She looked back up into Jack's face, bemused. The captain's face mirrored his own, although the tinge of concern had not left it. She heard a sob behind her and span around. Ahh. Martha. This might take some explaining. But a need to explore his body overwhelmed her as she had caught sight of her bright ginger hair again. She looked down at his slender hands in wonder. She had known the Corsair in all of his AND her regenerations but he never expected it to happen to him. Her. Blimey, she had to get used to this now. She ran her hands down her body before quickly raising it to fist her masses of red hair. Lots and lots of ginger hair! Oh she was going to enjoy this regeneration, male or female! She ran her hands down her face, feeling out a heart shaped face. She could not wait to find a mirror!
She heard a sob again, and remembered Martha. Poor Martha. Not giving herself a chance to bow out, she span around again (this regeneration seemed to have just as much energy as the last) and walked towards her. Even her walk was different! What was before a great stride had become a bouncing movement, as she lifted her feet inside the shoes. Hmm, might need to have a change, she thought. She looked back up from her feet towards Martha's pale face, with tears still cascading down it, and felt guilt settled into her heart.
"Who are you?" she asked, her voice filled with shock and disbelief and pain. "Doctor, Doctor is that you?"
"Hello." She replied, her voice seemed young and high to her, but not squeaky high mind, but high enough. She had the sudden urge to sing but pushed it back as she focused on Martha and the people who were now gathering around her in protection. She continues forwards, not intimidated by the family gathered around her. She carried on right until she was in front of her, before smiling for the first time. "Hello." She repeated.
Martha didn't move away, but the same confused and pained expression never left her face. Suddenly she had an idea and the Doctor felt for the tie that hung around her neck, and was resting on her chest. Well that was a new sight for her. Trying to not get distracted by the sudden amounts of chest she had developed, she removed the tie and undid a button on her shirt. "Like so. It's just like that hand, except rather than the hand, it's me. All of me"
Martha stared wide eyed at her, before stepping forwards into a hug. The Doctor smiled as she hugged her back, glad that she was accepting that this was who she was now. After a moment she pulled away and turned to where several guards had flanked Lucy Saxon, and were staring at her in shock. She walked towards her, refusing to look at his dead friend on the floor. As he approached the guards around her grew together righter.
"Relax boy's, she won't hurt me. The influence he had on her left when he, when he..." he faulted to a stop, not wanting to admit out loud what had happened. She felt the TARDIS' song croon to her softly in her head and it filled her with strength. "It wasn't her fault."
But they refused to move and so she did the only thing she could do, and looked Lucy Saxon in the eye as she repeated, "It wasn't her fault."
She turned back again and caught sight if the Master, still lying on the floor. A tear escaped her eye and fell down her face, as she slowly approached her oldest friend and enemy. She knelt down beside him and took his hand, wet with blood. Koschei. Driven mad with the drums in his head, and turned into a killer. His final murder had been his own, his final win. Because now she was even more alone that she had been before. She had had so much hope, but it had been taken away from her in an instant.
She felt the already familiar hand of Jack on her shoulder, and another one on her other that she knew would be Martha's, as she continued to kneel and mourn for the life his friend could have led, if the drums had never been heard by him, calling him into a life of war and madness,
She did not know how long she knelt there, but eventually she shakily stood up, and walked away from him. She saw the sad faces of her friends and taking each of their hands, she walked out of the room for the last time, to find the TARDIS.
As she followed the fait sound of the TARDIS engines, the Doctor felt panic rise in her. Jack had made sure that the paradox machine was destroyed, that was for sure. But what would have happened to her TARDIS? She came upon a set of double doors, and pushed them open to fins her magnificent TARDIS on the other side. Not being able to hold back she jogged towards her, still scared. As she fitted the key into the lock, and held her breath she turned to her friends. The worry was clear on their faces as well. There was no telling what damage will have to be repaired. 'Well...' she thought. 'No time like the present. Geronimo...' And with that thought she pushed open the door of the TARDIS, and stopped short upon seeing the wreckage.
The coral columns of the TARDIS were scorched, but what concerned the Doctor the most, was the console. The metal cage around it had been burst open, and bits of the console were in pieces. She spotted the helmet regulator spilt in half. Tuning in again to the sound of the TARDIS, she realised that it was struggling. Knowing what she had to do, she walked towards the console, aware that the others were still following her and grabbed a section of the mesh. She tried to pull it off, but wasn't used to her levels of strength yet, and felt weak from the regeneration just moments ago so she was thankful when Jack and Martha also grabbed hold and pulled along with her. Together they removed the last of the ruined grating. The Doctor surveyed the damage with the concern.
"Well old girl. Looks like you need some work doing." The TARDIS crooned to her and she placed her hand on the console. "I know. Don't worry. You can do it. I will give you some help to," She smiled. "I guess it was time for a change anyway." She flicked a few of the remaining switches, and turned a dial. "All set. Good luck!" and with that she turned and motioned the others to follow her out of the doors, and continuing until they were out of the corridor which was filled with the sound of the TARDIS engines. She looked back and saw the shock on Martha's face and understanding on Jacks.
"She was beyond my repair, let alone hers. I've sent her into the vortex. It will take her 12 hours but after she will find me, and then were off."
"But do what Doctor?" Martha walked forwards and held her hand uncertainty.
"She's going to regenerate. A whole new interior and exterior. Just like me." She smiled. "Ah well, I was getting fed up of that desktop anyway! Time for a change!" She raised her chin. "Now then! Martha Jones, I owe you a thank you. You saved not just the world, but the whole universe," She pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank you." She held her for a moment, perplexed by how she now felt when she hugged her, she had so much to get used to. But she pulled away, and turned to face Jack. "And you Captain! Just because I'm now not a man, does not mean that you can now have your way with me!" But she pulled him into a tight hug, and thanked him, although she confused by the fact that she was now a head smaller than him, and that her head fitted nicely on her shoulder. She sniffed and wrinkled her nose."Blimey Captain when's the last time you had a wash...?"
The Captain laughed "366 days ago! It's not like we can all regenerate into a new body like you Doctor!" they pulled away and his face turned grave. "So what now?" he asked.
"I have a responsibility. I need to make sure that the Master is given the traditional Time Lord send off. I will take him to a quiet spot somewhere, and make a pyre. Galaxies would fight over one cell of his body. I have to –"she stumbled to a stop and lowered her eyes. "I have to cremate him."
She stood on the hill side with the burning torch in her hand. She had arranged him to be taken here, before she had took the manipulator, dropped Jack, Martha and her family back to Martha's parents house, and brought herself here. And so she stood, burning her oldest friend. Her oldest enemy, his funeral pyre bursting with fire. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air and surrounded her but she didn't mind. She was still in her old suit and would be changing it soon, after a shower in the TARDIS, to wash away the smell of him from her. A tear rolled down her face, as she placed the torch on top of him, wiped it away and stood tall. With one last goodbye to her friend, she walked away and changed the settings in the vortex manipulator to bring her to Martha, pushing all last thoughts of the Master out of her mind.