Thanks for the reviews! Without further ado, here's the final installment:

Chapter XIII - The Parting of the Ways

There were two things that the Doctor regretted more than anything in his many lives.

The Time Lords were a corrupt and power-hungry civilization. Gallifrey was ruled in a manner that was harsh and unforgiving with laws that begged to be broken, only to sternly reprimand offenders with banishment or forced regeneration. Proud and prejudiced, the Time Lords saw themselves as the most supreme species in the universe, rivaled only by the Daleks, who remained inferior.

As much as it pained him, the Doctor had had no choice. To save the universe and the innumerable planets and systems, he had to destroy his own people. His children, his children's children, his friends, his colleagues, even his enemies. From a world where everyone was connected at all times to a time when he was alone in his mind and being, the Doctor knew pain.

The Daleks were supposed to have died. Of course, the Master wasn't supposed to have survived either. And the Time Lock wasn't meant to be broken. It would have been so easy for the Doctor to simply rid the universe of himself, if not for those damn Daleks. Despite all the chaos he could throw at them, they prevailed. He was afraid that, one day, they might win.

The silence in his mind was enough to drive him mad. Every second of emptiness reminded him that killing his people was his fault. If there had been any other way to stop the Daleks and the corrupt Time Lords, the Doctor would not had destroyed Gallifrey. It broke his hearts to think of it.

His other regret was ruining so many lives. He had committed mass genocide more than once, inadvertently led people to their deaths, gave humans unrealistic expectations. That was his curse; he made people want his life. The Doctor thought himself a monster.

And now, this was the culmination of his sins, the price he must pay.

Gold light and wisps of energy seeped through the TARDIS doors. The Doctor took a step forward, unafraid to let the light touch him. Placing himself as a barrier between the light and the Ponds, the Doctor waited patiently for some sign to move. The keeper of the light was cordial at least.

All of the time lines he traced led to this: a hitch in Time, a break of life and death. The Doctor raised his hand and, summoning every ounce of courage he ever had, snapped his fingers. The TARDIS doors opened inward, revealing a golden goddess.

It was Rose Tyler, though not as she had been before. Dressed in white, her long hair hanging golden around her face, Rose was surrounded by the shimmering light. It even seemed to radiate off of her; she was the source. He took another step forward, discerning what she now was.

Her eyes burned gold, searing into his own. "Doctor," Rose said, but her voice sounded different. It echoed within itself, as if she were speaking with two voices. The overall effect was ethereal and haunting.

"What have they done to you?" asked the Doctor, knowing full well what she had been forced to endure. The Untempered Schism was a monstrosity to the children of Gallifrey, who were born to embrace it. Rassilon knew what it would do to a human.

Golden tendrils snaked outward, wrapping around the TARDIS console. Amy and Rory felt the time energy swirl around them, into them. Rose was a surreal vision, blinding to their eyes. "I looked into Time," she said, stepping into the TARDIS, "and Time looked into me."

Moving within several feet to her, guilt pressed upon the Doctor's conscience. If it were not for him, this never would have happened. He was the true monster of the universe. "Rose, you looked into the Time Vortex. No one's meant to see that."

Her eyes flashed, and the roaring filling his ears loudened like thunder. "I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself. I take the words," she waved her hand and golden letters appeared to read 'BAD WOLF', "I scatter them in time and space, a message to lead myself here."

The Doctor wanted to argue with her. She did not bring this upon herself, she could not have brought this upon herself. But all of the power in the universe was in her hands, and she could tear everything apart without knowing what she was doing. Rose was dangerous, and the Doctor didn't know what to do.

This was all his fault. "Rose, you've to stop this. You've got to stop this now. You've got the entirety of Time running through your head. You're going to burn." Taking a chance, he searched for Amy and Rory, motioning for them to move back. If this got violent, he did not want them injured. He could always regenerate. While Rory had come back from the dead several times, who was to say it would happen again?

He took another step, but Rose was faster. With a simple wave of her hand, she had wrapped him in the golden light, and he was frozen to his place. "The Silence have created me. I was made to do as they wish."

Tears came to the Doctor's eyes. When he brought Rose Tyler along with him in the TARDIS, he only meant to show her the stars. He never meant to ruin her life, to kill her, to destroy her. "Please," he said, trying to remain strong, but knowing that he would crumble. The Silence could claim him as their enemy, but they were not his. The Doctor's own worst enemy was himself.

No expression could be read on her face except glimpses of anger and power. "The Silence did not realize their mistake. The Bad Wolf has no master. I want you safe. My Doctor. Protected from the false god."

Amy screamed in surprise, and the Doctor spun around. The entire room was filled with Silence. So focused on Rose, he hadn't noticed them enter, and if he had, he'd forgotten. Amy and Rory were in their clutches, yelping out from shock, but otherwise unharmed. Rory nodded to Rose, as if to turn the Doctor's attention back to the one with the control of the room.

Rose was not fazed. "I can see the whole of time and space. Every atom of your existence, and I divide them." With a wave of her hand, the golden tendrils wrapped around the Silence, glowing brighter and brighter as their monstrous screams grew in intensity. It was a gruesome sound and sight, but just as the light grew so bright that it was like staring directly into the sun, the Silence were burned into nonexistence. Rose, with the power of the Bad Wolf, had destroyed them. "Everything must come to dust. All things. Everything dies. The good man's war ends."

The Silence were gone, and the Doctor knew that Rose had overcome her captors and destroyed them completely from the entire universe. He felt the absence of Demon's Run, and could imagine the screams of every Silent or agent of theirs to walk the universe.

Amy and Rory were huddled in fear against the console. Rose had such magnitude of power, it was impossible to look away. But she was intense and frightening and compelling.

"Rose," the Doctor begged, finding he could move around once again, "you've done it. Now stop. Just let go."

Rose looked directly at him, into his soul, and his mind rang with the sound of voices once more. No, his people weren't alive, but the song of the TARDIS filled all of the empty space, and that was when the Doctor understood how Rose had beaten the Silence.

She was a normal human girl, but with a powerful friend. The TARDIS's psychic link stayed with Rose even as she was captured and forced to take in the Untempered Schism. The mental shields put in place upon Rose's first visit into the TARDIS were strengthened by the old girl, protecting Rose's mind from immediate annihilation.

Rose looked right into him and sounded almost human as she said, "How can I let go of this? I bring life." Her eyes moved to Rory, and the Doctor understood that Rose took control of the past, bringing Rory back to Amy as a Roman, as a paradox, as an impossible creature.

"This is wrong! You can't control life and death," the Doctor said, knowing that he had to play his cards carefully. This was a pivotal moment in time, and everything that had ever happened in the universe could instantly be shredded if the wrong words were said.

Rose turned her head sharply. "But I can. The sun and the moon, the day and night. But why do they hurt?" She was crying.

"The power's going to kill you," the Doctor admitted, his own tears slipping to his cheeks, "and it's my fault."

"I can see everything. All that is, all that was, all that ever could be."

The Doctor's hearts soared. If he could bring her out of this alive, she would understand him in a way that no one else ever could, not even River. Since the death of his people, the Doctor had been alone in the universe. There wasn't a single soul who knew all as he did. It was terrifying and terrible, but this was a blessing. Rose Tyler, the girl who had taken the Doctor's hearts, would be the one to save him.

"That's what I see," the Doctor said, unable to keep a smile from forming. "All the time. And doesn't it drive you mad?"

She didn't answer, turning solemn once more. Every time line that the Doctor could follow led to ultimate destruction, he just didn't want to see it. Rose could not ignore it. Her eyes still burned, the gold still blinding him as she said, "I have to erase Time, to put things back how they should have been, how they should be."

As wrong as it felt to admit, the Doctor knew that Rose was right. Like he had destroyed his home and his people for the sake of the universe, allowing Rose to survive through this power would destroy the universe in turn. But he didn't have to like it. He was a Time Lord, the laws of Time were his. He was the winner of the Time War. "Please-"

Rose cut him off, her voice unyielding. "I have to."

She was right, and it hurt. The Doctor moved directly in front of her. He could beg. He could fall to his knees and simply beg for her to listen. But Rose could see absolute truth with an unbiased view. She knew that this was the only way.

If he had to rewrite Time and reverse the universe again, the Doctor would be damned if he let it happen before she knew the truth. Feelings were difficult for the Doctor to express, and this was no different. She needed to know of his gratitude. "You made me better, Rose. All that time you were with me, you made me better. I am a better man because of you."

Her face contorted in sadness. Rose's eyes still burned gold, but her voice sounded human, and the light had started to fade from its fiery glow. Her voice wavered, "And that is why I have to go. Because," she bit her lip, and he smiled at the classic Rose Tyler nerves. "Because I love you."

The Doctor couldn't say he didn't know, couldn't say he didn't expect those words to come from her mouth, but he couldn't say he knew what he would respond. And then it came to him. What else would he have ever said? Maybe at one time, he could have said it to River, maybe now he could have said it to Rose, but this was entirely different, and called for a different response. It was the truth, and it was his last chance to say it. "Rose Tyler, I-"

She raised a hand to stop him. "Don't, Doctor," she said slowly, her expression pained. "You shouldn't. I know."

And he knew that she did. She always knew. The Doctor and Rose Tyler in the TARDIS, together. But this was different. He cracked a smile and stepped in. "Rose Tyler, I think you need a Doctor."

Then he closed the distance. All of time had moved to this moment. As the Doctor ducked his head and pressed his lips to Rose's, he felt Time shift and almost pause, but not quite. Rose placed her hands on his chest, but it wasn't for long, because the Doctor was kissing Rose Tyler. This was his only chance to show her how he felt. It seemed natural to pull her flush against him, wrapping his arms around her as tightly as he could.

He felt the burning in her mind, heard the screams filling her ears. As the pain grew in his head, he felt the energy flowing into him. Time shifted, and its essence left Rose Tyler for the only man in the universe who could handle it.

Rose fell slack in his arms, the power of the transfer having taken all of her energy to stand. She was awake, though, and had enough residual knowledge to know that she only had a few seconds. The knowledge would fade, and time would be rewritten. Half-asleep, Rose said, "Thank you for rescuing me, chin boy, and showing me the stars. Now run. Run, you clever boy, and remember me."

The golden light grew brighter and brighter until it was unbearable, and everything went white.

A sad smile on his face, the Doctor turned and left the way he came. Andy was home safe, and the Ghastlies were taken care of. Christmas morning would come without a hitch, and everything would turn out fine. All was well.

As the Doctor walked quickly back to the TARDIS, his hearts sank. Amy and Rory would be spending the rest of their Christmas Eve together. Perhaps he could visit River. She would keep him company, maybe even offer to take him out for once. Going dancing in the Roaring Twenties sounded fun. This body didn't particularly like alcohol, so going to New York during prohibition was not a problem. River on the other hand would probably sneak her own alcohol in. Kind of ironic, really, her being the woman and him the man. Oh, well. They never were a typical couple anyway. His fingers brushed up against the blue wood of the police box door, deftly flitting over the lock as he reached for the key in his jacket pocket.

"You alright, mate?"

The voice took him by surprise. It was familiar and haunting. Spinning around, the Doctor saw that it was the girl from earlier who had taken the brunt of the insults from the teens in the Powell Estate. He looked her over. She was average height with long, blonde hair and brown eyes. A kind look could be seen on her face, and proved by the amount of pink she was wearing. He didn't recognize her at first, but then inklings of memories began to trickle into his mind, of paths not taken and choices not made.

Run, you clever boy, and remember me.

The whisper in his mind surprised him, and it took the Doctor a few seconds to regain speech capabilities, so he only managed to stutter, "Uh, um, yeah."

The girl smiled and nodded, thinking that she had interrupted his thoughts and she was unwanted. She looked down at her feet and shoved her hands in her pockets before meeting his eyes again and giving the ancient man a smile. "See ya."

The Doctor glanced up at the sky and smiled, filled with an unattainable hope, yet an unexplainable sadness. She was from his future, a future he couldn't have. He could see that if he chose that path, a fixed point would lead him directly back here. This realization unlocked the memories of a single girl who changed his life. Rose Tyler, Bad Wolf.

By the time his frozen fingers managed to unlock the TARDIS door, she was completely out of sight. The console room was warm and empty. Even though Amy and Rory were here somewhere, it seemed just as lonely as ever. Rose Tyler would be going home to her mother and boyfriend for a Christmas celebration of their own.

He hoped she had a fantastic life.

Opening the door to her flat, Rose gasped and instantly covered her eyes with her hand. Gritting her teeth, she said, "God, mum, I'm sorry. Plans fell through-I'll just go-sorry-" Seeing her own mother snogging a man on the sofa gave Rose the creeps every time it happened.

Jackie detangled herself and said, "It's alright, sweetheart. Rose, meet Bill. Bill, this is my daughter, Rose."

What happened to Howard? Rose wondered, sizing the man up. Like always, he seemed like a good-for-nothing loser. But hey, weren't they all? "I'll just, uh," Rose stammered as she closed the door behind her and headed down the hall, "go to bed now. Long day. 'Night."

"Goodnight, sweetheart," Jackie called after her. Rose shuddered as she closed her bedroom door. Where did her mum even find these blokes? And she gave Rose a hard time about the Jimmy Stone situation. But that was long past, and now she was with Mickey-a perfect gentleman. Well, not perfect, and not a gentleman, but maybe an imperfect bloke who genuinely cared and treated Rose right. It was all she could ever ask for. He could do so much better than her.

Rose changed into her pink pajamas, set her alarm for the next morning, and prepared for sleep in her messy bed, in her messy room, in her messy life.

But sleep didn't come so easily for her. At first, Rose felt like she was forgetting something. But then a different emotion washed over her. She felt that something in the air was changing. Something important would happen. Maybe she would make a new friend. Maybe she would get the opportunity to travel. For the first time in her life, Rose was filled with true, inexplicable hope.

Absorbing the entirety of time and space was not an easy feat. The Doctor pushed the energy off for as long as he could. Like in a dream, the Doctor had only delivered Andy to his home without knowing how he got there. As soon as he stepped into the TARDIS, the Doctor was filled with a burning in his mind and hearts. It was his time, time to go.

The Silence was gone, permanently. Kovarian was dead. Rose Tyler would never know how brilliant she was, nor how much she was loved by a madman with a box. Though he was dying, the Doctor would do it all over again. He would die for her any day.

There wasn't time for him to run to Amy and Rory's room to say goodbye. But maybe the TARDIS was on his side for once, because his friends were suddenly walking into the console room, saying something about being out of hot water and feeling like they'd forgotten something important. They saw the golden energy start to bubble around the Doctor's hands.

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

He looked at her and smiled. "Amelia Pond, it's been a pleasure. Rory Williams Pond, don't change a bit. I'll see you soon. Geronimo!"

Like an explosion, golden energy burst from the Doctor and he threw his arms out. Amy and Rory clung to each other, wincing in the light of what they recognized as regeneration. Amelia saw it when she first met the Doctor. Their first experience with regeneration was with Mels and River, and then when River gave her remaining regenerations to the Doctor.

Just as quickly as it began, the light faded, and a different person straightened up, still wearing the Doctor's tweed jacket and bow tie. In a different voice, with a different face, with a different smile, the same person who stood in that place before said, "Hello, Amelia, Rory. I'm the Doctor."

Thanks for the amazing ride y'all! I appreciate all the reviews, follows, favourites, etc. I hope you enjoyed this and I entertained you like the show does. If you wouldn't mind, there's a poll on my profile regarding what I'll write next. I'd appreciate your feedback on that.

Thank you so much for everything!

Hope