The setting could only be described as no time and no place. They all
stood together, all eight Doctors, in the presence of the White Guardian.
Behind them a group of companions tried to make sense of it all. Barbara
and Ian talked with Jaime and Zoe. Jo Grant shared her concerns with
Sarah Jane. Peri watched nervously as Ace fiddled with a container of
Nitro Nine.
'Doctors, the time streams are disrupted. The ripples, once small and inconsequential, have grown such that the fabric of time is on the verge of collapsing in on itself. I require the Key. Only with the Key can the repairs be made." The White Guardian then motioned for Doctors 5 and 8 to step forward.
"You two are most affected by the disruptions so you will remain here, stabilized by my power. The rest of you will each bring forth a segment of the Key To Time. You will find the coordinates preset in your respective TARDISs."
The other Doctors and their companions faded away one by one.
"White Guardian, I have a request of you sir," the fifth Doctor said as he approached the kindly old man.
"I know of what you wish Doctor."
"Then is it possible?"
"It is. For a brief time. I shall bring you back when the time is right."
The Fifth Doctor also faded away.
"Where has he gone?"
"To make peace with his memories. Memories that will be his future and your past."
"Only one timestream can exist. That's the way of it isn't it?"
"The future is based on choices, Doctor. At any given time, only one choice can be made. So only one future. One timestream. Other choices are only possibilities. There exists a timestream for every possible choice but they exist outside of time until that choice is made."
"So something has happened to make these alternate time streams merge with the real one."
"Yes. The fabric of space and time cannot maintain the stress. And if your other selves aren't successful, it will mean the end of everything."
The Doctor saddened with the enlightenment. He now knew there was the possibility that his relationship with Tegan would never be. That his beautiful Angelina might have never been meant to exist. He had given so much for the sake of the universe. How could it be so cruel to him now?
The Doctor rang the doorbell. Just behind the door he could hear the quickened footsteps as two children raced each other to answer it.
The door flew open and he was met by two pleasantly surprised children..
Tegan was in the kitchen frantically trying to prepare dinner. She had not yet made it to market and the choices were slim. Mark, being the gourmet chef, could make peanut butter and crackers into a three course gourmet meal, but his business trip to meet with new investors for his restaurant would last three more days. Tegan had groaned at the sound of the doorbell. The sound of Michael yelling "Daddy!" brought her running through the living room to the front door.
When his eyes met hers there were no words that needed to be spoken. She rushed to embrace him. An embrace returned more strongly than she could ever remember him giving her. The children joined in, and suddenly he was flooded with all of the memories that were and weren't his. The joy of the children, the pain of Tegan's accident and the bliss of their first night together.. This was his family. Not so unlike his family torn from him all those centuries ago.
"Its you. You! How?"
"If I said I'll explain later, would you strangle me?"
"I'll let it slide until after dinner."
The dinner , which he had actually prepared after he and Tegan jointly decided that her rushed attempts were rather unappetizing, was wonderful. Not the food so much as the feeling of just being together. A bedtime story about the knight and the magic blue box for both children and he and Tegan were finally alone. They sat close on the sofa in front of a roaring fire.
He was rather blunt about the situation with the time streams and it was more than she could take in.
"You remember all of it now don't you?" she asked with tears in her eyes.
"Yes," the Doctor replied also in tears.
"You've regenerated several times since then. They called you uncle Thete after the first time. I always have to come up with new names for you. Reintroduce you as someone else. It's hard but you love them and I always want you to be a part of their lives."
"And am I?"
"You've never missed a birthday or Christmas yet."
"You finally married Mark?"
"Yes Doctor. I'm happy. My life turned out pretty well. I still miss you. I mean miss the way you are now. You'll always be my Doctor." She leaned into him and kissed him passionately. "Given our history, I don't think Mark would mind. Doesn't mean I'll tell him though,," she chuckled fighting back more tears as she remembered the night in the house in Kent.
"So he knows our history?"
"Yeah, you even took on a little time trip to prove it to him. He understands why you keep coming back. I have a wonderful husband and a great life and the children still have you in their lives. So why can't it just be this way? I didn't die in that warehouse Doctor. And Michael and Amy exist. That can't change. It can't!"
"Maybe this is the way things were meant to be Tegan. I hope it is. And maybe I just won't ever go to Androzani Major. Maybe you and I will get a second chance."
They hugged each other tightly.
"I have to go now Tegan. Kiss the children for me."
He gently touched her cheek and faded away.
'Doctors, the time streams are disrupted. The ripples, once small and inconsequential, have grown such that the fabric of time is on the verge of collapsing in on itself. I require the Key. Only with the Key can the repairs be made." The White Guardian then motioned for Doctors 5 and 8 to step forward.
"You two are most affected by the disruptions so you will remain here, stabilized by my power. The rest of you will each bring forth a segment of the Key To Time. You will find the coordinates preset in your respective TARDISs."
The other Doctors and their companions faded away one by one.
"White Guardian, I have a request of you sir," the fifth Doctor said as he approached the kindly old man.
"I know of what you wish Doctor."
"Then is it possible?"
"It is. For a brief time. I shall bring you back when the time is right."
The Fifth Doctor also faded away.
"Where has he gone?"
"To make peace with his memories. Memories that will be his future and your past."
"Only one timestream can exist. That's the way of it isn't it?"
"The future is based on choices, Doctor. At any given time, only one choice can be made. So only one future. One timestream. Other choices are only possibilities. There exists a timestream for every possible choice but they exist outside of time until that choice is made."
"So something has happened to make these alternate time streams merge with the real one."
"Yes. The fabric of space and time cannot maintain the stress. And if your other selves aren't successful, it will mean the end of everything."
The Doctor saddened with the enlightenment. He now knew there was the possibility that his relationship with Tegan would never be. That his beautiful Angelina might have never been meant to exist. He had given so much for the sake of the universe. How could it be so cruel to him now?
The Doctor rang the doorbell. Just behind the door he could hear the quickened footsteps as two children raced each other to answer it.
The door flew open and he was met by two pleasantly surprised children..
Tegan was in the kitchen frantically trying to prepare dinner. She had not yet made it to market and the choices were slim. Mark, being the gourmet chef, could make peanut butter and crackers into a three course gourmet meal, but his business trip to meet with new investors for his restaurant would last three more days. Tegan had groaned at the sound of the doorbell. The sound of Michael yelling "Daddy!" brought her running through the living room to the front door.
When his eyes met hers there were no words that needed to be spoken. She rushed to embrace him. An embrace returned more strongly than she could ever remember him giving her. The children joined in, and suddenly he was flooded with all of the memories that were and weren't his. The joy of the children, the pain of Tegan's accident and the bliss of their first night together.. This was his family. Not so unlike his family torn from him all those centuries ago.
"Its you. You! How?"
"If I said I'll explain later, would you strangle me?"
"I'll let it slide until after dinner."
The dinner , which he had actually prepared after he and Tegan jointly decided that her rushed attempts were rather unappetizing, was wonderful. Not the food so much as the feeling of just being together. A bedtime story about the knight and the magic blue box for both children and he and Tegan were finally alone. They sat close on the sofa in front of a roaring fire.
He was rather blunt about the situation with the time streams and it was more than she could take in.
"You remember all of it now don't you?" she asked with tears in her eyes.
"Yes," the Doctor replied also in tears.
"You've regenerated several times since then. They called you uncle Thete after the first time. I always have to come up with new names for you. Reintroduce you as someone else. It's hard but you love them and I always want you to be a part of their lives."
"And am I?"
"You've never missed a birthday or Christmas yet."
"You finally married Mark?"
"Yes Doctor. I'm happy. My life turned out pretty well. I still miss you. I mean miss the way you are now. You'll always be my Doctor." She leaned into him and kissed him passionately. "Given our history, I don't think Mark would mind. Doesn't mean I'll tell him though,," she chuckled fighting back more tears as she remembered the night in the house in Kent.
"So he knows our history?"
"Yeah, you even took on a little time trip to prove it to him. He understands why you keep coming back. I have a wonderful husband and a great life and the children still have you in their lives. So why can't it just be this way? I didn't die in that warehouse Doctor. And Michael and Amy exist. That can't change. It can't!"
"Maybe this is the way things were meant to be Tegan. I hope it is. And maybe I just won't ever go to Androzani Major. Maybe you and I will get a second chance."
They hugged each other tightly.
"I have to go now Tegan. Kiss the children for me."
He gently touched her cheek and faded away.