Chapter 7: Dalek

It took about an hour for the rest of the group to emerge and have breakfast. Ten and Rose chatted quietly in a corner. Mickey and Martha were exchanging stories with a little bit of flirting in between. Jack was entertaining Sarah Jane, Donna and Nine with more stories about his exploits. Everyone was in a good mood as they all sat down in the same seat as the day before. Rose tucked into Nine's side but reached out to hold Ten's hand as well. Having spent time with him she had grown fond of that version of the Doctor. He had explained that she would now never meet him in her timeline. Although he was pretty sure that if Nine regenerated he would still get this body as it had been imagined with Rose in mind but his personality currently was based on losing Rose as well as loving her. However, she knew that parts of his personality, the big mouth and the bouncier nature would still be there.

Jack picked up the remote and started the next episode.

The Tardis materialises in dimly lit area with carpeting and display cases.

"Oh joy." Nine groaned.

"What?" Mickey asked, worried.

"This is where we came from." He pointed to himself and Rose. "We got beamed here part way through this delightful adventure." He put as much sarcasm as possible into the word delightful. He was very much not looking forward to reliving it.

"So everything after this will be the future for you but still the past for all of us." Jack grinned. Rose nodded.

"Although some of us will still have no clue what is going on even if it's in the past." Donna grumbled. She hated not knowing.

Rose asks what's wrong and the Doctor says he doesn't know. Some kind of distress signal drew the TARDIS off course. She asks where they are and he tells her they are in Utah, North America about half a mile underground. She then asks when they are and he answers 2012. He looks at a display case while Rose works out she should be 26 in linear time. The Doctor finds the light switch, and things become more clear. Rose comments it's a museum and the Doctor corrects her stating it's an alien museum.

"An alien museum? Who puts a museum half a mile underground?" Donna asks in surprise.

"Someone who doesn't want it found." Answers Jack darkly.

The Doctor strolls between displays, pointing out what some of them are. Rose spots a Slitheen arm that's been stuffed. The Doctor then spots a Cyberman head and comments he is getting old.

"Getting? You're well over 'old' mate." Donna laughs.

"She has a point." Mickey sniggers.

"Oi!" Ten protests. "900 is not old."

"You're right. It's ancient." Rose laughs.

"Bit late to be complaining about the age gap." Nine snickers to Rose who grins at him.

"True."

Rose asks if that is where the signal is coming from but the Doctor states it's dead and the signal is alive. He touches one of the display cases and an alarm goes off. Armed guards rush in from all sides, blocking the way to the TARDIS. Rose comments quietly that if someone is collecting aliens he has just become exhibit A.

"Well that was quick getting into trouble, even for you two." Martha laughs.

"The trouble is barely beginning." Nine scowls ferociously at the floor.

A tannoy announces that Bad Wolf One is descending. A helicopter lands and four armed guards line the corridor as a man stride out of a doorway. One man is saying he wishes the lead man a happy birthday and the President called to convey his best wishes.

"Wow, his birthday? Well, it's certainly one he will never forget." Rose notes in disdain.

The man says the President is ten points down and he want him replaced. The man starts to argue saying he doesn't think that's wise so the man fires him. An armed guard drags the man away and Van Statten tells them to wipe his memory and dump him on a roadside somewhere.

"That horrible." Martha exclaims in horror.

"How does he get away with that?" Mickey asks.

"Because he is rich and he wipes people's memories." Nine shrugs, scowl still firmly in place.

A woman runs up to take Polkowski's place. He asks whether she thinks Republican or Democrat for the next President and she answers Democrat. He asks why and she states they are funny. Van Statten stops and asks her name. She tells him it's Diana Goddard. He tells her he likes her then asks where the English kid is.

"Bloody kid." Nine groans.

"Not his biggest fan are you?" Rose looks amused.

"He left you to be killed." He growled under his breath so nobody but Rose and Ten could hear him. "Not to mention he is a pretty boy."

"So are you in future." Rose grins and gestures at Ten who winks at her.

"I blame you for that. Turning me into a bloody pretty boy."

Adam runs up and says he bought ten new artifacts at auction. Van Statten asks to see them and Goddard interrupts to say they have arrested two intruders fifty-three floors down with no idea how they got in. Van Statten makes a joke and then tells everyone that it was funny and they laugh obediently.

"No. It really wasn't funny." Donna rolls her eyes.

Van Statten tells her to bring them to him and to tell Simmons he wants to visit his little pet. Van Statten goes through a doorway. Goddard steps aside to use her headset. She asks Simmons if it is talking. Something with blue vision is watching a man wearing a protective suit wielding a chainsaw on itself. Simmons says it's not talking but screaming.

"They are torturing it." Martha cries.

"It deserves it." Nine spat. Everyone turns to look at him except Ten.

"You don't mean that. Nothing deserves to be tortured like that." Rose tells him softly. He doesn't reply, just maintains his stiff posture.

Adam is showing his boss the latest purchases, saying he paid eight hundred thousand dollars for one as the Doctor, Rose and Goddard enter. Adam says he thinks the tubes on the sides are to channel fuel and the Doctor says he wouldn't hold it like that. Goddard tells him to shut it and he just says it's wrong.

"Pretty boy might catalogue all these things but he doesn't have a clue." Nine shakes his head.

"Well, not all of us have you around to explain alien technology, spaceman." Donna points out. He hums slightly in agreement.

Adam asks if it's dangerous and the Doctor tells him it just looks silly. The Doctor reaches for the item, and firing bolts click all around him. Van Statton hands him the curved, palm sized object.

"Touchy aren't they?" Donna snorts.

"Well technically they are prisoners." Mickey points out.

The Doctor strokes the artefact and it makes a note saying they just need to be delicate. He plays several different notes. Van Statten notes it's a musical instrument and the Doctor says it's a long way from home. Van Statten grabs it and his harsh touch produces some less nice notes.

Most people wince at the noises it makes. "Not a fan of being delicate then?" Sarah Jane says sarcastically.

"He doesn't seem the type." Jack laughs.

The Doctor points out he did say delicate. Van Statten finally gets the hang of it. He then casually tosses it to the side asking who they are. The Doctor introduces himself, asking who Van Statten is. Van Statten doesn't believe they don't know who he is and comments on Rose.

"Cat burglar?" Mickey laughs. "Rose couldn't steal a slice of pizza without being noticed."

Rose says she's going to smack him if he keeps calling her she.

"You tell him." Sarah Jane laughs.

Van Statten exclaims she's english and says he's got Adam a girlfriend. Adam tells them he is Henry Van Statten. When Rose asks who that is, Adam tells them he owns the internet. The Doctor states Van Statten in an expert in everything except alien technology which he just locks up. Van Statten asks if he claims greater knowledge.

"Given that he clearly has no knowledge that wouldn't be hard." Scoffs Jack.

The Doctor says he doesn't need to make claims as he knows how good he is with a smirk.

Of course you do." Rose laughs. "I love your modesty."

"Why be modest? I'm fantastic, me." He grins.

"Of course you are." She rolls her eyes.

Van Statten asks what they were doing down near the cage. He claims the cage has his one living specimen. The Doctor asks what it is and then wants to see it. Van Statten tells Goddard to inform the cage they are going down. He then tells Adam to watch Rose, telling them to go and canoodle or spoon.

"You didn't did you?" Nine asks, eyebrows raised. Rose considered teasing him but the tightness of his jaw made her think it wouldn't be a good idea.

"There was some flirting nothing else. I was put off when he fancied himself a genius. Can't put up with two egotistical men." She grinned. "You're more than enough."

"You bet I am."

Van Statten is telling the Doctor they've tried everything but the creature has shielded itself despite signs of life inside. The Doctor asks inside what as Simmons arrives saying he had to take the power down as the metaltron is resting.

"Metaltron? That's the best he could come up with?" Jack snorts.

"Very creative." Mickey rolls his eyes.

Van Statten says he thought of it himself.

"Of course he did." Scoffs Donna.

Simmons offers the Doctor some gauntlets, saying the last guy to touch it burst into flames. The Doctor simply says he won't touch it then. The Doctor steps through the heavy door. Van Statten and Goddard go to a desk with monitors on as he tells them not to open the door until they get a result. It is dark inside. The door clangs shut and locks. The Doctor apologises and says he has come to help before introducing himself. White light blinks either side of the blue glow at is repeats Doctor.

"Oh my god!" Sarah Jane cries, putting her hands over her mouth in horror.

"How did they get one?" Martha asks.

"It fell to Earth through time." Ten told them.

The Doctor states it's impossible. The lights then come on the reveal a Dalek. It calls to exterminate. The Doctor hammers on the door in panic calling at them to let him out. Goddard points out it is going to kill him but Van Statten is more interested in the fact that it is talking.

"I can't believe that is his biggest priority right now." Rose scowls. "It could have killed you. They had no idea if it was dangerous or not."

The Dalek's gun arm twitches but nothing happens. The Doctor realises it's not working and laughs, pronouncing it fantastic. It tells him to keep back but he stands inches away looking into the eyepiece. He asks it what it is going to do because if it can't kill what is it good for. The Doctor asks what it is doing here and it responds that it is waiting for orders. He asks what that means and it explains it is a soldier and was bred to receive orders.

"They exist to do nothing but kill." Nine scowls. If only Van Statten had let him kill it. None of those deaths would have happened.

The Doctor tells it that it will never receive any. The Dalek demands orders and the Doctor states that its race is dead, that he made it happen. He is full of manic energy until it asks if he destroyed them and suddenly his face becomes grave as he admits he had no choice. It then asks about the Time Lords and he confesses they are dead too, everyone lost the war. It states the coward survived and he mocks it, saying he caught the signal.

"Doctor, you should just get out of there." Sarah Jane says softly, forgetting he can't do anything about it now.

The Dalek states they are the same because they are both alone in the universe. He denies it and then says maybe they are the same because he knows what should happen. He claims it deserves to be exterminated and he pulls a lever on a nearby console. The Dalek is lit up with electricity and it calls to him to have pity.

"Doctor, you're not the same as it. You don't kill defenceless creatures." Martha looks stricken.

"It deserved to die. Van Statten only tortured it anyway." Nine says cuttingly. "Besides, it didn't stay defenceless for too long. If he had let me kill it so many deaths could have been prevented." His voice died down to a whisper.

Van Statten orders his men to get the Doctor out of the cage. Guards grab him as he goes to ramp up the voltage. Van Statten goes to try and get it to talk while Simmons turns off the electricity. The Doctor calls desperately that they need to destroy it as he is dragged out of the room. Van Statten tells Simmons to make it talk again anyway he can.

"Hasn't he worked out torture doesn't work?" Mickey rolls his eyes in exasperation.

"For a genius he really is stupid." Donna states.

Screen cuts to Adam and Rose. Adam apologises for the mess saying Van Statten lets him do his own thing as long as he delivers the goods. He hands Rose a piece of metal asking her what she thinks it is.

"It's metal." Ten rolls his eyes.

"And you call me the idiot." Mickey grins.

"You'll always be Mickey the idiot." Ten laughs.

Rose guesses it's a piece of metal and Adam agrees but claims it is part of the hull of a spacecraft. He tells her aliens do exist and Rose pretends to sound enthused. He keeps going, saying he thinks the universe is teeming with life. Rose says she is gobsmacked looking utterly unamazed.

"You looked so thrilled Rosie." Jack sniggers.

"Well it's not like I didn't already know the truth." Rose shrugs. "He can sit around and claim he thinks aliens exist, the Doctor can show me real aliens. Not too impressive after that really."

"I am very impressive." Nine grins.

She then asks if he just sits and catalogues it. He agrees, saying it's the best job in the world. Rose comments on travelling and seeing the stars for real he says he could give anything.

"You're not going to make me bring him are you?" Nine grumbles.

"Dunno, it's not happened yet." Rose grins. "But when we go back I have no intention of inviting anyone to come with us. I like it just you and me, yeah?" He grins widely.

"Yeah." He agrees.

Rose asks about people who've claimed to be inside spaceships but Adam says he thinks they are nutters.

"Really? He sits around cataloguing alien things and he thinks it's impossible for someone to have been in a spaceship?" Jack snorts.

Rose asks how he ended up there and he says Van Statten has agents all over the world looking for geniuses. She scoffs saying he is a genius. Adam says he was born clever citing that when he was eight he logged onto the US defence system and nearly caused World War Three.

"He says that like it's a good thing." Martha frowns.

"He's so full of himself. Just like someone else I know. Doesn't pull it off as well though." Sarah Jane smirks over at Ten.

"I have good reason to be full of myself." Ten claims.

Rose asks if he thinks that is funny and he claims she should have been there to see them running about, calling it fantastic. Rose says he sounds like the Doctor.

"Oi!" Nine protests. He certainly did not appreciate being compared to Adam.

Adam asks if the two of them are together and Rose denies it.

"Can't say that anymore." Rose grins happily.

"You'd better not. Don't like sharing, me." Nine tells her sternly.

Adam says this is good and Rose asks why.

"You really had to ask him that?" Jack laughs. "He is blatantly into you."

He claims it just is and Rose changes topic, asking if he would rather be downstairs. Adam says Van Statten keeps it to himself and then says if you're a genius it doesn't take long to patch through the comm. System. Rose tells him to do it. He describes it as a pepper pot and they watch as Simmons takes a big drill to the casing. Rose is upset it's being tortured, asking where the Doctor is. When Adam says he doesn't know she demands he take her down there.

"Ah, Rose." Nine groans softly.

"I'm sorry." He mumbles.

"It's ok. You didn't know, you only wanted to help." Ten assures her quietly. "Your compassion knows no bounds and I...we need that. We need you to be there when we go too far."

The screen cuts to a lift where the Doctor is explaining the metal is battle armour and that the real Dalek is inside. Van Statten asks what it looks like the the Doctor replies a nightmare. He tells them the Dalek race was genetically engineered with every single emotion except hate removed. Van Statten asks who made them and the Doctor replies a genius. A man who was king of his own little world and he then says Van Statten would like him.

"Why would anyone make something with no other purpose than to kill?" Martha asks.

"Control, power, a few different reasons." Jack replies.

Goddard tells him it has been on Earth for over fifty years and asks why it would be a threat now. The Doctor tells her it's because it knows he is here. Then he asks how it got to Earth. She tells him records say it came from the sky, falling to Earth and burning for three days. The Doctor says it must have fallen through time and Goddard asks about the way. He says it was a battle between his people and the Dalek race.

"Oh, bad move." Jack winces.

"Now he definitely knows you are an alien." Donna groans.

Van Statten says that he survived to and the Doctor says not by choice.

Everyone sucks in a sharp breath at that comment. Rose looks up at Nine who refuses to meet her eyes.

"Doctor?" She then looks over at Ten who gives her a sad smile.

"My entire race died, Rose. I didn't want to be left on my own. I lost my family, best friends, my home planet, everything. You kept me alive. Gave me a reason to keep going." She sat up and pulled him into a tight hug. He tucked his head down by her neck and breathed deeply. "As a telepathic race I always had someone in my head even if they weren't with my physically. It was the first time in nine hundred years that I had been completely and utterly alone." He explained. She simply tightened her grip on him before pulling back to look at his face. Misery was etched there but his eyes shone with a brightness aimed only for her.

"It's always better with two." She grinned. The corner of his mouth quirked upward in a half smile as he nodded in agreement. Rose sat back and nestled into Nine's side but not releasing her grip on Ten's hand. Sarah Jane reached up to ruffle his hair, making him pout playfully while Rose turned to Nine.

"So last night was the first time you've had someone in your head since the war?" She asked quietly. He nodded.

"You have no idea how good it felt." He whispered. "No idea what you've done for me." She kissed him softly.

"I'm glad." They turned back to watch the film.

Van Statten has worked out that the Doctor is an alien. The last one of his kind. Screen cuts to the Doctor, stripped and chained while Van Statten tells him to smile and a painful laser runs down the Doctor's body making him cry out.

"Doctor!" Rose and Sarah Jane cry out together.

"I'm so sorry. I was too busy freeing the stupid Dalek while he was...while he was doing that to you." Rose looked horrified.

"Well, you freeing the Dalek is the reason he let me go." Nine shrugs a little helplessly. "If you had been with me and kicked up a fuss he would have tried to wipe your memory like he did to his assistant earlier."

Van Statten is delighted that the Doctor has two hearts and a binary vascular system that he can patent. The Doctor realises that he scavenges alien technology, not just collect it. Van Statten explains all the advances he has made from the technology.

"Why cure people when you can make money killing them?" Martha scowls at the screen.

"Some things never change." Mickey rolls his eyes. "It always comes down to money."

The Doctor tells Van Statten that the Dalek is better than he is because it is honest and Van Statten simply says he will remain true to himself and continue examining the Doctor. The Doctor tries to tell him that the Dalek will kill everyone but Van Statten dismisses the idea. He scans the Doctor again.

"I swear I'm gonna slap him when we get back." Rose says through gritted teeth.

"I hope you slap like your mother." Donna laughs.

"Don't worry, she does." Mickey grins.

The Doctor tells him that now the Dalek knows he is here it will find a way to get out and that nobody is safe. Van Statten just scans him again. Screen cuts to outside the cage where Adam uses his clearance to get himself and Rose in to see the Dalek. He warns her not to get too close as the door closes behind them.

"You didn't get the same warning about the last guy who touched it bursting into flames." Sarah Jane notes.

"That would probably have saved a lot trouble." Rose sighs.

Rose asks if it is pain and tells it she has a friend who can help. She then asks it its name and it replies yes. Rose is momentarily confused but it clarifies it is in pain. It asks if she fears it and Rose replies she doesn't. It tells her it is dying. She offers to help but it welcomes death, saying it is glad that it met a human who was not afraid.

"That makes no sense." Nine frowns. "Daleks aren't glad about anything and this is before you touched it."

"Well, it is dying, we feel weird things when we feel like we are about to die." Rose reasons.

"No, you don't understand. Daleks can't feel anything. There emotions were taken away when they were engineered. Hate is the only emotion it should be capable of." Ten explains. Both Doctors look confused but everyone else turns back to the screen.

Rose asks if there is anything they can do and it just says that its face is dead and it shall die alone. She reaches for the head. Adam cries out for her not to but it's too late. A brief touch leaves a golden handprint which quickly fades. The Dalek becomes more animated.

"How did Rose just touching it do that?" Mickey asks.

"She has travelled through time and space. That leaves traces on you. It absorbed her DNA but it is the time vortex material that allows it to use the genetic material to mend itself. Any old normal human DNA wouldn't work which it why the last person to touch it burned." Ten tried to explain in a way they could grasp.

The Dalek breaks its chains. Simmons enters. He asks what they hell they have done and goes over to the Dalek, carrying his drill. It raises its plunger and Simmons scoffs, asking if it's going to sucker him to death. It does.

"That's different." Sarah Jane winces.

Outside the cage Rose is yelling that the Dalek is killing Simmons. One of the guards calls a condition red. Back with the Doctor they heard the alarms and the Doctor tells Van Statten to let him go if he wants to live. They go to an office and the scene in the Cage is on a large wall TV. The Doctor tells them they need to keep it in the cell and Rose on the screen tells him it's her fault.

"Na. You only wanted to help but let's keep the touching alien things you don't know about to a minimum shall we?" Nine tries for light humour but it comes out very flat.

"No wandering off and no touching things. Got it." Rose grins slightly.

The guard on the screen tell him he has sealed the compartment and the lock has a billion combinations. The Doctor isn't impressed, telling the guard that the Dalek is a genius and could work out a thousand billion combinations in a second flat.

"Bit inconvenient when the enemy is smart too." Jack sighs.

The Dalek uses its sucker to break out of the cage. Van Statten tells the guards not to shoot it as he wants it unharmed. The Doctor tells Rose to get out of there. The main guard tells De Maggio to get Rose and Adam out alive. The three of the depart.

"I didn't realise it could move so quickly. We had a massive head start and it still caught up with us." Rose breathed.

The Dalek glides up to the wall monitor and smashes it, absorbing the electricity. It's battered armour starts to mend, turning from brown to golden. The guard tells Van Statten they are abandoning the cage. Goddard states they are losing power and then that the Dalek is draining the power supplies for the whole of Utah.

"That's a hell of a lot of power." Jack raises an eyebrow.

"It doesn't stop there." Nine scowls.

The Doctor tells them it's downloading and then the entire West Coast loses power. Van Statten asks what it's downloading and the Doctor informs them that it has absorbed the entire internet. It knows everything. The Dalek states that the Daleks survive in it and then blasts the screen. The Doctor notes they only have emergency power and that they need to kill it. Goddard orders all guard to the cage.

"They won't be able to stop it with regular guns." Sarah Jane winces.

"Why not?" MIckey asks.

"Now that is has fixed itself, it has a forcefield around it that melts the bullets before they even get close." Ten sighs sadly. Sarah Jane makes to ruffle his hair again as a distraction and he dodges out of the way complaining about violent women. Sarah Jane and Rose exchange grins.

Rose, Adam, and De Maggio, run through the incoming phalanx of guards. The Dalek arrives and kills the first guard. The guards open fire, but the Dalek just absorbs the bullets. It kills another man. More guards come up behind it, so it swivels its eyepiece around then its middle section turns to open fire on them. Back and forward it alternates, killing someone each time. In the office, Van Statten is whining that the guards are dispensable but he doesn't want a single scratch on the Dalek.

"How can he even say that?" Martha gasps.

"I really can't believe that is his biggest priority right now." Jack scoffs, eyebrows almost hidden in his hairline.

"He can't make money off it if he is dead too." Mickey frowns.

The gunfire stops, but only because there is no one left to shoot. Goddard calls up a schematic of the base. The Doctor asks if they have any alien weapons and she says they do but the Dalek is between them and the weapons.

"What a great design." Jack scowls. "Keep all the weapons in one place."

"They wouldn't know how to work them anyway." Nine shrugs. "No point keeping them close if you can't use them."

Van Statten says they need to keep it alive and asks if they could trap it by sealing the vault. The Doctor says he won't let that happen while people will be trapped with it. He points out an area it will need to go through and asks what it is. Goddard tells him it's weapons testing and he tells her to give guns to absolutely everyone.

"At least Goddard is being somewhat useful." Rose points out. Both Doctors have pained expressions.

"Can't be any less useful than Van Statten." Martha scoffs.

Screen cuts to Rose, Adam and De Maggio. The reach the stairs and run up the first flight, pausing to look down at the Dalek. De Maggio tries to negotiate with it and tells it to surrender but it simply starts to elevate up the stairs. De Maggio tells Adam to get Rose out of there. Rose tells her to go with them but she says that someone needs to try and stop it. They both run and she turns to shoot it. She quickly dies.

Rose flinched. So many people gave their lives trying to stop that thing. It was only working because of her. Her Doctor had tried to reassure her it wasn't her fault but it was. She had made a mistake and this was the consequence. It was even more of a damning lesson than Downing Street had been. The Doctor had told her mom that his life wasn't so great, that it was about making those choices that could end up getting people killed. But his choices saved people too, hers had just been a silly mistake and their blood was on her hands. Nine tightened his arm around her as if guessing what she was thinking.

In the office Van Statten asks the Doctor what Dalek wants. The Doctor asks him what the nearest town is and he replies Salt Lake City. He then asks what the population is and Van Statten tells him a million. The Doctor states they are all dead if the Dalek gets out. When asked why it would do that, he tells him that it honestly thinks humans should die because they are different. He explains about the forcefield and it's weak spot. The commander in the loading bay states he can fight a tin robot without the Doctor's help.

"You think wrong." Rose snaps. "God all of them are...were egotistical morons."

"The ego is just a male thing." Sarah Jane grins. Both Doctor's broke their glaring match with the screen to pout over at her.

"Oi!" They both cried.

His men take cover behind various corners, packing cases, boxes and up on a catwalk with him. Rose and Adam run into view. The commander tells the guards to hold their fire and for the duo to get out of there. They run past a guard at the entrance. The Dalek arrives and zooms in on Rose's face.

"What's it doing?" Mickey asks in concern.

"Her DNA is mutating it. It recognises her." Nine tells him grimly.

Rose comments to Adam that it was looking at her. Adam states it wants to slaughter them but she notes that it was like there is something inside the metal that knows her.

"Well noticed. Very perceptive, I'm impressed." Ten grins.

"You're impressed? Well that's my day made." Rose teases.

"It should be." He winks.

The commander tells the guards to open fire. Goddard notes they have vision and the Doctor tells her it wants them to see. The hail of bullets is having no effect. Then the Dalek starts to rise straight up into the air. It zaps the fire alarm and the sprinklers are set off. Once the concrete floor is covered with a layer of water, it fires downwards and electrocutes every wet person on the ground.

"Oh my god!" Martha exclaims. She, Donna and Rose all have their hands over their mouths in horror.

Commander orders the rest to fall back but the Dalek kills him and the rest of his men with another strategic shot, then continues to hang there, water pouring down its shell.

"It wanted you to see that?" Jack asks Nine in disgust. He simply nods.

"It was showing off."

In the office the trio come up with a plan to reroute the emergency power to the bulkheads and trap the Dalek down there. Goddard points out they would need a computer genius to bypass the security codes. Van Statten says it's a good job they have him.

"He's not a genius. He's a moron." Donna snorts.

"Genius with computers by human standards. Nothing else." Nine corrects, though he agrees with her.

"He's changed his tune. About time he actually tried to help rather than save the Dalek." Rose snorts.

"He was still only doing it to save his own skin. If his life wasn't at risk too I doubt he would have bothered." Ten scoffs.

The Doctor is surprised he wants to help and he explains that he doesn't want to die. On screen the Dalek is back on the floor and states it will only talk to the Doctor. The Doctor tells it that it will get rusty. It explains how it fixed itself and the Doctor asks what its next trick will be. It states that it searched the internet for the Daleks and that it found nothing. When it asks where it's orders will come from the Doctor tells it that is a soldier with no commands. The Dalek then says it will follow the primary order which is to destroy.

"But why?" Martha asks.

"That's all it knows." Ten says in a voice that is both understanding and sad.

The Doctor asks what the point of that is and it asks what it should do instead. He orders it to kill itself. It states that the Daleks must survive and the Doctor counters that the Daleks have failed. Getting enraged he asks why it doesn't finish the job of making the Daleks extinct and why it doesn't just die. It replies that he would make a good Dalek and the Doctor rocks back in stunned silence as the screen goes blank.

"It's wrong." Rose turns to Nine straight away. He refuses to meet her eyes. "You are nothing like a Dalek. You said they have had all emotions stripped, that's why they kill. You still have your emotions."

"I've killed so many." His voice is low.

"The guilt you feel for that is exactly why you are nothing like a Dalek. Your guilt and your pain make you different from them." Sarah Jane chimes in looking at Ten.

"It's function is to kill. Yours is to save." Rose tries again to get through to him. "If you were a good Dalek then you wouldn't be able to love me." She adds quietly. This makes him finally turn to look at her, his eyes full of pain. He pulls her tighter to him but says nothing.

The Doctor orders them to seal the vault. Goddard points out Rose is still down there. Screen cuts to Rose and Adam as her phone rings. She answers it saying it isn't the best time. He asks where she is and she tells him level forty nine. He tells her the vaults are being sealed off at level forty six. She asks if he can stops them and he is pained as he tells her it's him sealing them in.

"It's what you should have done. Just like Downing Street. That all worked out." Rose tries to reassure him. He ignores this.

He tells her to run. The Dalek is at level fifty one. Van Statten says they have power and Goddard points out the Dalek is right behind the two running. Rose asks for a couple more seconds. Van Statten states they can't sustain the power. The Doctor is indecisive for a few more seconds until he forces out a 'sorry' and presses the button to seal the vaults.

Nine sucks in a harsh breath.

Adam rolls under the bulkhead with inches to spare.

Both Doctors let out curses that none of the others can translate without the TARDIS nearby. Both of them are glaring at the screen intently.

"I was fine. No damage done." Rose pats Nine's chest a little awkwardly as his grip on her is rather tight.

Van Statten states the bulkheads have been sealed and the Doctor asks where Rose is and if she made it. She pauses before saying she was a bit slow. The Dalek comes around the corner and Rose tells the Doctor is wasn't his fault. She tells him she wouldn't have missed it for the world.

"I can't believe you are more concerned reassuring me." He bites out.

"I know you. Figured you'd blame yourself. Least had to let you know I didn't blame you." She attempted a shrug but was pinned too tightly to his side.

They hear the Dalek say exterminate and the Doctor takes the earpiece out saying he killed her.

Rose stretches up to kiss him. "I'm right here. Not dead." She continues to mutter in his ear until he finally relaxes a tiny bit and looks down at her.

"I'm sorry." He whispers finally.

"Don't be. You did what you had to. I'm alive and you know I will be for a while yet." She gestures over at Ten. He looks rather better than his former self but the wound is decidedly less fresh for him. Nine kisses the top of her head and stays there closing his eyes. After a few moments he straightens again and looks resignedly at the screen.

Van Statten says he is sorry. The Doctor rounds on him stating that he could have killed the Dalek in its cell but he had stopped him. Van Statten exclaims it was the prize of his collection which infuriates the Doctor. He furiously asks if it was worth all the deaths, then pointing out mankind goes into space to explore. Van Statten seizes this saying he wanted to touch the stars.

Nine makes an explosive noise that sounds like a curse crossed with a derisive snort.

"Labelling a bunch of alien parts in a museum half a mile underground is not reaching for the stars." Jack scoffs.

The Doctor scornfully corrects that he wants to drag the stars down and stick them underground. He claims that Van Statten is as far from the stars as he can get and his fury fades to sadness as he says that he took Rose down with him. Screen cuts to Rose with her eyes closed by the Dalek. She tells it to kill her.

"Why would you egg it on to kill you?" Mickey looks at her in astonishment.

"Jeopardy friendly." Nine mutters still soaking in the relief of her being beside him.

The Dalek states it will kill her.

"It's confused." Sarah Jane breathes.

Rose says the guards are all dead because of it and it states they are dead because of them both. She asks what it is waiting for and it says it feels her fear. When she asks what it expects, it replies that Daleks don't feel fear. The Dalek shoots either side of the bulkhead door. It asks what else Rose gave it other than life.

"She gave it a piece of humanity. Emotions." Jack raises an eyebrow. "Guessing it's not too appreciative?"

"Not really. It's different and it has been bred to hate differences. It hates itself." Ten explains softly.

Adam enters the office and the Doctor rounds on him immediately saying he was quick to leave Rose behind.

"It wasn't his fault Doctor." Rose nudges him gently.

"He left you." Nine protests.

"There was no point in him dying too. If he had slowed down for me it probably would have killed him."

Adam protests that he wasn't the one that sealed the vault. The Dalek appears on the screen with its gun aimed at Rose, stating that they will open the bulkhead or Rose dies. The Doctor is delighted to see her alive and she comments that he can't get rid of her.

"I wouldn't want to." Ten grins over at her.

The Doctor states he thought she was dead. The Dalek tells him to open the bulkhead and Rose yells at him not to. It asks what is the use of emotions if they will not save the woman he loves.

"It knows? How does a Dalek that can't feel anything, know I love you?" Nine looks bewildered.

"You said it was a genius." Rose shrugs. "When did you know you loved me?" She asked quietly.

"In Downing Street. I felt something in that Cardiff dungeon but it was Downing Street when I really knew. What about you?"

"'Bout the same time. It hit me when Mickey told me you'd left and you came back."

The Doctor states that he killed Rose once and he won't do it again. The bulkheads open and Rose comes through with the Dalek. Van Statten demands to know what they do next and Adam suggests they kill it when it gets there. Goddard points out all the guns are useless and the alien weapons are in the vault. Adam pipes up that only the catalogued ones are downstairs.

"He did have some use after all." Martha smiles.

The Doctor and Adam are going through Adam's room. The Doctor throws away broken weapons as Adam explains he kept the stuff in case he needed to fight his way out. The Doctor scoffs at this asking if he planned on throwing his A-levels at them just as he finds an appropriate gun.

"Now that's a gun." Jack grins approvingly.

Rose is begging the Dalek not to kill them, pointing out it didn't kill her. It begins to question itself asking what it is. Once they get to the office, Rose tells them all not to do anything. It asks Van Statten why he tortured it and he stammers out an explanation that he wanted to help it as it backs him against the wall. When he exclaims that he wanted to hear it talk, it tells him to hear it talk now and says exterminate. Rose tells it not to kill him and asks what it wants.

"It shouldn't want anything but to kill." Nine frowns. "Rose is probably the most opposite of a Dalek you can get. It's confused by itself."

"Well, at least Rose seems to have some measure of control over it." Donna points out.

"It's still too dangerous to let live." Jack warns. "Rose can't stay with it forever."

It states that it wants freedom. The Doctor runs up the stairs with his honking big gun. Up on level 1 the Dalek blasts a hole in the roof, and a shaft of sunlight streams down straight onto its eyepiece. Rose says she never thought she'd see sunlight again and the Dalek asks how it feels. It then opens its middle and dome sections to reveal the one-eyed mutant within. It holds out a tendril.

"Woah." Donna exclaims. "That's ugly."

The Doctor charges in and tells Rose to get out of the way. She tells him that she won't let him kill it. He reminds her of all the people it's killed and she retorts that it isn't the one holding a gun at her.

"Why are you defending it?" Nine looks at her incredulously.

"It's changing Doctor. It didn't kill me nor Van Statten when I asked it not to. I can't just let you kill it in cold blood when all it wants is freedom."

The Doctor tells her he has to do this. The Daleks destroyed his home and he has nothing left.

"You have me." She reminds him quietly.

"I know."

"Even when I have to go, you've got all these other people to look after you." She gestures over at Martha and Donna. Nine just holds her tighter while Ten swallows around the sudden lump in his throat. Sarah Jane pats him on the back.

Rose tells him to look at it, finally moving out of the way. The Doctor asks what it is doing and she tells him it just wants sunlight. He tells her that it can't. Rose points out it is changing and asks him what he is changing into. The Dalek speaks up asking why they survive and the Doctor tells it he doesn't know. He explains to it that Rose's DNA is causing it to mutate and he apologises.

"Your mood swings are going to give me whiplash." Jack complains playfully. "You've gone from wanting to murder it to apologising."

Rose asks if that is better and the Doctor tells her its not better for a Dalek. It says it can feel new ideas and then demands orders from Rose. It tells her to order it to kill itself. She says that she can't and it tells her that it is sickness, it doesn't want to be like her. Rose gives in and tells it to do it. It asks if she is frightened. It agrees that it is frightened too. The Dalek shuts its eye. Rose retreats as it closes up its armour again then rises into the air. The balls on its lower body spread out around it creating a forcefield, then it implodes safely.

"I'm sorry you had to do that." Nine mumbles.

"Better than letting it live in misery and killing more people." Rose sighs.

"That's what we need you for Rose. Keeping us in line, putting everything in perspective." Ten smiles sadly at her. "All of you, really." He adds looking over at all his other former companions.

Van Statten is under guard and asking what the hell they are doing. Goddard states that two hundred personnel are dead because of him. She orders the guards to take him away and wipe his memory.

"Very fitting." Donna notes.

Back at the TARDIS the Doctor says it's a little piece of home. Rose asks if that is the end of the time war. The Doctor says he is the only one left, that he wins. Rose points out that if a Dalek could survive then maybe some Time Lords did but he says he would know in his head. Rose says it's a good thing she isn't going anywhere.

"A very good thing." Ten grins.

Adam comes up and says they should get out as the base is being closed down. He bemoans the fact he will have to go home. The Doctor tells him to hurry up and Rose tentatively states that Adam has always wanted to see the stars. The Doctor snidely says to tell him to go and stand outside. Rose counters that he is all on his own and he did help.

"Awww, Rose." Nine grumbles. "You're really making me bring a pretty boy with us?"

"I'm not making you do anything." She grins.

"Yeah, course not. Like I could say no to you." He continues grumbling under his breath.

The Doctor points out he left Rose down with the Dalek and she says he did too.

"Oi! That was a low blow." Ten complains.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Rose winces.

"Naa, you haven't said it yet." He winks at her.

He points out that Adam is a bit pretty and Rose says she hadn't noticed. The Doctor tells her it's on her own head and they both disappear into the TARDIS. Adam asks where they are going, calling for Rose. He creeps inside and the TARDIS dematerialises. The screen goes black.

"Thank god that's over." Rose sighs. "Time for the future." She grins.

"Not for the rest of us. You haven't met me yet." Jack winks.

"Do we have to?" Rose whines playfully.

"Yes you do." He tells her firmly.

"If you don't want to I'm sure we can avoid him." Nine mock whispers and Jack scowls at him. Rose laughs and they all turn to watch the next episode.