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

A/N Thanks for the amazing response/outraged exclamations at the cliffhanger for the last chapter. The explanation is here, I promise. The final part of 'Different Beginnings' and an end of sorts to the Key to Time and the Guardian Arc.

Plus, an important A/N at the end.

Happy Reading!

Different Beginnings: The Time Lords

Previously

"Doctor? Doctor, what is it?" Rose asked, feeling terrified at the way he was looking at her and the way he had moved away from her.

The Black Guardian laughed loudly and the sinister laugh echoed around them as he vanished.

"We are sorry, Miss Tyler," said the White Guardian as he too vanished. The rest of the Guardians followed him, their expressions ranging from regret to indifference.

The Doctor stared at Rose with pain, fear and regret etched onto his face. "Oh Rose," he said. "I am sorry. I am so, so sorry."

"Doctor, you are scaring me," said Rose, her voice wobbling slightly at the look of utter horror and regret in the Doctor's eyes.

"Rose, oh Rose," said the Doctor as he swiftly crossed the distance between them and crushed her to his chest. His grip on her was desperate; so different than usual that Rose's fear multiplied. "It will be alright."

"Doctor," said Rose sharply, at the end of her patience. "What has happened to me?"

The Doctor sighed as he pulled away just enough to look at her face. "The Guardians trapped you in a void pocket, didn't they?" At Rose's nod, he sighed. "A cosmic abyss like that gives off a particular type of radiation."

Rose gasped. "Like the one we get from travelling in the TARDIS?" she asked.

"No, not quite," said the Doctor. "This radiation is not meant for ephemerals like us. Prolonged exposure, particularly if entered into the pocket voluntarily can be..." he paused and shook his head.

"Can be what?" asked Rose, her eyes going wide as she remembered that she had indeed gone in voluntarily to save the timelines. "Am I contaminated?"

One look at the Doctor's face told her what she needed to know. Her arms fell slack from around him as she stumbled away from him. "Rose..." said the Doctor, looking pained as she withdrew away from him.

"Am I going to die?" she asked in a small voice, looking at him.

"No, of course not," said the Doctor, walking up to her and taking her hands. "The contamination is not affecting you."

Rose gasped and moved away from him again quickly. "Am I infecting you then?" she asked, sounding horrified at the thought.

"No," said the Doctor, closing the distance between them again. "The damage is..."

CLANG

The Doctor's eyes went wide. Rose wondered what the sound was when it rang again. CLANG. It sounded like a bell.

"What is that?" Rose asked.

"The Cloister Bell," said the Doctor. "Imminent disaster."

"It's because of me, isn't it?" Rose guessed. "Am I hurting the TARDIS?" she asked, looking like she was considering running.

CLANG

"Of course not," he assured her. "It's not the TARDIS. It's the universe."

Rose gazed at him in horror. The Doctor was about to say something, perhaps to reassure her, when the rotor started moving again.

The Doctor's jaw clenched in anger and his grip on her hand tightened. Rose tried not to flinch as she felt the desperation and anger in his grip.

"What's happening?" she asked.

"We're being recalled," he said. "Back to Gallifrey."

"What are they going to do to me?" asked Rose.

The Doctor flinched at her blunt question. "Rose..."

"Please," said Rose, begging him just this once to tell her the truth.

He cupped her cheek with his left hand and drew her close. "The contamination is not permanent, Rose," he said, looking at her with absolute honesty. "I will convince them to think of an alternative."

"An alternative to killing me?" Rose guessed.

The Doctor winced at her phrasing but nodded. "I won't let them hurt you," he promised her. The TARDIS landed but the Doctor did not let go of her. "Everything is going to be alright," he said.

When Rose gave a disbelieving look at the impossibility of that, he leaned forward and kissed her mouth softly. Rose was too startled to respond but the Doctor pulled away just as suddenly as he had kissed her. Rose expected him to brush it off but he smiled tenderly at her and wiped off the tear marks on her cheek with his thumbs. "Ready?" he asked.

Rose drew in a deep breath and linked her hand firmly with his. Holding her head up high, she nodded even though she was not even in the same galaxy as ready. "Ready," she said.

"Doctor, on the Order of the Chancellery Guard of the…"

"…of the Time Lords of Gallifrey and the High Council, I am expected to exit my capsule along with my companion, Miss Rose Tyler. I know," said the Doctor, as he and Rose stepped out hand in hand. There was a whole host of guards waiting for them, their faces cold and unamused. "Well, look at that Rose, we get the entire Honour Guard to escort us."

"Doctor," spoke Andred. "This way."

The Doctor opened his mouth, perhaps ready with another impudent response but Rose squeezed his hand and he fell silent. "Lead the way, Andred," he said.

The rest of the Guard followed the Doctor and Rose as Andred led them through the Capitol building. Rose could feel herself trembling, and the Doctor was radiating tension in waves by the time they arrived outside a pair of gilded double doors. Andred came to a halt before them and turned back to look at the Doctor and Rose in turn.

"The Council awaits you," he announced grimly as two of his guards stepped forward and opened the doors in an efficient manner. Andred nodded at them to enter. The Doctor's eyes narrowed before setting into a blank mask as he squeezed Rose's hand and led the way inside.

If Rose hadn't been so nervous and practically shaking with fear, she would have noticed that the courtroom that they were in was magnificent. But all she could see was the Time Lords in their majestic regalia looking at them with cold, hostile looks. Romana sat at the head of the High Table dressed in a robe of red and gold, her face extremely grave. There were Time Lords and Ladies on either side of her but Rose only recognised Irving Braxiatel, the Doctor's brother, sitting on her immediate right. His face was completely expressionless.

"I am flattered. We get a full court for a trial," said the Doctor when the doors behind them were closed. Rose realised that they were in a box meant for the accused and there was an identical box right opposite them. A single Time Lord sat there and Rose was startled when she recognised him as Vansell, the Time Lord who had arrested the Rani.

"This is not a trial, Doctor," said Romana, her voice extremely solemn. "Lord Vansell?"

Vansell stood up and gave a bow towards her. "Thank you, Madam President," he said, radiating smugness in degrees. "The matter is quite simple. The girl is a danger to this universe. We have to get rid of her before she damages the fabric of time any more than she already has."

Rose seethed and longed to snap at Vansell for talking about her like she was some sort of an animal to be put down. The Doctor's warning hand at her back was the only thing that stopped her. Romana had grimaced at his words too, though she tried hard to control it. "I see," she said. "Doctor?" she asked, turning to him.

"I think I would like to know how much the Time Lords are aware of the circumstances surrounding Miss Rose Tyler in this event," said the Doctor, sounding just as grand as Vansell as he challenged them.

Vansell raised an eyebrow but at a nod from Romana, he addressed the Doctor. "Our sensors picked up the contamination immediately. It has already started to corrupt the web of time."

"So, you are unaware that the Guardians of Time interfered?" asked the Doctor, sounding a tad smug.

Whispers broke out all over the courtroom. Vansell's grin slid off as he stared at the Doctor coldly. Romana snapped out of her surprise and called for silence. Next to her, Braxiatel smiled a little before his face became expressionless again.

"I think we need to hear a full account of the events surrounding this incident," said Romana. "Perhaps the Matrix?"

"There is not enough time for that, my lady," said Braxiatel smoothly and Rose felt the Doctor relax. She knew that the Matrix was the collective Time Lord wisdom and viewing it would have revealed everything about the Doctor, the Other and Arkytior.

Romana gave a nod. "A verbal account then, Doctor," she said imperiously.

The Doctor gave a nod and relayed the story of the Guardians making them assemble the Key to Time. "When they had the Key," he continued. "They used it to rewrite time."

"How?" asked Romana.

"They went back to the time of our founders," said the Doctor, choosing his words carefully. "They were about to rewrite Gallifrey's history."

Rose had to work hard not to react to that. It was a lie but she supposed that killing the Other and not having the Doctor ever born was indeed rewriting Gallifrey's history.

"How does the girl come into this?" asked Vansell impatiently.

"Miss Tyler stopped them from doing so," said the Doctor, looking coldly at Vansell. "She risked her life when she went through that void pocket and it was because she did it voluntarily that it has infused her with such an intense dose of radiation."

Murmurs broke out over the courtroom as the Time Lords were now looking at Rose curiously. Vansell appeared to be thinking rather quickly. "Why would the Guardians go to such troubles to rewrite our history?" he questioned over the murmurs.

"An excellent question," said the Doctor glibly. "Perhaps you should ask them."

Vansell's nostrils flared in anger but Romana interrupted before he could snap back. "Doctor. Answer the question," she said.

The Doctor sighed. "They felt it was important to get rid of Miss Tyler because just like us, they are aware of her uniqueness," he said.

"That being her timelines?" clarified Romana.

"Yes," said the Doctor. "The Guardians are rather wary of the unexpected and Miss Tyler has the misfortune of being one of the most unexpected people in the universe. The Guardians are manipulating events around her, perhaps out of fear or something else that we are not aware of, and if we let her die now then they would have won."

There was silence following his pronouncement. Rose started to feel a bit optimistic when Vansell suddenly relaxed. "Doctor, your account is sound," he said. "But you have just given us more reason to proceed with this execution."

Rose's mouth fell open in shock while the Doctor glared at him. Vansell allowed himself a small smile before continuing.

"If the Guardians want her out of the way, would it not be better to abide by their wishes? We are in no position to go to war with them. Over a human, no less," he said in an oily voice.

A few Time Lords started nodding in agreement. Rose could see a muscle twitching in the Doctor's jaw but even she had to admit that Vansell had a point.

"Doctor," she murmured quietly. "Maybe…"

"No," he said firmly.

Rose opened her mouth indignantly but Romana called for silence again. She appeared to be steeling herself, and Rose knew that she saw no other way but to sentence her to execution. Rose closed her eyes.

"Perhaps," came Braxiatel's quiet voice. "There can be another way."

Rose's eyes snapped open as she stared at the Doctor's brother. His face was smooth, betraying no emotion.

"Which would be what, Cardinal Braxiatel?" asked Vansell warily.

"The conventional way of dealing with a contamination," said Braxiatel simply. "Quarantine."

The Doctor's stance straightened up considerably at that but Rose had no idea what he was talking about, short of either hospitalising her or locking her up.

"An appropriate planet in a universe not unlike this one can easily be used to safely house Miss Tyler until the contamination is no longer permanent," said Braxiatel.

Romana looked very relieved as she nodded at once. "Start the search for an appropriate universe at once, Cardinal Braxiatel. Do you have a planet that you prefer, Miss Tyler?" she asked.

"Earth," answered the Doctor before Rose could.

Romana looked at Braxiatel who nodded immediately and started tapping on the small silver computer tablet in his hand. "Am I to understand that you will be joining her, Doctor?" asked Romana.

"Yes," he said without hesitation.

"No," said Rose at once. When all eyes, including the Doctor's, turned to her in surprise, she blushed but stayed determined. "I am fine with staying on one planet and all but I'm not trapping him too," she said firmly.

"I am not abandoning you in a new universe on your own," said the Doctor, equally defiant. "Travel can wait."

"Actually," interjected Braxiatel. "You will have no problem with time travel. It's only that space travel would have to be restricted to Earth, or at least that solar system."

"Then why can't I just stay on Earth in this universe?" asked Rose, her heart twisting painfully at the thought of it. But she was not going to let the Doctor be confined to one planet. She still remembered his Third self's annoyance at being exiled.

Romana inhaled deeply. "Once you go into the parallel universe, we will be sealing that one solar system off from the rest of the multiverse. It will only be opened once the contamination no longer threatens us all," she explained patiently.

"What about my mum?" asked Rose.

The Doctor squeezed her hand. "You won't be able to see her," he said apologetically. "Not even phone calls. The walls will be sealed off."

Rose felt dizzy as she digested that. "For how long?" she asked finally.

"We cannot be certain how long the contamination will last for," said Braxiatel quietly. "Could be weeks, months, years." He paused and looked at Rose. "Could be centuries."

Rose chuckled humourlessly. "You mean I could die and my mum would have no idea," she said.

There was silence following it and Rose got the confirmation she needed. She looked at the Doctor, who was gazing at her with great sorrow and compassion. Rose felt tears gathering in her eyes as she looked away miserably.

Romana cleared her throat. "If you have a message for her, we could deliver it to Earth," she offered.

Rose looked up at her friend and gave a watery smile. "Thank you, but it's okay," she said. "If the contamination goes away, can I go and see her just weeks after my last visit?"

"Of course," nodded Romana.

Rose nodded back, feeling heartened. If she didn't survive, she would give the message to the Doctor to take back to her mother. She knew it was probably a bit selfish but if there was even a slight chance that the contamination would be cured in her lifetime, she wanted her mum to hold out hope that Rose would return. She wasn't ready to say goodbye to her yet.

"I have found an appropriate parallel world," said Braxiatel, breaking the silence.

Romana nodded and glanced at them. "We will ensure the transfer of your TARDIS into the parallel world, Doctor," she said. "If you would like to board."

The Doctor looked at Rose, who gave a nod. "Thank you," the Doctor said to the court, but it was obvious he was talking to his brother and Romana.

Vansell, who had quiet this whole time, caught Castellan Ortan's eye and nodded towards the exit on the other side of the courtroom. The Doctor and Rose were being escorted back to the Doctor's ship, and the rest of the Time Lords were dispersing back to their own duties.

"That did not go as expected," said Castellan Ortan quietly as he and Vansell walked down the corridor together.

"No, it did not," said Vansell. "There is more to that girl than we have been led to believe. Why else would the Guardians be so interested in an ape?"

"Perhaps," said the Castellan, casting a look around to ensure that no one was listening. "We should finish the task either way."

Vansell nodded quietly. "I suppose, I shall go and see the new Lord Burner. Do you know who it is?"

Castellan looked at Vansell with slight contempt. "Nobody is aware of who the Lord Burner is except the President, and I do not see her agreeing to this."

"No, but I am aware that exceptions can be made to every rule. It's a Prydonian's prerogative, Castellan," said Vansell with a small smile. "Rest easy. The Lord Burner shall take care of the girl."

Rose felt quite numb as she and the Doctor returned to the TARDIS. She could feel the Doctor's concerned gaze on her but she was in no position to reply to it. She sat down in her armchair near the fireplace and watched as the Doctor stood near the console, not quite touching it.

The rotor started moving and the Doctor gritted his teeth as the Time Lords transported them both to a parallel Earth. Behind him, he heard a quiet sob and felt his hearts break just a little. The rotor went still and the Doctor knew that they had arrived. He turned his back on the console and walked towards Rose.

She quickly tried to wipe her tears, hoping he wouldn't notice. The Doctor knelt before her and offered his hand. Rose looked a bit confused but placed her hand in his. His lips quirked lightly in a small smile as he pulled her to her feet.

Wordlessly, Rose followed and watched as the Doctor fiddled with the record player. 'In a Dream' started to play and the Doctor guided her hand on his shoulder and held the other one between his hearts with one of his. His other hand went to her waist and pulled her closer until her head was against his chest.

Gently, he began to move them in time with the music with slow, almost sensual movements. Rose let her eyes fall close as she remembered the two of them dancing like this before they had gone to the UNIT ball. It had only been about a day ago but it seemed like eons had passed between then and now.

She finally felt the events catching up to her and with the Doctor's reassuring hearts beating under her ear, Rose Tyler wept.

A/N End of #7 'Different Beginnings'. Thanks for reading.

So, what did you think? I did mention in the summary of 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' that there would be interfering Time Lords and parallel universes, didn't I? This was always how the arc was going to end.

As I previously said, the Guardians would only influence events and in this case, they would have basically used the Time Lords to do their dirty work. Anyway, the Doctor and Rose have now been shipped off to a parallel world and are restricted to travelling on and around Earth only. But Vansell is sending the Lord Burner after them, which is basically an assassin. Fun times ahead.

I did have a question for you guys though. There are two ways that the rest of the story will go and it all depends on whether or not I write a sequel to this one. So, my question is: Do you want to see a sequel story to 'For Whom the Bell Tolls'?

I am going to put up a poll on my profile to get an idea of numbers and if enough people want it, I am willing to write another story with a further 13 adventures. Be quick in your answers though since I would have to start planning at once.

The next adventure is called 'New Earth' and will have the Doctor and Rose's first adventure in the parallel world. Part 1 will be up soon. See you then!

~ Phoenix