Time Can Be Rewritten
Disclaimer : I don't own anything
Thanks to all of you who have reviewed, followed and added this story to your favourites, I really appreciate it.
I have also added a poll on my account as to whether Jackie and Pete will be in the parallel world or in Rose's at the end of Doomsday, I have story lines for both and would appreciate it if you guys took the time to vote, or just tell me in a review.
I hope you liked the last chapter and I hope you enjoy this one!
OoOoOo
School Reunion
"That was Mickey." Rose said as she hung up.
The Doctor raised his eyebrows but didn't look up from the book he was reading "What did he say?" he asked after a moment.
She rolled her eyes at his lack of interest, that'd change soon, Bad Wolf chuckled in her mind "Freakishly smart kids at a high school… UFO sighting…" she said offhandedly, walking towards the console room before she turned around in the door frame "Oh, and a…er, journalist named Sarah-Jane Smith."
The Doctor's head shot up at that but Rose had already dashed out of the library.
OoOoOo
"Sarah-Jane Smith, you say?" He inquired curiously as he sauntered into the console room where Rose was sat in the Captain's chair.
"Hmm-hm."
The Doctor let out a noise of frustration as Rose didn't look at him once as she tried to hide her smile.
"Rose!" He was whining.
She snorted "Don't whine, Doctor."
He rolled his eyes "Now that I've gotten your attention, what was this about a journelist?"
Rose cocked her head to the side and shrugged "You mean, Sarah-Jane Smith?"
He nodded, motioning for her to continue.
"Who was your companion for several years."
The Doctor looked uncomfortable.
Rose grinned at him as she said "Tell me about her!"
The Doctor looked bemused for a moment "O-okay?"
Rose sniggered "How come you've never mentioned a Sarah-Jane before? Or any other 'companions' for that matter?"
Rose could see the wall go up between them as she said this and watched as the Doctor attempted to lock away his emotions.
But she continued "I mean, they're a part of your life and even if you cant see them again, you always have your memories."
The Doctor stared at her with an unreadable expression.
Rose walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him "That's why you don't mention them, isn't it? Because some of them are… gone?"
The Doctor swallowed thickly as he nodded "Or they made their own life… or like Sarah, I regrettably didn't go back for her."
"You mean, you left 'er?"
The Doctor nodded, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as he replied "I, er, I was summoned to Gallifrey."
"Your home?"
He nodded again "I promised her that I wouldn't forget her."
Rose smiled "And you haven't."
The Doctor frowned "How did you know about Sarah?"
Rose smiled sheepishly "I may have been snooping…"
He raised his eyebrows.
"The TARDIS didn't stop me!" She defended as the Doctor took on an amused look "If anything she helped, opening doors and flickering lights leadin' the way."
The Doctor snorted "She wants you to know about me…" he stroked the TARDIS fondly as Rose grinned at him.
"So do I." He muttered "So Miss Tyler, what would you like to know?"
Rose beamed at him as she began firing off questions about former companions and adventures.
This time she didn't want to argue with Sarah Jane Smith, she had quite liked her last time after they had both gotten over their petty jealousy. And Rose hoped Donna and Martha wouldn't get in the way of her and the Doctor when they found them, but if they were as good as Jack had suggested, Rose doubted they would.
OoOoOo
They had finally landed and Rose opened the door to find Mickey out there waiting for them.
He beamed at Rose, giving her a hug as he nodded to the Doctor who had emerged from behind her.
"So, what do you think of being a-"
"I'm so not being…" She paused for effect, grimacing as she said "a dinner lady."
Mickey sniggered as the Doctor rolled his eyes "Come on, Rose… it's not that bad."
"Well, what are you gonna be?"
"Physics teacher."
Rose pouted "Stupid alien Timelord intelligence…"
Mickey snorted.
Rose's eyes lit up "What about Mickey?"
"What about Mickey?" Mickey asked cautiously.
The Doctor rolled his eyes "Mickey needs to stay outside the school."
Rose slumped as she relented "…Fine…" she glared at him "But you owe me one."
The Doctor grinned at her before he kissed her softly.
OoOoOo
Rose scowled as she spooned food onto teenagers and teachers plates, sighing impatiently as she waited for the Doctor to appear for lunch.
"Suits you." She heard him laugh.
Rose glared up at the Doctor as she spooned the mashed potato onto his plate "I will get you back for this."
He chuckled, amused as he went over to one of the empty tables.
Once the line of people ended, Rose walked over to his table with a dishcloth and wiped his table down as she spoke with a growl "Two days."
The Doctor smirked "Sorry, could you just - there's a bit of gravy." He pointed to a spot on the table and Rose wiped it "No, no - just there."
Rose scowled at him as she wiped it up "You're enjoying this, arent you?"
He sniggered "Sorry."
She rolled her eyes "This is all Mickey's fault."
The Doctor grinned "Well, he was right about something going on here."
Rose sat down opposite him and listened intently, although she knew what was going to happen she still liked how he was when he got all detective-y.
He leaned forwards "Boy in class this morning - got a knowledge way beyond planet Earth."
Rose arched an eyebrow before she looked pointedly at his chips, her increased intelligence last time had helped figure it out although she had no doubts he could do it anyway she still asked "You eating those chips?"
His nose crinkled slightly as he grimaced, "Yeah, they're a bit… different."
Rose grinned as she swiped a chip "I think they're gorgeous. Wish I had school dinners like this." She fully agreed with that - the added intelligence would have been useful, though she could do without the murderous aliens behind it all.
The Doctor ignored her and looked around the canteen, squinting slightly "It's very well behaved, this place."
Rose continued eating the chips as she made a sound of agreement "Mm."
"I thought there'd be happy-slapping hoodies. Happy-slapping hoodies with ASBOs. Happy-slapping hoodies with ASBOs and ringtones."
Rose sniggered as he stared at her looking impressed with himself "Yeah? Yeah? Oh, yeah! Don't tell me I don't fit in."
Rose grinned at him as a dinner lady approached the table.
The woman glared at Rose "You are not permitted to leave your station during a sitting."
Rose rolled her eyes and said "This teacher was just complaining about the chips."
The Doctor cheerily said "Hello!" as the dinner lady turned her glare on him.
She sounded affronted as she defended the food "The menu has been specifically designed by the headmaster to improve concentration and performance." She then turned sharply back to Rose and ordered "Now, get back to work."
Rose rolled her eyes, but she stood up anyway "See?" She asked walking backwards away from the table as the Doctor grinned "This is me." She gestured down at her uniform "The dinner lady."
"I'll have the crumble."
Rose snorted "I'm so gonna kill you."
She returns over to her station as the Doctor continued grinning manically, but her attention was caught as she watched one of the other teachers approach one of the students.
"Melissa. You'll be joining my class for the next period. Milo's failed me… so it's time we moved you up to the top class."
Rose frowned wondering how she hadn't noticed that last time, what he'd said, 'Milo's failed me,' didn't sound like something a teacher should say about a student… but maybe she was just seeing more into it because she knew what was happening this time around.
Rose left the hall and entered the kitchen to begin the washing up and was drying a tray when the dinner ladies entered carefully wheeling in a barrel of oil.
Rose watched them warily, even knowing what happened last time she was extremely cautious of being around alien dinner ladies.
"I said keep it steady. Careful…" One of the dinner ladies ordered "That's it… easy now… steady…"
Rose jumped as her mobile rang, she had forgotton that she had asked Mickey to phone her "Yeah?" She asked as she answered it quietly, still keeping her eyes on the aliens.
"I just got into army records." Mickey said, sounding proud of himself, Rose inwardly smiled she had never really acknowledged how good Mickey was but now she could see how everyone had underestimated him.
"Three months ago, massive UFO sightings - lights in the sky, all of that. I cant get any photo's, 'cause then it gets all classified and secret. Keeps locking me out." Mickey continued.
Rose frowned as she replied "Three months ago, all the kitchen staff were replaced." She watched as the dinner ladies wheeled in a second barrel with extreme caution "And these lot are weird."
"See, there's something going on!" Mickey said happily.
Rose sniggered "I already knew that, you muppet."
Mickey scoffed "Yeah, but I found this case last time as well… so…"
"Yeah, yeah… you're awesome, blah blah…" Rose laughed.
"Yeah, but this time I get to be involved!"
"Like with the robot Santas?"
"Maybe not that involved." Mickey said warily, remembering the chase through London and the homicidal Christmas tree.
Rose sniggered "You're gonna have to be if you're comin' with me and the Doctor."
"You sure you want me?"
"Mickey, I love ya… not in the way I love the Doctor but-"
Mickey cut her off "Alright, alright, if you insist."
Rose snorted "Didn't take much persuasion."
"Okay, you caught me… I actually can't wait to go on an actual adventure with you and him."
Rose laughed as she exclaimed victoriously "I knew it!"
Mickey chuckled "Yeah, yeah…"
Rose's attention was then caught as some of the oil spilled onto one of the dinner ladies who then started to scream in agony as her skin smoked.
"I'll call you back." She informed Mickey, her tone turning serious before she hung up.
"Get her up, get her up!" One of the dinner ladies commanded urgently as the others hoisted the injured one to her feet.
Rose frowned but didn't speak up as the dinner ladies hustled the injured one into the office, ducking behind something quickly as the head dinner lady looked around the kitchen quickly before closing the door behind her.
Rose remained hidden as she heard sounds of something bursting into flames followed by smashing and a billow of smoke fogging up the window before the partition was closed quickly.
OoOoOo
The Doctor opened a fire door ahead of them and emerged into a dark corridor with Rose and Mickey following closely behind him.
"Oh, its weird seeing school at night. It just feels wrong." They walked cautiously down the corridor as Rose spoke "When I was a kid, I used to think all the teachers slept in school."
"All right, team." The Doctor said, ignoring Rose "Oh, I hate people who say 'team'. Um… 'gang'. Um… 'comrades'. Uh… anyway, Rose, go to the kitchen and get a sample of that oil. Mickey, the new staff are all Maths teachers, go and check out the Maths department. I'm gonna look in Finch's office. Be back here in ten minutes."
He grinned at them before he took off up the stairs.
"You gonna be alright?"
Mickey scoffed "Me? Please. Infiltration and investigation? I'm an expert at this." He stode away confidently.
Rose smirked as she waited for him to come back and arched an eyebrow as he came to stand back in front of her.
"Where's the Maths department?"
Rose sniggered as she pointed in the opposite direction "Down there, turn left, through the fire doors, on the right."
He grinned sheepishly "Thank you."
OoOoOo
Rose took the lid off the barrel of oil and spooned some into a small jar before a shadow passed over her, followed by a screech making her look up sharply.
OoOoOo
Rose ran down the same corridor as last time as she heard Mickey wail, she almost collided with the Doctor and Sarah-Jane as she asked them "Did you hear that?" She grinned at the older woman "You must be Sarah-Jane, he wouldn't shut up about you back on the TARDIS."
The Doctor scratched his ears awkwardly as his cheeks reddened slightly whilst Sarah-Jane looked pleasantly surprised by Rose's statement.
"Oh?" She asked, a happy smile on her lips.
"Yeah, it's great meeting you by the way."
Sarah-Jane's smile was much less fake this time as she shook Rose's hand. "Likewise."
"Rose Tyler."
The Doctor was smiling in slight bemusement as Rose happily accepted Sarah-Jane as was the older woman who looked bewildered at Rose's easy acceptance.
Before he contemplated it further, the Doctor ran off again with Rose and Sarah-Jane following after him.
They proceeded to find Mickey in one of the classrooms, surrounded by vacuum-packed rats.
"Sorry!" Mickey said as he stumbled away from the rats "Sorry, it was only me. You told me to investigate, so I - I started looking through some of these cupboards and all of these fell out of them."
The Doctor bent down and picked up a few to examine as Rose grimaced "Vacuum-packed rats… great."
The Doctor smirked at Mickey "And you decided to scream."
"It took me by surprise!" Mickey defended.
"Like a little girl?"
Mickey protested "It was dark! I was covered in rats!"
"Nine, maybe ten years old. I'm seeing pigtails, frilly skirt."
Mickey sputtered indignantly.
"Hello, can we focus? Does anyone notice anything strange about this? Rats in school?" Rose asked.
Sarah-Jane spoke up "Maybe they use them in biology lessons, they dissect them."
Rose frowned "I don't think they do that anymore, I hope they don't do that anymore." She added quietly, her nose crinkling in disgust.
Mickey snorted as the Doctor and Sarah-Jane smiled faintly.
"So everything started three months ago, when that new headmaster Mr. Finch arrived, so why don't we go and check out his office." Rose asked.
The Doctor nodded and lead the way out of the room after he threw the rat he was holding to Mickey who dropped it quickly.
OoOoOo
"So, what exactly do you do?" Rose asked Sarah-Jane as they walked ahead of the Doctor and Mickey "The Doctor said you were a journalist back when you was travelling together, but it looks like you came here looking for adventure." Rose finished with a grin.
Sarah-Jane smiled "I suppose I noticed the same things as you did, UFO sightings, increased intelligence…" She paused and looked at Rose for a moment "It's not as exciting as travelling to different planets, but looking into strange, possibly alien, things is better than ordinary journalism."
Rose laughed as she nodded in agreement.
The Doctor and Mickey merely looked confused at the pleasant exchange between the two women, the Doctor had been half expecting them to fight.
OoOoOo
Rose, Mickey and Sarah-Jane watched on silently as the Doctor unlocked the door of the Headmaster's office with the sonic screwdriver.
"Maybe those rats were food." The Doctor said curiously.
"Food for what?" Rose asked quietly.
The Doctor opened the door slowly and peered inside, looking upwards at the ceiling "Rose… you know you used to think all the teachers slept in the school…? Well… they do."
He opened the door a bit wider and the four of them just stared up at the aliens hanging upside down from the ceiling.
Mickey turned on his heel "No way!"
Sarah-Jane and Rose quickly followed him out with the Doctor going last and shutting the door behind him.
The four of them ran through the building, hurring out of the front doors of the school quickly.
Mickey panted as he said "I am not going back in there. No way."
Rose looked at the Doctor "Those were the teachers!"
"When Finch arrived, he brought with him seven new teacherss, four dinner ladies and a nurse. Thirteen. Thirteen big bat people. Come on." The Doctor said before he began to walk back inside.
"Come on- you've got to be kidding!" Mickey hissed incredulously.
"We need the TARDIS." The Doctor replied "I've got to analyse that oil from the kitchen."
Sarah-Jane grinned "I might be able to help you there. I've got something to show you!" She grabbed the Doctor's arm and pulled him excitedly towards her car.
She opened up the boot of her car and the Doctor pulled the blanket off the figure, revealing K9.
"K9!" The Doctor exclaimed excitedly as he turned to Rose "Rose, Mickey Smith - allow me to introduce K9 - well, K9 Mark III to be precise."
Rose grinned at the Doctor's enthusiasm as she asked "Why does he look so… disco?"
"Oi!" The Doctor said indignantly "Listen, in the year five thousand, this was cutting edge!" Rose sniggered as the Doctor turned to Sarah-Jane "What's happened to him?"
"Oh, one day, he just… nothing!"
"Well, didn't you try and get him repaired?"
Mickey shook his head and Rose rolled her eyes as Sarah-Jane replied "Well, it's not like getting parts for a mini-metro! Beside, the technology inside him could rewrite human science. I couldn't show him to anyone!"
The Doctor cooed at K9, stroking the tin dog gently as he said "Ooh, what's the nasty lady done to you? Eh?"
Rose rolled her eyes as she teased "Careful, you might make the TARDIS jealous."
Sarah-Jane chuckled and Mickey grinned as the Doctor scowled at her.
OoOoOo
The four of them decided to go to a chip shop as the Doctor attempted to fix K9 whilst Sarah-Jane sat opposite him and Rose and Mickey paid for a portion chips.
"Two quid, love." The shopkeeper said as Rose handed over the money quietly before her and Mickey sat at a different table.
"Might as well give 'em some time to catch up." Rose said with a smile as she started digging in.
"You're not even a little jealous?" Mickey asked quietly.
Rose grinned "I trust 'im… besides Sarah-Jane was his 'companion' once, of course he'll want to catch up."
Mickey merely shrugged "If you say so."
Rose rolled her eyes.
They were broken out of the uncomfortable silence that had settled between them by K9's proclaimation of "Master!"
The Doctor was ecstatic as he responded "He recognises me!"
"Affirmative."
The Doctor looked up at Rose and Mickey who had walked over to join them and took the oil off Rose which she had out ready for him.
"Careful, though, that dinner lady got all scalded."
"I'm no dinner lady." Rose snorted at the Doctor's comment, he frowned "And I don't often say that."
He dipped his finger into the oil and K9 put out a sensor for the Doctor to put it onto, which he proceeded to do.
"Here we go. Come on, boy. Here we go."
"Oil." K9 stuttered through his words "Ex- ex- ex- extract ana- an- analysing…"
Mickey grinned as he said, sounding delighted "Listen to it, man! That's a voice!"
"Careful! That's my dog!" Sarah-Jane reprimanded as Mickey looked sheepish.
"Confirmation of analysis - substance is Krillitane Oil."
K9's words shocked the Doctor as he said "They're Krillitanes."
"I take it that's bad." Rose stated.
The Doctor turned to look at her "Very. Think of how bad things could possibly be, and add another suitcase full of bad."
"And what are… Krillitanes?" Sarah-Jane asked curiously.
"They're a composite race. Just like your culture is a mixture of traditions from all sorts of countries - people you've invaded or have been invaded by, you've got bits - bits of Viking, bits of France, bits of whatever - the Krillitanes are the same. An amalgam of the races they've conquered. But they take physical aspects as well. They cherry-pick the best bits from the people they destroy. That's why I didn't recognise them. The last time I saw Krillitanes, they looked just like us except they had really long necks."
"What're they doing here?" Mickey asked.
A look of dawning horror crossed the Doctor's face as he told them "It's the children. They're doing something to the children."
OoOoOo
Mickey went to help Sarah-Jane put K9 back in her car as Rose and the Doctor lingered outside the chip shop.
"Thank you." He said softly.
"What for?" Rose asked curiously.
"For getting along with Sarah, for saying I didn't shut up about her even when I only mentioned her after you brought her up…"
Rose smiled fondly at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck "Well, you're welcome… but Sarah-Jane's a part of your past and I wanted to know, besides I like 'er."
The Doctor beamed at her.
"And I think if I'd said you never mentioned her, no matter how good your reasons, I think it would've hurt her." Rose continued, remembering how the first time she had purposely tried to make Sarah-Jane jealous and hurt over the Doctor never mentioning her.
"Well, it's the curse of the Time Lords… to live alone."
Rose smiled "Not anymore, you have me."
The Doctor smirked down at her "Yes… I do, don't I…" he whispered the last words as he leaned down to press a kiss to her lips.
But they jumped apart as they heard a screech, ducking quickly as one of the Krillitane creatures swooped down towards them before it flew away.
They noticed Mr Finch on the roof before they turned their attention back to the other Krillitane as it flew overhead screeching.
"Was that a Krillitane?" Sarah-Jane asked as her and Mickey ran back over.
OoOoOo
Rose, Sarah-Jane, the Doctor and Mickey emerged from Sarah-Jane's car the next day as the school bell rang, they strode towards the school before the Doctor paused and turned to the three humans.
"Rose and Sarah, you go to the Maths room. Crack open those computers, I need to see the hardware inside. Here, you might need this." The Doctor handed the screwdriver to Rose this time as Sarah-Jane looked a little peeved. He turned to Mickey "Mickey - surveillance. I want you outside."
"Just stand outside?"
Sarah-Jane threw the car keys to him "Here, take these - you can keep K9 company."
The Doctor smirked "Don't forget to leave the window open a crack."
"But he's metal!" Mickey protested.
Rose rolled her eyes "Don't listen to him, Mickey, he's winding you up."
The Doctor grinned as he said at the same time "I didn't mean for him."
"What are you going to do?" Sarah-Jane asked.
The Doctor's expression turned serious as he answered "It's time I had a word with Mr Finch."
OoOoOo
Rose had ducked under the desk and held the sonic screwdriver against the back of the computer as it whirred and buzzed.
"Rose, can I give you a bit of advice?" Sarah-Jane asked suddenly.
Rose smiled faintly "If it's about me and the Doctor, don't worry about it."
The older woman frowned before realization appeared to hit her "You two are in a relationship, arent you?"
Rose smiled "I think he was toning it down a bit while Mickey was here, he's my ex."
Sarah-Jane nodded.
Rose straightened up "Why?"
"It's just… all the time I knew him, he would never have considered a real romantic relationship with a companion."
Rose smiled weakly "I think the deciding factor is that I wont age… or die for as long as the TARDIS lives."
Sarah-Jane stared at Rose in wide-eyed confusion.
"I looked into the heart of the TARDIS… he gave up his life to save mine and regenerated to take the time vortex out of me, but through my actions I can stay with the Doctor for the rest of his life, or for as long as the TARDIS lives."
Sarah-Jane looked a little envious at this but she motioned for Rose to expand a little.
"He was all brooding and serious when I first met 'im, he wore a leather jacket and everything." Rose said with a fond grin, remembering her first Doctor, "I kissed him when I thought we was gonna die in Downing Street with the Slitheen and he kissed back… but he was reluctant to start anything only to lose me later, so I asked the TARDIS to grant me forever when I was connected to her… and she did."
Sarah-Jane smiled wistfully "Then I hope you and the Doctor are happy together, after all he's been through, he deserves it."
Rose grinned at her "He really does."
The older woman looked sad as an uncomfortable silence settled over them, so Rose, remembering what she had done last time to lighten the mood questioned softly "With you, did he do that thing where he'd explain something at like, ninety-miles-per-hour, and you'd go, 'what?' and he'd look at you like you'd just dribbled on your shirt?"
Sarah-Jane looked up at Rose with a laugh as she said "All the time!"
Rose and Sarah-Jane laughed for a moment before the elder woman asked "Does he still stroke bits of the TARDIS?"
"Yeah! Yeah! He does! I'm like, 'do you two wanna be alone?'"
Rose and Sarah-Jane laugh hysterically, leaning on each other as the Doctor walked in and asked "How's it going?"
The sight of him just made them both laugh even harder.
The Doctor frowned at them and asked "What? Listen, I need to find out what's programmed inside these."
Rose sniggered and leaned on Sarah-Jane a little as she pointed the sonic at him as the two women continued to laugh.
The Doctor looked genuinely confused as he said "What? Stop it!"
OoOoOo
The three of them paused for a moment as they heard the bell going off.
"They're gonna be rushin' to get in here in a minute." Rose said as she walked over to the door, and sure enough there were children clambering to get in the IT suite occupied by Rose, Sarah-Jane and the Doctor.
"No, no - this classroom's out of bounds. You've all gotta go to the South Hall. Off you go, South Hall!" Rose shut the door as the kids moved away.
OoOoOo
The Doctor had the sonic screwdriver clenched between his teeth as he ripped out a handful of wires from the computer and hung them around his neck before he grabbed the sonic and ran it along the back of the computer.
The two women watched him anxiously as he said "I cant shift it."
"I thought the sonic screwdriver could open anything!" Sarah-Jane exclaimed.
"Anything except a deadlock seal. There's gotta be something inside here. What're they teaching those kids?"
The three of them looked surprised as every computer in the suite displayed a code, including the large screen at the front of the room.
"You wanted the programme - there it is." Sarah-Jane pointed out.
The Doctor stared at it as he muttered "Some sort of code…" his eyes were wide and his mouth opened slightly as he stared at the code before he whispered "No… no, they cant be…"
"The Skasis Paradigm. They're trying to crack the Skasis Paradigm."
"And in English?" Rose asked.
"The… God-maker. The universal theory. Crack that equation and you've got control of the building blocks of the universe. Time and space and matter, yours to control."
"And what, the kids are like a giant computer?"
"Yes." He paced around the room as he worked it out "And their learning power is being accelerated by the oil! That oil from the kitchens, it works as a - as a… conducting agent. Makes the kids cleverer."
"But that oils on the chips. I've been eating them."
The Doctor looked at Rose and asked "What's fifty-nine times thirty-five?"
Rose answered without thinking "Two thousand and sixty-five."
The Doctor gives her a 'that says it all' look as Sarah-Jane asked "But why use the children? Cant they use adults?"
"No, it's gotta be children. The God-maker needs imagination to crack it. They're not just using the children's brains to break the code… they're using their souls."
The three of them turned around quickly as they heard Mr Finch say "Let the lesson begin."
The Headmaster approached them slowly as he said "Think of it, Doctor - with the Paradigm solved, reality becomes clay in our hands. We can shape the universe and improve it."
"Oh yeah?" The Doctor said "The whole of creation with the face of Mr Finch. Call me old fashioned, but I like things as they are."
Mr Finch smiled calmly "You act like such a radical, and yet all you want to do is preserve the old order. Think of the changes that could be made if this power was used for good."
The Doctor asked sceptically "What, by someone like you?"
"No…" Mr Finch said as though it were obvious "Someone like you."
The Doctor looked astounded for a moment as he watched Mr Finch silently.
Mr Finch smiled again as he implored "The Paradigm gives us power, but you could give us wisdom. Become a God. At my side. Imagine what you could do - think of the civilisations you could save. Perganon, Assinta… your own people, Doctor. Standing tall. The Time Lords… reborn."
Rose took the Doctor's hand and squeezed it softly, as he stared into Mr Finch's eyes unblinkingly.
"Doctor, don't listen to him." Sarah-Jane said firmly.
Mr Finch turned to her and Rose "And you could be with him throughout eternity. Young… fresh… never whither, never age… never die. Their lives are so fleeting. So many goodbyes. How lonely you must be, Doctor. Join us."
The Doctor looked so incredibly tempted and Rose's heart ached for the decision he would have to make.
"I could save everyone…"
"Yes." Mr Finch confirmed.
"I could stop the war…" The Doctor whispered with a haunted look in his eyes as he recalled said war.
A small smile graced Mr Finch's lips.
"No." Sarah-Jane said desperately "The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss - they define us as much as happiness or love." Mr Finch closed his eyes as Sarah-Jane continued "Whether it's a world, or a relationship… everything has its time. And everything ends."
The Doctor stared for a few more seconds but Sarah-Jane's words seemed to strengthen his resolve as he picked up a chair and hurled it at the screen displaying the code, smashing it.
"Out!" He yelled as Sarah-Jane and Rose, still hand in hand with the Doctor followed him out.
They heard a screech echo throughout the school as they ran before they met Mickey and a student at the bottom of the stairs.
"What is going on?" Mickey asked incredulously as he sees three Krillitane flying towards them down the corridor.
The finally reached the canteen where all the doors were locked. The Doctor reached inside his coat for the sonic screwdriver just as Mr Finch and several Krillitanes burst through the doors.
"Are they my teachers?" The student asked fearfully.
"Yeah. Sorry." The Doctor replied.
"Leave the Doctor alive. As for the others… you can feast."
Rose's eyes glowed gold as Bad Wolf growled in her mind when the Krillitanes swooped down and the Doctor tried to beat them off with a chair.
A beam of red light suddenly hit one of the Krillitane and it fell to the ground, dead.
Mr Finch roared with rage as K9 came into view.
"K9!" Sarah-Jane exclaimed happily.
"Suggest you engage running mode, mistress."
"Come on!" The Doctor shouted as he lead the way whilst K9 shot down the Krillitanes, the Doctor ushered the others through a door as he ordered "K9, hold them back!"
"Affirmative, master. Maximum defense mode!"
"Come on!" The Doctor yelled as he locked the door behind them.
"What about the oil?" Rose shouted over to the Doctor as they ran.
"Of course!" He shouted "That's it! Krillitane life forms cant handle the oil! They've changed the physiology so often, even their own oil is toxic to them. How much was there in the kitchens?"
Rose grinned "Barrels of it."
They jumped as the Krillitanes started to pound on the door with their claws ripping holes in it.
"Okay, we need to get to the kitchens. Mickey-"
"What now, hold the coats?" Mickey asked snidely.
The Doctor rolled his eyes "Get all the children unplugged and out of the school. Now then, bats, bats, bats, how do we fight bats?"
The student strode over to the fire alarm and broke the case with his elbow before he set it off.
The Doctor beamed and flung open the door and they saw as the Krillitanes were quailing in distress at the shrill alarm and they quickly ran passed before the alarm was shut off.
As they ran down a corridor, K9 emerged from a doorway as he exclaimed "Master!"
"Come on, boy! Good boy." The Doctor said happily as K9 followed them.
The Doctor, Rose, Sarah-Jane, K9 and the student reached the kitchens and the Doctor immediately tried to open one of the oil barrels with his screwdriver before he groaned in annoyance "They've been deadlock sealed!" He tried another "Finch must've done that - I cant open them."
K9 spoke up "The vats would not withstand a direct hit from my laser. But my batteries are failing."
"Right. Everyone out the back door. K9, stay with me."
Sarah-Jane, Rose and the student ran out as they left the Doctor knelt in front of K9.
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The minute the Doctor exited the kitchens, Sarah-Jane asked urgently "Where's K9?"
The Doctor ignored her as he said "We need to run."
Sarah-Jane didn't move and Rose and the student looked between her and the Doctor awkwardly.
"Where is he?! What've you done?"
The Doctor grabbed her and pulled her away taking her hand as they ran with Rose and the student following close behind them.
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Rose grinned at Mickey as he joined her, Sarah-Jane and the Doctor, the student stood off to the side as he was joined by several of his classmates.
All of them cheered and applauded as the school exploded and Rose and Mickey joined in, laughing as the Doctor grinned.
The students all started to chant 'Kenny!', the name of the student who had helped them as Mickey, Rose, the Doctor and Sarah-Jane stood to the side.
Sarah-Jane looked distraught as the Doctor apologised softly.
The older woman replied quickly "It's alright. He was just a… daft metal dog. Fine, really." But she burst into tears as the Doctor wrapped his arms around her.
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The Doctor opened the TARDIS doors to allow Sarah-Jane in as he asked "Cuppa tea?"
She looked around the TARDIS wide-eyed as she took in the interior, she turned to him as he shut the door "You've redecorated!"
"Do you like it?" He asked with a smile.
She looked around with a smile "Oh, I, I do. Yeah. I preferred it as it was, but uh… yeah. It'll do!"
"I love it!" Rose said with a grin.
Sarah-Jane smiled "Hey, you - what's forty-seven times three hundred and sixty-nine?"
Rose snorted "No idea. It's gone now - the oil's faded."
Sarah-Jane smirked at her "But you're still clever. More than a match for him."
Rose beamed at her "You and me both."
Sarah-Jane nodded.
"You could come with us?" Rose asked as the Doctor fiddled with the computer.
The Doctor looked up and smiled "Yeah, we're about to head off."
Sarah-Jane smiled softly "No…" The Doctor's smile faded "I cant do this anymore." She continued enthusiastically "Besides, I've got a much bigger adventure ahead! Time I stopped waiting for you and found a life of my own."
"What about you, Mickey?" Rose asked "You wanna come?"
Mickey grinned "Can I?"
The Doctor looked uncertain but Sarah-Jane spoke up "Oh, go on, Doctor. Sarah-Jane Smith - a Mickey Smith. You need a Smith on board!"
The Doctor chuckled "Okay then, I could do with a laugh."
Mickey laughed in delight and Rose giggled at his enthusiasm.
Sarah-Jane smiled "Well, I'd better go."
The Doctor nodded and returned to his computer whilst Mickey wandered away.
Sarah-Jane pulled Rose to the side and embraced her warmly "If you ever need me, or if you just need a friend, you're welcome to visit… you and the Doctor."
Rose grinned as she said with a laugh "I'll make sure we keep in touch at least."
Rose and Sarah-Jane smiled at each other for a moment before the Doctor opened the door for her and she stepped out, the Doctor following her.
Mickey walked over to her as they waited for the Doctor to say goodbye.
"I cant wait for adventure, Rose." Mickey said and she could see the excitement in his eyes.
Rose laughed before she said firmly "Just as long as you remember, you're not the tin dog."
She remembered how sad he had been last time, being compared to a tin dog and how she and the Doctor had both been incredibly rude to him, she'd try to ensure that he wasn't forgotten this time, as much as she could.
Mickey chuckled but she could see he didn't quite believe her.
The Doctor walked back in, closing the doors behind him.
"You shown 'er what you did yet?" Rose asked.
"No, I thought I'd wait until we were gone." He replied with a grin.
They watched on the screen as Sarah-Jane was beamed as she crouched down in front of the new model of K9.
"This isn't goodbye for you, Doctor." Rose stated "She said we were welcome to visit her anytime, and I plan on taking her up on that offer at some point."
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Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, if you didn't please tell me so I can hopefully improve next time.