"NO!" Andrea screams as she runs over clasping onto the Timelord's arm. "You can't do it! After all that man has done for you, the universe and time itself…how can you be so damn cruel?"

Lord President Devenari forces her hand off of his person and turns away from the hysterical woman.

"Cruelty has nothing to do with this. I'm thinking of the safety of our world and billions of others."

"Bullshit!" Andrea replies in anger. "When did the Timelords ever think of the universe when other planets suffered under Cybermen and Dalek attacks? Where was the mighty Timelords of Galifrey when countless time streams were invaded? The Doctor always puts himself in front of the line for the sake of righteousness no matter what immoral situation pops up. He's more a Guardian of Time then any of you will ever be!"

"That's enough Andrea!" Megan shouts as she blocks her path. "Cool it…screaming at the man won't make things any better."

Andrea keeps a tearful gaze at the man not paying attention to her overly emotional state; she gives a simple sound of disgust at him as she backs away shaking her head.

"No…it won't. But killing him won't solve anything either. Didn't you just tell us earlier that the Doctor is too involved in all of the timelines…that his death would destroy everything as well? Or was all that crap?"

Devenari closed his eyes in realization. The woman was correct in that fact, his mind was too swamped with concern for the well being of Galifrey and himself, he turned around and nodded to the human woman who seemed to surprise him by throwing his own words back in his face.

"No, child. You are right." He sighed in frustration. "Forgive me for overreacting. Perhaps…perhaps there is another way to save him…"

Megan placed her hands on Andrea's flush face and stroked her cheek to calm her down. The angered woman acknowledged her friend and returned to sit on the floor as she continued her vigil for the Doctor. Megan folded her arms and walked over to Devenari and gave him a stern look.

"Look…I haven't known the Doctor for long and I'm not sure what is truly going on here…but if there is another way to save him and us at the same time…I think you should try every and any possibility. Don't you?"

The President nods in her sound conclusion and both return to the young male operator at the computer. Both lean in on either side and try to think of another alternate plan.

"More power won't do it…reversing power won't do it…did anyone think of changing the frequency or harmonics of the energy?" Megan says in a professional manner.

The operator shifts his eyes in thought as he listens to Megan's suggestion. A wave of interest creeps onto his face as he gives a glance over to her and smirks with delight.

"Now that is something we can do…very nice, my lady."

"Just call me Megan." She smiles.

"Will that be enough though?" The President inquires as he presses his right index finger to his lips.

"It might be Lord President. If we change it gradually and resonate the frequency on different wavelengths…it could stabilize him for now."

Both Megan and Devenari look at one another with concern and give a shrug.

"Its better then nothing." Megan states.

"Very well…" The President breathes out as then pats the shoulder of the computer operator. "Proceed."

The young Timelord pushes a few glowing buttons on the console and then reaches over to a large black dial as he slowly turns it counter clockwise. The sound of the energy changing noise pitch causes the Doctor's body to settle down from his violent shake and eases back into a restful position.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

"This is pointless Doctor!" The Guardian shouts.

The Doctor is now sitting on a green and black wooden park bench that wasn't there before. Like a stubborn child, he has his arms folded together and head lowered as he continues to think of ways out of his predicament.

"Nothing is ever pointless my dear sir!" The quirky Timelord shouts back bitterly. "I'm simply not going to co-operate with you. If I stay here and not take any path, it will give me time to think of a way out of this mess."

"What 'time' do you think you have Doctor?" The Infinite Guardian muses. "You can stay here all you want…but if you do…then you can never leave. You can't go forward and you can't go back."

"Why can't I go back?" The Doctor shouts as he rubs his face in a tired frustration. "You've been bullying me about going forward or side to side…but what about stepping backward?"

"You cannot go back either."

"WHY?" The Doctor screams at him furiously.

"Because Timelord…" The Guardian says stepping closer to him. "You will have no form to return too. The shell you have will never be again. To step back now is impossible…"

"Are you completely sure about that?" Another vibrant male voice shouts out.

Suddenly from behind the Tenth Doctor, his Eight regenerative self pops out as if he was just standing there directly behind the man. The ratty looking brown hair, the velvet brown waistcoat and childish grin all point to the Doctor's signature look.

"I mean…the choices you give are nothing but impossible." The cheerful man says walking around. "So I ask you…how can anyone be expected to make a choice when there is no alternative to make?"

The Guardian sighs at the sight of yet another form of the Doctor's past.

"Why do you bother with this tiresome game, Doctor?"

"Tiresome? Game?" The Eight Doctor squelches in a high-pitched tone. "My god, this is my life where talking about man! And I will not be sent off into the great beyond…or eternal nothingness without a good answer to my question."

"There is no answer." The red robed Guardian moans. "You're searching in circles Timelord…once you stepped into my realm there was no turning back. Death is the only choice now…or a brand new life as something else entirely."

"Ahhh…" The Eight Doctor says with his finger up in the air as if to catch the man's flaw. "There it is. New life you say? To what and to where? Hm? You haven't really mentioned a whole lot about that other alternative…seems to me like you're pushing the 'Death factor' as if you want me to become non-existent."

Pushing the annoying man aside, the Infinite Guardian walks over to the Tenth Doctor and tries speaking to him rather then the other.

"I don't wish to see you dead Doctor, but if you truly want to be a Timelord again…even if it for one last life…surly you would be better off dying as one rather being reborn as a life form that you would have no idea of becoming?"

The Tenth Doctor looks at him and rubs his temples; a strained and tired gaze washes over him as if he is about to pass out. Sitting back down on the bench as before, he gave a simple sigh and shook his head.

"To live one life as a barbaric villain would be even worst."

"Indeed!" The Eighth Doctor shouts as he runs over and sits beside his other self. "We refuse to become that which we most despise."

The Guardian strokes his beard as he watches the Tenth Doctor continue to rub his head in pain.

"So you have made your choice then…it is to be born as something else entirely."

As the robed man moves, the Doctor other self that had been sitting beside him has now become that of his Seventh regeneration. A shorter and almost similar dressed character with a white brimmed hat and a black umbrella with a red question mark end. The stout version of himself rests his chin playfully on the red stylized end and gives a sigh as he now speaks the answer for his future self.

"Choices, choices, choices." He exhales. "To die, perchance to dream…or live a life and dream of a chance for death. Curiouser and curiouser."

"I feel conflicted." The Tenth Doctor utters to his other self. "As if I'm stuck in a time loop and can't get out."

"A riddle within a riddle my friend." The Seventh version of him says. "But what's the answer?"

"I can't go forward and become evil…can I?" The chubby cheeked Doctor says as he leans back with his arm across his forehead.

"NO!" The other one says beside him. "Certainly not! I know what I'm capable of…or we are anyway…this is all a sham. A sham I say!"

A quick angry tap of his umbrella as he screams in frustration and the small Doctor walks over to the center of the roadway and looks at ever direction.

"Forward, left, right, and back again…its all nonsense! You're trying to drive me insane from all of this aren't you?"

The Guardian chuckles at the Seventh's heated response and clasps his hands together as he addresses to him.

"No Doctor…you are. By failing to make a proper choice you only drain yourself even further…the more you remain here, the less time you'll have to escape here."

"What do you mean by that?" The Scottish sounding Timelord inquires.

"I mean Doctor…the more you sit here and waste time, the more you will be here for all eternity. As I said before to you earlier, if you stay…you will never exist again…ever."

The Seventh Doctor tilted his white brimmed hat from behind his head with the umbrella, a simple exhale from his lips and moving his foot through the dirt as he thinks, the Doctor raises his eyes and rubs his chin.

"So…it would be as if I had gone down the path that leads to the great void. I see…"

"Tick, tock Doctor…tick, tock…" The red bearded man smirks at him.

"Tick tock?" The Tenth Doctor says as he removes his arm away from his forehead. "Interesting…time is ticking away."

The robed Guardian spins around and stares at the other self laying on the bench in realization.

"I beg your pardon?" He inquires.

"Hickory, dickery, dock…" The Timelord muses as he smiles at him curiously. "I'm the mouse that's climbing up the clock."

"You are a strange person Doctor."

The Tenth Doctor laughs for a second and stands up on his feet.

"Oh I've been called worst…but sticks and stones I say. Tell me…Infinite Guardian of limbo…why are you so obsessed with time?"

The Doctor wanders out past the robed individual and now steps in the middle of the road where his other self had been. Now vanished without a trace, the Seventh version of his former life had disappeared.

"If this is the realm of forever…then why are you in such a damn hurry for me to choose?"

"Because Doctor…as you can plainly see…" The Guardian growls back in frustration and pointing to the paths he must choose. "You're choices are vanishing quickly. The longer you waste time to choose…the more the roads disappear and then…your only option left is to be here with me…forever!"

The Doctor looks out beyond and sees the dirt roadways beginning to fade in the distance, like a rippling effect of a mirage, the paths begin to come closer, the seemingly high sun that had beaten down on the desert-like environment was now slowly setting to the west of him. The Doctor had that sinking feeling again, if he didn't pull through this it would be the end of him and become locked in timelessness forever with this obtuse Guardian of Infinity.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

"Lord President!" The young Timelord howls as he watches the computer screen.

Standing near by with his hands clasped together like a man in prayer, the ruler of Galifrey snaps out of his thoughts and looks over at the perturbed individual.

"His life-force is fading! The drain has nearly doubled now!"

"WHAT?" Devendari gasps in horror as he leans down to the computer and checks the operator's calculations. "He was getting better a few seconds ago…what have you done?"

"I did nothing my Lord, one minute the Doctor was stabilized…the next he was falling down to nearly zero output."

Megan and Andrea rushed over as they heard the grim news.

"What's happening?" Andrea shouts. "You said this would make him better?"

"No, Andrea…" Megan somberly states. "I think our little attempt actually made it a lot worst…."

Turning to face them, Devendari's expression is that of utter puzzlement and soon looks past the two as he gazes at the Doctor's body beginning to fade and losing its form as the energy beam and he start to merge.

"Time is swallowing him inward…and there's no way to stop it."