Note: Well here we are at the last chapter! There will be a brief epilogue after this that I'll post soon. Thank you all for following and encouraging me this far! It's your support that has driven me to do my best and to turn this into a trilogy.

Next up:

Doctor Who: Rassilon's Wrath.

Also I have some art work that I've done for this story up on my deviant art page, just search for Lemkin Factor and you'll find my page.

Enjoy!

Chapter Thirty-four

"Doctor? Doctor, where's Rory? Shouldn't he be back by now? You said the Valeyard has all your memories, that he think's he is you, and that you'd never hurt Rory and therefore he would never..."

Amy trailed off her anxious fretting as the Doctor turned a sorrowful gaze on her. He had been standing at the open TARDIS door just staring silently out into the silent warehouse of Alkinar prison for nearly an hour. A cold knot formed itself in the pit of Amy's stomach as the Doctor continued to just stare at her with an unreadable expression frozen on his face. Without responding he flicked his eyes over to River who was sitting on the steps because she was too weak to stand. Amy was standing near River but she took a step closer to the Doctor when his eyes seemed to lose their focus.

"Doctor?" Amy whimpered.

"I'm sorry, Amy." The Doctor whispered, now refusing to look at her. "I've made a terrible mistake."

"But you can fix it," Amy insisted "you always fix it, you're the Doctor."

The Doctor furrowed his brow in a look of brief confusion as if he was trying to figure out how Amy had gotten such an outlandish idea in her head. Without any further explanation or instructions the Doctor turned and left the TARDIS. Amy went to follow but River struggled to her feet and put her hand on Amy's shoulder to stop him. Amy turned to look at her and it broke her heart to see the pain painted across River's face just as plain to see as the golden marks that glittered there. The Zero Room had done nothing for her other than make her feel even more trapped.

"Let him go, Amy."

"Where is he going?"

"He's going back to the cell to bring 'me' back, which means there is no more room for me here."

"River, no." Amy shook her head at the thought of losing her daughter. "Wait for the Doctor to get back, let him decide if..."

"The Doctor will never make the right decision when it concerns me." River smiled sadly. "Amy, I didn't want to do this with you here, but it's time for me to go."

"Please, no." Amy begged as her eyes brightened with tears.

"I don't belong here, and I am suffering terribly."

"River..."

"I don't know how the Doctor carried this wound for so long, it is unrelenting." River interrupted. "Please, promise me that you won't blame him for what has happened to me. He will be busy enough blaming himself."

"River, just give him more time. He can save you."

"He can't," River said firmly "I won't let him."

Amy went to argue that the Valeyard had a way so the Doctor must as well, but then she realized that was what River meant she said that she wouldn't let him. It would take turning the Universe inside out to let her stay in it. Unable to voice her support Amy simply nodded. River leaned in and kissed Amy's forehead. River reached into her shirt where she still kept the small vial of glittering blue liquid.

"What is that?" Amy asked.

"If I know the Doctor, and I like to think that I do, it's...painless."

"Painless?"

"Yes. I'm not sure the same would hold true if I simply stepped outside the protection of the TARDIS. The Doctor wouldn't have given me the poison if just taking a step out of the TARDIS would do the job cleanly."

Amy stared in horror at the poison in River's hand and tried to quell the flash of anger that overtook her when she realized that the Doctor had given River the deadly vial knowing she'd have to use it. Amy turned her rage on the TARDIS itself for a moment for allowing River to be split from her Timeline in the first place. Watching her mother River reached out and put her hand against her flushed cheek.

"You promised me you wouldn't be angry."

"I'm Scottish," Amy replied trying to sound light hearted "I can't help it."

River chuckled before sitting back down on the floor at the base of the steps that lead to the upstairs corridors. Amy sat down next to her and did her best to put on a brave face. River managed a smile that effectively masked her own fear. She worked the small cork off the vial and drank the contents as casually as a glass of water. River turned to Amy as warm venom erased her pain.

"Forgive me?"

"Always." Amy replied quietly.

River smiled and looking suddenly tired she went to lay down. Amy guided her to use her lap as a pillow. With River comfortable Amy did he best not to shed the tears that were stinging her eyes. Closing her own eyes River's laboured breathing turned to a slow steady rhythm that peacefully transitioned into the stillness of death as she finally found peace.

"River?"

When Amy's whispered request didn't get a response she finally broke down into bitter weeping. Despite the fact that she had promised not to blame the Doctor Amy couldn't help it. Even if he stepped back into the TARDIS at this exact moment with the other River alive and well at his side it wouldn't do anything to take away the pain of having her daughter laying dead in her lap.

Leaning over Amy gathered River up in her arms. With her eyes closed against her shuddering tears Amy didn't notice the growing light from the pattern that was still splashed across River's face. With a sudden jerk River snapped her eyes open and arched in Amy's embrace as she gasped violently back to life. Amy yelped in shock as River fought to get away from her.

Freeing herself from Amy's grip River scrambled back as the golden glow from the spirals spread. Consumed by the light River screamed in agony before suddenly collapsing to the floor again. The glow died down as the spirals etched into River's face sunk into her skin and disappeared. Amy crawled over and knelt over River anxiously as she fluttered her eyes open again.

"River?"

Looking up at Amy confused River struggled to sit up. Amy tried to keep her down, but when she realized that wasn't going to work she helped her sit up. River instantly pulled her shirt off her shoulder to look at the skin where the marks used to radiate from. Although most of the pattern was going there was still a faint set of spirals still glittering in her shoulder. She got to her feet easily and Amy got up as well although she had a harder time as she was still shaking with the adrenaline of all that had just happened.

"A...are you okay?"

"It still hurts," River replied as she rubbed at the marks "but not like it did before."

"What happened?"

"I...I think I regenerated, but that shouldn't be possible." River said as she brought her hands up into her hair. "What do I look like?"

"You look like you."

"Same thing that has been happening to the Doctor lately. Whatever disease he has I must have it too."

"Disease?"

"Not a disease, I just don't have a better word for it. Regeneration is a power that was given to the Time Lords by Rassilon, he put the limits on it too. There is something faulty with the Doctor's regeneration energy."

"But how..."

Amy stopped as the Doctor suddenly returned. He was alone, but Amy didn't even register that fact at first. She still had a fair amount of adrenaline and grief coursing through her veins mixing with the anxiety of Rory being missing.

"What's going on here?" The Doctor asked.

Amy rushed up to the Doctor and slapped him across the face with every ounce of the rage that returned to her upon seeing him. The Doctor did nothing to stop her but he did have a very surprised look on his face that now held an angry red mark. Before he could react to the assault Amy lashed out again, only this time she wrapped him a warm embrace. Shocked the Doctor just stood with his hands at his sides.

"I'm sorry." Amy apologized.

"I'm very confused." The Doctor admitted.

"It's my fault." River said as she joined them. "I didn't want to be alone when I left, but I knew you'd never let me go if you were with me. It was selfish of me."

"You didn't do anything wrong, River." Amy said defensively.

The Doctor still didn't seem to understand at first until he looked over and saw the empty glass vial laying on the floor. His eyes widened in horror as he turned his attention back to River. Amy still had her arms around him and now he brought his own up and held her closer. Holding Amy tightly he continued to stare at River.

"How are you still here?" The Doctor finally asked.

River explained what happened as best she could. Amy backed out of the Doctor's embraced and collaborated the story with her point of view of the events. The Doctor remained thoughtful on what they told him as he tried to figure it out himself. River shifted her weight as she started to get uncomfortably curious about something.

"River?" The Doctor asked as noticed her agitation.

"Am 'I' waiting outside?" River asked as she went to look out the TARDIS doors over the Doctor's shoulder.

"No." The Doctor shook his head sadly. "You were gone already."

"That means the Valeyard was here and he didn't bring Rory back." Amy said alarmed.

"I'm sure Rory is okay. I still don't believe the Valeyard would hurt him."

"What do we do now?"

"You gave me a schedule." The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out the paper. "It's meant to be a drop off point for information, you may have come up with a solution to everything already. The answer could be waiting for us right here."

"I am good." River agreed with a nod.

"And you know it." The Doctor added.

River winked at the Doctor and he smiled brightly in return. Amy didn't understand how the pair could so quickly move past River's near suicide attempt, but she was hopeful that Doctor at least seemed to have a plan. With a new energy the Doctor rushed over to the console. River lag behind and Amy could tell that she was seriously considering leaving the TARDIS through the door that the Doctor had left open. Before Amy could go to stop her the Doctor took away the temptation by absent mindedly snapping his fingers causing the door to shut. He hadn't been aware that River was on the brink of another attempt, he was just ready to fly.

The TARDIS landed with the usual slight vibration. The Doctor was heading towards the doors when he suddenly skidded to a halt. He whipped around and actually jumped up and down in place for a second. Amy and River regarded him with the same concerned expression.

"Oo! Oo! River, I've had a thought!"

"Well then, this is a special day." River teased.

"Seriously River, I've been working on the problem non stop despite it being impossible and although you and your original Timeline self can't exist as separate people forever I think the Zero Room can put you two back together again."

"What are you talking about? The TARDIS can't allow both of me to be in here at the same time."

"See that's the part of this problem that I think we might be wrong about. Usually the reason why that wouldn't be allowed would be the fact that the TARDIS itself created the paradox by having traveled back to pick up a younger version of yourself. That's not the case here, there is no 'extra' paradox created by having you both here. It's a completely different set of circumstances then what happened with Amy."

"Amy?"

"Me?" Amy asked as well. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing, it's nothing. The point is that I can essentially save you both since if you were brought together the resulting River would have both sets of memories. We may not even need the Zero Room, you might knit together again if you simply touch."

"But does that mean I will always have this wound?"

"No," the Doctor replied suddenly sounding unsure "I won't let that happen, we will fix it. Just promise me, promise me that you'll give this idea a chance. The TARDIS won't let River in here if it won't work, there is no risk."

"There is always risk, Doctor."

"Please."

River looked to Amy and when she saw the faith she had in the Doctor's plan she nodded her consent. The Doctor kissed her cheek with a loud smack and spun around to head for the door.

"Come along, Pond!" The Doctor called.

River watched as the Doctor flung open the TARDIS door with his usual energy. It was clear to her that his own faith lay in River herself and that he was confident that the answer to all his current problems were going to be on the other side of the TARDIS doors. Despite her eariler bravado River didn't have the heart to tell him that she didn't have that same kind of faith in herself.

"I hope I was able to find the answers you need, Doctor."

Outside the Doctor took Amy's hand and lead her through the dense nighttime forest that lay beyond the TARDIS. He knew exactly why River had chosen this particular spot. There was a cliff near by that offered a view of the Milky Way that was simply breath taking. It would be a suitably romantic spot to easily talk the Valeyard into taking her. The trees started to thin as they reached the stone expanse that lead to the sheer cliff that fell to a purple ocean a hundred yards below. As soon as they broke through the last of the trees Amy gasped sharply.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" The Doctor asked.

"What is it?"

"The Milky Way as seen from near the center looking out."

Across the dark sky was a glittering streak of dense brilliant stars surrounded by a purple haze that lined the irregular edges of the band. There were places on Earth where you could get a dim glimpse of this spectacular phenomenon, but nothing that compared to the beauty of this spot. Standing on a smooth rock ground that gave way sharply to the cliff the Doctor started searching around.

"What are you looking for?"

"River would have left me a clue, a sign as to where to look for..."

The Doctor stopped suddenly when a bright blue flash erupted next to Amy. He rushed back and grabbed Amy's wrist to yank her away as the Valeyard tumbled out of time and landed at their feet on his hands and knees. At first the Doctor didn't even recognize him. He had cut his hair into short messy spikes that looked more black than brown. He wore a blood red shirt with golden highlights at the collars and cuffs along with a pair of black silk pants.

Still down on all fours the Valeyard looked up at the Doctor with a wild desperate look in his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak but blood poured from his parted lips. The Doctor and the Valeyard's eyes instantly tracked down to where one of the Vale Blades protruded from his chest over his left heart. The Doctor reached into his own jacket and felt both Vale Blades still in their harness, River had insisted he take them back pointing out the Valeyard would instantly sense them and run.

Crying out weakly the Valeyard reached down and jerked the dagger out, revealing that his hands were already covered in blood. There was no spray of gold like when the Doctor had removed them from himself. However the wound did briefly glow and heal. Keeping the dagger firmly in hand the Valeyard stayed on his knees as he turned his attention back on the Doctor.

"Save her!" The Valeyard cried desperately. "You have to save her, save River! I never...I never meant to...to..."

"Calm down, it's okay, I want to help you."

The Doctor took a step closer but stopped when the disheveled Valeyard cried out in horror and brandished the Vale Blade at him. The Doctor put his hands up in a peaceful fashion. He made sure to put himself between the Valeyard and Amy and much to his relief Amy allowed it.

"Valeyard, please tel..."

"You have to fix this!" The Valeyard demanded as tears streaked his face. "You're the Doctor, you can fix this!"

"Okay, I'm going to do just that. Tell me what you've done, where is River?"
"Find them! Find them!" The Valeyard seemed to switch topics as he rambled. "They are the key, they must be the key. You must find them, I can not...I've tried..."

"Find who?"

"The Angels..." The Valeyard whispered. "Doctor, where have all the Angels gone?"

"Angels?" The Doctor repeated in alarm.

"No time...no...forgive me..." the Valeyard sputtered nearly incoherently "coming, coming for you..."

"Who is?"

"I am."

The Valeyard's fear had been suddenly been replaced by a frightening calm. The Doctor took a step back, forcing Amy back as well as the Valeyard got to his feet. He looked down at the Vale Blade in his hand and a oddly familar smile that sent a chill down the Doctor's back spread across the Valeyard's face. The Valeyard placed the dagger in the back waist band of his well tailored pants. He approached the Doctor and the Doctor went to back up further but Amy cried out a warning that they were about to step backwards off the cliff.

The Doctor made the mistake of looking over his shoulder and the Valeyard lashed out and grabbed his wrist. The Doctor was about to fight back when he realized that all the Valeyard wanted was to look at the golden wrist watch that he wore. It was no ordinary time piece and could only be properly read by a Time Lord. In fact he kept the watch with the face twisted around to the underside of his wrist because if a human looked at it for too long they would go insane. There was a tiny hole where the hands were attached that allowed for a view of a pinpoint piece of the Untempered Schism. The Doctor used this to keep track of his own personal time and his own Timeline. No matter when or were he traveled the watch always told him the time relative to himself.

"Ah, look at the time." The Valeyard purred as he released the Doctor. "I wish I could stay and watch it happen all over again."

"Again?"

"You are about to lose everything, Doctor, starting right...now."

The Doctor was about to try to talk to the Valeyard when there was a blinding flash. The Doctor spun around and looked up at the night sky in time to see a iridescent rainbow radiating out from a point just to the side of the band of the Milk Way. The entirety of the night sky seemed to shimmer and bend as the ripples chased one another from the epicenter to the horizon. Behind him the Valeyard had stepped out of time and into the Vortex, leaving him and Amy alone. Staring up at the sky the Doctor's jaw fell open as he suddenly laboured for breath.

"No..."

"Doctor?" Amy asked quietly. "Doctor, what was that?"

"A Timonic Fusion Device explosion."

"What?"

"I just lost a second of my life...an important one."