Disclaimer: Doctor Who belongs to the BBC. I do not own anything, nor do I get paid for it.

A/N Thanks for the response on the last chapter and I apologise for the delay on this one. We finally meet the Time Lords and set out on a quest to find the Doctor.

Happy Reading!

Chapter Eleven

The halls were silent, interrupted only by the clap-clap of her heavy boots on the floor. The tall, regal pillars on either side of her went up to a ceiling so high that she couldn't even see where it ended. Muted candlelight lit her path and the eerie shadows around her were unsettling, to say the least.

The double door at the end of hallway was manned by two guards dressed in red with a silver cape flowing behind them. They did not waver in their position as she approached them, merely opened the doors with practiced synchronisation. She nodded back in thanks but they gave no sign of having seen it. Taking a deep breath, she walked past them into an amphitheatre where the fabled Time Lords waited for her.

There was silence as she entered, the hushed whispers dying down until Rose could hear her own heart beating in her chest. She could feel thousands and thousands of eyes on her back as she faced the smaller group of the Time Lords standing in front of her. The urge to turn around and look at them all sitting in the wide amphitheatre was almost overwhelming but she kept her eyes locked on the ones she could see.

Their leader appeared to be a man with a receding hairline and a stern face. He had his arms clasped behind his back as he stood in front of the rest of the Time Lords and appraised her with a neutral expression on his face.

Rose met his gaze unwaveringly, looking away only once to meet Susan's eye from where she was standing next to a tall man with an impressive moustache. Susan's posture was stiff but she smiled nervously at Rose. Rose nodded back at her and returned her gaze to the man in front of her.

"Welcome," he said in a carefully, steady voice. "My name is Narvinectralonum, but you can call me Coordinator Narvin. Am I addressing Miss Rose Tyler?"

Rose's eyes narrowed at the forced politeness in his voice but reminded herself that she needed their help. Taking a deep breath, she nodded shortly. "Coordinator of what exactly?" she asked.

Narvin's expression didn't change and Rose had to give him points for not rising to her impertinent tone. "I am the Coordinator of the Celestial Intervention Agency," he said. "In these trying times, I am also coordinating our war strategies."

Rose nodded at that, surprised that she was being given what appeared to be an honest answer. "Any reason why you brought the TARDIS down here?" she asked.

Narvin raised his eyebrows in surprise, though she could tell that it was only for appearances' sake. "I thought you required our help. What better way but to invite you to Gallifrey?" he asked lightly.

"So you are going to help me?" asked Rose, unable to help the slight scepticism in her voice.

"But of course," said Narvin, and the faux sincerity in his voice made Rose's teeth hurt. "What can we do for you, Miss Tyler?"

Taking another deep breath to calm herself down, Rose crossed her arms in front of her. "The Doctor's missing," she said, ignoring the whispers that rose from the Time Lords in the amphitheatre. The ones in front of her stayed quiet, confirming her suspicions that they had already known.

"A shame," said Narvin, in a perfectly rehearsed voice. "Won't you tell us of the circumstances surrounding this extraordinary outcome?"

In retrospect, Rose couldn't be certain if it was Narvin's smug tone or her own worry about the Doctor that made her snap. "How about we just cut to the chase?" she snapped, glaring at Narvin. "What do you want?"

He feigned surprise, though his lips twitched a little. "Why, Miss Tyler, have we given you any indication that we require something of you?" he asked.

"Not in so many words, no," said Rose, still glaring at him. "But it's clear that you already knew of the Doctor's disappearance. I would say you had something to do with it, except it made no sense for the TARDIS to be left where she was. So, how about we stop wasting valuable time and lay our cards on the table, Coordinator Narvin?"

Narvin's mouth twisted into something that might almost be called a smile. "You are angry," he said, still in that infuriatingly calm voice. "Have the Time Lords wronged you in some way, Miss Tyler?"

Rose laughed harshly and registered the genuine shock on Narvin's face for the first time. It gave her some satisfaction before she continued. "Are you seriously asking if the Time Lords have wronged me in some way?" she repeated back at him, in a mocking tone. "Let's see, you resurrected a maniacal Time Lord who is willing to feed on the life force of anyone with enough energy, sent an equally unstable Time Lady to man him, fed the Monk to the Daleks along with misinformation about me. If you've never been tortured by Daleks, let me be the first one to inform you that it is not a pleasant experience. And to top it off, you just allowed the void to swallow eight whole planets and twenty two billion people. So, what do you think, Coordinator Narvin? AM I ANGRY?" she spat angrily, her fists clenched at her sides.

Narvin dropped his veneer of civility and glared back at her. "I will not have a primitive alien question our war strategies," he said furiously.

"What kind of war strategies require you to create the Skaro Degradations and then murder innocent lives to get rid of your own failures?" shouted Rose.

"Enough!"

Both Narvin and Rose stopped glaring at each other as a woman broke away from the group and walked between them. Looking at her, Rose wondered how she could have possibly thought that Narvin was the one in charge. She was just as tall as Rose, with almost identical blonde hair, but Rose knew it wasn't the grand robe or the stiff collar that made her appear so regal.

The woman shot Narvin a look, who bowed and stepped back. "I am Romanadvoratrelundar, President of Gallifrey and all her dominions," she announced to Rose. "I also happen to be a friend of the Doctor's and I intend to do everything I can do to find him. Whatever help you need, you shall get."

Rose relaxed slightly but crossed her arms defiantly just the same. "I'll ask the same question to you, then. What do you want in return?"

President Romana raised her eyebrows. "Why do you think we want something from you?" she asked.

"Because you didn't have to invite me to Gallifrey to tell me that you were going to help. You could have told me that over the comm. link.," said Rose shrewdly, before casting a look at the crowd of Time Lords behind her. "You also didn't have to announce it to everybody."

The man with the moustache next to Susan smiled to himself, though it went largely unnoticed by everyone. Romana appraised Rose carefully. "Very well," she said. "We require your help."

"With what?" asked Rose sharply.

"With the Doctor," said Romana.

Rose's brow furrowed at the unexpected answer. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Romana sighed and met Rose's gaze squarely. "The Doctor refuses to be a part of this war. Nobody has better experience with warfare than the Doctor, and despite our best efforts," here she cast a look at the moustached man who grimaced. "He has declined to work with us."

"Can't imagine why," snorted Rose, rolling her eyes.

Romana ignored the quip. "We need the Doctor, one way or another, and we would prefer it if he was...persuaded to join us voluntarily," she said.

"And you think I can do that?" asked Rose, raising her eyebrows sceptically.

"We believe so, yes," said Romana.

"And if I can't?" asked Rose.

"Then you shall both have all our deaths and the destruction of Gallifrey on your conscience," said Romana simply.

Rose rolled her eyes again. "Don't know what you've been hearing, but the Doctor is actually a part of this war," she pointed out.

"Visiting outposts and sparring with a small group of Daleks does not equate to fighting in this war," snapped Narvin. "He has to command, he has to…."

"Yes, thank you, Coordinator Narvin," interrupted Romana with a stern look. She turned back to Rose. "The Doctor can do much to end this war. I admit that mistakes were made, and we do not expect, nor are we asking you to forget our indiscretions. But now is not the time to be fighting amongst ourselves when a greater enemy lurks over the cosmos. This war has to end and the Doctor's role is vital in ending it."

Rose held Romana's gaze for a moment before nodding. "Fine," she said. "I need to find him first though."

Romana turned back to look at Narvin and the moustached man. "Coordinator Narvin and Cardinal Braxiatel will accompany you to the Doctor's TARDIS. They both have experience and intelligence that will help you locate the Doctor," she said.

"Madam President," interrupted Susan. "I wish to go with them too."

Romana nodded. "Very well, Mrs. Campbell," she said. "You may accompany Coordinator Narvin and Cardinal Braxiatel to help Miss Tyler find your Grandfather."

"Not that I don't appreciate the extra hands," said Rose. "But I think I would work better on my own."

"I agree with Miss Tyler," said Cardinal Braxiatel, surprising everyone. "There is not a need for an entire entourage to find the Doctor. I believe I shall be of sufficient help to her."

Romana's eyes narrowed at him. "Dismissed," she said to everyone and they obeyed at once as the amphitheatre started to empty. "A word, Braxiatel?"

Cardinal Braxiatel bowed to her and led her away to a quiet corner. Susan sidled up to Rose and smiled a little. "Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" she asked.

Rose shook her head. "Can't be certain of what's waiting to face us," she said with a shrug. "Thought you weren't working for this lot."

"I am not," said Susan honestly. "I only came to Gallifrey because I thought Grandfather would have answered the call as well. But then Braxiatel was here, and while I don't always agree with him, I do trust him."

"Why?" asked Rose. "Who is he?"

Susan looked surprised. "You don't know? Cardinal Braxiatel is Grandfather's older brother."

"Come on. It's only just a bit farther…"

The heat seemed to have infused itself into his very bones, and the sand kept burning his eyes as he crawled through the desert. He could see the blood seeping into the sand from his palms, staining the golden sand crimson. His hands had stopped hurting a long time ago, though he couldn't say how long that had been. He thoughts his knees were skinned too but since he couldn't feel them either, he did not dare look down and check for himself. He had to keep going, he had to keep moving forward.

"You are doing so well."

He couldn't place the voice anymore. Sometimes he thought it was Susan, other times it sounded like Jamie. Or Adric, or Tegan, or Ace. It changed so many times that the only thing he knew for certain now was that it belonged to his friends and companions who had once travelled with him.

"Stop."

The new voice made him halt, and the desert seemed to shimmer. He came to the abrupt realisation that it had been an illusion and he was still in the cell that he was being held in. He glanced down at his palms and saw that the skin was unbroken and pristine. He stumbled onto his bed in the cell, trying to remember the person that the new voice had belonged to.

He thought he had kissed those lips, or would kiss them. He was still unclear on that part, just as he was unclear about who he was. All he knew right now was that he'd had a lot of friends and he had failed every single one of them.

"I'm not a nice person," he said out loud, his voice echoing around the empty cell. It wasn't hoarse from disuse as he'd expected, making him wonder if he had been speaking this whole time and just hadn't realised it.

"I would disagree with that," the voice belonging to the mysterious woman said warmly.

"It would help if you showed me who you were, you know," he said, peering through the semi-darkness to seek her out.

He heard footsteps and the cell door opened with a loud creak. A woman stepped through and her smile reminded him of exactly who she was. A reciprocating smile graced his face.

"Rose."

"Rose," she insisted.

"If you wish," said Braxiatel.

"I do," she said. "Miss Tyler makes me sound like I'm either about to be lectured by a teacher or stalked through an alley by paparazzi."

Braxiatel seemed a little confused at her words but he didn't ask her to elaborate. "What was the last known location of the Doctor's TARDIS?" he asked, examining the controls but not touching them.

"You mean before Pazithi Gallifreya? The opening near the void, I think," said Rose, looking away to hide her disapproval. She was not going to forget that in a hurry. "He said he was going to run diagnostics on it. But I checked the results of his scan and nothing out of the ordinary turned up."

Braxiatel was stroking his moustache and nodding along. "May I see these results, Miss T-er, Rose?"

Rose nodded and pulled up the results of the scans on the monitor. Braxiatel peered at them for a moment and raised his eyebrows. "May I?" he asked, nodding towards the console.

She shrugged at him to go ahead, and watched him carefully as he typed away for a minute.

"You are correct," he said finally. "There was nothing out of the ordinary."

"Right, so something else must have happened, right?" asked Rose.

"Not quite," said Braxiatel. "We created a breach to open the void and eight entire planets were swallowed by it."

"I remember, thanks," said Rose testily. "What's your point?"

He ignored her glare. "My point is, an upheaval of that sort should have sent disturbances through the cosmos. But look here," he pointed at the results. "Everything is perfectly balanced."

Rose's brow furrowed. "You're saying that it should have been all messed up then?" she asked, looking at him questioningly.

"Undoubtedly," he said in a booming voice that made her jump a little. "For this balance to have remained so constant, something else must have been displaced."

Rose's eyes went wide with horror at the insinuation. "You don't mean…?"

"I'm afraid I do," he said gravely. "The breach didn't just swallow those eight planets…"

"It spat something else out," finished Rose.

"Oh good," she sounded delighted. "You do remember me, then?"

"I think so," he said as she sat down next to him on the bed. "We are friends, aren't we?"

"Bit more than friends, I should think," she said and grabbed his cravat to pull him into a kiss.

He was more surprised than anything at the pair of soft lips on his but after spending who know how long without his senses and by himself, he couldn't help but reciprocate the gesture. He felt her smile into the kiss right before she pulled away.

"Still remember how to do that then," she winked. He smiled at her, wishing he could remember more. She seemed to understand his dilemma and grabbed his hand comfortingly. "It's okay," she said softly. "Try and remember slowly."

He tried but kept coming up empty. It was as if every bit of information about who he was and how he had found himself here had erased itself from his mind. Along with all the information about Rose herself, whose name was the only thing he could remember about her.

"Oh, my poor darling," she crooned and guided his head to her shoulder. He surrendered with a sigh, burying his head in her neck. "It's alright. Everything will be okay."

"Will it?" he asked despairingly. "I can't even remember who I am."

"Oh, but you do," she said, stroking his hair. "You remember who you are, don't you? All this time that you have been here, you have heard all these people haven't you?"

He pulled away in shock. "How-how do you know?" he asked.

"I just do," she said lightly with a smile. "But those people, don't you remember who they were?"

"They were my friends," he said, but feeling unsure about that just the same.

"No, no, my dear," she said, as if speaking to a child. "They were not your friends. Try again. You remember how you treated them, don't you? Do friends deserve to be treated the way that you treated them?"

He shook his head at once. "No, no, they don't," he said. "NO," he shouted in a loud voice. "They were my friends," he muttered, his voice full of pain and confusion.

"Sshh, shh," she said comfortingly, stroking his hair gently. "It's okay. Let's ask them, shall we? Let's ask if they were your friends."

"Not at all," said the young Scottish man who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. "Left me without my memories and ran off the first chance he got."

"Do you remember his name?" she asked in a gentle voice.

"Jamie, oh Jamie," he gasped. "I am so sorry."

"There are others too, you know," she said, still stroking his hair in that same hypnotic motion. "There's Zoe, see. You abandoned her too," she added, pointing at the petite, young girl who scowled at him. "Who else? Oh, there's Ace. The one you famously declared was as good as a daughter to you. How many times did you manipulate her life to your advantage?"

"Far too many by my counts," said Ace, crossing her arms. "Abandoned me too when he got done manipulating me."

"Oh dear," she said, before a loud gasp escaped her. "And there's Susan. Your own granddaughter. How many times did you leave her behind? You know, I am sensing a theme here. You find all these bright and shining things and leave them behind when a shinier toy comes along, don't you?"

"No," he protested, but it was weak.

"Don't lie, darling," she crooned. "It's true, isn't it? How many of those toys do you break before you are done with them? Do you even a shed a tear, or do you just find another toy as quickly as you can?"

"Stop it, Rose," he begged, closing his eyes to stop himself from looking at the accusing faces in front of him. "Please stop."

"But we are only getting started," she said airily. "How can we stop before you remember who you are?"

"I do," he said in a low voice.

"What was that, sweetheart?" she asked.

"I do remember who I am," he repeated in a slightly louder voice.

"Good," she said in a satisfied tone. "Tell me then, who are you?"

He looked at her with wide eyes. "I am the one who takes these little toys and plays with them until they break. And when they break, I go and find myself a new toy to do the same," he said, a smile starting to grace his face. "Rose! I know who I am!"

"Yes, you do, don't you," she said, triumphantly.

He giggled giddily and nodded. "I am the Nightmare Child."

"What kind of creatures even live in the void?" asked Rose.

"Too many to consider in the short time that we have," said Braxiatel, looking agitated. "The void has simultaneously been a prison as well as a wasteland for everything unwanted in the universe. Everyone from the Guardians and the Eternals to the Time Lords have used it for that purpose through time. Anything could have got out."

"Which means that anything could have taken the Doctor," concluded Rose and rubbed her temple. "We have to go there."

Braxiatel nodded. "Yes, reckless as it might be, we can glean more if we were at the Gates of Elysium. Now that we know that something escaped from there, we might find a clue as to what it was."

"Is that what your lot are calling it now?" asked Rose as he piloted the TARDIS. "Gates of Elysium?"

"Seemed appropriate," said Braxiatel. "It's Earth mythology, referring to…"

"Yes, I know what it refers to," said Rose with a scowl. "Don't think the void qualifies as some sort of heavenly afterlife."

Braxiatel let the matter drop and they were silent as the TARDIS materialised near the Gates of Elysium. Rose pulled on the lever that she remembered turned the TARDIS ceiling transparent, and the two of them stared in shock in front of them.

"That wasn't there before," said Rose, through white lips as they saw the shadow encompassing nearly the entire sky.

"It cannot be," said Braxiatel, aghast. "Of all the bastard things to escape the void."

"You know what that is?" asked Rose, staring at the shapeless shadow that seemed to have made even Braxiatel's carefully kept composure slip.

"That is the Nightmare Child," said Braxiatel. "It is said it was born of abomination in a war much like this. That...thing...it is known to have destroyed entire systems for the one who managed to tether it."

"Tether it?" asked Rose, but Braxiatel paid her no mind as he walked around the console, periodically pressing switches.

"It's already found a host and I would hazard a guess and say that it is the Doctor," he muttered to himself.

"Hold it right there," said Rose, slipping between him and the console. "You're saying that this Nightmare Child has the Doctor?"

Braxiatel sighed in irritation but nodded. "The Nightmare Child needs a host to manifest itself in the form that we see it now. Judging by the fact that this was where the Doctor disappeared, it is likely that he was chosen as the host."

"How do we get him out of there?" asked Rose, looking up at the shadow which seemed even more sinister now that she knew what was in its depths. "Braxiatel!" she insisted when he didn't answer.

"The Nightmare Child can be a powerful weapon and if the Doctor is the host then it might be easier for the Time Lords to control it," he murmured, seemingly to himself.

Rose clenched her fists as his meaning sunk in. "You're not thinking of controlling that thing," she said.

He looked at Rose. "The Nightmare Child was a very powerful force which was why the Eternals locked it into the void in the first place. It can easily overcome the Dalek forces if need be. If we could control it, we could end the war right here," he said.

"And what about the Doctor? What happens to him?" asked Rose, loosening her fists and sticking her hands into her pockets.

"It is difficult to say what would remain of his mind after being under the control of the Nightmare Child," said Braxiatel. "For all we know, he could die…" he trailed off when he felt a cold point of metal touch his right heart. "Rose…"

She pressed the knife a little harder into his chest, just enough to tear his shirt. "I wonder what happens when a Time Lord is stabbed in both his hearts," she said seriously, staring at Braxiatel unflinchingly.

"You would kill me?" he asked, with some amusement.

"Without a doubt, if you plan to go ahead with this insane idea of letting the Nightmare Child destroy the Doctor while you parade it around like a weapon," she said.

"It would hardly be parading," he said but at a sharp jab from Rose, he sobered up. "The Doctor is one life as opposed to billions upon billions. If his death means that the Daleks are defeated, I am certain that even he would agree to it."

"Well, the Doctor's not here right now so I don't give a fuck about what he wants," said Rose plainly. "And if you think I believe your little tale about wanting to save billions of lives, you are sorely mistaken."

"We don't have time for this," said Braxiatel, trying to shake her off but Rose merely dug the knife in a little, drawing a bead of blood.

"I wouldn't move too much if I were you," said Rose. "Got too much experience with a blade, me. And not when I was wielding it either." She let her meaning sink in before continuing. "We are getting the Doctor out of there and then we are sticking the Nightmare Child back in the void where it belongs. Capiche?"

Braxiatel chuckled. "And if I refuse to help you?" he asked.

"Then we'll find out if you can start regenerating before I finish stabbing both your hearts," said Rose, far more bravely than she was feeling.

Braxiatel's chuckles turned into full-blown laughter. Rose was taken aback at that but it didn't seem like he was laughing at her. She patiently waited for him to stop.

"I apologise for laughing, Rose," he said, still smirking. "I have no doubt that you could kill me if you wanted. But I assure you, I have no desire to do anything other than what you suggested."

Rose pulled the knife back, but only a little. "Then why the little ruse?" she asked.

"Call it curiosity," said Braxiatel. "I wanted to see where your loyalties lay." When she still looked unsure, he looked at her seriously. "I do not wish to see my brother be driven to madness, and even if the Time Lords managed to somehow control that thing, there is no saying that it wouldn't turn on us once it is done with the Daleks. Rose…"

They were interrupted when the TARDIS beeped loudly, and started flashing every mauve beacon on the console. Braxiatel and Rose sprang away from each other and turned to the console in unison.

"Proximity alarm," said Braxiatel. "Something's coming our way."

"I think I know what it is," said Rose, looking at a monitor on the console. Braxiatel peered at it over her shoulder and went pale at the sight of the familiar saucer shaped ships.

"The Dalek fleet."

A/N End of Chapter 11. Let me know what you thought.

I was reluctant to have Rose be violent towards Brax but protective Rose is more dangerous than protective Doctor and that is saying something. Hope nobody is terribly offended by it.

The next chapter will be up soon. See you then!