The End of the Universe (Doctor Who fanific)

Chapter 3

"Well, it seems to me there's some plan at work," a new voice said. The four Doctors all turned around to see a tall figure with curly white hair and a ruffled collar standing calmly by the console. He smiled when he saw them.

"It had to have occurred to you, surely?" They all looked at each other; none of them had noticed the TARDIS lurch, although it could have happened while they were busy arguing over console designs.

"Ah, yes, well, I suppose there could be," Five said, recovering himself first.

"I take it you've worked out who we all are?"

"Well, of course I have," said Three.

"You're me, or at least you will be. It really wasn't that difficult."

"Now, there's no need to be so condescending," Four said, bristling.

"You're one to talk," Seven grumbled.

"Right, I think it's fair to say that a low opinion of myself has never been our problem," Eleven said. "Now can we stop arguing and get to work? There is a problem to solve here."

"He's absolutely right," Five said, as Three looked over the young appearance of his Eleventh self and wrinkled his nose in disdain.

"Are we reverting back to childhood in our later years?" he asked.

"I believe the term is mid-life crisis," Seven mumbled distractedly, looking over readings on the scanner.

"Hey!" Eleven protested, eyes widening in shock. "What about him? He's at least as young as I look, and he's wearing a vegetable!"

"Well, your bow tie is hardly any more fashionable," Five shot back.

"Bow ties are cool," Eleven said flatly, as if that determined it.

"For goodness sake, what does the temperature have to do with anything?" Three asked in exasperation. "I suppose maturity isn't a desirable trait in your time?"

"Oh, it's never desirable," Four said, holding out a small bag. "Jelly baby?"

"He's only trying to seem distinguished," Seven said long-sufferingly to the room, looking pointedly in Three's direction. "He is the youngest one here at the moment, now can we please get back to work?"
Eleven glared at Three, straightening his bow tie and turning his attention to the console.

"What do you mean, a plan?" Seven asked, looking up at Three..

"Well, I'm assuming you worked out that someone called us here?" the earliest Doctor present said.

"That's debatable," Eleven interrupted.

"Yes, well, if someone called us here, then there must be a plan in place," Three went on. "And I'd say it's a pretty big one to require all of us."

"There doesn't seem to be any other explanation," Five said. "And you have to admit, it's an unbelievable coincidence that it's only my incarnations who were drawn here. The odds must be - "

"In the billions," Seven finished.
The TARDIS lurched again and they were all thrown off balance, except for Four, who managed to remain standing as the rest fell around him.

"I wonder which one of us arrived this time," Five said as he got up.

The new arrival had apparently been thrown as off balance as the rest of them, because he picked himself up with a wide grin and adjusted his long brown coat. "Oh, now that is brilliant! Don't know what I expected to find here at the end of the universe, but it certainly wasn't this. Having a party, are we? Although, I don't know if it can really be called a party since, technically, only one person is in attendance."

"Are we all such chatterboxes in our old age?" Seven burst out.

"Oi, watch who you're calling old," Eleven said. "Now Ten here raised a good point that everyone's forgetting-"

"Oh, is that who you are?" Four asked. "It's dreadfully hard to tell you all apart. None of you exist yet, you know."

"Sorry, yes, I'm the Tenth," the new arrival said, putting his hands in his pockets and moving between them with a grin. "Hello!" He looked thrilled to be here, smiling widely at each of his other selves. Every so often he would exclaim over something small he noticed, like Five's shoes and Seven's paisley scarf. It was very distracting.

"As I was saying," Eleven said pointedly. "Hair Gel over there said that it can't be a party if only one person is in attendance." He looked around the room expectantly, meeting only blank stares, except for Ten, who was running his fingers through his hair in confusion, looking for hair gel.

"I think I see," Seven said. The others all looked at him and he went on.

"Well, we never travel alone, do we?"
Eleven nodded, "So where are our companions?"

They all looked at each other. "I could have sworn Tegan was there with me," Five finally said.

"Yes, and Amy was with me," Eleven said. "So why aren't they here now?" The TARDIS lurched again and they looked up to see who had arrived, distracted from the new argument.

"It would take a lot before I abandoned a companion," Three said.

"Except for all the times we abandoned our companions," Eleven shot back. "Let's be honest, at least with ourselves, shall we?" None of the others looked at him, unwilling to admit the truth of the statement.

"Oh, Sarah forgave us, by the way," Ten cried suddenly, breaking the silence and looking at Four. "For leaving her in Aberdeen." He looked around at the stunned expressions, seemingly proud of himself for derailing the conversation again.

Four sat up straighter, thinking it over. "Oh, is that where it was? You've seen her, then?"

"Yes," Ten said with a grin.. "She's having a great life. Going on, doing what we always did."

"Yes, that's my Sarah," Four said wistfully.

"Your Sarah?" Three said derisively. "I think I knew her first."

"If we could get back to business," Seven said hurriedly, trying to head off another argument. He gestured toward the door. "Look who's just arrived."

A white-haired old man was standing there, looking confused. He drew himself up as he realized they were watching him, eyeing them suspiciously. "Who are all you people, and what are you doing in my TARDIS?" he asked imperiously. The others all looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

"This might take some explanation," Five finally said.