Chapter 28: Doomsday

The Daleks have landed and are trundling across the floor, calling exterminate. Rose yells at them that she knows who they are. They stop.

"Good thinking." Nine breathes in relief.

She adds that she is a human who knows about the Time War so they should keep her and her friends alive. Mickey and Raj both pop up saying they know about the Time War too.

"Good thing they aren't good at working out if you're lying. That wasn't exactly convincing." Martha rolls her eyes at Mickey who just grins goofily at her.

The black Dalek states they will be necessary before asking for the status of the Genesis Ark.

"Genesis Ark?" Jack frowns. "What's that?"

"Nothing good I imagine. Not if the Daleks brought it with them." Rose bites her lip.

One says it is in hibernation. The black Dalek orders them to commence awakening. It must be protected above all else. Mickey mutters to Rose that she said the Daleks were all dead.

"I thought they were." Rose points out.

"I think we have bigger things to worry about." Mickey shrugs in return.

Rose dismisses this before asking what the hell a Genesis Ark is. Upstairs in Yvonne's office, Jackie is asking what happened to Rose. The Doctor states he doesn't know before promising her that he will get Jackie and Rose out of there.

"Shouldn't make promises you can't keep." Sarah-Jane tells him gently.

"I couldn't exactly tell her she was probably going to die. She would have just gotten hysterical." Ten reminds her.

"With fairly good reason." Jack mutters.

"Yeah but have a breakdown in front of a bunch of Cybermen isn't a good idea." Donna tells him. "Better for her to get mad at him later."

The Cyberleader tells Yvonne to contact the central world authority. She replies that they don't have one. He says they do now and broadcasts a message to the TV that humans will be made like them. During his speech the Doctor puts on 3D glasses. The army sets up roadblocks and tries shooting at the Cybermen. A bazooka blows a Cyberman to bits. London burns as they watch from Torchwood tower.

"I still can't believe you missed all this." Ten rolls his eyes at Donna who sniggers.

"You didn't see any of this?" Jack stares at her in disbelief.

"I was in Spain." She shrugs. "And hungover."

The Cyberleader states he ordered surrender.

"He can't seriously have thought they would just give up?" Donna snorts.

"They consider themselves superior. They cannot comprehend why people wouldn't want to be like them." Nine reminds her.

The Doctor angrily tells him that they have invaded these people's homes, of course they are going to fight back. In the lab, the black Dalek asks which of them is least important.

"That's not a good question." Jack winces. "Somebody is about to die."

"We get that, Captain Flash." Mickey snaps at him nervously. Suddenly, he couldn't remember if the Doctor had ever mentioned what happened to him in the end.

Rose asks what that is supposed to mean and it repeats the question. She protests that they don't work like that when Raj steps forward saying they can go through him. It tells him to kneel which he does hesitantly. It states they need information about Earth history and Raj begins to say he will tell them a certain amount when the Dalek interrupts to say that speech is not necessary. Three Dalek plungers envelop Rajesh's head. Mickey tries to move forward but Rose grabs him.

Everybody flinches.

"Poor guy." Rose mutters, from where she has buried her head in Ten's should so she doesn't have to see. Ten runs his hand through her hair in a comforting gesture while Nine tries not to glare at his future self. He assumes he isn't doing a very good job when he catches Ricky smirking at him.

Raj screams. Upstairs the Cyberleader announces that scans have detected technology within the Sphere chamber. He orders some other Cybermen to investigate. The dry, dusty and rapidly aged corpse of Rajesh drops to the floor.

"Oh my god." Martha yells.

The black Dalek says that his mind spoke of a second species. Rose yells that they didn't need to kill him. Another Dalek states that they didn't need him alive either. The black Dalek orders Dalek Thay to investigate.

"They have names?" Jack raises an eyebrow.

"No. Only the cult of Skaro have names. Didn't think they were actually real 'till now. Seem to be saying that a lot recently." Nine frowns.

"What's the Cult of Skaro?" Rose asks.

"Daleks that were selected to design better ways to kill. Daleks that could think for themselves, think like the enemy thinks." Ten explains.

Both investigation teams open visual links so those in the Sphere lab and lever room can see through the Cybermen and Dalek that are investigating. The two meet and both demand the other identify themselves. Both sides refuse to say first. The Daleks end up identifying first as Thay states that Daleks do not take orders.

"Isn't that all they are built to do?" Jack points out.

"Not orders from other species." Sarah-Jane reminds him and he grins.

The Cyberman states they have identified as Daleks and in the lab, the black Dalek states that the outline resembles the inferior species known as Cybermen. Upstairs, Jackie whispers to the Doctor that Rose was terrified of the Daleks.

"Anyone in their right mind is scared of them." Rose points out.

She continues to ask if Rose is dead. The Doctor furiously whispers for her phone. Jackie doesn't understand at first but when he repeats the question she hands him her phone and he rings Rose who answers. He tells Jackie that she is still alive and wonders why. Jackie tells him not to complain.

"I was not complaining!" Ten splutters. "I was overjoyed, just a little confused. These aren't exactly like the last Dalek Rose met."

"Guess they all just like me." Rose smirks.

"Rose Tyler, could even win over the Daleks." Nine grins weakly at her. She squeezes his hand.

He states they must need her for something. One Dalek states that they must protect the Genesis Ark. The Doctor is still listening over the phone while watching the visual link. He doesn't seem to know what it is. The Cyberman and Dalek continue talking. The Cyberman offers an alliance as their technologies are compatible.

"That won't be happening." Donna scoffs.

"Nope. Daleks don't do alliances." Jack nods.

The Dalek denies an alliance and the Cybermen ready their weapons saying that hostile elements will be deleted. They shoot at Dalek Thay but he exterminates both Cybermen. The Cyberleader opens a visual link directly with the Sphere lab. He tells the Daleks they have declared war. The black Dalek replies it isn't war but pest control.

Unable to help herself, Donna bursts out laughing. Jack is quick to follow along with Rose and Mickey.

"What's so funny?" Nine asks.

"Cybermen and Daleks, two of the most deadly species, are exchanging typical male trash talk." Donna manages through her laughter.

The Cyberleader declares there are five million of them, before asking how many Daleks there are. The black Dalek replies that they are four. The Cyberleader asks if they would destroy the Cybermen with four Daleks. It replies it would destroy them with one.

Now everybody joins in the laughter.

"They sound like teenage boys playing sports." Rose sniggers.

The black Dalek announces the Cybermen are only superior at dying. The Doctor is visible behind the CyberLeader just before the viewscreen goes blank. The Daleks rewind and identify him as an enemy.

"Oh yes." Ten smirks wickedly.

Upstairs the Doctor has lost contact with Rose. In the lab the black Dalek notices Rose's increased heartbeat. Mickey comments to tell him about it.

"So not the time." Rose laughs, pleased he can now make jokes about it.

It demands that Rose identify the man and she states that if they really want to know it's the Doctor. All the Dalek's roll back slightly.

Both Doctors grin smugly.

"I think they might be feeling something there. Fear." Rose smirks.

"Quite right too." Nine nods approvingly.

Rose notes that five million Cybermen is considered easy but one Doctor has them scared.

"I don't blame them." Donna mumbles.

The Cyberleader demands they start emergency upgrading, beginning with the personnel around the office. A Cyberman takes Jackie and Yvonne. Jackie starts yelling for the Doctor to do something. He starts yelling that he won't help if they take her. The Cybermen ignore them both and the Doctor promises Jackie he will think of something.

"Mom!" Rose cries.

"It's alright. She was smart and got away somehow. Didn't ask for details though." Ten tells her. She nods.

The victorious Dalek returns to the lab. They declare the Cybermen irrelevant and want to concentrate on the Genesis Ark. Mickey whispers to Rose, asking why they are still alive and she tells him they might need her.

"What for?" Sarah-Jane asks.

"Dunno, to open it maybe? That Dalek I met with Van Statten was restored to full health just with one touch of a time traveller. Maybe this thing is similar." Rose suggests.

"In which case, I would do too now." Mickey realises.

Beyond the plastic sheets, sparks fly and people scream. Jackie asks Yvonne what upgrading means and she explains they are turned into the Cybermen. Yvonne is taken away as Jackie screams it is all her fault along with Torchwood.

"They certainly didn't make anything better and probably helped everything along, however They would probably have gotten through anyway with a void ship." Jack points out.

"They were playing around with things far beyond their understanding." Ten snaps. Jack holds his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

"I don't disagree with you but it was probably going to happen anyway just a few months or years in the future."

Months and years I could have had with Rose, Ten thinks bitterly.

Yvonne keeps repeating she did her duty for Queen and Country.

"I wasn't aware your duty involved destroying the world." Nine mutters angrily.

Yvonne walks forward. Sparks fly and she screams.

Everyone winces. They may not like the woman but nobody deserves that fate.

Upstairs the Doctor is sitting down and the Cyberleader states he is proof emotions destroy you. He agrees that he is but he quite likes hope and here it comes. A group of black-clad commandoes pop into existence and take out the remaining Cybermen in the Lever room The CyberLeader walks out of the office and gets zapped too. It's head explodes. Jake is one of them. Jake explains the Cybermen came through from another world and so did they.

"Figures if Mickey got back then Jake wouldn't be far behind." Jack grins.

"Wonder why Mickey came through on his own so long before anyone else? He was here long enough to actually get a job at Torchwood." Martha points out.

"Was probably testing however we got there. Besides, I'd always volunteer to come back to this world. With something like this figured Rose and the Doctor wouldn't be far away." Mickey smiles at Rose.

"Course not." She agrees.

Jackie is being dragged forward. Then a Cyberman states the Cyberleader has been terminated. While they talk, Jackie sneaks away. One decides it will be upgraded to Cyberleader. Jackie runs into the stairwell and heads down.

"Thank god." Rose breathes.

The Doctor has been using his 3D spectacles again. Jake starts issuing orders and once everyone else is gone the Doctor tells him he can't just pop from one world to another.

"I think he just did." Sarah-Jane laughs.

"Still not a good idea." Nine reminds her.

Jake points out they just did. He chucks the Doctor a device he used to do it. It is a large yellow medallions on chains around their necks. Jake tells him they have their own Torchwood who developed them. Then he presses the button and both of them vanish.

"No! I don't want to go back and see your damn world. I have my own damn world to save." Ten bites out furiously. Rose tightens her arm around his middle. He squeezes her back but doesn't take his eyes off the screen.

Parallel Torchwood is a wreck. Jake explains that they found out what this Torchwood was doing and took it over. The Doctor says he has to get back, Rose and Jackie are in danger. Then Pete Tyler walks in.

"I should have known." Nine breathes.

He says that would be his wife from a parallel world. The Doctor runs over to him saying he needs to get back right now. Pete states that this is their world not his and he isn't in charge.

"I don't want to be in charge there. I don't want to be there at all." Ten groans.

"We know." Sarah-Jane tells him gently.

Mickey says he could get out of there but it only takes one and he isn't leaving without her. Rose tells him he'd follow her anywhere and asks what she did to him all those years ago.

"Imprinted like a mother chicken." Jack sniggers.

Mickey comments he must be stupid.

"Finally he admits it." Nine smirks.

"Shut up." Mickey rolls his eyes fondly.

Rose states he is the bravest man she ever met.

"OI!" Jack and both Doctor protest. Rose just laughs at them.

Mickey asks about the Doctor and she corrects bravest human.

"Oi!" Jack complains again.

"Joint bravest." Rose amends. Jack contemplates this for a second.

"Fine then." He sighs. "At least I'm the best looking." Rose smirks at him before glancing up at Ten and over at Nine. "Best looking human." He rolls his eyes at her.

"That's better." Her grin widens.

Mickey can't think what the Daleks would want with him. Rose explains about time travel meaning they soak up background radiation. She has a flashback to Van Statten's bunker. She adds that in the Time War the Daleks evolved so they could use it as power.

"You do listen!" Ten beams.

"Sometimes." Rose laughs. "When I can understand what on Earth you are on about."

Mickey comments he loves it when she talks technical and she tells him to shut up. Then she points out he travelled in time too, either of them would do. Mickey asks why they would build something they can't open.

"They wouldn't. Means it isn't theirs either." Nine frowns.

"Building something only a time traveller could open? Sounds like Time Lord stuff." Jack points out.

"But why and how would Daleks get Time Lord technology that should have been floating in the void?" Donna asks. Everyone shrugs, having no answer to that.

The black Dalek states it is stolen technology. Rose asks who built it and it tells them the Time Lords did. It is all that survives of their world. Rose asks what's inside and it replies the future.

"So the Time Lords built something that would be of use to Daleks? That makes no sense." Rose frowns.

"A prison ship!" Nine realises in horror.

"What?" Martha asks.

"A ship built to hold Daleks." He explains.

"It's tiny...oh!" Realisation dawns.

Pete explains about the Cybermen leaving but the world temperature is rising. He expects it is more than just global warming. The Doctor agrees that everytime they jump betweens worlds they rip open a hole in the universe. If they keep going both worlds will fall into the void. Pete asks if he can seal the breach. The Doctor points out that leaves five million Cybermen in their world but Pete doesn't care.

"Well too bad for him the Doctor protects every world." Rose snaps bitterly.

"He comes around Rose." Ten tells her gently.

"Good for him." She sniffs.

The Doctor points out on his world Jackie might still be alive. Pete replied his wife died. The Doctor reminds him her husband died, calling them a good match.

Everyone lets out a burst of laughter.

Pete points out they have more important things to worry about. The Doctor asks if Pete believes he can save everything and Pete states he does believe that. The Doctor states that is all he needs. The trio appear back in the other world.

"Thank god." Rose breathes.

"Well I wasn't going to just leave…" Ten breaks off unable to finish the sentence.

He phones Jackie and who panicking. He asks where she is and she replied a staircase. He asks for anything to identify which one. She offers a fire extinguisher.

Everyone laughs again.

"Really mum?" Rose rolls her eyes.

The Doctor sarcastically mutters that helps. Jackie then spots a sign saying N3. The Doctor knows where it is saying they are trying their best.

"You always do." Rose smiles gently.

"My best isn't always enough." He replied gravely.

"You can't do any more than your best." Jack tells him.

"I can certainly try."

Jackie pleads for him not to leave but he has to go. He puts the phone down and announces her full name to Pete, who once again denies she is his wife. The Doctor tells him he was at the wedding when Pete got her name wrong. He takes Jake's gun saying he can make it work on a Dalek. A piece of A4 paper on a pointer is waved from around the corner.

"What are you doing?" Donna laughs.

"No white flag." Ten shrugs.

He walks up to three Cybermen and surrenders. The four Daleks disconnect from the Ark. They tell Rose to open it. She refuses and they threaten Mickey.

"It's not like they won't kill you as soon as it's open anyway." Sarah-Jane points out.

"Yeah, kinda guessed that." Jack sighs.

Rose says she can't let them. The black Dalek instructs her to put her hand on the casket. Rose then turns to them and asks if they want to know what happened in the Time War and what happened to the Emperor.

"You're going to provoke them?" Nine winces.

"Well, like we figured, they are going to kill us anyway. Might as well have the last word." Rose smirks.

They are surprised the Emperor survived but Rose tells them that she killed the Emperor herself. The black Dalek says she will be exterminated but then the Doctor arrives.

"Cutting that a bit close." Martha tells him.

"It's not the Doctor if it's not close." Sarah-Jane laughs.

The Doctor is wearing his 3D spectacles again. The Dalek states he in unarmed and he agrees. He greets Rose and Mickey. The Dalek demands social interaction will cease.

"Not with big mouth around." Donna snickers.

"Oi! I can focus." Ten pouts.

"Not for long." Mickey smirks.

The black Dalek asks how he survived the Time War and the Doctor replied by fighting. He was at the fall of Arcadia and may come to terms with that one day.

"Doubtful." Nine mutters.

He then claims these four ran away. Rose tells him they have names and the Daleks introduce themselves. He explains who the Cult of Skaro are. Mickey asks what the Ark does but the Doctor doesn't know, claiming both sides had secrets. Rose points out it needs the touch of a time traveller. Sec demands the Doctor will open the Ark to which he replied that he will not.

"Not exactly bright are they? Course he wouldn't open it." Mickey scoffs.

"Might have if they threatened Rose." Nine shrugs. He already guessed that it gets opened somehow.

"Na, you'll think of a way out." Jack tries to remain positive, knowing the good mood that is currently with them will soon be draining away.

Sec points out he has no way of resisting. He pulls out his sonic screwdriver. Sec calls it a sonic probe.

"Oi! It's a screwdriver." Ten grumbles.

Sec scoffs it is harmless and the Doctor agrees that is why he likes it. It can't kill or harm but it does open doors. The door to the laboratory blows in. Enter Jake and a Cyberman with all guns blazing. One Dalek is hit and has casting impaired. In the chaos Rose runs but slips. Pete helps her up and they get out. The Doctor follows. Mickey dives for a big gun.

"Not the time! Get out of there." Nine growls at him in frustration.

"That weapon will come in handy." Jack points out.

"Not if he's dead." Nine retorts.

Sec gets his power back and kills a Cyberman. Mickey gets jostled and he puts out his hand to steady himself. It touches the Ark.

"Oh it would be Ricky the Idiot." Nine scowls.

"Oi!" Mickey glares back.

"If you had just run with the rest of us…" Nine begins.

"Yeah well that's what you do best, not me." Mickey narrows his eyes.

"What you do best is screwing things up." Nine snaps.

"Enough! Both of you!" Rose intervenes. "This is hard enough without you two at each other's throats. Grow up and shut up."

"You tell 'em Rose." Donna cheers as Jack whistles. Mickey and Nine both stop yelling but continue glaring at each other.

He and Jake join the Doctor, Rose and Pete at an emergency blast door. The Doctor closes the blast door. He tells Jake to check the stairwell and ushers the rest of them away. The Ark is steaming. The Daleks emerge victorious and they realise the Ark has been primed. Sec states it needs thirteen square miles.

"That's a lot of space." Sarah-Jane notes into the tense silence.

"Probably a lot of Daleks to come out." Martha mutters.

The four run down a corridor. Mickey apologises but Ten tells him he's probably done him a favour.

Nine snorts but at a warning look from Rose, keeps his mouth shut. Mickey breaks their staring contest to look gratefully at Ten.

Jackie is trapped between two squads of Cybermen on the stairs, so she runs into a corridor and meets two more. The Cybermen are shot down from behind by Pete. Jackie thinks he is a ghost, saying it isn't fair. The Doctor steps in to explain but she tells him to shut up.

"Bet she's been dying to say that a few times." Rose laughs.

"Was just explaining he was real." Ten pouts.

"You were rambling." Donna corrects with a smirk.

She tells Pete he looks old and he says she doesn't. They talk and Pete tells her all his schemes worked, making him rich. Jackie claims she doesn't care before asking how rich.

"Oh mum." Rose shakes her head as everyone laughs.

He replied very. She claims again not to care before asking how very. Pete states she isn't his wife. He struggles to find words before telling her to come here. They run and hug each other.

Rose watches a little awestruck as her parents are somewhat reunited. Ten kisses the top of her head without even realising what he was doing. Rose smiles at him weakly.

In the warehouse, the Daleks burst through the door. War ensues. Soldiers fire as well, the whole area is chaos. The Cybermen don't stand a chance as the Daleks glide through with the Ark. The new Cyberleader calls for all units to get to Torchwood tower. The Doctor looks carefully inside the warehouse, then crawls over to a crate and grabs a pair of Magnaclamps before dodging laser fire to get back.

"The Daleks weren't wrong to be arrogant. The Cybermen don't stand a chance at all. Not with their normal weapons." Jack notes.

"And soon there will be a ton more Daleks." Donna points out.

The Doctor looks back in again with his 3D glasses. They open the roof and Sec starts floating up with the Ark. The Doctor says they need to find out what is going on and so they need to go back up. Jackie tells him that's forty five floors. Jake pops out saying they can take the lift.

"Oh thank god." Rose laughs. "Don't fancy running up that many stairs."

The Ark contains another Dalek. It starts to spin around. The Doctor gets to the window in time to see the Ark shooting out Daleks in all directions as it spins around. The Daleks spread out over London as Cybermen clomp their way through the streets before stopping and shooting into the sky. The Daleks start shooting back killing humans and Cybermen. Pete states this world is going to crash and burn. He tells Jackie she can go with them, there is a whole new world waiting for her. The Doctor is ready, finally revealing what is with the 3D glasses. Rose tries them on and everyone except Jackie is covered in void stuff.

"That just looks bizarre. How can you stand looking through those for so long?" Mickey asks, blinking as if that would clear the spots from his vision.

"You get used to it. Besides, I don't look through them for more than a few minutes at a time." Ten shrugs.

He explains the plan to pull all Cybermen and Daleks into the void. Rose points they all have void stuff too. The Doctor tells her she has to go too.

"I honestly can't believe you ever thought that was an option!" Rose sits up and glares at Ten.

"Better than you falling into the void which you almost did!" He retorts angrily.

He tells them he will only open the void on their side so everyone will be safe in Pete's world. The breach will then close itself. Rose asks if he is staying and Mickey points out he will get pulled in. The Doctor shows the magnaclamps, saying he will just have to hold on tight. Rose tells him she isn't going. Pete tries to get her to go but she continues to refuse. Jackie states she isn't going without Rose. Rose tries to convince Jackie that she has made her choice to stay with the Doctor. While she is talking he slips a medallion around Rose's neck and Pete takes them all to his world.

"No way!" Rose growls. "They still work both ways and if you think I'm not coming straight back…" She trails off.

"I have to know you're alive. Better stuck in that world than in the void." Nine tells her.

"You got two of those clamps. Two people can hold on." Rose points out.

"You're not strong enough to hold on." Ten tells her, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Fine, so next time we bring some chains or a rope to hold on for me." She shrugs, trying to act like this is no big deal. Both Doctors tighten their hold on her.

Rose hits her button. She appears back saying she thinks that is the on switch.

"There is only one switch." Mickey laughs.

"Still, you know me and tech." Rose gives a weak smile in return.

Pete rips off Jackie's medallion. She says she has to go back but Pete says no, taking Mickey's one too. He points out Rose is Jackie's but not his daughter. Jackie pleads for Mickey to side with her but he remains silent.

"Thanks Mick." Rose nods gratefully. She knows it must be hard for him not to come back for her.

The Doctor tells Rose she will never see her mother again. Rose quietly tells him she made her choice a long time ago.

"Rose." Ten's voice is almost a groan.

"I did. My choice was made the second you told me to run in that basement. We've been given a second chance for me to keep that promise I made you. Even seeing all this, my mind hasn't changed for a second. I can't wait to see some of it for real. The Olympics, a real werewolf, Queen Victoria herself...I'm claiming that I won that bet here by the way so you'd better pay up at some point." She ends with a laugh that sounds fake even to her own ears. Ten simply hugs her tighter.

She asks what she can do to help. He gives her some orders and she goes, taking off her medallion. Rose tells him they have Cybermen coming just one floor below them. The Cyberleader states they will retreat through the breach and regain the Home World.

"I think not." Jack smirks.

"The boss might have something to say about that." Mickey agrees.

A Cyberman with a gun like Mickey's blocks their way. It is Yvonne. She shoots the other Cybermen saying she did her duty. She cries a tear of blood.

"Oh my god." Martha puts her hands over her mouth. "She's still Yvonne."

"She can still feel." Rose winces.

In the lever room the computer announces the levers are operational. The Doctor smiles and Rose says that's more like it. The Doctor calls them Mutt and Jeff, Shiver and Shake. Rose asks who's Shive and he states he is Shake.

"Obviously." Rose laughs, shaking her head.

The Doctor gives Rose a Magnaclamp and they put them on the walls by the levers. He tells her to press the red button, which she does. Sec announces the breach is active and orders them to exterminate the Doctor. The Doctor tells Rose to hold on, asking if they are ready. Rose points out they are too as Daleks arrive outside the window. They push the levers.

Ten lets out a noise halfway between a choke and a whimper and Nine exhales a shaky breath. Rose is busy trying to comfort Ten so Sarah-Jane stands up and sits the other side of Nine. This pushes him closer to Rose but allows Sarah-Jane to comfort him with her presence too. Mickey holds tighter onto Martha.

They push the levers up then grab the Magnaclamps. A bright light comes out of the breach and a strong wind rushes into it, sucking the first Daleks through the windows and into itself. Cybermen all over the world are lifted off their feet and into the air. There is a steady stream of Daleks and Cybermen all being sucked through the one broken window into the Void. Dalek Sec activates an emergency temporal shift and disappears.

"Seriously!" Donna moans in frustration.

"There's always one! They always survive!" Nine rages. "I lose everything and they still bloody survive!"

Rose's lever moves a little. The computer announces it is offline. The suction starts to decrease. Rose has to let go of the Magnaclamp to grab the lever and pull it, but she and it are being dragged the wrong way. The Doctor can only watch in growing horror as Rose manages to get it upright but struggles to hold on.

"Oh god." Sarah-Jane mutters, her hand tightening on Nine's arm for her own sake as much as his. Ten's head buries into Rose's shoulder and she can feel the tears as they start flowing, hot against her skin.

The Doctor screams for her to hold on. Rose is being pulled horizontally towards the Void. The Doctor cannot reach her as her fingers finally slip from the lever handle.

Nine screams her name at the same time as his on screen counterpart. Her name tearing from his lips in a fit of both rage and utmost dread. For that split second he thought his counterpart had lied and that her voice at the beginning had been right. Rose had died. His Rose was gone, never to bring light to any universe ever again. And he screamed for that very thought because it was the worst one imaginable.

Ten says nothing but clings to Rose as tightly as she clings to him. Neither of them can bear to watch. Without looking, Rose holds out her free arm to Nine who immediately joins them in a threeway hug. He needs to feel her still alive. Her warmth in his arms and hear that beloved heartbeat he will, inevitably, one day, never hear again. Rose cannot bear to hear the way both Doctors screamed her name. She failed to keep her promise to him and this was the pain it gave him. She can only cry harder as she realises Nine is crying too, although silently. The pain she has caused both of them is unforgivable.

Pete pops in, catches her and vanishes with his daughter in his arms. The wind dies down and the Void closes itself like paper down a plughole.

"Oh thank god. That was way too damn close Rosie." Jack chokes out around his own tears, putting a hand over his heart to massage away the ice cold grip of dread. He had not dreamed they had come so close to losing her forever. Inches away from eternal nothingness. Then he jumps up and joins the trio in a hug. They stay that was for a while before it gets too cramped. Jack settles down on the floor between Rose's feet as neither Doctor is going to be letting her go anytime soon.

Rose hammers on the wall, screaming to be taken back.

"Oh Rose." Nine breathes, feeling like he is drowning in pain. He would give anything to never hear that sound from her again. Every syllable felt like a knife in both his hearts. He knows that there will be no sleep for many nights as that sound will haunt him, probably forever. Her screams will echo around his head forever, even if that future never comes to pass.

Pete tells her they have stopped working so the breach is closed. The Doctor and Rose lean against the walls for a few moments, then he walks away slowly.

There isn't a dry eye in the room at that moment. Donna comes to join Jack on the floor, giving him a one armed hug that he returns whole heartedly. Rose suddenly finds herself pulled into Ten's lap as he breathes her name repeatedly into her neck like a prayer. Nine keeps one hand clamped around hers but puts his now free arm around Sarah-Jane who sobs into his shoulder for the pain two of her best friends went through.

The Doctor's voice whispers off screen. A sleeping Rose wakes up as her voice speaks as it did at the start of the last episode. It tells how she heard his voice calling for her. She told Pete, Jackie and Mickey. They drove hundreds of miles just to find the voice and ended up on a beach. Rose walks alone across the windswept beach. Pete, Jackie and Mickey stay with the Jeep. An image of the Doctor appears near Rose. She asks where he is and he replied he is in the TARDIS. He tells her he is burning up a sun to say goodbye.

"I would burn up a thousand suns just to see you one last time. Convince myself I hadn't imagined it and you were safe in Pete's world." Ten's hoarse voice whispers in her ear.

"I'm right here." She tells him through her own sobs. She tries to tell him that she always will be but after this the words seem pointless and almost cruel. This reinforced in a way he had never managed, that she could not stay with him forever. Whether old age or something else, eventually she would be ripped away from him and she could not bear that thought.

She tells him that he looks like a ghost. He uses his sonic screwdriver to solidify the image. She steps forward asking if she can but the Doctor cuts her off saying he is still just an image. She asks if he can come through properly but he explains that two universes would collapse. She asks so.

"Oh Rose." Mickey chokes out a laugh. "We'll do something. The two of us will find a way back. We did before. We seem to have technology far beyond our universe." He tries to comfort her. She just nods.

The Doctor asks where they came out and Rose tells him it's a place in Norway that translates to Bad Wolf Bay.

"Of course." Donna chuckles weakly.

"It's fitting at least." Jack agrees.

She asks how long they have and he tells her about two minutes. She can't think of what to say so he asks about Mickey. Rose tells him there are five of them now, a baby too. The Doctor asks if she is. Rose tells him it's Jackie's.

"Way to give a man a heart attack." Ten mumbles.

"Where would I have gotten pregnant? You think I went to parallel Earth and started a family?" She asks him incredulously.

"Well, maybe Mickey." Ten defends himself.

"You're the only man, well sort of man, who holds my heart and the only one I would ever want a family with." Rose admits quietly. "I've probably spent all my time there either moping or working on a way back to you."

"I'd say that's impossible but we've said that before." Ten manages a strangled laugh.

He asks about her and she tells him she's back working in the shop. He says good for her.

"That's not good for her." Sarah-Jane scoffs lightly. "Besides, Rose would never cope back in a shop."

"True." Martha agrees.

Rose tells him to shut it, saying Torchwood on that planet is open for business and she knows a thing or two about aliens. He proudly says Rose Tyler, defending the Earth. He tells her she is listed as dead back home, yet here she is living the life he can never have.

"Maybe someday I'll retire and we can do that." Nine suggests, his voice thick with still unshed tears.

"You'd never cope. Nor would our appliances." Rose tells him firmly. "Besides, I don't want that life, I want our life."

Rose asks if she will see him again and he regretfully tells her she can't. She asks what he will do and he says he has the TARDIS so same old life.

"Well that's a lie." Nine snorts.

"True, life will never be the same but I wasn't exactly going to tell her that. Last thing I wanted was to tell her exactly how miserable I was." Ten reminds himself.

Rose tells him she loves him. He quietly says quite right too.

Jack dearly wants to slap the Doctor for that reply. Rose deserved so much more yet he knew how hard it was the him to confess such a thing in return, especially in the face of never being able to see her again.

He says that if it is his last chance to say it, he says her name and then vanishes. He stands in the Tardis, crying, as Jackie runs go comfort her sobbing daughter.

Ten finally looks up from her shoulder long enough to take Rose's face in his hands and kiss her. She pulls him closer, responding to him forcefully in their shared grief and sorrow. When she pulls away he shudders as he represses more sobs trying to wrack his body.

"I'm sorry. So, so sorry. This body has so many words to say and I could never say those important three. And now, they aren't even mine to say." He adds, looking over at his past self. Nine nods as Ten pulls Rose back into an embrace, her head on his chest and his arms around her.

The Doctor slowly walks around the console, setting controls, then looks up and sees a figure in white, complete with veil.

"Oh my god!" Donna yelps.

"That's you?" Jack asks in astonishment, remembering her telling them she first arrived on the TARDIS in a wedding dress. She can only nod before craning her neck to look up at Ten.

"I had no idea it was so soon after. I'm so sorry you had to deal with me right then." She looks guilty and sad.

"Don't be. You were exactly what I needed." He gives her a watery half smile.

She turns around and it's Donna. Both of them are too astonished to actually make much sense. The Doctor cries 'What?' for the third time and the screen goes blank.

Nobody moves for an age. Donna and Jack lean heavily on each other, looking behind them at the trio.

"Right, break for the day. We can start again tomorrow morning." Rose announces. Then she drags both Doctors towards the room she shares with Nine.

A/N This was one of the hardest, if not the hardest, chapter I've ever written. Trying to keep the mood right and fit all the characters in was virtually impossible. I'm sorry if you think I haven't managed to do it justice but honestly I'm just glad it's over. Next chapter will be the aftermath and then onto the Christmas special. Now is the time to start posting suggestions for episodes you want in Martha's series. I haven't yet decided which ones I will be skipping out, if any. Most likely ones to be given a miss are the double for Family of Blood but depends what you guys want to see. Thanks to anyone who has followed me this far, it's really appreciated.