The Doctor's face fell and he answered shakily: "You're bluffing. Deception's second nature to you." He accused as his mind blanked. "There isn't a sincere bone in your body. There isn't a bone in your body." He added a little confused.
Because in his hearts he knew they weren't lying. Teresa's face confirmed as much.
The White Dalek revealed: "His power is derived from an Oblivion Continuum. Call off your attack, or we will detonate the android."
"No." The Doctor snarled as he turned away from the screen. "This is my best chance ever. The last of the Daleks."
He reached the console, passing Teresa resolutely as he said determinedly: "I can rid the Universe of you, once and for all."
The Dalek had appeared on his small scanner screen, and it taunted: "Then do it. But we will shatter the planet below. The Earth will die screaming. And your companion will bear witness to your failure."
The Doctor clenched his fists angrily as he growled at the screen: "Yeah, and if I let you go, you'll be stronger than ever. A new race of Daleks."
"Then choose, Doctor. Destroy the Daleks or save the Earth." The White Dalek challenged.
The Doctor stared at the screen as the Dalek ordered: "Begin countdown of Oblivion Continuum. Choose, Doctor."
He twitched, his jaw setting and Teresa took his hand. He glanced at her as the Dalek taunted: "Choose. Choose."
The Doctor drowned it out as he stared into her clear grey eyes. They showed no blame and no pressure, and he could see it in her eyes: she would support him no matter his decision. That clear trust made his decision simpler, even if it didn't make it easier.
He picked up the mike and called in defeat: "The Doctor to Danny Boy. The Doctor to Danny Boy. Withdraw."
"Say again, sir. Over." Danny Boy said, his tone coloured with disbelief.
The Doctor said quickly before he could change his decision: "Withdraw. Return to Earth. Over and out."
"But sir-" Danny Boy began to protest, and the Doctor called urgently as he began to take off the Tardis: "There's no time. You have to return to Earth now. Over."
As the Tardis began to wheeze, Teresa told him quietly: "They'll escape. You won't be able to catch them if we leave now."
He glanced at her in surprise. She didn't usually tell him a spoiler so easily. But Teresa knew what the Daleks meant to him, and she always hated it when he had to choose humanity or the Daleks. Especially since he had to watch his own planet burn, destroyed in a desperate attempt to rid the universe of the Daleks.
He saw the pain on her face, and he told her softly: "Even then, my decision won't change. It can't change."
She stared at him pensively and then gave a small smile.
"Because you're the Doctor." She sighed and his lips twitched into a sad smile.
As the Tardis began to land, he hesitated and he pulled her to him and murmured desperately: "Please, tell me I did the right thing. Tell it to me."
She blinked, hearing a double meaning that she wasn't sure she'd heard right. But his green eyes searched hers desperately, so she went with her gut. Taking his face between her hands she whispered quietly: "You did the right thing. And I'm proud of you, Theta."
His eyes softened and closed as he leaned his forehead against hers.
"Thank you." He murmured and she nodded.
His eyes opened as the wheezing stopped and his face was once again determined as he ran out of the Tardis, Teresa right behind him. She ran into the map room just as the Doctor punched Bracewell right in the jaw, knocking the man to the ground.
"Doctor!" Amy cried in a mix of alarm and reproach, but he was shaking his hand as he moaned in pain: "Ow."
He quickly refocused as he said to the downed man: "Sorry, Professor, you're a bomb. An inconceivably massive Dalek bomb."
"What?" Bracewell yelped and the Doctor rattled off: "There's an Oblivion Continuum inside you. A captured wormhole that provides perpetual power. Detonate that, and the Earth will bleed through into another dimension."
Everyone stared, bewildered as Teresa smacked the Doctor's head, scolding: "You're making it worse."
He rubbed his head and muttered to Bracewell more calmly: "Now keep down."
He knelt beside Bracewell and used his sonic to open up the man's chest, causing the skin on his chest to open up to reveal Bracewell's real torso- a metallic chest with a circular disk where his heart should be. The disk was a light blue and divided into five sections. But even as they watched, one section began to change color, turning yellow, and indicating the start of the countdown.
"Well?" Amy asked anxiously and the Doctor murmured frantically: "I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. Never seen one up close before."
"So what, they've wired him up to detonate?" Amy asked, panicked.
"Oh no, not wired him up." The Doctor corrected. "He is a bomb. Walking, talking, pow, exploding, the moment that flashes red."
He pointed at the circle. Bracewell whimpered and Amy suggested: "There's a blue wire or something you have to cut, isn't there? There's always a blue wire."
The Doctor turned to her excitedly, but then Amy added uncertainly: "Or a red one."
"You're not helping." The Doctor retorted flatly, and Churchill piped up: "It's incredible. He talked to us about his memories. The Great War."
"Someone else's stolen thoughts, implanted in a positronic brain." The Doctor retorted, and Teresa smacked him again.
The Doctor rubbed his arm and then his eyes lit up and he ordered Bracewell excitedly: "Tell me about it. Bracewell. Tell me about your life."
"Doctor, I really don't think this is the time." Bracewell whimpered as he struggled to stay calm, but the Doctor urged: "Tell me, and prove you're human. Tell me everything."
Realizing what he meant Bracewell took a shaky breath.
"My family ran the Post Office." He began. "It's a little place just near the abbey, just by the ash trees. There used to be eight trees but there was a storm."
The second section turned yellow, darkening quickly to orange. The Doctor asked hastily: "And your parents? Come on, tell me."
Teresa knew this wouldn't work and tugged Amy down to kneel beside her as Bracewell replied to the Doctor: "Good people. Kind people. They died. Scarlet fever."
He mumbled, and the Doctor asked quickly: "What was that like? How did it feel? How did it make you feel, Edwin?"
"Amy, what makes you feel most alive? Most human?" Teresa asked the redhead softly.
Amy looked at her puzzled as Bracewell moaned: "It hurt. It hurt, Doctor, it hurt so badly. It was like a wound. I though it was worse than a wound. Like I'd been emptied out. There was nothing left."
The second section had turned red and the next one was turning a dark yellow as Amy thought about Teresa's question and the Doctor urged Bracewell: "Good. Remember it now, Edwin. The ash trees by the Post Office and your mum and dad, and losing them, and men in the trenches you saw die. Remember it. Feel it. You feel it because you're human. You're not like them. You're not like the Daleks."
The section turned red as Bracewell moaned: "It hurts, Doctor. It hurts so much."
Amy's eyes lit up and she stared at Teresa in understanding.
Teresa nodded and Amy turned to the man as the Doctor tried: "Good. Good, good, brilliant. Embrace it. That means you're alive. They cannot explode that bomb because you're a human being."
Teresa touched his arm and the Doctor paused to glance at her as the fourth section turned a dark yellow. Teresa nodded for Amy to go, and the girl asked Bracewell softly: "Hey, Paisley. Ever fancied someone you know you shouldn't?"
Bracewell blinked in shock and he squeaked: "What?"
Amy continued in a soft whisper: "It hurts, doesn't it? But kind of a good hurt."
Bracewell looked almost embarrassed as he murmured: "I really shouldn't talk about her."
"Oh. There's a her." Teresa teased lightly, and they watched the section turn back to blue.
The Doctor saw what the girl's were going and he asked softly: "What was her name?"
"Dorabella." Bracewell breathed, caressing the name with his voice.
"Dorabella?" The Doctor repeated mockingly and Teresa jabbed him hard in the ribs as Amy gave him a pointed look. He quickly corrected: "It's a lovely name. It's a beautiful name."
Teresa nudged him to shut up, and Amy asked: "What was she like, Edwin?"
"Oh, such a smile." Bracewell breathed and the Doctor paused, his eyes widening. "And her eyes. Her eyes were so blue."
The segments were slowly turning back to blue, but the Doctor didn't even notice. He was mesmerized by Bracewell's descriptions and a lump appeared in his throat as he thought of who that description reminded him of.
Bracewell sighed: "Almost violet, like the last touch of sunset on the edge of the world."
Teresa smiled softly at the look of pure bliss on the man's face as Bracewell breathed out the most important name in the world to him: "Dorabella."
All the segments had turned blue, and Teresa and Amy smiled. They exchanged looks of delight as the Doctor was brought back to the current situation, and he congratulated Bracewell warmly: "Welcome to the human race."
The Doctor snapped his fingers as he pointed at Churchill and said happily: "You're brilliant."
Churchill blinked, confused, and the Doctor pointed at Bracewell as he added: "You're brilliant."
Bracewell chuckled as the Doctor pointed at Amy. "You're brilliant."
Amy beamed, although it dimmed slightly as the Doctor turned to Teresa.
"And you, I-" He almost looked like he was going to kiss her again, making Teresa's eyes widen in alarm. He caught the look just in time, and her grey eyes reminded him of who she was. He quickly changed direction, kissing her forehead instead.
Teresa smiled, and the Doctor said hurriedly, taking off for the door: "Now. Got to stop them. Stop the Daleks."
"Wait, Doctor." Bracewell called, making him freeze. He closed his eyes as he turned back to see Bracewell struggling to sit up as he told him: "It's too late."
The Doctor sighed. He'd hoped, despite the odds, that there might be a chance. But Teresa was rarely wrong on these things and Bracewell confirmed as he told them: "They've gone. I can feel it. My mind is clear. The Daleks have gone."
He sagged in disappointment and Amy said lightly, trying to cheer him up: "Doctor, it's okay. You did it. You stopped the bomb."
He sighed, shaking his head and she paused. Amy asked carefully: "Doctor?"
"I had a choice." He explained sadly. "And they knew I'd choose the Earth. The Daleks have won. They beat me. They've won."
"Only if you let them." Teresa told him firmly. He focused on her, and she gave him a small smile.
She nodded at Amy, and the redhead blinked before she added hastily: "And you saved the Earth. Not too shabby, is it?"
The Doctor looked between the two girls and he sighed again, but there was a small smile on his face as he admitted: "No, it's not too shabby."
Churchill chimed in: "It's a brilliant achievement, my dear friend."
The Doctor chuckled and Churchill offered: "Here, have a cigar."
"No." The Doctor refused gently. Teresa chuckled, and he smiled as he reached out for her.
She blinked and moved uncertainly, but let him draw her in for a tight hug. She was a little stiff at first, but then relaxed and hugged him back, knowing it was what he'd needed. There was one question niggling in her mind and she asked him very quietly: "How'd you know I knew? Your Academy name, I mean."
He smiled as he whispered back so the others wouldn't hear their conversation: "You told me. When we first met. Said you'd always known."
She nodded and he sighed, burying his face on her shoulder as he took comfort in her warm embrace.
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Teresa teleported quietly away in the early hours of the next morning, after the Doctor gave her a lecture on how dangerous it had been of her to tell him about the Daleks escaping. He'd lightly scolded her on her actions, and she let him, knowing he wanted to. She conveniently left out the part that she'd only told him because she trusted Eleven not to make the wrong choice- she was less sure about Ten. Nine, well, he was clearly not.
Both Teresa and the Doctor were surprised by how quickly she left again, though he seemed less surprised. Apparently she'd popped in and out for three days in a row for him now. The only thing she regretted as she left was that she didn't get to really talk to Churchill, and that she wouldn't be there to help console Breen Blanche, the kind woman who'd taken her to the Doctor, when the woman received the heartbreaking news that her lover died in battle.
She did, however, manage to sneak in a warning to Amy to watch out for Churchill's attempts to steal the Tardis key. She wished she'd been there to see the Doctor's face when he realized Churchill almost got away with stealing his precious key. She'd also snuck in a goodbye with Bracewell, on the off chance she didn't get to stay for the real one.
He'd been rather gloomy, but Teresa helped him cheer up for what he believed was his last night before he must be shut down. It was interesting to hear about his ingenious ideas and she'd encouraged him not to give up. He needed to stay strong. And she knew he'd understand some day what she meant.
Teresa reappeared in a darker themed Tardis, much more slapdash. She grinned, knowing where she was immediately and glanced around expectantly. Pretty soon, the doors burst open and Ten and Rose ran inside, dodging something that looked like purple slime.
Teresa blinked as Rose fell to the floor laughing, while the Doctor quickly slammed the door shut, ensuring they were safe.
"I can't believe you let that thing almost kill us with its food!" Rose gasped between laughs and the Doctor opened his mouth to retort when he spotted Teresa by the console.
"Terry!" He cried enthusiastically, and Teresa gave him a tentative smile.
She was slightly worried about Rose's reaction, but the blonde whipped around and cried with almost more enthusiasm: "Terry!"
Teresa laughed as Rose dashed over to hug her, the Doctor loping over at a much more leisurely pace.
"Hey, you." Teresa laughed as Rose let go, beaming.
"So, why'd I come back to find you two chased by purple gunk?" Teresa teased and Rose rolled her eyes.
"Oh, you know him." She jerked her thumb at the Doctor. "It was supposed to be a lovely stroll down the park, staring up at Pluto, and then he had to be rude and upset the poor alien woman's baby."
"How was I supposed to know? It was two meters big, how did she even give birth to it?" The Doctor retorted, and Teresa laughed as Rose made a disgusted face.
At least this Ten and Rose were on much better terms. They were bickering, but it was playful and the tension that seemed to be constantly there with earlier Ten was completely gone.
"And you? Where've you been?" Rose asked curiously and Teresa chuckled.
"Spoilers." She told them and both of them made a face making Teresa laugh.
"You always seem to say that." Rose sighed and then her eyes narrowed.
"Hang on, that's the outfit we picked out for Ancient Rome." Rose pointed out and Teresa laughed, nodding.
"Yeah, I missed it. Ended up a couple years into the future, and now I'm back." Teresa admitted and Rose smiled.
Teresa turned a severe look on the Doctor as she added: "I also heard you managed to almost let Rose be thrown to the lions while you became a gladiator."
"I won, too." He told her smugly and Rose rolled her eyes at him, looking a little peeved as she remembered: "In exchange for me being thrown to the lions."
He shrugged and Teresa tensed, waiting for a fight after his careless reaction. But Rose just scoffed at him and turned to Teresa, saying: "Wish you'd been there. It would've been fun and we could say we ran away from Caesar together."
Teresa chuckled as the Doctor smiled, nodding. She watched, amused as the Doctor walked around the console and Rose linked arms with her, dragging her as they followed the Doctor.
"So, what next?" The Doctor asked as he began to twirl some dials and press a few buttons. "A billion years into the future? Back to the Renaissance? Oh, we could meet Da Vinci!"
"Whatever Terry wants." Rose said, surprising the girl.
"Are you sure?" Teresa asked and Rose nodded.
"You rarely get to pick, so come on. What do you think?" Rose asked and Teresa smiled.
"Oh, I think I know just the place." She answered. The three shared a grin and the Doctor pulled the lever, making them all laugh in delight as the Tardis wheezed and disappeared.