." he walked over to the console

"But why me?" Donna questioned

"Cos' you're special."

"Oh, I keep tellin' you, I'm not."

"Yeah, you are, you're supertemp." the Metacrisis Doctor replied, then realised what he'd just said "Ooh, must 'ave a bit of Gazelle in me too. Anyway, you really don't believe that, do ya? I can see, Donna, what ya finkin'. All that attitude, all that lip. Cos' all this time... you fink ya not worth it."

"Stop it."

"Shoutin' at the world, cos' no one's listenin'. Well, why should they?"

"Doctor, stop it."

"But look what ya did!" the Metacrisis Doctor said proudly, then thought for a moment "No, it's more than that. It's like... we were always 'eading for this. You came to the TARDIS. An' you found me again. Your granddad. Your car! Donna, your car, you parked your car right where the TARDIS was gonna land, that's not coincidence at all! We've been blind. Somefink's been drawin' us together for such a long time."

Donna frowned "But you're talkin' like... destiny. There's no such thing, is there?"

"It's still finished." the Metacrisis Doctor pondered "It's like... the pattern's not complete, the strands're still drawing together. But headin' for what?"

In Germany, Martha emerged from the woods and reached an abandoned castle. An elderly caretaker came out to meet her "Hier ist niermand. Was immer sie wollen, gehen sie fort. Lassen sie mich in ruhe!" the caretaker said

"Ich heisse Martha Jones. Ich komme von U.N.I.T. Agentin fuenf sechs sechs sieben eins, von der medizinishen abteilung." Martha answered

"Es heiss sie kaemen vorbei." the caretaker said, then switched to English "That accent, that is London, ja? I vent to London. Long time ago."

"I thought this place was guarded." Martha frowned, noticing that there was no U.N.I.T personnel to be seen

"There were soldiers. Boys. I brought zem food, every day." the caretaker replied "But when der albtraum came from the sky... they vent home to die. But not you?"

"I've got a job to do." Martha said determinedly, and went inside the castle. She made her way through a dark room and pulled a curtain aside to reveal a hidden door. She typed in a code and put her hand on a palm scanner.

The caretaker entered the room "London, in those days. To see it! So much glamour. I vas so young." she mused "I head ze soldiers talking. Many times. Zey would speak of ze Osterhagen Key. I suppose London must be changed, yes? But sill ze glamour." Martha opened the door and heard a gun clicking. She turned around to see the caretaker aiming a pistol at her "You vill not go." the caretaker said

"I've got no choice." Martha defended

"I know ze key, vot it does." the caretaker said and switched back to German "Sie sind der albtruam, nicht die andred anderen, sie! Ich sollte sie umbrigen, am besten gleich jetzr!"

"Then do it!" Martha retorted

The caretaker trembled, unable to bring herself to pull the trigger, then lowered her gun "Martha... zur hoelle mit dir!" she snarled as Martha stepped into the lift behind the door

"I know." Martha said as the lift doors closed

On the Dalek Crucible, the Daleks had taken Jack's body to the waste disposal "Commence disposal. Incinerate!" a Dalek ordered as the tray Jack's body was in was moved into the incinerator "Disposal complete." the Dalek announced and trundled away. Once it was gone, the compartment opened and Jack climbed out of the incinerator, a little cooked but still alive.

In Germany, Martha entered a hidden control room in the castle. She sat down at a console and started pressing buttons "This is Osterhagen Station One." she said into a radio "My name is Martha Jones. Is there anyone there? Over."

Meanwhile, Sarah Jane, Mickey and Jackie had been taken with the other prisoners to the Dalek Crucible. "Prisoners now on board the Crucible." a Dalek announced "They will be taken for testing."

The prisoners were herded forwards by the Daleks. "One step closer to the Doctor and Gazelle." Sarah Jane whispered to the other two time travellers.

The Time Lords and Rose had been taken to the vault, where Davros was waiting. "Activate holding cells." he ordered, and three circles of lights activated above the trio's heads "Excellent." Davros said, wheeling closer to the Doctor "Even when powerless, Time Lords are best contained."

"Still scared of us, then?" the Doctor snarled. He reached out and touched the edge of the holding cell, which rippled with blue light.

"It is time we talked, Doctor." Davros said "After so long."

"No, no, no, no, we're not doin' the nostalgia tour!" the Doctor cut in angrily "I wanna know what's 'appening right 'ere, cos' the Supreme Dalek said 'vault', yeah. As in dungeon? Cellar? Prison? You're not in charge of the Daleks, are ya?" he smirked at that. History seemed to be repeating itself. "They've got you locked away down 'ere in the basement, like, what, a servant? Slave? Court jester?"

"We have... an arrangement." Davros squirmed awkwardly

"No, no no, no, I've got the word." the Doctor sneered "You're the Daleks' pet!"

"So full of fire, is he not?" Davros snorted, then turned to Gazelle "What about you? You got anything to say?" the Time Lady just gave him a v sign. Her best friend was dead. She was in no mood to talk to anyone. "Very Human." Davros smirked, then turned to Rose "And to think, you crossed entire universes, striding parallel to parallel to find them again."

Gazelle finally spoke up "Leave her alone." she growled, sounding pretty fierce with her new Brummie accent

"She is mine to do as I please." Davros retorted

"Then why am I still alive?" Rose asked defiantly

"You must be here. It was foretold." Davros replied "Even the Supreme Dalek would not dare to contradict the prophecies of Dalek Caan." he switched on a light to reveal Dalek Caan chained up in the corner

"So cold and dark." the mutant tittered "The fire is coming... the endless flames."

"What is that thing?" Rose asked

"You've met before." the Doctor told her "The last of the Cult of Skaro. But it flew into the Time War, unprotected."

"Caan did more than that." Davros said "He saw time, it's endless complexity and majesty, raging through his mind. And he saw you. All three of you."

"This I have foreseen in the wild and the wind." Dalek Caan said in a sing-song voice "The Doctor, Gazelle and their precious Children of Time. And one of them has died. Another will die soon."

"Change the record." Gazelle muttered. She'd regenerated because of the Daleks and Donna was dead, because of the Daleks.

"Was it you, Caan?" the Doctor said angrily "Did you kill Donna? Why did the TARDIS door close? Tell me!"

"Oh. that's it!" Davros said gleefully "The anger. The fire. The rage of a Time Lord who butchered millions. There he is! Why so shy? Show your wife and companion. Show them your true self. Dalek Caan has promised me that too."

"I have seen." Dalek Caan cackled "At the time of ending, the Doctor's soul will be revealed."

"What does that mean?" the Doctor questioned

"We will discover it together." Davros replied "Our final journey, because the ending approaches. The testing begins." he turned away from them

"Testing of what?" the Doctor asked, certain he wouldn't like the answer

Davros turned back around to face him "The reality bomb." he grinned wickedly

The prisoners were led into a large chamber somewhere else in the Crucible "Prisoners will stand in the designated area. Move! Move!" a Dalek ordered. A woman fell onto her knees "You will stand!" the Dalek demanded

"I can't!" the woman whimpered, as Jackie helped her up

"You will stand!" the Dalek repeated

Sarah Jane noticed a door nearby. Taking advantage of the Daleks' distraction, she ran to it and unlocked it with her sonic lipstick "Mickey! Mickey!" she hissed

"Jackie!" Mickey called, as he ran over to join Sarah Jane. Jackie couldn't follow as she was too busy helping the scared woman.

"Prisoners will stand in the designated area." a Dalek ordered

"We can't just leave 'er." Mickey said as he and Sarah Jane watched through the window in the door

"No, Mickey, wait." Sarah Jane urged him, stopping him from going back in as a Dalek glided in front of the door

"What does it mean?" the woman said to Jackie "What are they testing? What're they gonna do?"

Jackie looked up to see a huge circular green device on the ceiling above them "I reckon it's that thing there." she said

"Testing calibration of the reality bomb." the trio in the vault heard the Supreme Dalek's voice say over the comm "Firing in 10 rels. 9, 8, 7, 6..."

"Behold... the apotheosis of my genius." Davros said smugly, activating a holographic screen that showed the testing chamber

"2, 1. Activate the planetary alignment field." the Supreme Dalek ordered

The TARDIS shook suddenly and the Metacrisis Doctor checked the monitor "It's the planets." he realised "It's the 27 planets!" he could see a white glow surrounding the planets

"Recognise this, Gazelle?" Davros smirked as the green device in the testing chamber began to glow

Gazelle did indeed recognise it "No!" she cried "Davros, you can't do this! No!"

As he had some of Gazelle in him, the Metacrisis Doctor recognised what was happening too "Single stream z-neutrinos compressed into... no!" he breathed in horror

Sarah Jane watched the prisoners anxiously, while a frustrated Mickey paced behind her. Then, he heard a beep and checked his dimension jump "30 minutes. It's recharged." he realised. He raced to the window and showed the jump to Jackie, gesturing wildly

"I'm so sorry." Jackie sighed to the woman, and activated her jump, zapping herself to safety on the other side of the door. The three of them could only watch in horror as the prisoners dissolved into atoms, leaving just the sentry Dalek

"Test completed." it announced

"What was it?" Donna asked the Metacrisis Doctor "Doctor? What did it do?"

He didn't answer, he was speechless in horror.

The trio in the vault had seen what had happened too. "Gazelle, what 'appened?" Rose asked the Time Lady

"Electrical energy, Rose." Gazelle replied shakily "Every atom in existence is held together by an electrical field. That energy cancels it out, and the atom's structure falls apart. It's the same thing they used on me and my platoon at the end of the Time War."

"But on a much larger scale." Davros smirked "That test was focussed on the prisoners alone. Full transmission will dissolve every form of matter."

"The stars're goin' out." Rose swallowed, it all falling into place now

"The 27 planets." the Doctor breathed, appalled at what was happening "They become one vast transmitter, blastin' that wavelength..."

"Across the entire universe." Davros said smugly "Never stopping. Never faltering. Never fading. People and planets and stars will become dust, and the dust will become atoms, and the atoms will become nothing. And the wavelength will continue, breaking through the rift at the heart of the Medusa Cascade into every dimension, every parallel, every single corner of creation!" he began to shout manically "THIS IS MY ULTIMATE VICTORY, TIME LORDS! THE DESTRUCTION OF REALITY ITSELF!"

"Prepare for universal detonation." the Supreme Dalek ordered "The fleet will gather at the Crucible. All Daleks will return to shelter from the cataclysm. We will become the only lifeforms in existence!"

And all Daleks began to leave Earth. People ran to the street to watch them go. "Look, they're leaving!" Sylvia said in relief "Dad, they're going! The Daleks're going!"

But Wilfred didn't share his daughter's optimism. His military experience told him that there was something wrong. "Going where, though?" he frowned "And Donna's still out there. It's not over yet, sweetheart."

On the Crucible, Sarah Jane, Mickey and Jackie were staring numbly at the empty spot where the prisoners had been, when they all heard a banging from behind them. They turned to see a wall panel thrown open and Jack climb out. "Just my luck." he remarked "I climb through two miles of ventilation shafts, chasing life signs on this thing." he tapped his vortex manipulator "And who do I find? Mickey Mouse!"

"You can talk, Captain Cheesecake!" Mickey retorted, then he and Jack shared a manly hug

"Good to see ya." Jack laughed "And it's beefcake!"

"And that's enough hugging." Mickey countered, and they broke apart.

"We meet at last, Miss Smith." Jack saluted Sarah Jane

"There is something we can do." she said, getting down to business "You've got to understand. I have a son down there on Earth. He's only 14 years old. I've brought this." she reached into her pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a diamond pendant. Jack stared at it with open-mouthed awe "It was given to me by a Verron Soothsayer." Sarah Jane explained to him "He said 'It was for the end of days.'"

"Is that a warp star?" Jack breathed, and Sarah Jane nodded

"Gonna tell us what a warp star is?" Mickey asked them

"A warpfold conjugation trapped in a carbonised shell." Jack explained "It's an explosion, Mickey. An explosion waiting to happen."

In Germany, Martha had made contact with two other Osterhagen stations, one in Liberia, the other in China. "This is Osterhagen Station five." the Chinese U.N.I.T soldier said over the screen "Are you receiving, Station one?"

"I've got you." Martha answered "That makes three of us, and three is all we need."

"My name is Anna Zhou. What's yours?"

"Martha. What about you, Station Four? You never said." Martha asked the Liberian soldier

"I don't want my name on this." he replied "Given what we're about to do."

"So what happens now?" Anna asked "Do we do it?"

"No, not yet."

"But U.N.I.T instructions say once three Osterhagen stations are online, we..."

"Yeah, well, I've got a higher authority." Martha said "Way above U.N.I.T. And there's one more thing the Doctor and Gazelle would do.

In the TARDIS, the Metacrisis Doctor was busy assembling a device "So what is that thing?" Donna asked him

"It's our only 'ope. A z-neutrino biological inversion catalyser."

"Yeah, Earthgirl, remember."

"Davros said 'e built those Daleks outta 'imself." the Metacrisis Doctor explained as he worked "His genetic code runs through the entire race. If I can use this to lock the Crucible's transmission onto Davros 'imself..."

"It destroys the Daleks?" Donna guessed

"Biggest backfire in history." he confirmed

In the vault, a holographic screen came on, showing Martha in her Osterhagen station "This message is for the Dalek Crucible. Repeat: can you hear me?"

"Put us through!" the Doctor said to Davros

Davros seemed amused at Martha's transmission "It begins, as Dalek Caan foretold." he smirked

"The Children of Time will gather." Dalek Caan cackled "And one of them will die!"

"Shut up!" Gazelle snapped "Put us through!"

"Gazelle? Is that you?" Martha stared at the unfamiliar woman wearing Gazelle's clothes "What happened to you?"

"Run in with a Dalek." Gazelle replied

"And now she and the Doctor are powerless. My prisoners" Davros cut in "State your intent."

Martha held up the Osterhagen Key up "I've got the Osterhagen Key. Leave this planet and it's people alone, or I'll use it?"

"Osterhagen what? What's an Osterhagen Key?" the Doctor asked, certain he wouldn't like the answer

Martha swallowed hard then answered "There's a chain of 25 nuclear warheads placed in strategic points beneath the Earth's crust. If I use the key, they detonate and the Earth gets ripped apart."

"What?!" the Doctor spluttered in horror "Who invented that?! Well, someone called Osterhagen, I suppose."

"Martha, have you gone barmy?!" Gazelle said, also horrified at what her friend was threatening to do

"The Osterhagen Key is to be used if the suffering is so great, so without hope, that this is the only option."

"That's never an option!" the Doctor burst out

"Don't argue with me, Doctor. Cos' it's more than that." Martha told him firmly, then addressed the Daleks "Now, I reckon the Daleks need those 27 planets for something, but what if it becomes 26? What happens then, Daleks? Would you risk it?"

"She is good." Rose commented, impressed at Martha's determination

"Rose, she's talking about genocide!" Gazelle stared at her

"I know, but it's no worse than what the Daleks're gonna do." Rose countered "An' I don't see either of you comin' up wiv anyfink better."

"Who's that?" Martha questioned, spotting the blonde

"My name's Rose. Rose Tyler."

"Oh my God! They found you!" Martha smiled

"Actually, I found them." Rose replied proudly

Just then, another holographic screen popped up, showing Jack holding the warp star, which was connected to some wires, while Sarah Jane, Jackie and Mickey stood around him "Captain Jack Harkness calling all Dalek boys and girls." Jack grinned "Are you receiving me? Don't send in any of your goons or I'll set this thing off!"

"He's alive!" Rose gasped in relief, then spotted Jackie "Oh my God! That's... that's my mum!"

"And Mickey." Gazelle remarked. In different circumstances, she'd have been delighted to see both of them again, but the item in Jack's hand had her worried "Jack, what're you doing?"

"I've got a warp star wired into the mainframe." Jack replied "I break the shell, the entire Crucible goes up."

"You can't!" the Doctor exclaimed in horror, knowing that detonating the warp star would not only destroy the Crucible, but cause severe damage to the nearby planets too "Where did ya get a warp star?!"

"From me." Sarah Jane said, stepping forward "We had no choice. We saw what happened to the prisoners."

"Impossible." Davros scowled, moving closer to get a closer look at Sarah Jane "That face... after all these years."

"Davros." Sarah Jane nodded, remembering her encounter with the Dalek creator during her travels with the Doctor's fourth incarnation "It's been quite a while." she said with venom "Sarah Jane Smith, remember?"

"Oh, this is meant to be." Davros grinned broadly "The circle of time is closing. You were there, on Skaro, at the very beginning of my creation."

"And I've learned to fight since then." Sarah Jane retorted "Now let those people go, or this warp star... it gets opened!"

"I'll do it!" Jack added "Don't imagine I wouldn't!"

"Now that's what I call a ransom." Rose commented, but her smile dropped when she saw the Time Lords' reactions. The Doctor was looking down at the floor in guilt, while Gazelle was white as a sheet and standing frozen like a statue.

"And the prophecy unfolds." Davros taunted

"The Doctor's soul is revealed." Dalek Caan giggled "See him! See the heart of him!"

"The man who abhors violence. Never carrying a gun." Davros continued to rub it in "But this is the truth, Doctor. You take ordinary people and you fashion them into weapons. Behold your precious Children of Time, transformed into murderers. I made the Daleks, Doctor, you made this." he gestured to Rose and the companions on the screens

"They're tryin' to help." the Doctor said unconvincingly

"Leave them alone." Gazelle added, getting angry now "They are nothing like the filth you created. They're only doing what they're doing to stop you."

"Oh, the fire of a Time Lady." Davros snorted "Of course you would defend them, the Doctor's ever so obedient wife. Already I have seen them sacrifice today, for their beloved Time Lords. The Earth woman who fell opening the subwave network."

"Who was that?" the Doctor asked Rose

"Harriet Jones." she replied sadly "She gave 'er life to get ya both 'ere."

The Doctor hung his head at this news. Even after the terrible way he'd treated her the last time they'd met, Harriet had sacrificed herself for him. Ever since Canary Wharf and The Year That Never Was, he'd been meaning to find her and make amends. Now, he'd never get the chance.

"How many more?" Davros taunted "Just think. How many more have died in your names?"

Gazelle could think of quite a few. Her mind remembered Gwyneth, the Game Station controller, Lynda Moss, Captain Reynolds, Sir Robert MacLeish, Angela Price, John Jefferson, the Face of Boe, Kath McDonnell, Chantho, Luke Rattigan, Jenny and River Song. She looked over at the Doctor, who had his head hung in shame. She knew he was remembering them and the innumerable other people who he'd seen die in his many travels.

"The Doctor." Davros gloated "The man who keeps on running, never looking back because he dare not out of shame. This is my final victory, Doctor. I have shown you... yourself."

"Enough!" the Supreme Dalek cut in over the comm "Engage defence zero five."

"It's the Crucible or the Earth!" Martha said, lifting the Osterhagen Key menacingly

"Transmat engaged." a Dalek in the vault announced, and Martha, Jack, Sarah Jane, Mickey and Jackie were all promptly transported to the vault, minus their weapons.

"Martha!" Jack helped his friend up "I've got you, it's alright."

"Don't move!" the Doctor warned the Humans "Stay still."

"Guard them." Davros ordered his Daleks, then addressed the Humans "On your knees, all of you! Surrender!"

"Do as he says." Gazelle advised them. She knew Jack and Mickey were likely to try and make a fight of it. The last thing she wanted was for anyone else to die in her and the Doctor's names.

"Mum, I told ya not to." Rose hissed at Jackie, not happy that her mother had endangered herself like this

"Yeah, but I couldn't leave ya." Jackie defended

"The final prophecy is in place." Davros crowed in triumph "The Time Lords and their children, all gathered as witnesses. Supreme Dalek, the time has come. Now... DETONATE THE REALITY BOMB!"

"Activate the planetary alignment field." the Supreme Dalek ordered, and the planets began to glow again, while a hatch on the side of the Crucible opened to reveal a larger version of the device in the test chamber "Detonation in 200 rels."

"You can't do this, Davros!" Gazelle pleaded desperately

"Just listen to us! Just stop!" the Doctor tried, but it fell on deaf ears

"NOTHING CAN STOP THE DETONATION!" Davros laughed with insane delight "NOTHING AND NO ONE!"

Then, came the familiar sound of the TARDIS materialising "What?!" the Doctor blinked in disbelief

"But that's..." Gazelle breathed

"Impossible." Davros growled, as the blue box materialised in the vault.

The door opened to reveal the Metacrisis Doctor, the device he'd been making in his hands. "Brilliant!" Jack laughed

The Metacrisis Doctor sprinted towards Davros "Don't!" the Doctor warned his doppelganger, but it was too late. Davros fired a bolt of electricity at the Metacrisis Doctor, sending him flying backwards and causing him to drop his weapon.

"Activate holding cell." Davros ordered and one promptly activated around the Metacrisis Doctor

Donna rushed out of the TARDIS and grabbed the device "Doctor!" she called "I've got it! But I don't know what to do!"

Davros promptly zapped her with electricity, sending her flying backwards over a console "DONNA!" Gazelle shouted worriedly "Are you ok? Donna?!"

"Destroy the weapon." Davros ordered one of his Daleks, which fired it's laser at the device, incinerating it. Davros turned to the Time Lords "I was wrong about your warriors, Doctor, Gazelle. They are pathetic!"

"How come there's two of ya?" Rose asked the Doctors

"Human biological metacrisis." the Metacrisis Doctor replied

"Never mind that." the Doctor cut in "Now we've no way of stoppin' the reality bomb."

"Detonation in 20 rels." the Supreme Dalek announced over the comm

"Stand witness, Time Lords." Davros gloated "Stand witness, Humans." he activated a screen showing the glowing planets "Your strategies have failed, your weapons are useless, and, oh, the end of the universe has come."

"9, 8, 7, 6, 5..." the Supreme Dalek counted. As everyone was watching the screen, no one noticed Donna getting up from behind the console. "3, 2, 1." the Supreme Dalek finished it's countdown. Suddenly, the screen shut off and alarms began sounding.

Everyone looked around in confusion, then all eyes fell on a grinning Donna standing behind the console "Oh, closin' all z-neutrino relay loops usin' an internalised synchronous back-feed reversal loop?" she said, sounding just like the Doctor, then flicked a switch "That button there!"

"Donna, you can't even change a plug!" the Doctor said in bemusement

"D'ya wanna bet, time boy?" Donna grinned

"You'll suffer for this!" Davros snarled, raising his hand ready to strike Donna again.

The ginger simply flicked another switch and the electricity turned back into Davros instead "Ooh, bio-electric dampenin' field wiv retrograde field arc inversion." she smirked

"Exterminate her!" Davros ordered his Daleks

"Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!" the Daleks chanted, as they aimed their weapons at Donna, who calmly worked on the console, working more controls "Weapons non-functional!" a Dalek cried

"What?" Donna taunted them "Macrotransmission of a k-filter wavelegth blockin' Dalek weaponry in a self-replicatin' energy blindfold matrix?"

"How the hell did ya work that out?" Gazelle stared. She knew Donna had untapped intelligence, but this was something else. No Human should know how to do that.

"Time Lord." the Metacrisis Doctor realised "Part Time Lord."

"Part Human." Donna grinned "Oh yes, that was a two-way biological metacrisis. Part Doctor, part Gazelle, part Donna."

"The Doctor-Gazelle-Donna." the Doctor realised "They saw it coming. And your regeneration." he said to Gazelle

"Holding cells deactivated." Donna announced, messing with more controls "And seal the vault." the bulkheads came down, buying them some privacy "Well, don't just stand there, skinny boys in suits an' Gazelle. Get to work!" Gazelle and the two Doctors rushed over to join her at the console

"Stop them!" Davros demanded to his Daleks "Get them away from the controls!"

"Aaaand spin!" Donna smirked, spinning a dial, causing the Daleks to start spinning in circles

"Help me! Help me!" one cried

"Aaaand the other way." Donna said, turning the dial the other way and making the Daleks spin in the opposite direction

"What did ya do?" the Metacrisis Doctor asked her

"Trip switch circuit breaking in psychokinetic threshold manipulator!" Donna answered brightly

"Donna, that's brilliant!" Gazelle praised

"Why did we never fink of that?" the Doctor wandered

"Because you three, you were just Time Lords." Donna told them "Lackin' that little bit of Human. That gut instinct that comes hand in' and wiv planet Earth. I can fink of things you three couldn't dream of in a million years! Ah, the universe 'as been waitin' for me! Now... let's send that trip-stitch all over the ship! Did I ever tell ya? Best temp in Chiswick! 100 words a minute."

"Ha!" the Metacrisis Doctor chortled as he helped Donna relay the trip-stitch all over the Crucible, causing all Daleks except the Supreme to spin uncontrollably.

Jack rushed into the TARDIS, while Donna continued to mess with the controls "Come on then, boys, Gazelle. We've got 27 planets to send 'ome. Activate magnetron!"

"Stop this at once!" Davros demanded, moving forward to stop the quartet

Jack emerged from the TARDIS with his and Rose's guns "Mickey!" he called, tossing Rose's gun to Mickey

"You will desist!" Davros demanded as he rolled forward

"Just stay where ya are, mister." Mickey retorted, pointing the gun at him

"Outta the way!" Jack said to a spinning Dalek, kicking it out of the way

Rose and Sarah Jane rushed to dispose of another Dalek "Good to see you again." Sarah Jane said to the blonde

"Oh, you too!" Rose grinned, and they both pushed the spinning Dalek out of the way, while Martha and Jackie did the same to another one

"Ready?" Donna asked Gazelle and the two Doctors. "And reverse!" all four grabbed a lever each, sending the planets back to the their proper places

"Off ya go Clom!" the Doctor laughed

"Back 'ome Adipose 3." the Metacrisis Doctor piped in

"Shallacatop, Pyrovillia an' the lost moon of Poosh, sorted!" Donna fired off in quick succession

"Sontar-ha!" Gazelle whooped as she sent Sontar II back home "Gonna need more power." she took out her sonic and flashed it on the console's wiring.

"Is anyone gonna tell us what's goin' on?" Rose asked as he and the other Humans joined them

"She." Donna pointed to Gazelle "Vented her regeneration energy into his." she pointed to the Doctor "Spare 'and. I touched the hand." she pointed to the Metacrisis Doctor "He grew out of that but that fed back to me. But it just stayed dormant in my 'ead till the synapses got that little extra spark, kickin' 'em into life. Thank you Davros!" she smirked "Part Human, part Time Lord. An' I got the best parts of the Doctor an' Gazelle. I got their minds!"

"So there's four of you?" Sarah Jane questioned

"Four Time Lords?" Rose stared

"I can't tell ya what I'm thinking right now." Jack commented

"You're so unique, the time lines were convergin' on you." the Doctor said to Donna "Human being wiv a Time Lord brain."

"But you promised me, Dalek Caan!" Davros hissed furiously "Why did you not foresee this?!"

"I think he did." Gazelle remarked "We didn't keep running into Donna by accident. Someone's been manipulating the timelines for a while now."

"This would have always happened." Dalek Caan said "I only helped."

"You betrayed the Daleks!" Davros stared in rage

"I saw the Daleks. What we have done, throughout time and space, I saw the truth of us, Creator, and I decreed no more!"

Then Jack noticed the Supreme Dalek descending from a trap door in the ceiling "Heads up!" he warned, readying his gun

"Davros, you have betrayed us." the Supreme Dalek stated

"It was Dalek Caan!" Davros blustered, sounding like a kid at school who'd been caught fighting

"The vault will be purged. You will be exterminated!" the Supreme Dalek said and fired at the console the Time Lords were working on

"Like I said, feel this!" Jack snarled, firing at the Supreme Dalek, destroying it

"Oh, we've lost the magnetron." the Doctor groaned as he checked the damage

"Just one planet left." Gazelle said "No surprise which one."

"We can use the TARDIS." the Doctor said, grabbing his wife's hand and they rushed off inside the TARDIS to get everything ready

"Holding Earth stability." the Metacrisis Doctor said as he worked at the undamaged part of the console "Maintaining atmospheric shell."

"The prophecy must be complete." Dalek Caan said

"Don't listen to him!" Davros cried

"I have seen the end of everything Dalek, and you must make it happen, Doctor."

"He's right." the Metacrisis Doctor said "Cos' even wiv or without a reality bomb, this Dalek Empire's big enough to slaughter the cosmos. They've gotta be stopped."

"Just... just wait for the Doctor." Donna urged

"I am the Doctor!" the Metacrisis Doctor retorted, and starting working controls "Maximisin' Dalekanium power feeds. Blastin' 'em back!"

One by one, the Daleks began exploding, the Crucible shuddering from the impacts

"What've ya done?!" the Doctor demanded as he and Gazelle ran out of the TARDIS to see what was happening

"Fulfilling the prophecy." the Metacrisis Doctor answered

The Dalek saucers began exploding too, as did the one in the Torchwood hub "There goes the time lock." Gwen remarked

"D'ya know what you've done?!" the Doctor said furiously to his doppelgänger

"We were gonna seal 'em in a time lock, not commit genocide!" Gazelle glared

"Get in the TARDIS!" the Doctor said exasperatedly, as the exploding Daleks stated a chain reaction "Everyone! All of you! Run! In, in, in!" the Humans all began piling into the TARDIS. The Doctor paused in the door and held his hand out toward Davros "Davros!" he called "Come wiv us! We promise we can save you!"

But Davros wasn't interested in being saved "NEVER FORGET, DOCTOR, YOU DID THIS!" he roared over the flames "I NAME YOU, FOREVER... YOU ARE THE DESTROYER OF WORLDS!"

Suit yourself." Gazelle muttered, as she and the Doctor turned to go back inside the TARDIS

"One will still die." Dalek Caan called to them as they both went inside.

Once inside, the Time Lords went to the console and piloted the TARDIS away from the Crucible just before it exploded, apparently ending the Daleks once and for all.

"But what the Earth?" Sarah Jane asked "It's still stuck in the wrong part of space!"

"We're on it." the Doctor said, and turned to the monitor "Torchwood hub, this is the TARDIS. Are you recievin' us?"

"Loud and clear." Gwen answered "Is Jack there?"

"Can't get rid of 'im." the Doctor replied, then he noticed that Gwen was the spitting image of Gwyneth, the servant who'd nobly sacrificed herself during the Gelth business "Um, Jack, what's 'er name?"

"Gwen Cooper." Jack replied

The Doctor turned back to the screen "Tell me, Gwen Cooper, are you from an old Cardiff family?"

"Yes." Gwen replied, not sure what that had to do with anything "All the way back to the 1800's."

"Ah, fought so." the Doctor nodded and turned to Gazelle and Rose "Spatial genetic..."

"Multiplicity." Gazelle finished "Small world. But, to the point, Torchwood, we need you to open up your rift manipulator. Send all the power to us."

"Doing it now, ma'am." Ianto replied, moving to do so

"What's that for?" Martha asked

"It's a tow rope." the Doctor replied, then turned to Sarah Jane "Sarah, what's ya son called again?"

"Luke." she replied "And the computer's Mr Smith

"Calling Luke an' Mr Smith." the Doctor said to the monitor, which now showed the loft of 13 Bannerman Road "C'mon, Luke, shake a leg!"

"Is mum there?" Luke asked

"Yep, alive and well." Gazelle told him, turning the monitor so that Luke could see his mother.

"Yes! Yes!" Sarah Jane laughed in relief at seeing her son safe and sound

The Doctor turned the monitor back to him "Now, Mr Smith, we want you to harness the rift power an' loop it round the TARDIS, ya got that?"

"I regret I will require access to the TARDIS base code." Mr Smith announced

"Oh, blimey, that's gonna take a while." the Doctor frowned

"Actually, it won't." Gazelle told him, and turned the monitor to Sarah Jane again, who knew what to do

"K-9, out you come!" Sarah Jane called, and K-9 appeared in the loft

"Affirmative mistress." K-9 said

"Oh, good dog!" the Doctor grinned, realising that Gazelle must have implanted the TARDIS base code into K-9 when they'd rebuilt him after Deffry Vale "K-9, give Mr Smith the base code."

"Master." K-9 acknowledged and rolled over to Mr Smith "TARDIS base code now being transferred. The process is simple."

"Now then, you lot." the Doctor announced, now that everything was ready "Sarah, hold that down, Mickey, you 'old that." he instructed "Cos' you know why this TARDIS is always rattlin' about the place?"

"Cos' you never use the stabilisers, no matter how many times I tell ta too." Gazelle replied cheekily, then issued some instructions too "Rose, you handle that one there."

"Well, yeah." the Doctor said sheepishly "But she was designed to 'ave six pilots an' Gazelle an' I 'ave to do it by ourselves. Martha, keep that level. But not any more!"

"Jack, you take this one. Keep it steady." Gazelle instructed

"Now we can fly this thing!" the Doctor said brightly "No, Jackie, no, no, not you. Don't touch anyfink. Just stand back." he pushed Jackie away, then turned back to the others "Like it's meant to be flown! We've got the Torchwood rift looped round the TARDIS by Mr Smith, an' we're gonna fly planet Earth back 'ome!" he nodded to Gazelle, who took her place at the console

"Right then, let's do it!" Gazelle said, pulling a lever and they were off.

The TARDIS flew smoothly through space, towing Earth behind her. In the console room, the Doctor watched proudly as his wife and friends piloted the box. Donna walked around, supervising "That's really good, Jack." she praised "I think you're the best." then she and the Metacrisis Doctor leaned back against the y-beams watching contently. It was certainly a magnificent sight.

The Earth was soon back in it's proper place, and the TARDIS' occupants all celebrated. Laughs, hugs, and cheers went all around the box, while the Doctor and Gazelle both shared a well-deserved passionate embrace. People on Earth celebrated too when they saw the normal blue sky outside, no darkness, no planets.

The TARDIS materialised in a London park and the Doctor, Gazelle and Sarah Jane stepped out "You know." Sarah Jane said to the Doctor "You act like such a lonely man. But look at you!" she gestured to the married couple "You've got a wife and the biggest family on Earth!"

"Couldn't ask for anyfink more!" the Doctor smiled, slipping an arm around his wife.

Sarah Jane hugged them both and began to dash off "Gotta go! He's only 14. It's a long story. And thank you!" she ran off back home

"I really like Sarah Jane." Gazelle smiled, waving to Sarah Jane, who waved back, then turned her husband "So, I was thinking, after we've sorted everyone out, maybe we have an early night. Interested?" she raised a brow suggestively

"Why not?" the Doctor grinned. Now that the emergency was over, he could truly appreciate Gazelle's new incarnation She was perfect in his eyes. If he thought her previous incarnation was a fairy-tale princess, then her new incarnation was a divine goddess: tall, willowy and stunning.

Inside the TARDIS, Donna was on the phone to her family "Yeah, I'm fine. You alright?" she said to her grandfather

"Are you alright?" Jackie asked Mickey, knowing that the man had something on his mind

"I'm gonna miss you." Mickey replied "More than anyone."

"What d'ya mean?" Jackie asked him "The Doctor an' Gazelle are gonna take us 'ome, aren't they?"

"Well, that's the point." Mickey said, and they shared a farewell hug as Jackie understood what Mickey was implying

Outside, the Doctor was disabling Jack's vortex manipulator with his sonic "I told you, no teleport." he said "And Martha, get rid of that Osterhagen thing, eh? Save the world one last time."

"Consider it done." Martha grinned

Both Jack and Martha then saluted the Time Lords, who reciprocated with half-arsed salutes of their own, then the two Humans began to walk away. Mickey then came out of the TARDIS "Oi, where're you goin'?" the Doctor said to him

"Well, I'm not stupid." Mickey replied "I know what 'appens next. An' hey, I 'ad a good time in that parallel world, but my gran passed away."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mickey." Gazelle sighed. She knew how much Mickey cared about Rita-Anne

"It was nice an' peaceful." Mickey reassured her "Spent 'er last years livin' in a mansion. There's nothing for me there now, certainly not Rose. But that's ok, cos' there's plenty for me here now."

"What will ya do?" the Doctor asked him

"Anyfink. Brand new life. Just you watch." Mickey replied and bumped fists with the Doctor "See ya, boss." then he hugged Gazelle "You too, Gaz."

"Good luck, Mickey Smith, defender of the Earth." Gazelle said proudly, and she and the Doctor watched as Mickey ran after Martha and Jack.

The Time Lords reentered the TARDIS "Just time for one last trip." the Doctor announced, moving to the console "Darlig Ulv Stranden. Better know as..."

"Bad Wolf Bay." Gazelle finished, as she and the Doctor piloted the TARDIS away.

One quick hop later, and they all stepped out onto the same beach on Pete's World where Rose had said her goodbye to the Time Lords after their separation at Canary Wharf "Ugh! Fat lotta good this is!" Jackie grumbled "Back of beyond, bloody Norway! I'm gonna 'ave to phone ya father." she said to Rose, then turned to the Metacrisis Doctor "He's on the nursery run. I was pregnant, d'ya remember? It was baby boy."

"Ah, brilliant! What did ya call 'im?" the Metacrisis Doctor asked

"Doctor."

"Really?"

"No, ya plum! He's called Tony." Jackie snorted

"Hold on, this the parallel universe." Rose frowned, looking around

"You're back 'ome." the Doctor told her

"An' the walls of the world are closin' again." Donna added, sounding just like the Doctor "Now that the reality bomb never 'appened. Dimensional retroclosure. See, I really get that stuff now." she said to the Time Lords

"But I spent all that time tryin' to find ya both." Rose sighed "I was 'oping you'd let me stay, and it'd be just like old times."

"We wish you could, Rose." Gazelle told her "But this world needs you. The Daleks've been stopped, but at a cost. Him." she gestured to the Metacrisis Doctor

"He destroyed the Daleks." the Doctor added "He committed genocide. He's too dangerous to be left alone."

"You both made me!" the Metacrisis Doctor snapped

"Exactly." the Doctor didn't deny that "You were born in battle, full of blood an' anger an' revenge." he looked at Rose "Remind ya of someone? That's me, when we first met. An' you made me better."

"You made both of us better." Gazelle added "And since it was my energy that created him, he's got some of me in him too. It'll be like having both of us with you, Rose."

"But he's not you two." Rose countered

"He needs you." the Doctor said "That's very us."

"But it's better than that, though." Donna piped in "Don't ya see what they're tryin' to give you?" she turned to the Metacrisis Doctor "Tell 'er, go on."

"I look like 'im, an' I fink like both of 'em." the Metacrisis Doctor told Rose "Same memories, same foughts, same everyfink. But I've only got one 'eart."

"Which means?" Rose questioned

"I'm part Human. Specifically the agein' part." the Metacrisis Doctor replied "I'll grow old an' never regenerate. I've only got one life, Rose Tyler. I could spend it wiv you, if ya want."

"You'll grow... grow old... at the same time as me?"

"Together." the Metacrisis Doctor smiled, taking her hand

"Oh, and don't forget these." Gazelle spoke up, handing them her sonic and a piece of TARDIS coral "What's the Doctor without his TARDIS and sonic screwdriver?"

"Growin' a TARDIS takes thousands of years." the Metacrisis Doctor pointed out

"No." the Doctor began "Because..."

"If ya shatter an' fry the plasmic shell, modify the stabiliser to a fold-back harmonic of 36.3, you accelerate the growth power by 59." Donna rambled

"We never fought of that." both Doctors said in unison

"I'm gonna be brilliant!" Donna grinned

"Supertemp." Gazelle smiled

"The Doctor, in the TARDIS wiv Rose Tyler ." the Doctor remarked

"As it should be." Gazelle finished

"What about you two?" Rose asked them

"Oh, we're fine, we've got each other." the Doctor replied, slipping an arm around his wife "And madam." he gestured to Donna

"Human wiv a Time Lord brain." Donna grinned "Perfect combination. The three of us could travel the universe forever, the three musketeers. Best friends, an' equals. Just what skinny boy an' pretty girl need, an equal."

Just then, a grinding sound came from the TARDIS "We've gotta go." Gazelle said "This reality's about to seal itself. Goodbye, Rose. It's been great to see ya again." she hugged her old friend, something she hadn't been able to do the last time she'd seen the blonde

"Goodbye, Gazelle." Rose sniffled "I'm so 'appy for ya both." she was delighted the Time Lords had married. She only wished they could've spent more time together

"Goodbye, Rose Tyler, defender of the Earth." the Doctor said, hugging Rose too

"Bye, Doctor." Rose reciprocated

They pulled away and the Time Lords and Donna went back inside the TARDIS. Rose and the Metacrisis Doctor watched hand-in-hand as the box dematerialised.

Once they were back in their universe, the Doctor and Gazelle leaned back against the y-beams, watching Donna tinker with the controls "I fought we could try the planet Felspoon." Donna spoke up "Just because. What a great name, Felspoon. Apparently, it's got mountains that sway in the breeze. Mountains that move. Can you imagine?"

"And 'ow d'ya know that?" the Doctor asked her

"Because it's in your 'ead." Donna replied "An' if it's in your 'ead, it's in mine!"

"And how does it feel?" Gazelle asked

"Brilliant!" Donna grinned "Fantastic! Molto bene! Great big universe, packed into my brain. Ya know, you two could fix that chameleon circuit if ya just tried 'otbindin' the binary links an' superseding the binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary." she managed to stop herself "I'm fine!" she tried to reassure the Time Lords, who's faces fell. They were afraid this would happed. For a while, it looked like everything would be fine, but it seemed their fears were being realised.

"Nah, never mind Felspoon." Donna said "Know who I'd like to meet? Charlie Chaplin! Bet 'e's great, Charlie Chaplin. Shall we do that? Shall we go an' see Charlie Chaplin? Shall we? Charlie Chaplin? Charlie Chester. Charlie Brown. No 'e's fiction, friction, fiction, fixin', mixin', Rickston, Brixton." she stopped herself with a gasp and clutched her head "Oh my God!"

"Oh, Donna." Gazelle sighed as she and the Doctor approached the Human "D'ya know what's happening?"

"Yeah." Donna said defiantly

"There's never been a Human-Time Lord metacrisis before." the Doctor said "An' you know why."

"Because there can't be." Donna sighed, turning away from them "I want to stay."

"Look at us." the Doctor said "Donna, look at us."

Donna faced them, tears in her eyes "I was gonna be wiv you two forever."

"We know." Gazelle sighed

"Rest of my life. The Doctor-Gazelle-Donna." Donna said wistfully, then she realised what the Time Lords were about to do "No! Oh my God! I can't go back. Don't make me go back! Doctor, Gazelle, please, don't make me go back!"

The Doctor took her by the shoulders "Donna. Oh, Donna Noble, I am so sorry. But we 'ad the best of time. The best." he moved his hands to the Human's temples, but Gazelle held them back

"Let me." she told him "This is my fault. I've gotta put this right." she turned to Donna "Oh, Donna, I'm gonna miss you. So much!"

"No, no, no, please!" Donna whimpered as the Time Lady put her hands on her temples. Images of Donna's adventures with the Time Lords flashed before her eyes in reverse order, ending with her first moment in the TARDIS "No!" she yelled out, before she fell unconscious and slumped forward into a tearful Gazelle's arms.

In the Noble Household, Wilfred heard urgent knocking on the door "That must be her!" a he said. He opened the door to find Donna unconscious, supported by the Doctor and an unfamiliar brown-haired woman wearing clothes that didn't fit her "Donna?" he started anxiously at his unconscious granddaughter

"Help us!" the Doctor urged

The trio had soon taken Donna upstairs and laid her down on her bed. "Goodbye, Donna." Gazelle whispered sadly, patting her sleeping friend's shoulder, then they went downstairs.

They were soon in the living room, explaining to the Nobles everything that had happened: the Daleks, Gazelle's regeneration, the metacrisis and what happened to Donna "She took our minds into 'er own head." the Doctor told them "But they're Time Lord consciousness. All that knowledge... it was killin' 'er."

"But she'll get better now?" Wilfred asked hopefully

"She will." Gazelle replied "But I had to wipe her memories, all traces of us, the TARDIS, everywhere we went, everything we did. It all had to go."

"All those wonderful things she did." Wilfred blinked tearfully

"We know." the Doctor said solemnly "But that version of Donna is dead. Cos' if she remembers, just for a second, she'll burn up." that wasn't strictly true as Gazelle had put a safeguard in to protect Donna against that, but it was better not to try it "You can never tell 'er. You can't mention either of us, or any of it, for the rest of 'er life."

"But the whole world's talking about it." Sylvia said "We travelled across space!"

"And it'll just be another story." Gazelle sighed "One of those Donna Noble stories, where she missed it all, as usual."

"But she was better with you two!" Wilfred said

"Don't say that!" Sylvia snapped

"No, she was!" Wilfred insisted. He'd seen the transformation of his granddaughter during her travels with the Time Lords. She'd grown and became the strong, confident woman he believed her to be. Now she was back to square one."

"We just want ya to know, there are worlds out there, safe in the sky because of her." the Doctor said "That there are people livin' in the light, an' singin' songs of Donna Noble... a thousand million light years away. They will never forget 'er, while she can never remember. An' for one moment... one shinning moment, she was the most important woman in the whole wide universe."

"She still is." Sylvia said "She's my daughter."

"Then maybe you should tell her that, instead of belittling her all the time." Gazelle snapped. She'd be damned if she was going to let Sylvia continue to treat Donna like dirt

Just then, Donna entered the room "I was asleep, on my bed, in my clothes!" she burst out, sounding just like she had when the Time Lords had first met her "What did ya let me do that for?" she asked her family, before noticing the Time Lords "Don't mind me. Donna."

"John Smith." the Doctor stood up

"Kelci Smith." Gazelle stood up too

"Mr & Mrs Smith were just leaving." Sylvia told her daughter

"My phone's gone mad." Donna rambled, looking at her phone "32 texts. Veena's gone barmy, she's sayin' planets in the sky. What've I missed now?!" she turned to leave "Nice to meet ya both." she called over her shoulder to the Time Lords, then went into the kitchen

"As I said, I think you two should go." Sylvia said coldly

Donna was in the kitchen, on the phone to Veena "How thick d'ya fink I am?" she snorted "Planets? Tell ya what that was, dumbo. That's those two lagers for the price of one ya get down the offy cos' you fancy that little man in there wiv the goatee! Ha, ha! Yes, ya do! I've seen you!"

"Donna?" Gazelle called, as she and the Doctor stood in the doorway "We're just going."

"Yeah." Donna waved her off "See ya." and she went back to her phone conversation

The Time Lords opened the front door to find that it was chucking it down with rain outside "Ah." the Doctor said, pausing in the porch "Atmospheric disturbance. You'll 'ave a bit of this." he said to Wilfred, who had come to see them out

"Should pass in a say or two." Gazelle murmured, pulling her hood up "Everything always does." she muttered to herself, then turned to Wilfred "Goodbye, Wilfred. Look after her for us. They all shook hands, then the Time Lords stepped out onto the driveway.

"Oh, Doctor, Gazelle?" Wilfred called after them "What about you two now? Who've you got? I mean, all those friends of yours."

"They've all got someone else." the Doctor told him "Still, that's fine. We've got each other. We're fine."

"I'll watch out for you both." Wilfred said

"You can never tell her." Gazelle reminded him

"No, no, but every night, when it gets dark and the stars come out, I'll look up on her behalf." Wilfred said "I'll look up at the sky and think of you two."

"Thank you." the Doctor nodded, then he and his wife walked over the road to the TARDIS. Wilfred saluted them as they went inside the box. Once inside, the Time Lords shed their soaked jackets and piloted the TARDIS away.

Once they were in the Time Vortex, Gazelle finally broke and collapsed in tears in her husband's arms "It's all my fault." she sobbed "We lost Donna, all because of me." if she hadn't have put her regeneration energy into that hand, Donna wouldn't have touched it and the metacrisis wouldn't have happened.

"It's not your fault, Remii." the Doctor soothed, pressing a kiss into her hair "It's the Daleks. It's all their fault." Gazelle had regenerated because of the Daleks, and this entire crisis was all because of the Daleks.

"I hate them!" Gazelle sniffled

"Me too." the Doctor said grimly. He supposed they could took comfort knowing that the Daleks were gone for good. Donna would be the last person who suffered because of the evil pepper pots.

The Time Lords stayed where they were for a while, in each other's arms, mourning the loss of their best friend.

Author's notes: Well, we say goodbye to Donna Noble, the best companion in modern Doctor Who. Still, we'll be seeing her again in The End of Time. We also say hello to Gazelle 5. If you're wandering, I picture her as looking like Shelley Hennig, but speaking with a Birmingham accent instead of American. I chose her as I've been watching Teen Wolf lately, and seeing Shelley's performance as Malia got me thinking she'd be great as a Time Lady. Having Gazelle regenerate instead of the Doctor has changed the canon somewhat. Gonna cause problems if I get to The Time of the Doctor, but I dunno if I wanna go that far into the hit and miss Moffat-era. Hope it's believable how the Metacrisis Doctor came into being this time round. Sadly, this two-parter is the last truly great Dalek story until the Chibnall-era. Chibnall is a terrible showrunner, but he can at least write decent Dalek stories, unlike Moffat, who was an alright showrunner, but terrible at writing Dalek stories. God, I miss Russell T. Davies! The series 4 finale is perhaps the most epic series finale in all of Doctor Who, and it's been great writing this two-parter. Hope you all enjoy reading it. See you all next time for a Victorian Christmas!