Title: The End of Time, Part One

Pairing: 10th Doctor/Donna

Series: Dr Who Specials [2008-2010]

Rating: 15

Type: Fanfiction, Angst

Summary: The Doctor has just defeated the Master, sending him and the rest of the Time Lords back into the heart of the time war and restoring the human race. There is just one problem… he's sacrificed himself to save Wilfred Mott… the one who was always destined to end his life. Can anyone save him now?

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Dr Who characters or anything from the universe of Dr Who. I am just taking the characters and playing with them a while – promising to restore them whole and unblemished! Thanks to Russell T for creating these toys for me to enjoy. Please don't take

Wilfred Mott looked on in desolation as The Doctor, the greatest man he had even known, locked himself into the radiation chamber.

He had done it to save Wilfreds life; he had done it because he cherished life above all else.

Wilfred was helpless. He couldn't stop him from his sacrifice. And while the small room flooded with deadly radiation, Wilfred watched the man shrivel in on himself as his body curled and he lay, broken upon the floor.

Then there was silence.

The radiation chamber clicked off-line and all about the room was still.

It took a moment, but Wilfred came to realise that the Doctor was still breathing. And he let himself hope that this miracle man was immune to the full extent of nuclear fall-out.

Somewhere in the back of the room, a door opened and a soldier asked, "Erm… sir… I know a lot of weird things have been happening but, well, there's this woman…"

"Not now!" Wilfred cried into the air, rushing to press himself against the Doctors glass cage, eager to open the prison and place hands upon the man to ensure his health.

The soldier walked out with no argument, but Wilfred was fixed.

The Doctor moaned against the pain.

"Doctor?" Wilfred asked, "Doctor, are you alright?"

Slowly, the svelte figure began to move. Bone and sinews and muscle protested against their imposed state of torment and willed themselves into action as the Time Lord dragged his form upward to stand before the bereft human and look him in the eye.

But Wilfreds heart still found it was gripped, the man before him seemed so fragile.

Years of indoctrinated denial sprang to the forefront of his mind and Wilfred Mott laughed, "There… you see. I knew you'd be alright." It was called British reserve; no matter how bad things could get, one never admitted it.

But The Doctor looked battered, bruised, scarred and pained beyond measure.

And then the aliens deep brown gaze focused beyond Wilfred Mott. They fixed just over the old mans shoulder.

"What?" The Time Lord mumbled and pressed the glass door to open. "What?"

Brushing past Wilfred, The Doctor moved to the other end of the room to see the third person who stood, observing the shattered scene.

Donna Noble. Awake and processing the area.

"No," The Doctor gasped, "No, no, no, no!"

And he reached Wilfreds granddaughter, forgetting all that had happened to him and gripping her arms tightly.

"Donna?" The Doctor questioned, squinting into her gold-lit eyes, "Donna?"

With a great sweep of his heart, Wilfred recalled Donnas last moments before she had passed out on Wessex Lane. She had begun to remember the time she had spent on the TARDIS. And it was killing her.

The Doctor had once warned Wilfred that Donna could never be permitted to remember her time spent with him. If she recalled even the slightest moment, it would burn her and she would die…

And yet, here she stood, in the Naismiths estate, looking serenely at The Doctor and smiling.

"Hello," she whispered in awe, moving to cup his face in her hand, "Space man."

There was the smallest second where The Doctor closed his eyes to savour the embrace, but then it was gone and urgency overtook his expression.

"You can't be here!" He insisted, but Donna moved past him, "It isn't safe."

Donna moved toward the forgotten Vinvocci medical gate as The Doctor followed.

"Listen to me," he warned, "you have to sleep now."

But Donna wasn't listening; she had reached the terminal of the gate and began to type in new commands.

"Donna!" The Doctor convulsed, falling to the floor in time for Wilfred to reach him and haul him upright.

"What's wrong Doctor?" The human asked, "What's happening to Donna?"

The Doctor looked on, horrified, as his skin began to shimmer with the golden energy of regeneration, "She's starting to remember!"

And with that, Donna threw a switch and the medical gate flashed.

All was darkness.

The howling mouth of the time vortex at the un-tempered schism swirled and swallowed, begging you to look deeper…

… or to run…

… or to lose your mind.

The Doctor ran.

He always ran.

For what felt like an ice age, Wilfred was the only conscious being in the room.

After working at the controls of the Medical Gate, Donna had sent out an energy burst that had shifted through the estate.

Wilfred guessed it had used up the last residual energy in the mechanism as the technology now stood dark and dormant.

The old soldier sat on the ground, having pulled his granddaughter up to rest on his lap. He spoke to her, telling her it was all going to be alright and that she was alive, which was the most important thing of all.

Further into the room, The Doctor lay sleeping. Wilfred could see he was breathing, but was unwilling to leave Donna to check on the man.

And, after a time, the alien began to stir.

"Doctor?" Wilfred questioned, as the man dragged his frame up to meet the old soldier's eyes.

"Wilfred?" He asked, voice breaking into threads as he looked at the woman lying in the frail man's arms, "Is she..?"

"She's breathing," he answered, "but she won't wake up. What happened?"

The Doctor looked up and around the room, "Donna used the last of the residual energy to power the Vinvocci medical gate," he said, "It's done now; broken beyond use. This one last action was all it had left." Then he sniffed and shifted slightly, motioning toward the gate, "The motherboard's melted... its just scrap now."

Wilfred nodded, "I thought that's what she'd done. Used the last of the energy, I mean… But how did she get here? I thought you said she was safe."

"She was," The Doctor said, looking at Donna with sad eyes, "I built in a safety to her brain so that if she started to remember me she would pass out rather than burn up. She was supposed to sleep until all danger had ended. But Donna, being Donna… she had to go and change the rules."

"That's my girl," Wilfred smiled, squeezing his granddaughter fondly.

"Looks like she sensed the immediate danger was over and her subconscious took control. Locked onto the information she had been processing about the Master and the Naismith estate and she came here… to save me…"

"Will she be alright?" Wilfred asked.

The Doctor hung his head, "I don't know, Wilf. I'm sorry. But I just don't know…"

"And you, sir," he breathed, eyes beginning to betray him by filling with tears, "will you be alright? I can't be loosing both of you… surely that isn't fare."

"I don't know… I feel…" The Doctor frowned, wiping a hand over his face and feeling each scar and tear in his flesh melt away, "I mean I feel…" energy started to rush through his veins and he realised, with wide-eyed wonder that the sensation was nothing like dying… "I feel brilliant!"

With newfound strength, he leapt to his feet and marvelled at the euphoria that was overtaking him. He wasn't dying… he wasn't… it made no sense at all.

"No… I can't be…" he checked his hands, "I'm not regenerating…" no, he wasn't… which was impossible. Even a Time Lord couldn't survive the amount of radiation he had absorbed without regeneration.

"No… I… wait…" and then the answer hit him like a tidal wave. "Oh!" He cried; startled at how simple the answer was. "Yes!" He was stupid! Old and thick… his head was too full of stuff! But even then, "Wait…" No, it all made sense! "Yes!" He rushed over to the medical gate and headed straight for the species control unit to see it was set for…

"Time Lord," Donnas voice filled the room. "The medical template was grafted from the last user of the gate; The Master. And his template, no matter what he intended to do with it… was Time Lord."

Wilfred whooped with delight as his granddaughter opened her beautiful eyes and smiled up to him, "Hi there Gramps… did I ever tell you… I'm the best temp in Chiswick… one hundred words per minute… didn't take much to reprogram that heap of junk from transfer template to transmit a network patch."

And from one moment to the next, The Doctor cheered with joy, leapt the distance between them and had span Donna up and into a tight, swirling embrace.

"Donna!" He cried with glee, "You are brilliant!"

Setting the woman down, the doctor hugged her close as Donna squeezed him in equal measure.

A great fear rose up and over Wilfreds boundless joy at seeing his grandchild well and he moved to separate the pair, crying, "Wait! Doctor, you said she couldn't remember you!"

The old man ripped the two apart and shoved Donna away from the Doctor with some force, "Now you can't be here. You have to leave! Quick! Before it's too late!"

But Donna just smiled, embracing her Grandfather and laughing lightly, "Gramps… it's ok. It's all going to be ok."

"She really is," The Doctor confirmed, with a smile that threatened to overtake his whole face. "She's going to be just fine."

"But you said…" the old soldier looked to the other man in confusion, "Time Lord consciousness, you said. And you said it would kill her."

"I told you I reprogrammed it…" Donna explained, "Well, I had it seek out and repair anything with Time Lord DNA. It fixed him."

"So I didn't have to regenerate." The Doctor said, moving toward the pair.

"And you'll live?" Wilfred asked as The Doctor and Donna nodded confirmation. "But what about you, Donna. I don't understand, sweetheart."

Donna grinned, "You said it… Time Lord consciousness… well, it's fixed."

"When Donna took all the knowledge in my brain it was an accident," The Doctor explained, coming to stand beside her. "It was a crisis. It should never have happened. It was like a flood and it broke her." The Doctor took Donnas hands and looked in her eyes, "It is all still there… but the patch has compressed the information. It will be unlocked naturally… the longer she stays in the TARDIS. The longer she stays travelling though time and space… with me."

Wilfred heard the last part, "So she can go with you again?"

Donnas attention snapped back from the Doctor to look at her Grandfather, "Oh yes… and not only that. I want to go. I can't stay here Gramps. I need to be out there. And I want to be out there. I'm going to go to the stars… would you stop me?"

The smile was already on the old man's face as he laughed through happy tears, "Never could before… what makes you think I can now?"

"And you?" Donna asked quickly, "Do you still want me, or have you rushed off to find anyone else yet?"

The Doctor shrugged… "There were a few options for me… but I guess I'll have to take you back, seeing as you saved my life and all…"

Donna feigned insult, "Charming. Not gone a year and you're already off gallivanting."

"A Time Lord has his needs."

She tapped a finger against her forehead, "Can't fool me, Spaceman. I know how you think."

"Good point."

The conversation ebbed and the friends simply stood smiling at each other until the Doctors eyes grew wide and he confessed, "I missed you… so, so much."

Donna looked a little surprised and her smile faded slightly, "I can't fully remember not being with you. But, I imagine, I really didn't want to go."

The Doctor laughed, tears forming in his eyes. "No. You put up one hell of a fight. But I had to. It was the only way to save you. I had to let you go."

Donna reached out to tilt his head up, "Well, I'm not going anywhere now. I'm going to be with you, forever. How d'ya like that, Martian boy?"

"Oh!" He shook his head, "I'm not… I'm not from Mars!" And he embraced her again, unable to think of another way to demonstrate his joy.

"There is just one more thing…" Wilfred said, teeth worrying his lip, "Well, you see, this is all wonderful and a miracle and all those other truly amazing things… but, Donna, you were engaged."

"Shaun," Donna gasped.

"And, while he was someone who distracted you from what you'd lost… well, I do think he cares about you. You owe him an explanation, Sweetheart."

Donna looked at the Doctor. Her Granddad was right. This wasn't something she was looking forward to.

Shaun Temple was actually a very decent guy, Donna admitted to herself as she watched him gaze at the floor.

He might have been a bit of a dreamer, but they were hopeful and harmless dreams. Nothing that was going to change the world or affect anyone but to bring happiness to those he knew and those he cared for.

Shaun had met Donna on a night out. They had both been temping for some large company or other and felt the same about a lot of things in life. But most of all they had wanted to see the world… shame nobody told their banks that. They managed to move in together and live modestly… but there was no room for luxury.

Still, he had kept Donna happy… until now.

But he was only breaking her heart because she was breaking his. She knew there was no place for him in the TARDIS and she knew that since her memories of travelling with The Doctor had been restored, Shaun would become second best. That wasn't fare to him. He deserved better.

"Is it something I've done?" He finally asked, still not looking at her, "Because, I know I haven't been working recently… but I can try harder…"

"No," Donna shook her head and pressed her hands together to stop from reaching out to him, "No. It isn't you. It's me. I've changed."

"Right," Shaun snorted bitterly, "just like that? You've changed."

"Yeah," she sighed, looking away from him and through the window, "I'm sorry. I'm not who I was."

Shaun made no argument. He was never an overly aggressive man and so he shook his head and said, "I guess I better make a few calls then…"

He was referring to the wedding, "I can do that."

"No, I… think I would rather," he insisted, "It might help me figure it all out."

Donna nodded, "And the rent is all paid up for the next year so-"

"I'll get you your money back by the end of the week."

"I didn't mean that!" Donna cried, "I just meant you don't have to worry about it."

"You will need that money, Donna," he said, voice rising slightly, "where are you going to live where you don't need that cash?"

Donna couldn't help flick her eyes in the direction of the TARDIS. She had a sudden surge of excitement. Where would she go indeed?

Shaun caught the look and, as timing would have it, The Doctor chose that instant to step out of the ship and lean on its hull. For the first time in his placid life, Shaun felt the red heat of anger build up behind his eyes.

"It's him, isn't it?"

And with that, Shaun Temple leapt up from the sofa and made his way out to the TARDIS.

By the time Donna and her family had reached the front door, the man had already reached The Doctor.

"Sean," the alien greeted, holding out his hand.

But the human wasn't interested and delivered a sharp blow to The Doctors face.

Donna cried out and ran to the pair, bending to help The Doctor up from the floor as her Granddad and mother gripped Shaun to drag him back.

"It's you, isn't it? The reason she's leaving me."

The Doctor gripped his face, "Over 900 years and I've never been punched for stealing someone's girlfriend. First time for everything!"

"So, you are stealing her then?" Shaun cried, straining against Wilf and Sylvia.

The Doctor looked horrified and answered, "No!" Just at the same time Donna replied, "Yes."

Shaun's protest faltered. "Well, which is it?"

Donna and The Doctor looked to each other and then back at Shaun. "Well… when I said I'm not stealing her, I mean not in a boyfriend way."

"Not my boyfriend," Donna agreed.

Shaun looked at the two of them, shaking his head. "I don't want to hear it. I'm leaving," and he turned on his heel, "Mrs Noble. Mr Mott." And after saying goodbye to Donnas mum and Granddad, he left without another word.

The Doctor fixed his eyes on the road; slightly guilty about feeling so happy Donna had chosen him over her fiancée. He was a selfish, old man. He knew it. But he couldn't help feeling excited about what would happen next.

"That was a train wreck," Donna sighed, turning to him, "and I do feel terrible about it. But you know what?"

"What?" The Doctor asked.

"I want to know where you're thinking of taking me…" she smiled, swaying slightly as the excitement grew…"Right now!"

The smile spread across his face before he could stop it and The Doctor reached out to snatch up her hand.

The next instant they were racing to get to the TARDIS console as The Doctor whirled controls and punched buttons.

"I was thinking about taking you for a holiday," The Doctor admitted, pressing buttons and setting a destination.

"That would be nice," Donna shrugged, "been a bit busy lately with saving the world… and the universe…"

"And time itself," The Doctor agreed, "So… beach or spa? We could sit and watch the three suns of Pallious twelve set for the last time, or… see the crimson rays bathe violet sands and then wink into black while drinking sangria on Duras five… or," he raced to the other side of the console to throw a lever upward, "Visit the Aquarian residents of Nibulous-ceti-meer, enjoy finest cuisine in their underwater palace and snorkel in their amethyst seas…" He grinned, twirling a control and thinking out loud, "Or we could go hiking up the tallest peek of the dusky mountains in the thrice gilded moon of Dakorico-Pan Alpha-Psi…"

Without his noticing, Donna had reached up and pressed her finger to his lips, "Somewhere hot, relaxing, with alcohol… but let's just get out of here."

The Doctor, a little startled by being silenced, nodded his head in agreement and pressed a button. "Your wish is my command."

Donna rushed back to the door to wave to her stunned mother and grandfather. "See you in a few days, yeah?"

"You're just going?" Silvia asked, bewildered. "Just like that?"

Donna knew her Grandfather had explained everything to her mother while she was 'breaking up with' Sean.

"Yeah," Donna sighed. She was just going. Just like that…

Her Gramps put her arm around her mum and gave her a quick squeeze.

Sylvia Noble felt a smile begin deep within her. Her daughter was whole again. She would be out there saving worlds and civilisations… songs would be written and stories would be told of Donna Noble, her daughter, once more. "Then go," she breathed, finding tears swelling in her eyes. "We'll be right here, waiting when you get back."

Wilf laughed, cheering and blinking back his own tears, "And you make sure to have some stories to tell us!"

"I will," Donna said, moving to embrace them both, "Love you." She had never felt so happy and loved before and so kissed both of them on the cheeks before turning and closing the doors of the TARDIS.

"Was that your mum saying you should come with me," The Doctor asked, screwing his face up in confusion.

Donna sniffed, wiping back her tears, "Yeah…"

"Huh!" He huffed, pulling the last chord on the console. "What a difference a year makes!"

"Might have had a little something to do with saving the world…" she suggested, making her way toward him, "Twice."

"Well," he swayed, "about forty three times, but who's counting!"

And with that he shoved a lever and the TARDIS shook.

Donna felt her chest tighten with excitement. The TARDIS screeched and wheezed, shuddering into the future or into space or into the past or goodness knows where. God, she loved being a time traveller. She loved being with The Doctor.

Quite involuntarily, her hand found his on the console and the Time Lord beamed a smile to her. She couldn't help but smile right back.

She was with her best friend. Life was good.

The TARDIS thunked down with a clatter that sent The Doctor and Donna staggering about the main deck.

"Where are we?" Donna asked, steadying herself.

The Doctor grinned, bending to grasp a section of the TARDIS deck plating and pull it away. "I think you'll like this place, but there are a few things we need first…"

Disappearing into the storage space, The Doctor rummaged through decades worth of bric-a-brac, tokens and keepsakes before flinging a battered suitcase up onto the deck.

He joined Donna as she approached the locked bag and, with a flurry, threw it open to reveal sunglasses, flip-flops, bathing suits, towels, floppy hats and sun cream.

"I always planned to take you here," he said in a rush, shoving a swimsuit and colourful wrap into her arms. "I never did manage it last time around…"

He closed the case and ran to the doors of the TARDIS shouting, "Donna Noble… welcome to…" he flung the doors wide, "Jamaica world!

Donna gaped as her friend rejoined her; taking the bag and pulling her up and out by the elbow. "Jamaica world? Like the country? But on a planet?"

"In 3014 Jamaica was bought by a consortium that decided that Earth was too busy, cramped and anxiety-ravaged for the true Jamaican experience. They bought the country and moved it; buildings, roads, homes, residents, pets, wildlife… you get the drift… to a new planet in the neighbouring solar system. Et voila!"

As they left the fresh, cool bubble of the TARDIS, Donna was blanketed in the misty, warm heat of the planet…

"What's that smell?" She asked, inhaling deeply.

"Rum and raisin rain…" The Doctor grinned, "Isn't that brilliant?"

"If you've not got allergies," Donna shrugged, taking in the setting.

"You said alcohol…" The Doctor reasoned, looking slightly hurt.

They stood in the gardens of a hotel constructed entirely of bamboo. Palm trees stretched all the way up to touch the sky. Exotic birds sang in the distance. The air was warm and laced with alcohol. And all around was a misty euphoria. It was just what she'd asked for.

"It's perfect," Donna admitted. "And you're perfect for thinking of it."

He swayed slightly from side-to-side, very pleased with himself, "Let's get indoors before the Malibu Monsoon hits."

She barely had time to answer, "The what?" Before The Doctor grabbed her hand and they headed for the hotel reception.

Hours later, they reclined on beach towels on the planets award-winning sapphire beach. In the distance, kettledrums and chimes sounded as the residents and holidaymakers recovered from the post-Malibu Monsoon street party.

Donna took the lull in conversation to look sideways at her friend. She hadn't wanted to mention it before… but he looked older. He had been through a lot… lost the love of his life, lost his best friend and felt he had no one to turn to.

He hadn't mentioned it, but Donna thought that her departure had hit him a lot harder than he was letting on.

Then she smiled; he wasn't going to get rid of her that easily! She was back for keeps!

"So… you and this artistocrat…" Donna prompted, reaching for her pina-colada

"Which one?" The Doctor asked, mirroring her and taking a long sup of his own cocktail.

"I meant the one who flew off in a double-decker bus…"

"Lady Christina de Souza," The Doctor supplied.

"Her…" Donna said, looking at him over the top of her glasses, "you two…"

The Doctor frowned, looking back at her.

"You know…" she wavered, "Did you…" Gesturing feebly with her hand before slapping his arm in irritation, "You know!"

The Doctor regarded her with a blank expression before light sparked in his eyes, "Oh! You mean," he mimicked her hand gesture.

"Yes!"

"No," The Doctor dismissed, "No."

"Oh," Donna was slightly disappointed, "thought you were in there."

They both settled back in their seats, starting a fresh drink.

"Which aristocrat…" Donna began to chuckle… "Like I thought you'd have had a fling with the queen or something."

"Which one?"

Donnas cocktail almost shot through her nose, "No… way…"

The Doctor smiled behind his drink.

"I mean it…" Donna continued to gape, "No way… the Queen?! Queen Elizabeth!"

"Which one?" The Doctor said again, sipping his drink.

"Two?"

"No."

"One?"

He didn't answer.

"You…" Donna was lost for words. So she said all she could think to say, "I need another drink."

Without hesitation, The Doctor leapt out of his seat and offered his hand.

Donna joined him at the bar after a quick detour to the sparkling champagne fountain, to find the Doctor deep in conversation with the bar server. She wasn't concerned about the topic of conversation, or how the bar emptied over the twenty minutes except for an amorous couple in the far corner, a group of middle-aged men on a stag party and a darkly dressed woman sat, drinking a cosmopolitan not too far away from them.

The Doctor finally turned to her and refreshed her low glass of Bacardi, "I think we should try it."

"What?"

"Well… Barty said that there's a new restaurant opened just across the sea. We have to swim there and…"

"Who's Barty?"

"Barty," The Doctor nodded to the bar tender, "his name's Bartholomew… so, they do this certain sauce that-"

"Do you know that woman?"

Looking a little irritated, The Doctor asked, "What woman?"

"Her," Donna pointed to the person in question as she quickly finished her drink and left the bar.

The Doctor turned and looked about the room, "I didn't see any one."

Donna felt her eyes roll, "Sat right opposite us doing the Audrey Hepburn with the black dress and the big glasses… all she was missing was the theatre-length cigarette holder."

He continued to watch her, perplexed.

"You really didn't see her, did you?" Donna asked, sighing and beckoning to the bar man, "Barty… c'mere."

Polishing a glass, Barty made his way toward them.

"That woman…"

"Oh! The Hollywood starlet," Barty finished, eyes immediately glinting as he pointed to the vacated seat. "What about her?"

"How long has she been here?"

The barman thought about it, placing down the polished glass and retrieving another, "Arrived about the same time you did, I think."

Donna gave a grin, "And was she, or was she not, staring at my skinny side-kick here?"

"Only all night!" Barty said over the Doctors muffled protest.

"Thank you," Donna said smugly as Barty went on about his business. But when she turned back to the Doctor, she misread his expression. "I know. Shocking, isn't it? I mean… the suit is bad, but who'd have thought you could pull off a Hawaiian shirt?"

"No, Donna," The Doctor said, still gaping, "it's worse than that…"

"It can't get much worse than those sandals, my friend…"

"Donna," The Doctor censured, "that's not what I'm talking about."

Slowly, she realised that his shock wasn't at the fact someone had noticed him in the bar, but something that had started to concern and worry him.

"What is it?" She asked.

The Doctor looked at her, "I didn't notice her. Not at all."

"Well, that's fine," Donna comforted, wondering why it was such a big deal, "you weren't interested."

"No," he said, looking at her with some urgency, "I notice everything. It's just something I do. But even when you pointed her out I didn't see her. Like she was wearing a perception filter… but if she had been you and Barty would have missed her as well. So it must be a filter for me… so I don't see her. So I'm the only one who doesn't see her. And why wouldn't she want that?" The next instant, The Doctor was rounding the bar and asked, "Which way did she go?"

Barty pointed up into the foyer and The Doctor didn't hesitate.

Donna rushed to keep up as they raced through the lobby and The Doctor swirled around frantically, "Do you see her?" He asked, "Donna, do you see?"

Turning, Donna caught a glimpse of someone rounding a corner and cried, "Over there!"

He was off again and Donna ran to keep pace, "But I don't understand… why's it so important?"

"I don't know!" He admitted, "Where is she?"

"She's right here," a voice stated as the woman stepped out before them.

"Donna?" The Doctor questioned, "Which way?"

Shaking her head, Donna frowned at him, "Which way? No way! She's right there."

"He can't see me," the woman supplied calmly.

"I can't see her!" The Doctor said with irritation.

Not really understanding what was going on, Donna asked, "Who are you?"

"I just wanted to check on him," the woman continued to say, "I needed to make the decision."

"You still haven't said who you are," Donna pointed out.

"What's going on?" The Doctor asked.

"It's going to be a little awkward to begin with," the woman kept on saying as she reached around the back of her neck, "but it's all going to work out alright in the end."

"What are you doing?" Donna asked, somewhat dubious.

"What is it?!" The Doctor shouted with anger.

The woman unclasped a chain from her neck and pulled it away. She looked straight at The Doctor and smiled a little feebly, "Hello Grandfather."

Donna shook her head. She must need her ears syringing, there was no chance that woman said what she thought she'd said.

But The Doctor didn't respond. He simply stared at the stranger before him, dumbstruck. Because it couldn't be true… not after all the centuries of searching… not after going to the beginning and end of time to find her and finding nothing at all.

Deep inside he felt a long-forgotten pull as he recognised another Time Lord. It was built into the genes. With every fibre of his being he knew that the woman standing before him – a woman he had never seen before – was a member of his race and more, so much more.

"Susan," he managed to say as his throat dried up.

Donna couldn't find words for her shock as the woman rushed forward and enveloped her friend in a tight embrace.

"Oh, my girl!" She heard The Doctor crying into the woman's long, black hair, "My sweet, sweet girl!"

"She's your Granddaughter?!" Donna exclaimed, taking the time to truly study the woman before them now the pair had broken apart.

She was roughly the same height as The Doctor, but rather than the thin, fine boned man standing next to her, Susan was curvaceous and well turned out; wearing her long hair in ringlets over a tight, black dress.

"She looks nothing like you!" Donna protested as The Doctor continued to gaze at the woman now holding his hand.

"Which one?" The Doctor asked in a daze.

"Which what?"

"Which me."

"Shut-up," Donna snorted, "which you… You!"

"I'm a Time Lord," Susan explained with a broad smile. "So any of my regenerations can look like any of my Grandfathers."

Donna felt her head shaking, "But you're both the same age."

"We only look the same age," The Doctor corrected, still visibly stunned. "But I have about 300 years on her!"

It was all a little too mad for Donna to cope with, so she did something she rarely felt the need for. She stayed silent.

"It's so good to see you again, Grandfather. I've been looking for such a very long time!"

"Susan," The Doctor sighed, "I don't understand just yet… but right now I don't want to. I'm just happy to see you."

He embraced her again, sighing.

Donna wondered about all the times she had heard The Doctor say he was the last of the Time Lords. He had really believed that all his race had been wiped out in, what he referred to as, the last great time war?

Even accepting that the clone, Jenny, was related to him in a familial sense had caused the man a great deal of pain. To finally admit that the clone was, in some way, his daughter was a great struggle. He had taken a long time to do this… but time had softened him. Memories of his own family filled his thoughts and reminded him of the joy he could feel being a father to Jenny.

Watching her die… was almost too much for him to bear.

And right at this moment, her heart all-but burst for him.

"Donna," the Doctor said in a great intake of breath, "let's get a drink."

And before she knew it, Donna was swept up in one arm, Susan in the other, as the Doctor steered them toward the bar.

An hour, and several strong shots of liquor later, Donna was swaying over a rum cocktail and listening to the family duo of Doctor and Susan reminisce over their shared history.

Stabbing at the exposed ice at the bottom of the glass with her straw, Donna vaguely wondered about the life she lived in the year without the Doctor and how she had coped... she looked back on that time from a distance, as though she had been trapped in a tower, helpless and only able to watch as her life rolled on before her eyes.

She couldn't believe that someone who had been born and raised in the stars would give it all up to stay on Earth. How could someone just forget everything that was out there to settle down?

"So Susan…" Donna found herself saying as Barty mercifully refilled her glass, "When did you and skinny-boy here come to Earth?"

With a gulp and double-take to her Grandfather, Susan smiled at Donna, "Well… we arrived in the 1960's."

Donna laughed, "Him… in the 60's? What was he like?"

"Younger," Susan said with sadness in her eyes. "He was younger… but he looked about 70 human years."

Donna blinked, she had wondered about the regeneration process the Doctor had always spoken of. "70?" Donna gaped, then asked, "How'd he look?"

"Aaaah," The Doctor winked to her, "Dashing. Don't I always look dashing?"

With a click of the lips and wiggle of the Doctors eyebrows, Barty blushed feverishly and left the table.

"So how come you aren't travelling with him now?" Donna continued, resting her head in her hand. She found it hard to believe anyone would voluntarily give up the whole of time and space… after all… she hadn't.

Susans smile fell slightly and she answered, "I fell in love."

Donna sighed a little, "So did I…" she said before stopping herself.

The Doctor gave her a glance and she quickly qualified, "With exploring. With discovering just what's out there… with the enormity of it all and just little old me gets the privilege of seeing it… who wouldn't be in love?"

"So…" Susan asked, shifting her eyes between the human and her grandfather, "you two aren't…"

There was silence.

Susan blew an awkward breath and tried to gesture, "You know… erm…"

After a moment of blank incomprehension, the two friends suddenly caught a grasp of what Susan was eluding to and quickly cried, "No…" followed by the almost synchronistical spluttering of, "There's no…" or, "We're not..." or, "Not a couple…" or "Never…" and "No chance…"

"Right," Susan nodded slowly, with a twinkle in her eye and a smile on her lips.

"How are David and the children?" The Doctor asked, eager to change the subject.

Susans humour died completely. "They lost," she said.

The Doctor sobered.

Silence passed slowly as Donna looked up from her drink, wondering what she had missed.

"It's the reason I sought you out," Susan went on, looking directly at her Grandfather. "The resistance failed. David… he wanted to make a last stand. They acted as bait, setting up a new colony light-years away from Earth. The boys went with him… Christie and I stayed behind."

"But you're here," Donna pointed out. "So…"

"I'm here," Susan agreed, looking to the other woman, "they are back there. Time-locked."

The Doctor frowned.

"And I have the key," Susan smiled.

"But you can't create a personal time-lock without a massive power-source that bisects all dimensions of space-time relative to the form of energy that can unlock the said phenomenon. And that kind of power could burn out several supernovas…" Donna stated, taking a breath, "it's impossible."

For a moment, the human looked at the dumbstruck Time Lords in her shadow and then asked, "What?"

There was no answer but the proud smile of her best friend.

Donna shrugged, "It's a side effect."

While the Doctor beamed happiness through every pore, his Granddaughter composed herself.

"She's amazing," Susan said with a blink of surprise then looked to her Grandfather, "I can see why you like her..."

With a wink and a click of his lips, The Doctor grinned.

Susan then turned to Donna, "Just how did you know that..?"

Shaking her head, somewhat dismissively, Donna answered, "I, kind of, had The Doctor in me…" Then she startled, "I don't mean that how it sounds… I meant that I touched his hand and there was his light and then he was suddenly lying there naked!"

Susan finished her drink quickly.

"I mean… it wasn't…"

"It was a meta-crisis…" The Doctor jumped in, a little wide-eyed, running a hand through his wave of crazed hair. "A human/Time Lord meta-crisis… it was complicated."

"You had to be there," Donna supplied.

"But how…" Susan asked, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Donna's special," The Doctor shrugged.

"I'm not." She protested.

"You are," Susan agreed, looking at her a little closer. "But that doesn't fully explain how a meta-crisis could have occurred."

"It's a long story," The Doctor offered.

Donna blushed and said, "I'll tell you on the way." She stood, looking at the Time Lords, "I take it we're headed to the TARDIS to figure out a way to help your family?"

The Doctor jumped up, enveloping Donna in a tight and welcome embrace as he thanked her for understanding. She playfully slapped him on the back, "Stupid Martian… How couldn't I help you?"

As he went on ahead, Susan gripped Donnas hand to hold her back.

"I don't mean to make you uncomfortable, Donna," Susan said as she looked after her Grandfather. "It's good to see that you are here for him… I see the way he lights up around you," Susan said, her smile turning sad, "It's the way I want to remember him. Happy. Without thought for all the complications forced upon him."

"Well…" Donna squirmed slightly. "What are friends for?"

"You bring him joy," Susan continued, taking the humans arm, "and I only wish you to continue."

"I'm never going to leave him, Susan," Donna grinned, "I'm going to travel with that man forever."

"Come on you two!" The Doctor called.

Susan and Donna called back, "Coming!", smiled to each other and headed toward the ship.

"Where have you been?" The Doctor asked, somewhat agitated.

"Sorry… but…" Susan shifted forward… "How about I meet you out there… I, sort of, grew my own transport."

She pointed toward a brightly painted garden shed…

"You grew a TARDIS?" Donna asked.

"Yep," The Doctor smiled, hugging the young woman to him, "Susan grew a TARDIS."

Donna finished the drink she brought from the bar. "Well – what are we waiting for?"

The Doctor practically skipped to his TARDIS as his hand automatically shooting out and met Donnas and they both gave a squeak of excitement as they entered the space-ship.

But Susan didn't follow them.

"Come on," The Doctor beckoned his Granddaughter.

She hesitated a moment, seeming tempted. "I think I should lead the way…" she said, sounding a little sad.

"Oh…" The Doctor nodded, "yes. Of course. Your own ship… you're all grown up. Independent and all that…"

Susan smiled, "Something like that."

"So, what are we waiting for?" Donna asked impatiently.

"Right," The Doctor agreed, "let's go get your family."

"Yes," Susan smiled. "And, thank you, Grandfather."

"For you, my girl," he grinned, "anything."

He went to close the door then, but Susan took a breath. "I love you."

The Doctor frowned slightly, "I love you to…"

There was something not right… Donna thought to herself… but Susan nodded, took a breath and tore her gaze away from The Doctor, in his TARDIS and headed for her own.

"What was that about?" The human asked.

The Time Lord shrugged, "Just happy to see me, I suppose…"

The younger TARDIS boomed into action as it began to phase and Susan's voice came over the communications relays, "Just lock onto my ship and we'll take you to the time lock."

The instruction spurred The Doctor into action as he raced for the TARDIS console.

"And… we're off!" He cried, flinging levers and pressing buttons.

Donna was at his side in a moment.

She could imagine the blue police box hurtling through the time vortex in hot pursuit of the bright garden shed, flailing wildly from side to side, bouncing from wall to wall of the wormhole.

Everything seemed right on track as The Doctor and Donna fell, headlong into another adventure to save lives and right wrongs…

But appearances were deceiving.

The TARDIS lurched heavily to the side, sending its passengers reeling.

The Doctor recovered first, confusion written across his features as he shouted. "What?"

Scrambling back to the console, he screeched, "What?"

Donna gracelessly hauled herself up from the juddering deck to join him as The Doctor let out a final, quieter and more bewildered, "What?"

"Grandfather," Susans voice sounded over the communication net, "I wanted to say thank you."

The Doctor gripped the console that little bit tighter, "Susan… don't do this… we can find a way…"

Donna remained silent as she watched the scene unfold. It couldn't be happening… not to him… not again…

"Susan," The Doctor pleaded, "please."

"I'm sorry…" Susan said, her tears sounding through the words, "I knew you would try and find another way to do this. Trust me when I tell you, I have found no alternative. And the longer I delay, the greater my fear of going through with it…"

Donna didn't need to ask; she'd figured it out. A power-source of equal mass to several supernovas was required to break Susan's time-lock. Or she could use the explosion generated from the destruction of a TARDIS.

"You can't," The Doctors voice was somewhat strangled, "Not when we finally found each other…"

Donna felt tears sting her eyes as she looked toward her devastated friend and heard his grandchild sigh.

"Oh Grandfather," Susan laughed, "They are my children. And you are their only hope."

The Doctor looked close to collapse as he shook his head.

Donna wanted, desperately, to round the console and hold him close but she found herself rooted to the spot.

She knew Susan was right. There was only one way. And The Doctor knew as well; he just didn't want to admit it.

"Tell them," Susan continued, "I love them. And never forget me."

"I will never forget you," The Doctor convulsed, squeezing his eyes shut as he said, "And I will make sure no one can."

The TARDIS shivered as the pressure of its sister ship built to critical.

"You never know," Susan said, "I might survive this. Stranger things have happened."

The TARDIS shook again and The Doctor smiled, "They have."

"Have faith, Grandfather," Susan said; taking a breath, "life, space and time have more in store for us."

The Doctor whimpered slightly, loosing resolve as the TARDIS gave a great shudder.

"Here it comes," Susan announced, fear shaking her voice, "Grandfather…"

The explosion rocked the TARDIS as The Doctor and Donna were thrown like rag-dolls across the deck plating.

"Susan!" The Doctors cry rang out as he scrambled upward and back to his console, "Susan?!"

But it was too late; Donna watched the dismay on her friends face slowly morphed into despair and pain at his loss.

She knew his grandchild was dead.

What was there to say?

"Hello?" A young boys voice questioned over the intercom. "Hello… I'm reading a ship out there…"

Donna looked to her friend; crumpled over the console in grief and realised she had to help.

"Yes. This is a ship. Who are you?"

"I'm Earnest and we're the resistance."