Chapter 14
John stepped back in surprise. Then he shook his head and hurried to lower the shields. He knew the voice, of course. But something had changed in it since it had been in his head. A note of...despair? Sadness? Whatever it was, he didn't have time to think about it, for at the moment he flipped the switch, the Doctor began to materialize. At first, all John could see was a shapeless dark mass floating in midair. Then it began to take on a shape. Legs and arms became visible, color increased, and in a few seconds the Doctor was standing in the TARDIS again. He stumbled back as he came into full view, as if dizzy. But he caught himself immediately and staggered up to the console, breathing heavily, like he'd just run a long race. John stepped back. The Doctor silently tapped three buttons in quick succession and a small square slid down on the console to reveal a small hatch. The Doctor reached over and pulled on the handle. It didn't budge. He tugged again, but it still refused to open. The Doctor sighed.
"Please trust me. Just one last time, old girl. Can you think of another way?"
John felt the TARDIS shudder under his feet, and the hatch popped open. Yellow light flooded out. The Doctor took a deep breath and peered in.
As he looked into the TARDIS's heart, the Doctor opened his mind to the time stream. It flew through his whole being, consuming him, bringing back memories that he had buried or forgotten long ago. Every person he had met from over the years flashed before his eyes, making him want to laugh, cry, and scream in frustration all at the same time. All his faces, faces he had grown to like and enjoy. And every one of his victories. And defeats. Old loves and hates, everything he had ever been.
The Doctor. It kept echoing through his head. Doctor...Doctor...Doctor...Do...Do. And very slowly, little by little, it changed. And for the first time in a thousand years, he was hearing his name. His real name. His greatest secret. The name that could bring down Silence, that could change the course of time, that could start a war, the most powerful name in the universe. Suddenly, he could hear the music. Sad, mourning music. He looked up, and saw the Ood. It gazed at him with its expressionless face and tilted its head. Its ball, held in its hand, lit up as it spoke. "The universe will sing you to sleep, Doctor. One last time."
The music swelled as the Doctor grimaced in pain. He fell to the floor on his hands and knees.
He lifted his head to look at the Ood. "You told me once, you said my story would never end. Why did you lie to me?" He asked, confusion swelling inside him through the pain.
The Ood's head tilted again, and its soothing voice responded. "The Story has not ended. The Second Chapter is merely beginning. Sleep in peace, Doctor. Savior of the Universe."
Then he understood. And the memories rushed to the front of his mind. The birth, the hurried run to Earth, it all happened in preparation for this moment. His final moment. The Doctor closed his eyes and stood, leaning his head back as he felt the beginnings of the attempted regeneration. But it would do no good. He would not let go of the Time Stream. He couldn't.
As he felt the last fluttering of his hearts, he smiled. He didn't want this for his son, of course. But if this was what it took to keep the universe safe and alive, then so be it. The magnificent chords of the universe climaxed as the energy exploded from his entire body. "I love you." He thought. "Remember that." And then he died.
John watched as the brilliant light surrounded the Doctor. He heard the deep voice saying "The universe will sing you to sleep, Doctor. One last time." But he could see no one. The Doctor fell to the floor. He said something John didn't catch, and the voice answered. "The Story has not ended. The Second Chapter is merely beginning. Sleep in peace, Doctor." The Doctor stood, and suddenly, John felt memories, not his own, flooding through his head. He stepped back, on the verge of panic. He saw the face of a woman with beautiful features. Dark eyes, high cheekbones, and smooth, fair skin. John could tell from some her face, and from the sense of familiarity, that he was seeing his mother. He saw the inside of a room, the walls and ceiling white, wires and tubes everywhere, his mother on the bed, her face strained in the birth pains. He saw the same room, with his mother, looking pale and sick, holding a baby. Holding him. For the first time. And the last. A man stood beside her. John suddenly and without a doubt knew that he was looking at the Doctor, more than two thousand years ago. His face was different, but he was the same man. He had the same look in his eyes. A dark, sad, power. And then he saw a dark street corner on Earth, with the Doctor gazing down on his son's sleeping face. A tear dropped from his eye as he turned and entered the TARDIS.
All this passed through his head within seconds, and John blinked as he returned to himself. A tear formed in his eye. He shook his head and realized the Doctor was standing again. His head lifted, his arms spread, and a new light suddenly burst from him. As John watched, the Doctor's voice filled his head. "I love you. Remember that." Then the light died and the Doctor was gone. He had dissapeared. John knew, somehow, that he was never coming back.
As he attempted to recover from his surprise, John suddenly felt his heart falter and an immense pain in his chest. He screamed and fell to the ground. His heart felt like it was being split in two. His head exploded with memories and knowledge that John knew, even through his pain, were the Doctor's.
John writhed on the floor for what seemed like a lifetime. But after a long while, he realized that the pain was lessening. After another minute, it was nearly gone. He sat up, shaking and sweating, and put a hand to his head. The new memories flooding him were confusing and disorienting. He looked up and started with surprise. Another alien was standing in front of him. Its face was covered in tentacles, its eyes impassive. It held a white ball in its hand. As it spoke, the ball lit up with a white light. "Welcome, Doctor. You are the Second Chapter. Do not abuse the privilege. May you bring peace and joy to all." John recognized the same deep voice that he had heard speaking to the Doctor. As it finished speaking, it faded and disappeared. John stood and, after his legs stopped wobbling, he made his way back up to the console. The Ood, at least, that was what the new memories called it, had told him he was the Doctor. But what did that mean? John shrugged the thought off as he began to pilot the TARDIS back to Earth.
Martha felt the man beside her drop to the ground, a hole burned in his chest. They had lost scores of men and women to the attack had been going on for five minutes now, never relenting. UNIT had called in its third squad to reinforce the entrance, leaving only one third of the army to manage the machines. But it wasn't enough. The aliens were gaining little by little. Everything now depended on the Doctor.
Martha lifted her head above her cover long enough to aim her weapon and drop a Silurian, then ducked back. Not a second later, a bolt whizzed by where her head had just been. 'Come on, Doctor!' She thought.
As she prepared for another shot, she felt a change. Like something had shifted. Suddenly, the shooting stopped. She peeked up to see the aliens flying out through the door. But they weren't running. They were being sucked. Martha was astounded. She didn't feel anything, but panic was written on the face of every alien. Martha stood and raced to the door as the last Cyberman was sucked out. The three voids were shrinking. Martha watched with her mouth open wide as the Cyberman flew into the center void, and the voids disappeared entirely. An amazed cheer went up from the remaining UNIT troops. "Thank you, Doctor." She whispered. Then she laughed. Why was she ever surprised? He never lost. Did he?
John parked the TARDIS in UNIT's clearing. He sighed and turned to go. As he did, he remembered Sarah. He couldn't believe he had nearly forgotten her! He stepped down toward her. She was still alive, but he knew she couldn't stay long. As he knelt by her, a woman's voice filled his head. "Let me give her one last gift." The TARDIS said. A white light glowed around Sarah's body, and she disappeared. The TARDIS spoke again. "She's in a chamber deep in my heart. Time will not harm her." And her presence faded.
John stood and opened the TARDIS door. Almost instantly, he was hit by Martha. "John! You're all right!" She shouted as she hugged him. After a moment of surprise, he returned the hug. As they separated, Martha looked over his shoulder. "Where's the Doctor?" She asked.
John shook his head. "I'll explain that to you when I explain everything else."
Martha frowned. She shut the door behind her. "Can you explain now?" She asked.
John sighed. The look in Martha's face let him know he had no choice. He nodded.
On more chapter and then it's over! I have a few sequels if you guys want them, and I'd love for some Beta Reader help if you're interested!