Wanderer of Time: Darkness Within

by Tinker16

The powers within have been steadily growing, buying time until the moment of remembrance. The moment swiftly approaches. Wanda's fears are coming to a head as she realizes what has been living inside her has only one purpose in the universe. And it holds no qualms in destroying any who gets in its way, even those who Wanda loves. (Part Three of the Wanderer of Time trilogy)

54. Ch 54: A Wanderer's Revenge

Welcome back, my lovely readers.

I hope everyone's week will be a good one. Enjoy the new read.

XxXxXxXx

Chapter 54: A Wanderer's Revenge

A gentle warm breeze moved over the land, making the grass around swish and sway. The sound of the grass rustling against each other, sounding much like gentle waves upon a seashore. Wanda sat underneath a lone silver tree, onto a hilltop of red grass. She had her back leaning against the tree, staring out towards the valley down the way. The tall buildings reflected the morning light peacefully as the people within the strange, otherworldly village were going about their day in cheer. Well, as cheery as they tried to be, anyway. Wanda stared at it all blankly, her eyes glazed over as she seemed to just be within her own mind. A small patch of flowers stood out from the red grass right next to the tree beside where Wanda currently sat. A small stone leaned right against the tree in front of the flowers, with a name engraved on the white marble.

Here Lies Ember

Our beloved daughter

Wanda closed her eyes tightly for a moment, sucking in a breath as though she were trying to hold back a wave of emotions. Soon she slowly let out a shaking breath, relaxing as she opened her eyes once more and stared out into the village once again.

"Why didn't you go back with them?"

Wanda slowly glanced over, seeing the sudden appearance of Shelly . . . of Bad Wolf right next to her. It was still hard for Wanda to keep reminding herself this all was not what she remembered it to be. The Shelly in her mind from the past . . . had been nothing more than a dream. No, this was Bad Wolf. Still Shelly in some ways, but not the Shelly from her 'past.'

"I don't know. Mostly, I suppose, I wanted to be alone for a while longer," Wanda replied softly, looking away to stare off once more. The Doctor and companions had left some hours ago. They had spent a good few days here with her in this world as they all mourned the loss of Ember. Each one went through their ways of grief. River and Rory both choose the quiet compassion of being there for the others. While Amy practically clung to Wanda, torn up in what happened just as much as the Time Lords were. And the Doctor . . .

Wanda closed her eyes once again. His grief hurt her the worst. He seemed to go through wave after wave sadness. He had remained reserved during the whole stay, never once letting go of Wanda's hand through the days. He followed the Time Lady wherever she went, staying quiet as they were visited at the cottage by different people from Wanda's past. Never once would he break down in front of others. But when Wanda and he were alone . . . It hurt. It hurt so much seeing him cry in such a way. It was like the time in his Ninth incarnation after the Time War all over again. And Wanda felt there was nothing she could do to help him this time.

The different people who visited had come in waves. Tina was the first, almost immediately hugging the Time Lady and was ready be there for comfort. Then came others who had been a part of Wanda's 'past.' They were all wonderful, being so supportive and caring. It helped . . . in some ways. But in the other ways . . . it hurt in seeing so many faces which Wanda held only memories that were nothing more than fake, creations from Alpha herself. Then, today, they held a funeral ceremony for Ember. Flowers had been planted in the one small spot in the pocket world which held red grass and a silver tree. The Doctor himself made the headstone and engraved the words. Then the ceremony had been small, with nothing more than the small group standing around in solemn silence.

Eventually, people had trickled away, leaving only the companions and Time Lords. Then, a fleeting time later after that, they heard the TARDIS, their TARDIS, sounding off to them from the distant cottage where she had been moved to days previous. It was time for them to go. She could only stay here for so much longer before she really would be in trouble by being within a pocket universe. The only reason she had not been in trouble before now was because of the help from this world's TARDIS, Beauty. But Beauty could only do so much before the natural effects of a pocket universe hurt their Sexy. The Doctor had sighed after this, glancing at Wanda when seeing her rigid posture, her eyes never wavering from staring at the headstone of their child and her arms wrapped tightly around her middle.

"Go to the TARDIS," he had then instructed the companions, ". . . we'll be there shortly." There had been some reluctance from the companions, but soon both Time Lords had been left alone on the hilltop. The Doctor had then wrapped an arm around Wanda's shoulders, holding her gently against him. Still, she had remained rigid.

"Go with them, Theta," Wanda had whispered after a long moment of silence between them. "Get them back home. I'll be back in the TARDIS later."

The Doctor had stared at her for what seemed like a long time, seeming uncertain by her statement. ". . . Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Bad Wolf and Beauty can help me get back to you. I prom—." Wanda had then winced when almost saying this. Promises are how they had gotten to this point. It was something she should have never eluded herself and others to believe they were something that could actually be kept. Even someone with advanced knowledge . . . could never keep a true promise. "I'll be back before you know it. I just . . . I just need some time alone. Please?"

"Of course." It had taken him a moment to actually leave, lingering there with her for some time as though he were unwilling to let her go. But eventually, in the end, he had indeed let go and moved on.

Now, here she was. Still by the silver tree, dreading the moment when she would have to leave this world and face reality once more.

"Are you done reminiscing yet?" Bad Wolf asked her, smiling kindly at the Wanderer. She waited patiently, watching as Wanda had trouble regaining her voice. Wanda swallowed heavily, looking away to stare at her hands.

"I just needed some time. To myself. I don't get that very often," Wanda whispered. Her hands remained limp in her lap; only every once and a while a finger would absently twitch.

"Understandable," Bad Wolf said, nodding. "I'm certain you need time to process everything you've gone through recently. Take as much time as you need. This is your world, after all. You may come and leave as much as you like." The entity looked away, staring forward towards the village. They sat there in silence for a good while, watching the sun rise higher as the day moved on without them. Finally, Wanda broke her silence.

"How could I have not known?" Wanda asked aloud. Whether this question was meant for Bad Wolf or for herself, it was not clear. The Wanderer gripped her hands tightly together for a second before relaxing again, still staring at them blankly. "All these years . . . I should have realized what my hidden memories meant. All those hints . . . All those mentionings . . . I had all those clues right before me, yet I never thought of . . . How could I have been so blind?" She sighed, letting her head lean back hard against the tree as she stared up towards the sparkling, silver leaves above. "And now that I know the truth, it all seems so obvious now. I really am an idiot." She closed her eyes tightly as another wave of emotions. "I'm a moron. I never even realized that Ember . . ." She stopped herself from saying anything more. Sucking in a sharp breath, she opened her eyes once more and looked back towards the village.

"What am I now? Who am I?" Wanda breathed as a single tear slid down her face. "I'm not a human. I'm not a Time Lord. I'm not even Wanda. I'm just . . ."

"You're not Alpha, Wanda," Bad Wolf stated evenly, firmly. "Really, you're not. You are someone new. Someone different. When Alpha rewrote her mind, it made the whole life start out fresh again. She wanted to give herself a second chance. Though, not realizing that her past self could never be rewritten."

Wanda looked at her, seeing how the entity seemed to wish to console her in some way. The Wanderer swallowed, feeling another mixture of emotions. "Those are still my memories, though. Even if I . . . even if I didn't really live through them personally . . . But I did live through them . . ." Wanda let out a frustrated breath, tightening a hand and hitting her leg lightly. "Ugh, this is so—"

"Perplexing? Yes, it is." Bad Wolf nodded gently. "The best way I have been able to explain it to others was to think of it like the life of John Smith. He was, yet wasn't, the Doctor. They were both separate, yet the same. If John Smith suddenly had all the memories of the Doctor, yet did not have his Time Lord self back, would he still be John Smith? Or would he be the Doctor? Or would he be an even newer person because of the change? Who knows, really. Best thing I say is we except what it is and deal with it as we go."

Wanda thought this over, knowing the entity chose this analogy because she herself thought of John Smith and the Doctor in the same way. So, in the end, she was Alpha's Alice Rivers. It was a hard thought to swallow. Still, something she felt she would have to come to accept. But, in the end, Bad Wolf was right. Wanda needed to just grow up about it and push onwards. ". . . Yeah. I suppose. I mean . . . I'm not the same Time L—Wanderer I was before . . ." Wanda agreed in the end. There was a long pause between them. Bad Wolf twiddled her thumbs lightly while staying quiet, letting Wanda come around to talk when she felt up to. Wanda appreciated this from the entity, glad that Bad Wolf seemed so understanding. In many ways wise in how she talked and behaved. It brought up memories of Shelly. Not the fake dream ones, but the ones from the past.

"You know . . . you're a lot different . . . Shelly," Wanda eventually said to the entity.

"I'm not Shelly," Bad Wolf replied, smiling and shaking her head lightly. "Not really. You know that."

Wanda smiled softly in return. "Yes, you are. You just . . . grew up is all."

Bad Wolf snorted, shaking her head in amusement. "Ha. Yes . . . I suppose I have." They sat in silence once again. This time it was much more comfortable than it had been before. Bad Wolf finally looked back at Wanda, smiling mostly sadly now. "Though, I may not be the same Shelly as I was before . . . I want you to know that I still love you."

Wanda matched her smile, nodding slowly. "I know. And I'm sorry, but I . . ."

"I know. It's okay. Truly, it is. I'm just content that the new you has found new love. Besides, in this new form of mine, I'm not too fond of the whole lovely-feely, ah, thing other normal persons do. Seems too foreign to me now that I have 'transcended' into a new consciousness."

Wanda nodded slowly, glad that they were okay with where they were in life. She pinched her thumb and began twisting it around. "What should I do now? I-I don't know . . . I know I have to go back, of course. But how do I face the Doctor after all of this?" She glanced at Bad Wolf, seeing how the entity stared back calmly. Wanda sighed and nodded. "You're right. I'll just have to leave and find out how to handle it all when I face it head on." Once more, they sat in silence. Bad Wolf let Wanda sit there in peace, thinking over on where her journey should head to next.

Soon, Wanda let out a heavy sigh, standing up from the tree. She glanced over, seeing Bad Wolf already up and facing her. The entity held a grim expression, still remaining quiet in letting Wanda choose on whether to talk. The Wanderer glanced over briefly towards her daughter's grave before hurriedly looking away. She looked at the entity once more, taking a very deep breath.

"I'm ready to leave," Wanda whispered. "You can send me off like you did last time." She frowned for a moment, thinking over what had happened last time. "How . . . How did I leave last time? Am I correct in thinking the whole light in the woods scenario was a fake memory?"

"Correct," Bad Wolf nodded, smiling gently. "Just another memory Alpha made for you. And, like last time, it's merely up to you to let the powers guide you back to your universe. You can always stay here longer if you choose. Just know that, eventually, you will have to go back."

"Though it is tempting," Wanda said, shaking her head softly, "I'm afraid I might not want to ever leave this place if I stayed too long. Not only that but . . . I could never leave behind the ones I love in the other universe." She gazed towards the village, smiling when seeing the beautiful place before her. With a heavy heart, she looked away and gave the entity once last smile. "Goodbye, Bad Wolf."

"Goodbye, Wanda. And good luck."

And with this, the Wanderer was gone with a flash of light.

XxXxXxXx

Screams of terror and firing shots ran out from everywhere. From the whole world, it seemed like. The sky above was ripped into two. A scar placed there from a paradox. The worst kind of paradox committed. It made half the sky shaded in red, matching the bloodshed which was happening down below on Earth. One-tenth of the population, all being slaughtered at once.

This was the scene which met Martha Jones when she used the Vortex manipulator to escape the Valiant. She slowly pushed herself up from the cold grassy field, shaking as she stared at the horrors occurring around her. From the horrors she witnessed not even minutes ago on the Valiant, done so by the Master. Her family . . . The Doctor . . . Jack . . . Wanda . . .. . . Martha felt the heartbreak for them all. She just stared in disbelief, numb by all what was happening around her, as the Toclafane, by the billions, came raining down from the red scar in the sky to kill everyone. Fire erupted from London far in the distance from where the young woman stood. Some fire even burned away at the trees and grass near her. All of it said one clear message: The end of the world.

Suddenly, a blinding white light flashed next to Martha. She jumped a little, startled for a moment in fear it was someone coming after her. Then, relief went through her as she saw it was Wanda. The very same Wanda that she saw only minutes ago. Some very horrible minutes ago, mind, but still . . . At this thought, Martha felt worried. Wanda had been in the worst state the doctor had ever witnessed. She looked carefully at the calm blonde woman, watching how Wanda stood very still, facing forward with gloom in her eyes. The woman appeared clean, dressed similarly as she had been before. Though Martha picked up very quickly that there were some differences. Wanda no longer wore a bright blouse as she normally did. No, this time there was only a gray shirt seen from beneath the maroon overcoat the woman wore. But other than that . . .

"Wanda?" Martha asked hesitantly, stepping towards the woman.

"Hello, Martha," Wanda spoke quietly, sounding grave as she stared towards the burning city before them. Martha expected the blonde woman would say more than this. Maybe something comforting. Maybe something sad, yet positive, assuring Martha that everything would be okay. But Wanda continued to stare off at the city, no showing a sign of turning to the companions next to her.

"Are you okay?" Martha asked quickly. "What happened? What did the Master do? You were screaming . . . and then he aged the Doctor. . . and the Toclafane . . ." Martha trailed off, staring off as well towards the destruction. "What are we going to do?" She looked back at Wanda, searching for answers.

"Did the Doctor tell you his plan?" Wanda asked, still not looking at the companion.

Again, this felt strange for Martha. Wanda always seemed ready for a hug to console her and others in the past. But now . . . Something felt wrong. "Wanda . . . are you okay? What happened?" Martha tried placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder, but Wanda shrugged it off. This time Wanda turned, facing Martha.

The companion was taken back. Not because of the blonde's expression, which was still gloomy as before. But it was Wanda's eyes. They were . . . older. Like Wanda had aged drastically since Martha last saw her. There was not a single bit of glee or giddiness. The emerald eyes which always seem mystical before now had a worn look to them. It was like looking at the Doctor's eyes. As though a heavyweight, years of being run down, had been placed upon Wanda since the time Martha had seen her.

"Did the Doctor tell you his plan?" Wanda repeated, her voice still as calm as ever.

"Yes, but—," Martha replied, trying to still push for answers. But Wanda turned, signally the end of any questions.

"Then, we do as all companions must. As we're told," Wanda said quietly, staring off towards the burning city once more before looking away. She walked around Martha, heading to the forest which lay behind them. "Let's go, Martha. We have a long journey ahead of us. Might as well get a head start."

Martha glanced back towards the city one last time, burning the image of it all in her mind as she grew determined. She nodded curtly when she looked back at Wanda, marching quickly to catch up with the blonde, knowing that they would be back.

XxXxXxXx

It was not until a month later, of hardships and running, did Martha finally learn what happened to Wanda that day on the Valiant. Of what the Master did to her. She learned of it after many nights she heard Wanda waking up screaming from nightmares. Martha tried to console Wanda whenever they happened. But Wanda would just give her that blank smile she always had on nowadays, saying everything was fine, and walking off into the night to be alone. It was not until Wanda woke up sobbing and yelling one night in such a bad state, in the middle of a night terror, did the blonde finally break down after Marta managed to wake her up.

Then, as Martha held the crying woman in a tight hug, Wanda told her everything.

After all was said . . . they both held each other through the night in solemn sadness. Martha felt devastated for Wanda. Of what the blonde had gone through in her past. Of what she was. Of what happened to the child Martha never knew that had almost been. Then she felt just as bad when realizing the Doctor would never know now. At least, not until far into the future. He would be built up with such hope only for it to come crashing down. And there was nothing she could do about that fact. But, if there was anything Martha could do it would be to be here for Wanda. To be some source of comfort as the best she could. As a doctor in training, she knew of some of the grief a mother could go through after a miscarriage. All she could do was to try her best to help Wanda through it.

The next morning after this, Martha woke up alone within their makeshift tent, which consisted of nothing but a few sticks and a worn tarp. Making her way out of the tent, she looked around the quiet forest for Wanda, hoping to see her somewhere nearby. It was not long before Martha spotted the blonde sitting around by the small stream they had made camp by. When she came up to Wanda, Martha stopped in shock. Wanda sat there, looking down at her reflection in the water, with long locks of blonde hair clutching in her hand. She kept tugging at her now short hair with her other hand, taking in her new look. Her hair barely made it down past her ears now. It was even shorter than Second Wanda's style. It was a mess as Wanda appeared to have just cut it all at once without bothering to really take time to keep things neat. Perhaps she even just tied it back and cut it all at once.

Wanda glanced over her shoulder when realizing Martha was there. She smiled weakly, glancing back down towards her reflection.

"Sorry . . . I thought I'd try something new," Wanda spoke quietly. "I wanted a change." Martha crouched down beside the blonde while Wanda stared at her meekly. "Do you like it?"

"Hmm," Martha hummed thoughtfully for a second before smiling and began messing with Wanda's hair, fixing it up a bit so it did not look so messy. "There! Now you look perfect." She gave the blonde an encouraging smile, showing support for anything Wanda did.

Wanda smiled back weakly in response with watery eyes. Looking back at her reflection, she sucked in a deep breath before standing up with an expression filled with determination. She clutched the long strands of hair in her hand tightly. Martha watched in awe as Wanda's hand glowed white for a moment before the hair turned into gray dust and fell from her grasp, falling into the water below to be swept away.

"Was that . . . your powers you talked about?" Martha asked curiously.

"Yes," Wanda said, brushing her hands together to rid herself of the dust completely. "Couldn't leave behind any traces of me here. Time Lord DNA . . . ah . . . well, my DNA would stand out like a sore thumb to the Master, since he's surely searching for us and all that. Or, at least, searching for you at the moment. Not sure if he knows I'm here . . . yet." Wanda let out a sigh before turning and heading back to their camp. "Better head out, Martha. There's a troop of Toclafane heading our way. Perception filter or not, I'd rather we not stick around for them."

From that day onwards, things became rough for them. Though through even the worst of it all—the death, tortures, and horrors they saw—each one of them learned to depend on each other to survive. They grew stronger with each other's support. Changing for better . . . or for worse.

However, there were some changes Marta grew concerned about. Wanda seemed to grow more and more reserved as time went on. There were times Wanda would wander off at night, wishing to be alone for a time before coming back the next morning. Many occasions Martha would watch her anxiously as she saw Wanda seemed close to snapping when they would run into any roguish humans along the way. Especially the Toclafane. After everything Wanda told her, Martha knew what signs to watch out for. The white glow in her eyes was the one most prominent. It would appear so often when confronted by these obstacles. Wanda always seemed to snap herself out of it before she lost control (or, at least, lost control completely). With just a quick shake of her head and a muttering to Alpha, Wanda would keep pressing on with their mission without resorting to (too much) violence.

And so, a full year passed. With it, came their return back to Britain.

Cold waves splashed against Wanda and Martha's legs as they walked through the shallow waters of the seashore. Martha tightened the traps of her black pack on her back, keeping in step with the blonde next to her. Wanda adjusted the hood around her face, glancing towards the shore ahead of them where the light from the white lantern shone. Each female wore black clothing to help conceal themselves in the night. While Martha's outfit consisted of a hiking jacket, pants, and boots, Wanda's made her look very much like a wanderer. Her coat was more of a cloak, with it draped on her in waves, stopped just above her knees, and the large hood shrouding most of her face in a shadow. Though, like Martha, she also wore hiking boots and pants.

Wanda glanced at the man holding the lantern on the beach while Martha waved to the two men behind them who had brought them to shore by rowboat. The Wanderer saw that it was Tom Milligan, peripatetic medical personnel who was allowed to travel. Once she recognized who he was and recalled his timeline, Wanda stared back down towards the ground, keeping her face in the shadow of her hood as she and Martha drew closer. She listened to Martha and Tom making quick introductions, with Tom already knowing all about Martha through her famous travells. Only briefly did Tom glance at Wanda.

"Who's your companion? I didn't know I was supposed to be picking up anyone else," Tom questioned curiously.

"She's nobody," Martha dismissed, nodding curtly. "Shall we get a move on, then?"

Wanda listened as Tom kept naming off all of Martha's great feats through the year, surviving so much that many considered either impossible or suicidal to even thinking to attempt. Upon the mentioning of Japan, however, Wanda lowered her gaze even more, not wishing for Martha to see her hardening eyes. Afraid for a moment a white glow might escape in the rage she felt over remembering the burning land as she and Martha had escaped. Wanda's tensing and shift in demeanour did not go unnoticed by Martha. The woman glanced at the Wanderer briefly before looking to Tom.

"Look, Tom, though I appreciate your enthusiasm, I'd rather not talk about all of this, okay?" Martha told him curtly. "Me and my companion are tired and hungry. I'd rather we rest before going to Professor Docherty." Tom nodded firmly, leading them to where he had parked his vehicle.

Tom made a small fire for them to sit around, hoping to keep themselves warm and to make some decent rations to eat. He even provided a few sleeping bags for them to use for the night. After each of them ate out of a can of rations, Tom began questioning Martha once more, still curious about her journeys that took place in a year of travells. The young doctor could not help but humour him, smiling patiently as she told him of a few places she had been to. She actually began to feel fond of the man when hearing his story of how he survived over the year, touching to hear how he always seemed to help so many through medicine and kindness. Both of them forgot about Wanda, who still remained as silent as ever. She sat away from them on the other side of the fire. With her legs pulled up to her chest, she rested her chin on her knees, gazing intently at the flickering flames. The glowing embers which fell out of the fire pit sat just before her feet, emitting a gentle glow. The first spark, which had helped create the life of the fire, refusing to die off.

Wanda quickly pushed dirt over the embers before turning over to lie on her sleeping bag, placing her back to the fire. She stared off into the darkness of the night, trying to relax her mind in knowing what would come in the next days to come. She heard Martha tell Tom goodnight. Martha then laid out her own sleeping bag beside Wanda, blocking the blonde's view of the dark night as the young doctor turned and faced the Wanderer.

"You okay?" Martha asked, keeping her voice quiet as they heard Tom getting some things packed into his vehicle. Wanda nodded, choosing to stare at her hands. Martha reached forward and grasped one of her open hands, holding it in comfort. "It'll be okay. We'll get through this."

"Of course," Wanda whispered, looking up to give her a very brief smile. "If we can get through an entire year, then we can last a few more days, right?"

"Right." Martha nodded, feeling even more determined in completing their task. Since day one, Wanda already explained to her what would happen with their quest and the Master. She knew of their journey being erased to never have ever happened after their reversed the paradox. Though Wanda never promised that things would go smoothly all together as the Wanderer has not made any promises in a long time. But Martha knew to trust her when she said it was a fixed point in time. No matter what, the Master's reign will fall.

Wanda held Martha's hand through the night, allowing the companion to get some much-needed rest. She even heard Tom on the other side of the fire snoring lightly. Turning to lay more on her back, Wanda made herself comfortable as she stared up towards the night sky. Starlight twinkled above, shining hope towards the Earth below. In the corner of her eye, she could see the scar from the paradox ripped across the dark sky, emitting an almost peaceful red glow like that of the aurora borealis. The rolling waves on the distance shoreline created a soothing melody, companied by the crackling of the small fire next to her. All the while she still held onto her friend's hand, unwilling to let go. Little things like this gave her solace. Though Martha never knew, things like this were the only barriers Wanda had now from keeping losing complete control lately.

Though there were still two barriers left in her mind which kept her from completely losing it. The one barrier which kept most of her powers locked up from overriding her. And the other . . . which still held Alpha away. The two things which had not actually be created by Alpha like the others had. No, these two barriers were the dividers between them. The consequences of the chameleon arch. The two things which made Alpha and Wanda both separate yet equal.

Only because that's how it must be. How it must always be.

Wanda sighed, nodding slowly when hearing Alpha's voice. I know. she responded.

I could deal with this, you know. Let me handle it. I'll make them suffer. Make them pay.

Wanda held a scolding expression. That's not the way and you know it.

But it is a way you've thought about.

Wanda ignored this, staring up at the stars and letting herself relax once more. But the stars seemed so much duller now, tainted by the swirling thoughts hatred. The memory of brown eyes surfaced, making the wolf inside her growl darkly.

XxXxXxXx

Morning came all too soon for Wanda. Before she knew it, they had already arrived at the shipyard. It was at Tom's request that he wanted to show Martha what he had been monitoring from the quarry. Martha obliged, of course, as she wanted to see just how big this shipyard was compared to the others she and Wanda had encountered over their travells. The trio made their way up a hilltop, almost to the top where they would be able to see the construction of the many rockets ready to launch in the coming days. Wanda trailed behind when seeing the enormous statue of the Master, carved from stone, towering over the landscape around them. She narrowed her eyes as she stared at the statue, gritting her teeth.

"You two go on. I'll catch up," Wanda told them curtly before diverging onto her own path.

"No, I wouldn't do that—," Tom began to protest, but Martha stopped him with a hand pressed to his chest, pushing him back from going after the still hooded blonde.

"Don't worry about her. She can handle herself. Trust me," Martha told the man, nodding for them to keep going.

While those two continued onwards, Wanda climbed up the hill towards the statue. Rocks slid down the sides of the hill as she climbed, giving her some trouble getting close to the stone figure. But soon, she stood beneath the shadow of the monument, gazing at it with disdain. Debating with herself for a moment, wondering whether or not it was a good idea, she finally said the hell with it and placed her hand on the foot of the statue. She watched as the white glow from her hand radiated outwards. The stone began to hiss as it cracked. Dust trickled from the cracks, falling to the gravel below. Removing her hand from the stone, she then turned and walked away, holding a satisfied smile as she turned the rest of the statue cracking. She was a good distance away, almost back to where Martha and Tom stood by his truck, when the gigantic crash of the statue was heard off over the hilltop. Tom jumped in shock while Martha raised a brow of interest.

"What was that?" Tom asked in alarm. He looked over the horizon, realizing in disbelief when seeing the statue no longer standing. He then stared at Wanda in astonishment. "Did you . . . What did you do? How did you do that?"

"Feel better?" Martha asked Wanda in humour, smiling slyly when seeing the satisfied expression from the Wanderer.

"Yes," Wanda stated proudly, not necessarily smiling about it, but looking more happy than usual.

"Good. 'Cause that certainly makes me feel better," Martha laughed, grinning at her friend. "Anyway, are we ready to go, Tom?" She hopped into the vehicle first with Wanda getting in beside her. Tom soon sat down in the driver's seat, still staring at them both in disbelief, but hurriedly drove them off as he knew the Toclafane would be searching the area soon enough for reasons of the statue's demise.

"Aren't you both worried that he might figure out it was you two who did that?" Tom finally said after a while of them driving towards the Nuclear Plant Seven. Martha and Wanda both glanced at each other before looking at Tom and shrugging. They knew it was a risk, but at this point neither really cared. Either way, they knew sooner or later he would find them anyway. It was only a matter of time now. Besides, seeing the statue crumble had been something both needed at the moment. Especially after the year they had been through.

XxXxXxXx

They arrived at the Nuclear Pant repair shed where Professor Docherty was faster than Wanda realized they would. Things were moving on so fast now. So fast that, before she knew it, they met the Professor banging on an old television set, trying to get it to work for a transmission from the Master. Then, there he was on the screen, giving his arrogant speech to Martha Jones and the people of Earth. A small gasp of breath managed to escape her when the Master brought the Doctor in front of the screen. With eyes of horror, all she could do was stare at the television as the Master aged the Doctor to nine hundred years of his lifespan. In the end, the screen showed them the Doctor had become a small, weak, feeble being of what he had once been, lost within his clothes that were wrapped around his body like a tent.

"Received and understood, Miss Jones?" the Master said darkly from the screen, grinning like a maniac. Martha, Tom, and the Professor stared at the screen in disbelief, taken back by what they had witnessed. The three of them jumped when suddenly the telly sparked wildly and the screen cracked in two. Martha looked over when she saw Wanda making a quick exit outside. Hurrying after her friend, she made way around many different tin sheds and crates before finding Wanda. The blonde was pacing on the spot, with her hood down and gripping at her head. Martha heard her muttering rapidly under her breath, breathing so quickly to the point of hyperventilating.

"Wanda. Wanda, you need to breathe," Martha said, trying to calm her friend down. Wanda continued to pace, slapping at her head.

"I'm fine," Wanda muttered, her voice coming out in almost a growl.

"No, you're not. Just breathe." Martha watched as Wanda halted in place with her back to the doctor. The Wanderer shook as rage built through her. Then, Wanda let out a loud yelling snarl. Her fist latched out and slammed into the side of the tin shed next to her, leaving a large dent. Martha walked up swiftly after this when seeing the white glow beginning to build around the Wanderer. She grabbed the blonde, turning her around and holding her upper arms tightly. "Wanda, look at me. Breathe. You need to calm down."

Wanda sucked in a breath, pushing back her anger. "He's hurting, Martha," she cried. "I felt it. He's hurting and I'm not there with him."

"But we will be soon. Then you can help him. Until then, you need to calm down and get a hold of yourself, okay? You're not going to help him by letting your powers get the better of you." Martha then gave Wanda a firm hug before pulling the blonde's hood back over her face. "Now, let's get back to our plan. Let me do all the talking, and you just sit and relax, got it? Doctor's orders."

Wanda snorted lightly while Martha gave her a small grin. "Whatever you say, doc. You're the boss," she joked.

Martha laughed along with her friend as they made their way back to the repair shed. Professor Docherty was busy trying to somehow fix the telly while Tom stood stiffly by the entrance, waiting for Martha's return. Wanda moved away from Martha once they were back inside the shed, scooting around to go sit herself in a corner. She listened as Tom questioned what happened to make her run off, but Martha dismissed his question curtly, saying that everything was fine and to worry about how to handle what they had just seen from the transmission. The three humans began discussing of the rebel plans which had been very weak over the year. Nothing strong enough to even make a dent in the Master's reign. All because of the Archangel Network still broadcasting telepathic signals into everyone's minds. Only this time it was to fear him instead of giving him a vote in the elections. It was around when the discussion turned to the Toclafane did Wanda sit up straight.

"I've got this," Martha said, pulling out a cd from her bag, holding it up for the Professor to see. "No one's been able to look at a sphere close up. They can't even be damaged . . . by normal means." Martha could not help but glance over towards Wanda, seeing how the Wanderer had her head lowered enough for the shadow of her hood to complete block her face. There had been a few times during the year where Wanda had lost it enough to have killed a few Toclafane that had gotten too close. And through all this time, no matter how much Martha questioned her, she would never say what exactly the Toclafane were. Each time only growing sad and stating that Martha would only wish to have never known the truth to begin with.

"There was a lightning strike in South Africa that brought one down, though," Martha went on explaining, handing the cd over to the Professor. "I've got the readings on this." The Professor quickly to the cd over to her computer, beginning to analyse the data from the lightning strike.

"So is that why you travelled the world? To find a disc?" Tom asked Martha curiously.

"No, just got lucky," Martha replied with a shrug.

"I heard stories that you walked the Earth to find a way to build a weapon," Docherty mentioned, glancing at the woman next to her to see her reaction to these words. But Martha gave no reaction to this, merely staring towards the computer screen with a steady expression. And as the three humans began their discussion on what to do in using the readings from the lightning strike the Professor managed to analyse, Wanda shifted in the corner where she sat. Her hands tightening together in a hard grip. The word weapon echoing through her mind as the image of brown eyes came to taunt her.

XxXxXxXx

"You should have told me."

Martha stayed in step with Wanda as they travelled through the dark streets carefully, heading to the slave quarters in Bexley. Tom led the way while the two females stayed a little ways behind so that they might be able to chat without him overhearing.

"And what good would it have done? You suffer from the truth sooner?" Wanda replied sadly, shaking her head. "No, I didn't want you to know so soon. I didn't want you suffering in knowing the things we had to fight were once human."

"Once human?" Martha questioned. "They still are human."

"No," Wanda said firmly with a shake of her head, "they gave up their humanity the moment they decided to cannibalize themselves. Now, they're nothing more than lost souls desperately clinging to their last hopes of life. They're only prolonging the inevitable death of the universe in their future. Not realizing that, by finally dying in peace, the universe will once again be reborn. Restarting time itself and creating a whole expansion of life that even the Time Lords could never imagine."

Martha frowned as she thought this over, glancing at Wanda curiously. "You really think that's true."

Wanda smiled lightly. "Well . . . where do you think this universe came from? It had to have been born from something, right? There's no life without death, just as there's no death without life."

"Heh. That almost sounds like wishful thinking."

"Well, isn't that what you humans are all about? Wishful thinking and all that?" They gave each other small grins before their bit of humour fell away, leaving them both with grim expressions.

"Think Docherty fell for it?" Martha asked Wanda tensely, her hands on the straps of her pack tightened. The so-called 'weapon' hidden within the pack.

"Of course," Wanda replied, nodding. "He'll be here soon enough."

"Then we best get a move on," Martha sighed, tightening the straps of her pack before she and Wanda sped up in their pace to catch up to Tom.

Eventually, they finally reached their destination, building eight of the slave quarters. Tom managed to get a person from behind the door to open up for them before any passing patrols caught them. The door shut tightly behind them the moment they slipped inside. Both Martha and Wanda stopped in their tracks the second they set foot inside the hallway to the slave quarters. No matter how many times they saw it, it always hurt them witnessing the pain and misery the Master caused.

The small flat was packed full of people. All of them dressed in clothes that were close to being nothing more than rags on their bodies. Each person appeared weak, skinny from lack of nutrition. Many were clearly sick from the way they coughed and shook on the spot. There was barely enough heat to keep any of them warm from the cold night, either. All together there were a hundred people packed into just the one flat they stood in. With every other house around the place having the same number within. Like animals pushed into cages, only to be used a labor for the Master's plans.

The moment people in the small house realized Martha had arrived there, they all began questioning her. Each of them eager to hear of her bravery and what she planned to do to help them all. The whole room filled with chattering, making none of their questions really be heard properly.

"Come on, just leave her alone. She's exhausted," Tom scolded them loudly, making them all go silent.

"No, it's all right," Martha assured him, nodding kindly to the people around them. "But really, it's not me you want to hear from." Martha looked at Wanda, nodding to her friend.

The group of humans stared at the Wanderer curiously as none of them had noticed her presence until now. Her face was still hidden in the shadow of her hood, with only her mouth and chin seen. Just as she always appeared to all those through her and Martha's travells. For she was nothing more than the companion to famous Martha through this journey, and all she ever wanted to be. But if there was one thing both she and Martha shared in their quest, it was the stories they told. Each of them taking turns in spreading their tales carefully. Though Martha always enjoyed allowing Wanda to take the role of storyteller. For one, it acted as a therapy of sorts of Wanda through the year, allowing her to relive in the memories of love and kindness she shared with her beloved Doctor. As for the other reason . . .

Wanda nodded slowly as the humans stared at her curiously, reaching into a pocket of her cloak to pull out a small, silver, hexagonal device. The only one other precious thing she made certain to never part from beside her sonic screwdriver and three necklaces she always wore. She waved a hand, indicating for the group to gather around for a story. Everyone slowly sat down in a makeshift circle around the strange woman, staring at her confusion as to why some weird companion of the great Martha Jones could ever have something so important to say. Martha made herself comfortable amongst the others on the stairs, smiling as she watched Wanda begin her tales.

Carefully, Wanda placed the silver device onto the floor by her feet. She stepped back a little, allowing the device to begin its work. It opened in the centre, allowing them to see light building up from within. Gently, it projected a large holographic screen of images, all which were of the Doctor. Each piece a memory of him which Wanda held dear. And as the images shifted, showing the Doctor's heroics from Wanda's past, she began her story.

"There is a man, far greater in legend than even Martha Jones herself," Wanda said calmly, gesturing towards her friend. "He's one of the greatest men to have ever walked this Earth. He's travelled farther than any could have dreamed. Seen wonders beyond imagination. In his very name do we get our words for healer. For teacher. For wise man. And this man . . . is the Doctor." Wanda stared at the image of the Doctor smiling kindly, her eyes watering as she felt a mixture of emotions. "The Doctor is someone who has always been there for us all. Yet he never stops. Not once. To ever be thanked or take praise for his accomplishments. For in seeing you all living in joy and happiness, to know that you as humans find your own way into the universe and experience so much then he ever could . . . that is all he could ever hope for. All the while just know that he will always be there, ready to catch you when you fall and to help you back on your feet once more. Even if you never realized he had been there in the first place."

The way she passionately spun her tale about the Doctor was touching to the group of humans. Martha smiled, feeling the same warmth of hope spread through her as she always felt when Wanda told her stories of him. The way her eyes sparkled and each word danced off her tongue made it clear to Martha just how much Wanda admired the Time Lord, and she hoped to instill the same joy in everyone else that she felt when thinking of him.

"But who are you? How do you know this man so well?" one person spoke up. Others seemed to wonder the same, muttering quietly in agreement.

Wanda paused, staring at the group of humans carefully. By this point, she would always simply smile and say she was nobody. However, this time, she reached up and slowly lowered her hood, allowing them all to see her face for the first time. Martha felt taken back as not once had Wanda ever allowed others to see her face during their year of travelling. Mostly because both of them had agreed it was best not to allow the Master to know she was with Martha. For if he did, he would have tripled his efforts to track the companion down, not wanting the Wanderer to help the human cause in any way. But now, close to the moment where they would have to finally face him, Wanda let her guard down and stared everyone face-to-face. The rich green emerald eyes seemed to take everyone back as they stared at her.

"I am the Wanderer," Wanda spoke carefully, her voice full of resolve. "I am the Doctor's wife. I have travelled with the Doctor to the ends of the universe and back. I have stood by his side, watching worlds and stars born from nothing. I have seen empires collapse only for him to help raise them up more brilliant than they'd ever been. I've watched that man send armies running by the mere mention of his name, all the while holding a grin on his face and never lifting a single weapon. For over a hundred years I have been with this man of miracles in his impossible blue box. He is a madman, yes. But he's my madman. Just as I am his madwoman. And when I'm there for you all, just know that he will never be too far behind. For I will always be his Wanderer. Just as he will always be our Doctor." The group of humans stared at Wanda in awe. Even Martha gazed at her amazement.

The spell was broken when a woman came running into the house yelling.

"It's him! It's him! My god, it's him! It's the Master! He's here!" the woman ran in shouting with a panic, alarmed by what she had witnessed approaching outside. The humans instantly reacted with alarm and terror, jumping up from where they sat.

"Quick," one woman said, grabbing Wanda and pulling her towards where Martha sat frozen. But Wanda stopped the woman gently, patting her hand in reassurance.

"It's fine. Please, everyone, be calm," Wanda spoke to the group, making everyone halt in their hurry to hide their two guests. All stiffened as they heard the Master speaking loudly outside from the street.

"Martha! Martha Jones! I can see you. Out you come, little girl. Come and meet your master," they heard him mockingly taunt the all the houses. Wanda stiffened as she felt an immediate reaction within. A rush of red-hot hatred boiled away as the wolf bared her teeth, howling for blood. Swallowing down her anger, she slowly lifted her hood to place it over her head once more but paused in doing so before letting it fall back on her shoulders. She then stood tall, looking at the humans around her.

"Martha . . . it's time," Wanda said evenly. She glanced at Martha as her friend came over to her. Briefly, they held hands, giving the other a firm hold in knowing they had each other's back before letting go. The Wanderer then looked around to the humans once more. "Thank you all for your bravery and kindness in keeping us safe. But we all know the two of us cannot stay without harm coming to you all. Just remember, even though we will not be here for you, when the time comes, remember the Doctor. When the Master is ready to wage war with the universe, think of the Doctor and only him. And make certain to tell everyone to do the same."

With that said, Wanda scooped her silver device up, closing it firmly and placing it into a pocket. Then, both she and Martha walked together, unwavering as they came up to the door. Tom reluctantly stepped aside to let them through, allowing the two women to finally face the Master. They walked into the cold streets of the night, bypassing the garbage that littered the ground as they stopped a short distance away from the grinning Master. Armed guards pointed their weapons at the two females, keeping them away from getting too close to their master.

"Oh, yes! Oh, very well done! Good girl!" the Master said sardonically, clapping with wicked glee. "He trained you w—." The Master stopped his mocking abruptly when realizing who stood beside Martha. Brown eyes met cold emerald. He narrowed his eyes, glaring sinisterly. "Well, well, well. I should have known the Doctor's dear Wanderer would have shown up eventually."

"I've never left," Wanda said quietly. She saw how the Master appeared greatly annoyed by this statement. She knew it would bother him with realizing he never knew about her travells with Martha. That somehow, through all his brilliance, she had outwitted him. Even in a small feat of merely staying under the radar of his knowing. If there was anything that angered the Master to no end, it was being outsmarted. Especially by one who he deemed beneath him.

"Bag. Give me the bag. Throw it on the ground," he said gruffly, pulling out his laser screwdriver while Martha took off her backpack and threw it towards him. He then lasered the bag, destroying any contents that had been held within. All the while never once did his eyes leave the steady gaze of Wanda's. Slowly he gripped his screwdriver in his hands, staring at the Wanderer carefully. "So, tell me, is that all you had planned? Using some weak human invention against me? All that power you have at your fingertips and that's all you thought to manage with? Hmm?" He received no response as emerald eyes remained as steady as ever. Never once even blinking as they gazed into his brown irises. He gritted his teeth briefly before giving her a smug smile. "Or is it that you still don't remember? Even after the little heart-to-heart we had? Oh, I'm hurt. I was so sure you'd remember for little old me." He waited for her to speak. Still, he was only given a cool stare. Once more, his gaze hardened. "Hmph. Pity. Power is wasted in the hands of the weak." He turned on his heel, waving a finger in the air. "Let's load them up! We're on a tight schedule, people, and if I'm late, heads will roll."

Martha and Wanda were grabbed roughly by the armed guards, pushed forward towards the convoy. The women glanced at each other as they were separated, taken to different armoured vehicles for transport. Wanda sat stiffly on the floor of the vehicle while guards trained their weapons on her, looking out for a brief second to see a pair of dark brown eyes staring at her smugly before the doors of the van were slammed shut.

XxXxXxXx

The white walls of the cell in the Valiant glared at Wanda as she sat in a metal chair in the middle of the room. Her posture was straight as she held completely still. Not once had she made a move since being placed in her holding cell. She remained staring blankly at the metal door in front of her, waiting for when she would be dragged out into the flight deck for the inevitable time of her and Martha's planned execution. She watched as the door opened suddenly with the Master practically waltzing in.

"No, please, don't bother getting up for my account. Just here for a little chat," he said haughtily, grinning like a maniac as two guards stood behind him. One pulled out a folding chair for him, placing it down in front of Wanda. The Master swung it around, straddling the chair in a backward sit. He grinned ever so arrogantly at her. "Feels like it's been ages since our last get together. Love to catch up in all that time we've missed." He seemed to wait for her to say something, staring at her in expectancy. However, she remained in her even gaze, staring at him blankly. This seemed to annoy him as he frowned. "Oh, now, don't start that. That's all I ever get from the Doctor. Just blank stares and silence. What fun is that? Neither of you knows how to play along."

Still, Wanda said nothing. This only seemed to agitate the Master more as he shifted in his seat. His fingers tapped on the back of the chair for a moment before he gave her a wide grin.

"Oh, but Martha is very good at chatting. Even if she is too stupid to realize it," the Master went on. "Humans, they never know how to keep secrets, do they? Even if they don't say it outright, they end up giving it away through other means. For example," he leaned closer to her, grinning like mad now, "I know that you remember." He said this in a sing-song voice, smirking in glee. "Old Alpha is back and ready for action. But it seems the old wolf has lost her bite. Now, why's that? Hmm? Has the lack of war tamed the beast?" Again, he received no response. "You know, I figured if anyone wanted to play along with me it would be you. You were so adamant to toy with me through all those battles in the past. Why so reclusive now? Come on, it'll be like old times! You toy with me, I toy with you. Let's put on a big show for the Doctor and let him see what sort of creature you really are!"

When still not getting a reaction from her, he frowned for a moment before smiling once again. "Oh, I see. It's because of that pregnancy of yours, right? Look, I was doing all of us a favor. Parenthood is a bore. Really, you should be thanking me." He patted his knees, grinning ever so feverishly in his wicked delight. "I had thought about telling dear old Doctor for a while now. But then, I thought, why not wait until I had you back here again? Then you could tell him the happy news! Or, even better, maybe after I have him watch you executed, I could break the news to him. I think that'd be much more fun, don't you?" He flipped up his sleeve, looking at his watch. "Well, would you look at the time. Things sure do fly by when you're having fun. Would love to chat some more later, but," he shrugged, "you know how it is. Schedules to keep, wars to start, empires to rise. What can I say, I'm a very busy man. Ta! Be seeing you shortly!" The Master rose from his seat and turned towards the door.

"Eight months."

The Master froze in place, slowly turning back around to face her. His brows furrowed as he stared at Wanda curiously. "Excuse me?"

"That's how far along I was," Wanda spoke evenly, her emotionless eyes locked onto his. "Not two months. Eight months." The Master just stood there in stone silence as he digested this information. His demeanour shifted significantly as his body grew rigid and tense.

"Out!" he suddenly barked at his guards, pointing for them to exit the room. The two guards nodded and walked out of the room, leaving the two aliens alone. The Master made certain the door was shut tightly before turning back around to face the Wanderer. He walked forward carefully, grabbing his chair and turning it to face around properly this time. Though he did not sit in it. Instead, he kept one hand gripping the back of the chair tightly.

"You're lying," he finally spoke, his voice being kept very composed. "There is absolutely no way you could have been that far along. I would have felt it. The Doctor would have felt it. We would have seen it." His eyes narrowed sinisterly. "You're trying to toy with me again."

"I was wearing an advanced perception filter," Wanda said. "The Doctor never knew. He never felt the bond. And neither could you."

The Master gnashed his teeth together in anger. "You're lying!" When seeing the blank stare of emerald eyes, he knew she was not. And then a cold chill went down his spine.

Wanda watched as the Master turned and began to pace. The shock of what he had done hit him hard. Though the Master may be many horrid things, there was one thing he would never be able to ignore. For no Time Lord could. The instinctual need for protecting a Time Child. Yes, if she had only been pregnant two months, he could have just shrugged it all off. But eight? His instincts would be reeling now, kicking into high gear with just thinking about it. And that only drove him mad in feeling it. She knew he wanted nothing to do with such feelings. But the fact that they were still there and present only made him even more angered by it all. Not only this but the crime he committed by doing this to her and the child . . .

The Master let out an enraged scream, grabbing the chair and throwing it across the room. Seeing how Wanda did not even flinch made him even more livid. "Why didn't you tell me?! No, don't answer that, because it doesn't matter. It wasn't a Time Child. I killed a monster, that's what I did. I got rid of abomination."

"If it had been only two months, he might have forgiven you. I might have as well," Wanda spoke unsympathetically, keeping her cold gaze on him.

"Shut up," the Master growled.

"But eight months is an unforgivable crime by Gallifreyan law."

"I said, shut up."

"You murdered a Time Child in cold blood, Koschei."

"I said, SHUT UP!" The Master towered over her now, panting from his feverish demeanour. "That wasn't a Time Child! Only a child Time Lord deserves that title. Your spawn was nothing but a mistake!"

"Time Lord or not, you still killed the Doctor's child." Wanda's icy words stopped him cold, making him stare at her with wide eyes. "We both know what he did during the Time War when his family had been killed. Just think what he'll do when he finds out you killed his only other chance at having a family again. For if there is any Time Lord out there the universe should fear in the wake of their fury . . . we know it's the Doctor."

The Master slowly backed away from her, blood draining from his face as he ran through his options in his mind. ". . . He doesn't know. He doesn't ever need to find out. I'll make certain of it." Wanda merely stared at him with a stony expression, making him internally panic. ". . . He doesn't know, I know he doesn't. If he knew, he would have . . ." He let his sentence trail off, unable to finish that thought.

"He knows in the future."

"Then I'll make sure that never happens."

"That will only create a paradox."

"I have a paradox machine! I can do whatever the hell I want!" He paced again, wringing his hands together with a wide-eyed expression of a madman. "That's what I'll do. I'll kill you and Martha. Then he'll never know." He stopped when seeing Wanda still holding a cold, even gaze on him. Slowly, he eased his demeanour, giving his usual arrogant smile. "Heh. I see what you were trying to do. To scare me." He gave a fake fearful expression for a moment before laughing in spite. "But once you're out of my way, I won't have anything to fear ever again. And the universe will be a better off without you." He turned to leave, but once again her chilling words stopped him.

"Ten minutes," Wanda spoke, her voice as impassive as ever.

"What?" the Master responded, glaring at her in ire.

"That's how long you'll have after the clock reaches zero. Ten minutes." Emerald and brown stared stonily at the other. As the Time Lord stared the Wanderer down, the same cold chill came creeping back down his spine as he saw no emotion or remorse in those icy green eyes. He then left in swift motion without another word.

Wanda sat there in uneasy silence, slowly letting a shaking breath. The wolf inside her continued to snap and howl in rage, barely being held back by her in its fury. Her hands shook as she gripped them hard together, trying with all her might to keep herself steady.

The guards came into her cell what felt like only minutes later. They grabbed her roughly and forced her to stand, pushing her out into the corridor to head towards the flight deck. She ended up being pushed next to Martha as they were brought to the door leading into the command room of the Master. Then, once the door slid open, the two were pushed inside, marching forward. Martha's family stood in line at one side of the room, and on the other was Jack handcuffed in chains. Wanda glanced at Jack briefly, seeing how grimy he appeared to be, worn through the year of being tortured and killed repeatedly by the Master. Her eyes soon slowly travelled over to the cage in the corner of the room. Immediately, her hearts twisted at the sight of seeing the Doctor in his small, weak, aged state the Master had put him in. He gazed back with his large cloudy eyes while gripping the bars of his cage, staring at her as though he would give anything to be able to hold her once more. The small spark of their bond flared within Wanda, making her avert her eyes from his and quell the bond between them. Pushing it away before she had a chance to feel him within her mind after so long. Though she wanted nothing more than to do so. She wanted to feel connected to him. She wanted to feel eased by his warmth. But she knew she could not.

So, her eyes locked onto the Master as she and Martha stood at the bottom of the stairs of the flight deck. He stood towering over them from above, keeping a harsh gaze on them both.

"Kneel," he ordered rigidly. He watched as Martha obeyed and got down on her knees. His expression darkened and eyes narrowed as the Wanderer stayed standing firmly. Not once blinking as she kept her eyes locked on his. He took a few aggressive steps on the stairs, leaning forward as both hands gripped the rails beside him. "I said, kneel." He watched as Wanda ever so slowly kneeled on the ground. He smirked wickedly, though still felt the strange queasiness in the pit of his stomach as her emotionless eyes still refused to leave his. He looked away from her, smiling in triumph as he addressed the room around him.

"Down below, the fleet is ready to launch," he said as he flipped his laser screwdriver lazily in his hand. "Two hundred thousand ships set to burn across the universe." Turning around, he went up the stairs and to a control panel, hitting a button to open transmission with those down on the Earth. A worker down below confirmed that the fleet was ready, making the Master smile, depraved in his joy of bringing death. As he looked at his watch and saw only three minutes till the blackhole convertors aligned, he started the countdown on a digital clock which hung on the wall on the flight deck.

"I never could resist a ticking clock," he told the room, grinning at them all. He then raised his voice so that he heard over the transmission to the Toclafane. "My children, are you ready?" Toclafane responded in a death chant, ready to bring death just as much as their Master wanted. "At zero, to mark this day, the child Martha Jones, and the monster Wanderer, will die. My first blood." He chuckled darkly. "Any last words?" He smiled at the two women below him, seeing how Martha just stared back coolly and Wanda . . . His smile dropped somewhat when seeing how she still held her emotionless stare. Still yet to have blinked. The Master quickly plastered on an even bigger smile. "No? Such a disappointment. I had expected more of a fight from the likes of you, Wanderer. And Martha?" He laughed in spite, looking at the Doctor. "Days of old, Doctor, you had companions who could absorb the Time Vortex! This one is useless!" Aiming the laser screwdriver at the two, glaring at them. "Bow your head."

Martha did as he ordered, though reluctantly. Wanda, however, refused. Never once wavering her eyes from his. Eyes narrowing briefly, the Master had half a mind to go down there and force her head into a bow. But he let it slide. At this point, what did it matter anyway?

"And so it falls to me, as Master of all, to establish from this day a new order of Time Lords," boasted the Master, feeling victory just around the corner. "From this day forward—." He stopped abruptly when hearing Martha beginning to laugh softly, staring at her in confusion. "What? What's so funny?" Martha looked up at him, staring at him as though she could not believe him.

"A gun?" she said.

"What about it?" he retorted.

"A gun in four parts?"

"Yes, and I destroyed it."

"A gun, scattered in four parts, scattered across the world? I mean, come on! Did you really believe that?"

The Master glared at the smug looking Martha, becoming greatly irritated by her now. "What do you mean?"

"As if I would ask them to kill," came a voice from the side of the room. The Master looked over to see the Doctor staring at him. Sneering, the Master rolled his eyes.

"Oh, well, it doesn't matter. I've got them exactly where I want them," he snapped at his old friend.

"But we knew what Professor Docherty would do," Martha explained. "The resistance knew about her son. We told her about the gun so she'd get us here. At the right time." An edge of fear began to creep through the Master. He looked in uneasy at the woman beside Martha. Still, Wanda stared at him. Her eyes as cold and unwavering as ever.

"But you're still gonna die," he retorted, tightening his hold on his screwdriver, directing this statement at Wanda without the others realizing.

"Don't you want to know what we were doing, travelling the world?" Martha replied smoothly.

The Master looked at her now. "Tell me."

"We told a story. That's all. No weapons, just words. We did just what the Doctor said. We went across the continents and everywhere we went we found the people and we told our story. We told them about the Doctor. And we told them to pass it on. To spread the word so that everyone would know about the Doctor."

The Master was truly confused now, staring at the companion as though she were mental. "Faith and hope? Is that all?"

"No, 'cause we gave them an instruction." Martha slowly stood up, smiling in pride now. "Just as the Doctor said. We told them that if everyone thinks one word, at one specific time—."

"Nothing will happen!" The Master leaned forward a little as he stared her down, gripping each railing beside him tightly. "Is that your weapon? Prayer?"

"Right across the world," Martha continued as though she were never interrupted. "One word, just one thought, at one moment, but with fifteen satellites."

The Master was now truly taken back. "What?" He stared at her in pure disbelief, glancing over when seeing Wanda slowly getting up, standing steadily next to her friend. His hearts sped up.

"The Archangel Network," they heard Jack say confidently.

"A telepathic field binding the whole human race together," Martha said, her voice building in proud joy of the accomplishment she and Wanda had achieved in. "With all of them, every single person on Earth, thinking the same thing at the same time. And that word is 'Doctor.'"

Upon this word, the countdown on the wall reached zero and the brilliant white glow began. The Master flinched from the white light, glancing at Wanda hurriedly in fear of her. But when realizing it was not Alpha building power, he looked over to see the Doctor within the cage glowing in a dazzling light. The cage disappeared completely from the energy, turning into swirling mist as the Doctor slowly grew back into his body's original age. They heard millions of people from television screens which monitored the Earth below chanting the Doctor's name. The people throughout the room on the flight deck closed their eyes and said the Time Lord's name repeatedly. Even the people who had once been on the Master's side. The Master shouted, yelling at the Doctor to stop. But nothing he said made any difference. He looked wildly over towards the Wanderer. Only she alone remained silent. Her cold and calculating eyes still trained on him, with a white glow flashing momentarily through her irises.

The energy still swirled around the Doctor, making him levitate. He explained how he had a year to tune himself into the psychic network and integrate with its matrices, making himself stronger than even the Master using it. The Master tried fighting back, even firing his laser screwdriver at the Doctor. But the energy protected the Time Lord. The Doctor even used said energy to stop the Master from killing Martha and her family when seeing the group had reunited during the Doctor's transformation. The Master shouted, threw a fit at what was happening. He backed away from the Doctor as the man got closer to him. When the energy finally went away, the Doctor back to his normal appearance, and he bent down to tell the Master of his forgiveness. The Toclafane came upon the Master's call, trying to protect their leader and the paradox machine.

There was more shouting as the Doctor ordered Jack to get to the paradox machine. People listened to the Doctor and the others now, abandoning the Master all together as he sat hunched in the corner. Defeated. And all through this fast pace in victory and triumph for the Doctor and companions, for the human race itself, the Master felt the cold chill of dread creep through him even worse than before. Standing there, as still as ever, was the Wanderer. Emerald eyes locked onto him and him alone. He glanced at the clock, seeing the number zero. Looking at her once more, he saw the white flash in her eyes. Hurriedly, he used the Vortex manipulator he had taken from Martha earlier, ready to run. The Doctor grabbed onto him just in time to get taken away with him.

Everyone on the ship scrambled, taking control of the Valiant. They stopped the rocket fleet from launching. They watched in fear as six billion Toclafane came to rush the ship, ready to kill everyone on board. Everyone continued to press on and fight for the day. Through all of this, Wanda slowly sat down on the floor, staring off towards nothing in particular. It was only when the Doctor and the Master reappeared, the ship rocking all around them and the wind howling as time reversed, that she moved her gaze to stare at something. She and the Master locked eyes, staring at each other through the entire time of the reversal process. He gazed back at her in fear. The same look in her eye as before sending a shudder through him. The cold and calculating eyes of the wolf.

Eventually, time slowed back down, coming to a halt. The papers around the room fluttered peacefully back down to the floor. Everyone slowly, shakily, stood back up. The Doctor was the first to actually get to his feet, announcing to the humans that the paradox had been broken. Time was back to normal. Nothing of that year they still remember had ever happened. The only thing anyone on Earth would remember would be of the President of the United States being assassinated. As the Doctor announced all this in triumph, as the group of people came to their senses of what had just happened to them all of the year that had never been, there remained the two still locked in a gaze. Never once moving. Never once blinking.

The Master, with fear coursing through him, finally got up from where he had fallen and ran to the door. But he was caught by Jack who had just walked in, grabbing the Time Lord before he could make an escape and cuffing his hands behind his back.

"So, what do we do with this one?" Jack asked the group of survivors of the year that had never been, wanting to debate what they should do with the rogue Time Lord. The Doctor and others got in closer to the Master and Jack, staring at the Time Lord who had started this all.

"We kill him," said Clive, Martha's father.

"We execute him," grounded Tish, Martha's sister.

"No, that's not the solution," the Doctor said firmly to the family.

"Oh, I think so," Francine, Martha's mother, said curtly, ready to kill the man who had put them all through so much hell. The man who had almost killed one of her children right in front of her only moments ago. "Because all those things, they still happened because of him. I saw them." The mother looked furious, ready to kill.

"No," the Doctor said strictly, eyeing the whole family hard. "We're better than that. You know that." Turning, he then eyed the Master coolly. "He's my responsibility for now on. One of the last Time Lords left in existence." Jack moved away from the Master, going up the Doctor angrily.

"Yeah, but you can't trust him," argued the Captain.

"No," the Doctor agreed, nodding as he eyed his old friend strictly. "The only safe place for him is the TARDIS." He thought on this, knowing things would have to change for him now. For Wanda, too. But he knew he needed to do this. As the last of their species, they had to. Though he knew it would be hard, he also knew it would work out in the end. It had to. For all their sake.

And then, his naïve hope was shattered upon the deafening sound of a gunshot reverberating through the room.

The Master doubled over as the bullet hit him in the stomach. The whole group jumped in surprise, searching for the source. The Doctor whirled around, looking to see who had taken the shot. His deep brown eyes widened slowly. His hearts skipped a beat in horror. His stomach dropped, churning at the sight of his Wanderer standing there, breathing heavily as she held the slim, black pistol tightly in her grip with a finger still over the trigger. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the Master. Her expression unhinged.

There was no time to reflect on what had just happened. There was no time for any of them to comprehend what they were witnessing when another shot was fired. This time right into the Master's chest. She stormed past everyone, her feet stomping hard on the ground as she fired again, and again, and, again, and again. Each shot hit its target dead on. It continued, even when the Master hit the floor with a thud, his body no longer showing any sign of movement. His eyes were staring wide as they had been when he still drew breath. Wanda still fired. Until the gun was completely empty.

She stood over the body. Each repeated click of the gun echoed hauntingly through the room. Her body shook. Tears rolled slowly down her face. Her eyes were locked on the Master. Her breath left her in rasps. And still she pulled the trigger. Still it clicked on. It was not until a warm hand was placed over hers that she froze completely. Her unwavering gaze still did not look away from the dead Master as the hands gently pushed her arms down, slowly taking the gun from her hands. Once the gun was removed and her arms hung limply by her sides, strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her in for a comforting hug. She stood there in dead silence. Staring blankly off into nothing. Tears continued to roll gradually down her face.

"It's okay, Tink," Jack whispered soothingly into her ear, hushing her as he caressed her hair softly. "It's okay. It's over."

XxXxXxXx

. . . Um . . . So, leave you thoughts in a review. You know how I always loving hearing from you all. I think I'm just going to sit in the corner now and be sad for a while. Contemplate life and all that.

Reviewers:

SakuraRcoa: Welp, I'm there with you in crying. I know I was doing a lot of that while making these chapters. Really, the story just likes to take over sometimes and do its own thing. I'm so happy that you're still enjoying the story so much. Really hope that through the rest to come and even into part four you'll still like it all. :) Thank you for such kind words. Hope to see you again in the next update. Take care!

TheGirlWhoWept: I know. I'm sorry. I feel bad to make people upset. At least we can cry together through all of this. ;-; Yep, we will be seeing that adventure towards the end of this story. Which won't be long now. It's coming up real fast. I'm not ready. :(

Notary Sojac: So glad you enjoyed it all! Really hope the story continues to bring you joy through the future, and to see you again in the next time. :)

Momochan77: Yay! Glad that it's all good there. I feel you. I was crying, too. In fact, I cried with this chapter as well. I'm just so glad that I was able to bring out the emotions from everyone. I have been worried that I wouldn't get this chapters good enough. Glad to see otherwise. Hope you enjoyed the newest chapter! Until next time!

FictionalBoysAreBetter: Nope, neither was I. Nor for this chapter. I'm very happy that you enjoyed the last chapter though. :) Welp, you got your wish. He's 'dead.' Yep, totally dead. Yeah, okay, we know he's not really. But at least we got some 'justice.' I feel you. Doing some curling up into a ball moments myself. Hope your day/night is amazing! Take care until we meet again. :)

Authora97: Truthfully, I don't know how to feel, either. I hope you liked what came next in this chapter. Even if it might be a little emotional like the last. Hmm, not sure what to call all three. Let's just say a ball of the feelings for now. Can't wait to see you again in the future!

Wicken25: I know. I'm the worst. :(

alwaystherereading: Woo! I'm very happy to hear that. :) Alpha was never 'evil.' Just a wolf trying to survive. But yes, it is nice finally seeing all that she is. The Daleks ended up taking everything from her. Her parents, her love, her childhood, and her life. If only things could have been different. :( Not really a split personality. Wanda and Alpha are two completely separate people, with Wanda sort of being like Alice Rivers and John Smith. A personality piece created from the chameleon arch. But you can always view it as a split personality if you'd like. :) Welp, I've always been better at first person than third. So I'm glad that I've managed both good for this story. Nice! Always wanted to travel there myself. Nah, you're much more amazing than me. ;) You are truly brilliant and I hope you have a wonderful life wherever you go!

X-Lisa-Anne-X: . . . I'm so sorry. :(

Guest(a): Hi! I'm so happy you've enjoyed the story so far. :) They might, but . . . at this point in time, they need a lot of healing before even considering something like that. Take care!

Wyvernhandler: Yep. I like to suffer at times. Though I hate to bring suffering to all of you as well. Glad this all gave you some ideas! I bet your stories will be ten times better than this one. :)

Needy Nancy: Yep! Part four right after this one. Well, maybe not 'right' after. I might take a break for a bit to gather up some written material for the next story. But it will come out pretty soon after the end of part three. :) So glad that you're excited for it! I really, really hope that you'll like part four just as much as this one. :D

lautaro94: Eh, the universe is sort of 'alive' according to the Whoverse when I did research on it. It's not really any kind of entity. More of the collection of good vs bad things that have gathered throughout the universe over the years of the existence of life itself. So when people in the story, even in the show itself (at least in the new canon), say the darkness and the light of the universe, they usually mean the bad and good things that people have done through life. That's what I am using for my story, at least. :) Hope that you like it!

AGBreads: I know. I very sorry. I hope that it was still enjoyable at least.

The Early Precambrian: Woo! I'm just so happy that you've enjoyed it all so far. :) Really hope that your enjoyment continues throughout the rest. Alpha and Shelly were very cute together. Just wish they could have had more time together. :( Aleena . . . such a mystery that one is. Not at all! Your English is perfect. :D I know any other language I do isn't all that great when I do it, so I know how you feel in being uncertain in how your communicating. But just trying something new just makes you more brilliant! :) So glad you feel like family. That is always my goal when it comes to the community of this story. I always hope that you'll continue to enjoy the rest to come, and to see you again in the future. :3 Take care!

Saragosa: I know. I'm sorry, I'm the worst. They might meet her someday. Or might not. No telling at this point.

singingKatelyn: haha. Glad you're liking it so much. I think that's a good warning for anyone reading the reviews before reading. ;) Hope your finals went well! Thanks for the awesome review. :D

swimmjacket: Agreed. Poor everyone at this point. The Doctor . . . I'm worried what he will do if, or rather when, he comes across the Master again. *shivers* Glad you like it all. Even if it did make you cry. Trust me, it made me cry as well. ;-; Keeping my fingers crossed that you enjoyed the new chapter. Until next time!

bored411: Agreed. I think it might take time, but I'm hoping they'll move onto better things. Though after this chapter . . . yeah, it might take a long while. Heres to hoping you enjoyed the new chapter!

deathelk: Yep. I've always loved stories that come full circle, so it was always a goal to do so with this story. :) Hope you enjoyed the new update!

Whovianeverlark17: Glad you liked it! Doctor and Alpha . . . I think they'll always have a rocky relationship, but here's to hoping things between them can get better from here. You're definitely right there. Especially in seeing how effected Wanda was in this chapter, I think the healing is much more painful for her.

KingPenguinJG: Aww, thank you! Glad it was sort of a good sad in a way. Hmm, I'm not certain. I think Alpha only really calls the Doctor 'omega' when being spiteful. But if things between them get better, than she might just call him by his name or something less wolf-like. As for Thirteen, I know neither Alpha nor Wanda will care. For Wanda loves the Doctor no matter what. And Alpha just doesn't care. She hates everyone equally. haha. Again, not too sure about the Valeyard. Since I don't think they'll bring that back anytime soon in the new series, it might not be a situation Alpha and Wanda will have to face. Thanks for all the great questions! :)

KylieWinchester: Aww, I'm glad that you like it so much. Though I hate to make you so sad. :( Nah, thank you for being so amazing and leaving such lovely reviews. :) You're the best!

jaz7: There will be a sequel to this. A part four that ties into the Wanderer Trilogy. Though it will also be more of its own story, too. I hope that you'll like it. :)

normandy1701: It is nice seeing them have a sort of peaceful moment together. Don't know if that'll always happen, but at least they had that time together. :) We'll be seeing the 50th adventure coming up soon. For the end of this story is drawing very near now. ;) See you in the next one!

Toushou-sama: I'm sorry. I know that I'm horrible. But I hope that maybe this chapter made up for that? Or maybe not considering . . . Anyway, hope to see you again in the future at least. :) Take care!

Ruby Slippers: Thank you!

TheMidnightwolf15: Aww, I'm so happy to hear that! Even if the emotions are all over the place. Yeah, I have a thing with cliffhangers. Which is terrible of me I know, but I just love doing them so much. haha. Actually, it really depends on which Wanda I'm writing for. As what you probably notice with the story covers, I enjoy writing the Tenth Doctor with First Wanda, Nine with Second, and Eleven with Third. Mostly because of how each Wanda is in personality, and where they are in their developing stories. So, in this part of the trilogy, since Eleven and Third Wanda are so completely in tune with each other, it comes off in a better flow for this part of the trilogy. :) Hope that makes sense. And to see you again in the future! :3

Isanxd: Everything will come full circle in the end. Something I've been planning for this trilogy. I hope you'll enjoy how it ends. :) Sorry for the cry. I hope it was still a good read at least. Many people guessed extremely close. Though I don't recall if anyone got it spot on. It was so hard not just giving out spoilers to people. You have no idea how hard. But I'm so glad to finally be here with everything coming clean for all to see. :) I'm just so happy that you're liking everything so far! Can't wait to see what you think of the rest to come. Take care!

NerdWithAPencil: I'm sorry. I feel the same there with you. ;-; I hope this chapter wasn't as bad . . . Though the next few might be. Um, here's some tissues for now. And a few hugs. Hope it was still a good read in the end!

N7SpaceHamster: It's been a little better. I've just been sort of bummed lately. But I'll be okay as long as I know you and all other readers have a better time. :) Thank you! I'm just glad it all came together nicely and that everyone seems to be enjoying it so far. Now I'm just super nervous about part four. haha. They did indeed. They knew she was slowly dying and wanted to test Alpha and her to see which experiment was worth keeping around. As we saw, it was Alpha. They made the perfect weapon. Too perfect. Something that they, and no one else, can ever control. Way to go, Daleks. You screwed everyone over. *sigh* Yep, it was Bad Wolf. And I suppose we'll find out about all that in the 50th adventure. ;) Which will be coming up soon as the story is now drawing to a close. I did not find anything about that sort of tea in the research I've done. So, it was just something I made up. Hope that's okay. Umm . . . well that's a hard question to answer there. But some of that will be answered in the next chapter to come. So stay tuned for now. ;) Glad you liked that! I always wondered what would happen if something went wrong with the chameleon arch. So this is what we got here. I think at that moment Alpha was only focusing on protecting Wanda. Plus it was sort of a retort to what the Doctor said. Correct. The Doctor will never give up on Wanda, or anyone else he loves for that matter. There are many similarities between Alpha and the Doctor. More than they would like to admit. Which is why I think they clash so much sometimes. We know how Wanda is. Always blaming herself for these things. :( You're absolutely right on that. The Doctor is torn up knowing what he didn't know, and what his old friend had done. Especially when he had forgiven the Master for everything that had happened on that day. Now all there is to wonder is what will the Doctor do if, or rather when, he runs into the Master again. It's going to be a while before any 'happy' chapters. But I hope that they'll still be a good read until then. :) Take care and have a wonderful day/night!

*still sitting in the corner and contemplating life*

~Tinker~