And we're finally at a reaction chapter. Hope you guys enjoy it.
THWA: You'll find out.
TW: Glad you enjoyed it. You'll have to keep reading, I don't want to give away too much at the beginning. Sort of.
The recording opens in the Mansion of Joshua Naismith. The Tenth Doctor watches in horror as the Time Lord President orders the newly restored humans to kneel before them, which they do. The Master protests that he still saved them but is ignored. "The Approach begins," The President says gleefully as the building began to shake.
"Feel like we're missing a lot here," Martha said dryly.
"Those are those Time Lords," Wilf said as they all turned to him. "They were behind what happened that Christmas Eve. They came back through some Rift to try and take over Earth."
"How do you know that Gramps?" Donna asked in confusion.
"Because he was there. You were brilliant, by the way," Jane told Wilf, who smiled weakly.
"Time Lords trying to take over the earth. You never hear about that in The Doctor's stories about Gallifrey," Jack noted.
"The Time War changed them. War changes us all," Jane said with a faraway look in her eyes.
The Master is confused as The Doctor explains. "Something is returning, don't you ever listen? Something is returning, not someone, something," The Doctor explains. The Master asks what and The Doctor says Gallifrey as a shot of the planet nearing earth is seen.
"Blimey," Mickey muttered as they all stared at it in complete shock, save Wilf and Jane, although even Wilf did look grave.
At the Mott-Noble household, Shaun asks where Donna is as the house begins to shake. Shaun rushes outside, looking for Donna as Sylvia follows him outside. The entire planet seems to be shaking, people running around in terror as Gallifrey is visible in the sky. As Shaun runs around looking for Donna, Sylvia prays for the Doctor to save them.
"Mum's asking The Doctor for help. The world must be ending," Donna muttered.
"Now now, your mother did come around in the end," Wilf said in defense of his daughter.
"What was I doing outside anyway?" Donna wondered. "The last thing I remember, I was watching President Obama's speech with Mum and Shaun and then…then I was waking up on the couch."
"Dad placed when he called a defense mechanism in your mind. Anytime you would start to remember, you would be knocked out without remembering what happened," Jane explained and Donna took a moment to process this. "Good thing to, as you were being attacked by The Master when it went off."
Back at the mansion, Wilf runs inside as, back with the ship, Addams prepares to leave. Rossiter asks about The Doctor but Addams reminds him he's dying anyway.
"Okay, two questions, first, who are the aliens? Second, what exactly does she mean by dying?" Jack asked as Wilf closed his eyes in shame and the others looked torn between shocked and horrified.
"Addams and Rossiter. They came to get the device The Master used to turn the entire planet into copies of him," Wilf explained.
"For your second question, not long before this, Dad met a psychic. She told him his 'song is ending' and that 'he' would knock four times," Jane explained, trying very hard not to look at Wilf as the old man averted his eyes.
"That…would actually explain a lot about the last time we saw him," Martha said as she and Mickey exchanged a glance.
"Should have known something was wrong when he saluted me," Jack said with a humorless chuckle.
"Oh Spaceman," Donna said as she looked at the TV sadly, oblivious to Wilf's discomfort beside her.
The humans are rushing out as The Master is in disbelief, reminding the Time Lords he is one their side.
"He honestly thinks they'll care," Jack realized with a mix of pity and amusement.
"You almost feel sorry for him. Almost," Jane agreed.
Outside, Joshua and his daughter flee their home as they run outside. As he sees Gallifrey in the sky, Joshua falls to his knees in terror. Back inside, Wilf rushes into the room, seeing a scientist trapped in the control booth. The Doctor tries to warn him but Wilf steps into the other booth, pressing the unlock button. The scientist rushes out as Wilf becomes locked inside.
Wilf flinched, silently cursing himself as guilt settled in his stomach. Something Jane noticed, as did Jack. Jack raised an eyebrow, wondering what that was about.
The Master notes the return of the Time Lords as being 'fantastic' but The Doctor reminds him he wasn't there for the final days of the Time War. That if the Time Lock is broken, everything is coming out, not just the Time Lords. And that's what he had opened. "Hell is descending," The Doctor snapped. "My kind of world," The Master said gleefully.
"We'd have had another Time War on our hands," Jack said as he paled.
"One that Dad wouldn't have been able to stop. Thankfully, he did," Jane said.
The Doctor warns that even the Time Lords can't survive that but the President says they will initiate the final sanction. The End of Time will come, as Gallifrey's return will rip the Time Vortex apart. Even The Master finds this insane but The President says they will ascend their bodies, becoming creatures of pure consciousness and creation itself will cease to exist. This is what they had planned in the final days of the Time War, The Doctor reveals.
"Bloody Hell. They're monsters," Mickey said as those not present or having seen these events previously were horrified. "No wonder boss had to wipe them out."
"I know war changes people but this…" Martha trailed off, speechless.
"They're bloody lunatics, the lot of them," Donna said and no one disagreed.
Jack was silent, merely staring at the screen. He'd considered himself a monster since the day he'd killed the 456. But if he was a monster, the Time Lords were demons.
The Master asks to join them but The President coldly calls him a 'disease of our own making'. The President prepares to kill The Master when, to the shock of everyone, The Doctor rises to his feet and pulls out Wilf's gun, aiming at the Time Lords.
"Now I've seen everything," Martha muttered in disbelief as those who had not witnessed this stared at the TV in disbelief.
"If The Doctor is using a gun, he must really be desperate," Jack noted with a hint of unease as Donna studied the gun.
"Granddad, isn't that your gun?" Donna asked in surprise.
"Yes, it is. I gave it to him, told him to use it to save the world," Wilf informed her.
Donna was surprised. Her grandfather had always kept his gun locked away in suitcase for as long as she'd remembered. She'd only discovered it one day as a little girl while her grandparents had been making dinner. Wilf had walked in and found her opening it and the memory of her usually even tempered grandfather losing it on her was forever burned into Donna's mind.
What had happened that would make him take it out, Donna wondered.
The President advises The Doctor to choose his enemies wisely. While The Master is one, they are many. "But he's the President," The Master points out. "Kill him and Gallifrey could be yours!"
"We're not all as self-serving as you," Martha said angrily.
"Men like him will only ever see themselves reflected in everyone around them. It's inconceivable to him that The Doctor might not want that," Jack noted.
"Some people are just truly awful," Donna said and no one disagreed.
The Doctor then whirls around, aiming at The Master. The Master tries to turn The Doctor against the Time Lords before realizing the link is inside his head. If it's broken, Gallifrey and the Time Lords go back where they came from.
"So The Master dies, the link is broken and they all go back where they came from," Jack noted.
"But Boss would never murder anyone," Mickey said certainly.
Silently, Jane wondered how they would react to the events at Apalapucia. That would certainly be an interesting recording.
When The Doctor doesn't move, The Master calls him a coward and tries to goad him into shooting him. For a long moment, The Doctor hesitates before turning back around and aiming at The President. As The Master continues trying to goad The Doctor, the President notes the final act of the Doctor is murder. Which one of them will he kill though? As The Doctor tries to figure out his next move, a Time Lady lowers her hands from her face and the Doctor is visibly stunned. As is Wilf, recognizing her as the woman who contacted him.
"You know her?" Martha inquired as they looked over at Wilf.
"She appeared on the Telly during the Queen's speech, I also saw her in a church and on Addams and Rossiter's ship. She told me to give The Doctor my gun. I'm not sure who she was though. The Doctor never told me," Wilf noted.
Jane tried not to smile. One way or the other, Wilf would find out by the time this recording was over.
The Doctor and the woman stare at each other for a long moment before her eyes flicker to the side. The Doctor then turns around, aiming at The Master before telling him to get out of the way. The Master smirks before jumping aside and The Doctor pulls the trigger. The bullet strikes the White Point Star, destroying it and setting the device on fire. "The Link is broken! Back into the Time War Rassilon! Back into Hell!" The Doctor declared.
"He did it," Martha said in relief.
"Did you ever doubt it?" Jane asked with a smile.
"Never," Donna said firmly.
"Something tells me it's not over yet though," Jack noted as they continued watching.
Rassilon declares The Doctor shall die with him, which he acknowledges. As Rassilon prepares to kill The Doctor, The Master tells him to get out of the way. The Doctor then jumps out to the side as The Master attacks with a burst of energy, which strikes Rassilon in the chest.
"So…The Master…saved The Doctor," Martha said slowly, in a state of disbelief.
"Really messes with your head, doesn't it?" Jane said dryly and got four disbelieving nods in return.
"You did this to me! All my life! You made me!" The Master declares as the incapacitated Rassilon is helpless to do anything. The Master continues striking Rassilon before, with a great flash of light; he vanishes with the Time Lords as Gallifrey fades from the Earth's orbit.
"Looks like Boss won again," Mickey said with a smirk.
"There's still that prophecy," Jack pointed out.
None of them noticed Wilf's flinch save Jane, who looked at him with compassion.
On the streets, Sylvia watches in relief with all her neighbors while, back at the mansion, The Doctor is on his back, marveling at the fact that he's alive. His relief is cut short when he hears four knocks.
Wilf closed his eyes, face contorted in guilt as everyone else tensed, wondering what would happen now.
Pulling himself to his feet, The Doctor turns to see Wilf trapped in the control booth.
Tears of guilt began falling down Wilf's cheeks as the color drained from Donna's face.
"It's you," Mickey breathed in a mix of shock and concern.
Jack looked at Wilf in surprise, Wilf's reaction now making sense. Martha looked torn between shock at this development and compassion for Wilf. Donna simply stared at her grandfather, her face full of shock as her eyes shined with kindness.
"Oh Granddad," she said sadly as she pulled him into a tight hug that he felt he did not deserve.
Wilf asks if he can let him out, as the control booth is making a strange noise. The Doctor explains The Master overloaded the nuclear bolt by leaving it running. The control booth contains all the excess radiation. The Doctor then reveals if he lets Wilf out, he'll be flooded with radiation; even his screwdriver will set it off.
"I'm sorry. It's was all my fault," Wilf sniffed, wiping his eyes. "If I had just stayed away…"
"Had you done that, it seems to me that the human race would have been wiped out," Jack noted as he overcome his surprise.
"There's no way you could have known. You did the best you could under the circumstances," Martha said as she looked at Wilf with compassion. "Don't blame yourself."
"I can't help but blame myself. If it weren't for me-"
"Gramps," Donna said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You were trying to help someone. There was no way you could have known what would happen. Do not blame yourself."
"What happened will keep you up for the rest of your life. Because you're a good man Wilfred. But Dad forgave you a long time ago. You need to forgive yourself," Jane told Wilf kindly.
Wilf apologizes and tells the Doctor to leave him.
"Gramps," Donna looked at him shocked.
"I'm an old man Donna. I've lived a long, good life. Dying to make sure The Doctor lived seemed like a good way to go," Wilf admitted.
"Had Dad let you die, he would have lost everything about him that made him good. He would have become no better than The Master, especially since this version of Dad was a control freak with a God Complex," Jane noted. "Not surprising, since he got an imprint of Rose's DNA."
"What?" Mickey asked as they all looked at her confused.
"Rose took the heart of the TARDIS into herself to save Dad from the Daleks. In order to save her, Dad had to take it all into himself, beginning his regeneration into The Doctor most of you first met. What he didn't realize was that he took a piece of Rose's DNA into himself by saving her," Jane explained as they listened in stunned disbelief. "This piece of Rose affected Dad's personality, amplifying certain personality traits and creating news one. One such change was an amplified feeling of self-importance."1
"That…actually explains a lot," Jack mused after a moment of thought.
The Doctor mockingly goes to leave before angrily snapping at Wilf for getting trapped in the booth.
Wilf winced, shame filling him.
"Why is he acting like he'll actually die?" Martha wondered. "I know regeneration is technically death, but he'll still get to live."
"Like I said, Rose's DNA caused Dad to go through a lot of changes in personality. One of those was seeing regeneration as something akin to death. As far as he's concerned, he'll die once he does this," Jane explained.
Wilf pleads with The Doctor to just leave him, as he's an old man. "Well exactly! Look at you! Not remotely important! But me? I could do so much more!" The Doctor shouts to the ceiling as he walks around the room. "SO MUCH MORE! But this is what I get. My reward. Well it's not fair!" The Doctor angrily pushes aside some papers.
"Oi! Stop thinking of yourself for a minute Spaceman! It's not all about you!" Donna said angrily.
"Donna-" Wilf started.
"No, she's right. He's actually considering letting you die to save himself," Martha said, disgust for The Doctor filling her.
Jack and Mickey simply stared in shock. While they knew The Doctor could be selfish, cold and unfeeling, this was another level. He wasn't perfect, but he'd never before been so self-centered.
"As much as I'm really not a fan of this version of Dad, he does do the right thing in the end," Jane said. "He simply had too much of Rose in him."
"I take it the Rose DNA burned up in regeneration?" Jack asked and Jane nodded. "I look forward to meeting this new version of The Doctor then."
Realizing what he'd just said, The Doctor seems to realize how selfish he is being. Heading towards the control booth, The Doctors ignores Wilf's pleas, telling him that it is his honor. The Doctor opens the other door, pressing the button and unlocking Wilf's door. Wilf quickly exited the booth as The Doctor is flooded with radiation. The Doctor falls to his knees, writhing in agony as Wilf watches in guilt. Finally, the Doctor collapses and the red light faded as the booth went dead.
Most of Donna and Martha's anger and disgust faded as they all watched the screen in horror. Even knowing he survived, it was not easy to see their friend in such agony.
For a moment, it appears The Doctor is dead. Then, he rises to his feet. The Doctor emerges from the chamber and Wilf notes he has some battle scars. The Doctor puts his hands to his face and, when he lowers them, the cuts on The Doctor's face are gone, to Wilf's shock. His regeneration has started, The Doctor explains. In guilt, Wilf hugs The Doctor as The Doctor looks ahead with a look of despair.
A solemn feeling had settled over the room. Even knowing that he would regenerate, in a way, it was a goodbye. They would never see the man who had changed their lives so much again. It was the end of a journey in a lot of ways.
Back at the Mott-Noble household, Donna is lying on the couch, out cold as Shaun and Sylvia fret over her. As Shaun tries to wake her up, Sylvia hears the sound of the TARDIS outside. Donna then wakes up confused as she asks what happened. Seeing their faces, Donna asks if she missed something again.
"I always seem to miss something," Donna grumbled as Wilf chuckled, breaking out of his glum mood.
"You were always so eager to go on adventures, even as a little girl. You wouldn't let anyone stop you and you ended up missing what was right in front of you," Wilf reminisces fondly and Donna flushed.
"Granddad," Donna complained as everyone else chuckled in amusement.
"I can see that," Martha noted, easily imagining a young Donna rushing off to have adventures.
Smiling, Sylvia rushes outside as Shaun kisses Donna. Outside, Sylvia sees The Doctor and Wilf stepping out of the TARDIS and smiles.
"See, your mother came around," Wilf told Donna, who nodded, a little surprised.
The Doctor is unnerved by this before telling Wilf that this wasn't goodbye and he would see him again. Wilf asks when that would be and The Doctor vaguely says to keep looking. When Wilf asks where he was going, The Doctor says 'to get my reward'.
"What exactly is a reward for a Time Lord who saves the world?" Jack wondered.
"The same reward that everyone wants in the end," Jane said vaguely.
At a warehouse, Martha and Mickey are running, dodging blasts from an enemy. The pair take cover behind a rock formation as Mickey scolds her for not staying behind him.
"It's always the same with you," Martha rolled her eyes.
"You're always the first target in the field!" Mickey protested.
"You're almost hit as much as me," Martha shot back.
"I guess what they say is true, never mix business with pleasure," Jack joked as the others watched the pair in amusement.
"Oh like you're one to talk," Martha said and Jack shrugged, conceding her point.
Martha argues he's the one who convinced her to go freelance and Mickey argues they were being fired at by a Sontaran. Mickey says this was no place for a married woman. Then he shouldn't have married her, Martha says and they laugh.
"Whatever happened to Tom? Last I saw you, you were engaged to him?" Donna wondered and Martha grimaced.
"It's…complicated. He really couldn't understand…this life, with UNIT and The Doctor. There were times where he would just stare at me after I finished telling him about work and I knew he didn't really understand. We grew apart and it started to feel like I was planning a life with a stranger. One day we just sat down to talk and agreed this wasn't working anymore. Last I heard, Tom was seeing another doctor in Scotland. But, things worked out for the best," Martha said as she exchanged a loving look with Mickey.
Martha rushes over to Mickey as they look for the Sontaran, unaware he has them in his sights. Before he can pull the trigger, The Doctor suddenly appears behind him, striking him with a hammer. The Sontaran went down as, while Mickey tries to form a plan, Martha looks up and sees The Doctor. Martha points him out to Mickey, who tries to go to him but Martha stops him. The Doctor stared at them silently before turning and walking off. Realizing something had happened; Martha and Mickey embrace as they hear the sound of the TARDIS taking off.
A solemn feeling settled back over the group as they watched the scene.
"When it's time to go, remember what you're leaving. Remember the best," Jane noted wistfully and the others looked at her in confusion. "Just something Dad said once. I know Dad's not perfect, but he does care about you guys."
"We know. Boss is just a…complicated guy to understand," Mickey noted.
"And hopefully after seeing these recordings, you'll understand him better," Jane said.
"That is not always a good thing," Jack noted grimly, causing the others to shoot him odd looks.
At 13 Bannerman Road, Luke Smith is on his phone, not paying attention to where he was going. As he crosses the street, he doesn't notice a car approaching him.
"Bloody Hell Luke, watch where you're going!" Mickey said in exasperation.
"Kids today, I swear," Wilf groaned.
"Tell me about it," Jack agreed.
Before he can be struck, The Doctor rushes out, grabbing him and getting him to safety. As The Doctor lets go of Luke, Luke marvels at him, realizing who he was. As The Doctor turns around and begins to walk away, Luke runs towards his house, calling for Sarah Jane. As Sarah rushes out to greet him, Luke points out the Doctor. Standing outside the TARDIS, The Doctor turns towards Sarah, who gets emotional, realizing what was happening. The Doctor waves at her before entering the TARDIS and Sarah smiles.
Hearing sniffling, Donna looked over, seeing both Mickey and Martha were on the verge of tears as they stared at the screen. Even Jack seemed saddened as he looked at Sarah's imageon the screen. Donna immediately put two and two together.
"No," Donna said horrified and Martha looked at her sadly. "How…"
"She um, was driving home from the store," Mickey said lowly, clearing his throat. "She stopped to help someone whose car had broken down. She offered them a ride and they were pulling out when another driver came flying down the road and crashed into them. Sarah Jane's car ended up wrapped around a tree. Some people nearby called an ambulance and they were taken to the hospital. But by then, Sarah Jane was brain dead."
Donna put a hand to her mouth, eyes filled with tears. While she had only briefly met Sarah Jane, The Doctor had mentioned her more than once. It was heartbreaking to think after all the aliens, it was a reckless driver that had ultimately done her in.
"It was a tragedy, but, from I know of her, I doubt she'd have had it any other way," Jack mused and they all looked at him incredulously. "She died trying to help someone. There are worse ways to go."
"You seem like you've given that a lot of thought," Martha noted and Jack shrugged.
"When you can't die, you sometimes envy those who can," Jack said simply.
At an alien bar, Jack is sitting alone, nursing a drink as an Adipose runs in front of him. A bartender suddenly places a note in front of him, saying it's 'from the man over there' as he gestured behind him. As the bartender walks away, Jack sees The Doctor. The Doctor nods and Jack unfolds the note, which said 'his name is Alonso '. The Doctor then gestures to the crewman who just sat down next to Jack. The Doctor salutes Jack, who returns the gesture before The Doctor walks off.
"Should have known something was wrong when he saluted me," Jack chuckled dryly. "He always hated that."
"Tell me about it," Martha said dryly.
Jack then greets Alonso, who asks how he knew his name. Jack jokes about being psychic as they begin to flirt.
"Did that…go anywhere?" Martha asked gently as she looked over at Jack.
"We had a fun night, but it was too soon," Jack said with a faraway look in his eyes.
Maybe if he'd met Alonso a few decades later, when the pain of Ianto's death had dulled a bit, they'd have had a chance of something. But he was still in too much pain for there to ever be a future with Alonso.
At a bookstore, Verity Newman is giving a book signing, explaining to a customer her great-grandmother had encountered and fallen in love with The Doctor as John Smith.
"My God. She looks just like her," Martha said in shock.
"Like seeing a ghost, isn't it?" Jane noted dryly.
"She's Joan's granddaughter. The woman who The Doctor fell in love with while human," Donna realized, remembering seeing a drawing of her on the TARDIS one day and The Doctor had reluctantly explained all about it.
"It's incredible, she looks just like her," Martha said in a bit of disbelief.
She gave the customer the book and the next person in line stepped up, giving her the book. She asked who it was for and he said The Doctor. As she signs it, Verity absently notes that's what he was called before looking up in shock as The Doctor asks if Joan had been happy. Verity confirms she had been before asking if he was. Without answering, The Doctor takes his book and walks out.
"Oh Spaceman," Donna sighed sadly as they all stared at the screen sadly.
"After all this time, you'd think he'd find something worth living for," Martha noted sadly.
"Unfortunately, in his line of work, that might not be possible," Jack said, although he wasn't sure if he was talking about The Doctor or himself.
At a church, the newly married Shaun and Donna are emerging as the bells ring, greeted by Wilf, Sylvia and the rest of their friends and family. Wilf and Sylvia kiss Donna on both cheeks before Wilf leads the crowd in cheering for the couple.
"That was a good day," Donna smiled.
"Not every day you get married," Jack agreed, thinking back to a few of his own weddings.
"Well yes, but I also won the lottery," Donna said before her eyes widened n realization. "NO!"
"Dad takes care of the people he loves," Jane said with a smile.
"But how did he know?" Donna wondered.
"I mentioned that you and Shaun could only afford a tiny flat. With everything else that happened, I didn't think he even remembered," Wilf admitted.
As Donna goes to take pictures with her friends, Wilf is flirted with by Minnie who jokes about catching a bouquet. Sylvia glances behind her and sees The Doctor standing a few feet from the TARDIS. After alerting Wilf, the pair walks up to The Doctor. Wilf tells The Doctor Joshua and his daughter were both arrested for their assistance of The Master.
"Can't say they didn't deserve it. Playing God always has consequences," Jack said, pausing as he thought of Steven. "Always."
Wilf asks The Doctor who the woman was. The Doctor glances at Sylvia before glancing back at Donna.
"No," Donna said as the past companions all froze, staring at the TV in disbelief. "No."
"That woman…she can't be…" Mickey muttered in disbelief.
"Even Dad was a child once. He had to have a mother at some point," Jane said with a grin.2
The Doctor pulls out an envelope, handing it to Wilf, saying it's a wedding present for Donna. The Doctor explains he'd borrowed a pound from a man named Jeffery Noble. Sylvia tears up as she realizes this was Donna's father.
"Dad," Donna breathed, tears filling her eyes as Wilf placed a hand on her shoulder.
"See sweetheart? I know you missed him that day, but he was still with you in a way," Wilf said as she sniffed, wiping her eyes.
"Yeah…yeah I guess," Donna said, swallowing thickly.
Wilf thanks The Doctor before they walk over to Donna as she finishes taking another picture with some guests. Wilf hands the envelope to her and she thinks it's a bill. Instead, she opens it and finds a lottery ticket, to her confusion as Wilf and Sylvia realize what The Doctor has done.
"Oh Spaceman," Donna sniffs as wipes her eyes again, gratitude filling her.
Donna puts it in her bra before walking back to her friends as Wilf and Sylvia look back at The Doctor. Wilf gives him a salute before The Doctor walks into the TARDIS. Wilf cries in guilt before the TARDIS takes off.
Wilf once again felt guilt crush down on him. Even though he knew that The Doctor survived, he doubted he would ever truly forgive himself for what happened.
At Powell Estate, Rose Tyler and her mother are walking down the street, arguing about Jackie's boyfriend. As Jackie notes the hopelessness of her love life, Rose encourages her to stay positive.
"Of course Rose would be his last stop," Mickey said with something akin to amusement.
"Who else would it be?" Jack asked with a slight grin.
"Seems like it's before they met," Mickey noted.
"Since Rose is trapped on the parallel earth, it's the only way he could visit her without messing with his own timeline," Jane explained.
They hug before parting for the night, Rose jokingly telling Jackie not to stay out all night. They part ways and Rose walks in the opposite direction. She passes The Doctor on her way. He grunts in pain, catching her attention. She asks him if he's alright and he assures her he's fine. She thinks he just had too much to drink the night before. She tells him to go home and he agrees. As she turns to leave, The Doctor asks her the year and, with a laugh, she says 2005, January 1st.
"The year they met," Mickey noted.
"Just a few months short of when Dad saved her from the Autons and this all started," Jane agreed.
"Guess he really was going for a full circle type goodbye," Martha noted.
He tells her she'll have a great year and, with a smile, Rose walks off. The Doctor watches until Rose enters her flat before he grunts in pain. The Doctor half walked, half stumbled towards the TARDIS as the pain begins to overwhelm him. He falls to his knees before looking up, seeing Ood Sigma a few feet away.
"Ood Sigma," Donna said in surprise. "I never thought I'd see him again."
"Dad may come and go, but his friends always remember him. He probably has more friends than anyone else in the universe," Jane noted.
"We will sing to you Doctor. The universe will sing you to your sleep," Sigma said. As The Doctor manages to pull himself to his feet, a shot of the Ood sitting around a campfire is seen as they sing.
"My word," Wilf said, tears springing to his eyes at the beauty of the song.
He wasn't the only one affected. Donnie wiped her eyes as Martha and Mickey held hands, tears springing to their eyes. Even Jack looked mesmerized by the beauty.
"Beautiful, isn't it? I've been all over the universe, but the singing of the Oods might be the most beautiful thing I've ever come across," Jane said with a voice full of awe.
"This song is ending, but the story never ends," Sigma said as the Doctor willed himself to walk towards the TARDIS. Once reaching the TARDIS, The Doctor entered it and took off his coat. Looking down, he saw one of his hands was beginning to glow.
"Here we go," Jack muttered as they all waited, knowing what was coming next.
Walking towards the console, The Doctor put it into flight. As the TARDIS is seen flying into space, The Doctor looked out at the TARDIS tearfully. "I don't want to go."
"Oh Spaceman," Donna said softly, feeling sorry for him in spite of the fact it wasn't really a death so much as a rebirth.
It was an end, and a beginning.
The Doctor's entire body then glows with the Regeneration Energy. He held out both hands before crying out as the Energy strikes the TARDIS, setting the console on fire and shattering the windows. Pieces of debris fall down as, with a cry, The Doctor turns into his eleventh form.
"Bloody Hell," Mickey muttered as everyone but Jane stared at the TV in shock.
"It's him!" Wilf exclaimed in shock.
"You know this version of The Doctor?" Jack asked as he looked over at Wilf.
"From the looks of it, I think we all do," Martha noted as she saw they all had the same shocked look on their faces upon seeing him.
"After the next one, we should take a break for lunch and then you can all compare notes on how you know this version of Dad," Jane suggested, trying not to show her surprise.
This had not been something either her father or the TARDIS had ever told her. She was looking forward to seeing how Dad's eleventh form had inserted himself into the lives of his old friends.
As he adjusts to his new form, The Doctor checks that his new body has all the right parts, initially fearing he'd turned into a girl and noting he was 'still not ginger'.
"What is with him and wanting to be ginger?" Mickey wondered, remembering Rose telling him The Doctor saying the same thing after his previous regeneration.
"He's regenerated multiple times and he's never been ginger. It's always been a fantasy of his," Jane shrugged. "He could have worse dreams."
The Doctor realizes he'd forgotten something important. An explosion rocks the TARDIS and The Doctor happily realizes the TARDIS is crashing. As The TARDIS falls to earth, The Doctor laughs. "Geronimo!" he declares before the screen goes black.
"Why does the TARDIS crashing to earth not surprise me?" Martha asked, torn between amusement and exasperation.
"He's been crashing into people lives for centuries. Seems like it was only a matter of time before the TARDIS followed suit," Jack shrugged.
"Should we be more concerned?" Donna wondered.
"Boss has survived worse than this," Mickey pointed out and Donna nodded, conceding his point as the TV started the next recording.
Well, that's one down. Hope you all enjoyed the interactions.
I went back and forth over whether or not to include Sarah Jane but, ultimately, since I haven't yet seen the original Doctor Who, I didn't feel I could do her justice and so killing her off was really my only other option, because there's no good reason why she wouldn't be included in this if she were still alive.
1: There being a transfer of DNA from Rose to The Doctor is an idea used in Phillipe363's one shot 'Erasing River's doubts'. Thank you to him for letting me use it.
2: Let's be honest, the most likely identity of the woman is The Doctor's mother. It's even implied in his conversation with Wilf and Sylvia.
See you all next time with another chapter.