My Final Chapter
Chapter 8 - God in the Machine

Elsewhere…

Beth struggled against her restraints, her mouth bound, while a man in dark red robes leered over her. "I am sorry it had to come to this," he drawled. "I'm certain you had the best of intentions. I understand humans who choose your line of work do so to protect their communities. I am trying to do the same thing. But I'm trying to save my entire race. In that regard, you can consider your death to not be in vain."

Outside the Yard…

Sky gently ran down the steps to the blue box parked right in front of the Yard. She slipped inside as casually as possible to avoid tripping the perception filters. "They don't suspect us." She reported to Team TARDIS inside. "But now they're taking the disappearances seriously. The inspector thinks Kate must have caught on to some organised criminal ring and got abducted."

"Not totally incorrect," the Doctor mused. "I just don't understand."

"Which part?" Jack asked.

"All of it. But specifically how are they here?!" The Doctor looked at Sky. "Spoilers sweetie?"

"Sorry not this time dad." Sky shrugged. "I mean I knew that Gallifrey was back on the board, I studied there, but how and why was before my time."

"So I succeeded…" the Doctor looked at Clara. "I went home." She patted him supportively.

"It would appear that way. Perhaps mum might know more," Sky trailed off.

"I'm sorry, can someone catch the rest of us up?" Martha interjected. "I mean you always said that your home was destroyed in the Time War. How is it back?"

"I suppose the quick and dirty version is that due to an impressive time machine, actually 14, myself and my other regenerations were able to freeze Gallifrey in a pocket universe but to the rest of the galaxy it looked as though it had gone down in the crossfire with the Daleks. I've been trying to locate it to bring it back but…"

"Let's just say you haven't gotten there yet," Sky finished for him.

"But if the Doctor saved Gallifrey, why are these time lords so bent on destroying him?" Rose asked.

"Because they're not." Mickey replied. "Remember this whole time, they've been going on about the 'children of time', not the Doctor."

"But what could we have done to piss them off?" Donna queried. "If anything Gallifrey should be thanking us for helping the Doctor stop Daleks and Cyberman and all that."

"Honestly I think we could save the discussion on motives until after we go and save Kate," Michael reasoned. "Now that we know we're dealing with time lords, tracking them down won't be so hard. The TARDIS can scan for the Gallifreyan biosignature and lead us right to them."

"We still need a strategy," Mickey added.

"Which we'll figure once we have a better picture of what we're dealing with." The Doctor typed the commands into the TARDIS and it began scanning for anything Gallifreyan in origin. "This may take a few minutes, go get something to eat, recharge, it's boots on the ground as soon as we have a location." The team dispersed leaving the Doctor at the console and Sky by the railing, thumbing her diary. "What's wrong?"

"I think…" Sky sniffed. "I think this is my last entry and it's almost over and mum…" She curled her lips in mournfully. "I thought she would be here."

"Last time we saw each other, you said I took your last page. What did you mean?"

"Oh so you haven't said goodbye to her either," Sky sighed. "Anyway, but by the time you do, Uncle Jack will be gone and you'll have moved me to live on Paternoster Row. I'll be older but you never told me that she was going to… Anyway I didn't get to say goodbye. When you gave me the diary, you told me I would get my chance at the end."

"But she's not here," the Doctor concluded. "Is that why we argued last time too?"

"Partially. I wanted to save her. You wouldn't hear of it."

"What did you want to do?"

"Go all the way back. To when the Library was being built and sanitise the infestation of Vashta Nerada before it could hatch."

The Doctor shook his head, "Good idea but that -"

"Would interfere with far too many timelines. You said."

"Don't lose faith yet Sky," the Doctor held his daughter. "I can't imagine a single reality where I would deprive you of something so important. Your time with your mother is precious. You know Gallifreyans live for so long but even we can't outrun how finite time is. There is always an end."

"Thank the universe for that. Otherwise I would've left the Academy at year 25."

The Doctor chuckled, "At least you got to study there. And passed I assume?"

"Of course, with more than 51% I might add." Sky nudged him as he shook his head.

"I should have known. That battleaxe would survive anything."

"I dare you to call her that to her face." The moment is broken by the sound of the TARDIS beeping shrilly. Even from there, the time lords could see that it had located another Gallifreyan presence in outer Hebrides.

"Get the others." The Doctor put his hands in his pockets. "It's time."