The Valeyard sat in his lab, thinking. Without the TARDIS, it would take him at least six months to create the huon particle necessary for his machine. And he didn't even have six hours. He let out a frustrated sigh.

An hour ago, UNIT's message had appeared on every television and computer screen around the country and there was already quite a sizable group of rowdy civilians outside the palace. He had an army and a police force but only a few of them were actually under his control and the ones who weren't were starting to disobey orders and switch sides.

He had known from the start that if England had help from the rest of the world, he wouldn't stand a chance. That's why he had closed the borders and had "influenced" a few world leaders to leave him alone. He inwardly cursed the Doctor for allowing the resistance to contact reinforcements.

Just then Lidia entered the room in a panic, closely flowed by his Chief of Police.

'The mob has gotten past the guards,' the chief informed him.

Shit. He couldn't win this one. He would have to run, but where? Nowhere in England would be safe for him. He could leave the country but UNIT was everywhere and they would eventually find him. If only he had his TARDIS or a spaceship of somekind or even a time… A smile spread across his face.

'Fetch my personal guards,' he told the chief.

The chief nodded and left the room. Once he had gone, the Valeyard pushed past Lidia and ducked into the next room to fetch a small black cylinder device.

'What's that?' asked Lidia when he had returned to the lab.

'It's a lock-pick,' he said simply. 'I need it to get into the Black Archive.'

He headed to his escape exit at the back wall of the lab just as the police chief returned with four more men.

The sounds of the mob were getting closer so the Valeyard wasted no time in putting his palm on the panel and opening the secret door. The guards went through first and then the Valeyard. Lidia made to follow but he stopped her by putting a hand on her shoulder.

'No. You stay here,' he said and Lidia's eyes glazed over. 'Protect this room with your life.'

Lidia nodded and the Valeyard left her without a second thought.

oOoOo

The Doctor was bored... again. Once inside the Black Archive, Kate had changed the last question to something the Valeyard would know (What was Susan's Gallifreyan name?) but that was almost an hour ago. Mickey and Martha were waiting near the door so they could close it behind the Valeyard when he arrived, sealing him in. Everybody else had their own ambush positions so there was nothing left to do but wait. And the Doctor hated waiting. He was just about to say as much when he heard the door of the Black Archive open.

'You two stay here and guard the door,' he heard the Valeyard say.

A moment later he saw the man walk into the room, flanked by three guards. The Valeyard smiled when he saw the vortex manipulator and walked over the vault that housed it. That was far enough thought the Doctor and he nodded to Kate.

'Not another step,' said Kate to the Valeyard, as everybody emerged from their hiding places. Kate, Harold and Lee all had their guns at the ready.

The Valeyard and his guards turned around. The Valeyard had a smug smile on his face that the Doctor just wanted to smack off him.

'Kate Stewart,' said the Valeyard. 'How nice it is to see you. A bit of a surprise seeing as I thought I had you killed ages ago but still nice. A nice surprise.'

'Tell your guards to drop their weapons,' she said, ignoring his babble. She obviously knew it was a distraction tactic.

'I could do that,' said the Valeyard, 'but the thing is that although you may outnumber us in people... we still have more guns.'

At his words, the guards opened fire and the room erupted into chaos. The Doctor wasn't quite sure what was happening but he heard a couple of people shout out in pain as the bullets whizzed through the air.

The Doctor ignored the guards and focused on reaching the Valeyard who was placing a small device on the lock of the vortex manipulator's vault.

The Doctor was almost there when a fist came out of nowhere and knocked him to the ground. He wrestled with the assailant but he was actually quite heavy and the Doctor wasn't quite as spry as he used to be.

Mickey and Martha appeared (they must have subdued the two guards on door duty) and joined the fight. With two more people on their side, the Resistance quickly gained control of the room. Martha grabbed the Valeyard from behind and pushed her gun against his head.

'Lower your weapons!' she shouted to the Valeyard's men.

The room fell quiet and someone pulled the heavy guard off of the Doctor. He mumbled his thanks and picked himself up off of the floor, dusting himself off. He looked up and took in the aftermath of the chaos.

Two men lay dead on the floor. One was from the Valeyard's guard but the other was one of theirs. It was Harold.

Mickey and Lee had the other two guards on their knees in front of them and were checking them for more weapons.

Kate was glaring at the Valeyard (who was still being held firmly by Martha) and holding her arm, pain visible on her face. There was quite a lot of blood trickling down her arm. The Doctor walked over tor her.

'Let me have a look at that,' he said.

'You're not that kind of Doctor,' she hissed through the pain.

'Well, Martha has her hands full at the moment so jus let me have a look.'

Kate slowly removed her hand to reveal the bullet wound.

'It's just a scratch,' the Doctor lied. 'You'll be fine just keep pressure on it.'

He pulled a bandage out of his bigger-on-the-inside pockets and handed it to Kate.

He then walked over to the Archive's cell door and opened it with his sonic screwdriver. He turned to face the Valeyard.

'In,' he ordered.

The Valeyard laughed. 'Still too cowardly to kill,' he said.

'This isn't being cowardly,' said the Doctor. 'This being merciful. Now get in before I change my mind.'

Martha started to march the Valeyard towards the cell but stopped when she heard Rose's angry shout of "No."

Tall heads turned to face Rose who had picked up the gun Kate had dropped in the fight and was now pointing it at the Valeyard. The Doctor was shocked at the dark expression on her face. Had the Valeyard pushed his sweet, compassionate, merciful Rose this far? No. He wouldn't allow it. He wouldn't let her become this.

'Rose?' he questioned.

'I'm sorry Doctor,' she said, purposely not looking at him, 'but we can't let him live.'

'But you said we couldn't kill him.'

'I said you couldn't kill him. I never said that I wouldn't.'

The Valeyard laughed again. 'You see, Doctor, this is what we do. We manipulate other people into doing our dirty work. Look at your precious Rose now. How ready she is to kill an unarmed man.'

'Rose, give me the gun,' the Doctor said, ignoring the Valeyard.

'He deserves it,' said Rose, not lowering her weapon. 'After everything he's done, all the lives he has ruined… I can't let him live.'

'Then let me do it,' insisted the Doctor.

'No,' said Rose defiantly. 'I won't let you become like him. You're not a murderer.'

'Neither are you.'

'You don't know that,'

'Yes I do.'

'I killed Jake,' she said, tears now flowing down her face. 'That day we had him cornered. He put his hand on my shoulder and told me to shoot Jake and I just did it. I didn't even think about it. So, I am a murderer. He turned me into one.'

'That wasn't your fault,' said the Doctor, inching a bit closer to her, his arm still outstretched, willing her to give him the gun. 'He had control of your mind. He murdered Jake, not you.'

Rose still didn't lower the gun even though the Doctor was right beside her now.

'You're not a murderer,' he continued. 'You know how I know?'

'How?'

'Because you haven't pulled the trigger yet.'

Rose's hand began to shake as her silent tears turned into sobs. She lowered the gun and handed it to the Doctor who handed it back to Kate before wrapping his arms around a sobbing Rose.

'It's okay,' he whispered into her hair as his hand rubbed comforting circles on her back.

Suddenly a shout echoed throught the room and the Doctor turned to see Martha doubled over on the ground. The Valeyard was running towards the vault containing the vortex manipulator.

'Martha!' yelled Mickey.

The man he was guarding took advantage of the distraction, getting to his feet and smacking Mickey across the head. Harold's guard was a bit slower and Harold knocked him out before he could get to his feet.

Rose ran over to Martha to check on her but the woman waved her off.

'I'm fine,' she said through sharp breaths. 'Stop the Valeyard.'

The Doctor didn't need her instruction. He was already racing across the room to where the Valeyard was once again trying to get to the vortex manipulator. He had just gotten the door open when the Doctor rugby-tackled him to the ground and they both tumbled into the vault.

The Doctor managed to get a couple of long-overdue punches in before the Valeyard managed to throw him off.

The Valeyard had just gotten back to his feet when Rose ran into him, almost sending to the ground once more. He managed to keep his footing, however, and pushed Rose off him, sending her flying into the Doctor. The pair untangled themselves from one another and sat up to see the Valeyard punching coordinates into the vortex manipulator that was now on his wrist.

'No,' growled the Doctor but it was too late.

With a triumphant smile, the Valeyard pushed one more button on the device and disappeared.

oOoOo

The Doctor, Rose, Mickey, and Martha stood outside the TARDIS. Kate had gone to the hospital (after much persuasion) to get her arm looked at and Harold and Reggie had gone to help spread the word that the Valeyard was gone.

'So I guess you'll be off, then,' said Mickey.

'You can handle yourselves from here,' said the Doctor. 'You don't need me anymore.'

'Thank you,' said Martha. 'For helping us… again.'

'It was my mess. Only right that I help clean it up.'

'Where do you think the Valeyard is now?'

'I don't know,' replied the Doctor, 'but I'm sure I'll come across him again. Next time he won't be so lucky.'

'What about me?' asked Rose who had been silent ever since the Valeyard had escaped. 'What do I do now that I'm like this?'

Part of the Doctor's mind was screaming at him to just grab her hand and never let her go but he had to give her a choice. He had put her through so much and he wouldn't blame her if she never wanted to see him again.

'That's up to you,' he said. 'You could come with me or you could stay here. Rose Tyler: Defender of the Earth. Your choice.'

'Do you want me to come?' she asked. The uncertainty in her eyes broke the Doctor's hearts. She still didn't realise how much he still cared about her.

'There's nothing I'd want more,' he said honestly, holding out his hand for her.

A smile slowly crept onto Rose's face and the Doctor matched her expression as she took his hand.

The moment was broken by Anna running up the alley. They turned to face her, their hands falling between them without letting go.

'I just saw Reggie and he said you were leaving,' said Anna, panting a little. 'I just wanted to say goodbye.'

The Doctor smiled at her and let go of Rose's hand so he could hold it out to shake Anna's.

'Goodbye Anna,' he said. 'Good luck, be magnificent, et cetera et cetera.'

'You too and thanks for everything,' said the teenager as she let go of the Doctor's hand. 'Anyway, I better go. I have a couple more walls to write on before I go find Dad.'

'See ya,' said Rose. 'And thanks for all your help. Your Dad's gonna be so proud of you.'

'Maybe eventually. After he recovers from the heart attack he is going to have when he hears that I helped start a revolution.'

Rose laughed and Anna bid them all one last goodbye before running back out of the alley.

'I guess it's my turn,' said Rose, turning to Martha and Mickey.

She embraced Mickey first. 'Thank you for everything, Mickey,' she said. 'I don't know what I've done without you.'

'The same thing only faster, probably,' replied Mickey.

Rose laughed and let her best friend go. 'That's not true and you know it.'

She turned to Martha and hugged her too. 'Look after him,' she said. 'And yourself. And my niece or nephew.'

Martha chuckled and pulled away. 'Take care of yourself. And take care of him,' she said, gesturing towards the Doctor.

The Doctor took this as his signal to say his goodbyes. He stepped towards Martha tentatively. She was probably going to hug him.

Sure enough, as soon as he was close enough, Martha wound her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a hug. He patted her back awkwardly.

'Goodbye, Doctor,' she said after puling away.

'This isn't goodbye,' he said. 'We'll come back and visit.'

'You'd better,' she said, poking him in the chest.

'Martha Jones. Don't ever change.'

He turned towards Mickey. 'Mickey the Idiot…'

'You're never gonna stop calling me that, are you?'

'Nope,' replied the Doctor holding out his hand.

'Didn't think so,' chuckled Mickey, shaking the Doctor's hand. 'See ya later, boss.'

oOoOo

Jack Spencer walked along the street towards his flat. Just a few more blocks with only five minutes to curfew... but that no longer worried him. Things were different now. The Minister of War was gone. He knew that it would take a while for England to return to normal but at the precise moment he was just too relieved to have survived it all and he decided to push all worry to the back of his mind and focussed on enjoying his walk home instead. So, he smiled at the brave teenager writing graffiti on the wall and stopped to read her messages of hope. He turned his head at the sound of a child crying across the street (she just wanted a piggyback ride from her father). And he turned on the spot when he heard the strange wheezing sound that came from a back alley a few blocks back.

He ran towards the noise and turned the corner just in time to see what looked like a blue box fade into thin air.

'Did you see that?' he asked the couple beside him.

They nodded, smiling knowingly.

'What was it?' he asked them.

'That was the Doctor,' said the woman.

'In the TARDIS,' continued the man. 'With Rose Tyler.'

Just as it should be.