Doctor Who: The Time Child

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The Doctor stood there, arms splayed out by his sides as the golden regeneration exploded out of him. The three women and one man shielded themselves from the brightness, barely seeing him use both arms to direct the energy into a hand under the console in a jar. It reacted violently, bubbling and glowing as it absorbed the energy until he stopped regenerating. He stumbled backwards into one of the coral beams, blinking almost in surprise at his own actions. Donna, Rose and Jack gaped at him at a loss while Danni just smiled happily.

"Now, then. Where were we?" He asked before darting over to the console, crouching down on his hands and knees by the hand, which was still bubbling and glowing.

"There, now." He told it gently. He blew on the jar and it calmed down. The Doctor smiled then sat up to look at the four, "You see? Used the regeneration energy to heal myself, but as soon as that was done, I didn't need to change. I didn't want to, why would I?" He tweaked his tie and winked at Danni, who giggled, "Look at me! So, to stop the energy going all the way, I siphoned off the rest into a handy bio-matching receptacle - namely, my hand. My hand, there. My handy spare hand." He pushed himself up using the console and Danni dashed over, chucking her arms around him and hugging him tightly. He laughed and spun her around before placing her back down in front of the other three, still confused occupants. Danni smacked him on the chest.

"Don't you do that to me again, Spaceman!" She scolded and he rubbed his chest, a pout on his face.

"Ow! That really hurt." He moaned and she rolled her eyes.

"It did not, you big baby." She rubbed the spot where she'd hit him anyway, his chest felt very different to Eleven's. She blushed and quickly dropped her hand down by her side. The Doctor turned to Rose.

"Remember? Christmas Day? Sycorax? Lost my hand in a sword fight? That's my hand!" He motioned to the hand in the jar. Rose looked from the hand to him, still uncertain about what had happened. He should have changed, and then, what? He just stopped?

"What do you think?" The Doctor asked her, steeling himself for her answer. She slowly stepped towards him.

"And... you're still you?" She asked and he nodded.

"I'm still me." He confirmed and they threw their arms around each other. Rose buried her head in his shoulder, squeezing her eyes shut in joy as the Doctor squeezed her back. His best friend was back, and if he could help it she'd never leave again. Jack and Donna smile at each other happily.

"You can hug me, if you want." Donna told him and Jack laughed with her, "No, really, you can hug me." Jack stopped laughed but Danni let out another giggle at the look on Donna's face. She really wanted that hug.

"Oh go on, hug her." Danni nudged the impossible man, "You're good looking, she's good looking. If you don't, you'll have to hug me." Jack smirked at her.

"Oh, I don't think I'll mind that too much, Danni-Girl." She rolled her eyes and hugged him, pulling Donna in as well. The Doctor looked open and frowned at the three.

"Danni-Girl!" He called over, purposefully using her nickname. She looked over and he held his arm out for her. She looked a bit reluctant, after all this was his and Rose's moment, but then Rose mirrored the move.

"Come on!" She called over and Danni beamed, rushing over and joining them in the middle, squished between the pair, head leaning on the Doctor's chest.

~0~0~0~

The Doctor, Donna and Danni stood on one side of the console, Jack and Rose on the other as the Doctor steadied himself from the almost-regeneration. He pulled the monitor to himself, about the search the sky when the power suddenly cut. Danni grabbed his arm, her chest tightening at the darkness that had filled the room. She really didn't like the dark anymore, although she didn't know why. The Doctor placed a hand over hers, apparently he did. He reached over and began trying various buttons on the console, keeping one hand on hers as nothing seemed to work.

"They've got us. Power's gone... some kind of chronon loop!" He explained. There was a huge crash and the TARDIS tilted to one side, sending them all to the floor. The TARDIS rightened itself and they all scrambled together by the pilot chair.

"There's a massive Dalek ship at the centre of the planets." Jack explained, "They're calling it the Crucible. Guess that's our destination." He looked at Danni, who nodded in confirmation.

"You said these planets were like an engine." Donna said to the Doctor, "But what for?" The Doctor was staring into space, his hand still clasping Danni's tightly, a move Rose had noticed. He jolted suddenly, motioning to the blonde with his other hand.

"Rose!" He exclaimed, "You've been in a parallel world, that world's running ahead of this universe - you've seen the future, what was it?"

"It's the darkness." She mumbled slightly, not liking the fact he wasn't letting Danni go. She had been so glad that they had been working through their differences, and when she thought she couldn't get back she had taken comfort in the fact that Danni was there for him, but now she was back, so why was he still holding her hand? It was like he didn't realise he was doing it.

"The stars were going out." Donna recalled from her experience in her parallel world. Rose nodded.

"One by one. We looked up at the sky and they were just dying. Basically, we've been building this um... this travel machine, this... uh... Dimension Cannon, so I could... well, so I could..." she trailed off unsurely. The Doctor raised his eyebrows at her.

"What?" He prompted and she rolled her eyes.

"So I could come back!" She replied like it was obvious. The Doctor giggled and she couldn't help but smile at the noise, "Shut up! Anyway, suddenly, it started to work. And the dimensions started to collapse." The smiles fell off both of their faces as they fell back into the situation, "Not just in our world - not just in yours - but the whole of reality, even the Void was dead. Something is... destroying everything."

"In that parallel world..." Rose turned to Donna, who was addressing her almost timidly, "...you said something about me."

"The Dimension Cannon could measure timelines, and it's... it's weird, Donna, but they all seem to converge on you." Rose explained.

"But why me? I mean... what have I ever done? I'm a temp from Chiswick!" She exclaimed, bemused as the Doctor stared at her, thinking back over everything he knew about her, trying to make the connection.

"Because you're the most important woman in the universe." Danni told her sincerely.

"You always say that." Donna replied, "But you never say why..." The monitor bleeped and the Doctor rushed over, looking out the readouts.

"The Dalek Crucible. All aboard..." He muttered, watching the red dot flash in time with the beeping. The TARDIS landed inside the Crucible with a gentle thud.

"The TARDIS is secured!" The voice of a Dalek came from the door, sounding as if it was in the TARDIS with them. The Doctor stepped forward towards the walkway, staring at the door in terror.

"Doctor! You will step forth or die!" Another, deeper Dalek voice proclaimed.

"We'll have to go out. 'Cos if we don't, they'll get in." He told them.

"You told me nothing could get through those doors." Rose replied, alarmed not only at the idea of the Dalek's getting in, but at the fact he might have lied to her.

"You've got extrapolator shielding." Jack added. The Doctor turned to face them.

"Last time we fought the Daleks, they were scavengers and hybrids and mad. But this is a fully fledged Dalek Empire... at the height of its power. Experts at fighting TARDISes, they can do anything." The Doctor explained, "Right now, that wooden door... is just wood." Donna stood to one side, staring ahead with a terrified look on her face. Danni looked at her and sighed, she could hear the heartbeat from the hand.

"What about your Dimension Jump?" Her attention was drawn back to Jack talking to Rose.

"It needs another twenty minutes, and anyway, I'm not leaving." Rose replied.

"What about your teleport?" The Doctor asked Jack, who shook his head.

"Went down with the power-loss." The Doctor turned to Danni.

"Any chance your manipulator's about to set off?" He asked. She looked at her arm and shook her head.

"Nope." Danni replied.

"Right then. All of us together... yeah." He frowned as he realised Donna hadn't said anything in a while and turned to her, "Donna?" She didn't reply, she continued to stare forward with her eyes full of tears. Concerned, the Doctor stepped forward and took her by the shoulders. She jolted out of her trance and looked up at him, "Donna."

"Yeah." She replied, realising she hadn't really been in the conversation.

"I'm sorry, there's nothing else we can do." Donna nodded, smiling reassuringly at him.

"No, I know." He nodded with her, still concerned about her behaviour but mouthed 'okay' and turned to the door.

"Surrender, Doctor, and face your Dalek masters." The deep voiced Dalek commanded.

"Crucible on maximum alert!" Another Dalek declared.

"Daleks." Rose laughed nervously, "Heh!"

"Oh, God!" Jack laughed in reply too, both staring at the Doctor almost expectantly. The Doctor turned from staring at the door to look at them, swallowing deeply.

"It's been good, though, hasn't it?" Donna and Danni both smiled and nodded, "All of us... all of it... everything we did..." He turned to Donna, "You were brilliant." Donna smile grew and she nodded, knowing she actually had been brilliant, "And you were brilliant." He told Jack, who grinned in reply, "And you were brilliant." He told Rose, who smiled sadly in reply. He turned to Danni, who bit her lip at his thoughtful gaze, "I'd give anything to have you zoom away right now." he told her, "just so I knew you were safe and away from here." He laughed, "I never thought I'd want you to disappear on me." She stepped forward and grabbed his hand.

"I'm not going anywhere." She replied. He took a deep breath, steeling himself.

"Blimey." He stated then, hand-in-hand with Danni, walked towards the door. Rose and Jack followed, Donna following them after a moment. They stepped out into the Crucible, the Doctor holding Danni slightly behind him.

"Daleks reign supreme! All hail the Daleks!" The room full of Dalek repeated. The Doctor, Danni, Rose and Jack looked upwards in amazement and horror at all the Dalek's flying through the air, continuously chanting.

"Okay..." The Doctor breathed as he took in the sight of them. He squeezed Danni's hand, to check if she was still there. She squeezed back as she turned to look at Donna, who had frozen in the doorway of the TARDIS. Danni frowned, biting her lip again. She could just run in there now and pull Donna out before the doors shut. She could save Donna from her fate, but then they wouldn't get the metacrisis, so who would stop the Daleks? Maybe she could be the metacrisis instead? But, if Donna's still there would he meet Amelia when he regenerated? Maybe if Donna was there, Amy wouldn't gain such a crush on him and would be more accepting of her feelings for Rory? Or, maybe they wouldn't go back for her at all.

"Donna? It's no safer in there..." The Doctor called over. The doors suddenly slammed shut on the TARDIS, much to everyone's alarm. Donna began banging on the door.

"Doctor?!" She cried, "What've you done?" The Doctor pulled Danni over and tried to unlock the door.

"It wasn't me, I didn't do anything!" He replied.

"Oi! Oi, I'm not staying behind!" Donna shouted, banging on the door again. The Doctor turned to the Supreme Dalek in the middle of the room.

"What did you do?" He shouted up to it.

"This is not of Dalek origin." It replied. Donna continued to bang on the door and yell through to the Doctor, trying to get out.

"Stop it! She's my friend. Now, open the door and let her out." The Doctor demanded.

"This is Time Lord treachery!" The Doctor stormed closer to the supreme Dalek.

"Me?! The door just closed on its own!" He replied.

"Just let her out!" Danni shouted, shaking the door to try and get it open. She put her own key in the lock, trying to let Donna out who was still banging on the door. The Doctor turned to see Danni frantically trying to get Donna out, tears streaming down her cheeks. She looked at the Doctor, "Please, we need to get her out. They're going to kill her." It didn't matter about the metacrisis, or the Daleks. She didn't want to lose Donna and she didn't want the Doctor to lose his best friend.

"Wait, what?" Donna screamed from inside, "Get me out of here spaceman!" The Doctor turned to the Supreme Dalek.

"Just let her out. It's me you've got the problem with. I didn't close the doors!" He insisted.

"Nevertheless: the TARDIS is a weapon and it will be destroyed." A trapdoor suddenly opened and the TARDIS fell down deep into the depths of the Crucible.

"Donna!" Danni screamed. The Doctor grabbed her around the waist, afraid she was going to jump over after the box.

"What're you doing?! Bring it back!" He demanded angrily. He ran right to the base of the Supreme Dalek, looking up at the bright red machine, "What've you done?! Where's it going?"

"The Crucible has a heart of Z-Neutrino Energy. The TARDIS will be deposited into the core." The Dalek replied calmly.

"But you can't, you've taken the defences down." He whispered in horror, "It'll be torn apart!" Rose looked at Jack, who had taken over holding Danni. She was sobbing uncontrollably; even though she knew Donna wasn't going to die, she still couldn't save her. She should have saved her while she had the chance. She was useless, bloody useless!

"But Donna's still in there!" Rose exclaimed, pointing to the trapdoor as she advanced on the Supreme Dalek.

"Let her go!" Jack demanded.

"Please, please let her go." Danni sobbed. The Doctor looked over, his face contorted in fury as he stormed over and ripped her out of Jack's arms. He pulled her up against his chest, wrapping his arms around her as she clung to him.

"The female and the TARDIS will perish together! Observe." The Doctor gaze followed that of the Supreme Dalek, to a point in the air where a holographic screen appeared. The TARDIS was shown bobbing in the massive burning ball of energy.

"Donna!" Danni screamed again, staring at the screen in horror, knowing that she was about the touch that hand, that the metacrisis was about to happen and that Donna was so close to having her memory wiped.

"The last child of Gallifrey is powerless." The Dalek taunted. The Doctor watched his TARDIS, and his friend slowly perish in the ball of energy. He looked down at the red-head sobbing hysterically in his arms then at the screen before turning to the Supreme Dalek.

"Please. I'm begging you, I'll do anything!" he implored, "Put me in her place! You can do anything to me, I don't care, just get her out of there!" Danni's grip tightened on him and she shook her head.

"No, don't leave me." She whimpered quietly. He placed a kiss on her head as he continued to watch the screen, panting hard as he teeth clenched and he shook.

"You are connected to the TARDIS. Now, feel it die."

"Total TARDIS destruction in ten rels!" Another Dalek exclaimed. Rose looked at the pair wanting to comfort the Doctor, but knowing there was no way she could do anything to make him feel okay. She could see it in the way they were stood, the Doctor staring up at the at the screen motionless while clutching Danni to his body tightly. Donna was dying or dead, his TARDIS was next. Danni was all he had left, and she was crying.

"Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five!" The Dalek counted down, "Four! Three! Two! One!" The TARDIS slowly disappeared into nothingness as the metacrisis Doctor flew it out of danger. Danni didn't know if she wanted to laugh or cry. There was no saving Donna now, but the Dalek's were going to be stopped and the Doctor would get the only thing left from his home back.

"The TARDIS has been destroyed. Now, tell me, Doctor... what do you feel? Anger? Sorrow? Despair?" The Doctor tensed underneath her touch and she looked around him, catching Jack's eye. She winked at him, hoping he'd get that the TARDIS and Donna were fine, and by the slight twitch of his lips, he did. She looked at Rose, who was staring at her in surprise, obviously she had got the message as well.

"Yeah." He whispered, heartbroken and she stood on her tiptoes, barely able to reach his ear.

"She's fine." She whispered. She fell back to the flats of her feet and he stared down at her, as if he didn't want to believe she was right. She nodded minutely, trying to reassure him and his grip fell to her hands, holding them in front of him.

"Then, if emotions are so important, surely we have enhanced you." The Supreme Dalek replied.

"Yeah? Feel this!" Jack exclaimed as he turned around, shooting the large Dalek. The bullets bounced off it's shell, having no effect whatsoever.

"Exterminate!" The Supreme Dalek cried, shooting Jack and hitting him in the side. He cried in pain as he died, falling to the floor. Rose dropped by his side, shaking him slightly.

"Jack! Oh, my God. Oh, no..." Danni took her hands from the Doctor and knelt by Rose, taking her hands off Jack firmly.

"Rose, let him go." She coaxed gently.

"They killed him." Rose protested weakly as she stood up with Danni.

"No, they didn't." Danni replied and Rose frowned at her, "But we need to go somewhere else right now."

"Escort them to the Vault." The Supreme Dalek commanded as if it had heard it, "They are the playthings of Davros, now." Danni lead Rose to the Doctor. He grabbed Danni's hand tightly, Rose holding onto her other one. She looked between them both, Rose looking distressed and confused, the Doctor looking devastated, and she realised that she had to be the strong one. There was nothing she could do now to stop the chain of events, she had to be the one who was there for everyone else. Maybe that was her purpose, not to change it but just to be there for it. She looked back at Jack, who winked at her, very much alive. She smiled sadly back.

~0~0~0~

They were led to a large room, what Danni assumed was the Vault. Davros was sat to one side, Dalek Caan behind him in a destroyed Dalek shell, the mutated being inside on full display. They were lined up side by side, Danni in between Rose and the Doctor.

"Activate the holding cells." Davros commanded. The Doctor reached out for Danni, pulling her harshly against him as three spotlights descended from the side, one over Rose and another remaining empty as the Doctor and Danni stood in the other.

"Well, this is cosy." Danni replied.

"Remove the human female from his cell." Davros commanded angrily.

"If you touch her I'll destroy every single Dalek fleet." The Doctor swore darkly. He needed to protect her, a fierce yet familiar wave of anger rolling over him. Ever since she'd almost been eaten by the Vashta Nerada, he needed to keep her close, make sure she was safe. He knew why, deep down, but he pushed the answer away, hiding it from himself. After all, Rose was there.

"You are powerless, what could you do to us?" Davros asked, a laugh of triumph in his voice.

"Take her and find out." The Doctor replied. Davros stared him down for a moment.

"Leave her. Even when powerless, a Time Lord is best contained." Davros commanded. The Dalek's who'd rolled forward to do as he commanded moved backwards and the Doctor smirked happily.

"Still scared of me, then?" He taunted before reaching forward and placing his hand against the edge of the holding cell. It rippled from top to bottom with a blue light. Danni watched it, amazed, after all it was very pretty. Rose did the same, watching it move downwards. Danni glanced over at her, she seemed to be taking this very well. Rose caught her gaze as smiled shakily at her, Danni sent her a beam back and drew a cross over her heart, promising everything was going to be okay.

"It is time we talked, Doctor, after so very long-" Davros started but the Doctor sighed, rolling his eyes dramatically.

"No, no, no, no, no. We're not doing the nostalgia tour. I want to know what's happening right here, right now, 'cos the Supreme Dalek said 'vault', yeah? As in, dungeon. Cellar. Prison." He spun around in a circle behind Danni, taking in the look of the room. The doors were closed and made of Dalekanium, there were no controls or any sort of consoles. The Dalek's in the room were watching him very closely, making sure he didn't make any wrong moves.

"He's not in charge of the Daleks anymore." Danni explained, "They just keep him down here. They've outgrown him." The Doctor's grin grew as he turned back to Davros.

"They've got you locked away down here in the basement, like, what, a servant? Slave? Court jester?"

"We have..." He paused as he thought of the right word, "an arrangement."

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no." The Doctor laughed mockingly, "I've got the word. You're the Dalek's pet!" Davros turned from him angrily and moved over to Rose.

"So very full of fire, is he not? And to think, you crossed entire universes, striding parallel to parallel to find him again." He taunted her.

"Leave her alone." Danni and the Doctor snapped at the same time.

"She is mine. To do as I please." Davros replied, never taking his eyes off Rose.

"Then why am I still alive?" Rose replied boldly.

"You must be here. It was foretold. Even the Supreme Dalek would not dare to contradict the prophesies of Dalek Caan." He pressed a button on his chair and a spotlight illuminated Dalek Caan.

"So cold and dark. Fire is coming... the endless flames..." Caan sang.

"What is that thing?" Rose asked the Doctor, looking at the mutant as it twitched and danced on it's perch.

"You've met before. The last of the Cult of Skaro. But it flew into the Time War, unprotected." The Doctor explained slowly, not taking his eyes off the Dalek, anger bubbling away inside of him at the thought of anything being able to enter the Time War.

"Caan did more than that. He saw Time. Its infinite complexity and majesty raging through his mind. And... he saw you. Both of you." Davros stared at Danni and the Doctor. Danni stepped backwards, uncomfortable under the gaze of the robot eye in the madman's forehead.

"This I have foreseen in the wild and the wind. The Doctor will be here, as witness, at the end of everything. The Time Child, the Doctor and his precious Children of Time!" Caan sang before giggling like a child, "And one of them will die...!"

"Was it you, Caan? Did you kill Donna? Why did the TARDIS door close? Tell me!" The Doctor shouted, no longer being able to contain his anger. They could taunt him all they wanted, but mentioning her...

"Oh, that's it! The end, the fire, the rage of a Time Lord who butchered millions. There he is. Why so shy? Show your companion... show her your true self." The Doctor glanced over at Rose, silent and uneasy.

"But he saved millions too." Danni replied gently, "He saved the entire universe."

"You think so, child?" Davros snapped back.

"I know so." Danni replied instantly, "I know about the Time War, I know why he did what he had to do, I just wish you'd stayed there instead of throwing it back in his face."

"You're blinded by your admiration of him."

"Maybe I am." She conceded, "But at least I've never been someone's pet." Davros glared at her and she smirked in reply, knowing she had touched a nerve.

"He will show you his true self, Dalek Caan has promised me that." Davros told her.

"I have seen it. At the time of ending, the Doctor's soul will be revealed." Caan repeated.

"What does that mean?" The Doctor asked quietly.

"We will discover it together... our final journey. Because the ending approaches. The testing begins." Davros turned away from the Doctor, ready to leave his foe trapped in his cell.

"Testing of what?" The Doctor demanded. Davros turned back to answer him.

"The Reality Bomb." He stated gleefully before wheeling off. The Doctor tensed, his eyes wide in shock and wrapped his arms around Danni, pulling her close. She placed both of her hands on his, squeezing them reassuringly.

~0~0~0~

"Testing calibration of Reality Bomb. Firing in ten rels - nine, eight, seven..." The Supreme Dalek's voice came over the speaker system in the vault. Both Rose and Danni had been trying to reassure the Doctor, but he had just stood glaring at Davros

"Behold... the apotheosis of my genius." Davros typed on his control panel, bringing up the holographic screen showing a huge room covered in Dalek's. A group of humans were led into the middle, all with their hands on their heads.

"...two, one, zero." The Surpreme Dalek finished it's countdown, "Activate planetary alignment field!"

"But that's Z-Neutrino Energy. Flattened by the alignment of the planets into a single stream." The Doctor described, his eyes going wide, "No." He spun to face Davros,"Davros. Davros, you can't! You CAN'T! NO!" He begged. Davros just smirked and turned to face the screen as a large device on the ceiling of the testing room began glowing a bright green. Danni turned into the Doctor's chest, in all her worry about Donna she had forgotten about the people who were about to die. The Doctor and Rose watched in horror as the people on the screen dissolved into atoms, dissipating into nothingness. A Dalek wheeled into the spot the poor, unsuspecting people had been standing.

"Test completed." It declared. Rose turned to the Doctor, who was still staring at the screen.

"Doctor, what happened?" She asked him shakily.

"Electrical energy, Miss Tyler." Davros replied for the Time Lord. Danni looked up at the Doctor, who had turned to stare at Davros in disbelief, breathing heavily, "Every atom in existence is bound by an electrical field. The Reality Bomb cancels it out - structure falls apart. That test was focused on the prisoners alone. Full transmission will dissolve every form of matter."

"The stars are going out..." Rose whispered in realisation, turning back to where the screen had been.

"The twenty-seven planets... they become one vast transmitter. Blasting that wavelength..." The Doctor cried out.

"Across the entire universe." Davros interrupted, "Never stopping. Never faltering. Never fading. People and planets and stars will become dust. And the dust will become atoms and the atoms will become... nothing. And the wavelength will continue, breaking through the Rift at the heart of the Medusa Cascade into every dimension, every parallel, every single corner of creation." He raised his hand up, pointing to the ceiling, "This is my ultimate victory, Doctor! The destruction of reality itself!" He cried victoriously, almost hysterical in his joy.

"But then what?" Danni asked him, "After everyone is destroyed, what will you do?"

"Planet by planet my Dalek's will take everything denied to me."

"But then what?" Danni pressed, "What use are the wonders of the universe if there's no one there to share it with? Or bargain for it with? You'll own everything, then what will you do with it?"

"She has a point." Rose added, "What happens after you take over the universe?"

"This message is for the Dalek Crucible. Repeat: can you hear me?" Before Davros could reply the holographic screen appeared, showing Martha Jones appeared sat in a grey room in full UNIT uniform.

"Martha!" Danni cried happily. She knew the girl was going to be okay, but it was nothing compared to actually seeing her well.

"Put me through!" The Doctor commanded, tearing his gaze from Martha for a moment to shout the order at Davros.

"It begins as Dalek Caan foretold." Davros said smugly.

"The Children of Time will gather... and one of them will die!" Dalek Caan sang smugly.

"Stop saying that!" The Doctor shouted, exasperated, "Put me through!"

"Doctor! I'm sorry. I had to." Martha apologised, the Doctor shooting her a confused look in response. Sorry for what?

"Oh! But the Doctor is powerless - my prisoner. State your intent." Davros rolled into prominent view, addressing Martha.

"I've got the Osterhagen Key." She declared, showing them a small circuit board in a plastic case, "Leave this planet and its people alone, or I'll use it."

"Osterhagen what? What's an Osterhagen Key?" The Doctor asked.

"There's a bunch of nuclear bombs underneath the Earth's crust." Danni told him, "They use the key, the Earth is torn apart from the inside." The Doctor looked down at her, horrified and appalled.

"Danni!" Martha cried and Danni smiled up at her.

"Hello Martha!" She exclaimed, waving at the woman who couldn't help but smile at her attitude. If Danni wasn't worried, she knew she was doing to right thing,

"What? Who invented that?!" The Doctor asked Martha, before looking down at Danni, "Well - someone called Osterhagen, I suppose -" He looked back up at Martha, "but Martha, are you insane?!"

"The Osterhagen Key is to be used if the suffering of the Human Race is so great, so without hope... that this becomes the final option." She explained with some effort, like even she felt the idea was abhorrent.

"That's never an option." The Doctor snarled.

"Don't argue with me, Doctor." Martha snapped, stunning him slightly, "'Cos there's more than that. Now, I reckon the Daleks need these twenty-seven planets for something, but what if it becomes twenty-six? What happens then? Daleks? Would you risk it?" Martha taunted, waving the key. Rose turned to Danni.

"She's good!" She told the ginger, who nodded.

"Martha Jones saves the Earth once again." Danni replied with a laugh. Martha squinted at the screen, not quite able to see Rose.

"Who's that?" She asked. Rose turned back to the screen.

"My name's Rose. Rose Tyler." Martha's mouth dropped open.

"Oh, my God... he found you." She whispered, quite overcome. But, if Rose was there, what about Danni? She looked at the ginger, who placed a finger to her lips, telling her not to mention anything. Rose looked over at the Doctor, who was staring back at her in shock at the reaction to the key. Rose should have been as disgusted as he was about it, why wasn't she?

Martha's transmission suddenly shot to the left and another screen appeared showing Jack, Mickey, Sarah Jane and Jackie Tyler. Jack was holding a chain connected to a load of wires, a smirk on his face.

"Captain Jack Harkness calling all Dalek boys and girls! Are you receiving me? Don't send in your goons or I'll set this thing off." He called, his tone serious and countering the look on his face.

"He's still alive! Oh, my God, that's- that's my mum!" Rose stuttered out, her brows furrowing in confusion as she pointed the woman out. What was she doing there?

"Yes, he can't die. And yes, that's your mum." Danni replied. The Doctor nodded in agreement.

"And Mickey," He added, "Captain, what are you doing?" He addressed Jack.

"I've got a Warp Star wired into the mainframe." Jack explained, "I break the shell... the entire Crucible goes up." The Doctor stared at him, mouth open as if he'd gone completely mad.

"You can't!" He exclaimed, "Where did you get a Warp Star?!" Sarah Jane stepped closer to the screen.

"From me." She stated quickly, "We had no choice, we saw what happened to the prisoners."

"Impossible." Davros breathes, wheeling to get a closer look, "That face... after all these years."

"Davros." Sarah Jane whispered, before her gaze turned dark and she glared at him, "That's been quite a while. Sarah Jane Smith. Remember?" She snapped. Davros grinned, enjoying every moment of what was unfolding.

"Oh, this is meant to be." He crowed, "The Circle of Time is closing. You were there on Skaro at the very beginning of my creation."

"And I've learned how to fight since then." Sarah Jane warned, "You let the Doctor go or this Warp Star - it gets opened!"

"I'll do it." Jack promised, twisting the necklace threateningly, "Don't imagine I wouldn't." Rose laughed.

"Now, that's what I call a ransom." She turned to see Danni trying to catch the Doctor's gaze, whispering comforting words to him. He was looking to the ground, devastated at what his friends had become. And all in the name of him, he had done this to them, "Doctor?" She asked, concerned. Danni looked over at Rose, her heart breaking for the turmoil the man was going through. Always thinking the worst in every situation if it involved himself.

"And the prophesy unfolds." Davros smirked.

"The Doctor's soul is revealed!" Dalek Caan cackled happily, "See him! See the heart of him!" Danni bent down trying to get him to look at her, but he refused to meet her eyes, burdened with the guilt of what he had done to the people in front of him.

"The man who abhors violence, never carrying a gun. But this is the truth, Doctor: you take ordinary people and you fashion THEM into weapons. Behold your Children of Time transformed into murderers. I made the Daleks, Doctor. You made this." He taunted.

"They're trying to help." The Doctor replied weakily, barely believing his own words.

"Already, I have seen them sacrifice today for their beloved Doctor. The Earth woman who fell opening the subwave network." Davros revealed.

"Who was that?" The Doctor asked, all his companions were there, who else was there?

"Harriet Jones." Rose told him quickly. He turned to her, stunned, he hadn't been expecting that, "She gave her life to get you here."

"How many more? Just think. How many have died in your name?" Davros pressed, knowing he was getting underneath the man's skin. Danni watched as the images of the people who had died to help in flashed in the Doctor's mind as he relived each one, fighting back the urge to start sobbing. All of the people who sacrificed themselves for him because he wanted to play hero, "The Doctor... the man who keeps running, never looking back, because he dare not, out of shame. This is my final victory, Doctor. I have shown you... yourself." Danni growled and spun around, having become furious as she watched the Doctor crumble under his own guilt.

"You know, I've had just about enough of you!" She shouted angrily, pointing at Davros who moved back slightly in surprise, "You know nothing, so maybe you should shut your mouth." She turned to the Doctor, taking his head in her hands and forcing him to look at her, "You don't understand, you never did." She started gently, "They're not trying to hurt people, they're trying to save them. They don't want to blow up the planet, or the Crucible, they're following your lead because they want to help. They're following your lead because they're giving him the choice. He," She pointed behind her at the Dalek's creator, "He's the one twisting it. And his downfall will come at the hands of the most important person in the universe, so don't listen to him." She implored. The Doctor studied her face, thinking over what she said.

"I will not fail!" Davros shouted indignantly. She spun around to face him, glaring furiously at him.

"Oh yes you will." She promised him, "Apparently I'm the bloody Time Child, so you'll do well to listen to me. She will stop you."

"The most important person in the universe?" The Doctor asked thoughtfully and Danni turned to face him, smiling happily as he seemed to come back out of his despair.

"And her sexy..." She interrupted herself, shaking her head, knowing the TARDIS wouldn't be happy being left out, "No sorry, two incredibly sexy friends. You haven't fashioned them into weapons, they're so much better than that, and it's because of you."

"What about you?" He asked her. She opened her mouth to answer, to tell him her life would be meaningless without him when the Supreme Dalek interrupted their moment.

"Enough. Engage defence zero-five." Hearing the Dalek's order Martha held up the Osterhagen key.

"It's the Crucible... or the Earth." She stated one last time, hoping her threat would be listened to and she wouldn't have to activate the key.

"Transmat engaged!" A Dalek exclaimed and Martha was snatched from the station, dropping the key onto the floor. Jack, Sarah Jane, Mickey and Jackie were then snatched in identical lights, the Warp Star also falling to the floor. The five appeared on the floor in front of the vault, disoriented. Martha rolled across the floor, having been brought from so far away her ride had been much more rough than the rest and Jack rushed over to help her up.

"Martha! I've got you, it's all right-" He reassured her.

"Don't move! All of you! Stay still!" The Doctor shouted as Jackie, Mickey and Sarah Jane rushed forward. His hand knocked against the side of the holding cell, causing it to ripple and they all stopped in their tracks.

"Guard them! On your knees, all of you. Surrender!" Davros shouted. They all looked to the Doctor, unsure of what to do.

"Do as he says." He urged them as Dalek's surrounded them, pointing their guns at the group. They all slowly fell to their knees, Mickey very unhappy with giving up, placing their hands behind their heads to show they surrendered.

"Mum, I told you not to!" Rose hissed at her mum.

"Yeah, but I couldn't leave you." Jackie replied in the same hushed tone. Rose rolled her eyes, but knew that her mum would never leave her to fight on her own.

"The final prophesy is in place. The Doctor and his children all gathered as witnesses. Supreme Dalek... the time has come!" Davros's voice trembled in excitement and Danni grabbed the Doctor's hand as they all looked at the monster in front of them, "Now Detonate the Reality Bomb!" He screamed, pointing upwards. The Doctor's grip tightened on the Danni's hand and she lifted up his hand to kiss his knuckles.