Giant thanks to by beta orchids117, however I added stuff after she looked at it, so any errors are mine.

Chapter 5

The interview went as Kallias Roberts had expected. Henry Gro was haughty and was only interested in the mission for the fame and money that came with saving the world.

Roberts forced a smile. "Thank you, Mr. Gro. I'll get back to you soon," he lied.

Henry stood and smirked down at Kallias. "Oh, you will," he assured; he had never been denied a position before in his life.

Kallias sighed. This was the sixth interview he had conducted in the past hour and he was still nowhere. How hard was it to find a decent weapon's expert these days?

As the pompous man left, the tired interviewer removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes, putting another application in the 'no' pile.

Very hard, apparently.

He reached over and drowned the rest of his coffee.

There was only one more interview left for the day: some bloke named Neal Douglas. Kallias pleaded to the goddesses for him to be the one. The ship was set to launch in a fortnight and this was the last position to be filled.

"Sally, please send in the next one," he mumbled into the communicator next to him.

The door opened with a soft creak, and Kallias looked up with wearied interest to see who he would be dealing with.

Neal was a tall, well-built man with skin black as night. He had pale blue tattoos wrapping themselves up his arms, disappearing under the sleeves of his tight grey t-shirt. His eyes were a striking green, which, when contrasted with the rest of his features, seemed equal parts warm and cold; harsh and inviting.

"Mr. Douglas, please take a seat."

Neal grinned widely and the interview began.

Within the first five minutes, Kallias was already convinced that this was who they were looking for. Neal had graduated top of his class from one of the most prestigious schools in the quadrant, had spent five years working at the most successful research facility in the system, and was undoubtedly pleasant and respectful. He had already done extensive research into their mission and would easily be ready by the launch date.

The interviewer took his time to double and even triple check the authenticity of Neal's documents and references. He was perfect. Perfect in every possible way.

Kallias took one of Neal's hands in both of his. "Thank you so much, Mr. Douglas. Here's the folder on the rest of the crew and a brief overview of the project – although I doubt you'll need it, being as knowledgeable as you are. Please be here by nine tomorrow to begin your training."

"I'll be here," Neal reassured as he stood and walked out.

He winked flirtatiously at Sally as he passed her, causing her to hide a giggle behind her hand. He had a brief conversation with the guard at the main gate, which gained him the man's phone number. He caught the eye of most of the ladies as he walked down the street to his hovercar. There was no denying his natural ability to charm everyone he met.

Which is why the Zorrons had chosen him as their spy.

The air surrounded him in thick clouds of dust. The strong stench of death permeated the air. Children's cries rang in his ears. He refused to fight; he refused to kill. But it had to end.

No more.

He could feel the rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins, his hearts picking up incredible speed. Flashes of light cut through the sky and landed with forceful blows. Rubble fell from breaking buildings, landing on the innocent and scared.

EXTERMINATE!

His synapses fired and raged. With ever command of those infernal beasts, his shaking hands gripped the gun tighter. He despised the weapon in his arms almost more than he despised himself. But, what choice did he have?

The Moment is coming.

He expelled every thought from his mind as he stared at the big red button, having broken every promise that came with his name. No thoughts, no strength, no going back. He caged every stray emotion and just let himself be. He focused on the feeling of the air in his lungs, the wind in his short grey hair, the smooth crimson stone beneath his fingertips. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and -

The Doctor bolted upright, hand running through his hair as he calmed his breathing. It was the same recurring nightmare – memory – that constantly plagued his resting hours. He would never forget what he did that dreadful day – the day he destroyed his place of being, his home.

The Doctor had been surprised to learn, before giving in to his unavoidable exhaustion, that there had once been a Doctor in this universe as well. However, his actions in the Time War seemed to make more sense, in a way.

"…As the Time Lord's plans failed, Rassilon, the founder of their great society, named himself Lord President. He manipulated the High Counsel into implementing the 'Ultimate Sanction', a genocide scheme which threatened all of creation.

"There were some, however, who were opposed to this action. The Doctor, a Time Lord of great influence and importance, went above the heads of all those in power. With the help of his once thought enemy, now turned co-conspirator, the Master, General of the Gallifreyan army, he redirected all available soldiers to Skaro. They implemented conscription and all living men and women without obligations were sent to the Dalek home world. The Daleks, in an effort to protect their own, returned to their planet. Before Arcadia could fall, the war was moved to the Skaro battlefields. The full might of the Deathsmiths of Goth battled against the Black Hole Carriers and N-Forms. In a final act of valour, the Doctor dismantled the High Counsel and banished the Lord President. On the front lines of battle, the Doctor fell, taking Skaro with him. The Daleks all died…"

The Alternate-Doctor had stood up courageously. He had not turned away from the gore and horrific bloodshed in the epicentre of the war. Rather, he had participated in it. And in doing so, he had destroyed Skaro instead of Gallifrey. Sure, the Alternate-Doctor had died in doing so, but in all honesty, the real Doctor had never planned to survive either. He had even wished desperately for death in his worst moments. But the destruction of the Dalek home world would not have weighed on his consciousness quite as heavily as the destruction of his home.

Of course, Gallifrey was gone in this universe nonetheless. He had scanned the skies with a sliver of hope, only to be let down. Somehow Gallifrey still fell, but at least he wasn't the one to have dropped it this time.

The Doctor readjusted his position on the luscious library recliner and tried to force himself into another few hours of slumber. If he tried hard enough, perhaps he would be able to drift deep into a dreamless sleep. He didn't really have the desire to rest any longer, but Rose would scold him if she realized that he hadn't slept as long as he should have. She had a knack for deducing the exact state of his mental alertness, and if it was in any way subpar, he would be forced – unnecessarily by his view – to bed for another hour or two, sans her company. Which was annoying because he hated sleeping. His life was so much shorter now, yet Rose expected him to sleep it all away?

But then she'd rest her hands on his cheeks and stroke the circles under his eyes with her thumbs and tell him that he needed to rest. He'd close his eyes for a moment and find himself falling asleep right then and there. She'd laugh softly and grab his hand, leading him to his room. She'd tuck him in and, recently, she'd leave a small kiss on his forehead.

Well, maybe sleeping wasn't so bad after all.

He was awoken an hour and a half later by the smell of sugary-sweet coffee and toast, both of which were held towards him by a sleepy Rose. He stretched, popping a few joints, and rubbed his eyes, before grabbing the items readily from her hands.

"Morning. You sleep okay?" she asked, taking a seat on the sofa across from him.

"Mmm..." he hummed in neither agreement nor denial, taking a sip of his hot beverage. Rose made it just how he liked it, every time. He smiled at the thought.

"So... what's the plan for today? Crashing a historical wedding? Stopping a thief at an alien bazaar?"

She grinned brilliantly and waited for an answer. The artificial library windows let in the faint pink light of a foreign sunrise and cast pale shadows across the room. The effect would seem eerie if not for the beauty of it. Perhaps the TARDIS was trying to tell him something; she almost never changed the fictional world outside her windows.

She hummed in the back of his mind as he caught on. Rose didn't need an adventure today. She had almost died not even a week ago. No, he needed to take her to see something wondrous and beautiful, just like her.

"How about a Koorian sunrise?"

Her eyes widened.

"A sunrise?"

He smiled faintly.

"Not just any sunrise, the second best sunrise in the universe – the best being on Gallifrey, of course. Though, it's probably one of those subjective things. I'd take you to see both and compare… you know, if I could."

He got a faraway look in his eyes, remembering. In his mind, he was a child again, eight years old. He remembered the day of his initiation. He woke up extra early that morning and snuck out. He lay in the long grass behind his house and watched the suns dance to the familiar song of the wind. He picked a fallen leaf off the ground and held it above his face, turning it in his fingers, watching as it caught the orange light and burned in the illusion of flames. He would be forced to take his place in front of the Untempered Schism in a few hours. He had thought of running away, but then he thought of his mother and how could he ever heave his home?

But then he had. He ran and kept on running until he was all that was left. The last of the Time Lords.

His mind laughed darkly. I'm not even that.

Metacrisis. It sounded like such a dirty word to him. Contaminated.

He felt Rose weave her fingers through his and smile comfortingly. He could see the worry in her eyes though. He knew Rose could tell he was missing his home more than usual lately. Did he even have the right to call it his home anymore?

"That sounds lovely, Doctor. I'll meet you in the console room in ten minutes?"

He slowly drew his attention away from the insignificant spot he'd been staring at and nodded in confirmation.

Alone again, he gave his suit a quick clean-up with his sonic and forced a cheery smile on his face. Today was not a day for brooding. He would spend a lovely day in the sun with the love of his life and nothing would go wrong.

The Doctor landed them near the precipice of a waterfall. The waters roared below and a lonely songbird sang its flitting tune. It was still dark, but Koor's three suns would be rising soon. Even in the moonslight, the scenery was breathtaking. There was a solitary tree by the stream, a weeping willow with purple leaves. The water was calm as it trickled off the edge, unaware of the rage it would meet. Through the water, there was a fine later of incandescent algae, illuminated in the transparent depths like stars.

The Doctor didn't take his jacket off, but when he sat, he spread out the edge of it, creating a foot and a half's length for Rose to sit. He didn't think closeness was an issue for them anymore and was proven right when she snuggled up next to him.

They didn't have to wait long for the first sun to begin its ascent to their left, seeming to rise up from the water. It was a bright yellow, like Earth's sun, but it was not so strong that it couldn't be looked at directly. Next, to their right, rose another sun, red this time. They intercepted at sharp angles to make an orange light.

She sighed happily. "This is beautiful, Doctor."

He grinned. "Oh, just you wait."

She looked up at him quizzically, but her questions were answered when the third sun snuck up behind them. It was a brilliant emerald green. On its own, it seemed a bit strange, but in conjunction with the other two, it created light of every colour. Rose stood and turned in wonder, taking in the sight. Everywhere she looked was a different coloured beam of light.

"Humans in the year eight thousand colonized this planet because they thought the sunsrise looked like a million Christmas lights. It reminded them of home."

"But, it's more than that. 'S like being inside a rainbow!" she giggled. She didn't know if it was the fact that this place looked like a fairytale, or if it was just being here with the Doctor in an explosion of colour, but she felt like a kid again.

No, not a kid. She felt nineteen. She had the same childish excitement now that she had had the first time she ever stepped out the TARDIS doors. Back when the Doctor was gruff and northern, back when she was nothing but a shop girl. She had teased him then – you think you're so impressive – because how else do you process being in 2005 one minute and the end of the world the next? She had known from that very moment that she was never going to give that life up. She felt like the luckiest girl in the universe; out of everyone in all of time and space, the Doctor took her hand. For the first time in her life she felt chosen; wanted; special.

Although they had just had a small breakfast in the TARDIS, Rose's stomach gave a small groan.

The Doctor laughed and took her hand. "C'mon, let's go see the sights!"

Rose beamed as they made their way towards the city. It was only a ten minute walk along a pink-stoned path.

She looked around in wonder as they entered the small town. As soon as the suns had risen, so had the city. The streets were bustling with activity; mothers sending children off to school; businessmen hurrying to work; morning joggers with their pets. The atmosphere was that of a large metropolitan city, but the scenery said otherwise. The houses and buildings were all dome-like and had as walls covered in a creamy white, earthy fabric. It was as if nature had crept up into the heart of the town and taken over.

The pair stopped in a tiny little shop for some waffles. Not only did Koor have to best sunrises, but they also held the galactic record for best waffles. Or so the Doctor claimed. While they awaited their order, Rose ran her fingers along the cloth wall. She was fascinated by it, the fabric covering the city's buildings felt like a mix of linen and silk, but it seemed to remain impermeable to mud and water.

"How do the shops stay dry?" she wondered out loud. "I mean, there're gaps in the ceiling. The cloth ceiling."

The Doctor opened his mouth to answer, but the waitress, having returned with their food, beat him to it.

She gave them a cheery smile. "You'll have your answer in a minute, dear. The flares are coming."

"Flares?" the Doctor asked around a mouthful of chocolate banana delight waffles.

"Oh, you must be off-worlders!" She looked between the two, their hands clasped over the table and their feet entwined under it. "You here on you honeymoon? Oh, that's just lovely!"

The Doctor pulled at his ear with his free hand and Rose slowly pulled her fingers away from his with a blush. The waitress, Karen, realized her mistake and promptly moved on. "Anyway, it should only be another thirty seconds or so before the next cycle."

Rose cocked her head. "Cycle?"

The Doctor pulled back the edge of the wall so that they could look through. It was hard to see at first, but a fine layer of blue electricity was slowly raising itself up from the horizon, encasing the planet in a forcefield. And good thing, too, because the exact second the translucent sheet sealed itself, it was being bombarded by rainbowed rays of energy. They clung to the shield like fingers and pulled with all their might.

"I hope you weren't planning on leaving any time soon. I have a feeling this one's gonna be a long one," Karen warned before turning to the next table.

"A long what?" Rose questioned, her eyes still transfixed on the sky. "Doctor, what's goin' on?"

"I think we're caught in the middle of an astrophysical storm." He met her worried gaze and pointed up at the sky. "You see how all the colours are swirling? Those are solar winds pushing all the radiation around."

Rose nodded contemplatively. "So, like the auroras on earth?"

The Doctor grinned proudly at her brilliance and grabbed her hand again. "Exactly, except Koor has three suns, so the radiation is coming from so many angles that you can see it all over the planet," he stopped to take a bite of waffle, "even during the day."

He continued to scarf down the delicious food while Rose looked out of their makeshift window.

After a few moments of silence, the Doctor tugged on her hand to get her attention. "Are you going to eat those?" he asked, referring to her waffles.

"Yeah…" she murmured distractedly. "Doctor… do you see that?"

"What?" he asked, sneaking a forkful of her breakfast into his mouth.

Her eyes widened and she pointed up towards the sky, excited. "There! Right there! Do you see that? Something's moving!"

"Oh, it's probably just some debris getting caught in the storm. Nothing to worry about," he answered while trying unsuccessfully to look at his chin and the drop of sticky syrup sliding down it.

She gasped, surprised. "Doctor!" His head snapped up then, eyes wide and mind memorising the sound her mouth had just made. "Something's wrong! I know it is! Just look!"

Finally, he did. And then his eyes widened for a completely different reason. The storm was getting stronger. The shield was weakening.

The Doctor grinned widely. "Well, I believe we're needed. Care to join me?"

Rose stuck her tongue between her teeth as she grinned and joined him in running out of the building.

As they ran, the Doctor held his sonic screwdriver out in front of him, using it as a guide to the force field generator. Rose was shocked when no one else they passed noticed the storm worsening. But then again, why would they notice? They see the storm almost every day; it's a fact of life for them.

The wind started picking up, blowing the cloth walls into the street like curtains. It made navigating very frustrating. The pair just missed knocking an elderly lady on the ground, only to slam into a parked hovercar and set off its alarms.

The owner wasn't very happy.

The rest of their hurried journey contained, unfortunately, many such accidents. But eventually they did reach the edge of the city, where there was a large field surrounded by a bulky fence. The landscape was mostly bare, only a few brave grasses straggling up from the soil in the wide space.

And right in the middle of it was a beam of blue light soaring to the sky.

The Doctor made quick work of the fence with his screwdriver, allowing he and Rose to crawl in.

"So that's the generator?" Rose asked while the Doctor inspected it closely.

"Yup!" he said, pulling out his glasses and perching them on his nose to get a better look. It was a fairly large black rectangular box with a green flap on one side and a circle on top, where the energy was streaming from.

Rose looked at him uncertainly. "And something's wrong with it?"

"Oh, it's nothing that a little jiggery-pokery can't fix." He pried open the green flap and began pulling on a few wires that were sticking out of the side of the machine, sonicing them, the tip of his tongue peeking through his lips in concentration. "I just need to boost the flow of the –"

The Doctor jumped as the machine sparked, causing the light emanating from the generator to intensify and the shield to strengthen.

"Ha!" he cried triumphantly and beamed at Rose.

She smiled back and began to speak, but her words were cut off by a loud rumbling as the ground began to shake.

"What did you do?!" she cried out in alarm.

The Doctor looked affronted. "Me?! I didn't do anything!"

The two of them stumbled as the ground shook. Directly in front of them, the ground began to break apart in a perfect square. Each half of the broken pieces sunk down and slid under the rest of the floor, revealing a secret underground facility.

As soon as the doors were open, the rumbling intensified and a giant cloud of smoke filled the air around them. The Doctor squinted and tried unsuccessfully to see through the cloud while Rose fanned the grey air out of her face through a few coughs.

When the smoke cleared somewhat, they could see something coming up out of the ground. At first it was just a shadow, large and imposing. As it rose higher, the Doctor took a few steps back. He had to crane his neck to look up at it, but its edges were becoming more clear, its figure more discernible – a spaceship.

It was smaller than the typical exploration ship, but held the same basic design. The body was cylindrical and black, with a large triangular disk on top and four massive engines surrounding the base. Written in sharp white letters was the word Falcon.

As soon as the Falcon had cleared the underground base, the orange fire being pushed out of the engines turned blue. There was a high-pitched whirring before the giant ship shot up and disappeared into the sky above, leaving only a small hole in the sky's force field in its wake.

The Doctor continued staring up at where the ship had been, shading his eyes from the suns with his hand. He let out a low, amazed whistle.

"Where do you think it's going?" Rose asked.

He shook his head minutely, still looking up. "I don't know."

Rose glanced down into the gap where the ship had come from and tugged the Doctor's hand. He slowly pulled his eyes away from the sky and down to her, then followed her gaze. Down in the hole was a large military base. There was a flurry of people in white lab coats and military gear yelling commands and gathering data.

"Whatever it is, it looks important."

"Oh…" Rose chewed on her lip pensively. "Should we… I mean... they might need our hel–"

"We don't need to –"

"Of course not! I was just –"

"I'm sure they'll be fine. No need to go take a look."

"Nope."

"Good."

"Good."

They shared a brilliant grin and ran to the TARDIS anyway.

If you can't think of anything to review about, you could always just give me a smiley face...

:D