The Doctor waited in the empty council chamber, sitting on the throne normally reserved for the Lord President himself. He wasn't feeling very lordly at that very moment, he was feeling very old, and very tired.

"Was it the right choice?" He asked himself in the relative silence. The planet did rumble around him and the glass windows chattered as they climbed toward their breaking point. "Destroying them all over again?" His voice echoed the sadness of having once lived with that decision. Every dark lonely moment on the TARDIS all stemmed back to this one choice he had thought he had made, so many years ago.

Of course, he hadn't really destroyed them again; he truly never had in the first place. But he believed he had, and fought with the burden ever since. He drew his hand across his face and sighed. Certainly it was the right decision; it was the only decision. Rassilon was so intent on destroying the cosmos, simply so he could endure forever. There was so much to see and do in the universe, so much wonder. He didn't understand why he couldn't explain that better, why he couldn't make Rassilon see what he was extinguishing.

"No one ever listens." He smiled to himself. A moment of self-pity made him consider staying behind with his people, his planet, 'going down with the ship' as they say. But that thought was gone as soon as it entered his mind. He was still needed here; they would wait for him in the TARDIS. Stubborn to the last, that was one quality he always managed to find in his companions, and himself. No, he would just have to carry on with this burden, the destruction of his people, for a while longer.

The earthquakes were stronger now and he found himself gripping the armrests to keep steady. This violence had little to do with the Eye of Horace, the full destruction of that had yet to be released. This was a sign of the planet dragging itself across light years of time and space to reach the Earth. If he looked out the window now, he could see the little blue planet on the horizon. But he didn't look; he didn't want to remember that day, so long ago. With a final rumble it was over, the immortality gate had shattered and those who had descended to Earth were returning to the chamber.

Rassilon was clinging to his staff, all of his strength left him, and he struggled to stay upright. The Master lay on the floor, flickering between life and the phantom he had become. The other members of the council looked afraid, frightened of Rassilon's weakness, and of their failure in escaping the time war. The Doctor raised his gloved hand and snapped his fingers, the council members ceased to move, time had come to a stop.

Rassilon noticed the growing silence, interrupted only by the rumbles of the planet and his own wheezing. He looked up across the room to find the Doctor's stormy eyes watching him from his throne.

"You do not frighten me, Doctor. I have dealt with worse than a renegade time lord. I have seen beyond the veil. You could not kill me in the past, and you cannot kill me now." He sneered at him, managing to lift himself straight. He nodded to where the Master lay between them. "You had to have some diseased pest do it for you." He glared back at the Doctor. "You are a coward." The Doctor stood from the throne and descended the few steps to where the Master lay, his breathing shallow and his eyes struggling to focus.

"Doctor?" His voice was strangled, but he still managed to recognize him. "You have changed. Did we stop him?"

The Doctor smiled and patted the Master's cheek reassuringly. "You were brilliant. Now you just sit tight."

"Won't go far," The Master tried to smile, but instead, had to grimace.

"Hush now, you'll be alright." The Doctor folded the Master's arms across his chest, which seemed to ease his breathing.

"Killing friend and foe, it has been a busy day for you, Doctor." Rassilon spat his name like a curse, gaining the attention of the Doctor. "Why don't you finish us off then? So you can live with your precious pets." The Doctor stood and walked slowly toward the weakened man. He trembled with his grip on the staff, but he refused to look away as the Doctor approached. "Do it." He hissed. "But know that I will return. And you will never be forgiven."

"I will never be forgiven, because I will never forgive myself." The Doctor's voice was sharp with regret. "We should have been able to work together, you know. You and I, we could have fixed this, we could have saved some." The Doctor stopped to shake his head, staring down at the Hand of Omega; his eyes were filled with bitterness. "But you only wanted to destroy, so this world is filled with death, and now, it will be consumed by it."

"End it before I have to listen to you prattle on any longer."

"No." The Doctor said softly. "I'm not going to kill you, Rassilon. I'm going to give you exactly what you wanted. Eternal life."

Rassilon laughed at him, his face devoid of joy. "Even with the Hand of Omega, you are incapable of such a punishment."

"No, actually. I think you'll find, I am not." The Doctor smirked.

"I was there for the forging, that gauntlet contains more power than your inferior looming could ever dream of."

"Do you know who I am, Rassilon?" The Doctor watched Rassilon carefully and made a wide circle around him. "I used to think I did, but then I put on this glove and I remembered. Well, I remembered everything."

"You are the Doctor. A particularly unwelcome thorn in my side." Rassilon snapped his glare at the Doctor as he came around to the front again.

"Indeed, here I thought we were having a polite conversation." The Doctor pulled a face. "But the name, Doctor. I chose it. It was not my given name. Think back, Rassilon, think way back."

"What…what are you saying?" Rassilon had something akin to fear in his voice for the first time, doubts were worming their way into his mind.

"It's been a long time for us both. We've spent some time beyond the veil. And you came back intent on destroying this plane of reality, why do you think that is?"

"It is because I am genetically more pure than you; I know what it is to save my people. To sacrifice everyth-"

"You sacrifice nothing!" The Doctor shouted, his voice like thunder in the quiet hall. "You carelessly toss aside others; you were going to destroy six billion people, six billion lives, to keep Gallifrey afloat. But only so you could have the time to unravel all of reality itself. It is because you are small, and selfish, and insignificant." His jaw was clenched as he spoke, the fury of a time lord had been set loose. He found his hand on Rassilon's throat, almost without realizing it. "And now my friend is dying, and you are so, so very…little." He felt his grip tightening around his neck. Rassilon's face began to turn a darker shade of red, his eyes radiating hate. The Doctor let out a shuddering breath and loosened his fist, but did not release it.

"What will it be, Rassilon? Will you yield? Will you cast aside your plans? Give up this horrid war? We can end this differently. Time can be rewritten." His voice was desperate to be heard, pleading with the man. There had to be a reason he was here, had to be some point.

"Never." Rassilon spat at him.

"Then it's time to end it. I'm going to let you watch this war, for all eternity." The glove began to glow in his hands; he could feel the warmth and power radiating from it, fusing with his life energy, eager to do his bidding.

"You cannot!" Rassilon watched the glowing glove with disbelief, trying to shake his head but unable to move.

"And why can't I?" The Doctor tilted his head with an angry frown, curious to hear the answer.

"You do not…" Rassilon's voice trailed off, a dawning recognition in his eyes.

The Doctor leaned in close to Rassilon, "What's my name Rassilon?" His voice had taken on a frightening edge and he stared deep into the president's eyes.

"You cannot be him." He spoke the words breathlessly. And then the Doctor smiled.

"That's right, Rassilon. It's me. Thought the loom would destroy me, but you were wrong. Oh, you were so very wrong."

"You have returned," Rassilon's voice shook with feigned joy. "Let our people-"

"You have no people. Nor do I." The Doctor snarled, letting the power travel down his arm and through the glove. "This is it, Rassilon. I was the beginning, and now I am the end." He tightened his grip once, the power exploding through Rassilon's body. The time lord threw his head back in a silent scream and his eyes bulged out for only a moment, and then he was gone. His staff clattered to the floor and his clothing collapsed into a heap of nothing. "Enjoy eternity." The Doctor spoke to the air, but he knew he could hear him. That was his doom, and he would live with it forever.

"Doctor…" The Master's voice caught him off guard; he had to blink several times before remembering who and where he was. He turned back to where the Master lay, kneeling by his side. "I think this is the end now." The Master gave a weak smile.

"No. No, this is just the beginning." The Doctor smiled and brought his gloved hand to cradle the Master's face. Another build up of power released and the Master gasped, contorting as though he had been shocked. His eyes flew open as he strained to breathe.

"What-" He clenched his teeth and a ripple of pain shot through him like a seizure, it passed just as quick as it came, and he sagged to the ground again. The flickering skeletal form did not return and each breath he drew made him feel stronger than the last. "What have you done?" His voice was a mix of awe and horror. "Doctor…the drums…" He shook his head, disbelief clouding his features. "What have you done?"

"Call it a second chance if you'd like, old friend." The Doctor patted his cheek with a smile and placed the vortex manipulator in his hands. "Look me up sometime." He grinned and then tapped the button.

"Docto-" The Master called out, but he was gone. Somewhere far from the war, somewhere he could hopefully find some peace. The Doctor sighed as he stood up, feeling the true weight of his years for the very first time. The rest of the council still stood motionless and he released them from their prisons with another snap of his fingers.

"Doctor?" A women dressed in red robes spoke first, the only one with the courage to approach him. Her brown hair graying at its peak.

"Yes, mother. It's me." He managed a weak smile, which she returned.

"Is this the end?" She asked, already knowing the answer. He bent to kiss her forehead once and nodded.

"Yes, this is the end." He fought back the lump that grew in his throat. She gave a quick nod in acknowledgment and gripped his hand in her own.

"Then I just wanted to let you know," She looked up at him then, tears in her eyes. "That you've made me so very proud. And you are forgiven. Always and completely." She whispered the last with a smile on her lips. "Now go, there isn't much time."

"Thank you." His voice was thick with emotion and he found he couldn't say anything more. He removed the glove from his hand and tossed it into the Eye of Horace, still rumbling and shaking the planet beneath their feet. He was unsure if he could forget what the glove had unleashed in his mind, but he would certainly try. His walk back to the TARDIS was a blur, the walls of the city had started to crack and crumble around him. It was only a matter of moments now before the entire fleet of the Dalek's would be upon the city, and after that, the black hole would devour everything, forever. He hurried his pace, but it was hard to feel much joy when he finally found the TARDIS waiting for him.

He paused outside the door. "Goodbye." He whispered once, his forehead pressed against the wood of the TARDIS, unable to look back at Gallifrey. Couldn't bear the thought of seeing it again, once more, before it was gone. He sniffed once and wiped his face before entering the doors of the ship. John lay motionless on the floor with James holding him in his arms. Rory looked miserable, sitting on the floor near the console and was relieved to see the Doctor.

"Right then," The Doctor cleared his throat. "What's happened?"

James shook his head, finally looking up to acknowledge the Doctor, his eyes still fresh with tears. "He's gone. Doctor, he's gone. And there's nothing I can do." James' voice shook as he spoke. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault." He whispered to John's deaf ears.

"James, I'm sorry, I truly am. But it's not your fault. It's mine." The Doctor ran his hands through his hair miserably.

"Hah." James shook his head with a strained smile. "Think a trick like that will work on me?"

"Really," The Doctor crouched down next to James, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I should have known better than to bring you into this mess. None of you should be here. You don't think I'm different, but I'm really much older than you." He frowned, revealing the ugly truth. "I've destroyed lives, and I know it too. People get caught up in the glamour, and so do I. But I shouldn't have, not this time. He had a family, and I should have-" He had to stop himself then, thinking of Rose still hurt sometimes. "I should have said no. And I didn't. And I'm sorry, sorrier than you can imagine."

"It doesn't matter." James shook his head. "It's all gone wrong."

"I'll tell her." He whispered, he didn't want to, but it was his responsibility. But it would kill him less than it did James. "I'll explain."

"I promised he'd come back." James looked at him with haunted eyes. "I promised her."

"She'll understand." The Doctor started but James just laughed with a miserable bitterness. "Alright, she'll skin us alive, spiral into a deep depression, and hate us forever. But," He held his finger up. "She's strong. And she will survive it." The Doctor smiled in his sad way, remembering Rose Tyler. "That's why we love her so much."

"No." James whispered, his eyes going distant.

"She will get through it." The Doctor insisted.

"No, not that. I was so stupid. He was trying to tell me. John was explaining. Oh, I must have been blind. I didn't see!" James suddenly had new life in him and he pulled at his hair.

"See what?" The Doctor asked cautiously, concerned with James' new enthusiasm.

"The chameleon arch; do you still have it?"

"I suppose…" The Doctor frowned but it dawned on him what James was suggesting. "You can't mean to-"

"Oh yes. That's exactly what he was saying. I'm not meant to replace him, I'm meant to be him."

"James, are you sure?" The Doctor searched his eyes, looking for doubts.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life." James held his gaze steady. "I promised her."

"Hang on, what are we talking about?" Rory interrupted the intensity of the conversation, starting to wonder exactly what was going on. The Doctor spared a glance over his shoulder at Rory, but returned to James. Still looking for any creeping misgivings.

"James here wants to become a human. And he wants to tell Rose that he died, and that John lived." There was a long uncomfortable pause.

"Can you…do that?" Rory's voice implied that he was hoping the answer was 'no'.

"Technically? Yes. But he won't be quite the same. They've had different life experiences since they've parted ways. There's no way to guarantee she'll believe him."

"That's just it," James was shaking his head. "He gave those to me. I know that Mickey likes his peanut butter and jam without the crust. I know that Rose still works at Torchwood. And I'm a teacher, in art." He laughed. "This is what he wanted."

The Doctor frowned, leaning forward. "May I?" He asked, James nodded eagerly. He pressed his hand against his temple, and he could see it, see the last ten years of Rose's life in a flash. He had given him everything, every experience, the whole of his world. He had entrusted all of that to James. "Oh…my." He said as he pulled his hand back.

"Isn't that a bit…sick?" Rory asked.

"Do you remember the flesh, Rory?" The Doctor now turned his full attention to Rory. Whatever doubts he may have had about James were gone. "Remember Jimmy, and his little boy Adam?"

"Well, yes…"

"Do you remember when you died? And then became the last centurion?" The Doctor asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, but I mean." Rory shook his head. "That was different?" His argument started to die on his lips.

"Different how, Rory?"

"I guess, I mean." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "It seems wrong to lie to her."

"You're right about that." The Doctor gripped Rory's shoulders seriously. "But I suppose that is the first rule you learn when traveling with me. The Doctor lies." He smirked bitterly. "But there are many reasons to lie, Rory. I think keeping a family together is as good a reason as I've ever had."

Rory stared at the Doctor, and then looked over his shoulder where James sat, still clutching John's unmoving form. "I suppose you're right. If it was Amy-" He shook his head and shrugged. "I'd want her to be happy."

"Good lad." James nodded his grateful thanks.

"Alright then, now that we've decided on that." The Doctor checked his watch. "Oh dear. Cutting it rather close." He ran over to the scanner screen and flipped the switch back on.

"The Doctor said ten minutes," River's voice could be heard clearly over the intercom but there was no one on screen. "He's got to have said it for a reason. Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen…"

"I'm not leaving them down there!" Rose shouted back at her angrily. "And I'm certainly not going anywhere without my husband."

"Nor am I!" Amy sounded equally upset.

"Rose, if we don't go when the Doctor said, they might not get out of the time lock at all." Donna's voice was cool and reasonable, surprising considering who it was coming from.

"Seven, six, five…" River's voice started to sound shriller as the countdown dwindled.

"It's alright! Everyone, it's alright! We're all in, ready to go. Eager, really." The Doctor spoke loudly to be heard over the argument. There was a loud crunching sound in the background and someone screamed.

"It's getting in!" Amy cried out.

"EXTERMINATE!" The mechanical voice was loud and clear over the intercom. Their blood ran cold as they recognized the voice of the Dalek's.

"Get out of there! Get out!" The Doctor shouted at the screen.

"Three, two, one!" Donna shouted as River could be heard firing off her weapon. The engines started up with their usual hum and then with an incredible bang they were all thrown to the floor of the TARDIS as it hurtled through space. It trembled violently as it went, worse than the usual bumps; the g-forces were so strong they were unable to lift themselves from the floor.

"Is this supposed to be happening?" Rory yelled over the groaning of the TARDIS, giving up all efforts to regain his feet and just laying helplessly on the floor, his hands thrown over his head.

"Doctor!" Donna's desperate voice could be heard from the other TARDIS.

"Hang on! Hang on!" The Doctor shouted from where he still dangled on the console. "Almost there!" The TARDIS bounced as though it has struck something and the vibrations were so strong it seemed like the ship would rattle to pieces any second. When it finally ceased its turbulence, it hummed calmly and then came to a merciful stop.

"Knew there was a reason I hated to travel that way." The Doctor muttered, stretching out his jaw where he had struck it against the ship and pulled himself up to his feet.

"What part of 'slingshot velocity' did you think was going to end well?" James lay on his back, a little stunned from where his head had connected with the floor.

"Seat belts might not be a bad idea, either." Rory groaned.

"Don't be silly Rory. We'd need chairs first." The Doctor seemed baffled by the suggestion.

"There's a wacky idea." Rory rolled his eyes.

"Yes, well. It got us here." The Doctor returned his attention to the screen. "Donna? You alright over there?"

"You. Stupid. Git." He heard her voice grumbling from somewhere beneath the screen.

"Ah, excellent. Alive and kicking, I see. Glad to hear it." The Doctor rubbed his hands together and grinned. "Everyone else alright?"

"Doctor? I don't understand," Amy came running back into view on the screen. "You're not outside. Where are you?"

"Ah, hello there Pond. Not to worry, we're just a bit off track."

"How far? Did you make it out of the time lock?" Amy's face looked terrified.

"Oh, of course we did. Cleared that easy. Well, not easy, had to burn through most of the rooms in the TARDIS, and actually use some of the gravi-" He paused, the look on her face suggested she wasn't interested in the details. "Er, never mind that. Spacey wacey. We're actually quite close to home!" He said with forced cheer.

"How close?" Amy eyed him suspiciously.

"Well…" The Doctor checked the readings on a smaller screen and shrugged. "We're…on the moon." His sails deflated ever so slightly.

"Ah, so not really close at all, then." Amy crossed her arms and glared at the Doctor.

"Well, we couldn't exactly follow you too closely. Otherwise we would have shot ourselves straight into the core of the Earth, and you know how she hates it when we don't call first."

"She?" Amy asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Not important Amy, pay attention. Really, when you consider the distance we had to travel, and the eons we had to cross-" Her glare ruined a perfectly good argument about the relativity of space travel, and how, even in the future, it wasn't an exact science. "Oh, alright. No, we're not very close."

"Doctor, you get yourself here. Right. Bloody. Now." Her tone was not one to be questioned.

"Blimey, have a close call with a Dalek and the end of the universe and you get all…" He wiggled his fingers in front of the screen. "Moody."

"I wouldn't mention that," Rory said delicately over the Doctor's shoulder.

"Right, moody? I meant, excellent, brilliant! Fabulous! Just got to shut it down over here for a bit, make sure nothing has gone all, wobbly." He raised his eyebrows. "We'll be along shortly!"

"But Doct-"

"Thank you Pond!" He shut the screen off and saluted. Turning back to the TARDIS his tone was more subdued. "Alright then, James. Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yes. I am." He nodded.

"Then I suggest you get changed. We're going to need to be swift about this or they'll be up here knocking on our door. Should be another white shirt in the wardrobe." He pointed down one of the halls. "I'll get the chameleon arch ready." He clapped him on the shoulder then. "Best make it quick, John."

It hit home for him then, he wasn't the Doctor any more, or James. He was John. He had to be, for Rose's sake. And their children. His children.

"Thank you, Doctor." He said before disappearing down the hall.