THIS STORY CAME IN THIRD PLACE

The Christmas Vampire

December 20th

Chapter 1

The Doctor locked the doors to his classroom for the last time of the fall semester. It was Christmas break and the Doctor was going to use that time to work on his TARDIS's dematerialization circuit. He came close several times, but his work exploded in his face, literally.

He walked down the hall towards the front of the school and thought back on the last few months of working as a teacher long term. It had been fairly quiet since the Raxacoricfallapatorius incident way back on the first day of school. Not having to save the day for that long had two sides. One was that the Doctor could relax and be at peace with his surrogate family, the Russos, but the other sides was that all the peace and quiet was driving him insane. He knew something was bound to happen. It always did.

Montana Tower

Paul Scypher walked down the hallway in the sciences center in the world's tallest and strongest building and the headquarters for the Montana Corporation, the most powerful and richest company in the world. It surpassed Tipton Industries several years ago and since the hiring of the scientist Dr. Tesla Howard, the company had blasted away from the competitors and become a small nation of sorts within the world. It manufactured everything from baby products all the way to weapons of war and even robotics, not just small robots, but advanced bipedal ones.

Paul was second in command of the company right after the founder Henry Montana. Montana was one of the nicest and kindness men in the world. He gave tons of money to help people across the globe and was even on good terms with UNIT's military branch, something that was almost impossible with someone in his position and wealth. Montana had order Tesla to design and create something that not even Paul knew about.

Paul walked by Tesla's laboratory and heard what sounded like machinery moving with a slight scream hidden within it.

Waverly Sub Station

The Doctor walked into the doors of the sub station and walked over to the TARDIS and walked inside. He tossed his black coat on the rack next to the door and walked back outside into the restaurant outside. He turned and closed the door and then noticed all the Christmas decorations on his TARDIS. He saw a wreath nailed to the one of the doors of the TARDIS. He smiled and shook his head.

"Only for a season, Old Girl," he whispered to the TARDIS, patting it.

"Are you stroking the TARDIS again?" asked Alex as she walked down the staircase.

The Doctor turned around and answered her, "No, I'm not."

"Uh-hu, yeah," said Alex going behind the counter.

"Who put those on her anyway?" asked the Doctor.

"I did," said Theresa coming out of the kitchen, "I didn't think you would mind."

"I don't think she minds," replied the Doctor sitting down on one of the stools, "If she did, that wreath wouldn't be there at all. She can be a very temperamental machine."

"You know its still weird that you call that thing a she," said Theresa, collecting some dirty dishes from the tables.

"Because the TARDIS is a she and she's not a thing," said the Doctor, who seemed to take offense to Theresa calling the TARDIS a thing. "The TARDIS is a ship, a living ship, plus she's the only one who's been with me my whole life."

"That's because you've never settled down and gotten married with anyone," said Theresa, "All you ever do is travel in that machine over there."

"No, I was married once and a dad once," said the Doctor, his face flooding with emotions, "I don't like to talk about that part of my past."

"Sorry," said Theresa.

"That's okay," said the Doctor, "I haven't seen my wife since I rebelled and left Gallifrey. I left after she died. She somehow couldn't regenerate and her death was fatal and final."

"Isn't death normally fatal?" asked Alex.

"Not for a Time Lord, it isn't," replied the Doctor, "You know because of the regenerating."

"No, I really don't know, but I'll take your word for it," said Theresa.

The Doctor just smiled at the two and nodded.

Montana Tower

Dr. Tesla Howard injected something into an IV that was hooked up to a monkey that was housed in his lab storage rooms. The monkey's eyes popped open and rolled back into its head. The primate started to go into convulsions and the muscles started to bulge and the hair started to grow inches longer. the fingernails and toenails curled around and grew into claws. The monkey's eyes rolled back into the proper place, but had turned from brown to deep gold. The breathing stabilized and the monkey saw Tesla. It opened its mouth and roared at the man. Its teeth had all turned into canines. Spit and saliva sprayed from the creatures mouth. The monkey stopped struggling and passed out as its breathing eventually stabilized.

A lab assistant was in the room with Tesla and was horrified at what he had witnessed.

"Why would Montana want to create something that would do that Dr. Howard," he asked the scientist.

"He didn't," answered Tesla, "This is something I am working on."

"Why would you want to do anything like that?"

"Because it's very important to me. That's why," said Tesla, "Now leave."

The assistant knew better than to question Tesla's orders and he left the room.

Tesla picked up another syringe and injected a vile of blood into the IV. The monkey's arm now started smoking. The monkey woke up and started thrashing around in its restraints. Its whole body started smoking and it longer hair started to fall out. The monkey's skin was boiling and suddenly the whole primate burst into flames and eventually all that remained was the charred corpse of the monkey.

Tesla's jaw extended and he moved it back and forth. He scratched his chin and shook his head. He spoke through his teeth, "Still doesn't work. The conversion rate is higher and more effective but it's still beaten by their blood. It doesn't matter how powerful they are, if they are still able to be killed by the very thing they need to survive, its useless! I'll start another variation and I'll eventually get it."

Tesla called the assistant back into his lab to dispose of the scorched primate and Tesla went in deeper into his lab and with irritation started his experiment again.

"I have to get this working. Of all the races, there's only one immune and it's near impossible to over come the immunity!"

Waverly Place

The Doctor was walking down the snow covered Waverly Place and sat down on a bench outside the sub station. A chill ran down the Doctor's back, but it wasn't because of the cold. Something was coming, but not to the city. Something was going to happen to him. Anything that can make a Time Lord feel like that was never good. The Doctor sensed it was something old, incredibly old, maybe even too old. All the way from the Dark Times of the Universe, but there were no survivors from that time period. Even the Doctor was born after the Dark Times. Something that old would be incredibly powerful, but he could handle. Well, he hoped he could.

Chapter 2

The Doctor sat on the bench for at least an hour looking up at the sky, watching the stars above the Earth. Unlike all the others, aside from the still living companions he once had, he had actually seen those stars and the worlds surrounding them. He saw some at their beginning and seen their end, even causing some of them to end.

The feeling of uneasiness returned to the Doctor as he saw a woman come out from another restaurant down the street. He didn't know why the uneasiness was there, but it could just be his nerves. There was something on the woman's face that the Doctor recognized: pain. Emotional pain. She had lost someone and by the countenance of her body, someone close to her, a family member maybe. The Doctor could tell that she hid the pain during the day or when their were people surrounding her, but when she felt comfortable, she mourned.

He looked down and asked, "Who'd you lose?"
"What?" asked the woman, coming closer to the Doctor.

"I can see it in your face," said the Doctor, looking at her now, "You lost someone close to you. Who'd you lose?"

"How could you know that?" asked the woman.

"Because I've lost people close to me," answered the Doctor. He took a deep breath through his nose, a scent hidden within the cold night air, "I'm the Doctor by the way."

"I'm Cindy," the woman replied. She walked over and stood next to the bench, "You're not human."

"Neither are you, Cindy," said the Doctor.

"I lost my daughter," said Cindy.

"What?"

"That's who I lost. I lost my daughter. Her name was Juliet," replied Cindy, sitting next to the Doctor.

"I'm sorry," said the Doctor, "I know what it's like to lose people."

"Who did you lose?" asked Cindy.

"Everyone. I lost everyone," said the Doctor, voice filled with sorrow, "They all died in a war."

"So you're the only one left?" asked Cindy.

"Yeah, I the last of my kind," said the Doctor, "The Last of the Time Lords."

"Time Lords?" asked Cindy.

"My people. You already knew I wasn't human," said the Doctor.

A man came out of the same restaurant as the woman had and called her name.

"Over here, Dear!" she called back to him. She told the Doctor, "That's my husband Alucard."

"Alucard? Hm, haven't heard that name in a few centuries," said the Doctor.

"Who is this?" asked Alucard, staring at the Doctor.

The Doctor stood up and held out his hand, "Hello, I'm the Doctor."

Alucard just stared at the hand.

"Yeah, well anyway," said the Doctor, "I'm sorry that you lost your daughter."

"Cindy, you told him!" hissed Alucard.

"In all fairness, Ally, I kind of figured it out," said the Doctor, "I had five kids once. Four died in the War and one was gunned down. Well, she's be gunned down in the future. She hasn't even been born yet. Life of a time traveler. It's kind of confusing."

"Time travel! You're a wizard!" snarled Alucard, revealing his fangs.

"No, I'm not a wizard. I'm a Time Lord, an alien. I just happened to crash my ship inside a restaurant run by time-wielders or wizards as you call them. I can see from the fangs and unique scent, I'd say you are some form of vampire like creature."

"We are vampires," said Alucard.

"No, you may have somehow contracted the V-Strain, but the Vampires, well the True Vampires are dead. They have been for eons. Ever since the legendary War for Time way back in the Dark Times of the Universe. Well, I hate to bring this very interesting conversation to an end but I've got to get working on my TARDIS. The poor girl's dematerialization circuit has been damaged and I've been trying to repair for the last six months. So if you have anything that could repair that circuit, I would be incredibly grateful."

The couple didn't say anything, but just stared with that blank look everyone has when the Doctor starts his technobabble.

"I take that as a no," said the Doctor, "Well, until next time. Have a good night you two."

The Doctor walked back into the sub station and the two vampires hugged each other and walked back into their restaurant across the street.

December 22nd

Montana Tower

Tesla Howard continued his work on his project. He had strapped another one of his test monkeys to his testing chair. He injected the monkey with the same injection and it started to go through the same transformation. Tesla injected another thing of blood into the animal. The monkey started to thrash around again, but slowly calmed down. It rested in the chair, breathing normalizing. It's eyes were golden just like the other one's eyes and it smiled at Tesla. Then, with no warning, it screamed and within seconds, its head exploded.

Grey matter, blood and bone fragments splashed all over Tesla's face. He used his right hand and wiped the gore off his face and flicked it on the floor. He looked at the headless primate and saw the tip of the neck was smoking. Tesla smiled, even though the primate died. Even though the monkey had died, the test was a success. The monkey's body accepted both things that were injected into it. The monkey's primitive design and mind were not enough to handle both injections. A human subject was next, and being in the tallest building in the world, that would be easy. A few custodians and technicians missing would arouse suspicion, but he would be able to shake it off. He was too important to Henry Montana, but then again, Montana's morality could get in the way but even then, a mere human and his personal army were not enough to stop Tesla. He was not of this world, but no one knew that at all. If the human trials were a success, he could start converting the Earth's population. He could bring back his empire, but then again, if humans were too weak and if they were, he could leave the Earth and find another race. Maybe the Sontarans. They could be strong enough, but even then they were not his target. If he could convert the one race that put him in this situation in the first place, his goal would be a complete success.

If he could put a Gallifrean in one of his conversion chairs, he would pump him full of his new V-Strain and finally convert the one race immune to the Vampire Strain: Gallifreans.

Chapter 3

December 22nd

Waverly Sub Station

The Doctor seemed on edge the last two days as if something was bothering him. He was jumpy and kept pacing back and forth in the restaurant, ignoring the watching eyes of the customers and even the family watched him. The Doctor sat down at one of the stools at the bar and rested his head in his hands and closed his eyes thinking.

He had noticed something six months ago when he just landed in the sub station and started his repairs. He couldn't for the lives of him remember what it was. He though it said vote for someone. Who though? Vote for who? Vote for Saxon. No, it wasn't Saxon. Saxon was the Master and the Master was trapped inside the Time Lock. But then again the Raxacoricfallapatorius told him that he would meet a man who lost his world. A son of a fallen world just like the Doctor was, but the Doctor could feel when another Time Lord was around, but he did feel that there was something evil here, an ancient evil. He could feel it reverberating through his bones. He knew what evil felt like and it was here in this city and that thing he noticed half a year ago was connected somehow.

The Doctor opened his eyes again and stared blankly into the kitchen. His eyes grew deep and thinking. He snapped out of his trance when he remembered where he saw that little hint. He looked around and saw Alex taking someone's order. She walked back to the kitchen with it and he stopped her when she was one her way out.

"Alex, where that picture that I drew of Gallifrey and gave you?" asked the Doctor.

"What are you talking about?" asked Alex.

"When I first got here, I drew two pictures. One of Gallifrey and the other of my incarnations. I need the picture of my planet. It had something written on the back. It said 'Vote for' somebody. Do you know where you put that picture?" explained the Doctor.

"Yes, I know what you're talking about. I know where it is," replied Alex.

"Where?" asked the Doctor.

"I'll get it when I'm done," said Alex.

"Alex, no, this is important and I mean it's really important," said the Doctor.

"How important?" asked Alex.

"There is something evil brewing in the city. I know, I feel, that it is different from the Rift. It's probably not related to Rift at all. It might have been here far longer," the Doctor said. The Doctor grabbed Alex's hands and looked at her straight in the eyes and told her, "This is incredibly important and I need that paper now. Show me where it is."

Alex nodded and said, "Okay, come on."

The Doctor let go of her hands and she put everything down and went upstairs. The Doctor was right behind her. She made her way in the Russo home and took the stairs up to her bedroom with the Doctor behind her. She walked into her room and took the picture of Gallifrey off her wall above her bed. She jumped off her bed and handed it to the Doctor.

"You had it framed?" asked the Doctor, staring at his framed picture.

"Yes, I did. I thought it was a great picture," smiled Alex.

"Thank you," said the Doctor, "This incarnation is little more artistically inclined that others." The Doctor sat down on Alex's bed and slowly took out the picture. He turned it over and saw that it said, "Vote Montana."

"Vote Montana," said the Doctor, "Whose Montana?"

"I'm not really sure, but there is a building called the Montana Tower. It's supposed to be the biggest tower in the world, but I don't really know. Alex sat down on the bed on the other side of the picture.

"I'm sure Justin would know more about this Montana man," said the Doctor. The Doctor put the picture back in the frame and put it back on it's hook."
The Doctor left Alex's bedroom and walked down to the sub station, Alex right behind him. The Doctor zoned in on Justin sitting at one of the booths. Alex stood right next to the Doctor's side of the booth. He sat across from Justin and looked at him, "Justin, I need something explained to me."

Justin looked at the Doctor and looked at Alex then looked back at the Doctor. He wore his confused face and asked, "Should I be scared?"

"Only if you don't give me the information I need," said the Doctor coldly.

Justin nodded and asked, "What do you need to know?"
"Whose Montana? I saw a paper that said 'Vote Montana' and I have a feeling that name is incredibly important," explained the Doctor.

"Well Montana's full name is Henry Montana, no middle name. He's also head and founder of the Montana Corporation, the most powerful and influential company in the entire world. Montana ran for mayor the last election, but he lost. His refusal to slander and bad mouth his opponent is one of the reasons people believe he lost. Personally I like him so I voted for him. Why was that important?"

"Justin, something evil is on the horizon and I am putting the pieces together and I think this Henry Montana and Montana Corporation is at the center of it."

"Do you think it's Henry Montana?" asked Justin.

"No, I don't know, maybe. I just have to get into there and find out why this feeling is coming from the name Montana. It just maybe an employee of the Montana Corporation or maybe the man himself, but I won't know until I get there."

"Do you need any help? I've always wanted to go to the Montana Tower and now with you and your psychic paper we could get in!"

"No, Justin, you are not going," said the Doctor.

"Why?"

"You may have seen a version of evil before, but this one is much worse. One of my enemies that I fought told me that our evil was his good. I believe that this evil is no more evil than me or you. We are the evil ones in his eyes, but he is the evil one in our eyes. That makes him far worse than anything you've ever encountered. Whatever this being is, he believes it's the right thing to do and we are the evil. What would you risk to stop evil?"
"I don't know," said Justin.

"If this thing is as old as I think it is, it will risk everything, even its life and when something risks its own life, that makes them far more dangerous than anything."

"Like you, Doctor," added Alex, "You've risked your life all those other times before and have beaten them."
"Exactly," said the Doctor, "Justin, you know how dangerous I am."

"I know," said Justin.

"That's what I mean. You've seen me and since I'm on your side, you are still here. Just imagine something as deadly and dangerous as me, maybe even more! Don't you get it now? It's too dangerous."

The Doctor got up and walked to the TARDIS, Alex right behind him.

"Doctor, I'm going with you, no matter what," said Alex.

"Alex, no. You heard what I said to Justin," said the Doctor.

"But the I've been in this kind of danger before."

"Have you?" asked the Doctor.

"The Hoixes and the Oods when we first met," said Alex.

"Okay, yes, but they would have killed you instantly, but others aren't as nice when it comes to killing. Others torture and prolonged your death. Maybe even transforming you into something else or maybe you could be a slave in your own body. You cannot know," pleaded the Doctor, "But then again, you're like me. You don't listen to authority and you're going to come with me even if I tell you no, but be incredibly careful. Stay out here and I'll be right back."

Alex stayed outside the TARDIS and backed up when the ship started vworping.

"Doctor!" yelled Alex, "Doctor, come back!"

The TARDIS dematerialized and there was nothing left.

"He tricked me. I'm usually doing the tricking," Alex said to herself.

"How does it feel to be the one tricked?" asked Justin stepping up behind Alex.

"Not good," said Alex.

"Now you know how every else feels when you do it to them," said Justin, smiling, "Payback is a beautiful thing."

Chapter 4

The Doctor ran to a storage room and got a fire extinguisher and put out a fire in the control console. Smoke and sparks were pouring from the console and the Doctor smacked several buttons and the TARDIS started to materialize.

December 23rd

Waverly Sub Station

One day after the Doctor left the sub station, Alex sat staring at the big empty space from her spot sitting on a stool. She had her head resting in her left hand and was moving left to right in the stool.

She perked up when she heard the TARDIS's engine and saw the light nine feet above the floor. The TARDIS materialized in the same spot as it had been the last six months. The door to the TARDIS opened and the Doctor stepped out, smoke flowing out until the Doctor shut the door. The Doctor coughed a little and patted his wild hair down.

"Well that didn't work," said the Doctor. He looked at Alex glaring at him, "What was that look about. I wasn't gone that long. Why'd you change clothes?"

"Because you left yesterday!" snapped Alex.

"What!" asked the Doctor, "I didn't put in a time change just a relocation."

"I don't care what you did. You left me," said Alex, now standing next to the Doctor, "You tricked me."

"Alex, I'm sorry, but don't worry. The dematerialization circuit was completely repaired and now its fried again and I have to repair at the beginning again."

Alex's face lifted and she asked, "Does that mean you are stuck here for a few more months?"

"Yes," said the Doctor. The Doctor bit his lip and looked up to his right.

"Doctor, what is it?" asked Alex.

"You can...you can come...you can come with me," muttered the Doctor.

"What?" Alex's face beamed.

"You can come with me to the Montana Tower, but don't get in trouble," said the Doctor, "Who I am kidding? People always get in trouble around me."
"I thought that's what you said," said Alex, "I just wanted to hear your say it again."

"Hey! I can still leave you here and go by myself," said the Doctor. He smiled and walked towards the wizard lair.

"Just to be sure," Alex said taking out her wand, "I don't want to have a tear so don't you dare leave me here."

A ball of magic flew from her wand and went to the kitchen and smashed into the Doctor.

Alex smiled until she heard the Doctor yell from the other room, "I'm immune!"

"Dang it! I forgot," said Alex, stomping her right foot.

"Forgot what?" asked Harper.

"Forgot that magic doesn't work on the Doctor," said Alex.

"Do you really want to use magic on the Doctor?" asked Harper, "From what I've seen, using magic on the Doctor isn't a very good thing to do. He might..."

"Might do what?" asked the Doctor, standing behind Harper.

"Geez! What are you? A ninja?" asked Alex.

"You never know," said the Doctor, eating a banana, "And now, Harper, what might I do?"

Harper's eyes widened.

"Harper, it's okay," said the Doctor, taking a bite of his banana.

"Oh, thank God," gasped Harper.

"She ain't goin'," said the Doctor, pointing to Harper.

"Going where?" asked Harper.

"The Montana Tower," said the Doctor, "Something evil is brewing and I'm going to find out what it is."
"We're going to find out what it is," said Alex, elbowing the Doctor, making him choke on his banana.

"What was that for?" asked the Doctor, wiping his mouth.

"Because you keep making me think that only you are going," said Alex, "But we're both going."

"Okay," said the Doctor, "Why are we still here? Let's go."

"But what? We were..." stammered Alex.

"Wasting time, let's go," said the Doctor, he took out his transporter watch and Alex grabbed it. Right as the Doctor pressed the button, Harper grabbed the watch too. All three vanished in the blue teleport light.

Montana Tower

The three appeared in the teleport's blue light and the Doctor shook his head at Harper, "You are very confusing, Harpy."

"Harpy?" asked Harper.

"Yeah, Harpy," said the Doctor.

"What am I, Aly?" asked Alex.

"No, you're just Alex," said the Doctor.

"Thank you," said Alex.

"Let's go," said the Doctor. He walked to the front door of the Montana Tower. Before he opened the door, he looked up and saw the sheer height of the building, "That's unbelievable."

The Doctor opened the door and he let the two girls go in first. He followed in and was astounded at what he saw. The entire room he was in was made of black marble and the whole room was amazing.

"This is amazing," said the Doctor. He walked to the direction of the elevators, but was stopped by the security guards. The Doctor pulled out his psychic paper and said, "Dr. John Smith, UNIT Scientific Advisor. These two girls are my assistants."

The security guard took the psychic paper and looked it over. "You can go, but your 'assistants' have to stay here. They don't have any security passes."

"I'm not going up there without them," said the Doctor, "Do you want me to get General Bolton Osage on the line to get permission for them. I know him personally."

"Yes, that would do," a security guard snickered to the other one.

The Doctor took out his phone and dialed the UNIT number. He told the operator his security code and was patched through to the general. He put the phone on speaker, "This is General Bolton Osage, head of UNIT - North American Division."

The guards straightened up and it was the two teenage girls that started to snicker.

"Yes, General, this is the Doctor, Dr. John Smith," said the Doctor.

"Doctor! So good to hear from you," the general's gravely voice spoke over the phone, "How's it been since the Hoix incident six months ago?"
"Great, but that's not why I called," said the Doctor.

"Ah, I should have known," said Osage.

"I have two assistants that needed UNIT authorization to get into the Montana Tower."
"I see," said the general, "Am I on speakerphone?"

"Yes, sir," said the Doctor.

"Okay, security guards, let the two assistants through," said Osage. He gave the authorization codes to guards and hung up.

The guards looked embarrassed and said, "All three of you have authority to go through."

"Thank you," said the Doctor, smiling.

The guards let all three go through towards the elevator and they all stepped into the elevator and as the doors closed, the Doctor noticed that this wasn't some kind of ordinary elevator. There was no ceiling on the elevator and entire shaft looked like a giant tube, all black. The control panel was on a column at the back of the elevator and the Doctor pushed the button for Henry Montana's office floor. The elevator floor started moving and they started moving to the top of the entire building.

The Doctor smiled and watched the elevator went up. He loved the design of this elevator. Heck he loved the design of the entire building. After a couple of minutes, the elevator slowed and stopped. The doors opened and the three watched as the light entered the elevator. The Doctor stood in front of Harper and Alex. The light smacking him and casting a shadow on the other two.

"Here we go," said the Doctor, stepping out of the elevator.

Chapter 5

Montana Tower

"Here we go," said the Doctor, stepping out of the elevator. He stepped into the foyer out outside Henry Montana's office. It was similar to the rest of the building, but the sunlight poured in the room, then into the elevator. "Whoever the architect was, I should tell him how much I like this place," the Doctor added.

"Thank you," said a man in his fifties who stood six feet tall.

"Oh, you're welcome," said the Doctor.

"I'm Henry Montana," said the man holding out his hand.

"I'm the Doctor," the Doctor took Montana's hand.

"The doctor with no name," said Montana, "I've heard of you, Doctor. The man who appears out of nowhere and saves the day from monsters."

"Oh, you've heard of me? That's great," said the Doctor.

"But you look different from the reports," said Montana, "But I guess you've regenerated."

"You've heard a lot," said the Doctor.

"When you're friends with Alistair, you learn a lot about his and your adventures," said Montana, "And from what I've heard from him makes you and whoever is with always welcome here at the Montana Tower."

"You know Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart! I haven't seen him in ages. I should go by and give him a visit as long as he's not in Peru. I mean seriously why is UNIT sending him there," said the Doctor.

Alex cleared her throat behind the Doctor and Montana looked behind him.

"Oh yeah! These are my friends Alex Russo and Harper Finkle," said the Doctor.

"Good to meet you two girls," said Montana, "Well, Doctor, I heard you were coming so I came to meet you first before you had to go through anymore protocol. You and now your friends will have complete access to this entire tower."

"Oh thanks, that's great!" rejoiced the Doctor.

"Now why have you come?" asked Montana.

"We need to talk about that," said the Doctor looking back at the two girls then back to Montana, "In private."

Montana looked back at the two then to the Doctor and he said, "I understand."

The Doctor turned around and told the two, "You two wait here. I'll be out in a few minutes."

"Doctor," said Montana, standing in the doorway of his office.

"Coming," said the Doctor. He followed Montana into his office and closed the door.

Alex and Harper watched the Doctor go in and Harper turned to Alex, "He left us here to do nothing."
"No, he didn't," said Alex in her sneaky tone, "That Montana man said that we had access to the whole building."

"Yeah, but does that mean we should go look around without the Doctor," said Harper, "He did say that there was something evil growing in this place."

"Where, Harper?" asked Alex, "This place looks too calm and peaceful for something evil to be here, anyway. I mean I've fought evil anyway."

"Yes, but the Doctor said it was different from every other evil you've ever fought," said Harper.

"Well, too bad!" said Alex running to the elevator doors. The doors opened and Alex stepped in. "Well are you coming?"

Harper resisted, but eventually gave in, "Oh, okay, but let's just be back by the time the Doctor gets done talking with Mr. Montana."

"Oh we will," said Alex.

Harper jumped into the elevator and the doors closed.

"Where do we go anyway?" asked Harper.

"Since this is the top floor, we go down, Harper," acknowledged Alex, "So we are going down."

"To which floor? There is over 150 floors," said Alex.

"I don't," said Alex, rubbing her head, "How about floor 76?"

"Why 76?" asked Harper.

"I don't know I just got a feeling that we should go there," said Alex as she pushed the floor 76 button on the console.

The elevator descended and stopped on floor 76. The doors to the elevator opened and the two teens stepped out on the Montana Tower's main science floor. Alex walked right passed the guard station, Harper right behind her. Alex walked towards a lab with the name Dr. Tesla Howard engraved on the door.

Alex rubbed her head again and said, "Let's go in here."

"Alex, I don't like this," worried Harper, "I don't like that you were rubbing your head. I'm going to go back and get the Doctor."

"No Harper, don't. He's busy," said Alex.

"That's not you," said Harper, stopping.

"What do you mean?" asked Alex.

"I mean the Alex I know would love the Doctor to come here and find out what's behind that door with her. She wouldn't go inside without him," said Harper, "Something's wrong with you."

"Harper, I don't think you should get him," said Alex.

"I'm going and you can't stop me," said Harper. With that she bolted from Alex and ran into the elevator.

"Harper!" yelled Alex, taking out her wand, then she smiled and put it back.

Harper was terrified as she saw Alex raise her wand when the elevator doors shut. When the door shut, she screamed at seeing her friend change right before her eyes. That scared her. The Doctor had been right, there was an evil here, but it wasn't the one Alex had thought it was. It was the one that Harper was afraid of. It was the kind that worked from a strategy called divide and conquer. Harper wasn't about to go with Alex into that room. She could tell before Alex turned on her that that room was not right. It felt like the elevator was taking hours to reach the top floor from the one she was just on. She had to get the Doctor and hopefully change Alex back to her normal self. She had seen the Doctor do incredible stuff and she hoped he could do another incredible thing.

Floor 76

Alex saw the doors to the elevator shut and she knew that the Doctor would soon come for her. She wanted him to come rescue her and free her from this influence on her mind. She regretted not listening to Harper about leaving the top floor. She was screaming but nothing was coming out of her mouth. She could hear herself scream, but it was all in her mind. That's all she had was her mind, but her body was not in her control.

The Doctor had told her about this back at the sub station. He told her about and evil that could control a mind or body. He called it being a slave in your own body and he said that it was worse than dying. She had never died but it was terrible that she was no longer in control. She felt her legs move. She did her best to fight it but nothing happened, her legs just kept moving and she cried inside her mind, but like everything else, there was no tears in her eyes. The world had no idea what was happening and that made her cry even harder, but like before there were no tears. Her face was dry.

Alex's body walked into the room and the doors shut behind her. Before her mind could think anything else, she blacked out and collapsed on the floor.

Tesla Howard was standing over Alex's unconscious body and said to himself, "She'll just be labeled as another teenage runaway. Such a shame though, she is little beauty."

Chapter 6

Montana's Office

"What do you mean that there is something evil in my tower?" asked Montana, sitting in his desk chair.

"Montana," said the Doctor, sitting across from the Doctor, "Trust me. I know evil when I sense it. I am nearly twenty-three hundred years old."

"Yes, Alistair did say you were some kind of alien."

"Some kind of alien? I am a Time Lord," scowled the Doctor.

Montana smiled and told the Doctor, "He also said that you had a habit of getting all high and mighty on him."

The Doctor conceded to that and said, "He is right about that part, but I am a Time Lord. It comes with the territory."

"Back to the point," said Montana, "What is this evil that you say I have in my tower?"

"Ancient," said the Doctor, spinning a small decorative globe on Montana's desk, "An ancient evil. I wasn't able to really read it until I was in close proximity to it. I've only felt this kind of evil once before. It was when I was in a region called E-Space. With that I have a terrible sensation that this is one of the most ancient and evil beings in the universe. A creature that will never die and never age. It's immortal, but it has never regenerated because I can't smell or feel any form of post-regenerative essence."

"That means absolutely nothing to me," said Montana, "And please stop spinning my globe."

The Doctor stopped and put his hand down on his lap. "It may mean nothing to you, but it does mean something to me and it's a very, very bad something. Now, have you hired anyone recently?"

"Actually yes, about six months ago, right after that crater that came and then vanished," answered Montana, "His name's Tesla Howard, a brilliant scientist, but a little lacking in social skills. He does, however, is able to change quite fast."

"A chameleon personality," noted the Doctor.

"Now that you say that, he is," replied Montana, "And Dr. Howard is working on my brainchild project."

"Which is?" asked the Doctor.

"Need to know, but from your own description of that evil, this is not what you are looking for," Montana thought for a minute and told the Doctor, "He does have his own project though. I let him do his own project as long as he did mine and got it done on time. I trust all my employees and don't ask what they are doing."

"Maybe you should have with Tesla Howard," said the Doctor.

"Now that you say that, I didn't plan on hiring him because he seemed strange, but I suddenly changed my mind at the last minute and took him aboard. My friend, Paul Scypher, asked me why, but I didn't know why I did it. I just did."

"Who's Paul Scypher?" asked the Doctor.

"A friend of mine," answered Montana, "We built the company together, but he insisted on it being named after me. He's my equal in the company. I've known him since high school and I know that he is not who you are hunting."

"I already know that," said the Doctor, "I'd like to speak with this Tesla Howard as soon as I can."

"Of course," said Montana.

Tesla's Lab

Alex woke up, her vision cloudy and head throbbing. She looked around, but everything was blurry. She was relieved in the fact she could control her own body again and that there was not an outside force controlling her like a remote control toy. She realized she was sitting down in a leather chair like those in a dentist or doctor's office. Doctor! Where was he? She tried the get up but couldn't. Her arms, legs, and torso strapped down onto the chair.

"What?" asked Alex. She looked around and her vision cleared. She saw a man in a lab coat working on something, "Who are you?"

The man turned around and looked at Alex. His face was malevolent, but blank at the same time. Alex noticed he reminded her of the Doctor. All that complexity on one person's face. She had only seen that on the Doctor's face.

The Doctor. She should have listened to the Doctor. If she had, she wouldn't be here. She would be up on the top floor waiting for the Doctor to get out of the office. Sure it would be boring, but she wouldn't be here. Then it hit her, she was a wizard, but she couldn't get to her wand, but she couldn't think of any spells to use.

"Human trial number 3," said Tesla.

"What are you?" asked Alex.

"Oh, humans are so more talkative than the monkeys," stated Tesla with no emotion in his voice.

"What are you!" snapped Alex.

"You're a little aggressive aren't you? I did take over your body so it's the least I could do," said Tesla, "I'm a Vampire."

"I've met vampires before and you are nothing like them."

Tesla took incredible offense to that, slamming his hands on Alex's arm and got in her face, "They are NOTHING like ME! Those so called vampires are nothing. They are and pathetic!"

Tesla backed off and stood up straight again. "I am a True Vampire from the planet Quadesia. I was infected with the V-Strain when I was a child. V-Strain, named after the Vampire Class of Quadesia, the working class. No one knows where the V-Strain came from but there was one species immune to the V-Strain and if I am right, I have just overcame that immunity and that's what I am testing on you."

"Why did you take my body over and not the Doctor's or Harper's?" asked Alex.

"Out of you and the female you call Harper, you have the dominant personality and she has the submissive. She will listen to you and follow you. Okay, I though she'd follow you. Her will to survive overpowered her need to stay by you. As for the Doctor, his mind is shielded which suggests he is not human like myself. And to not have his mind subjected to mine means he is a very powerful alien in his own right, but that's not important."

"Why are you doing this?" asked Alex.

"To bring back my people," said Tesla, putting the IV into Alex's arm.

"Owe!" snapped Alex, "Where did your people go?"

"They're dead. The Gallifreans killed then after the War for Time and then they hunted down my people like animals. Now for you."

"Why do you need me?" asked Alex, cringing.

"I'm going to convert every little ape on this backwater rock to be Human Vampires and help reestablish the Great Vampire Empire across Creation. I need make sure that the Gallifrean immunity is not a factor anymore. That's why I need you. I need to see if the human body can hold both the V-Strain and Gallifrean blood at the same time," explained Tesla, taking the needle and injecting it into the IV.

Alex watched as the V-Strain was flowing into her body. When it went into her body, it burned with a fire incredibly painful. She lost her grip on reality and passed out again.

Montana's Office Floor

The elevator doors opened and Harper ran out of towards the doors of Montana's office. She slammed through them and the Doctor jumped up and Montana stood up. She ran to the Doctor and hugged him.

Doctor looked over at Montana and said quietly, "Why do you they always hug me when they seem me?"

Montana shrugged.

"Doctor, it's Alex," said Harper, releasing the Doctor.

"Where is she?"

"Floor 76."

"What! I told you not to go anywhere!"

"I know, but she wasn't herself," said Harper, "Something was controlling her."

The Doctor turned to Montana and asked him, "What's on floor 76?"

"That the primary science floor," said Montana. A realization of horror came on his face, "That's Tesla Howard's floor!"

"Dr. Tesla Howard," said Harper, "That was the name of the door that Alex went into and tried to force me to go into."

"It looks like you might be right, Doctor," said Montana.

"I usually am, yeah!" said the Doctor, walking out of the office towards the elevator with Harper and Montana behind him. The Doctor went into the elevator and turned around, "No, you two are not going."

"Why?" asked Montana, "This is my tower."

"Yes, but if what Harper said is correct, that Alex's mind was taken over. My mind is the only one in this entire tower that cannot be overpowered, no matter how powerful the other mind is," said the Doctor. He took out his sonic screwdriver and pressed it towards the control panel. The floor 76 button lit up and the Doctor stepped back and the doors shut between him and the other two.

Floor 76

The Doctor stepped out the elevator and ran towards the door labeled Dr. Tesla Howard. He shoulder rushed the door and it smashed opened. He saw Alex unconscious, strapped to a chair and an IV was connected to her. The Doctor ran over towards Alex and took out the IV. He unstrapped her from the chair. He saw that the air around the injection site and noticed that it was swollen and fiery hot. Alex's breathing was heavy and the Doctor felt her face. She was just as hot as she was on her arm.

The Doctor leant over to pick up Alex, but was stabbed from behind with a needle. He felt the sting and heat as what was in the needle went into him. He swung around and elbowed Tesla in the face. Tesla fell backwards and went into strike again when he saw smoke coming from the Doctor's back.

His eyes widened in fear and he said, "Gallifrean."

"Vampire," the Doctor snarled.

Tesla ran passed the Doctor, deeper into his lab. The Doctor right on his tail. Tesla ran towards the window and smashed through it, falling towards the street. Tesla bared his teeth as he was falling. He smashed into the concrete down below, landing on his feet. Glass landing all around him seconds later. People around ran and watched as they saw Tesla stand up straight and bare a mouth full of fangs and a face of a monster. He shook his head and ran off into the crowded streets of New York City.

The Doctor nearly followed him out the window but caught himself as he looked 76 floors down towards the busy New York street below. He stepped back into the building and walked back towards Alex. His right shoulder hurting. It was where that Vampire injected him with something.

He walked in and saw Alex was awake, but barely. She was crying and she walked over to the Doctor, hugging him, "Doctor, it hurts. I'm burning. It feels like my body's changing."

"Oh no," said the Doctor, realizing what was injected into him and pumped into Alex, "V-Strain."

The Doctor felt dead weight in his arms. Alex had passed out again.

"It's time to get you home, Alex." The Doctor picked Alex up in his arms and made his way out of Tesla Howard's lab. The Doctor's right shoulder started to swell and smoke just a little.

Chapter 7

Floor 76

The Doctor got Alex out into the hallway where Montana and Harper were waiting for them.

"I thought I told you to stay on the top floor," said the Doctor, "Do you humans ever listen?"

"You don't listen," acknowledged Harper.

"Yes, but I usually know what I am getting myself into."

The Doctor gently laid Alex down on the floor and took out the teleport watch. He placed it into Alex's hand. He set the coordinates. "Harper, we're going back to the sub station. Montana, you get on the search for Tesla Howard. Contact UNIT, they will have full authority. Montana, go!"

Montana didn't say anything and went back to the elevator.

"Doctor, will she be okay?" asked Harper.

"I don't know, Harper. I don't know," said the Doctor, taking holding Alex's hand.

Harper put her hand on the Doctor's hand and they pressed down. All of them vanished in the blue light.

Russo Home

Jerry and Theresa were making something to eat for dinner as Harper ran up the stairs. She threw everything off the couch, but a pillow for Alex's head.

"Harper, what's wrong?" asked Theresa.

"Something's wrong with Alex."

"What is it? Is she in trouble?" asked Jerry.

"Yeah, you could say that," said the Doctor, carrying Alex over his shoulder.

"What happened?" asked Jerry.

"V-Strain." The Doctor set Alex gently down on the couch.

"What's V-Strain?" asked Theresa.

"Vampire Strain. It's a virus that transforms anything into a vampire like creature. V-Strain is named after the Vampire working class of the planet Quadesia. A Dark Times planet destroyed in the War for Time. The very first Time War and the second most deadly. Second only to the Last Great Time War," said the Doctor.

"What? That's not the truth about vampires," said Jerry.

The Doctor stood up and glared down on Jerry, "Don't question my knowledge on the War for Time and Vampires. Countless Gallifreans died to beat the Vampires and gain control over time. Rassilon, Omega and the Other rose up and they destroyed the Vampires and then they hunted down the Vampires like the animals they were."

The Doctor jerked and lost balance. The Doctor collapsed onto a chair. "What's happening to me?"

"Doctor, your shoulder is smoking," said Theresa.

"What?" the Doctor took off his jacket and shirt.

"Oh my god," said Jerry.

"What is it?" asked the Doctor.

"I don't know. We're injected with it too?" asked Jerry.

"Yes, I was, but nothing should have happened, I'm immune, unless he altered it," the Doctor said, "If I change into a Gallifrean Vampire, I don't think anything could stop me if I change. That's the ultimate monster."

The Doctor screamed in pain as his body convulsed and he passed out himself. Alex moaned and started to convulse herself. The Doctor's eyes popped open and he stood up. The Time Lord reeled over in pain and said, "I will win! I will win! I WILL WIN! I will not convert! Get away from us. I don't know how long I can control it!"

The Doctor collapsed again and Jerry stood over him, but was slammed into by Alex. Her eyes were neon orange and her teeth were all fangs. She snarled at her dad and went in for the kill. She raised her hands to kill her dad and her fingers hand claws. As she swung her hand, but her arm was grabbed and she whirled around. The Doctor held was lucid enough to know what was going to happen.

"Get out. Get out all of you!" said the Doctor, "Get K-9 up here to guard us and shoot us down if he has too. GO!"

Everyone ran out and Alex came back to lucidity, "Doctor, what's going on?"

"We're transforming into True Vampires. Slowly we will lose our humanity or you will. I'll lose my Time Lordiness."

"I don't want to change," said Alex.

"No choice," said the Doctor, "It won't matter talking about it. We will change no matter what."

Alex sat down and started to convulse again. The Doctor came and held as she was shaking. K-9 rolled up in the doorway. Alex stopped shaking and he set her down on the couch. He walked over to K-9 and said, "Stun us if we try to leave. Max on me because I don't know how powerful I will become or how resistant I'll become."

"Yes, Master," replied K-9.

"Good boy," said the Doctor, scratching behind K-9's robotic ears.

"Affirmative," said K-9 with his mechanical ears moving back and forth.

A light bulb the size of Mt. Perdition went off in the Doctor's mind. "Why didn't I think of that before?" He smacked himself on the side of his head.

"What is it, Master Doctor?" asked the mechanical dog.

"Go downstairs and give these instructions to the others," said the Doctor. The Doctor explained the plan to K-9, "Do you understand?"

"Affirmative, but I do no think it is a wise decision, Master," said K-9.

"Yeah, I know what you mean, but it is the only plan I have," said the Doctor, "I can get this out of me, but she can't. It's the only plan I have and the only one that has the remotest chance of actually working. I have to do it, for her."

The Doctor turned around and looked at Alex, silently crying at her changing body. Her entire genetic structure was changing and it was not a pleasant feeling. It was downright painful. The Doctor should know. His body changed 13 different times and soon to be 14th time. He could cleanse his body by doing the one thing he didn't want to do: regenerate. He would break Alex's heart. The way he felt for her was incarnation specific and if he regenerated he would lose the relationship they had and it would be replace with a different one. Plus who knew what Fifteen would be like. He could be a loony man in a multicolored horror of a coat. No wait that was Six, his mid-life crisis. Maybe he'd be kind of loopy like his Fourth self or be the ladies man that was the Eighth Doctor. He couldn't possibly know, but he knew he wouldn't be the same as he was now and that would crush the poor little girl's heart.

The Doctor looked with sadness on Alex. She was there transforming into some kind of monster, but he could fix her. Unlike her, he was going to change no matter what. Either into a Gallifrean Vampire or the Fifteenth Doctor. He just hoped it wouldn't be both of those things.

Chapter 8

K-9 was explaining the plan to the Russo's and Harper.

"So what is this thing he is talking about?" asked Justin.

"Genetic trading. He will trade her vampire altered DNA with some of the Doctor's regenerative DNA. It should heal her completely, but she might change completely into another girl. Same memories, but a different physical appearance and personality. That is the property of a regeneration. Also, it will be incredibly painful, but the Doctor believes that she will pull through," explained K-9.

"That doesn't even make any sense," said Justin.

"Maybe not to you but to the Master Doctor, it makes sense," said the robotic dog.

"Okay, we'll do it," said Theresa, "It's not like we have a choice, is it?"

"No, we don't have a choice," said Jerry.

"Let's get started then," said K-9. He rolled up to the TARDIS doors and they opened for him. He went inside followed by everyone else.

Upstairs

Alex was awake again and sitting in a ball on the far left side of the couch. The Doctor was at the door to the terrace, looking outside. Alex turned around to look at the Doctor.

"He can't help you, you know," a voice came from behind Alex.

Alex spun around and saw herself standing at her front door. A version of herself anyway. It was her, but her hair was separated into two ponytails. Her eyes were neon orange and she had claws at the end of each finger. Her clothes were different and she wasn't in pain.

"Who are you?" Alex asked the person standing at the door.

"I'm you," she replied, "I'm you if you let me take control. Stop fighting me. It's destiny that you become fully consumed by the V-Strain."
"That's not something I would say," said Alex.

"Not now, but it you let the V-Strain take over, you will be like me. You will be invincible, immortal, and nothing can stop you."

"No! The Doctor will find a way at stopping this," said Alex.

Her evil self walked up to the Doctor and put her hands around his arm and laid her head on his shoulder. He didn't even notice her. She smiled, baring her fanged mouth and told Alex, "He will not stop this from happening. It was meant to be."

"Doctor," said Alex.

"What?" asked the Doctor, turning around after the other Alex let go.

"You don't see her?"

"See who?" asked the Doctor.

"He can't see me. Only you can see me. I am in your mind," said Evil Alex.

"Nothing, Doctor," said Alex.

"That's okay, at least you're lucid right now," the Doctor said and turned to look out again.

Alex turned around and was facing the TV again.

"And I can influence you where ever you are," said the Evil Alex, who popped on the couch right next to Alex.

"Leave me alone," winced Alex, tears welling.

The Evil Alex vanished and popped up behind Alex. She grabbed Alex's shoulders and put her head next to Alex's and said, "I will never leave you alone because I can never leave. I am always with you. I am you."

"That's not true," said Alex, covering her ears and closing her eyes.

The Evil Alex vanished and appeared kneeling in front of Alex. She forced Alex's hands down and told her, "It is true and I am what you are going to become. Look at me! This is what you are going to become!"

Alex screamed in the middle of her crying.

The Doctor ran over to Alex and jumped over and sat next to her.

"Fight it, Alex. Fight it. Fight it tooth and claw," said the Doctor, "Don't listen to whatever is talking to you or trying to convince you to give in. You won't turn. I won't let you."

"Don't listen to him, Alex, he doesn't know what he is talking about."

"Whatever is telling you bad things is not real. It's all in your head. It a hallucination! Fight it off. Tell it it doesn't exist."

"Alex, I am not in your head. I am real. Say I am real!"

"I don't know," said Alex, grabbing her head, "It hurts."
"I know it hurts, but fight off the monster within you. Whatever that thing is, it is only the V-Strain trying to take over and win."
"I am not the V-Strain!" the Evil Alex said, her voice faltering.

"Alex, fight the V-Strain. Do it. I know you can," the Doctor.

"Okay," struggled Alex.

"No, no, NO! Don't listen to him."
"I won't stop listening to him," said Alex.

The Evil Alex snarled and howled before vanishing completely. Alex opened her eyes and saw the Doctor there next to her and no evil version of herself. "I won."

"Yes you did," said the Doctor, smiling at her.

She broke down and cried again as she threw herself on the Doctor. The Doctor held her as she was crying and swaying back and forth.

"I'll fix this. I can fix this. K-9, please hurry up," said the Doctor, resting his chin on Alex's head.

TARDIS

"That is everything," said K-9.

Everyone exited the TARDIS and the robot dog told the Russo's where to set up the two chair and where the wires would go. The family listened and Justin used magic to get everything working in the best way possible.

"We are ready," said K-9, "I will get Master Doctor and Mistress Alex."

K-9 went up stairs and got the two. The Doctor came down, helping Alex down.

"Doctor, are you sure this will work?" asked Jerry.

"No, I'm not, but it's the only option I have, so its the one I am going to use," said the Doctor.

The Doctor placed Alex into the chair and connected the correct way. He got into his chair and asked one of the others to do it to him.

"I've been in this since the beginning. I'll do it," said Harper. Harper went up to the Doctor and strapped him in and set him up like he had done Alex.

The Doctor looked around and asked, "Whose going to do the honors?"

"I'll do it," said Justin, "I am the best with technology in the family."

"Well, let's get it over with," said the Doctor.

Justin went to the makeshift control console and pushed everything he had to. The Doctor's body had an orangish glow around it and that glow went to Alex. Something black came out of Alex and went towards the Doctor. The orange went into Alex and the black went into the Doctor.

Alex gasped and her eyes glowed yellow and yellow light poured out of her mouth and nose. The light engulfed her entire body and then vanished. She was awake and calm. The burning feeling was gone and she felt like her old self. She looked at the Doctor. He had gone into convulsions and his head was thrashing back and forth, teeth bared and eyes closed shut.

"Doctor!" yelled Alex. She tore through her straps and took all the wires off. She stood up and hunched over, coughing up some yellow dust that floated away. Her vision went out and she fell over, unconscious.

"What happened to Alex?" asked Jerry.

"Post-regenerative shock. Even though she didn't change, she had enough regenerative energy in her to cause the shock. She will be in and out of consciousness for the next fifteen hours," explained K-9.

"Will she be alright?" asked Theresa.

"She will be in perfect health," replied K-9.

"What about him?" asked Harper, who was looking at the now still Doctor.

"I don't know," replied Jerry.

"Leave him," said K-9, "His orders. He is going to fight the V-Strain with everything he has."

Chapter 9

The Doctor woke up and was sitting in a dusty, old school chair. He looked around and was in a darkened classroom. Dust and dirt was all over the place. He looked at the board and saw constellation charts. There were students at all of the desks in the classroom.

"Sleeping in class as always, Theta?" asked an older man who was the teacher.

"What?" asked the Doctor, clearly confused, "Where am I? I can't see anything."

The lights exploded on and the Doctor's shielded his eyes before they finally adjusted to the drastic increase in lighting. He could clearly see what the classroom was and where he was. He looked at the teacher and the Doctor said in astonishment, "Impossible."

"Impossible," scoffed the teacher, "You think nothing is impossible. I've been teaching you since you were eight and first entered into the Academy and you have never said anything was impossible. You could just set your hearts and mind to it and you can do anything."

"Yes but," said the Doctor.

"No," chided the teacher.

"No you listen Borusa," said the Doctor, rising to his feet, "You cannot possibly be here. This place cannot possibly be here. It all perished in the War."

"Oh, there you go again, child, letting your imagination run wild again. I mean you are one of the brightest if not the brightest and most intelligent student I've ever had, but you are also one of the most mischievous. You scheme around trying to have fun because you lack the patience to apply yourself," said Borusa.

"You don't understand, Borusa, you're dead," said the Doctor, "When Gallifrey was destroyed, your imprisonment was released."

"Imprisonment from what, Theta?" asked Borusa.

"Rassilon's Tomb!" snapped the Doctor, "Several regenerations of yours later, you will go insane and crave immortality and in doing so you get Rassilon's ring and he imprisons you at the base of his tomb."

"Now your mind is just grasping at straws to divert my attention from the fact you were asleep during my lesson, now sit down, child," said Borusa.

The Doctor didn't listen and started to get angry, "This is not real. Gallifrey was destroyed. Now, where am I!"

"You are on Gallifrey, in the Academy at the heart of the Citadel," answered Borusa, "You should know that."

"No, this is not Gallifrey and this is not the Academy. I am somewhere else!"

"I believe you are mistaken, child," said Borusa.

"I am not a child! I am over 2200 years old and have regenerated 13 times and I am in my 14th life. I am older than you are Old Man!"

"Enough is enough! Sit down and shut up, Theta!" Borusa yelled, "You know a Time Lord is only allowed 13 lives and not more than that."

"That is true, but where I come from Time Lord society has collapsed and Gallifrey has been turned to dust, orbiting our twin suns," said the Doctor, sitting down and rubbing his face with his hands. "Okay, I'll play along. What's the lesson, teacher Borusa?"

"The lesson is about the massive War for Time, where our people fought the people of Quadesia all those eons ago," said Borusa, "It all started when the two oldest civilizations in the universe, the Gallifreans and the Quadesians. The two of them were once allies, but as that stopped when a virus appeared on the continents of Quadesia in the working class of the planet, the Vampires, which the virus is named after. It is called the Vampire Strain or as it more commonly referred to as the V-Strain."

The Doctor sat down in his desk where he once had those two millenia ago when he was just an adolescence, 200 years old. This was completely ridiculous that he had to go through this again. Actually, where was he? Gallifrey was gone and dead and so was the Academy and Borusa. How was any of this real?

"The two side fought for centuries before the Triumvirate rose up and led the Gallifreans to victory over the Vampires. They hunted the surrendered Vampires down and killed them. All but the King Vampire and Tesla Howard. Which brings me to my next lesson?"

"Wonder what that is?" scoffed the Doctor.

"A Gallifrean Vampire," said Borusa, "And there is one right there."

Borusa pointed to the Doctor.

The Doctor's blood ran cold. How could he know that? Heck, how could any of this be here. The memories flooded back towards him. All the memories of the Montana Tower and sub station flew into his mind.

"Now as it is impossible as it sounds, dear Doctor," said Borusa, "It is true. Dr. Tesla Howard's altered V-Strain has infected the Doctor and you know what we do to infected individuals of the V-Strain, don't you class?"

"Yes, sir, Borusa," said a black haired boy two seats behind the Doctor and one row over to his right.

"Korschie," the Doctor's voice was full of sorrow.

"It's the Master!" snapped the child, "And Borusa, we stone them!"

"Correct, Master," agreed Borusa.

"That's not the law of the Time Lords," said the Doctor as the students and Borusa all had stones magically appear in their hands.

"No mercy," ordered the Time Lord professor.

The stones flew towards the Doctor and the Doctor got up and ran towards the exit. He ran out the classroom door and into some kind of courtroom.

"The accused has returned," a voice boomed throughout the room.

"Accused? Accused of what?" asked the Doctor.

"Genocide, time meddling, interference, and down right annoyance," said the voice.

"That last one isn't a crime. What about the lights in this room?" asked the Doctor. Like before, the light blasted on and the Doctor saw that he was in a Gallifrean courtroom. The judge of the court was none other than the Inquisitor. "What in the frickin' universe is going on!"

"What is going on? What's going on is that we are trying to determine if you can remain your Time Lord self of become the new Gallifrean Vampire," the Inquisitor said.

"What are you talking about? I am going to remain myself," said the Doctor.

"Oh, I know that you can, but it will cause a regeneration and I know that you do not want that, especially with that human female you care for more than you should."

"Hey! Get out of my mind!" snapped the Doctor.

"We will not," said the Inquistor, "We will gather the evidence for both cases. Whether you should stay your original Time Lord self or whether you should turn into the Gallifrean Vampire. The trial will begin immediately. Vampire side."

The room transformed into the courtroom where he was on trial during his Sixth self was on trial by the Valeyard. The Doctor appeared on the right side and the Vampire Doctor on the other side.
"Are the two sides ready?" asked the Inquisitor.

"Yes, ma'am," said the Vampire Doctor.

"Bring on, Vampy," snapped the Doctor. The Doctor looked at the Inquisitor and said, "I'm ready."

Chapter 10

December 24th

Russo Home

The Doctor was moved upstairs so the sandwich shop could be open and working. The Doctor was still strapped into the chair. Alex was put into her bed after her semi-regeneration the night before. Harper and Justin were sitting next to the Doctor with K-9.

"What's going on with him?" asked Harper, "He's speaking in some kind of strange language."

"I don't know what he's saying, my translators aren't working at all," said Justin.

"That's because it is ancient Gallifrean. That language is not translated by any translator system, not even the TARDIS's. That language is so archaic that it existed before the War for Time against the Vampires," said K-9.

"Why couldn't this be like the old days when things were simpler," said Harper, "When you tried to date that vampire girl, but no with the Doctor nothing is easy and simple."

The Doctor hadn't moved in the last sixteen hours since he transferred the Vampire DNA with his regenerative DNA. His eyes were firing back and forth for hours before stopping and popping open, looking beyond anything and deep into space.

"He's fighting it as best as he can," said Alex, walking down the stairs.

"Alex, are you alright?" asked Harper.

"Better than I have ever before," said Alex walking over to where the Doctor was strapped down, "He will win. I know he will win."

"Are you sure about that, Alex?" asked Justin, "He looks like he is going through a lot in there."

"He is," replied Alex, "He is actually having a trial in his mind. A trial between his good Gallifrean and the new Vampire evil."

"How could you possibly know that, Alex?" asked Justin.

"I can understand him for some reason," said Alex, "What he was saying, I could understand it."

"That is because you have the ability to understand all languages now, Mistress Alex, because of the transference of DNA and your semi-regeneration," explain K-9, "And I believe that Master Doctor will pull through this and defeat the darkness of the Great Vampire virus."

"I believe the same thing too, K-9," said Alex, "I'm going to do my best at helping him, just like he helped me overcome the Vampire part of me and all I can assume is that he is facing the full Vampire persona of himself," said Alex.

"Persona?" asked Justin, "You would never learn a word like that and use it and use it properly. What's happening to you?"

"I am spending a lot of my time with the Doctor and some of his habits are rubbing off on me and not to mention that I have mastered two thousand spells in six months of the Doctor being here," said Alex.

"2000? In six months? You barely managed 100 in all the years Dad was teaching us!" spazzed Justin, "How did you learn that much in so little time?"
"The Doctor is an amazing teacher. He is not boring like you, Dad or Mom. He was also the little rebel when he was in school himself. You know at this rate, by the time school is out I will have learn over 4000 spells. I am going to win that competition," said Alex, "I just wish I had already and maybe I could have prevented all of this from happening."

Alex walked over to one of the orange chairs in the living room area and sat down in it. "This is all my fault. If I would have listened to the Doctor and not ran off to floor 76, none of this would have happened."

"Yes, but you were under that crazy Vampire's control. I was with you remember, you were not exactly yourself. You even tried to use magic on me but for some reason didn't do it,"
Harper reminded Alex.

"I guess you are right, Harper," said Alex.

"Yeah, this could have happened anyway, you know," said Harper.

"Yeah, I know," replied Alex, "But if..."

"The Doctor said there are too many ifs in life to ponder on them all," said Harper.

"How do know that?" asked Alex.

"You aren't the only one who spends time around the Doctor. Ever since the giant green aliens a few months ago, I think my best chance of survival is with the Doctor," said Harper. She looked at the Doctor and added, "But it looks like our best chance of survival may not survive himself."

"We can't lose faith, Harper," said Alex, "That is one of the main things the Doctor keeps telling me. He always says don't lose faith because if you do you have no reason to fight anymore, and right now I am not losing faith. I can't. He means too much to me to lose faith in him right now. He did save my life time and time and time again. It's the least I could do."

Alex put her hand on the Doctor's hand and watched his tormented face as he was fighting an even bigger battle than she had the night before. Unlike her, there was no one to help the Doctor. He was all alone in his fight against the V-Strain.

"How's he doing?" asked Theresa, coming up from downstairs.

"About the same as last night, but he is speaking Ancient Gallifrean and staring into space," said Justin.

"But he did keep repeating several words that meant something to me," said K-9, "He mentioned Gallifrey, Rassilon, the Time Lord Triumvirate and Borusa."

"I didn't get any of that," said Justin.

"The Doctor programmed me to understand the Ancient Gallifrean language," replied K-9.

"You understood what he was saying and you didn't tell us?" asked Justin.

"You never asked, Master Justin," K-9 answered back, "If you would have asked, I would have told you."

"Okay, I only know what one of those things is," said Alex, "Gallifrey."

"Rassilon was the Time Lord founder and first Lord President after the War for Time. The Time Lord Triumvirate was made up of Rassilon, Omega, and the Other. They help found the society on Gallifrey, even though Rassilon gets all the credit. Borusa was the Doctor's teacher at the Gallifrey Academy and later became Lord President himself before he went mad and was imprisoned in the Tomb of Rassilon during the Five Doctors incident."

"Five Doctors incident?" asked Justin.

"The First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Doctors were taken out of there time and placed on Gallifrey..."

"K-9!" snapped Alex, "Another story for another time."

"Yes, Mistress Alex," replied K-9.

"Is it just me or does Alex sound like the Doctor?" asked Theresa.

"She sounds like the Doctor," answered Harper, "We've been noticing it to."

"Good," said Theresa.

Alex turned her attention back towards the Doctor and whispered into his ear, "Don't give up. Don't you dare give up. Fight it. Fight it tooth and claw and come out victorious." She finished and then kissed the Doctor on the forehead, with tears starting to roll down her face.

Chapter 11

"I am ready, Inquisitor," said the Doctor.

"I am glad to hear it, Doctor," said the Inquisitor, "Vampire Doctor, will you begin at why you believe the Doctor should have to be transformed into one of the most hated beings in all Time Lord society?"

"I will begin at the fact with the names he has acquired during his travels," said the Vampire Doctor.

"Which is?" asked the Inquisitor.

"Not relevant to this case," said the Doctor.

"Oh, but they are relevant, Doctor," said the Vampire Doctor. He turned his attention back to the Inquisitor and answered her question, "His names include the Oncoming Storm, the Destroyer of Worlds, the Great Destroyer, the Great Devourer, the Faceless Horror, the Butcher, the Warrior soaked in the blood of a billion galaxies and the Most Feared Being in all the Cosmos. With those names it suggests he has done horrible things in the universe and with all that blood on his hands he should be considered to be a Vampire."

"Names?" asked the Inquisitor, "All you are presenting against the Doctor's case to remain fully Time Lord is his names."

"That and how he got all those names," said the Vampire Doctor, "He got those names because of what he did in the Last Great Time War."

"What did he do in the Last Great Time War?" asked the Inquisitor, taking notes.

"What didn't he do in the Last Great Time War?"

"I ended before it ended all of Creation," said the Doctor, "And yes I admit I committed genocide, but in the Time War everyone had there massive demons in the War."

"Doctor! You will have time to defend yourself," scowled the Inquisitor.
"Oh god, this is deja vu," said the Doctor, face palming himself, "It's Trial of a Time Lord all over again."

"What?"

"Nothing Inquisitor," said the Doctor, "Continue your 'testimony' Vampy."

"The himself admits it," said the Vampire Doctor, "That destruction is only something a Vampire should do."

"That destruction no one should do!" snapped the Doctor.

"Yes, but you did it, didn't you?" asked the Vampire version.

"This trial is a farce! OH! I just sounded like Six," replied the Doctor.

"Back on subject, the Doctor has done things worthy of him being stripped of his Time Lordness and become something else. He is even more ruthless than Rassilon himself in the final days of the Time War. The Doctor even has become aggressive and has committed so many holocausts of his own, the Daleks have even commented on him 'being a great Dalek'."

"How do you know that?" the Doctor's face was angry.

"Because I am you!" screamed the Vampire Doctor.

"YOU ARE NOT ME. YOU ARE NOT EVEN THE VALEYARD! YOU ARE JUST AND INFECTION AND I WILL BEAT YOU!" boomed the Doctor at the top of his voice

"No you won't," the Vampire Doctor held out his hand and squeezed it. It's face was full of malice and victory, but the Doctor wasn't phased. The Vampire's face melted into confusion.

"I'm stronger than Alex Russo or any other human. Don't forget I am Time Lord and not a human. You are the V-Strain and the V-Strain is not used to taking such resistance from a host. Are you used to it, Vampy?" asked the Doctor.

"No, I am not used to it," answered the Vampire, clearly irritated with the Doctor.

"But how would you know?" asked the Doctor, "I am your only victim."

"Genetic memory," said the Vampire, "I am the V-Strain. We are the V-Strain. We are many but we are one. I am many but I am one."

"Swarm mentality," said the Doctor, "Swarm mentality. Could I know where every other infected person is?"

The Vampire Doctor didn't answer.

"I'm right, aren't I?" asked the Doctor.

"Now back to the case," stated a pissed off Vampire.

"No," said the Doctor, "I don't think this trial will continue."

"Why is that?" asked the Vampire Doctor, hate overflowing his features and causing his voice to crack.

The Doctor didn't say anything, but motion with his head towards the Inquisitor and the council of Time Lords behind her.

The Vampire Doctor looked and saw then as scorched skeletons, "What?"

"I gained control over this mental hallucination and put them back as they should be, ash and dust," the Doctor boasted.

The Vampire looked back at the Doctor and saw he had a banana and was unpeeling it.

"Oh what? Are you sad that I am winning? It's 2-0, isn't it? What else do you have, Vampy?"

"I have plenty of things left up my sleeves," said the Vampire Doctor.

"But all you have access to are my own memories and experiences because they are the only ones that can actually hold to my mental defenses for a little while. If it had been, let's say, a memory or experience from Alex Russo, I would have shredded that little mental hallucination as if it wasn't even there, and even another Time Lord's memories. It's all because of the immunity of the Time Lords against yourself, well yourself before this clever alteration." The Doctor took a bite of the banana and had a huge smile on his face.

"Where did you get that yellow fruit?" asked the Vampire Doctor.

"From my mind. That's what this place is, it's my mind and if I want a banana or a bunch of banana, I will get them, Vampy."

"This place is also my mind as well, that's how I am manipulating it," said the Vampire version.

"No, it's not, this is my mind and you are just messing with it, but in the end I will," said the Doctor.

"Well it's time to leave this place and go somewhere else," said the Vampire Doctor.

"Where to now, Vampy," mocked the Doctor, finishing his banana and throwing the peel at his Vampire alter ego.

"You are so infuriating!" snarled the Vampire Doctor, "You are completely rude, condescending and hateful. Your arrogance is seeping out of you like arterial spray."
"You are invading MY body and mind and I am the rude, condescending, hateful and arrogant one!" yelled the Doctor, "You sicken me!"

"Well be prepared to vomit, I've still got some places to take you deep in your mind," said the Vampire Doctor.

"There is a part of me that you should never take me to," said the Doctor, suddenly nervous.

"If I find that place, then I will take you to that part of yourself," said the Vampire Doctor.

"You don't know what that place is, but I do. Don't go there," said the Doctor, seeming scared now.

"I'll decide that."

"You have no idea what was once in there," said the Doctor.

"Let's go," said the Vampire Doctor. The two vanished.

Chapter 12

Russo Home

The last couple hours passed incredibly slowly. It was the middle of the day on Christmas Eve and the Russo family had taken him out of the strapped chair and put him on the couch. He hadn't had any convulsion since the DNA transfer. He did speak in the ancient Gallifrean language like before and either Alex or K-9 would translate.

Alex never left his side. She told the family that it was because of what he had done to her. He saved her life and she felt indebted to him and plus the already deep feelings she had for him. It was strange how the feelings came around. She had thought he was cute when they first met and the fact that he said he was some sort of ultimate rule breaker made her find him more attractive, but she didn't think she would develop feelings for her. It was all after the Heart of the TARDIS opening. Alex was sad at the fact that the way she felt towards the Doctor wasn't real. The Doctor had mentioned something about how the Heart of the TARDIS connected them. That could be the reason they feel the way they do towards each other, but now with the Doctor doing some kind of genetic transfer, she didn't know what was real or what wasn't real.

Another hour passed and Alex hadn't moved as the world around kept moving and never stopped. She thought about the way the Doctor felt towards her. He just may have feelings for her just because he has a massive hole in his hearts that need to filled but can never be filled. She couldn't imagine losing her planet, the Earth, and every other human in existence. She could see whenever he was alone. Even on some weekends, he would spend the entire time inside the TARDIS and not come out. Whenever she would go inside the TARDIS, she couldn't find him and the only thing she could think of, Alex came to the conclusion that the Doctor was wondering the halls of the TARDIS to clear his mind. It was his only possession that was 100 percent Gallifrean and now that TARDIS was damaged in the way it was was taking its toll on the Doctor.

Alex's mind was going through tons of possibilities, but Harper was right, she shouldn't do that. There were too many possibilities to think of. The Doctor said that most of time, about 94, 95 percent of time in fact was in a state of flux and the remaining five to six percent was what the Doctor said were fixed points and in time and space and should never be changed. They would always happen.

Alex smacked herself in the face. She was thinking of time and space when the Doctor was in a fight to stay the way he was or change. She was really spending too much time with him, but she didn't really care about that. She was spending time with the Doctor and that was all that mattered to her, even if the feeling might not be real. That didn't matter to her. She cared for the Doctor. She cared for him more than she should. He was 2260 years older than she was.

Alex saw back on the chair she was sitting in. Her demeanor was depressed and her eyes were swollen, tears rolling down her cheeks. She didn't now she was crying until her mother came in from the restaurant to start cooking dinner for the next night. Theresa turned around and saw Alex there crying. Theresa set her stuff down and walked over to her daughter and asked her, "What's wrong, Honey?"

"Him," said Alex, looking at the Doctor, "I've had feelings for several other people, but with the Doctor it's different from the others. I don't know how, but it just is, and now he could be dying. Not leaving me. Not permanently turning into a wolf, but he is actually dying. I know all the others I've had feelings for are still alive, but the Doctor might die."

"Oh, Alex, it'll be okay," said Theresa, sitting next to her.

"That's not it, Mom, well that's not everything. I don't know if it's real. I mean with the Heart of the TARDIS and the Doctor's genetic transfer. I don't know what's happening. Why is this happening? Why? What did we do to get all of this and not just now but the other times? Why us?"

"I don't know," answered Theresa, "Maybe it was destiny."

"There's no such thing as destiny," said Alex, "Gah! Why did I think that? That's something the Doctor would say."

"What do you mean there is no such thing as destiny?" asked Theresa.

"The Doctor told me that time is in flux most of the time and anything can happen," said Alex, "So it means destiny doesn't except in those rare called fixed points in time and space."

"The fixed points," said Theresa, "Like when the Doctor first got here."

"Yes, like the Hoix and the Ood. That was fixed," said Alex, "But flux is like Harper choosing to go with me instead of running away or neither of us get infected. That's flux. In flux, anything can happen and my head and heart just hurt. I don't know why I am thinking all about this."

"Because you can't think of anything else to think of," said Theresa, "The Doctor is always with you. He lives downstairs in the TARDIS and he is a teacher of yours at school and your teacher for your wizard studies. Tell me about that."

"Why do you care? You never used to care before," stated Alex.

"Well I do now, Alex, so tell me," said Theresa. The truth was that Theresa still didn't really care for the wizard studies, she just wanted Alex to get her mind off the Doctor, even if it was just a little part. This was taking a toll on Alex and truthfully it was taking a toll on the whole family. Alex was right. Why did all of this have to happen to them and no one else? There lives were strange and weird enough already and now with the Doctor and all of his alien friends and his UNIT pals, this was getting to be a lot for the family to handle.

"I've mastered my 2456th spell about a week ago. They Doctor is an amazing teacher when it comes to that and he believes that I will the win the Wizard Competition when it's time for it to happen, even if everyone else thinks Justin will win it. He's the only one that believes that. Now the only one who believes it is in a fight for his Time Lordiness."
"Time Lordiness?" asked Theresa.

"His words," said Alex.

"Everything will be fine," said Theresa, "The Doctor will beat the virus that's inside him."

The two looked at the still body of the Doctor.

"Are you sure?" asked Alex.

"Positive," answered Theresa, even though she had no idea if he would be fine at all. K-9 had told them to be prepared for the worst, but expect the Doctor to pull through.

Chapter 13

The Doctor and the Vampire Doctor appeared on a world with lava flows and ruins of mighty buildings. Skeletons littered the entire surface of the scorched planet. The Doctor was sickened at what he saw. He was here once before. It was during the final years of his eighth incarnation. Why had his Vampire alter ego brought him here?

"Do you like this place, Doctor?" asked the Vampire Doctor.

"This is my memory of Arcadia. Why did you bring me here?" asked the Doctor, speaking through clenched teeth.

"This is a memory from the Last Great Time War itself, is it not?" asked the Vampire Doctor.

"Yes, it is. Why did you bring me here?" spat the Doctor.

"To break you. If I can make you faulter, I can get inside and win this battle of wills," answered the Vampire Doctor, "I must admit to you, Doctor, that you are my best opponent. If it had been any other victim, I would have beaten them down and taken them over already. Even your friend, Alex Russo, was on the brink of faultering, but you had to open your big mouth and save her from me. Oh and does she know that you love her?" asked the Vampire Doctor, "Because she sure loves you."

"I love all of my companions," said the Doctor, "They were like and are like family to me and you keep them out of this or I will turn into someone, something, you don't want to see. Not even you can see into that part of my mind."

"Yes, but I will soon. Now back to your companions," said the Vampire Doctor, "You are right. You do love all of your companions, but you love some more than others. There were several times when you fell in love with companions romantically. There was you and Sarah Jane Smith. Then there was Romana and you can't deny that. I mean anyone who saw you two could tell that you two had something special. I remember you even said that she would be the one that could actually make you settle down and live your life without traveling the stars or the timelines."

"That true," said the Doctor. He thought about Romana and wondered where she was in the final days of the War.

"Then a lot less subtle, but still as ever present was your relationship with Perpugilliam 'Peri' Brown and Six. Behind the constant harassment and bickering, you two loved each other. It was undeniable. Then there was Eight and Grace Holloway. Then came Ten and Rose. Twelve and River. Then you and Ashton and now its you and Alex."

"Why are you saying this to me?" asked the Doctor, clearly annoyed at talking with his fanged foil.

"To show you that I can see your past and I can read you like a book so don't you dare say or try to take control," answered the Vampire Doctor, "But do you want to know why I think you fell in love with the majority of those people."

"Okay, I'll bite. Why?"

"Because you needed to fill a hole in your hearts the same size and shape as a certain planet. As in Gallifrey. You lost everything in one minute and then had nothing. You looked for something to fill it so you wouldn't be so empty inside but even now, over a thousand years after the Last Great Time War ended you are still trying to fill that void in your hearts, but you know as much as I do. That hole can never be fill except by the miraculous return of Gallifrey and the Time Lords and tell me, am I dead on?"

The Doctor didn't answer the Vampire and the Vampire Doctor smiled at the fact that he was right. There were several geysers of molten material erupting around them and the Doctor put his head down and rubbed his eyes, fighting back tears. Then the screams came, the endless screams.

"What's that?" asked the Vampire Doctor, thrown off by the unexpected noise.

"It's my memory," answered the Doctor, "Ten billion humans roasted on this planet and those are their screams. You want to see my memories? Try the memories from the Last Great Time War, but you won't because they are even too gruesome and horrible for even you to look at and gaze upon them. So why don't you give up and let me win because I will never break and I will never let you fulfill your duty and obligation. No, wait that's not it. I will never let you fulfill your sick lust for power and control and your thirst for blood. I won't. Do you here me? I won't!"

"That's okay," replied the Vampire Doctor, unsure what to say next. He wasn't used to a host with this must resistance. He had severely underestimated the Doctor's will power and mental strength to resist him. He was going to have to find that part of the Doctor's mind that terrifies the almighty Doctor himself, but did he really want to? The Doctor was clearly not scared of his Vampire Alter Ego or anything else that the Vampire Doctor could think of. So what was so bad in that part of the Doctor's mind that could scare the Doctor so bad and why did the Doctor say it was an empty part of his mind. How can there be part of a mind missing? Unless that part of the mind actually became its very own being and was out in space somewhere. The Doctor did seem only partial when the Vampire Doctor first read him upon the initial conflict with Borusa in the classroom. The Vampire Doctor had to get to that hole in the Doctor's mind and break the Doctor. He would do anything he could to get there and do it to this most formidable host. The Vampire Doctor stood still and didn't move at all. He knew that the empty part was the only one that had the slightest chance at breaking the Doctor's holdout against the Vampire Doctor.

The Doctor had noticed that the other hadn't spoken in a long time and asked, "What are you thinking about now, Vampy?"

"You will find out when it's time," answered his Vampire self.

"Okay." That was the Doctor's only response.

The Vampire smiled and looked at the Doctor and said, "Found it."

"Found what?" asked the Doctor.

"I found the hole you were afraid of," answered the victorious Vampire Doctor.

"I warned you not to take us there and if you do, there will nothing that can hold me back against you," said the Doctor, preparing for the worst, "That void is unspeakable essence of an evil that is no longer inside of me. I buried that part of my past and don't want to dig it up, but it seems I don't have a choice."

"No, ya don't, Doc. Let's go," mocked the giddy Vampire Doctor.

The two vanished and the Doctor screamed something with all of his power as they vanished.

Russo Home

"GOLLOCK TA MALA VALEYARD!" the unconscious Doctor boomed, making everyone in the room jump.

"What was that?" asked Harper.

"What did he say?" asked Justin.

"Alex?" asked Theresa.

"He said 'Beware the evil Valeyard'," answered Alex.

"What does that mean?" asked Jerry, "What's the evil Valeyard?"

"Believe me, Masters and Mistresses, you do not want to know from me," said K-9, "The Doctor should tell you. I would not be my place."

"I know what the Valeyard is," said Alex, "It's an evil version of himself."

Chapter 14

"What do you mean an evil version of himself?" asked Theresa, "And when were you going to tell us about this evil Doctor?"

"I just found out when I partially regenerated," said Alex, "He doesn't like to talk about his evil self. He hates what happened to him and caused his evil self to become his own being. The Nightmare Weam mentioned the Valeyard in Nightmare's Reign, but not by name. He called it a monster deep inside the Doctor and the Doctor told him that the monster was gone and both of them agreed that the Doctor was incomplete somehow. It didn't make any sense to me until all this knowledge flooded into me with the half regeneration."

"Then why did he say beware the evil Valeyard?" asked Justin.

"Think of an oven. It gets hot and then the food cooking gets hot. The food is the Valeyard. You take the food out of the oven and the food hot, but so is the oven. You take the evil Valeyard out and there will be evil left over in the oven in the mind. The residue evil is still there, but the cause of the residue is gone," explained Alex and then she cringed, "Oh god! I sound like the Doctor. Make it stop. Sound stupid like Alex again."

"She's talking to herself," said Justin, "Just like the Doctor. Maybe that's what he wanted."

"What do you mean?" asked Harper.

"I'm not sure," said Justin.

The Doctor's Mind

The Doctor and the Vampire version of himself appeared next to a white door.

"Don't open that, Vampy," said the Doctor, "You have no idea what lies beyond that door."

"I have an idea," said the Vampire Doctor.

"No, no you don't have any idea," said the Doctor, "What used to be behind that door was a monster made of pure hate, rage, fury, blood lust, pain, sorrow, sadness, sickness, and even death. The room itself is just a void with evil essence still there. If you open it, you will risk being consumed by it."

"That's good," said the Vampire Doctor, "It'll help me over power you."

"No, it won't, Vampy," replied the Doctor, "It'll destroy you. It almost destroyed me."

"But I am stronger than you are, Doctor," said the Vampire Doctor.

"In delusions, yes," the Doctor pleaded.

"Call it what you like. I am opening the door," said the Vampire Doctor. The evil doppelganger opened the door and the two of them were sucked into blackness.

Russo Home

The Doctor jerked and screamed. His eyes and mouth shot out streams of blackness.

"What's that!" asked Harper.

"I have no idea!" replied Justin.

"It's the two evils in the Doctor. They are going to destroy each other with their presence," said Alex.

"Why?"

"They can't exist with each other," answered Alex, "Each one will try to destroy the other to take over the Doctor, but they will destroy each other and the Doctor will regain control."

The Doctor's Mind

"Where are we?"

"In the heart of my evil," said the Doctor.

"It hurts!" howled the Vampire Doctor.

"I told you. I warned you not to open that door, but no you had to go and do it didn't you. Now you must learn from your mistakes." The Doctor stopped moving and laid down in the blackness.

"What are you doing?" panicked the Vampire Doctor, "What are you doing!"

The Doctor didn't answer him and soon the Doctor was no where to be seen in the black void. The Vampire Doctor heard someone's voice call to him.

"Evil Doctor," said the voice, a calm and smooth voice, "There can only be room for one evil Doctor and that evil Doctor is me." The voice was quiet and melodic, but full of malice.

"I'll end you, whatever you are!" yelled the Vampire Doctor.

"I'm the Valeyard. You cannot end me," the voice called out to the Vampire Doctor.

"You want to bet?" asked the voice. Arms of smoke surrounded the Vampire Doctor and hurt it. The Vampire retaliated by biting the smoke arms. The voice materialized into a person, the Doctor himself. The two went at time and time and time again. The real Doctor was nowhere to be found. The more the two evils fought, the light the void became. Eventually the two evils lost control and both fell down to their knees, exhausted.

The room filled with light and there was no more blackness. The two looked up and saw the Doctor standing there. He was smiling. He knelt down to the Vampire version and said, "You fell for it."

He turned to the other evil Doctor and told him, "You have to be the only evil in here. I knew you two would duke it out when I thought about it in the courtroom. It wasn't my original plan, but nailing two birds with one stone? That's great. So I went with that plan and guess what guys, it worked and now you two are too weak to even face me combined. So bye guys." The Doctor put a hand on one of their shoulders and two evil ones screamed and burst into flame.

The Doctor stood up victorious and nearly fell over. "Freedom at last, but also death. Time to wake up, Doctor."

Russo Home

The blackness coming out of the Doctor's mouth turned into light and then receded back into the Doctor. The Doctor moved his hands to his face and rubbed it, moaning. He sat up all features the same, but his body language said that he was in severe pain.

"Doctor!" yelled Alex. She jumped up and ran to the Doctor and hugged him. He groaned in pain. "Doctor, what's wrong?"

"My whole body is in pain," said the Doctor, "And..." The Doctor stopped and swallowed hard.

"And what, Doctor?" asked Alex, worried.

The Doctor didn't answer and just put his hand on her shoulder. She felt something leave her and go into the Doctor and she felt something come from the Doctor and go into her. "I restored your DNA and gave it back to you and took back my regenerative DNA because I'll need it to do the process properly."

Alex felt different already. She started to think like herself again and not like the Doctor. She was happy, but when she saw the Doctor, she was worried. "Doctor, what's wrong?"

The Doctor looked around at all the faces in the room. There were the two parents, Theresa and Jerry, there was Harper and Justin and K-9. Max was no where to be found and Alex was sitting next to the Doctor. "Looks like everyone is here except for Max. The poor kid is going to miss a light show."

"Light show?" asked Jerry.

"What are you talking about?" asked Alex.

"I'm dying, people," said the Doctor, choking on his own words.

"Dying!" panicked Alex, "Can't you do something about it?"

"I am, Alex, I am," said the Doctor, nearly crying, "But I don't want to leave any of you. I don't want a new man going and waltzing away in my place. I want to stay the same. I don't want to change! Not yet anyway."

"Change? What do you mean change?" asked Alex.

"Time Lords have this way of cheating death. It's called regeneration. Remember? I told you and it means I am going to change. I am going to have a new face and body and new personality. I'm sorry, Alex, I really am. And I am sorry to all of you. It was nice knowing you guys for the last six months. Goodbye, everybody."

The Doctor started to glow yellowish orange and he stood up. A breeze started to blow throughout the room and the Doctor looked up at the ceiling before bursting into a lightshow of red, orange and yellow. The entire room lit up and the light poured outside on the Christmas Eve night. The entire thing was beautiful, but sad at the same time. They all knew what was happening inside the light show.

Then a bolt of lightening exploded from the Doctor and struck the fridge and then another one went in another direction and then the Doctor was shooting bolts of lightening everywhere. The Doctor's figure bent over in pain and screamed. Alex and Justin put a protective shield around everyone and K-9 so they wounded get hit.

"K-9! Is this normal of a regeneration?" panicked Alex.

"Negative, Mistress Alex, something has gone wrong in his regeneration," said the tin dog.

"Is there anything we can do!" Alex yelled over the noise of the bolts.

"There is nothing we can do when a Time Lord regenerates. All we can do is watch."
"But what's going on?" asked Alex.

"I do not know, Mistress," answered K-9.

"Oh God, no," cried Alex, "Don't you dare die on me, Doctor."

All of them watched the Doctor's regeneration until it ended in a blinding flash of light.

Chapter 15

The light vanished back into the Doctor and the regeneration ended. The Doctor collapsed back onto the couch. Everyone else in the room was unconscious and K-9 was powered down.

The Doctor looked around and said to himself, "That was different."
His eyes grew wide and he checked his features, "Same voice, same nose, same ears, same hand, same everything." The Doctor took his glasses off and said, "Same bad vision. You'd think the regeneration would cure that."
"Yeah, you would think," the voice replied.

The Doctor turned around and the Valeyard standing over the family.

"Is this in my mind too?" asked the Doctor.

"No, this place is real. The family and tin dog are real, but I am just a figment of your imagination. Then again I am you. Well, part of you," said the Valeyard, "That was pretty clever of you to lead the Vampire straight into my world so we could fight, but there is one thing you didn't count on, Doctor."

"What was that?" asked the Doctor.

"I am you. No matter how hard you try to hide it from yourself, I will always be with you. There is nothing you can say or do to get rid of me. Whenever, wherever you go, I will always be there with you no matter what because you can't hide from yourself."

"But I destroyed you," said the Doctor, "With the Vampire."

"You severely weakened me and when you regenerated I regenerated with you," said the Valeyard.

"Wait a minute!" realized the Doctor. He pointed at the Valeyard and said, "You hijacked my regeneration. You're the reason I became a lightening storm, aren't you!"

"I did hijack your regeneration to fully heal myself within your mind," said the Valeyard, "At that's also why you didn't change. Actually you did grow a beard."

"Oh really?" the Doctor asked and rubbed his face. He smiled broadly, "I do have one. That's nice."

"Doctor, stop rubbing your face," snapped the Valeyard.

The Doctor stopped and moved toward the Valeyard. "How are you even here? You left me ages ago."

"No, I didn't, but yes, I did," replied the Valeyard, "I am just a remnant of the Valeyard's corporeal from, but I am part of the mind and you can't kill that part of me or should I say you."

"You may be in my mind but you are not me!" snarled the Doctor.

"Oh, but I am and the regeneration you just had gave the energy I needed to manifest myself and speak to you," said the Valeyard.

"Well, if that's true, your energy's wearing off," said the Doctor, "Soon you will have to retreat and you will be returned to that prison cell in my mind."

"That may be true, but remember what I said," warned the Valeyard, "I am always with you and I can never leave you, Doctor, because I am part of you and I will always be with you." The Valeyard lost his solidity and slowly became transparent. He walked past the Doctor and stood behind the couch in the room.

The family started to wake from and K-9 started coming back to life. The Russos woke up and saw the Doctor staring down an identical person standing off the with the Doctor. No one knew what was going and they didn't make any move.

"Valeyard, you are losing power and soon you will be put back in your prison cell," said the Doctor.

"Doctor, remember I will always be with you, even to your dying days or lack thereof," said the Valeyard. The Valeyard kept getting more transparent until he was gone, but his voice rang out once more, "You cannot escape me."

"Oh, but I can destroy you and will find a way. Somewhere, somehow, I will destroy you, Valeyard!" boomed the Doctor. The Doctor turned around and muttered to himself, "Hijacking my regeneration could have killed you and me both."

Alex stood up and saw the Doctor, commenting on his new beard, "Some complete physical change."

"Oh, do you like it?" asked the Doctor.

"You hair is brown, but your beard is reddish brown," said Alex.

"What?" asked the Doctor, "I can get a red beard, but not a red head. I've never been redheaded, I want red hair."

"Doctor, who was that?" asked Harper, referring to the Valeyard.

"Just someone who should never be allowed out in the open or anywhere," said the Doctor, "But he gone and not coming back."

"He's the monster you mention a few months ago?" asked Alex, "The monster inside you."

"No, that wasn't him, but that was a remnant of him. His name is the Valeyard," said the Doctor, "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go take a shower."

"Doctor, you said you'd change your appearance and personality. Why didn't you?" asked Jerry.

"The Valeyard remnant hijacked my regeneration and used it so he could speak to me," replied the Doctor. The Doctor left the room and walked down to his TARDIS, Alex and the rest followed him downstairs. When he reached the doors of the TARDIS, the Doctor bent over coughing.

"Doctor, are you okay?" asked Alex.

"I'm fine," said the Doctor. He coughed some more and golden dust and gas came out of his mouth, "It's post-regenerative shock, perfectly normal."

The Doctor walked into the TARDIS and went downstairs to the TARDIS showers.

After an hour, the Doctor came out of the TARDIS in a new outfit, but the same new beard. He walked over to the counter and sat down. He looked at Alex, who was working again, "No more V-Strain," said the Doctor, "How does that sound?"

"Sounds good," said Alex. Alex put down her notepad and pen on the counter, "Doctor, there is something I need to talk to you about."

"What is it?" asked the Doctor.

Alex didn't say anything and then replied, "Can we talk about it later in private." She glanced over towards the TARDIS.

"Why can't we go now and talk about it," said the Doctor, "I've got time."

"You just got better and there's that whole Vampire thing going on, and I just really think that they should be taken care of first," said Alex.

"In the end, it's all up to you whenever you want to talk about it. We'll talk when you are ready and I'll be ready," said the Doctor, putting his hand on her's.

"Thank you," said Alex.

A ring came from the Doctor's pocket and he rummaged through them and found the phone that was ringing. He answered the phone and his eyes grew wide. "Where?" the Doctor asked urgently. A few seconds later he said, "On top the Montana Tower? How long's he been there?...Okay, I'll be there as soon as possibly."

The Doctor hung up and put the phone back into his pocket.

"Doctor, what was that about?" asked Alex.

"Tesla Howard," answered the Doctor, "They found him. He was under their noses the whole time. He somehow made all the way back to the Montana Tower and has been standing on the roof for the last day and a half. I am going to there and going to confront Dr. Howard on what he has been doing and about the altered V-Strain he injected into us."

"I'm coming too," said Alex.

"No!" said the Doctor, "Not this time. Tesla will be too dangerous for you to deal with. He is a True Vampire and that is not good. They are practically invincible. The only thing that I think I can use against him is my blood."

"But he's a Vampire, he needs blood to survive," said Alex.

"That's the whole irony of it. He needs blood to survive, but Gallifrean blood is the only one that can kill him. The thing he needs to survive is also the thing that can kill him," explained the Doctor.

"So how are you going to get your blood inside of him?" asked Alex.

"A syringe filled with my blood," answered the Doctor. He pulled out a case from his pocket and opened it. There were three syringes of the Doctor's blood in the case.

"When did you do that?" asked Alex.

"When I was in the TARDIS," said the Doctor, "I did this after I cleaned up."

The Doctor closed the case and put it back into his pocket. The Doctor stood up and told Alex, "I'm leaving now and don't follow me."

"Why not?" asked Alex.

"I could die," said the Doctor, "And with me gone, your chances of survival dwindle down to almost zero."

"But I thought you could regenerate," stated Alex.

"Yes, but if I'm killed before the regeneration process begins, I'm dead and I don't change," said the Doctor. He took out his teleport watch and said to Alex, "Goodbye Alex, I will see you again. I promise you."

The Doctor pressed the button and vanished into the blue light.
"Doctor!" screamed Alex.

Chapter 16

Tesla Howard stood tall with arms crossed staring at the UNIT helicopter hovering at the top of the Montana Tower. The sun was setting behind Tesla, his shadow streaking across the roof. Unlike the rest of the city, the top of the Montana Tower was above most of the lights of the city down below. Tesla hadn't moved since he got to the roof. Hiding in plain sight was his something he had done his entire life since the War for Time ended all those eons ago. As far as he knew he was the only Vampire to escape the bloodlust of the Gallifrean known as Rassilon. He hated the Gallifreans with every fiber of his being because they were immune to the V-Strain and didn't have to endure the hell that his people had to to rise to power. They had it easy, but that was the main reason why he hated them. The Gallifreans betrayed their friendship and attacked them in the middle of the night just so they could gain control over time itself, something the Vampires had been working on ages before the Gallfreans thought of it. The Vampires retaliated against the Gallifrean attack, of course, but not without severe losses.

The next several centuries after that initial attack had been soaked in blood, death and hate and the war evolved into a stalemate. That was until a new leader rose up on the Gallifrean side, Rassilon. Rassilon helped by his two seconds, the Other and Omega, launched the final assault on Quadesia. The planet was ravaged and thrown into the Quadesian sun. The Vampire were practically invincible, but being thrown into a star was something not even they could survive. With the new power the Gallifreans demonstrated, the Vampires surrendered.

The Exodus of Vampires followed, but wasn't successful. The Gallifreans had a way of finding the Vampires, wherever they went, and killed them as if they were animals. The Vampires soon broke off from each other and tried to survive, scattered across the universe, but still that didn't deter Rassilon and his bloodthirsty Gallifrean people.

Tesla grew sick at remembering all of this. The story of the Vampires' defeat was told to every lesser species during that time and they spread the story across the stars and systems that Vampires could not survive the sun. Eventually that evolved into the Vampires cannot survive sunlight itself, but they hadn't realized that it was not the sunlight that killed the Vampires, it was their planet being hurled into a star. That killed their species. That would kill any species. The thought of sunlight actually killing a Vampire was ridiculous, even now being disproved by Tesla. Sunlight was shining on him and nothing happened. He hated that people actually believed that sickening story of his species's supposed Achilles heal.

The Doctor appeared in the blue light of the transporter behind Tesla Howard. The UNIT helicopter back off when it saw the Doctor appear on the roof. The Doctor put his teleport watch back into his pocket and straightened up. The wind up here was quite strong and the Montana Tower was exactly one mile tall. The Doctor thought that it was a ridiculous feet, but Henry Montana didn't really think so and it was Montana's money who made this building, but those were thoughts for another time. The Doctor brought his mind back to the current situation with Tesla Howard.

"Tesla Howard," the Doctor spoke loud enough for the True Vampire to hear him.

Tesla turned slowly unfolded his arms and turned around to face the Doctor. He turned to face the Doctor. "Why didn't you change like everyone else? Even the young female changed."

"Yes, I saw the little conversion, and I healed her," said the Doctor.

"How did you heal here? V-Strain has no cure!" snarled Tesla.

"That's true, but there is one race immune," said the Doctor.

Tesla's eyes grew wide with realization and he bared his Vampire teeth and his fingers tore into claws. He pointed at the Doctor and said, "You are a Gallifrean!"

"Yeah, I am a Gallifrean, but we are known now as Time Lords," said the Doctor, unphased by Tesla's threat.

"Time Lords!" spat Tesla, "We should be the Time Lords, not you. We had the idea and started the attempts to conquer time before you even did. That should be our honor, being called Time Lords. We should be the Lords of Time."

"Yes but you aren't and we are! Now surrender or I will destroy you," said the Doctor.

"Just like the Gallifreans of old! Killing, killing and more killing!" yelled Tesla.

"We were like that, but we have changed in the eons since the War for Time," said the Doctor, "We are now pacifists and don't agree with violence, but we use it when necessary, and I believe it is necessary right now."

"Did the Gallifreans send you to stop me?" Tesla asked, ignoring what the Doctor had told him about the Time Lords.

"No, they didn't. I rebelled against Time Lord society. I hated the life of duty that was driven into me by the High Council and other ranking Time Lords. I rebelled because I hated the way they drilled non-interference and always watching. I rebelled because I wanted to see the universe, explore its wonders and you know what I found instead. I found monsters and evil out there and I fought them and I still fight them to this day and you, Tesla Howard, are a monster. Now, the Time Lords didn't send me. I sensed something was happening, something dark and evil, and do you know what I found? I found just another monster trying to destroy others for its own selfish reason. I found you! NOW, I WILL STOP YOU LIKE I STOP MY OWN PEOPLE!" the Doctor passionately ranted to Tesla.

"What?" asked Tesla, "You did what to you people?"

The Doctor breathed heavy out of rage and hate. He stared at Tesla with eyes that even stopped the Vampire from advancing. "What I did to my people is none of your concern, but what I am going to do to you is all of your concern, Quadesian!"

"It's Vampire, Gallifrean!"

"It's Time Lord, Quadesian."

Tesla charged and the Doctor pulled out one of the syringes of blood, but not to inject Tesla with. The Doctor threw the vile into Tesla face and it shattered. Tesla stopped and the blood fell into Tesla's mouth. When Tesla tasted it, he smiled. "Blood? Gallifrean, you are a moron. Blood is what I need to survive."

"But there is irony in that blood. That is my blood and I'd say any second now, your face will burn and you will more than likely get incredibly anger and go into a fit of rage," explained the Doctor, "I have fought enough monsters to know what they do when they're injured."

Tesla's face started smoking and burning. Tesla screamed and did go into the bit of rage that the Doctor had predicted he would go into. Tesla charged the Doctor and picked him up. Tesla tossed him over ten feet and the Doctor started sliding to the edge of the roof. He smashed into the barrier and got up as he saw Tesla charging him again. Tesla grabbed him again and tossed him towards the other side. The Doctor slid and crashed into the other side's barrier. The Doctor got up slower and thrown again and crashed again. Tesla did it three more times before the Doctor couldn't get up. The Doctor started coughing blood and blood dripped out of his nose.

Tesla was in too much of a rage to notice the searing pain of the Time Lord's blood when he picked the Doctor's limp body up. The Doctor moaned and Tesla lifted him up and walked to the edge of the building. Tesla lifted the Doctor over the barrier and growled at him at an animalistic level.

"Kill me, like the animal you are, Tesla," weakly said the Doctor.

Tesla didn't drop the Doctor, but just stared at him, "You thought I would do this, didn't you? You played me."

A strange sound came from behind Tesla. Tesla turned around and saw the young female standing there with some kind of stick pointed at him. "Let him go," her voice was unsure.

"Alex," the Doctor managed before passing out.

Tesla threw the Doctor back on the roof. He had things to do to the Doctor before he would kill him, but first the girl had to be taken care of. Tesla walked over to Alex, but was thrown back by a spell she used on him.

"You got into my head. You changed me. You made me a monster like you," cried Alex out of anger. She blasted him several more times, but each time Tesla seemed less and less affected until he wasn't affected at all.

"One thing about True Vampires, we become immune to things easily," snarled Tesla through his burnt skin.

"What happened to your face?" asked Alex.

Tesla didn't answer and charged Alex, but was stopped when the Doctor punched him in the chest. "What's that going to do?"

"Kill you," said the Doctor in a raspy voice. He opened his hand and revealed one of the empty syringes. He pulled the needle out of Tesla's chest. "I injected it into your heart. My blood is now pumping throughout your circulatory system. I'm pretty sure you are going to be cooked from the inside out."

Tesla back up and kept walking backwards with the Doctor slowly keeping pace. Tesla started to feel the effects of the Doctor's blood. He started smoking and the Doctor smiled. Tesla reached the barrier. The Doctor looked at Tesla straight in the eyes and told him, "Long. Live. Gallifrey." The Doctor picked his right foot up and pushed Tesla off the roof.

Tesla Howard free fell, his body fully engulfed in smoke. For what seemed an eternity of weightlessness and burning pain, Tesla lost consciousness and crashed into the concrete, sending UNIT soldiers running towards the mini-crater left by Tesla's landing. Tesla's body then erupted into flames and the UNIT soldiers ran to get out of the way. The soldiers ran to put the fire out. When the fire was put out, the remains of Tesla Howard's body turned to ashes, nothing remained.

On roof of the Montana Tower, the Doctor stood, looking down at Tesla falling. Already tall, the Doctor seemed like a giant standing on top of the tower. He was filled with a sense of pride that he hadn't had in ages. It was a pride for Gallifrey. That long lost world that was once his home, but is now nothing but space dust surrounding twin suns. The Doctor didn't move and watched the sun set below the horizon. Not saying a word, Alex walked up beside him, and they both watched the sun set.

When it was dark, the Doctor finally said something, "You know something?"

"No, what?" asked Alex.

"I'm afraid of heights," said the Doctor, he walked towards the center of the roof, Alex right behind him. Without a word, he took out the teleport watch and both of them held the watch as the Doctor pressed the button. They teleported away just as the UNIT helicopter returned to pick up the Doctor.

Chapter 17

Waverly Sub Station

December 24th

The Doctor and Alex reappeared in the Waverly Sub Station. The Doctor, still silent, put the teleport watch in his pocket and he walked over to the TARDIS and walked inside. He took off his red jacket and tossed it on one of the chairs. He walked right passed the control console and then into one of the corridors of the TARDIS. He walked for several minutes before stopping and standing silently. He hadn't been in this part of the TARDIS in a long time. This lights were low and the Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and used it on the lights. They turned on and the Doctor remember what this part of the TARDIS was. He opened the door to his right and walked inside.

The room had thirteen different holographic images of men inside of it. The first one was the oldest one looking one, but the Doctor knew he was the youngest one in this group. To the right of each image their was the outfit that the man was wearing and some small memorabilia that each one had acquired during his life. The Doctor walked over to the fourth image and picked up a white paper bag. He opened the bag and smiled at the jelly babies inside. He took one out and ate it. He closed the bag and put it back down on the table. He walked down the row again and cringed when he saw the jacket next to the sixth man.

"My mid-life crisis," the Doctor, snickered at himself.

"What is this place, Doctor?" asked Alex, who was standing behind him.

The Doctor turned around and asked Alex, "How did you get here?"

"I followed you," said Alex, opening the bag of jelly babies and started eating them, "I'm good at following people. I'm as good as you are."
The Doctor smiled and asked, "Enjoying those jelly babies?"

"Yeah," said Alex, mouth full of candy, "They're pretty good."

Alex noticed the third man with the frilly velvet green jacket, "Who's this guy?"

The Doctor walked up next to Alex and said, "That is my third self, the Third Doctor if you like to call him that. He was my favorite past self."

"Wait a minute," said Alex, pointing a finger at the Doctor, "That man is you?"

"Yes," said the Doctor, "These are all my past selves. That one over there is my first incarnation and the one at the other end is my thirteenth life."
Alex walked down the row of men. She walked past the man with the ridiculously long scarf and then the long blonde man with some kind of weird uniform on. "What is he wearing?"

"That is a cricket uniform," said the Doctor.

"Not blondy," said Alex, "That guy. His coat looks like something Harper would make. And wear."
"That would be my sixth self or as I like to call it, my mid-life crisis."
"What's with the question mark on this one's sweater?"

"I was trying to bring back some mystery to who I was," said the Doctor.

Alex saw a man in a black velvet suit with no frill. He had brown curly hair and a pocket watch in his hand, smiling happily. The next man wore a black leather jacket and wore a beaten down and crushed face mixed with a small piece of happiness. "What's wrong with him?"

The Doctor looked at which incarnation she was at and he answered, "That is my ninth incarnation or the Ninth Doctor. He was the incarnation that fought the most in the Time War and he was the one who had to end the War. He left it a broken man trying to find peace again."

"Did he?" asked Alex.

"Yes, he did," said the Doctor, "In the form of a nineteen year old girl named Rose Tyler. He died to save her life."

"Oh my god," said Alex. She saw the man who replaced him. He was skinnier, probably the skinniest one of them all. He had spikey hair and a pinstripe suit on. He wore converse on his feet and Alex smiled at that one. She walked down to the youngest looking incarnation in a brown tweed jacket and a bow tie. "Why are you wearing a bow tie?"

"That was when I believed that bow ties were cool," answered the Doctor.

Alex walked down to the twelfth man and then to the thirteenth. She saw an empty spot and asked the Doctor, "Who is this one for?"

"Me," the Doctor said plainly, "That's for me when I regenerate and the Fifteenth Doctor takes over.

"Oh," said Alex, walking back down the row of Doctors with the Doctor right behind her. She looked at the first two men and thought it was weird that the oldest looking one was the youngest one and the second man wore a fur coat that was too big for him.

The Doctor stopped and stared at the old man, "This is the incarnation that I rank above the others, even my third self."

"But you said Three was your favorite," said the Doctor.

"Oh, he is, but this one, the First Doctor, without him, I would not be the man I am today or was in any of my other incarnations. It was him who set my lives in motion. He was the one who had the guts to rebel and run away. He is the only incarnation that can make peace when I meet my others selves. He is the most stable incarnation and the de facto leader of us when there are multiple Doctor incidences," said the Doctor, "This man right here is the man who made me the way I am."

Alex could here the sincerity in the Doctor voice and she started to walk out when the Doctor asked her, "Alex, where are you going?"

"Back outside."

"Do you know the way?" asked the Doctor.

"No, I don't," she confessed.

"I didn't think so." The Doctor came out of the Hall of Doctors and led the way back to the TARDIS control room. They both walked outside and upstairs into the Russo home. "We're back," announce the Doctor.

"And just in time for dinner too," said Alex, "I'm starving. I haven't eaten in nearly two days."
"Are you both okay?" asked Theresa.

"Better then ever," said the Doctor, "I was just reminded of my past and the whole V-Strain and True Vampire business is all over. Now all we have to do is have an amazing Christmas."

"That sounds wonderful," said Jerry, carrying plates of food to the table.

The Doctor went to help Jerry with the plates. Theresa walked over to Alex and asked her, "Have you talked to him yet about the way you feel?"

"No, I haven't," said Alex, "He did show me his past selves."

"What?" asked Theresa.

"Remember when he said he could change?" asked Alex, "That's what almost happened to him earlier today."

"Oh, that's right," said Theresa, "So what did he look like before."

"Like thirteen other people," said Alex, "He told me that he was in his fourteenth life. I didn't really believe him, but after seeing that, it's true. He is really in his fourteenth life."

"That's just weird, even for this family," said Theresa, "But anyway, you better tell him about the confusion you are going through. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, I do," said Alex, "And yes, I will talk to him. But first let's eat."

Theresa smiled and replied, "Okay, Sweetie."

The two sat down at the table with the others and they ate that night's meal. Tomorrow was Christmas Day and with nothing to ruin it, they would have a great day, but first Alex had to talk to the Doctor about the conflict going on with emotions. After dinner, Alex walked to the Doctor and asked him, "Can we talk about something?"

Chapter 18

"Can we talk about something?" asked Alex.

"Um, yeah," said Doctor.

"Outside," said Alex. She walked out onto the terrace and sat down on one of the chairs outside. The Doctor followed her outside and sat down one the terrace ledge.

"I thought you said you were afraid of heights," said Alex.

"I am, but this isn't high enough for me to freak out," said the Doctor, "Besides, if I fall, I won't get that hurt. I've fallen from higher heights than this." The Doctor looked at Alex and added, "What did you want to talk about, Alex?"
"I really don't know how to say this, but..." hesitated Alex.

"You have feelings for me," finished the Doctor.

"How did you know that?" asked Alex.

The Doctor smiled and told her, "Did you forget that I am excellent at reading people? They're like an open book to me. That's how I read Tesla Howard so easily. That something that I inherited from my fourth incarnation. Oh, sorry, rambling. I inherited that to from my tenth incarnation."

"That's okay. It makes me laugh when you ramble," said Alex, nervous, "But that wasn't the thing I wanted to talk to you about. I wanted to know if these feelings for you are real?"

"What do you mean real?" asked the Doctor, "Oh, you mean ever since the Heart of the TARDIS opening those six months ago."
"Yeah," replied Alex, "It wasn't long after that that I started to feel this way."

"The Heart of the TARDIS cannot create feelings in a person for another person," said the Doctor, "The Heart of the TARDIS is actually the portion of the Time Vortex that is inside all TARDISes. It can't create emotions in someone."

"So that means these feelings are real?" Alex asked, gaining more confidence.

The Doctor's face sank and he told her, "Unless, somehow, when the TARDIS and you linked together, the bryo nebulizer was imprinted on you. That would mean the way the TARDIS feels towards me would be the way you feel towards me."

"What?" Alex's face was crushed.

"No, I don't think that happened because the bryo nebulizer can be linked to only one person at a time or in a Type 40 TARDIS just one person ever. That would be. Even though I stole her from TARDIS dry dock, she was never used before and I am the only one she ever connected with. So no, the feelings you have are from something else."

"But we both opened the Heart of the TARDIS together and we were sucked into that light thing," said Alex, "I just don't want my heart broken again. It hurts too much."

"Well the universe is big, vast, and unpredictable and complicate. It does things for unknown reasons and impossible things just happen. When that happens, it's called miracles. Maybe the universe did one of those impossible things six months ago and connected us. It hasn't been the first time that the massive universe had done one of those impossible things. Heck, I am one of those impossible things, but that is another story for another time," explained the Doctor, "And I know what it's like to have your hearts broken or for you heart broken. It hurts when it happens and will always be with you."

"So are you saying that this could be real?" asked Alex.

"Basically, yes that is what I am talking about," replied the Doctor.

"Why didn't you just say that in the first place?" asked Alex.

"I have a habit of extending a normal short answer to a massive answer that could be simplified. Ah! I'm doing it again," said the Doctor, "I'm rambling again. Well, I do that all of the time. I should be used to it by, but for some reason I'm not. I mean I am almost twenty-three hundred years old."

Alex cleared her throat and the Doctor asked her, "I'm doing again, aren't I?"

Alex smiled with her annoyed face and nodded saying, "Yeah, you are."

"Sorry," said the Doctor.

"That's okay," said Alex, "Unlike when anyone else rambles and I find it annoying, I find it kind of cute when you ramble."

"Cute?" the Doctor asked stunned, "You find it cute? How can rambling be cute?"
"I don't know," said Alex smiling and face beaming, "It just is."
The Doctor calmed down and stood up from his spot on the terrace ledge and sat next to Alex, "I just realized something. I am cute and amazing and awesome and unbelievable and impossible."

"And arrogant," said Alex, getting upset.

"I inherited that from my sixth self," said the Doctor, smiling, "Well part of my arrogance. That guy was a jerk, but he was caring."

Alex's face was washed over with realization, "You did that on purpose didn't you?"
"Yeah, I did," said the Doctor.

"You keep tricking me," said Alex, "How do you do it? I'm usually the one tricking people."

"I've had over two millenia of practice, while you've had under two decades. It isn't a fair fight," explained the Doctor.

"Well two thousand years old, I'll be able to give you a run for you money," said Alex.

"But then I'll be over four thousand," said the Doctor.

"I just can't win with you, can I?" asked Alex.

"No, I don't think so. Well, not yet anyway," said the Doctor.

"It's kind of cold out here," said Alex, "We should go back inside."
"Actually, why don't we go somewhere else instead," the Doctor said. The Doctor took out his teleport watch, and started to press some buttons. He took out his sonic screwdriver and started to work on the watch. He explained what the watch was when he was working on it. He continued, "See, Alex, this is more than just a teleport watch. In fact, teleportation is addition I put in. This watch is actually a vortex manipulator. In simpler terms, its a time travel watch. It's very crude and frankly an insult to time travel, but it works none the less. I just never used it for time travel because well I have a TARDIS and I find this thing as an insult. I feel that way because I am a Time Lord and it's in my nature, but I will make an exception tonight."

Alex was lost and asked him, "What are you talking about?"

"This," said the Doctor. He grabbed Alex's hand and pressed the button. The two vanished into a short burst of dark blue electricity.

Jerry and Theresa saw the electricity and ran outside.

"Weren't Alex and the Doctor out here?" asked Theresa.

"Yeah, but what was that blue lightening stuff?" asked Jerry, "I bet Alex used a spell to do something."

"No, she didn't," replied Theresa, "Remember the Doctor's immune to magic. He demonstrated it to us."
"That's right. Then were did they go?" asked Jerry.

"I don't know."

The Doctor and Alex appeared in the blue electricity on some wide open plain. Alex looked around and saw no buildings or people or anything she could recognize.

"We are we?" asked Alex.

"12,000 BC," said the Doctor, "Somewhere in North America. Its the same date, though. It's just December 24, 12000 BC instead of December 24, 2010 AD."

"I'm 14,000 years in the past?" asked Alex, "We can time travel using magic, but this is so much further than even what magic can do."

"I chose this place for a reason," said the Doctor, "Come with me." The Doctor grabbed Alex's hand and ran up a hill and stopped on the edge. There was a drop off into a massive canyon. "This is why I chose this place."

The Doctor let go of Alex's hand and let her see why he brought them there. "Oh my god," said Alex, breathless.

"Do you like it?" asked the Doctor.

Alex couldn't say anything. She just stared down at the scene below. The ground was lit up by a massive full moon and millions upon millions of stars on the black night sky. There was a herd of Colombian mammoth grazing under the night sky. Giant ground sloth moved between the mammoth and a herd of millions of buffalo were on the other side of the canyon. There were several fires in the middle of the canyon. "What's that?"

"That is a tribe of your ancestors. The original settlers of the Americas," explained the Doctor. He sat down on the edge of the cliff, "How do you like it?"

"I..this is...us...this is amazing," said Alex. She sat down next to the Doctor.

"Merry Christmas, Alex Russo," said the Doctor. He put his arms around her and kissed her on the side of the head. The two sat there for the next several hours and watched the animals in the canyon move around. After a while they looked up at the stars in the sky and the Doctor started to explain about all the stars that he had been to or would like to go to. Alex didn't care. This was the most amazing thing that she had ever seen.

Chapter 19

Alex and the Doctor returned to Waverly Place a couple hours after they had left. Everyone in the Russo home had gone to bed and Alex decided to join them. The Doctor said he had to get a present for someone and he had to go inside the halls of the TARDIS to get it, but he promised to up when everyone else was the next day.

The Doctor walked down the halls of the TARDIS and went back to the Hall of Doctors. He walked up to his sixth incarnation and said, "I don't think you're going to be needing this anymore, Six?"

"Six?" asked Alex, who had once again followed him to the Hall of Doctors.

The Doctor didn't turn around and said, "I thought you were going to bed."

"I was," said Alex, "Then I thought I should choose my room, but since I don't know where most of the rooms are in the TARDIS. I knew how to get here so I came to get you to show me where the bedrooms and other rooms are."

"You planning on sleeping in here?" ask the Doctor.

"Yeah, when you get this thing fixed and we can go travel," said Alex, "I wanted to come with you when we first met, but I kept thinking about it, but tonight, you showed me the wonders of your world and then I made my mind up. I am going with you when you leave so I want to choose my bedroom and get to know the place first."

"Alex, you've had a long last few days. You should get your rest," said the Doctor, "I know after I'm done here, I am going to rest."

"I was hoping to sleep in here tonight so I can know a bit about this place before," explained Alex, "But mainly because of what happened tonight. I don't want to go to bed and forget about it."

"Trust me you won't forget it, but I know how much you want to be here," said the Doctor, "Come with me."

The Doctor led Alex out into the hallway and led her to the bedrooms. There were dozens of them. The bedroom closest to the control room was the Doctor's and the only one occupied. Alex looked for about twenty minutes before she chose a room on the second level of bedrooms. It was above the Doctor's and just one room over. The bed in there was the most comfortable one she had been on.

"So this is it?" asked the Doctor.

"Yes," said Alex.

"Okay, just let me know when you are going to go to bed," said the Doctor.

Alex waved her wand around and the bed had pillows and blankets. "I'm ready now."

"Well, goodnight," said the Doctor.

"Goodnight," said Alex.

The Doctor left and shut her door. He walked back to the Hall of Doctors and took the Sixth Doctor's coat and folded it neatly and put it in a box. The Doctor walked through the halls of the TARDIS.

After an hour, the Doctor walked into his bedroom and collapsed on his bed without taking his jacket, sweats or shoes off. He fell asleep within minutes.

December 25

The next morning the Doctor woke up around eight in the morning. He went to one of the TARDIS showers and cleaned up. He got out of the showers in an all yellow outfit. His jacket, shirt, shoes, and sweatpants were all yellow. The Doctor walked back to his room in the TARDIS and grabbed a paper bag and walked out into the Waverly Sub Station. He went upstairs and set the paper bag down. He took out several containers from the bag and smiled, "I love Time Lord technology. Bigger on the inside."

The Doctor searched the cabinets for something to cook with. He eventually did and set up some skillets and pots. He opened several of the containers and started cooking breakfast for the family. An hour and a half later, Harper came up from downstairs and Jerry and Theresa came out from their room.

"Good morning," said the Doctor, smiling.

"What are you doing?" asked Harper, rubbing her eyes.

"Making breakfast," said the Doctor, "Oh and Merry Christmas you three."

"Do you ever sleep?" asked Jerry.

"Yes, but I don't need as much humans. A few hours would be good enough for me," said the Doctor.

"What are you cooking?" asked Theresa.

"It's Venusian Corisi," said the Doctor, "It's made from the eggs and meat of a Sanco bird."

"What?" asked Jerry.

"It's an alien omelet with meat on the side. It was a widely popular breakfast food on Venus before war drove the planet to destruction. Now Venus is just a clouded planet with a temperature near 1000 degrees. It was a beautiful planet."

"What's with all the noise?" asked Max, coming down from his room. Justin was right behind him.

"What's with everyone getting up early?" asked Theresa, "Aside from Harper and Justin, I didn't think any of us would be up."
"It's the Venusian Corisi," said the Doctor, "It has an amazing effect on people. It wakes them up from any kind of sleep. It's better than any alarm clock."

"That doesn't make any sense," said Justin.

"Justin, you weren't here for the whole conversation," stated the Doctor, "You cannot make that assumption."

Justin knew the Doctor was right and didn't go on. Alex walked in from upstairs and saw everyone else was up.

"The whole place is up," said the Doctor, "Now, everyone get ready so we can enjoy some Venusian Corisi. It's almost done."

Everyone went and got ready for breakfast. The Doctor took another box out of the paper bag and placed in on the kitchen island. He ran and got everyone's place ready at the table and divided the Venusian Corisi between the seven plates. He mixed some kind of drink and put it in everyone's glass with it. He put the rest in a pitcher in the middle of the table.

The six came back and sat down at the table. The Doctor smiled and said, "Let's all enjoy a nice Venusian Corisi and Marisi. Before you ask, Marisi is a Venusian drink only drank on important dates or holidays."

Everyone, but Alex was hesitant to eat the food. Alex and the Doctor waited for the others to eat before they finished. Eventually the other five started eating. Everyone at the table loved it. They all had a great time at breakfast and when it was over, the Doctor left the table and took the box he put on the island and said, "I didn't have any money to get anyone anything, so I looked through the TARDIS kitchens and made this Venusian breakfast for you, but I did find something in the TARDIS for someone. It was Alex who gave me the idea. She didn't really know she did, but I had no more use for it, so I thought to give to someone who would actually use it."

The Doctor brought the box to Harper and said, "I think you would have more use for it than I would. Merry Christmas, Harper."

Harper took the box and opened it. She took out the Sixth Doctor's multicolored coat and she smiled and said, "You had this is your TARDIS and never wore it? Why? It's amazing. I love it. Thank you, Doctor."

"You're welcome," said the Doctor.

Harper put on the coat and it was a little long, but the arms were a good fit. It was thick and Harper liked the way it felt. She added on and said, "I'll take care of it, Doctor."

The Doctor smiled and the others secretly laughed at Harper in their heads. The Doctor didn't though. He was happy that the chaos was over and this Christmas Day didn't have anything that was going to destroy the day. He was going to enjoy this December 25, 2010 as best as he could.

Epilogue

December 25

10:54 p.m.

It was Christmas night and the sky was bright from the lights of New York City. The small explosion in the sky wasn't even noticed. A small dodecahedron ship fell from the explosion site an came to a landing in the courtyard of Tribeca Prep High School. The ship opened and a four foot tall man in purple and blue battle armor stepped out. He fell to the ground, clearly injured and he collapsed. The ship slowly burrowed itself into the ground until only a couple inches were left above ground.

The man's head inside a helmet with two eyeholes and through his helmet, he said, "Sontar-ha." The man then burst into flames and only a pile of ash remained.