Hello! Bit of a long chapter today. Also, the second to last chapter. Only one more to go. I have been waiting to write this chapter since I started this story. When I began I only knew the beginning and the end, the rest kind of wrote itself. I wasn't even originally going to have the Master in there, but he demanded his presence.

My work hours have been cut again. Very bad on the wallet and the laptop fund. But on the bright side, it gives me more time to write. Also, my best friend and I have had to redo our website, and it's looking better than ever. I have even designed us a logo. Google Ky-Rayne Novels, or go to: dub dub dub dot ky-rayne dot com. Check out some of my original plots!

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They Are Returning

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He wasn't exactly thinking clearly when he jumped from the spaceship. He was worried for the humans. He was extremely worried for Donna. But most of all, he was terrified of the Time Lord's returning. Because just them returning was bad enough, but it wasn't just them. If that link was opened, it would open up right into the Time War. The entire war would come through and wreck havoc upon the universe again. And after all he had sacrificed, after all the damage that had been done, he couldn't allow it to happen again.

It was a split second decision. One he knew he would regret when he landed. But it was the fastest way there... Actually... now that he thought about it, he could have used the ships teleport system...

The wind was suddenly knocked out of him when he smashed through the glass roof and then hit the ground a moment later. He was cut and scraped from the skylight, some of the shards digging into him. There was no doubt he was going to bruise, and he was sure he had broken something... or many somethings. It was a struggle to even move, to even attempt to draw in breath.

Seeing a glowing white light off to the side and blurry red figures, he attempted to pick up the gun and aim. But that alone was painful enough to make his drop the gun and flop back down with a groan. He lay there, dragging in shallow desperate breaths. He attempted to push himself up, but the pain alone was too much.

"My Lord Doctor," a deep voice said, stopping him from attempting any further. He recognised that voice, recognised the blurry figure that was walking towards him. "My Lord Master. We are gathered for the end."

Rassilon. Not the original. Just a man who had taken the name, hoping to be the new revolutionary leader at the dawn of a new age. To be the one to reshape them and lead them anew.

Groaning and panting, he struggled to push himself back on his knees, using his hands to keep him up. "Listen to me," he gasped. "You can't."

"It is a fitting paradox that our salvation comes at the hands of our most infamous child," Rassilon said.

"Oh, he's not saving you. Don't you realise what he's doing?"

"Hey! No, hey!" the Master shushed him with a pointed finger. "That's mine. Hush!" He turned back to Rassilon. "Look around you. I've transplanted myself into every single human being. But who wants a mongrel little species like them? Because now I can transplant myself into every single Time Lord. Oh, yes, Mister President, sir. Standing there all noble and resplendent and decrypt. Think how much better you're going to look as me."

Rassilon looked at the Master in annoyance. Then he held out his arm, and the gauntlet he was wearing began to glow. Around them all the Mater-ized humans began to rapidly shake their heads, their faces blurring between the Master's and their own. It was just like when they had first changed.

"No, no, don't!" the Master cried out. "No, no, stop it! No, no don't!" He turned and glared at the pompous Time Lord, and Rassilon glared right back. Suddenly all at once the humans stopped shaking. Instead the stumbled about, groaning and reaching out for something to steady themselves with. They were all back to their normal selves.

"On you knees, man," Rassilon ordered. To confused and disorientated, everyone complied looking at him in fear.

"No, that's fine, that's good," the Master went on. "Because you said 'salvation'. I still saved you. Don't forget that."

Unexpectedly, the earth began to shake, as if there were an earthquake, and Rassilon ignored the Master completely. "The approach begins," he said reverently.

"Approach of what?" He looked at the Doctor in confusion, half convinced that the Lord President was about as mad as he was.

"Something is returning. Don't you ever listen?" the Doctor hissed at him. "That was the prophecy. Not someone, something."

"What is it?"

"They're not just bringing back the species. It's Gallifrey. Right here, right now!"

The shaking began to intensify as a familiar red planet could be seen through the broken sky light. Things everywhere began to fall and break. Chaos broke loose. More scared of their environment than the men in red robes, the people began to stand and flee.

"But I did this!" the Master shouted over the mass of people. "I get the credit. I'm on your side. And believe me, you want me on your side."

Faintly hearing his name, the Doctor looked up to see Wilf running through the crowd towards him. But when he saw one of the technicians trapped and pleading for help, he went to switch places with him.

"Wilf, don't!" he called as loud as he could. But his chest hurt so much it was hard to project his voice. "Don't!" But it was too late. Wilf was in the glass room, the door locked until someone else took his place.

"But it's fantastic, isn't is?" the Master asked, still trying to get on their good side. He glared up at his old psychotic friend. "The Time Lords, restored."

"You weren't there in the final days of the war," he told the Master harshly, his voice low. "You never saw what was born. But if the Time Lock's broken, then everything's coming through. Not just the Daleks, but the Skaro Degradations, the Hoard of Travesties, the Nightmare Child, the Could-Have-Been-King with his army of Meanwhiles and Never-Weres. The War turned into hell. And that's what you've opened right above the Earth. Hell is descending!"

"My kind of world," the Master said.

"Just listen! Because even the Time Lords can't survive that."

He was surprised when the Master snorted in amusement. "With the weapon I have, anything is possible. This is a weapon that could end the Time War in the beat of a heart."

"There is no need for weapons," Rassilon told him. "We will initiate the Final Sanction. The end of time will come at my hand. The rupture will continue until it rips the Time Vortex apart."

"Well, that's a little counter productive to my plans. But are you serious? That's suicide!"

"We will ascend to become creatures of consciousness alone. Free of these bodies, free of time, and cause and effect, while creation itself ceases to be."

"You see now?" the Doctor said to him. "That's what they were planning in the final days of the War. I had to stop them."

The Master nodded, an arrogant look on his face. "Right... Well, I agree with that one for once. That's a stupid idea. I've got a better one. I get my weapon and end the Time War in one blow. I'll get these bloody drums out of my head and send you back to where you came from. And then I can rule the Earth... Oh, and the Doctor can be my pet. Yes, I like this plan. It's much better."

"Always so ambitious, Master. But you don't have the power."

"Oh, don't I? You think you're so powerful, Lord President, but I have a secret weapon. A weapon that can do all this and more. And my favourite part is how much pain it will cause this lump." He finished by nodding at the Doctor.

The Doctor stared at him with wide eyes, his breathing becoming heavy. What in the universe had that kind of power? And since when did the Master have a secret weapon? How did he even get a hold of it? Less than fourty-eight hours ago he had nothing at all.

"What weapon?" he hissed.

The Master winked at him. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Oh, he had no idea how much he did. He may not have known what the weapon was, but there was one thing he did know. The Master and Rassilon had to be stopped at all costs. Even if that cost was his life.

?...DW...?

Donna sighed as she sat back down on the oddly comfortable prison bed. She had spent all night looking for a way out, but there was nothing. She couldn't even flirt with the guards, since they were all the same asshole. And every excuse she could think of to leave the room was already supplied inside. Tell you what, though, it was the fanciest prison she'd ever been in.

She had given up on looking for a way out a few hours ago. And she was too anxious to sleep, even though she was thoroughly exhausted.

Suddenly the room began to shake and she stood up, bracing herself.

"Is that an earthquake?" she called out, fear in her voice. She wasn't a fan of quakes. No one replied and the earth continued to toss and rumble. It just kept going... for much too long to be a natural earthquake.

"Run!" a panicked voice suddenly called from somewhere on the other side of the door. She blinked. That wasn't the Master's voice.

Slowly, there came more voices, crying out in panic. All different kinds of voices. It had stopped, she realised. Everyone was back to themselves... And something had them running scared. She had a feeling it wasn't just this earthquake.

Quickly, she ran to the door and started banging on it. "Hey!" she shouted. "Hey! Help me! Someone let me out! Help me, please! Help!" She shouted for a minute or two until someone finally heard her. Keys rattles and the door was swung open by someone who instantly fled.

Like the person who had freed her, Donna wasted no time. She dashed out the door and ran through the dregs of people, trying to find where they had taken Rose. Where would they have taken Rose? Oh, right, the lab. Seeing a guy in a white lab coat, she grabbed him by the arm and yanked him back towards her.

"You," she demanded. "Where's the lab?"

"Down that corridor," he panicked, pointing the way. Then he pulled from her grasp and continued running.

"Right!" She ran down the hall, checking every door till she came to the right one. The rapid beeping of a machine clued her in, and she dashed into the room. She was horrified by what she saw.

Rose was lying on a gurney, her fists clenched and head thrashing side to side. Her monitor was going off like crazy. Whimpers were escaping her lips. And she was alone. Everyone had left.

"Rose! Oh, God, Rose!"

"Donna?" she gasped weakly.

"It's okay. It's okay, Rose, I'm here." She went about, carefully detaching all the medical equipment from her friend.

"Make it stop. P-please, Donna, I need it to stop."

"I-I don't know how, Rose," she said sympathetically.

"The p-pain. Just f-for a little b-bit. Morphine..."

"Right, okay..."

Quickly she looked through the trays of drugs. Finally she came across a small bottle of clear liquid with the label calling it 'MorphineSulphate'. Her hands were as shaky as the ground as she stuck a syringe into it and drew out the liquid. She flicked it a few times and squirted a bit out like she had seen on telly. She had no idea how to do this, but she would be absolutely clueless if she hadn't seen any of Doctors or Holby City. Thank you day time television!

She went back over to Rose, wondering how to administer the injection. She didn't have the slightest clue what vein she was supposed to aim for. But luckily she saw she had one of those horrible permanent needles they stick in you when you go to the hospital. She held the poor girl's arm still and injected the painkiller into the port. She had no idea how much she was supposed to give her, but Rose looked like she needed a fair amount.

It didn't calm her down right away, but Donna didn't stop working. She had to get them out of here. She pulled the evil looking needle out of Rose's arm and taped a cotton bud over it. By the time she was done, Rose's pain seemed to be receding. Not gone, but it was enough that she wasn't thrashing and whimpering anymore. She found her clothes folded on a chair near by and grabbed them.

"Here, put these on," she said. "Just the easiest things. We need to get out."

Still shaking, Rose managed to pull the shirt and hoodie on. If she had the energy, she may have been embarrassed that Donna had to help her put the track-pants on. It was easier to forgo her underwear and bra entirely. Doing up the clasp would not have been easy for her.

"Alright, let's go."

She helped Rose off the gurney and put her arm around her neck so she could support her. They went back out into the hall and she headed the way she saw everyone running.

"N-no, wait," Rose muttered. "Donna, stop."

"What is it?"

"Take me b-back. I n-need to go back."

?...DW...?

All the relived laughter faded away from him and was replaced with dread. Slowly he sat up, trying to calm his racing hearts and summon the courage to do what he knew was coming next. He looked sadly at the old man standing in the glass prison. Oh, why did he have to do that. Why did he have to jump in there? Why did he have to knock?

"They gone, then?" Wilf said. "Yeah, good-o. If you could let me out?"

"Yeah," he sighed.

"Only, this thing seems to be making a bit of noise." He raised his voice slightly to be heard over the sparking sounds.

With a small nod, he pushed himself to his feet and went a bit closer. "The Master left the Nuclear Bolt running. It's gone into overload."

"And that's bad, is it?"

"No, because all the excess radiation gets vented inside there. Vinvocci glass contains it. All five hundred thousand rads, about to flood that thing."

"Oh. Well, you'd better let me out, then."

"Except it's gone critical. Touch one control and it floods." He pulled the sonic out of his pocket and looked at it. "Even this would set it off." He gave it a bit of a wave. He was taking his time. He was stalling, he knew he was. He knew there was no question of what he was about to do. But he wasn't ready. He didn't want to go.

"I'm sorry."

"Sure," he breathed, his voice so quiet he may as well have whispered it. He put the sonic back in his pocket and turned away.

"Look, just leave me," Wilf told him.

That almost made him laugh, it at least made him smile slightly. He turned and looked at the sweet old man. "Okay, right then, I will," he said sarcastically. He began to move erratically around the room. "Because you had to go in there, didn't you? You had to go and get stuck. Oh, yes. Because that's who you are, Wilfred. You were always this. Waiting for me all this time."

"No, really, just leave me. I'm an old man, Doctor. I've had my time."

"Well, exactly. Look at you," he snapped, looking back up at him. "Not remotely important. But me? I could do so much more. So. Much. More!" His fists bet at his chest, trying to stop the pain that was building there. He wasn't ready. Not sure he could support himself properly, he leant against a near by desk. "But this is what I get. My reward. Well, it's not fair!" In one motion he swept everything off the desk, sending it clattering to the ground. His breathing was coming hard and heavy, he was so close to tears. "Oh, I've lived too long." Strengthening his resolve, he stood straight and walked up towards the glass.

"No. No, no, please. Please don't. No, don't. Please don't! Please!" he begged, on the brink of sobbing.

"Wilfred, it's my honour." He sighed again and looked up at what would be his death. He placed his hand on the door. "Better be quic-"

"Don't you fuckingdare!" The angry shout had him freezing on the spot. It couldn't be. He knew that horribly familiar voice anywhere, but it just wasn't possible. Not believing his ears, he whipped around to see the two women. Donna was standing there looking extremely worried about everything. She was supporting someone who looked as if she were about to keel over. That someone, although she was slumped and didn't look well, was glaring at him in fury and determination. Rose.

"Wh-what?" He was too stunned to say anything beyond that.

"I said, d-don't you..." She tipped forward a bit and Donna quickly tried to right her.

"Rose, come on. Stay with me," she said, trying to encourage her. "We're almost there."

Exhausted, Rose lifted her head again. She had a look of immense pain on her face. "My head..." she murmured.

"I know, love, I know. We just need to get you to the TARDIS, we're almost ther-"

"N-no." She raised a hand, aiming towards the Doctor... No, past the Doctor, towards Wilf. Her hand began to glow gold, lighting up with a power he had seen only once before, and fear gripped his hearts. This couldn't be happening. "I have to..." She began to slump forward again and Donna struggled to hold her up. He even found himself taking a step towards her. Rose raised her head, a look of agony and determination across it. It was a look he had unfortunately seen many times before. But not like this. Never with glowing gold eyes.

"Rose!" Donna cried, clearly worried. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong... well, aside from the obvious.

"O-oh, well, then," Wilf said behind him. He turned to see that he was out of the glass. He was now almost beside the Doctor. Covered in gold energy and still slightly transparent. He was patting himself down as if to see that he was all there. Not a moment later he was completely solid, and looked up at the Doctor in shock. He was free. He was safe.

The Doctor turned back towards Rose. "How did you-" Before he could finish, Rose's eyes rolled back in her head, and she collapsed to the ground, Donna's arms only just keeping her from hitting it hard. "Rose!" In less that a second he was by her side, ignoring his own injures. He was almost hesitant to touch her, scared she would vanish before him. Forcing the thought from his head, he brushed her hair from her face and checked her pulse.

"Doctor," Donna said, grabbing his attention and just making him worry further. How was she even alright?! "We have to get her back to the TARDIS now or she's going to die!"

"What? Oh, right, yes. Come on!" He scooped her up in his arms and stood, almost running the door.

"Wait! Her bag!" She ran over to a corner of the room and grabbed a bag. Things must have been taken out of it, because she began shoving things into it. Then swinging it over her shoulder, she joined them. "Come on, Gramps," she said, taking his hand. "We really need to go. Doctor, run a head. Rose is more important. Go!"

The Doctor didn't need the encouragement. He was already halfway down the hall, trying his hardest not to jostle the bundle in his arms too much. She was much too light and looked very gaunt. He realised that this wasn't just a temporary thing. She had been sick for days, if not weeks. He didn't know how she got here, or what was even going on. But he did know one thing. He needed to save her. He couldn't lose her. Not again.

It seemed like forever till he was finally at the spot he had parked the TARDIS. His hearts were beating rapidly in his chest, almost painfully. He couldn't lose Rose. He couldn't. Awkwardly he tried to hold Rose in one arm and reach into his pocket for the key. He managed it with much difficulty, but thankfully had managed to keep Rose relativity safe and comfortable as possible. Still struggling slightly he managed to click the key and bring the TARDIS back in sync with their time. It was unlocked and open with the snap of his fingers and he charged inside.

Of course, by the time he'd done that, Donna and Wilf had caught up to him. Around them, the TARDIS was very lively. Giving off a mixed vibe of frantic and overjoyed. "Now what?" he said, speaking quickly to Donna. "What do I do? Do I take her to the infirmary? Did she say anything about what's happening? What is happening? How do you even remember anything? You should be burning up!"

"Whoa! Whoa there, Spaceman!" she hushed him. "I don't know much, okay? I woke up after the Master attacked me with my memories all in place and my head sorted out. Rose was there all gold and glow-y before she collapsed. She said that if she didn't get to the TARDIS she would die, so we tried to make our way to the mansion, but we were caught by the Master. Thankfully he brought us here anyway, but Rose was getting worse by the second. There's a letter in her bag, from... the other you. The Master read it. Said something about her being a vessel of the Time Vortex. That she needed the TARDIS to stabilise her."

"Stabilise her? The TARDIS itself?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Brilliant!" He knelt down and lay Rose on the grating. "Then the moment she physically touches the TARDIS, it will be able to start doing what is needed. Hear her? She's already trying to help telepathically." As he spoke, there was a clicking sound and a hatch on the console popped open. His eyes widened when he saw the golden energy floating out of it and surrounding Rose's body.

"What is that?" Wilf asked.

"Vortex energy. From the heart of the TARDIS herself. Years ago this hatch popped open and saved her life when a Slitheen was strangling her. Turned it back into an egg. So when I was in danger, she believed the best thing to do to help was to open this. She looked into the heart of the TARDIS, absorbed the Time Vortex itself. She became a Goddess of Time, power over everything. But it was killing her. I took it out of her and regenerated myself. I never realised part of it stayed with her..."

The golden dust cleared away Rose took a deep breath. She didn't wake up, but her breathing was less laboured.

"Poor Rose," Donna said. "All the people she would have had to leave behind. Her friends, her family."

"Mmm... I wonder how the other me is going to cope."

At that, Donna went still. "Doctor," she said softly. "I think he's dead."

"What?!

"When I woke up... after she snapped out of that state she just broke down. It was horrible to watch. She kind of just stared blankly at the ground, then you could see the emotions flit across her face. Confusion, panic, desperation. Then she just started sobbing. I was trying to comfort her but... All she would say is that 'they had killed him. They had shot him'. I saw the ring and I kind of just figured who."

"What ring?" He looked in confusion at her hands. She didn't have any rings on them, but her left ring finger had a slight tan line where one used to be.

"Round her neck." Donna pointed it out.

"Huh." He did indeed see it. On a thin silver chain around her neck he could see a ring. Silver with blue stones, and something had been etched into the stone in Gallifreyan. Curiously, he reached out and picked up the ring to get a closer look. The contact with the ring made his fingers tingle, and a bolt of energy ran up his arms and into his brain. Then, his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he crumpled to the ground.

"Doctor!" Donna cried. She dropped to her knees beside him and gave him a bit of a shake… but it was no good. He was out stone cold. She could only watch as a golden light spilled from his mouth and drifted towards the central column of the console. She and Wilf were left alone in the console room, two unconscious figures at their feet.

It was strange, what was happening. The Doctor watched, as Donna desperately called for him. He was out of his body and drifting upwards, Donna and Wilf's confused eyes following. He drifted up, slowly towards the central pillar and blissfully into it. Into the loving embrace of his TARDIS.

And then he was in the Time Vortex. Time and power and gold and fire spun around him, throwing him about. He was on fire. He burned. And then...

He was gone.

?...DW...?

The Doctor opened his eyes to see the ceiling of the TARDIS. He was sure that there was something he was supposed to remember something important… Rose…

Rose was here! She'd returned to him! It was utterly brilliant and wonderful. And she was so incredible. He had needed her for so long. He'd been losing his mind without her. Slowly going insane. But now she was back with him again. His broken hearts had the hope that they could heal. He had not felt this happy in years. He could remember running towards her and... it was all very fuzzy after that.

He sat bolt upright as the TARDIS shook around him. He took in the state of disaster it was in, then his eyes fell on the woman before him.

"It's you!" she cried in surprise.

"Oh, yes!" he replied to her.

"…You're naked."

"Oh, yes!"

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So, I've been planning that ending for a LONG time. I even made a long chapter just to fit it in. As you can imagine, I am currently doing a happy dance. Hope you liked it!