To Be Loved

Chapter 22 - Journey's End

Journey's End, part 1 -

As everyone believed the Doctor was regenerating he kept staring at the Oracle's swollen belly. With effort and a groan he turned to move all his regeneration energy into his spare hand under the console. He came back up, no more golden energy, looking as healthy as if he had just regenerated.

"Now then. Where were we?", he smiled.

They all had different looks of shock on their faces. The Oracle was the first to speak up.

"How did you-? You were dying. Why didn't you regenerate?"

"Oh, what's your problem with this face? I've had worse", he leaned under the console to look at his hand, "There now."

He blew on it as the Oracle stepped close to see, "You transferred regeneration energy into your hand to stay yourself."

"Only used it to heal myself. You said it's bad luck to change faces before, you know", he nodded to her stomach.

She took his face in her hands, "Another you could grow out of that hand now."

He smirked, "Don't say you wouldn't like that."

"I've had to deal with multiple you before. I don't think I can do it again", she rolled her eyes and chuckled before her face fell, "Davros is alive. There is an entire new Dalek-race."

"I know", he looked down gloomily, his hands on her waist as his look fell to her stomach, "And a whole new race of Time Lords."

"This is not the same. And you know it", she let go of him to wipe away her tears.

Then she stepped back and Rose stepped closer entrances, "You're still you?"

"I'm still me", he gave the best smile he could muster and hugged her.

Donna turned to Jack, "You can hug me, if you want."

He just grinned brighter.

"No, really. You can hug me."

"Oh", he moved forward and hugged her.

Both men looked at the Oracle over the women's shoulders. The Doctor looked concerned. Jack smiled and when Donna let go of him he moved to hug her as well.

"You are glowing, goddess. Suits you", he chuckled.

"I told you not to call me that", she laughed, "No good moment for it, huh?"

"Ah, well, but I'll finally have a favourite we can all agree on. How come I haven't been told yet? And offered the position of godfather?"

She laughed again, forgetting their troubles for a moment, "Because he used his veto. Which is why I get to pick everything else."

"No! The Doctor used a veto against me? He'll regret that", Jack laughed.

Then the Tardis shook and the power went out. The Time Lords rushed to the console to try and power it up but it was no use.

"They've got us", the Doctor looked at her worried, "Power's gone. Some kind of chronon loop."

He held out his hand and she took it and squeezed it tightly when the Tardis jerked and she fell into him. He pulled her close.

"There's a massive Dalek ship at the centre of the planets. They're calling it the Crucible. Guess that's our destination", Jack explained.

"You said these planets were like an engine. But what for?", Donna asked the Doctor.

"Rose, you've been in a parallel world. That world's running ahead of this universe. You've seen the future. What was it?", the Doctor let go of the Oracle to go to Rose.