Chapter 12: Doomsday

The Daleks advanced upon Rose, Hermione Mickey and Rajesh still crying 'exterminate!'. Rose watched shocked before she pulled forward her courage, this was defiantly her chance to prove her worth to the Doctor. To prove she could save the day and do anything. If she stopped the Daleks again, he would know that she was the better choice. And if Hermione was hurt by a Dalek along the way, then so be it.

"Daleks!" Rose shouted and the Daleks fell silent, taken aback. "You're called 'Daleks'." The Daleks didn't respond, seeming to simply observe her. Rose walked slowly towards them. "I know your name." she took off the lab coat she had put on before coming into the chamber "Think about it: how can I know that? A Human...who knows about the Daleks. And the Time War. If you wanna know how, then keep us alive. That's all I'm asking. Me and my friends."

"Yeah, Daleks." Mickey nodded "Time War. Me too."

The Dalek's eye piece swivelled around to look at Mickey.

"Yeah. And me." Rajesh said.

The Daleks eye piece moved to Hermione as she looked at them curiously as she worked out who they were "The Cult of Skaro." She stated, remembering reading about them "That's who you are: Sek," she looked at the black Dalek before turning her gaze to the other three "Thay, Jast and Caan."

The Daleks all stared at Hermione silently as Rose and Mickey looked at Hermione shocked, Rose more annoyed than shocked that Hermione even had this over her.

"You will be necessary." Sek said to her before turning to one of the other Daleks "Report: what is the status of the Genesis Ark?"

"Status: hibernation." The Dalek reported.

"Commence awakening."

"The Genesis Ark must be protected above all else." Another Dalek called as it turned to what the others guessed was the Genesis Ark, which had also emerged from the sphere. The Dalek clamped its suction arm to the side of the Ark.

Mickey turned to Rose, his gun still aimed at the Daleks "The Daleks, you said they were all dead."

"Never mind that, what the hell's a Genesis Ark?" Rose asked.

"Which of you is least important?" Sek asked moving towards them.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Which of you is least important?" he repeated.

Rose was tempted to say Hermione, but she knew Mickey would fight that. She opened her mouth to reply.

"No, we don't work like that. None of us." Hermione snapped more to Rose than the Dalek seeing Rose's eye glance at her at the Daleks question.

"Designate the least important!"

"This is my responsibility." Rajesh told them.

Rose held him back "No, don't!"

Rajesh ignored her and stood before the Dalek dejectedly. "I…er…I represent the Torchwood Institute. Anything you need, you...come through me. Leave these three alone."

"You will kneel." Sek ordered.

"What for?"

"Kneel." Rajesh kneeled as he was surrounded by the Daleks all directing their eye stalks onto him. "The Daleks need information about current Earth history."

"Yeah well I can give you a certain amount of intelligence but nothing that will compromise Home Land security..."

"Speech is not necessary. We will extract brainwaves." The three Daleks advanced upon Rajesh and positioned their suction arms around his head. Rajesh was now showing the first signs of fear.

"Don't...I...I'll tell you everything you need. No. No!" Rajesh shouted out in agony before the Daleks crushed his skull. Mickey made towards him but Hermione held him back, knowing it was already too late. The Daleks released Rajesh's blackened corpse and let it fall to the ground. "His mind spoke of a second species invading Earth infected by the superstition of ghosts." Sek told his comrades.

"You didn't need to kill him!" Rose shouted.

"Neither did we need him alive." A Dalek stated.

"Dalek Thay, investigate outside." Sek ordered.

"I obey." Thay replied and he left the sphere chamber.

"Establish visual contact. Lower communications barrier."

A projection appeared in the area previously occupied by the sphere, showing Dalek Thay's point of view as he came upon the two Cybermen.

"Identify yourselves." Thay ordered.

"You will identify first." The Cyberman replied.

"State your identity."

"You will identify first."

"Identify!"

"It's like Stephen Hawkins meets the Speaking Clock." Mickey joked.

"...illogical, you will modify." The Cyberman stated.

"Daleks do not take orders." Thay told them.

"You have identified as Daleks."

"Outline resembles the inferior species known as 'Cybermen'." Sek reported.

Hermione looked to Rose to see her answering her phone and sighed in relief that the Doctor was alive and safe. She had been trying to reach him through their link but something was blocking her.

"We must protect the Genesis Ark." A Dalek said moving towards the object.

"Our species our similar, though your design is inelegant." A Cyberman told Thay.

"Daleks have no concept of elegance." He replied.

"This is obvious. But consider, our technologies are compatible. Cybermen plus Daleks, together, we could upgrade the Universe."

"You propose an alliance?"

"This is correct."

"Request denied."

The Cybermen immediately thrusted their fists out, ready to shoot. "Hostile elements will be deleted."

They shot at Thay, but the rays simply bounced off its armour. "Exterminate!" Thay called and fired at the Cybermen both collapsing to the floor.

The image on the projection changed to another Cyberman. "Daleks, be warned: you have declared war upon the Cybermen." It addressed.

"This is not war. This is pest control." Sek stated.

"We have five million Cybermen. How many are you?"

"Four."

"You would destroy the Cybermen with four Daleks?!"

"We would destroy the Cybermen with one Dalek." Sek replied "You are superior in only one respect."

"What is that?"

"You are better at dying. Raise communications barrier!"

The screen went static.

"Wait!" a Dalek called "Rewind image by nine rels." The Doctor was in frame in the background. "Identify grid seven gamma frame." They zoomed in on the Doctor. "This male registers as enemy." Hermione and Rose beamed.

Sek turned to them "Both female's heartbeats have increased."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Mickey mumbled.

"Identify him."

"All right then..." Rose smirked "if you really wanna know...that's the Doctor. The Daleks rolled backwards sharply. "Five million Cybermen, easy. One Doctor? Now you're scared."

Dalek Thay entered the chamber. "Cyber threat irrelevant. Concentrate on the Genesis Ark."

Sek pressed its suction arm to the side of the Genesis Ark.

Mickey turned to Hermione and Rose "Why are we being kept alive?"

"They might need me." she said after a pause.

"What? What is it?" Rose just stared at the Daleks, fear in her eyes. Whilst the Daleks were crowded around the Genesis Ark, Mickey showed Hermione and Rose his yellow button. "I could transport out of here, but it only carries one and I'm not leaving you. Either of you."

"You'd follow me anywhere. What did I do to you all those years ago?"

"Guess I'm just stupid." He mumbled.

"You're not stupid." Hermione told him firmly.

Rose squeezed his hand "You're the bravest man I've ever met."

"What about the Doctor?" Mickey asked.

"Oh, all right. Bravest Human." They smiled.

"Well, I can't think what the Daleks need with me. I'm nothing to them."

"You could be..." Rose muttered "Whatever's inside that Ark is waking up and I've seen this happen before. The first time I saw a Dalek, it was broken. It was dying. But I touched it. The moment I did that...I brought it back to life." She kept her voice low as Hermione kept her eyes on the Daleks "As the Doctor said...when you travel in time in the TARDIS, you soak up all this...um...

"…background radiation." Hermione reminded her "It's harmless, it's just there. But in the Time War, the Daleks evolved so they could use it as a power supply."

Mickey gazed at them, Rose more than Hermione "I love it when you talk technical."

"Shut up." Rose smiled.

"If the Daleks have got something inside that thing that needs waking up..." Hermione began.

"They need both of you." Mickey said.

"All of us, you've travelled in time too." Hermione reminded him.

"But why would they build something they can't open themselves?" he asked.

"The technology is stolen." Sek cut in "The Ark is not of Dalek design."

"Then who built it?" Rose asked.

"The Time Lords. This is all that survives of their Home World."

The four Daleks shuffled around the Ark.

"What's inside?" Hermione asked already having a clue due to the shape and the fact they couldn't open it themselves.

"The future."

Hermione and Rose stared at the Ark and the surrounding Daleks with fearful apprehension. The Daleks backed away from the Genesis Ark.

"Final stage of awakening." One of the Daleks called.

Sek looked to the three of them "Your handprint will open the Ark."

"Well tough, 'cos I'm not doing it." Rose said.

"Obey or the male and female will die." A Dalek said aiming at Hermione and Mickey.

Rose immediately moved towards the Ark "I can't let them."

"Rose, don't." Mickey called.

"You open that we'll die anyway." Hermione told her.

"Place your hand upon the casket." Sek ordered.

"All right!" Rose said violently and she turned to the Ark "You're gonna kill us anyway, so what the hell?" she said playing for time, knowing the Doctor will save her. She turned back to Sek and stood right in front of it. "If you um...escaped the Time War...don't you want to know what happened?"

"Place your hand..." Sek began.

"What happened to the Emperor?"

"The Emperor survived."

"'Til he met me..." Rose smirked "'cos if these are gonna be my last words, then you're gonna listen. I met the Emperor. And I took the Time Vortex and I pulled it into his head and turned him into dust. Do you get that? The God of all Daleks...and I destroyed him." She gave the Dalek a gloating smile, and laughed making Hermione roll her eyes at Rose's stupid move.

"You will be exterminated!" Sek said furiously.

"Oh now, hold on, wait a minute." The Doctor called from the doorway.

"Alert, alert, you are the Doctor." Hermione and Rose smiled delight as the Doctor saunters into the room wearing his 3D specs.

'Hello handsome.' She beamed.

'Hello gorgeous.' He replied staring at her.

"Sensors report he is unarmed." A Dalek called.

"That's me." the Doctor said lightly "Always."

"Then you are powerless." Sek stated.

"Not me." he took his 3D specs of with a "Never." He turned to Hermione "How are you?"

Hermione smiled "I'm great."

"Great!" He then turned to Rose "And you?"

"Oh, same old, you know." She grinned.

"Good! And Mickity-McMickey!" they bashed fists "Nice to see ya!"

"And you, boss." Mickey gave him a nod.

"Social interaction will cease!" a Dalek demanded.

"How did you survive the Time War?" Sek asked.

"By fighting." The Doctor replied "On the front line." Mickey turned, as if this was the first time he had heard of this. "I was there at the fall of Arcadia. Someday I might even come to terms with that. But you lot, ran away!"

"We had to survive."

"The last four Daleks in existence. So what's so special about you?"

"There the Cult of Skaro, they…" Hermione started to tell him.

"Doctor, they've got names. And Daleks don't have names, do they? One of them said they..." Rose cut in, wanting to impress the Doctor with what she found out.

"I am Dalek Thay."

"Dalek Sek."

"Dalek Jast."

"Dalek Caan."

"So that's it! I thought you were just a legend." The Doctor said delighted.

"Who are they?" Rose asked.

The Doctor strolled around them "A secret order. Above and beyond the Emperor himself. Their job was to imagine. Think as the enemy thinks. Even dared to have names." A distasteful expression took over his face "All to find new ways of killing."

"But that thing, they said it was yours." Mickey gestured to the Ark "I mean, Time Lords. They built it. What does it do?"

The Doctor glanced at it "I don't know. Never seen it before."

"But it's...Time Lord." Rose said.

"Both sides had secrets." He turned to the Daleks "What is it? What have you done?"

"Time Lord Science will restore Dalek supremacy." Sek stated.

"What does that mean?" the Doctor asked "What sort of Time Lord Science? What do you mean?"

"They said one touch from a time traveller will wake it up." Hermione told him.

"Technology using the one thing a Dalek can't do. Touch. Sealed inside your casing. Not feeling anything...ever...from birth to death, locked inside a cold metal cage." His voice turns to a whisper "Completely alone. And that explains your voice. No wonder you scream."

"The Doctor will open the Ark!" Sek ordered.

The Doctor laughed contemptuously. "The Doctor will not."

"You have no way of resisting."

"Well...you got me there. Although...there is always this." He took his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket.

"A sonic probe?"

"That's 'screwdriver'."

"It is harmless." Sek stated scornfully.

"Oh yes. Harmless is just the word. That's why I like it. Doesn't kill, doesn't wound, doesn't maim. But I'll tell you what it does do, it is very good at opening doors." He activated the screwdriver, and immediately, the doors exploded inwards. Jake, his men, and the Cybermen leaped into action, firing their guns at the Daleks.

"Delete! Delete! Delete! Delete!" a Cyberman called.

"Alert! Casing impact, casing impact!" a Dalek called as the Doctor, Hermione and Rose flung themselves to the ground, trying to avoid the guns.

"Hermione, Rose, get out!" Hermione and Rose made towards the door but Rose stumbled backwards pulling Hermione with her.

"Fire power insufficient! Fire power insufficient!" Sek called.

Pete helped Rose to her feet, a surprised expression on her face at seeing him there but obviously there was no time for him to explain. Hermione made to stand and follow when someone grabbed her hand, she looked up into a pair of brown eyes that she saw every time she looked in the mirror. It was her parallel self. They made for the door as Mickey picked up a gun and started firing anywhere.

"Daleks will be deleted. Delete! Delete!" A Cyberman called as the Doctor managed to reach Hermione, her parallel self, Rose and Pete where they stood in the doorway, out of harm's way."

"Mickey, come on!" Rose yelled.

"Adapt to weaponry!" a Dalek called.

"Fire power restored!" Sek called. The Dalek fired once at a Cyberman, immediately destroying it. Jake managed to reach the door, but Mickey lost his footing and accidentally placed his hand upon the Genesis Ark, leaving a red hot mark there. He dashed for the door. "Cybermen primary target." Mickey winced in pain as he looked at his hand. The rest of Jake's men managed to slip through the door before it closed, sealing both the Daleks and the Cybermen inside.

"Jake, check the stairwell." The Doctor called "The rest of you, come on!"

Mickey, Rose, Hermione and the Doctor were running down a corridor. "I just fell, I didn't mean it!" Mickey said taking about the Ark.

"Mickey, without us, they'd have opened it by force. To do that, they'd have blown up the sun. You've done us a favour!" he kissed the top of Mickey's head "Now, run!"

oOo

Jackie was running down a corridor as she glanced behind her. As she turned back she yelped as she came face to face with two Cybermen in front of her.

"You will be upgraded." One stated.

Jackie whimpered "No, but you can't! Please..." The Cybermen was shot from behind and both fell to the ground, dead, to reveal Pete aiming a gun behind them. He was accompanied by the Doctor, Hermione, Parallel Hermione, Rose and Mickey. Jackie squinted through the smoke clouding him, uncomprehending, then her eyes widened as she realised who saved her. "Pete!"

"Hello, Jacks." he smiled.

"I said there were ghosts, but that's not fair. Why him?"

"I'm not a ghost."

"But you're dead. You died twenty years ago, Pete."

The Doctor took a tentative step forward to explain "It's Pete from a different Universe. There are parallel worlds, Jackie. Every single decision we make creates a parallel existence, a different dimension where..."

"Oh, you can shut up." Jackie cut in. The Doctor nodded stepping back into the background and Hermione smiled taking his hand, not noticing her parallel self smiling at the action. Pete smiled at Jackie "Oh...you look old." She said gazing at Pete.

"You don't." he replied.

"How can you be standing there?"

"Just got lucky...lived my life. You were left on your own. You didn't marry again, or...?"

"There was never anyone else." She answered quietly. The Doctor and Mickey smirked and Hermione smiled. "Twenty years, though. Look at me, I never left that flat. Did nothing with myself."

"Brought her up. Rose Tyler. That's not bad."

"Yeah." Jackie whispered.

"In my world, it worked. All those daft little plans of mine." He told her "They worked. Made me rich."

"I don't care about that." She shook her head before she paused "How rich?"

"Very."

"I don't care about that. How very?"

Pete laughed and Rose rolled her eyes.

"Thing is though, Jacks, you're...you're not my wife. I'm sorry, but you're not. I mean, we both..." Jackie nodded and Pete looked at her, fighting it. "You know, it's just sort of..." he gave up the fight and started towards her "Oh, come here." They ran to meet each other, Jackie starting to cry. He swept her off the ground in a huge hug.

oOo

The Doctor opened the door to where a battle between the Cybermen and the Daleks was taking place, peering into the lab, waiting for the right moment to enter. He dived into the room, watched anxiously by Hermione who winced every time a beam passed near him. The Doctor picked up two of the magnaclamps, using them to deflect the rays from himself. He rushed back towards the door with them, dodging the beams, but he tripped over a Cybermans body.

'Come on, Theta.' Hermione called to him worriedly.

The Doctor quickly got to his feet and slipped through the door to safety. Hermione closed it after him. After a few moments, he opened it again, and peered around looking through his 3D specs.

"Override roof mechanism." Sek ordered. The roof began to open slowly. "El-ev-ate."

"What're they doing?" Rose asked popping her head out, not happy that the Parallel Hermione had stopped her following the Doctor the first time "Why'd they need to get outside?!"

"Time Lord Science..." he murmured baffled "What Time Lord science?" he took the specs off "What is it?" Sek elevated through the ceiling into the open air with the Ark. The Doctor shut the door and ran back down the corridor, shouting to the others as he went. "We've gotta see what it's doing, we've gotta go back up! Come on! All of you! Top floor!"

"That's forty-five floors up!" Jackie exclaimed "Believe me, I've done 'em all."

"We could always take the lift..." Jake smiled popping his head out.

They all climbed into the lift and started to head upwards in silence. The silence was broken by Jackie.

"It's weird seeing two Hermione's." she mumbled making everyone chuckle. "Are you both exactly the same? Or…"

"There similar." Mickey stated "But one has magic and the other doesn't…Oh and Parallel Hermione breaks the rules more and not as academically inclined she's more for sports."

"One of us had to be." Hermione shrugged "Although it would have helped me when Harry and Ron got going on Quidditch."

"What's Quidditch?" Parallel Hermione asked her.

Hermione sighed before she launched into what Quidditch was.

oOo

The Doctor and the others finally stepped out of the lift on the top floor and rushed to the window, the Doctor dumped the magnaclamps down on Yvonne's desk as he went. The Doctor stared in horror as the Genesis Ark spun, shooting Dalek after Dalek out. Squeezing Hermione's hand as she slipped her fingers through his.

'We'll stop them, Theta. We'll stop them.' Hermione whispered.

"Time Lord Science...it's bigger on the inside." The Doctor breathed.

"Did Time Lords put those Daleks in there?" Mickey asked "What for?"

"It's a prison ship."

"How many Daleks?" Rose asked.

"Millions." He replied.

Pete turned and walked away from the window "I'm sorry, but you've had it. This world's gonna crash and burn. There's nothing we can do. We're going home." He turned to Jackie "Jacks, take this." He tossed her one of the yellow buttons.

"But they're destroying the City!" Jackie cried.

"I'd forgotten you could argue." He said fondly as he looped the button around her neck himself. "It's not just London, it's the whole world." He took her face in his hands, making her look at him. "But there's another world, just waiting for you, Jacks. And it's safe. As long as the Doctor closes the breach. Doctor?"

The Doctor turned from the window with his 3D specs on and a big grin. "Oh, I'm ready." He replied gleefully "I've got the equipment right here. Thank you, Torchwood!" He dashed to a computer. "Slam it down and close off both universes."

"Reboot systems." The computer stated.

"But we can't just leave." Rose said "What about the Daleks? And the Cybermen...?"

The Doctor stood "They're part of the problem. And that makes them part of the solution. Oh yes!" Rose laughed nervously and Hermione smiled amused as he moved about already knowing his plan "Well?! Isn't anyone gonna ask? What is it with the glasses?"

"What is it with the glasses?" Hermione drawled grinning.

"I can see! That's what! 'Cos we've got two separate worlds, but in-between the two separate worlds, we've got the Void. That's where the Daleks were hiding. And the Cybermen travelled through the Void to get here! And you lot, one world to another, via the Void! Oh, I like that. Via the Void! Look!" He pressed the glasses onto Rose's face. "I've been through it. Do you see?" He dodged about so Rose could see, with the aid of the glasses, that he was surrounded by floating green and red particles. She reached out to try and touch them.

"Reboot in three minutes."

"Void stuff." He grinned.

"Like um...background radiation!" Rose guessed.

"That's it. Look at the others." Rose turned to look at Jake, Mickey, Hermione, Parallel Hermione, Jackie and Pete. Jackie was the only one not surrounded by the 'Void Stuff'. The Doctor pointed to Jackie "The only one who hasn't been through the Void, your mother. First time she's looked normal in her life." Rose giggled.

"Oi!" Jackie called indignantly.

The Doctor dashed into the clear white area, Rose following quickly. "The Daleks lived inside the Void." Hermione moved to a desk and jumped up and sat on it "They're bristling with it. Cybermen, all of them. I just open the Void, end of verse. The Void stuff gets sucked back inside." He explains enthusiastically.

"Pulling them all in." Rose said.

"Pulling them all in!" he laughed.

"Sorry...what's...what's the Void?" Mickey asked.

"The dead space." Hermione told him "Some people call it 'Hell'."

Mickey looped his button around his neck "So...you're sending the Daleks and Cybermen to Hell." He turned to Jake and Parallel Hermione "Man, I told you he was good."

"But it's...like you said, we've all got Void stuff." Rose said still looking around with the glasses "Me too, 'cos we went to that parallel world." She flexed her fingers, examining the particles floating around them. She pulled the glasses off as the Doctor stood before her. "We're all contaminated. We'll get pulled in." she said to the Doctor.

"That's why you've gotta go." The Doctor told her.

"Reboot in two minutes."

Rose stared at him, uncomprehending.

"Back to Pete's world." He pointed at Pete "Hey, we should call it that: Pete's World." He turned back to Rose "I'm opening the Void, but only on this side. You'll be safe on that side." Rose just continued to stare at him.

"And then you close it. For good?" Pete asked.

"The breach itself is soaked in Void Stuff, in the end it'll close itself. And that's it. Kaput."

Rose was just starting to realise what this meant "But you stay on this side...?"

"But you'll get pulled in." Mickey said.

The Doctor just held Rose's gaze for a moment before he ran over to the magnaclamps. Rose staying put, looking like she'd been slapped around the face.

"That's why...I got these. I'll just have to hold on tight, I've been doing it all my life."

"I'm supposed to go." Rose asked.

"Yeah." The Doctor replied as he handed Hermione a clamp.

"To another world, and then it gets sealed off."

"Yeah." He looked to Hermione who just held her hand up to stop him.

"I can't go and you know it. There's no magic there, I'll just die slowly." She told him "And there's already a Hermione there." she nodded to her parallel self.

"So she gets to stay?" Rose asked annoyed "And I leave? Forever." She laughed at the absurdity of the idea "That's not gonna happen."

A crash from outside shook the building.

"We haven't got time to argue," Pete said briskly "the plans works, we go in. You too. All of us."

"No, I'm not leaving him!" Rose said angrily.

"I'm not going without her." Jackie said, she would have fought for Hermione too. But she didn't want her niece to die slowly in this different world.

"Oh, my God. We're going." Pete demanded.

"I've had twenty years without you, so button it. I'm not leaving her."

Rose turned to her mum "You've got to."

"Well, that's tough!"

"Mum..."

"Reboot in one minute."

"I've had a life with you for nineteen years." Rose told her, her voice trembling and tears in her eyes "But then I met the Doctor and...All the things I've seen him do for me. For you. For all of us. For the whole...stupid planet and every planet out there. He does it alone, mum." Behind her, the Doctor was watching her in sadness as he silently took a button on a chain out of his pocket. "But not anymore." Rose backed away from Jackie and towards the Doctor "'Cos now he's got me." The Doctor looped the chain around Rose's neck. "What're you...?"

Pete quickly pressed the button and they all disappeared, leaving the Doctor and Hermione alone. Hermione pulled the Doctor towards her and hugged him tightly before she kissed his cheek and led him to the computer silently.

oOo

A few minutes had passed and Hermione was watching the Doctor work on the computer. She had sent Kingsley a message saying that the aliens would be removed shortly and to just hold them back as long as they could.

Rose suddenly reappeared. "I think this is the on switch..." Rose mumbled looking round.

The Doctor stepped forward and grabbed Rose roughly by the shoulders, stooping slightly so he can look straight into her eyes. "Once the breach collapses, that's it." he said trying to drum some sense into her "You will never be able to see her again. Your own mother!"

"I made my choice a long time ago, and I'm never gonna leave you." Rose said with a trembling voice, hurt that he wasn't pleased that she had come back to him, chosen him. The Doctor just stared at her for a moment, stunned at her decision, he knew if he had a choice he'd pick his family. He then released his grip and stepped back. "So what can I do to help?" she asked.

"Systems rebooted. Open access."

Rose stubbornly held the Doctor's gaze and he finally gave in.

The Doctor pointed to a computer "Those co-ordinates over there, set them all at six." Rose did as she was told. He watches her walk to the computer. "And hurry up." He snapped. Rose leaned over the computer, taking her button from around her neck and glanced at the Doctor nervously as he moved back to Hermione.

Hermione watched Rose before she turned to look at the Doctor. 'We should tell her about us now.' Hermione told him 'If she doesn't take it well she might want to return to Aunt Jackie.'

'You're right.' He nodded 'it wouldn't be fair for her to find out after her way to Jackie is closed.'

The Doctor turned to talk to Rose but she cut across him "We've got Cybermen on the way up." Rose told him, thinking he was about to try and convince her to leave.

The Doctor ran to look "How many floors down?" he asked.

"Just one." she said showing him the screen that showed the Cybermen marching up the stairwell.

The Doctor ran back to his computer and tapped in a command on the laptop.

"Levers operational."

The Doctor grinned.

"That's more like it, bit of a smile!" Rose smiled delighted "The old team...!" His smile faded and he opened his mouth to give Rose one more chance to leave. "Come on, then." Rose called knowing he was about to tell her to leave once again and she wasn't going to let that happen. They belonged together. "Let's do this!" she walked away into the middle of the room.

The Doctor glanced at Hermione who shrugged as she walked up to him. "When she finds out, it will be her own fault. She didn't want to hear the chance she got."

The Doctor sighed before he grabbed the magnaclamp and went over and handed one to Rose. He then strode over to one lever and Rose copied him, they both pressed the clamps on the walls "Press the red button." Rose did so as Hermione walked over to the Doctor. "When it starts, just hold on tight." He spoke quickly "Shouldn't be too bad for us but the Daleks and the Cybermen are steeped in Void Stuff. Are you ready?"

They got into their positions beside the levers as Hermione wrapped her hands around the handle of the clamp.

Rose stared out the window "So are they."

The Daleks appeared at the window.

"Let's do it!" They pushed the levers upwards and then hurriedly took hold of the clamps, the Doctor wrapping and linking his fingers with Hermione. 'Hold on tight.' He whispered to her as he kissed her temple.

"Online." The computer stated.

The area was filled a white light and the sound of a strong wind. The Daleks and Cybermen started to be sucked through the window, smashing through the glass as they are pulled into the white light and back to the Void. The Doctor, Hermione and Rose held on to the clamps tightly, struggling to hold on.

"The breach is open! Into the Void! Ha!" the Doctor shouted over the wind as Hermione and Rose smiled at the Doctor.

Suddenly, there was a small explosion of sparks and the lever on Rose's side moved back into the off position. Their smiles faded from their faces.

"Offline."

"Turn it on!" the Doctor shouted as the suction started to ease.

Rose reached for the lever whilst trying to maintain her grip on the clamp, but it was just slightly too far away. She strained to reach it, eventually falling onto it. The Doctor and Hermione watched, full of dread.

Rose whimpered as she struggled to push the lever up. "I've gotta get it upright!" Rose pushed the lever upwards, groaning with the effort. Finally, she managed to push the lever upright.

"Online and locked."

The suction increased once more. But now, Rose had nothing to hold on to but the lever.

"Rose, hold on!" the Doctor shouted in desperation.

But the Void just pulled at her, making it near impossible for her to keep her grip. She winced and cried out with the effort.

"Hold on!" Hermione shouted trying to pull her hand off the clamp to reach for her wand to send a sticking charm to Rose's hands, but the Doctor wouldn't allow her to remove her hand.

Rose moaned as her strength was almost spent, the Doctor and Hermione stared at her in absolute terror, horribly powerless. With one last cry, Rose's grip finally slipped and she was pulled towards the Void, crying out. The Doctor and Hermione screamed her name as she was pulled farther away from them.

Pete appeared at the moment before she reached the breach and she fell into his arms. Rose only had time to glance over her shoulder at the Doctor before she and Pete vanished. The Doctor and Hermione stared at the place where they had disappeared, breathing very heavily. The breach closed itself and the wind died down, leaving the place silent.

The Doctor slowly walked up to the wall on his side and laid one palm flat against it, and then rested his head there. The Doctor finally let his hand slide down the wall and he turned from the wall.

He walked towards Hermione who wrapped her arms around him. Both had tears rolling down their faces as he wrapped his arms around her. The Doctor for the loss of the human who was like his sister and Hermione for the family she would never see again.

oOo

Rose stood in the middle of a beach, waiting. A short way to her left, the Doctor faded out of thin air. Rose turned to him to see he was slightly translucent.

"Where are you?" Rose asked him.

"Inside the TARDIS." He replied his voice sounding distant "There's one tiny little gap in the universe left, just about to close. And it takes a lot of power to send this projection, I'm in orbit around a super nova." He laughed softly "I'm burning up a sun just to say goodbye."

Rose's heart swelled at that before she shook her head "You look like a ghost."

"Hold on..." He took his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket and pointed it somehow strengthening his projection. The Doctor now looked as solid as if he were really there. Rose walked over to him and raised a hand to touch his face.

"Can I t...?" she asked.

"I'm still just an image." He said regretfully "No touch."

"Can't you come through properly?" Rose asked her voice trembling.

"The whole thing would fracture. Two universes would collapse."

"So?" she half joked making him smile.

They watch each other for a few moments before the Doctor looked around at their surroundings. "Where are we? Where did the gap come out?"

"We're in Norway."

"Norway. Right."

"About fifty miles out of Bergen. It's called "Darlig Ulv Stranden"."

"Dalek?" the Doctor asked surprised.

"Darl-IG. It's Norwegian for 'bad'." The Doctor continued to stare at her, brow furrowed. "This translates as 'Bad Wolf Bay'". They laughed at the irony of this, but sobered almost immediately. "How long have we got?" her voice cracked.

"About two minutes..." he breathed.

"I can't think of what to say!" she laughed at the absurdity of it.

The Doctor laughing too, he glanced over at where Jackie, Pete, Parallel Hermione and Mickey were waiting by the Jeep. "You've still got Mr. Mickey, then?" he asked.

"There's six of us now. Mum, dad, Hermione, Mickey...and the baby."

"You're not...?" he asked taken aback.

"No." she laughed "Its mum. She's three months gone. More Tyler's on the way."

"And what about you? Are you...?"

"Yeah, I'm...I'm back working in the shop."

The Doctor nodded "Oh, good for you."

Rose laughed and for a moment it was just like old times. "Shut up. No, I'm not. There's still a Torchwood on this planet, it's open for business." She teared up again "I think I know a thing or two about aliens."

"Rose Tyler. Defender of the Earth." He said proudly. "You're dead, officially, back home. So many people died that day and you've gone missing. You're on a list of the dead." Rose began to cry quietly. "Here you are." He smiled "Living a life day after day. The one adventure I can never have."

"Am I ever gonna see you again?" she sobbed.

"You can't." he replied quietly.

"What're you gonna do?"

"Oh, I've got the TARDIS. Same old life. Last of the Time Lords."

"On your own?"

"Oh, no! I've got Hermione." He smiled and looked off to one side as if he was staring at someone.

Rose surveyed him, hopelessly heartbroken, tears falling thick and fast. "I lo..." She choked with tears before she could finish her sentence. She took a moment to regain her composure, and then "I love you." Another shuddering sob escaped her.

The Doctor gazed at her with heart-rending tenderness and devotion. He knew he should tell her about him and Hermione but he just couldn't break her more so he smiled softly. "Quite right, too." Rose nodded, smiling at him through her tears. This was it, he was going to tell her the same thing. Her hearts lifted slightly that she had got this and Hermione wouldn't. "And I suppose..." the Doctor gazed at her "if it's one last chance to say it..." He paused a moment, eyes locked with hers. "Rose Tyler..." But their time was up and he faded away into nothingness. Rose was left alone.

She screwed up her face against the pain, sobbing into her hands.

oOo

The Doctor rubbed his hands over his eyes, wiping the tears away taking a deep breath and then turns his attention to the TARDIS console, pushing the buttons and levers as he walks slowly around it without any of his former enthusiasm. Hermione walked over to him and smiled sadly and placed her hand gently on his arm.

The Doctor suddenly looked up, eyes wide with shock making Hermione look the same way. Standing by the door, with her back to them was a bride.

"What?" he said aghast as the bride turned around to see them standing there. She yelped with surprise. "What?!" he said confused.

"Who are you?" the Bride asked disdainfully.

The Doctor looked round dumbfounded as Hermione stared shocked and curious at the woman "But..."

"Where am I?" she demanded.

"What?!"

"What the hell is this place?" she yelled.

"What?!"