Ok... if you have seen part 1 of the season 8 finale... let it be known that I posted this story before the big reveal (trying not to say what it is in case any of my readers haven't seen it yet) and I totally called it! :D :D :D

Nope. Doctor Who is still not mine!

CHAPTER 20

That evening in the TARDIS, the mood was very somber. Everyone dreaded what the morning would bring. It was also very quiet on board. Too quiet. Even though there were still 15 individuals present, the ship felt empty and hollow without the Doctor on board. The companions each dealt with their worry in their own ways.

The Ponds retreated to their bedroom to find comfort in each other.

River blew off steam in the shooting gallery, where Jack found himself volunteering to be a moving target.

Clara proceeded to attempt souffles again, something that she hadn't done in quite awhile. Danny tried to persuade her to stop, but eventually gave up and grabbed a beer before joining Mickey and Shaun on the sofa in the telly room. The latter two were also escaping their significant others (Martha and Donna) who, though they refused to admit it out loud, knew that their TARDIS travels were quickly drawing to a close and were on a packing, cleaning, and organizing tirade.

The five Roses were no where to be seen, and no one was surprised. No one really wanted to see them, either, for while they were all upset over the recent events, today's verdict had had to hit her the hardest. Rose literally had no one else but him. No one knew what to say to her because all words of comfort felt like lies.

They were all in the Doctors' bedroom, laying on their respective Doctor's bed, clutching the pillow tightly, and crying softly. They were aware of the others' presence but refused to acknowledge them. They tried to reach out with their minds to their Doctors, but found that they had put up walls in their minds that were impregnable. This made them worry even more because it proved that the Doctors had given up completely, and didn't want them to know.

Rose 12 began to make plans for if... if he... Well, if the worst were to happen. She'd return everyone else to their proper place and time and then... What? Carry on as if she was now the Doctor? As if her entire reason for existing hadn't just been snuffed out? She couldn't! But she had to. Someone had to look after the TARDIS after all. Someone had to save the universe. But... no. She just couldn't. She couldn't just give up like that! Someone had to have hope! Just because the Doctor was found guilty does not mean that he is going to be executed, right?! Slowly, she looked up and met the eyes of the others, gold flashing in their gazes and knew that she had not been alone in her thoughts. The Oncoming Storm has got nothing on the Big Bad Wolf! She dared anyone to try and steal the Doctor away from her!

The Doctors, understandably, were also having a rough night. They wanted nothing more than to just run away and never look back, just as they had done their entire lives. But they couldn't. They had no TARDIS, no sonic, not even a psychic paper. They were stuck. Finally, the Doctor was forced to stop running.

"2000 years, fourteen bodies. Not a bad run if you think about it." Twelve spoke into the darkness of their cell. The others ignored him, all having lived short of those two milestones themselves. Twelve retreated into the recesses of his mind, as he was sure that the others had as well. He thought about his life: about the many people he had failed to save, and the lives he had ruined. He thought of the original time line when he had indeed destroyed Gallifrey, and the screams that resonated through his head. He thought of his last encounter with Davros and how it was revealed that he had taken ordinary, good people, and turned them into killers like himself. He thought of the companions currently on the TARDIS and how much better off that they would have been had they never met him and how if they were in their right minds, they should hate him. He thought of Rose.

But try as he might, not even in the throes of this his darkest depression could he convince himself that Rose could ever hate him. She remained, even now, the only bright light in his darkness, and it refused to go out. Somehow, she represented hope to him when there was no reason to hope. He found his mind reaching out to hers against his will, desperate to cling onto whatever hope that she may be able to offer. Her mind clung back, tightly, neither of them willing or able to let go. If they were going down tomorrow, they were going down together, and not without a fight!

Twelve dared to open his eyes and look at his former selves. Their eyes reflected back at him the same determination that he was sure was in his own eyes. They would not give up! They would not back down! They would not lose hope - for her!

When morning came, no one on board the TARDIS dared speak. It was as if they were collectively holding their breath in anticipation of the day's sentencing hearing. They very wisely avoided the incarnations of Rose whose facial expressions carried a matching steel resolve that terrified even Mickey who had known her the longest. Fear, worry, anger, determination: these were all emotions that they had expected. No one could have believed that Rose was even capable of the icy, emotionless stare that each Rose now wore. Even these, her closest friends, gave the Roses a very wide berth.

Rassilon was brought into the court room first. He seemed cool, confident, and happy as a clown. The companions glared at him. "He thinks he's going to get out of this!" Amy hissed between her teeth.

"Maybe he will." Martha replied in a whisper. "He was Lord President of Gallifrey for generations and he has a lot of support." But each companion knew that if they were asked, they honestly didn't care what happened to him. There was only one, err, five men on trial that they were concerned about.

When the Doctors arrived in the court room, the companions were terrified to see that they each wore the exact same emotionless expression that the Roses wore. To those who did not know the couple well, they might think that they were just bored or uninterested. But the companions were ready to bolt in terror.

All rose as the judge entered the room and were seated when he was seated. He didn't waste any time, and asked for the defendants to stand. Rassilon was the first to receive his sentence. "Rassilon, the crimes which you have committed are ghastly indeed, and by rights, you should be killed. But you have served Gallifrey and this council well in the past, so therefore, I am recommending a lesser sentence. I hereby sentence you to 1000 years in a maximum security prison, during which time, you will be required to regenerate no fewer than ten times so that you learn what it is like to be mortal and feel that time is not on your side!" Chaos erupted around the room. For a time lord who had been as powerful and respected as Rassilon, this was a fate worse than death. The judge had to bang his gavel several times in order to restore order.

The companions held their breath as the judge once again began to speak. "Doctor. Your crimes are also heinous. However, as your companions have been quick to point out, there are countless other situations where you have prevented other even more heinous crimes from occurring. Therefore, Doctor, I find that we in the Shadow Proclamation are in fact greatly in your debt. Therefore, I hereby sentence you to 1000 years exile from your home planet. Furthermore, since your eldest self has already spent more than that amount of time away from Gallifrey, I hereby declare those years as time served. You are free to go!"

The companions lost all sense of decorum and simply cheered at the top of their lungs, some of them (aka Jack) even started dancing in the aisles and kissing everyone! Slowly, the Doctors turned around and faced their Roses who had seated themselves directly behind them. As their eyes met, the iciness in their gazes melted away and they simultaneously collapsed into each other's arms, the Roses clinging onto their Doctor's shoulders and sobbing with relief as the Doctor buried their faces into Rose's hair. The backs of the Doctors' seats were the only thing separating then. Not even Twelve could let go.

The judge gave up trying to restore the room to order and simply declared the court to be dismissed. Rassilon was escorted out of the room, and no one even noticed. They also didn't notice that Missy and the four faces of the Master were cuffed and escorted out of the room by guards.

The Doctors, Roses, and their companions practically danced back to the TARDIS!