The Doctor had every faith in Rose's ability to understand what he needed of her when he went after the Time Lord leader, but seeing her struggling to hold the lever down sent his heart into his throat. Besides the memories the situation dredged up, he knew that this could be it for them. It wasn't like the other universe where they could fly away in his TARDIS after a near death escape from disaster, here they both had to face the fact that they were only human. And while his heroic side had kept them there past the point of no return, deep in his single heart he felt he wasn't the Time Lord he used to be. Maybe he didn't have it right this time, and he had doomed them all. Then she looked into his eyes, and he knew she could do it. He tried to send all his love and strength to her through a look and mouthed the only thing he could think.

"Don't. Let. Go."

With a final crash, the lights flashed then went black. The Doctor disentangled himself from the fallen Time Lord and felt his way towards the control console. Going by touch, he pressed buttons until his ears picked up a gentle hum. Slowly, the lights faded back on to reveal a room of ruffled and bruised Time Lords and one exhausted human. The Doctor rushed to Rose and pulled her off the lever she was still clinging to for dear life. She looked up at him with eyes that sparkled with tears, but also shone with pride and love.

"I didn't let go."

He swept her into a hug, and she clung to him as tightly as she had to the lever moments before. After he gently pulled away, he turned to the large display screen. The gauge that had been slowly creeping up to 100% was all the way back to zero.

"See! Nothing to worry about! Told you I was clever. It just took a little reversal the harvest process to send all that energy back the the first star, which created a power surge large enough to manipulate the Dalek matter-displacement teleports and send the ship back to wherever it came from, all while bringing the second star back here to restore balance to the system and stop the collapse! Just in time, too, by the looks of it. Still got the moves, eh? And you, Rose Tyler, were brilliant!" He beamed at his wife. Then he looked directly at the Time Lord leader who had pulled himself to his feet and brushed himself off, and was now looking stern and silent fromt the doorway.

"That was a great risk you took with many lives, Doctor." The Time Lord's voice betrayed no emotions, but the Doctor knew that inside he must be seething. In those few moments of chaos before the world settled, the Time Lord had told the Doctor that he was making an executive decision to remove all of them from the Dalek ship and abandon the system. The Doctor had had to stop him before it was too late and there was no chance to reverse the damage the Daleks had done.

"Risk!? What about the risk to this entire solar system? Or to the surrounding systems? You know as well as I do what a black hole would have done. I didn't realise Time Lords allowed for the destruction of entire galaxies now. Oi, what happened to your head?"

He had suddenly noticed a thin stream of blood trickling from behind Rose's ear. She was white as a sheet.

"Oh, that, yeah. Hit it on something, knocked me out. Must have been when the Time Lords first got here. Guess they blew up that Dalek that was gonna kill me."

"You're pale as a ghost, you better sit down. Here." He directed Rose to a chair. "Woah, steady, now," the Doctor said as he caught her by the shoulders to prevent her from hitting the ground.

"I suggest we continue this debate after all injuries have been tended to." A smooth female voice came from behind the Doctor. He looked around to see a Time Lady a little older than Rose with short black hair and timeless eyes.

"Fine. Set up the transport." The Time Lord leader gestured to one of the other Time Lords who stepped up and pulled a device from his pocket. The next thing he knew, the Doctor and Rose were in the control room of the Time Lord ship. The Time Lady that had spoken took Rose's arm and led her away with a reassuring smile at the Doctor. Another Time Lord led him to a room with a bed and several machines and bottles. The Doctor allowed himself to be laid down and gulped down the liquid offered to him. He felt himself drift into a deep, restful sleep, his last thought of Rose and the love in her eyes as she looked at him from across the control room in the Dalek ship.

When he woke up, he knew immediately something was different. His hands flew to his face, and he felt around. All his minor cuts and bruises from the ordeal had been healed, and he felt energised and refreshed. His brain whizzed faster than ever as he surveyed the room. As he sat up and was about to get out of the bed, someone stepped into the room. Tall and gangly, the Time Lord was wearing a medical robe and moved first to the machines monitoring the Doctor's brain activity and critical levels. As the Doctor watched him, he caught sight of a machine rather like a heart monitor, but with two lines zigzagging across its surface. Then it hit him. Two lines. Two hearts.

He could hear and feel them beating in his chest. He was speechless as the Time Lord faced him and smiled kindly.

"We owe you a debt of gratitude, Doctor. Though some will not admit it, you saved us as well as this system. It is our duty as Time Lords to protect the universe, and you have shown that dedication. The Council voted to restore what was once lost to you, in gratitude. Thank you." The Time Lord then presented the Doctor with some clothes, which he slipped on.

"And where's my wife? Where's Rose?" He was headed for the door before the words left his lips. The Time Lord chuckled good-naturedly and followed him into the hallway, then took the lead as he answered.

"She is well. If you follow me, I will bring you before the Council. You are summoned."

The Doctor followed obediently, but his movements were anxious. The Time Lords had restored his species, but he was worried about how they had dealt with Rose. Humans were such a tiny species to the Time Lords, he wasn't sure they would even know how to treat her wounds or her battered immune system. Then a thought crossed his mind.

"Say, you folks didn't happen to find someone else on board that Dalek ship did you, say, I don't know, a child?"

"All life forms and Time Lord property were transported back to this ship after the crisis was averted." He gave the Doctor a pointed look which meant he knew about the borrowed TARDIS. The Doctor grinned cheekily, but was more puzzled than ever. Perhaps the Daleks were just mistranslating without help from the TARDIS? However, all thoughts of Dalek vocabulary choices disappeared from his brain when he entered the Council Seat. He saw Rose entering through a similar door to his left, and he flew towards her and gathered her in his arms. After breathing in her beautifully familiar Rose-scent, he took her completely healed face in his hands and kissed her sweetly. He then twined her fingers in his and walked boldly to the centre of the square room.

"So, who's in charge here?"

"Doctor. Rose Tyler. Welcome." The smooth female voice was familiar, and the Doctor looked around the crowd of seated Time Lords to find the face of the Time Lady from the Dalek ship.

"On behalf of all Time Lords, we would thank you for the great service you have done our people and this universe. The Daleks who escaped from the Time War had no place here in this galaxy. You have corrected the course of time itself and saved us all. For that, you have our gratitude."

The Time Lords rose to their feet and pressed their hands to the centre of their chests. The sign of reverence was almost overwhelming for the Doctor, who had long ago resigned himself to being the only record of any Time Lord tradition or memory. To see a room full of Time Lords, on a Time Lord ship, and all saluting him. The centuries of torture and darkness melted away and he felt a few tears sliding down his cheek. He lifted his hands and placed them over the centre of his chest as well, directly between his two hearts.

"And now, we have a long journey and much to discuss." The Time Lord leader's voice cut into the Doctor's reminiscing and he looked over at the man who had almost destroyed a galaxy. "Our need to return to the Time War is pressing. Though our communications are still damaged from the battle, the Council members present believe there is a place of import for you when we return. We-"

"What?!" Rose's voice bounced around the walls of the room. "Return? To the Time War? I don't think so! I am returning to Earth, thank you very much, and my husband's coming with me!"

"Rose," the Doctor took her hands in his and looked into her eyes. "Rose, they did something for me. I'm… I'm a Time Lord again. I am one of them."

"I don't care if you're a Slitheen! You're my husband and we are going back to Earth to my mum and dad and Tony and our life! You can't go into the Time War… Doctor, you know what happens. I dunno how they or the Daleks got out or how things work in this universe, but I'm not losing you and I'm not losing them. My family. Our family." Something in Rose's eyes didn't match her fiery tone - love and warmth and peace. He watched as she guided his hands to her stomach. Her words were the only thing he heard, all other sounds drowned by the implications.

"Doctor, I'm pregnant."