Donna pounded her fists against the TARDIS doors in desperation and disbelief, but they refused to budge. She heard her name in the Doctor's panic filled voice. He shook the doors attempting to force his beloved ship open to get her out, but without success. The ship shuddered, tossing her to the metal grated floor. The simple act of grabbing the railing proved difficult. The ship creaked and groaned around her, making her feel as if she were passenger on a boat caught in a hurricane. Each increasingly violent jerk sent her crashing back to the metal floor making it impossible to stand. She struggled on her hands and knees to reach the console. She'd just managed to grab the rail of the console and haul herself up only to have the ship knock her down again. Smoke and fire began to fill the heart of the ship as explosions tore apart the walls. Chunks of coral support beams landed around her. The TARDIS was dying around her. She didn't want to die here. She didn't want to die at all. There was so much more to see and do with her beloved friend. Her heart pounded in her ears, each thump a reminder that she would never see her mum or granddad again. That pain of that was worse than hitting the metal grating full force.

Donna made it under the edge of the console hoping for a little protection from falling debris. The sound of someone's heartbeat drew her attention to the daft container holding the Doctor's hand. She watched, mesmerized by fingers beckoning her to touch the glass. The jar's fluid began to pulse in time with the strengthening heartbeat. Frozen in place, Donna knew that she'd gone mental. She had an overwhelming need to touch the jar. Golden energy sparked, arching from the now shattered container to her fingers, coursing through her hand, flowing up her arm, into her eyes. Her body shook uncontrollably as timelines bent around her, her mind splintered with all known reality filling every cell of her brain. The wonders of the universe played out before her. Even the inner workings of the TARDIS made sense. A stream of gold flowed from the shattered container like a river of molten lava coalescing into an indistinct shape. A head formed followed by the formation of extremities. Unable to move, Donna watched the energy transform into an apparent human. The spell broke when the being bolted upright.

"Oh. My. God." Donna sat back on her heels. Time froze. The rocking stopped. The man stood in front of her.

"You're naked!" she blurted astonished.

"Yeah," he answered.

"Completely naked!" She averted her eyes.

"Yep! Clothes, I should get clothes," he muttered more to himself than her.

"You're like worms; cut off a piece and it grows back!"

"No. I'm unique. There has never been anything like me before," he replied.

The explosions stopped. The fires evaporated as the ship morphed into a separate reality. The new life form glanced down and then back up at Donna, suddenly feeling ashamed that ... The realisation struck. God, Donna was his mother. He was in front of his mother - naked. "Clothes, he said louder, "I really should - get dressed, maybe the blue?" With that, he turned on his heels and ran. He only had minutes to come to grips with what had just happened, develop a plan, and save them all.

"This. Is. Bonkers," Donna shouted when he came back dressed.

"Oi, shh," he replied as he ran for the storage room.

"What are ya doin' now?" she called as she followed after him.

"Energy weapon, I kept it after the war, just in case. I think this is the case."

o0o

The TARDIS re-materialised on the deck of the enemy's ship. The new life-form exploded out the door initiating a battle to save not only the universe, but reality itself. With the enemy screaming in rage, the newly formed man made a decision that would forever alter his unique existence. A manic grin crossed his face. With the Doctor screaming for his warriors to run, he flipped switches and fulfilled the prophecy. When the hybrid Gallifreyan made eye contact with his progenitor, he saw only rage directed at him. The reaction filled him with confusion - and anger. He'd just saved all of reality, it seemed a little gratitude might be in order. He raced behind the others to cross the threshold of the ship to safety as the doors of the TARDIS slammed shut. The ship shook violently during the process of dematerialisation, leaving the alien ship and fleet to explode around them.

The victorious group gathered around the Doctor shouting with joy oblivious that he'd shoved his anger and deep shame aside to finish the job at hand. He assigned stations and flashed a manic grin. "We're flying Mother Earth home," he shouted with glee to his friends. With ship in flight, he stood back to watch everyone laugh, and celebrate.

The ship landed in a London park long enough for the Time Lord to say goodbye to half of his warriors, then returned to the vortex long enough to take care of remaining business. Whenever those who remained on board looked at him, to cover his grief, he cracked a huge smile. Their joy made the coming loss hurt so deeply that he didn't think he'd survive the pain. Just breathing hurt. If Donna hadn't slipped her hand in his, he would have gone down like a rock. He squeezed her hand in gratitude before turning to Rose. She ran to his waiting arms sending his hearts racing. Fitting perfectly against him, she melted into his arms. The scent of strawberries mixed with ionized weapons fire, dust, and sweat filled his senses. He closed his eyes tight trying to hang on to this perfect moment, imagining her in his arms forever.

How could he give her up again? It wasn't fair.

He could feel Donna engaged in a telepathic conversation with the new being who shouldn't exist. The very thought of its existence made his skin crawl. Even though she was blissfully unaware, the strain of his creation already showed in her eyes. This was surreal.

He drew a sharp breath. "We should get some scans; see exactly why you are," the Doctor said.

"Right, yeah," the hybrid replied. He stepped away from Donna to follow his progenitor.

The Doctor swung a scanner down from the med-bay ceiling and watched it encircle the newly formed man. Gallifreyan readouts appeared on the screen. "Can you read the results?" the Doctor asked.

The man on the exam trolley hopped down to get a better look. "Yeah," the hybrid answered. "It says, I can't regenerate. I'm too human."

"Can you feel the TARDIS at all?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah, she's trying to sing to me. I can feel and hear Donna, as well. Do you know why she's so loud and brash? She's screaming to be heard. She is so incredibly brilliant, but no one listens. Imagine how different her life would be if only someone had listened." He sniffed hard. "Anyway, you - I haven't a clue about you."

"That's because my shields are in full force," the Doctor explained.

The hybrid scuffed his feet on the floor, obviously afraid to make eye contact with his progenitor. "Are you going to destroy me?" he asked quietly.

"What - no. Of course not," the Doctor replied, offended by the idea.

"So, what are you going to do to me?" the hybrid asked.

"I honestly do not know," the Doctor lied.

"You have to stop Donna's transition. She won't survive if you don't. After, I'll take care of her. She's my mum," the man said.

"Right. If you don't mind, I need a minute," the Doctor said, ignoring the man's comment. He turned his attention to the scanners. There was nothing he could do to reassure the hybrid or ease his fear. It wasn't possible for the hybrid to live in the same universe with Donna. Donna had to forget him for the same reasons that she had to forget her adventures on the TARDIS. The universe decided his fate the instant the hybrid threw the switches on Davros's ship.

"Right then, I'll just - go," the hybrid said. "I'll tell her - you want to see her. You do want to see Donna - right?" He hesitated. "Right," he said when the Doctor remained silent. He let out a deep sigh before walking out alone.

The Doctor didn't know how long he wasted time staring at the scanner's Gallefreyan symbols before the scent of Donna' perfume brought him out of his stupor. He tried to ignore her, but Donna was not a woman easily ignored. The sudden touch of her hand on his shoulder sent a shudder through him. He tried to resist when she pulled him around. He couldn't face her. If he did, she would see his eyes filled with pain and deep shame over what he had to do - to all of them.

"Hey, Spaceman," Donna crooned, pulling him into her arms.

Tears spilt down his cheeks. "I have to take her back." He sobbed into her shoulder. "How do I betray her again?"

"I know, but she'll have him, and they'll both be safe. They can't stay here," Donna relied.

"Donna, I love her. I can't do this." He cried.

"Yes, you can - because you love her. Someday, she will understand. They both will."

The taste of his coming betrayal too bitter to stand, The Doctor pulled back from Donna's comforting embrace. "Right," he said as he scrubbed his face with both hands. "And you, what about you?" he asked. "How ya feeling?"

"I'm fine. Bit of headache, but okay,"

"Time Lord fine or human fine?" he asked, forcing strength back into his voice.

"Human fine," she replied, hugging him one more time.

"Right then," he said, "let's get everyone home."

In the next few minutes, everyone he loved would hate him for his acts of betrayal. He stopped a few feet from the entrance to breathe. The strength he gained from Donna's hand clutched in his made every guilt-ridden step back to his friends possible. He laid a hand against the coral struts of his beloved ship, flashing Donna a tired smile. Waves of peace and reassurance flooded through him followed by a burning in his palm. The Doctor pulled away, and opened his hand. He straightened a little taller.

"Look," he whispered in awe, showing her the small package in his hand. "She never ceases to amaze me."

Donna glanced first at the package and then up at him. "What is this?" she asked.

"It's life, Donna," he answered, enclosing the delicate package in her hand. "This should come from you. You give this to him. "

Donna fingered the delicate, nutrient rich, covering containing the seed of a future TARDIS. The knowledge to help her grow in a strange new home flooded Donna's mind. Donna smiled inwardly. A new timeline blossomed, growing and extending far beyond even the Doctor's expectations.

"I will," she promised, caressing the plainly wrapped gift. "I understand now, a gift from two mums." The hybrid would be just fine - travelling a new universe - in the TARDIS.