The final chapter for the End of Time rewrite. I will warn you that Ryder cusses in this chapter. I figured that PG-13 films get one "F" word, and it needed to be said. So this is where I'm using it. That's all.

"But you said your people were dead. Past tense." Wilf is lost.

"Inside the Time War. And the whole War was Timelocked. Like, sealed inside a bubble. It's not a bubble but just think of a bubble. Nothing can get in or get out of the Timelock. Don't you see? Nothing can get in or get out, except something that was already there."

"The signal. The drums since he was a kid," I clarify.

"If they can follow the signal, they can escape before they die." I start to tune out what they're saying. I can hear then. The drums. It's not very loud. But if I focus on it I can hear it. I don't know why and I don't want to know. I'm cut from my musings when the Doctor shouts for Wilf and I to get to the lazer pods.

A bit later the Doctor shouts at us. "You lot. . What did I say? Lasers."

"What for?" Asks the cactus.

"Because of the missiles. We've got to fight off an entire planet."

I give her a mad grin. "Fantastic. It's going to be a blast." Great. Now I'm picking up on the puns too. Very James Bond.

we take our places an then Wilf asks, "Hey! How does this thing work?"

She answers, "The tracking is automatic. Just deploy the trigger on the joystick."

"We've got incoming," the other cactus warns.

"Look at this one! Oh, my God!"

"You three, open fire!"

"Oh, my word!"

"Whoa. Whoa!"

"No, no, no, no, no!"

"Open fire! Come on, Wilf!"

As to be expected everyone is freaking out. I let out a whoop and a cheer. It makes it so much more fun to just think of it as an elaborate video game. There's more chatter around me, but between shooting lazers and the drums in my head I don't pay attention. And then we're eaded to the mansion.

"Destination?"

"Fifty kliks and closing. We've locked on to the house. We are going to stop, though. Doctor? We are going to stop?"

"Jane? Jane, you said you were going to die."

"SHe said what?"

"But is that all of us? I won't stop you Doctor, sir. But is this it?"

I roll my eyes. "Shut up Wilf. Not the time!"

The ship basically crashes and the Doctor jumps out with the revolver in hand. He crashes down. And I know what's waiting there.

"Land it!" I order.

"We are not going in there." I'm so not in the mood for this.

"I am not leaving him. He's part of what little family I've got. So land the bloody ship!" Wilf and I run. We run faster than I thought either of us could. Gallifrey hovers ominously over the Earth. And then we push our way into the room with the Master and the Doctor and Rassilon.

"But, I did this. I get the credit. I'm on your side." The Master isn't happy.

Wilf pushes past people clearing a path for us. "Come on, get out of the way. Get out of the way! Doctor?"

I look and my eye catches with the woman. Many believed her to be the Doctor's mother, but it wasn't confirmed as far as I knew. But there he was. And she smiles at me like she knows me. She nods and I nod back. And then the Doctor is shouting. "Wilf, don't. Don't!"

I turn I in time to see Wilf letting the man out of the booth. "I've got you. Come on. Go on." The man runs out and I duck behind a desk before Rassilon notices me.

"But this is fantastic, isn't it? The Time Lords restored."

"You weren't there in the final days of the War. You never saw what was born. But if the Timelock's broken, then everything's coming through. Not just the Daleks, but the Skaro Degradations, the Horde of Travesties, the Nightmare Child, the Could-have-been King with his army of Meanwhiles and Never-weres. The War turned into hell. And that's what you've opened, right above the Earth. Hell is descending."

"My kind of world." I feel sick with the Masters ignorance.

"Just listen! Because even the Time Lords can't survive that."

"We will initiate the Final Sanction. The end of time will come at my hand. The rupture will continue until it rips the Time Vortex apart." I clench my teeth at their lust for power.

"That's suicide." Now the Master begins to see.

"We will ascend to become creatures of consciousness alone. Free of these bodies, free of time, and cause and effect, while creation itself ceases to be."

"You see now? That's what they were planning in the final days of the War. I had to stop them."

"Then, take me with you, Lord President. Let me ascend into glory." Really Master? How naive can you be?

"You are diseased, albeit a disease of our own making. No more." I peek around the desk and see the Doctor stand as he points the revolver the Lord President.

"Choose your enemy well. We are many. The Master is but one."

"But he's the President. Kill him, and Gallifrey could be yours." The Doctor turns and aims at the Master. He is confused on how to handle this.

"He's to blame, not me. Oh, the link is inside my head. Kill me, the link gets broken, they go back. You never would, you coward. Go on then. Do it." He aims at the President again.

"Exactly. It's not just me, it's him. He's the link. Kill him!"

"The final act of your life is murder. But which one of us?" Okay...enough of this.

I stand up and start to walk toward the others. The woman raises her face from her hands and smiles at me as I announce myself. "Well fuck you Rassilon! You know what you are? A pompous arse with a lust for power. You're no better than the Daleks. In fact, I think you're worse. At least they don't hide behind a curtain of righteousness." I'm practically spitting but I don't care.

I know the woman is looking at the Doctor. And I've given him a distraction. Rassilon is lookin at me speechless as the Doctor speaks quietly behind me. "Get out of the way."

A shot rings out as the link in broken. I duck I escape the sparks that are flying. "The link is broken. Back into the Time War, Rassilon. Back into hell." The Doctor is seething and I don't blame him.

"You'll die with me, Doctor."

"Not this time," I smirk with satisfaction. Rassilon aims his gauntlet at the Doctor. The woman covers her face again.

"Get out of the way." I yank the Doctor away as the Master attacks the President. "You did this to me! All of my life! You made me! One! Two! Three! Four!"

There's a flash of light and they're gone. I crouch in front of the Doctor to make sure he's alright and he smiles. "You're alive. I've. There was. Youre still alive."

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

I smile sadly as the look on his face turns to horror. I shut my eyes in acceptance as the Doctor looks toward the sound.

"They gone, then? Yeah, good-o. If you could let me out?"

"Yeah."

"Only, this thing seems to be making a bit of a noise."

"The Master left the Nuclear Bolt running. It's gone into overload." I swallow hard as the Doctor stands.

"And that's bad, is it?"

"No, because all the excess radiation gets vented inside there. Vinvocci glass contains it. All five hundred thousand rads, about to flood that thing." I slowly rise as well.

"Oh. Well, you'd better let me out, then."

"Except it's gone critical. Touch one control and it floods. Even this would set it off." He holds up the sonic screwdriver.

"I'm sorry."

I give a little smile. "It's alright Wilf."

"Look, just leave me."

"Okay, right then, we will. Because you had to go in there, didn't you? You had to go and get stuck, oh yes. Because that's who you are, Wilfred. You were always this. Waiting for her all this time."

Understanding dawns. "No really, just leave me. I'm an old man, Ryder. I've had my time."

I'm about to interject but the Doctor beats me I it. "Well, exactly. Look at you. Not remotely important. But her? She could do so much more. So much more! But this is what we get. My reward. My wife's reward. And it's not fair! Oh. Oh. The universe has known me too long."

As the Doctor rants and throws papers, I calmly walk to the booth and open the door. "No. No, no, please, please don't. No, don't! Please don't! Please!"

The Doctor notices too late. "Ryder! No!"

"It's alright. It's my honor to die for you grandad. Be quick." I shut the door and his side unlocks. He rushes out and then it starts.

The heat is unlike anything I've ever felt. It's the opposite of the voids cold clutches. This is what he'll fire feels like. I refuse to scream. It's bad enough that they have to watch my body contort in pain. I don't want them to hear it as well. I sink to my knees in an effort to ease the burn. I look through the glass and the Doctor is looking at me in shock and fear. I place my hand over his on the glass. I whimper as hot iron pierces me from the inside. But despite this I smile at him. My vision fades from me. And then it's black.

DW DW DW DW DW DW DW DW DW DW

When I wake up I'm in the TARDIS again. Rose is holding my hand. I groan in frustration more than anything. The universe just can't let me sleep in peace can it?

"What happened?"

"The Doctor brought you back to the TARDIS. You've been fading in and out for hours." She struggles to hold back tears. "You're not going to make it."

I squeeze her hand as best I can but I'm too weak. I look around and see that I'm in the med bay. "He's got me hooked up to a lot of machines."

"You'd be dead already if he hadn't. I begged him. I wanted to at least...say goodbye."

I sigh. I start ripping the tubes and cords out of myself. "Jane-"

"Don't Rose. No use in delaying the inevitable. Help me get to the control room."

She slowly nods and helps me walk. It isn't easy. I feel like fire is running through my veins and it's making my legs weak. On the way, Rose stops and puts my hand on her swollen belly. "Rose what...was that a kick?"

She smiles. "Yeah." Her eyes well up with tears. "I wanted you to meet them. You're their aunt."

"I know. Come on."

We make it to the control room and the Doctor is sitting in the jump seat staring at the console. He looks up at us when we enter. "You shouldn't have left the med bay. I bought you a few more hours but you're cheating yourself down to thirty minutes, maybe."

I find the strength to scowl at him. It's really more of grimace of pain but he doesn't need to know that. "I'm fine with the time I've been given. I don't need to buy more. But thank you. It'll be nice to...make a farewell tour if you will. A couple people I need to see. So come on. Take me to see Mickey."

He wants to protest, on what part I don't know but Rose stops him. It's my life despite it's length and he will grant my last request. So when we land I stroll out, refusing their help and asking them to wait. On my way, I grab the mallet, but neither have time to question me about it.

The pain is excruciating but I bite my tongue and get through it anyway. I hit the potato alien in the back of the vent and stand on the ridge as I look down toward Mr. And Mrs. Smith. I can barely stand and Mickey senses that something is wrong so he comes to me.

"Lieutenant."

"Major."

After our greeting, we fall into a hug. "You feel warm."

He would notice that. "I'm dying."

"No. No that's...can the Doctor do nothing."

I shake my head. "Not this time. But don't cry for me you big cowardly lion. Just...take care of what matters yeah?"

Being the soldier he is he salutes me. "Yes sir. Little Red Riding Hood. " Martha hugs me as well and she holds him as I walk away.

I next request to go to New Earth to see the face of Boe a week before he dies. I want to see Jack in that form at least once. I walk out into the dark hall and make my way through the dust to find him. It's getting harder to breath now. My lungs are burning by the time I find him. I stumble over and place my hand on the glass.

His soothing voice speaks in my mind. "Hello Jane Ryder."

"Well if it isn't Jack Harkness. I always thought you were a little big headed."

He chuckles at my joke. "What brings you here?"

"I think you know the answer to that."

"Yes, I think I do. But fear not Drifter in the Dark. You are not alone."

I smile. "That's a secret for another man like yourself. The lonely god."

"And for the avenging angel who is like me just as much if not more. But death is not the end Ryder. It's simply a new chapter. And you will not be alone."

"Wise words coming from a man who believes that Tainted Love could be considered classical music." He chuckles again. I know that I'm glossing over it. But I don't need a heavy visit. Just a goodbye. "Goodbye Captain."

"See you around Lieutenant."

It's difficult to make it back to the TARDIS, but I do it. My last stop is for me. No one else. I was going to request it before, but things changed. I ask to go to the cove. A place where the landscape is the same. My father proposed here. We came camping here when I was little. Except not. It's a universe away but it feels the same. Looks the same. Smells the same.

I stand at the water's edge in the mouth of the cave. Rose and the Doctor stand behind me as I look out at the horizon. I allow the pain to come now. I don't fight it back. It burns even worse than before. My mind feels ablaze as well. How can your thoughts feel like they're on fire?

I turn and look at my companions. The young woman who first gave me direction to go. The old man with the face of my almost lover. But they are different. Just as different as brothers could be. But I love them, these people in front of me. They are real to me now. I'm as close to them as I have been to anyone else. In some ways, closer. I need to say something.

"It's a beautiful day don't ya think?"

Rose laughs bitterly. "Yeah."

"You're strong Jane Ryder. You have a will to live. The radiation should have killed you by now."

"You hooked me up to machines."

"Doesn't matter. You should have been dead before I even had a chance to carry You back."

"Another mystery then. Another impossibility. Then again, I stopped believing in impossible along time ago so...right. Well." The ache in my gut is getting stronger. The burn in my mind is getting hotter.

I look down the beach and I see Ood Sigma. "We will sing to you, Ryder. The universe will sing you to your sleep. This song is ending, but the story never ends."

The four beats pump in my head. But they aren't drums. Not to be. It's the sound of a heartbeat. The heartbeat of a timelord. The burn intensifies and I double over in pain. The Doctor and Rose make a move toward me put I put up my hand to stop them. "Stay back. It's impossible and mad, absolute bonkers really. But I don't think you're quite done with me yet. This song is ending. But the story never ends. So time to turn the page I guess. I started out as an ordinary girl. Then I fell into the void. I lived a life in Pete's World and became Jane Ryder. And I was remade again in this universe. Well, I'm done now."

"What are you talking about?" They are confused and so am I, but the heartbeat is getting louder.

"I don't know either. But seeing as how I don't want to have terrible last words, I'm going to change something."

I straighten up and look then in the eye. The pressure behind my eyes and in my core is building, and I can't hold back any longer. "No regrets. It's time for me to go." I smile and wink. "Catch ya later."

And then the pressure explodes. The burning sensation is intense as it flows through my body. I expel it out and scream as the fire burns my skin. I feel as though my flesh is being stripped away by acid. I throat feels as though I've swallowed boiling water. My eyes burn as if I stared at the sun. And then it stops.

It's as though I've been doused with ice water. And I feel normal again. Or do I? What does normal feel like? I wobble around on my unsteady legs. I look down. Why is the ground so far away? I look around in a daze. Everything looks so bright and colorful. I see two people staring at me. Who..oh right. The Doctor and Rose Tyler. Their my friends. Why are they gaping like fish? "What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost."

I whip around at the sound of the unfamiliar voice. "Who said that?" Realization dawns. "Oh I did!" I slap a hand over my mouth. I blink at their still shocked expressions. I'm about to call them out on it my stomach convulses and I fall to my knees as my lungs heave. Golden like dust drifts away.

"Whoa. That's new." And the world goes black.