Let the misunderstandings begin! Hope you all enjoy this. :)

I hadn't been ignored for long before a Dalek rolled away from its post and turned toward me.

"You know the Doctor. You understand him. You will predict his actions."

"I-I don't…" I shifted back away from it as it came closer. "I don't know what you want."

"Predict! Predict! Predict!" It demanded, edging ever closer, and before it could touch me, a Dalek behind it spoke up.

"Tardis detected in flight."

"Launch missiles. Exterminate!" The Dalek near me commanded as I kept myself pressed firmly up against the wall behind me; eyes focused on the plunger just inches from my stomach.

There was a whirring that started up then, making the Daleks look around as my heart skipped in relief. Already I could feel the warmth of the Tardis, tingles rolling up my marked arm as it began to materialize around me. Me… and the Dalek.

"Ash, get down!" The Doctor shouted, drawing my gaze to him. "Get down!"

The Dalek beside me lifted its gun, as I immediately dropped to the ground and covered my head.

"Exterminate!"

Its laser went off, missing everyone as Jack fired off his gun and destroyed it. I didn't move from my place on the floor, not trusting myself to be steady on my feet. My gaze shifted to the smoldering Dalek before I jumped, whipping around to the Doctor who had placed a hand on my shoulder.

"You alright?"

I opened my mouth to maybe say something before turning to glance at the Dalek again, in shock almost. I swallowed thickly as he squeezed my shoulder to draw my attention back to him. I had to force the words up and out of my throat.

"Y-Yeah. I-I'm okay."

"You don't sound okay," he pressed, eyeing me with a light frown. "I expected a bit more… courage given you were the one who went out of your way to save Rose."

He helped pull me up onto my feet, making sure I was steady.

"I-I… wasn't thinking. I just kept running and…" I sank down into the jumpseat he'd led me to. "H-Holy shit Daleks are not—God, they're terrifying."

"You act like you've never seen one," Jack replied as I turned toward him and the Doctor stepped away to look at the smoking Dalek.

"N-Not up close. Not… Not in my face, no."

"Seriously?" The Doctor questioned as Rose walked a bit closer.

"But we've dealt with one before."

"No, she bounces around, remember?" The Doctor reminded her, coming over to me and eyeing me as I shifted under his gaze awkwardly. "How long have you been traveling? With me, I mean."

"Not… long. A couple of months? I'm bad with time but … I've only met this you once. With the Slitheen at Downing Street. I…" I glanced over at Jack who looked back in confusion. "I've never even met you, Jack. Sorry."

He cracked an easy smile as he headed over. "Nah, no worries! Just means I get to make a good impression." he held out a hand with a suave smile. "Captain Jack Harkness, at your service."

"R-Right," I muttered, begrudgingly shaking his hand as he chuckled.

"First meeting or not, that reaction never changes."

The Doctor rolled his eyes and went over to sonic the Dalek casing as I eyed his back. He'd been the one to ask but once again, I couldn't tell what he was thinking. Is he disappointed? Happy? Does he think I'm inexperienced and will cause trouble? I don't know what to think. I stiffened when Rose sat beside me on the jumpseat, also eyeing me in concern.

"You sure you're alright?"

I nodded, dropping my gaze to my hands. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Not a scratch."

She bumped her shoulder against mine with a smile, surprising me. "Well, thanks. For saving me and all. Even if you weren't thinkin' about it, you still helped me when you barely even know me. You didn't have to."

I grunted, not sure what to say as she turned her attention to the Doctor.

"Thing is, Doctor, you said they were extinct. How come they're still alive?"

Jack nodded in agreement. "One minute they're the greatest threat in the Universe, the next minute they vanished out of time and space."

"They went off to fight a bigger war. The Time War," the Doctor said.

"I thought that was just a legend."

"I was there. The war between the Daleks and the Time Lords, with the whole of creation at stake. My people were destroyed, but they took the Daleks with them. I almost thought it was worth it. Now it turns out they died for nothing."

"But—" I winced when he turned to me with a frown but managed to press on. "It wasn't for nothing. These Daleks took forever to show up. If they'd been around right after what happened, then the universe wouldn't have existed. They'd have wiped everything out, wouldn't they?"

"But they're still here while my people are gone," he said shortly.

"A-And I'm sorry that you had to do that but… you saved so many people. You brought a multitude of people thousands of years more to live. That… that has to be worth something, right?"

He didn't look convinced and simply turned away. "No good stood round here chin wagging. Human race, you'd gossip all day. The Daleks have got the answers. Let's go and meet the neighbors."

I didn't move to get up as Rose panicked and rushed after him to try and stop him. I'd had enough of the Daleks for one day and I knew I would need to gather myself up a bit for when we would have to face them again later. I didn't want to be out there now, even if it did make me look scared. Because I was, honestly. I was terrified. My hands still shook as I wrung them together, suddenly feeling the bite of loneliness. I had no one in this universe but the Doctor and unlike his future selves, this one seemed fine with leaving me alone.

I grimaced and brought my hands to my face, taking a deep, shuddering breath as I sagged. For the first time since I was brought here, I wanted to go home.

The Doctor stayed near the door for a moment, reining back his temper and the swirling guilt rolling in his stomach after having spoken to the Dalek Emperor and discovering how insane the Dalek army was. He needed to come up with a plan but every idea running through his head now would take too long. I need to try. He took a deep breath and pulled away from the door, running up to the console and sending the Tardis back to the satellite when his gaze caught on Asher.

She was still seated on the jumpseat, having not followed them out to face the Daleks. He wasn't sure why. A part of him wondered if it was just fear. If she was as new to things as she said, then it would be understandable. But then, why save Rose? Why take her place? He wasn't sure he believed her story of just "not thinking about it" but if she had been thinking then surely she wouldn't be as terrified as she was now. She was confusing to him and he wasn't sure what to make of her. When she'd first shown signs of knowing the future he'd had mixed feelings about it. It was dangerous but she held back saying or doing anything that would cause too much trouble, and that was when she'd known him for far longer. Now, she was young, inexperienced, and… he felt bad for her.

She hadn't told him much about herself up until now but he got the gist of it. She'd been torn out of her universe into this one and was getting teleported around his timeline. He didn't expect her to know how or why it had happened, so he'd not questioned it but it still meant that she was on her own. On her own with knowledge of the future and stuck with him. He didn't know how to treat her. He tried to be nice but she always seemed cautious of him, especially now. It was like anytime he brought his attention to her, she scrambled to find something to say that might be helpful. While also still being careful of what she's saying. He sighed softly as the ship landed and set his uneasiness aside regarding his guest. He could worry about her later.

"Turn everything up. All transmitters full power, wide open. Now! Do it!" He ordered the second he was out the doors, startling the people at the controls on Floor 500.

"What does this do?" Pavale asked.

"Stops the Daleks from transmatting on board. How did you get on? Did you contact Earth?"

"Well, we tried to warn them, but all they did was suspend our license because we stopped the programs."

"And the planet's just sitting there, defenseless. Lynda, what're you still doing on board? I told you to evacuate everyone."

"She wouldn't go," Pavale informed him as Lynda smiled.

"Didn't want to leave you."

"There weren't enough shuttles anyway, or I wouldn't be here. We've got about a hundred people stranded on Floor Zero," the woman beside Pavale informed the Doctor.

"Oh, my God. The fleet is moving. They're on their way," Pavale breathed and the Doctor quickly turned around, nearly plowing over Asher if he hadn't caught her by the shoulders and moved her aside.

He didn't miss the uneasy look on her face but couldn't worry about it now. He started pulling out bits and pieces of the conduits nearby, speaking over his shoulder at the group of people watching him at a loss.

"Dalek plan. Big mistake, because what have they left me with? Anyone? Anyone? Oh, come on, it's obvious. A great big transmitter. This station. If I can change the signal, fold it back, sequence it, anyone?"

"You've got to be kidding," Jack breathed, the only one really following what he was saying.

"Give the man a medal."

"A Delta Wave?"

"A Delta Wave!"

"What's a Delta Wave?" Rose asked as Jack replied.

"A wave of Van Cassadyne energy. It fries your brain. Stand in the way of a Delta Wave and your head gets barbecued."

"And this place can transmit a massive wave. Wipe out the Daleks!" The Doctor said with a grin.

It was forced but they didn't need to know that. So, why was it when his gaze landed on Asher's, he felt like she knew?

"Well, get started and do it then," Lynda pressed.

"Trouble is, wave this size, building this big, brain as clever as mine, should take about… Oh, three days? How long till the fleet arrives?"

Pavale looked worried. "Tewnty-two minutes."

The Doctor didn't stop working, pulling out everything he could as quickly as he could while Jack gathered the others to get them ready.

"We've now got a forcefield so they can't blast us out of the sky, but that doesn't stop the Daleks from physically invading," he explained to the group, showing them the imaging on the console.

"Do they know about the Delta Wave?" Pavale asked.

"They'll have worked it out at the same time. So, they want to stop the Doctor. That means they've got to get to this level, five hundred. Now, I can concentrate the extrapolator around the top six levels, five hundred to four nine five. So they'll penetrate the station below that at level four nine four and fight their way up."

"Who are they fighting?"

"Us."

Pavale looked at him like he was mad. "And what are we fighting with?"

"The guards had guns with bastic bullets. That's enough to blow a Dalek wide open."

"There's six of us," the other woman pointed out as the Doctor cut in.

"Rose, you can help me. I need all these wires stripping bare," he said and again, his gaze caught on Asher's.

She held it for a moment, something sad hidden behind her gaze before she turned back to the screen, wringing her hands. The Doctor hesitated for half a second before speaking up again.

"Ash, you too. Come on. Quick as you like."

She looked a bit surprised at first, then suspicious but Jack offered her a smile and a nod and she reluctantly headed over. She sat on the ground beside Rose who he passed the wires, before he turned to her.

"Soon as she's done, twist them together. Red to green, white to yellow, blue to black. Got it?"

She nodded. "Red-green, white-yellow, blue-black," she muttered in return and the Doctor couldn't help but reach out and lightly flick her forehead, earning a frown.

"Stop thinkin' so hard. I'm seein' smoke coming out your ears."

She looked like she was going to say something smart—maybe about his ears—but her jaw went tight and she nodded without saying a word. I'll have to work on it once we get out of here, he noted idly, returning to his work. I'm not gonna bite but she acts like every time I open my mouth it's to scold her or something. Lynda came over then, drawing his attention as she smiled at him.

"I just want to say, um, thanks—I suppose—and I'll do my best."

"Me too," he said with a smile back, uncertain what to do next until they settled on awkwardly shaking hands.

She hurried off to join Pavale and his colleague before Jack hurried up.

"It's been fun, but I guess this is goodbye."

"Don't talk like that. The Doctor's going to do it. You just watch him," Rose argued lightly.

"Rose, you are worth fighting for," he said, cupping her face and giving her a light kiss before turning to the Doctor. "Wish I'd never met you, Doctor. I was much better off as a coward."

He kissed him as well before turning to Asher who stiffened. His smile softened and instead of cupping her face, he just grabbed her by the arms with a small squeeze.

"And whether you just met me or not, you were always a great friend to me. Keep your chin up, Ash. Keep the Doctor out of trouble for me."

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, letting her go only for her to grab his wrist. He stopped, waiting as she opened and closed her mouth, struggling with something before her expression crumpled.

"I-I… I don't…" She closed her eyes and tightened her grip. "I'm sorry."

He turned back toward her as she let him go and he pulled her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight in return with her hand gripping his shirt.

"It's okay," he muttered in her ear, knowing how she must feel knowing that this was going to happen. "It's not your fault."

Her arms tightened.

"I mean it. I won't blame you for a single thing. Okay?" He pressed, pulling away and tipping her chin up despite the small wrinkle of her nose that she made when he did. "Promise. So, take care of yourself."

She offered him a small nod and he bounded off as Rose looked over at Asher with a small frown.

"He's going to be all right, isn't he?" She asked and neither Asher nor the Doctor answered, giving her a bad feeling. "Ash? You know, right?"

Asher said nothing, just settling back on the ground and taking the wires Rose had stripped to twist them around. Rose went to press the issue but the Doctor cut in before she could.

"Rose, take these. Same as before."

She pursed her lips, giving Asher one more look before returning to strip the wires. They worked in silence for a while before Rose spoke up again.

"Suppose…"

"What?" The Doctor asked, idly snapping some parts together.

"Nothing."

"You said suppose."

"No, I was just thinking. I mean, obviously you can't, but, you've got a time machine. Why can't you just go back to last week and warn them?"

"Doesn't work like that," Asher muttered, mildly surprising the Doctor, though he didn't comment on it.

"She's right. As soon as the Tardis lands in that second, I become part of events, stuck in the timeline."

"Yeah, thought it'd be something like that," Rose lied as he kept going.

"There's another thing the Tardis could do. It could take us away. We could leave. Let history take its course. We go to Marbella in 1989."

"Yeah, but you'd never do that."

Asher winced when she nearly dropped the wires she had, fingertips rubbed raw from twisting them. She bit her tongue to keep from saying anything about how the Eleventh Doctor ran off for who-knows-how-long to try and avoid his impending death. Ten did too, after Donna… and Twelve when he got the confession dial… Her gaze drifted to the Doctor as he continued speaking with Rose. He's always running from something. There was a whir of technology then, drawing his attention as he and Rose got up.

"The Delta Wave's started building. How long does it need?"

They ran over to the console as Asher stayed put on the floor, watching the Doctor bow his head as Rose questioned him, unable to work out what the readings said herself.

"Is that bad? Okay, it's bad. How bad is it?"

The Doctor abruptly stood though, grabbing her face and kissing her forehead. "Rose Tyler, you're a genius! We can do it. If I use the Tardis to cross my own timeline... Yes!"

He ran toward the ship, opening it and drawing her inside to hold down a lever. Rule number one: the Doctor always lies, Asher noted, staring at the doors as he hurried back out and caught gazes with her. Her eyes widened when he rushed over and grabbed her by the wrist, hauling her to her feet.

"You too. In ya go."

"No… No, not even for a second!" She spat, twisting her wrist and jerking it free when she used her heel to kick him painfully in the thigh.

"Asher, we're not arguing about this," he snapped, going to grab her by the elbow if she hadn't ducked back away from him with an angry look on her face. "Get in the Tardis. Now."

"Try that again and I'll scream," she countered, making him raise a brow.

"And who's gonna hear ya?"

"Rose," she said, immediately making him frown.

She knew what he was doing, what he was trying to do. If he wanted it to work, then Rose needed to be tricked into staying in the Tardis. He didn't want to risk it. Rose was important. He needed to keep her safe. But Asher is too. She's innocent in all this. There's no need for her to die up here with me.

"Go to the Tardis," he pressed again. "I've got it set to take her home, back to London with her mum. I'm sure they'll take you in. You can live a happy normal life, Asher. Without all this jumping around or Daleks or whatever else."

Her expression shifted looking almost… hurt. "You… You think that's what I want? You seriously think I want to just leave you here and… what? Go back to an Earth where I don't even exist? Where I can't get a job or license or education? Where you're going to rehome me like some lost pet with people I don't even know?"

"Asher, please," he urged, hearing Rose call out from the Tardis in question.

He was running out of time.

Asher shook her head firmly, taking another step back and he ground his teeth together in frustration before pulling out his sonic and sending the Tardis away—Rose screaming for him to stop from inside.

"There," he spat, glaring at Asher. "Hope you're happy. Now you get to die as a nobody. Just another stupid, useless human idiot!"

Asher winced when he kicked at some of the finished wiring on the ground, waiting where she stood until he'd calmed down and sank back down to keep working. She stood there a while longer before coming up and going back to do her bit; the room thick with tension. No one spoke for a while until Jack's voice echoed through the room.

"Rose, I've called up the internal laser codes. There should be a different number on every screen. Can you read them out to me?"

"She's not here," the Doctor grumbled.

"Of all the times to take a leak," Jack teased. "When she gets back, tell her to read me the codes."

Asher got up silently as the Doctor spoke up again.

"She's not coming back."

"What do you mean? Where'd she go?"

"Home," Asher replied, settling into a chair by the console. "I can read you the codes."

"Ash? You didn't go? Doctor, why didn't you send her?"

"She refused," he bit out, still angry about it and Jack glanced at her from the viewing screen as she refused to look up at him.

"The Delta Wave. Is it ever going to be ready?"

The Doctor was quiet but the deep rattling voice of the Emperor Dalek answered for him.

"Tell him the truth, Doctor. There is every possibility the Delta Wave could be complete, but no possibility of refining it. The Delta Wave must kill every living thing in its path, with no distinction between human and Dalek. All things will die by your hand."

Jack cut in, worried. "Doctor, the range of this transmitter covers the entire Earth."

"You would destroy Daleks and humans together. If I am God, the creator of all things, then what does that make you, Doctor?" The Emperor Dalek mocked as the Doctor spoke up, voice tight with anger and guilt.

"There are colonies out there. The human race would survive in some shape or form, but you're the only Daleks in existence. The whole universe is in danger if I let you live. Do you see, Jack? That's the decision I've got to make for every living thing. Die as a human or live as a Dalek. What would you do?"

"You sent her home. She's safe. Keep working," Jack encouraged.

"But he will exterminate you!" The Emperor Dalek argued.

"Never doubted him, never will. Same goes for you, Ash," he cut in, drawing her sad gaze up toward his. "I trust you."

The Doctor got up onto his feet, heading over to face the Emperor Dalek. "Now, you tell me, God of all Daleks, because there's one thing I never worked out. The words Bad Wolf, spread across time and space, everywhere, drawing me in. How'd you manage that?"

"I did nothing."

"Oh, come on. There's no secrets now, your worship," he pressed.

"They are not part of my design. This is the Truth of God."

The screen cut out and he ground his teeth, eyeing the Bad Wolf sign up above before looking down at the back of Asher's head as she rattled off the codes Jack needed. When she finished, she turned slightly to look over her shoulder at him.

"Is… Is there a way to cut off the comms? Just… Just so the Daleks can't hear."

The Doctor reached over and flipped a switch, lips turned down into a frown. "What? Decided to share some future know-how all of a sudden? Bit late, don't you think?"

The words were sharp and only added to his guilt but she'd done this to herself. He'd tried to help keep her safe and she refused. Now he had one more innocent life on his hands. One that could've been amazing if she'd just taken his offer.

"I told you before," she muttered, refusing to look at him and keeping her gaze firmly on her hands wringing themselves tightly. "The Daleks were transmitting stuff but they're not connected to the Bad Wolf thing."

"And you won't tell me what it is, I take it," he stated, seeing her stiffen. "How entirely useless."

He stormed off back to the heaps of wiring on the ground, not expecting her to continue.

"People are going to die," she bit out, back still facing him. "There's nothing I can do to stop that."

There was nothing she could do in the first place. He knew that. She was only human. But those words were lodged in his throat, held back by the bitter taste of guilt eating away at him. People weren't going to die because of her. They were going to die because of him, and he didn't need the reminder of that.

"If there was something I could do, I would and… and at the very least, if there wasn't anything then… then I didn't want you to be alone thinking it's your fault."

He stopped working for a moment, clenching his eyes shut with his teeth clenched tight enough to send a rivet of pain up his jaw.

"I just…" Her voice went tight. "I had a normal life before a-and I can't remember when I was happier than… than when I've been running around with you." She sucked in a shuddering breath and reached a hand up to grab at her hair. "G-God that sounded stupid. S-Sorry. I just…"

Her breath hitched and he knew she was crying. Whispered curses spilled from her lips as she pressed her palms to her eyes and tried to be as quiet as she could; pulling up the collar of her shirt to keep the tears from falling any further.

"You should've gone," he said, knowing it wasn't what she wanted to hear. "I don't need you to do anything for me."

She hunched further over the console and nodded mutely, pawing at her face and breaking his hearts as he went back to wiring.

Listening to the comms didn't help stop the tears. I hated crying, always have but it was worse when you were just trying to get out what you wanted to say and the buildup of frustration just knocks down the dam and lets it all come flooding out. Then, hearing Jack struggling to keep people safe, people dying as their bullets were rendered useless, Floor 0 being invaded and wiped out until Lynda informed the Doctor that they'd invaded Earth and were bombing whole continents. Millions, billions of people were dying and there was nothing any of us could do. It's not my fault, I tried to remind myself. Even if I wanted to, there's nothing I could have done. What use is knowing about these damn episodes if there's nothing I can do but sit here and listen?

"I've got a problem. They've found me," Lynda said as the Doctor tried to reassure her.

"You'll be alright, Lynda. That side of the station's reinforced against meteors."

His gaze landed on me though and fresh tears threatened to break through again. The grimace on my face told him enough. Her scream followed a moment later and a curse spilled from my lips as I slammed a fist into the console. The throbbing pain in my knuckles didn't help and Jack's voice over the comms only added to my frustration at being useless.

"Last man standing! For God's sake, Doctor, finish that thing and kill them!"

"Finish that thing and kill all mankind," the Emperor Dalek mocked.

"Doctor, you've got twenty seconds maximum," Jack warned as his gun went quiet and then his backup did before he too was gone.

The Daleks would be here any minute now. My tears had finally dried up, leaving me exhausted and wondering what I was going to do now. There was nothing, really. I couldn't warn the Doctor about Bad Wolf showing up. He would be angry about it, I'm sure. As it was, he was already done with me and I hadn't exactly proven myself any sort of useful. He probably wouldn't believe me if I told him he wouldn't need to use the Delta Wave or if I said everything would work out. People had already died. Jack would be the only one to come back and at what cost? There was nothing I could do. Nothing I could have done. So, why doesn't that make me feel any better about what's happened?

"It's ready!" The Doctor said then, surprised and when I saw movement in the doorways of the room, I was quick to get to my feet and back up toward him.

I didn't want to die and I knew I would be the first thing they shot if it meant getting to the Doctor. The Doctor noticed them as well and mildly surprised me when he reached an arm across my chest and tucked me carefully behind him.

"You really want to think about this, because if I activate the signal, every living creature dies."

"I am immortal," the Emperor Dalek declared.

"Do you want to put that to the test?"

"I want to see you become like me. Hail the Doctor, the Great Exterminator."

"I'll do it!" The Doctor threatened, putting his hands on the plunger that would set off the Delta Wave.

"Then, prove yourself, Doctor. What are you, coward or killer?"

He grit his teeth, hands shaking on the plunger before his whole body sagged. "Coward, any day."

"Mankind will be harvested because of your weakness."

"And what about me? Am I becoming one of your angels?"

"You are the heathen. You will be exterminated. You and your associate."

He turned slightly toward me, eyes sad. "Maybe it's time… You really should have gone, Ash."

"I-I couldn't," I murmured. "I would never and… and I'm sorry Doctor, but I-I don't think you're going to be very happy with me in a moment."

His brows furrowed before the familiar whirring of the Tardis echoed through the room.

"Alert! Tardis materializing!" A Dalek announced and he whipped around to face it as I took a hesitant step back; gripping the fabric of my pants uneasily.

"You will not escape!" The Emperor Dalek snapped but the doors rushed open and Rose stood in the doorway, bathed in the golden glow of the Tardis.

"What've you done?" The Doctor breathed, stumbling back to the ground as I swallowed thickly; reaching over to grab at my marked arm that almost burned with warmth.

"I looked into the Tardis and the Tardis looked into me," Rose—No, Bad Wolf breathed.

"You looked into the Time Vortex. Rose, no one's meant to see that."

"This is the Abomination!"

"Exterminate!" A Dalek screeched, firing off a laser that she easily blocked and returned to the Dalek's gun.

"I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself. I take the words, I scatter them in time and space. A message to lead myself here."

She waved her hand to scatter the words "Bad Wolf" as tears slipped down her face.

"Rose, you've got to stop this. You've got to stop this now. You've got the entire vortex running through your head. You're going to burn," the Doctor begged.

"I want you safe. My Doctor. Protected from the false god."

"You cannot hurt me. I am immortal," the Emperor Dalek declared but she stared back coldly.

"You are tiny. I can see the whole of time and space. Every single atom of your existence, and I divide them."

She lifted her hand and the Daleks in the room began to turn to dust.

"Everything must come to dust. All things. Everything dies. The Time War ends."

"I will not die! I cannot die!" The Emperor Dalek screeched before it too was gone.

"Rose, you've done it. Now stop. Just let go," the Doctor pleaded.

"How can I let go of this? I bring life."

"But this is wrong!" He argued. "You can't control life and death!"

"But I can. The sun and the moon, the day and night." Her golden eyes shifted to me then and I stiffened out of fear.

She was the closest thing to a God in this universe. She could do anything to me. Wipe me out of existence, prevent me from jumping timelines, torment me, save me. She could look into my very soul and determine what it is I am, what I dream to be, and just make it happen or destroy it. My nails dug painfully into my arm; tattoos shimmering like gold dust as I faltered back against a conduit. A cold sweat rolled down the back of my neck and my breath hitched in my throat.

"A gift for the Tardis Child, the Eternal Companion."

The marks glowed as bright as her eyes and it felt as though a snake had wound its way up my arm, twisting and tightening all the way up to my chest. My breath was choked from my lungs and I fell to my knees, unable to even gasp at the feeling of my very bones creaking from the strain.

"Rose, stop! You have to stop!"

"But why does it hurt?" Rose breathed.

"The power's going to kill you and it's my fault," the Doctor said before stopping and turning toward me; the accusation burning in his eyes.

No, this is your fault.

"I can see everything. All that is, all that was, all that ever could be," Rose continued as he got to his feet and an idea sprang to mind.

"That's what I see. All the time. And doesn't it drive you mad?"

"My head," she cried.

"Come here."

"It's killing me."

"I think you need a Doctor," he muttered, pulling her forward and kissing her to draw the Vortex out of her body.

She sagged instantly and he gently laid her down on the ground, before exhaling the golden energy back into the Tardis. He faltered back when he finished and then checked on Rose once more before lifting her up into his arms and starting for the Tardis. He stopped before he entered, turning to me with a cold expression.

"Get in or I'm leaving you here," he said, watching me as I somehow rose to my feet and stumbled my way into the ship.

I tripped on the grating and rammed my shoulder into a coral pilar sagging to the floor and finally feeling the constricting of my lungs ease. I sucked in a desperate gasp for air as he laid Rose on the ground and moved to the controls, sending the Tardis off.

"J-Jack," I choked out, wondering if I could help him at the very least. "H-He's not dead."

"I know," the Doctor said shortly.

"But y-you're leaving him."

"I'm not taking him. I can't. I can feel—" He cut himself short before shaking his head. "You wouldn't understand."

Rose shifted on the ground then, cutting our conversation short before it even began.

"What happened?"

"Don't you remember?" The Doctor asked her, testing her.

"It's like… there was this singing."

"That's right. I sang a song and the Daleks ran away," he fibbed with a smile.

"I was at home. No, I wasn't, I was in the Tardis, and there was this light. I can't remember anything else."

The Doctor looked at his hand and again, those cold blue eyes shifted to me. I knew what was about to happen. I had known what was going to happen and I hadn't told him; hadn't even warned him. How could I? You're the Doctor. You would do anything to avoid dying even if it meant tearing the universe apart… I wanted to. I will always want to tell you but I can't. He turned away, smiling down at Rose who was oblivious to what was going on. He only ever had eyes for her.

"Rose Tyler. I was going to take you to so many places. Barcelona. Not the city Barcelona, the planet Barcelona. You'd love it. Fantastic place. They've got dogs with no noses, he laughed. "Imagine how many times a day you end up telling that joke, and it's still funny."

"Then, why can't we go?" She asked.

"Maybe you will and maybe I will, but not like this."

Rose got up, looking at him like it was all some kind of joke. "You're not making sense."

"I might never make sense again. I might have two heads or no head. Imagine me with no head. And don't say that's an improvement. But it's a bit dodgy, this process. You never know what you're going to end up with—"

He jerked, doubling over and flashing bright gold for a moment, startling Rose and making her rush toward him only for him to hold up a hand and shout.

"Stay away!"

"Doctor, tell me what's going on," Rose demanded.

"H-He's regenerating," I muttered, pushing myself unsteadily to my feet.

"What's that mean? Doctor, what's that mean?"

"I absorbed all the energy of the Time Vortex, and no one's meant to do that. Every cell in my body's dying," he explained through the pain.

"Can't you do something?"

"Yeah, I'm doing it now. Time Lords have this little trick, it's sort of a way of cheating death. Except… it means I'm going to change, and I'm not going to see you again. Not like this. Not with this daft old face. And before I go—"

"Don't say that," Rose cried.

"Rose, before I go, I just want to tell you, you were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. And do you know what? So was I." He smiled and turned to me as I eyed him cautiously, him giving me a once over. "You take care of her. I don't care what you have to do. I'll not have you hurt her again, understand?"

"What do you mean?" Rose asked as I just stared back at the Doctor until he turned to her with a smile once more.

"Nothing, just… thank you, Rose Tyler."

Then, he burst into gold, and the Tenth Doctor now stood in his place.

"Hello. Okay. Ooh, new teeth. That's weird. So, where was I? Oh, that's right. Barcelona."