Chapter Twenty

"Well, Alcanthus, are you ready to face me now?" The Doctor said as he advanced on him.

"You'll never go through with this, Doctor. If you kill me, you'll be proving me right." He said staggering away from him.

"I've killed before and in all likelihood, I'll kill again. Ending your life will make no difference to me. It will, however, make a difference to others because you won't be around to enslave and torment and wreck havoc on the universe."

"And that is how you justify being a murderer, Doctor?"

"One life for billions." The Doctor replied, shrugging. "If I must end your life to preserve the lives of countless innocents, then I will. This is who I am and this is the life I have chosen for myself. You know this as well, Alcanthus, otherwise you never would have chosen me to be your horseman. And if you are trying to play on my conscience in order to get out of your death, don't bother. As I told you before, you chose your fate the minute you ordered your tractor beam to pull down my ship, now you must live with the consequences. So, enough talk, Alcanthus. It's time to finish this once and for all."

"But, Doctor…"

The Doctor let out a frustrated yell and lunged for him. Alcanthus tried to dodge him but wasn't quick enough and he let out a grunt as the Doctor hit him in the face.

"I'm through talking!" The Doctor yelled at him. "I'm through with this place and I'm through with you! It ends now!"

"Fine, Doctor, let's finish this!" Alcanthus yelled back as the tried to move back away from him. "It will end now, but not for me!"

He reached into his robe and pulled out a ray gun. The Doctor ducked as a laser bolt zoomed past his head. Alcanthus fired again and smirked as this time the bolt hit the Doctor's left leg. As the Doctor gritted his teeth in pain, Alcanthus aimed and fired at his head. Instinctively, the Doctor ducked and missed the bolt in the nick of time, but Alcanthus was waiting for him with an uppercut to the jaw. He laughed as the Doctor's head snapped back and he fell to the ground, dazed.

"So, Time Lord, you aren't as invincible as you thought, and now you have a wounded leg just like me. But unlike me, you are about to get a hole in your head."

He aimed at his head and then paused as he had a thought.

"And by the way, Doctor, I do know about your ability to regenerate. I don't know what life you are on, but if you regenerate, I will fire again and again and again until you are dead. So, say your prayers, Doctor."

He aimed the ray gun at his head as the Doctor struggled to his feet.

"Goodbye, Doctor."

"No!" Rose screamed.

Alcanthus jerked his head around and saw her and Ocelus standing at the back of the building watching them. He sneered at them.

"Well, well, target practice." He said, aiming the gun at them.

"NO!"

Alcanthus grunted and toppled over as the Doctor slammed into his back. In a blind rage, the Doctor pummeled him with his fists repeatedly.

"Doctor, wait!"

The Doctor paused as Rose ran up to him.

"Rose, get back in the TARDIS!" he ordered

"Doctor, it's over. He's defeated." Rose said, pointing to the battered and bloodied Alcanthus. "Let's go home."

"Rose, I'm not through yet. He's still alive!" The Doctor replied. "I can't let him live!"

"Yes, you can."

The Doctor and Alcanthus both stared at her.

"Doctor, let the police or somebody like that take him into custody and deal with him."

"I can't risk that, Rose. They might let him go or he might escape." The Doctor replied. "I have to make sure it ends now."

Rose sighed.

"Doctor, this isn't justice. This is revenge." She said, laying a hand on his arm. "You're not doing this for the good of mankind, you're doing this because you're angry at what he did to you and me and Ocelus. It's time to step back and let someone else step in. Let it go."

She could tell the Doctor was thinking it over.

"Doctor, please, you're starting to scare me. This isn't like you. I've never seen you act this savagely towards your enemy before. It's like when you were with the Dalek in Van Statten's compound. Even after it stopped fighting, you wanted it dead and I know why. You were angry at what the Daleks did to your people, and you were angry at that Dalek for holding me hostage and threatening to kill me. Fear and anger make you do irrational things and that's what's driving you now. So let cooler heads step in and handle the situation before you do something you'll regret."

The Doctor sighed and nodded.

"You're right, Rose." He said. "If I kill him now, I'm no better than he is."

He glared at Alcanthus for a moment and then seized his robes.

"Where are we?" he snarled at him. "What planet is this?"

"Magera." Alcanthus replied.

"Magera…Ooooh, now it makes sense." The Doctor said as realization hit him.

"What, Doctor?" Rose asked.

"Magera is for the most part uninhabited. It's a rocky, barren, desert planet with little water. It can't support much life. Although I suspect this patch of land has been terraformed which would explain the grass and trees but outside of this there is nothing but desert."

He looked down at Alcanthus.

"And that explains why you've been able to carry on for so long. You and your slaves are probably the only people on the whole planet. No one comes here so there is no one to bother you. Well, unfortunately for you, I know the planets around it and who the galactic patrol is. So once we have you tied up in your little chair with the titanium restraints, I'm gonna contact them and tell them to come get you and throw your pathetic carcass in jail."

He leaned down until he was inches from his face.

"Hear me now and hear me good. I am listening to Rose this time and I will give you a break even though you don't deserve it. But if you escape, you better make damn sure you go somewhere where I'll never find you because the next time there will be no mercy."

He leaned up and punched Alcanthus in the face knocking him out.

"Thank you, Doctor." Rose said, taking his hand.

The Doctor sighed as he stared down at Alcanthus.

"I just hope you're right about this, Rose." He said softly. "Because if he escapes and we can't stop him, he could make the Time War look like a cake walk."

Rose scooted over next to him and wrapped her arm around him as he kissed her cheek and laid his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

One week later

"All ready for bed?" The Doctor asked Rose as she came out of the bathroom.

"Yup, just gotta get something from my room. I'll be right back."

The Doctor shrugged. As she hurried out of his bedroom, he pulled back the covers and sat down. He examined the burn mark on his leg. It had completely healed as had all of his other wounds. Alcanthus was locked away in a maximum security prison and after checking around the Doctor had found some friends who had been willing to take Ocelus in and help him out while he found a job and started a new life. The other horsemen had completely recovered and after being questioned, had been returned to their homes. As for the slaves and clones, they were being held in a special holding area while they were deprogrammed and evaluated for assimilation into society. Everything was wrapped up now and the Doctor was please. He only hoped that Alcanthus would stay locked up for good.

He smiled at Rose as she entered the room carrying a small paper bag.

"Oh, are we bringing a sack lunch to bed now?" he said to her. "I didn't realize I was so amazing that you ended up hungry afterwards."

Rose giggled and swatted his arm as she sat down beside him.

"You nut." She said. "No, that's not what this is. It's something for you."

The Doctor looked down as she sat the bag in his lap.

"Oh, what's this then?" he muttered, picking it up.

He opened the bag and he gasped as his eyes misted over. Reaching in he brought out an exact duplicate of the ring Alcanthus had thrown away.

"You…you didn't have to." He said.

"No, but I wanted to. I know how much that ring meant to you." She said.

The Doctor smiled softly as she took it from him and gently slid it back on the ring finger on his right hand. She leaned against his shoulder as the Doctor stared down at it.

"Rose, we have any superglue on the TARDIS?" he finally said.

Rose shrugged.

"I don't know. Why?"

"Because I'm gonna fuse this ring to my finger so I can make sure it stays there!"

Rose giggled. She leaned over and kissed him on the lips.

"I love you, Doctor."

"I love you too, my Rose. With all my hearts."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose lay beside the Doctor as he slept soundly. They had spent the past hour and a half making love and the Doctor with a contented smile has fallen into an exhausted sleep. Rose, however, didn't join him. For the past week she had been mulling over the Doctor's words to her about Alcanthus giving him a small preview of his future. He was going to tell her what it meant when Alcanthus had interrupted him. She wanted to hear the rest but she'd been afraid to bring it up while the Doctor was trying to heal and get the situation with Ocelus sorted out. But now that everything had calmed down, she knew she couldn't wait any longer. She had to know.

"Doctor." She said, gently shaking his shoulder.

"Muh?" The Doctor mumbled in his sleep.

"Wake up."

"Muh nuh nuh…"

"Doctor!"

The Doctor groaned.

"What, Rose?" he said sleepily.

"I…I want to talk to you."

"Can…it wait till morning?"

"No, I just want to know something." Rose replied.

The Doctor slowly opened his eyes and groaned.

"What, Rose?" he said sleepily.

"What…what you said to me when we were behind the waterfall; about Alcanthus giving you a small preview of your destiny. You were gonna tell me but you got cut off. I want to hear the rest."

The Doctor groaned.

"Bollocks, I was hoping you'd forgotten that." He muttered.

"Please, Doctor, tell me." Rose said, stroking his bare chest.

"If I tell you, will you let me sleep the rest of the night?"

"Yes."

The Doctor sighed and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He laid his hand back on his chest and stared up at the ceiling and for a moment Rose thought he wasn't going to say anything.

"It was in my 6th life." He finally said. "I was summoned to Gallifrey to stand trial."

"Stand trial for what?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"Conduct unbecoming a Time Lord."

"What's that mean?"

"It means I meddle in history which I'm not supposed to do but I do it anyway because unlike the rest of the Time Lords, I can't sit by and watch evil run rampant and not help out. It isn't the first time they put me on trial. They did it in my 2nd life as well and I ended up being forced to regenerate and got banished to Earth for awhile. But anyway, back to my 6th life; I was put on trial by the High Council and the prosecutor was this guy named the Valeyard. There was this computer network called the Matrix that was the repository for all Time Lord knowledge, and the Valeyard was using extracts of some of my adventures as proof of my meddling in time and space. Except the extracts were all tampered with and edited so it made me look bad and among other things made it look like I committed genocide. It was all lies of course, but no one believed that anyone could infiltrate the matrix and tamper with it until the Master appeared in the matrix and proved it was possible. Then I finally figured out who this Valeyard was and…"

He paused and stared up at the ceiling.

"Yes? Who was the Valeyard, Doctor?"

The Doctor sighed.

"Me."

"You?"

The Doctor nodded.

"Yes, the Valeyard is a dark version of me." The Doctor replied. "Completely evil and insane and apparently he's supposed to appear between my twelve and thirteen lives. I ended up entering the matrix and defeating him but he managed to escape anyhow and I ended up fighting him a couple more times in other lives. And each time I did I would stare at him and know that he could be my future and it absolutely terrified me. I've tried everything I can to keep away from the path that would lead me to that future but it seems like it's all been for naught since my dark side is emerging more and more now. When I was in my 6th life, my twelfth and thirteenth lives seemed so far in the future, but now that I'm in my tenth…"

He trailed off and stared at the ceiling. Rose stared at him completely in shock. She had no idea what to say to all of this.

"I've thought a lot about it especially after the Time War happened." The Doctor finally said. "And I know that after the Time War and the destruction of my people, it started getting worse and I began to think and do things that I never would have considered when I was younger. I was scared because like I said I was doing everything in my power to avoid becoming the Valeyard but now I know that there are turning points in a person's life or lives that shape their destiny and what they become. After the Time War and the destruction of Gallifrey I became very bitter and angry and that's when the darkness started to take a hold. So, thinking back, I consider those two events to be key turning points in my life. Whether or not the turning points lead me to becoming the Valeyard in the future, I don't know but I pray to Rassilon, it doesn't because I don't want to become the very thing I'm fighting against."

"You won't."

The Doctor glanced at her.

"How do you know?"

"The goodness in you won't let you."

"My good side didn't stop Alcanthus when he changed me into the horseman."

"No, but it did make you fight to regain control of your mind. You could have stayed the horseman and brought destruction on the universe; but you fought it because the good in you is stronger than the dark and wouldn't let you stay evil. That's why I don't think this Valeyard will be in your future. You won't let it happen, Doctor. Like you said, you're doing everything you can to keep away from it. If you were really that dark wouldn't you be doing just the opposite?"

The Doctor nodded.

"Well, like I said before, Doctor. We all have dark sides. Not everyone who has a dark side becomes evil and you are one of the kindest, caring, compassionate people I have ever met. Blimey, Doctor, if everyone on Earth was like you and went out of their way to help people and make a difference there wouldn't be any more wars or poverty or disease or any of the other evils we have. Most people say they're only going to help others but you get out there and do it. You are an example for the rest of us for how good can triumph over evil and there is no way that goodness can ever be corrupted. It might go away for awhile like it did with the horseman but it finds its way back because it's a part of who you are."

"Rose."

"Yeah."

"Did I ever tell you how awesomely, fantastically, super-spectacular you are?"

Rose grinned.

"Yup, all the time."

"Good, because I want you to know that." He said, smiling at her. "You are. You are a rare light that shines in the universe and don't ever let that radiance burn out, Rose, because wherever you go darkness can't exist."

"Awwwwww…" Rose said, as the Doctor kissed the top of her head. "Now see, would this Valeyard character ever say that? You aren't as dark as you think, Doctor. Now you are a nutter; but it's the fun, entertaining kind of nutter not the psychopathic, blood on the knife, foam dripping from the mouth kind of nutter."

"Gee, thanks, Rose. I'm so glad to hear that." The Doctor said, shaking his head as Rose pinched his cheek. "Well, it's nice to know my insanity amuses you and relieves your boredom. In that case, I shall endeavor to keep on being crackers just so you can have a laugh at my expense."

"Cool! Thanks, I'd appreciate that!"

The Doctor rolled his eyes as Rose giggled.

"'Sides, if this Valeyard ever appears I'll just give you a swift kick in the arse and tell you to behave and that will be the end of that."

The Doctor stared at her with wide eyes.

"You planning on me dying several deaths in the near future?" he asked.

"Nope, just planning on staying with you a loooooong time. In fact I was thinking of crackin' that Skasas Paradigm just so I could use it to live forever and keep an eye on your crazy butt!"

She giggled.

"And if you think I have a crazy butt, you should see the rest of me." She said, imitating the Doctor as she poked his shoulder repeatedly.

"Um, Rose."

"Yeah?"

"Are you on any medication that I should have been made aware of when you first came on board two years ago?"

"Nope, my craziness came from being around you and you rubbing off on me."

"Oh Rassilon, than the universe is in danger then!"

She swatted his arm as he chuckled. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm bushed. And now that I've explained myself I want to go back to sleep, okay?"

"Sounds fine with me and quit worrying about this Valeyard, Doctor. You're never gonna become him."

She yawned.

"Trust me." She said sleepily.

The Doctor watched as she closed her eyes and in a few moments was fast asleep.

"I hope you're right, Rose." He murmured. "For the universe's sake, I hope you're right."

He laid his head near the top of hers and with a contented sigh, drifted off to sleep.

THE END