Chapter Seven: Lessons and Healing
[TARDIS Console Room]
"I can't believe she's a werewolf!" Rose repeats excitedly.
The Alchemist rounds on her, now that they're out of the Vortex and floating in space, "She's not, Rose Tyler."
The other two step back, not only at her fury but the Vortex glow in her eyes.
"Ally, are you alright?" the Doctor asks softly.
She scoffs, "What does it look like, Doctor? Does this look 'alright' to you?"
He shakes his head in denial. She hasn't been herself for some time, and this journey has only amplified those feelings. It's as if there's a part of her that's missing.
"Follow me, both of you. Now," the Time Lady demands and walks off down the corridor.
Time Lord and companion look at one another warily before falling in step behind her.
They spend about five minutes navigating their way to the correct door, making several twists and turns along the way.
"What room is this?" Rose asks, looking at the swirling circular sign above the ornate wooden door.
The Doctor swallows the lump in his throat as he reads the Old High Gallifreyan; he can't say it. He knows the room all too well.
"My lesson room," the Alchemist replies, "Belonged to my first student. I never thought I'd have to bring someone other than another Time Lord in here. Apparently, I was wrong."
She holds onto the doorknob and waits for the lock to click before it allows them to enter.
The space boasts cherry wood paneling complemented by rich forest green wallpaper adorned with intricate patterns. Behind leaded glass doors, a collection of ancient tomes in Gallifreyan and various other languages from around the universe resides within built-in bookcases that reach from the floor to the ceiling. A wooden library ladder hangs from a bar surrounding the bookcases, poised for use.
To the left side of the room stands a marble fireplace, its hearth aglow with a cozy fire. A brown leather wingback chair nestles beside it, where the Timelords' granddaughter would often curl up to read.
The room is adorned with an eclectic collection of artifacts spanning different eras and worlds, including intricate French 14th-century candle holders, urns, and vases from intergalactic markets. It also displays canes once owned by the Doctor and the Alchemist in their first lives, opulent glass boxes trimmed in gold, the very first telephone, and a tech globe showcasing celestial routes. On an ornate marble pedestal, a small cauldron, stolen from Hestia's altar, once held the flame of the first Olympic games.
A wide window showcasing a tapestry of stars looms behind the grand wooden desk. Rich burgundy velvet drapes are gracefully drawn aside. A meticulously crafted golden telescope, perched on wooden legs, is directed toward the celestial view. In front of the desk, two elegantly curved wooden chairs are adorned with lively patterns of feathers and leaves in shades of red, deep green, orange, and gold.
The Alchemist glides behind the desk and sits in her simple but comfortable burgundy leather chair. With a come-hither gesture, she invites them to take a seat.
"I feel like I'm in the Principal's office," Rose quips as she sits, unconcerned.
The Doctor looks hard at her as he gently sits down in his granddaughter's chair. Rose unknowingly takes his own, there for the many times he would sit in on Susan's lessons.
"If that's what it takes for you to listen, then think of it as you will," the Alchemist tells her, tone cold and eyes still glowing.
Rose swallows hard, and a heavy silence hangs in the air for a minute as the Alchemist carefully considers how to express her thoughts without outright yelling.
"Rose Tyler, I will throw you into a supernova if you interrupt for one second. Have you forgotten that I can smell emotions? Despite the blood, terror, smoke, and gunpowder in the air, I was focused on your reactions, and what I observed horrified me. There were innocents brutally killed by that beast. You found it fascinating. You were worried for yourself, not anyone else, which was wrong."
Rose goes to interject but the Alchemist snaps her fingers at her, and she swallows hard, afraid.
"I said don't interrupt," the Time Lady growls, "I don't like being interrupted, Rose. Particularly when I have something to say. I saved as many as I could last night and only managed one. Just one. Captain Reynolds. Did you know that? I saved Reynolds," Rose's jaw goes lax, and the Doctor quietly sighs in relief, "I brought him back to life after he was torn to shreds by that beast as you watched and told him to hide in one of the rooms before I joined you again.
"Dame Lady Starlight. It's an old family story. One that's been passed down through the years; now I know how and why I have that name. I pulled Robert in right before the lupine got to him; I was not going to let him die like that.
"Unfortunately, my friend, Queen Victoria, was bitten by the creature when it entered the room," the Time Lady hisses, "You don't joke about that. The Doctor made that comment out of fear, Rose. Fear for what we might have done to change the timeline," she scoffs, "You? You found it funny. Amused that she and the rest of the future royal family may actually be dangerous alien werewolves..."
Rose looks sidelong at the Doctor, who is staring at his hands, a look of regret etched across his features.
The Alchemist shakes her head, gesturing to him, "You see it now? How upset he is? This is the Doctor under the bravado," she glares at the girl, "This is my Doctor. The one you will never know. I knew she was bitten when he asked her so I told her I would heal her later that night," the Alchemist explains.
They both look at her, and the Doctor lets out a loud sigh of relief.
She nods to him. "I used my Vortex ability to extract the new mutation and reverse the injury. She was sobbing in fear and pain before I even got there, and then she nearly sobbed in relief when I was done. We spoke for a while after that. I returned to our room after that, Doctor. That's where I was."
He nods at that, and she can feel how relieved he is and glad she saved her.
Turning to the girl, the Alchemist shakes her head, "You don't know this, Rose, but the Doctor is relieved that she's safe now, that the line is protected," she frowns, "I was knighted by her a very, very long time ago, you know?"
The Doctor gazes at her, and she senses his curiosity lingering in the air. However, all she can detect from their companion is the unmistakable scent of Rose's jealousy and irritation.
"During my internship at the Academy, Elite students like me can be chosen by the High Council of our lost planet, including my father," the Time Lady recalls, "He selected me for a mission after hearing about time pirates planning to attack Earth and kidnap the newly crowned Queen Victoria, an event that could alter history—something even the Time Lords wouldn't permit. We took a TARDIS, where I was meant to observe.
"However, as we landed, the TARDIS' cloister bell rang, indicating a malfunction. My father sent me out to handle the mission solo while he fixed it. I defeated the pirates, binding them without realizing my eyes were glowing bright. Victoria mistook me for a magical figure in my gold dress and red hair.
"When my father arrived, she insisted I be knighted as Dame Starlight Protector of the Crown. My father agreed. We celebrated with a lovely meal after confining the timejackers in the TARDIS jail. I mentioned I might return, albeit transformed by my magic. She would recognize me by my hair, eyes, and memories of my title. Now, I am a story for the royal family's children."
The Doctor offers a gentle smile and knows he would love to ask more, which he certainly will do later. Yet she can still sense the irritation radiating from Rose, which is beginning to wear on her nerves once more.
"I know you're annoyed right now, thinking you're simply being chastised. This is far more than that," the Time Lady snaps, turning to Rose, "These adventures? They are not all fun and games! We are constantly surrounded by terror; we go where we are needed to protect those who need help, not simply because we want to be there. You should never find it fascinating to see someone die; that is wrong," she stands abruptly, making the girl flinch back, "That is sick! That is the beginning of the creation of a monster within yourself.
"I don't know who you were before you began traveling with the Doctor, Rose Tyler," she shakes her head in disgust, "But my Bondmate is careful enough to have certainly never picked up someone like that. This means only one thing: you're allowing yourself to become that way on your own."
The Time Lady bares her teeth, gesturing to Rose, "Now, get out of this room; go back to your bedroom and recall all of your reactions to everything that just occurred, as well as what you did to the Daleks and find some form of remorse because if you don't... you certainly are no longer human," the Alchemist pauses in thought, "In fact, I want everything in writing as proof. You're in my lesson room, let this be your assignment, child," she orders, voice dark once more as her eyes flash and she stares directly at the girl.
Rose nods stiffly and stands from the chair, nearly knocking it over in the process if not for the Doctor's quick move to grab it. The companion practically runs out of the room, the door softly shutting behind her with the TARDIS' help.
The Time Lady allows her eyes to return to their typical hue, sighing heavily. She then drops hard into her seat and lightly scratches the desk's wood with her long black-painted fingernail.
The Doctor observes her for a few moments before finally speaking, "You chose to come in here to speak to me about Rose, not to Rose, didn't you?"
She stops scratching, "Yes, Theta Sigma."
"How long have you had this theory?" he asks her softly.
"Since we woke up after our Regeneration," the Alchemist sighs and looks up, "We heard everything that Rose was saying after all. It's... it's actually two theories I need to speak to you about. But the first one, this one, is the most disconcerting," she frowns, " She never denied it when Teacher told her she committed genocide willingly. She doesn't regret it. I'd know; the scent of shame and guilt would consume her.
"She's so afraid of the Daleks and only cared about saving you that she wanted them dead," she shakes her head slowly, "That's it. That was her focus—nothing else. She doesn't care that they were made from humans and were alive. She blamed me for you even having to Regenerate. It's gotten worse from there."
"She... she really doesn't? And she..." the Doctor just manages to get out, leaping up from the chair and pacing as he rubs his eyes and ruffles his hair in frustration.
He can't bear to be in her chair while hearing this.
The Alchemist shakes her head solemnly, "Which terrifies me. I warned Victoria while we were riding and she told me that night that she saw it too. That I wasn't mistaken in my theory. I wanted another set of clear eyes in case something happened, and it did."
"We need to fix this—I need to fix this," the Doctor mutters, crossing the room to stand beside her, looking out at the cosmos.
She shakes her head, "We, not you, us, Theta Sigma."
The Time Lord looks down at her and softly smiles, "Us, always. What's your other theory?"
The Alchemist groans in annoyance at the reminder, "I wasn't certain about what was going on at first. You know human relationships are so strange and convoluted since they evolve so quickly, right?"
He sits down in the brown velvet chair to face her, "Right, they make almost no sense to us as Time Lords. Well aware of that issue. Why?"
"Before you interrupted Dita and I, she picked up on the fact that I was concerned about something to do with Rose as I told her we had a companion in the TARDIS. I explained what I had picked up on, and she had her own theory.
"Rose has been jealous of me since we first met back up, stemmed from a slight fixation on you partly because she didn't know about me, which I figured should have faded by now... but it's only increased. And now she's developing an increasing attraction to you since you've Regenerated, which is annoying, to say the least. It burns my nose."
He winces, "That usually disappears by now and I did explain why I didn't tell her. I kinda thought I killed you and the rest of our entire race after all."
"I don't blame you, love," she shakes her head, "It's on her, not you. I would have done the same were I in your position—except hiding my picture under a lamp. Rude, that is."
He rolls his eyes fondly, "Continue?"
"It's Mickey," the Alchemist states, "Dita told me of it; it's called a 'backup plan.' From my understanding, it's like having a planned life partner if you don't find someone you're fully invested in. That's what she wants out of the relationship, not him. I don't believe so, at least," the Time Lady groans, "Unfortunately, right now, her focus is on you as a current potential lover. Which, quite frankly, disgusts me by both Time Lord standards and by other species standards as that would mean trying to seduce a man away from his wife in Earth terms."
"That's… disturbing," the Doctor grimaces, "We're going to have to try and explain Time Lord Bonding again, then. It's so complicated. Other species tend not even to believe it."
The Alchemist nods, "I think... it's a bit worse. Remember when I said she only cared about saving you and didn't trust me?"
He freezes, "You can't possibly think she would try..."
"She's what? 18? Why wouldn't she?" the Alchemist raises a brow, "She doesn't seem to care about her own relationship, which she claims is a committed one, apparently, and is clearly not on her end at least. She shagged Jack when he traveled with us; I could smell it on them. I mentioned it to you."
"She also picked up that boy, too," the Doctor recalls, "Wanted to bring him with us when we found the Dalek in the museum."
"Adam, right?" the Alchemist smirks, "The one with the infospike? Wonder how that worked out."
The Time Lord snaps his fingers, "Probably not well."
Shaking her head, the Alchemist continues, "I'll check with UNIT," she sighs, "Rose has grown so callous at this point in regards to her view on humanity and life… Separating a regular married couple for her own benefit?" she scoffs, "She probably sees it as no big deal and doesn't see us as being any different even though we are.
"She didn't trust me to protect you; only came to help me because I'm connected to you," the Alchemist informs him, and he swallows hard, "She woke you up mid-Regeneration sleep when Teacher was already obviously awake in my body, and it wound up hurting you, and she blamed me for it. She wants me gone, Theta. Gone so she can have you."
The Doctor quickly gets up and pulls her from her chair to hold her as close to him as possible.
"That's never going to happen, Amara," he growls in her ear.
The Time Lady smiles as she leans into the embrace, "I know. We just need to make sure she knows that."
"There's something else, isn't there?" the Doctor asks, pulling back.
The Alchemist nods, "Not in this room. I will not discuss it in this room. Our bedroom only."
[Fated Pair Bedroom]
The Alchemist sits on the edge of the bed, wary, and rubs her neck.
Frowning at this move, her Bondmate watches her, "What is it?"
"It hit when the lupine took the Steward. I slammed down the Bond to it, I'm... I'm sorry. I know it's against our vows, but... I had to, I had to, Theta..." she begins to cry quietly.
This terrifies him more than anything, and he reaches out and pulls her to him, "What is it? What are you hiding?"
"I don't... I don't want even to show you it's that bad," the Time Lady says, throat tight.
The Doctor frowns, contemplating how different they've been around each other lately. Feeling as if a part is missing from her. What if it was the chemical used to separate them during the war?
"The Bondblocker that Rassilon used. Could it be the cause of this? We need to check the Bond. We need to see if the Bond itself is damaged, Amara," the Doctor orders.
She looks at him, shaking like a leaf, "I'll have to open everything, you'll know, you'll feel it."
"Amara, we need to check. If it's the Bond itself, we can fix it, you know that."
She pauses briefly, weighing her options, then finally nods in consent. As soon as she does, the Doctor lifts her gently from the edge of the bed and positions her in the center. He then climbs in behind her, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her snugly against his chest.
"Please don't be mad, it... it only just happened..." she whispers.
He presses a kiss to her head, "Never."
The Doctor expands his side of the bond link and feels her do the same, and his eyes widen in horror when he feels it.
"You're..."
"I don't want to be, but I am. I want to die, and I don't understand. I knew something was wrong the moment we woke up. I told you about it but didn't think it would be like this."
"The Bond is damaged severely. It must have been the chemical blocker. It's not you," the Doctor explains, tightening his hold on her.
She nods, leaning her worn body against his chest, "We can repair it then."
The Time Lord looks down at her, "We're doing it immediately. I am not letting you continue to think and feel this way."
"It'll be odd, like becoming one the first time around. We'll need to block the Bond entirely and let the Bond expand fully the moment we become one together again," the Alchemist reminds him.
He nods into her shoulder, "It will automatically open to its fullest extent, I read about it when I was studying medicine on Gallifrey still. We just need to let go when it re-opens again."
She sighs, "I need help getting out of this damnable dress. It took forever to get the corset on myself."
"I have no issue with assisting with that, Amara."
[The Library]
Hours later in the afternoon, the Time Lords are cozily nestled together on their familiar sofa in the library, the fireplace's warm glow flickering nearby. The Alchemist is back in her signature mod lace dress and blue boots.
"You're better," the Doctor repeats for the 19th time.
She laughs into his chest, "I know, you don't need to keep saying it, love. It's gone. All of those awful feelings are gone now. The Bond is healed."
He sighs in relief again and presses another kiss to her head.
"Not a single thing is blocked, yes?"
She shakes her head, "Nothing, everything is open for you."
"Same on my end," the Time Lord replies lovingly.
There's a peaceful silence for a few minutes until The Alchemist speaks again, "Can we hit France tonight for dinner?"
He laughs lightly, "France again? Whereabouts and when?"
"Mm, they're traditionalists with food, so when doesn't matter as long as it's prime Earth. Basque country, I think. I'm craving Piperade. It's more Spanish, I suppose, but the French make it better," the Time Lady explains.
"Basque country it is. I'm surprised Rose hasn't tried to find us, actually... did she even eat lunch?" the Doctor mutters.
The Alchemist hums, "If she's staying focused on her assignment, she's been too upset to even think of food all day and terrified of facing the mighty fury of the Time Lady."
He growls at the reminder, "Do you think that worked? Writing about it?"
"Hopefully, it's a technique used by human therapists to get their patients to face their emotional demons and has been proven to have very positive results. Journaling essentially. There's a good chance she's been at it for a very long while once she realized what she has done and became extremely emotional about it. I don't want to ask Sexy because I don't want to be proven wrong."
The Doctor sighs, "I hope you're right, I do."
The Alchemist flips over and pins the Doctor's arms to his sides. He raises his eyebrows at her.
"Oh, are we playing ?" he quotes her.
She gives a playful shrug, her eyes sparkling with mischief, and loosens her grip, allowing her husband's arms to wrap around her once more.
Bodies flush, she whispers in his ear, "I was thinking a good snogging session. You up for that?"
"I'm up for more than that, honestly," the Time Lord groans back.
"Well, I'd rather not be caught in the library of all places. Compromise. Dungeon tonight?" the Alchemist teasingly whispers before she's pulled into a deep, passionate kiss.
Thirty minutes later, they're still lost in each other, and the Time Lady realizes their lips will be incredibly swollen by the end of it. The Alchemist can hear the sound of heavy footsteps approaching down the corridor.
'Rose is coming, and we are going to keep going until she interrupts us, love. The girl needs her first lesson in this matter, too,' she tells him and earns a hearty moan and a brush of his tongue against her own once more.
They both hear the library door open, and footsteps stutter to a stop in front of them. They ignore it and keep snogging. The Alchemist deepens the kiss further with a loud moan the moment her Bondmate caresses her bottom and squeezes gently.
There's a loud, fake cough and they pull away with an annoyed sigh, glancing to the human. The Time Lady pulls her feet in under her and sits astride the Doctor's lap, hiding his current situation.
"Yes, Rose?" The Doctor asks brightly.
Blushing heavily, the companion cannot meet their eyes, "I, I, um, I thought about what you said, Ally, and I... I wrote about it for hours. All day, actually. Once, once I started, I couldn't sto,p and then once I realized I just—felt horrible. So horrible about everything."
The Alchemist tilts her head toward her and sniffs deeply; she's not lying. She can smell the salty tears still drying on her face and clothing, and the scents of agony and despair from what she did are coming off her in waves.
"I can tell, Rose," she says to the girl kindly.
Rose gazes upward in disbelief, her eyes glaringly bloodshot.
"How?" she asks, alarmed.
The Doctor narrows his eyes on his companion, now aware of the situation. He's taken aback that the girl remains skeptical about his Bondmate's abilities.
"I can smell the tears still drying on your face and those that have dried on your clothes. You smell of agony, despair, regret... I could go on," the Alchemist rolls her eyes as Rose gasps, "It's very pungent. Do you see now? Human emotions are elementary for me to discern by scent alone."
Their companion nods cautiously, hesitantly stepping back, finally grasping the situation and feeling apprehensive about what she has caught onto.
"And now I can tell that you believe what I've been saying all along, and you're worried about that, which you should be, for the record," the Alchemist grumbles.
The Doctor looks at the pink journal in her hands; he's never been one for privacy regarding something important.
"May I see it, Rose? What you wrote?" he nods to the book.
The girl looks at it and bites her lip before nodding and handing it over.
Opening the mind-link to his wife, the Doctor speeds through all forty-six pages with a frown. He jumps back to one particular page, furious.
"You didn't care about saving the Alchemist," the Time Lord growls.
The Alchemist rolls her eyes, "You dot your eyes with a heart, and you can't find it in you to want to save the wife and Bondmate of the man you believe you're in love with?"
"How, how do you know what my handwriting even looks like? You're not looking at the diary," Rose gasps.
The Doctor tosses the book back at the human and she just manages to catch it.
"We've explained this to you, but clearly not well enough!" the Doctor snaps, "It's impossible for humans, let alone any species beyond our own, ever to comprehend Time Lord bonding. We have a physical, telepathic, empathic, romantic, and sexual bond, Rose."
The Alchemist continues, "He can show me what he's seeing at any point in time as I can him. We know what one another is feeling constantly. We can send telepathic messages through to one another. We can only ever romantically love and sexually desire one another; no one else. Ever. It goes beyond even those things the Bond is so powerful."
Rose's eyes grow wide in response.
"No other species has this type of bond," the Doctor huffs, "We are connected for life. The closest thing you could ever compare it to as humans is 'soulmates,' and those don't even exist for you... maybe mallard ducks?" he mumbles before rapidly shaking his head, "No. Forget ducks," he glances over at his wife and the Alchemist shifts back now that he's calmed down, allowing him to sit up, "For us, it's real and beyond even that. If the Alchemist had truly died on Gallifrey, I would have gone on to never love again and be with no one else again. She's it for me."
"No one?" Rose breathes, agonized.
"No one," the Time Lords say in unison as they look at the girl with hard eyes.
The Alchemist shakes her head, "You're not in love with the Doctor, Rose. You're infatuated. It's happened before to either one or both of us. Usually, it's faded by now. It honestly burns my nose the jealousy you have for me—so I'd greatly appreciate it if you lose it. You cannot, absolutely cannot separate us. It's impossible."
Rose looks at her, alarmed, and takes another step back, "I'm, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize, honestly. I just... I just thought..."
"You thought you could get between a regular married couple and seduce him away from his wife?" the Time Lady asks her sarcastically.
Rose stands in stunned silence, unable to find her words.
"That's frowned upon in your society, Rose Tyler. For just one moment, try and think about how Time Lords would view such a horrific thing."
A look of confusion crosses the human's face as she shrugs and glances back and forth between the two, "What would happen?"
Sighing dramatically the Alchemist looks to her Bondmate to answer this one.
"It's only happened once that I know of. The Time Lord that attempted to do so went mad long before that. The High Council forced him to Regenerate. In human terms, that means death. We did have an actual death penalty, but those are for far higher offenses... only one, actually." the Doctor recalls, voice heavy.
Rose gasps, "It's, it's that important?"
"Of course, it's that important!" the Time Lady shouts, "Calling us husband and wife is just a matter of Ceremony . Bondmates can only be found once. Once. You wait to find your Bondmate... sometimes hundreds of years, thousands," she shakes her head, "We found each other extremely young, younger than any other Bonded pair in the history of Gallifrey. We met eyes and fell in love at first sight at age twenty-five. Children by our standards. You only have one Bondmate in all your lives," she gestures to her Bondmate and back, " He is mine, and I am his. That's it. We call each other 'husband' and 'wife' in public because it's commonly understood."
"I'm so sorry, I really didn't... I really didn't understand..." she starts to explain.
"That shouldn't have mattered," the Doctor interrupts her.
"What?" Rose asks, shocked.
"You didn't care that we are together; you want him for yourself even though we are together in what you believed were Earth terms alone," the Alchemist scoffs, "To top it off, you blamed me for what you caused. That's... that's pretty fucked up, Rose."
The Doctor nods while the girl covers her face and takes a deep breath, uncertain about what to say next.
"You need a lot of help, Rose," the Doctor says, tone heavy, "More than either of us realized. We don't know much about human relationships beyond friendships, we don't need to. Perhaps traveling with us may help, maybe it won't, I don't know. But for the time being, work it out. Figure out what healthy natural relationships in human terms are for yourself."
The Time Lady sighs, continuing, "Research, do whatever you must. Stop trying to get between myself and Bondmate because that'll never work, and if you anger either of us enough because of it, we might actually drop you into a supernova... it's occurred before for another set of Bondmates. I didn't get that comment from out of the blue."
"You're, you're kidding about that last bit, right?" Rose asks, unsure, after she pulls her hands away from her face.
The Doctor shakes his head in denial, "No, it actually happened. Not to a human, but it happened about 5,000 years ago?"
"Roughly, yes. And they weren't mad either. Just extraordinarily furious with the female. Apparently, they were in heat and tried to jump the Time Lord," the Alchemist explains.
Rose looks between them in shock before nodding and taking a deep breath, "I really want to keep traveling with you two... and not be dropped in a supernova. I'll work on it, I promise. I'll just keep reminding myself constantly."
The couple share a look, communicating silently for a moment before nodding to the companion.
The Doctor sighs, "Good, now, Ally's craving Piperade, a French-Spanish dish from Basque country, which means we're going to France for dinner. Sound alright?"
Rose smiles brightly before it drops into a frown, "How are we going to pay for that?"
The Alchemist scoffs, "I pay, Rose. We don't carry cash, but I always have a card. We're good."
"You have money?" the human asks, confused.
She blinks, "Who do you think buys all the clothes in the wardrobe... besides the ones that just appear, that is?"
Rose gazes at the Doctor, her expression one of bewilderment, while he merely shrugs, mirroring her uncertainty.
"I really don't know how she has money, Rose. I've never bothered to ask, and I'm not about to. Just go with it and be happy she does," he explains.
"Moulin d'Alots," the Alchemist mutters suddenly.
"Moulin, what?" Rose asks.
"It's a restaurant in the heart of a watermill near the border of Spain. It opened in 2021. I'm really into the 2020s lately, huh."
"Have you been there before, Ally?" the Doctor asks.
"With Diamond, yes," she nods, "I think we went in 2000 for her? She was craving something similar. We'll need a nice day as there's a lovely garden view and an eight-course dinner with a vegetarian menu. Fabrice is the chef and runs it himself. I'll call and make a reservation. He'll fit us in once I give him my title."
"Eight... eight courses?" the human stutters.
The Doctor glances over, "It's French, Rose, they eat like birds."
"Who's Diamond?" Rose asks after sighing in relief.
The Alchemist shrugs, "Very old and good friend of mine," she grimaces at the girl, "You should wear something... a bit more, uh, stylish, though, Rose."
The human looks down at her wrinkled dungarees, laughing, "Yeah, that's... that's a good idea. I'll get something nice from the Wardrobe. Just how fancy is this place?"
"I'll fit in with my outfit, but I intend to change into something of a similar level... maybe more if that's any indication, Rose," she informs her.
The Doctor grins over at her, and his Bondmate rolls her eyes at the sudden hopefulness she feels.
"Yes, I'll wear it, Doctor," she mumbles and leaps off the couch.
He grins, "Promise?"
"I just did, didn't I?" the Time Lady asks with a raised brow.
"Yes, yes, you did!"
"Come on, Rose, let's go to the Wardrobe to find something suitable for our French cuisine," the Alchemist says, leading them out of the library.
A gentle smile of relief graces Rose's face as she follows the Time Lady's silent steps.
[Wardrobe]
"So... this place is pretty fancy then?" Rose asks warily as she goes through the 2020s dresses.
The Alchemist shrugs, watching her. She can tell the human's uncertain about what to wear, so she figures she'll help if needed.
"A bit, yes. It's rather private but casual to an extent. It is the French Country, after all."
Rose sighs and drops her hands to her sides, "I don't know what to wear."
"Mm, figured that might be an issue; I've got you covered. Step back, please?" the Time Lady asks, and Rose does so.
The Alchemist quickly flicks through the cocktail dresses until she spots it and pulls the hanger out, "This one."
The dress features a charming blue and white silk tile pattern inspired by the classic 1950s silhouette. It boasts elegant elbow-length sleeves and is tailored at the waist. The skirt flows into a flattering A-line and gracefully reaches the knees.
Rose gasps, "That's beautiful! Where did you get it?"
"Hm... this dress? Milan 2016. It's Dulce & Gabbana. I like to shop," the Time Lady explains and hands it to her.
"How... how expensive is this?" Rose asks warily while looking it over.
"No clue," the Alchemist shrugs, "Doesn't matter in the end. I think I've only worn it once, to be honest. Most of what's in here is designer, and you probably haven't even noticed."
The companion looks at her in shock, mouth gaping, "Just how rich are you?"
Smirking, the Time Lady holds a singular finger to her lips and winks, "You'll never know, and neither will my Bondmate... well, he'll find out when the time is right."
Rose nods, "Do you think I should wear white heels with this?"
"Yes, and a purse in the accessories section should work very nicely with that dress. White basket weave with a blue close-over... It's also Dulce & Gabbana of the same season, come to think of it."
"Oh, I've seen that one before," she says as she follows the Time Lady towards the back of the wardrobe.
The Alchemist hums softly as she approaches one of the fitted wardrobes, gently pressing her finger along the seam to unlock the deep green door. With a soft click, it swings open, and she steps inside.
Rose peaks in, "I've always wondered what was in these built-ins."
"They're my secret stash, Rose. If the Doctor got in, he'd destroy all my other clothes, and I'd have nothing left but this."
"It's all dark green?"
"Yep, every single piece in every single built-in wardrobe. All different eras."
The Alchemist sifts through a selection of silk and satin gowns, her eyes lighting up as she spots one that catches her fancy, and she carefully pulls it from the rack.
"The clothing in these wardrobes all conform to only my body every time I Regenerate," the Alchemist explains, "That green Victorian dress I had on? The TARDIS moved it from one of the built-ins to my personal wardrobe and hid the rest of my clothes on me, so I knew I needed to wear it."
They walk out of the built-in and the Alchemist shuts the door, locking it again.
Rose turns to her to ask, "Why is everything green though?"
The Time Lady, holding the dress up, sighs, "It compliments my hair."
She gasps, "That's so elegant... who makes that one?"
The dress is crafted from lined satin in a rich forest green hue. It features a strikingly deep cowl neck on both the front and the lower back. The midi-length design is elegantly bias cut, and several delicate adjustable straps secure the top and back. Allowing for a daring reveal of skin on the back when worn.
"This one was a gift. Diamond... she gave it to me the second to last time I visited her," the Time Lady nods.
"Is it designer, too?" Rose asks, curious.
The Alchemist checks, "Not any that I know, but she's not one to care for that. Only that it's made and cut nicely, so that's unsurprising."
Rose nods, deep in thought. Her curiosity about her mysterious friend is piqued, but she knows better than to ask. The Alchemist is very protective and secretive, clearly.
"We should find shoes then, right?" the companion asks with a forced smile, desperately trying to get on the Time Lady's good side.
"Right. White heels for you and... something for me. This dress is elegant, so it needs a pair that lets it stand out. I might need strappy heels that match my skin," she confirms, leading them to the 2020s section again.
Rose finds a pair of white high heels almost instantly; there aren't many pairs in this section. They're satin slingbacks and pointed-toed.
She gasps when she reads the label, "Jimmy Choos!?"
"Hm?" the Time Lady glances up, "Oh, yeah, I have tons of those..."
The Alchemist picks out a pair of strappy heels that nearly match her skin tone. She winces at the realization that they're made of genuine leather but decides to overlook it for the evening. The shoes are crafted from sleek napa leather in a 'nude' shade that glimmers subtly; they feature a delicate ankle strap and a slightly broader strap just above her toes to keep them secure.
Rose looks over at the heels in her hands, "And what are yours?"
She now understands that this entire wardrobe costs more than her last place of work.
The Alchemist merely flips one heel over and shows her with a shrug; it's Louboutin classic red.
"I shouldn't be surprised from now on, huh?" the girl mutters.
"No, you really, really shouldn't," the Time Lady replies dryly.
Rose nods and then looks down at herself with a grimace, "I need to shower still."
"Alright. You do that and get dressed. Across the hall, there's a gold-on-white door. I'm sure you've never been inside before. It's actually my Makeover room. Tons of future makeup in there, so none of it expires; everything at whatever table you choose you'll recognize. I'll meet you there."
The girl beams excitedly as she dashes to her room for a shower, leaving The Alchemist behind with a deep sigh. The tension has eased; the overwhelming waves of jealousy and irritation have begun to dissipate from the girl. There's still a hint of jealousy lingering, but her sense of relief is profound—so much so that it's hard to express in words.
She warily approaches the wardrobe exit, 'Is the Doctor hiding out somewhere to see what I'm wearing ahead of time, Sexy?'
'He will,' she hears.
"That idiot. Is there a door in his way that you can slam open to knock him down or something so I can escape into the Makeover room?" the Alchemist asks the ship.
She hears a smack and a yelp from outside and quickly slips out of the now open wardrobe door into the also open Makeover room door across the hall, which slams shut behind her.
[Makeover Room]
'That's what you get from trying to sneak a peak, Theta! I have our ship on my side now!' the Alchemist calls out to him.
'My ladies are against me; this is cruel!' he replies.
She scoffs aloud as she removes her brow powder and black mascara from her makeup drawer. That's all that's in there.
'I'll show you the true meaning of cruel later, Theta Sigma,' she replies coyly.
He's silent after that and she smirks at herself in the mirror as she lightly fills her eyebrows with a narrow, angled brush and applies one coat of mascara. She can feel his excitement and anticipation through the Bond before it calms down again.
She's digging deeply into the 'magic' bottom drawer, as she calls it, when Rose walks in.
Rose gasps, "This room is amazing! It's been here all this time?"
The flooring features a pristine white-washed wood, while the walls are adorned with a French-inspired plaster finish, also in a bright white hue. Complementing this elegant color scheme, the ceiling is dotted with what appears to be countless tiny recessed lights like stars. A stunning, luminous chandelier gracefully hangs from above, adding a touch of sophistication to the space.
Lush, deep green velvet stools are positioned in front of six distinct white and brass tables, each adorned with illuminated round mirrors overhead. Beneath each table, a set of glossy white rounded drawers adds a touch of elegance, while a small acrylic jar filled with brushes sits atop. A stylish clear glass and brass pendant light is suspended above each arrangement, enhancing the overall ambiance.
A long, dark green sofa from the Hollywood Regency era of the 1940s rests against the back wall, featuring graceful scroll arms. In front of it, two elegant golden velvet chairs create a sophisticated seating arrangement. At the heart of this setup is a clear, round coffee table made of acrylic and brass, adorned with an appealing collection of coffee table books, fresh flowers, and a striking green stone. The Alchemist knows it to be a lawless, uncut Emerald.
The Time Lady nods, "Yeah, ever since we stole the TARDIS, she built the room for me and designed it," she smiles, "She changes out the setup on the coffee table from time to time when she feels like it, but that's pretty much it. She's very proud of this room. Grab a stool, and your name will appear above your mirror in the same material as mine but in your language and favorite color."
Rose hurries over and settles into the seat next to the Alchemist, her eyes sparkling excitedly. Above her, a lucite cut-out sign displays her name 'Rose' in a vibrant hot pink script, her absolute favorite color, and she beams joyfully.
The companion glances at the Time Lady's dark green sign, "Is that Gallifreyan?"
"Old High Gallifreyan, actually. I prefer our original language. It says the Alchemist," she explains.
Rose starts going through the drawers, happy to find recognizable makeup products.
The Alchemist finally finds her wash-out nanite straightening spray in the drawer and places it on her table.
Her companion spares it a glance as she pulls her hair back into a half-u, half-down style.
"What's that spray do?" Rose asks as she clips her hair back with the small silver butterfly hair claw she found in one of the drawers.
"It's a temporary nanite hair straightening spray. One wash hold. I have a bunch of types in here. I've tested the ingredients before; they're not safe to be used directly on humans from the original Earth. Your genome hasn't evolved enough to handle it," she explains as she does one quick spritz to the back of her hair.
Rose nods as she watches, eyes widening as the Time Lady's natural waves fall completely straight around her head.
"I'm glad you've checked because I would definitely want some of that," she laughs as she works on her heavy eye makeup.
"Go light on the lips, Rose, chapstick if anything," the Alchemist comments, and the girl nods in agreement.
Rose is beginning to see that the Time Lady has a wealth of knowledge about fashion, makeup, and hair. She's starting to wish she had tried to befriend her earlier.
The Alchemist rises, her hair and makeup perfectly done, and glances around the room. It dawns on her that she had asked their ship to remove the dressing screen in her eighth Regeneration.
"Rose, I need you to close your eyes for a minute. I'll tell you when to open them again."
Rose looks over at her, "How come?"
The Alchemist shrugs, "I forgot I had Sexy remove the dressing screen from this room when I was in my eighth body. I need it back, and she doesn't like to move things around the ship in front of anyone but me and the Doctor."
"Sexy?" the human asks, confused.
The Time Lady rounds on her then, annoyed, "Do you mean to tell me that you have been traveling with the Doctor for nearly eight months now, and he's not once informed you of the name of our beautiful ship, the TARDIS, named Sexy slash Bluette slash Old Girl?"
Rose bites her lip and shakes her head.
"Remind me to smack him later...five times. Once for me! Once for you! And three times for Sexy!"
The ship hums in happiness.
"That was a happy hum, Rose, a happy hum," the Alchemist informs her.
Rose laughs as she shuts her eyes, recognizing the truth of the Alchemist's Bond to the TARDIS.
"Go ahead, Sexy, a new one if you would. I'm sure you already had one planned out years ago," the Alchemist comments.
A stunning new tri-screen with three graceful curves, elegantly framed in bronze, appears in the room, while the green sofa and seating arrangement shift to complement its beauty seamlessly.
'Lovely choice, Sexy, absolutely phenomenal,' she comments.
'Thank you, Thief One,' the TARDIS responds, reminding the Alchemist that she still needs to question that.
"Take a look, Rose," the Alchemist says, and Rose opens her eyes to look around.
"Oh! Wow! That's beautiful. The chairs and everything moved as well," she remarks.
The Time Lady nods, "Yeah, she's very particular about design which I'm very glad of. Sexy has excellent taste. I think she's also considering a new rug for the room, but I'm sure she was waiting for me to ask about the dressing screen first."
"It must be fun talking to the TARDIS," Rose comments as she goes back to finishing her heavy eyeliner before starting on her first coat of mascara.
"I'm still getting used to it, honestly," the Alchemist admits with a sigh, "It is, though! She helps me deal with the Doctor when he's being a total pest. It was the same when I first started speaking with Teacher. Teacher used to sound like, well, Yoda," she laughs, " Now they make more sense and speak more in present tense and not about things that will or did happen so I can understand it better. Sexy's not adjusting to tenses but in this case... I think it'll be more me adjusting to her," she shakes her head fondly, "The connection of a TARDIS to the Timestream is so jumpy that she probably gets really, really convoluted about it all. I'd rather make it easier on her by learning how she speaks. I catch on quick, anyway."
Rose listens intently as the Alchemist enthusiastically shares her lengthy explanation. She tends to speak at a rapid pace, much like the Doctor, making it challenging for Rose to follow along.
"I'm going to change. I have everything I need already, so, uh, be back in a moment," the Time Lady smiles as she steps behind the screen.
The Alchemist removes all her clothing, aware that even the delicate lace thong would create an unwanted panty line, which she definitely wants to avoid. With that thought in mind, she gently pulls the dress over her head. To her surprise, it has a bit of stretch, and the TARDIS has already adjusted the straps to accommodate her new form, ensuring a flawless fit. She neatly folds her clothes and lingerie, setting them on a chair for the ship to return them to her room once they depart..
'Will you put this back in our room, please, Bluette? Just in the insta-laundro-basket if you would be so kind,' she asks the TARDIS.
'I shall,' she replies, and the Alchemist smiles.
The Time Lady sits on the sofa and pulls on her 'nude' Louboutins, strapping her ankles quickly before she walks around to the front of the mirrored screen to smooth out her hair and dress.
Rose hops up from her stool and approaches her, "You look really nice, Ally."
"Thank you, Rose, that's very kind of you to say," The Alchemist tells her with a smile as she steps back so Rose can look herself over.
Her companion looks very elegant, the Alchemist notes. Her eyes are a bit heavily done, but that's due to being from the year she is from, which is why she suggested no lipstick.
"You look lovely as well, Rose. You should keep that dress," she declares with a definitive nod.
Rose turns to her, shocked, "What? I couldn't. This thing must cost thousands of pounds, Ally."
"I've worn it only once, and it certainly suits your coloring much better than it ever could mine. Diamond convinced me to get it because one of the shades of blue matched the TARDIS at the time. Please, take it, I want you to," the Alchemist tells her with a kind smile.
The companion looks down at the dress before grinning and nodding.
"Thank you, Ally," she bashfully says.
"No need," the Alchemist smiles, "Now, we best get to the Console Room so I can call in the reservation and we can actually eat. Be ready to see the Doctor turn into a stuttering wreck. He does it every time. Every. Single. Time."
'Is he in the Console Room?' she asks the TARDIS.
"What do you mean?" Rose asks, following her to the door.
'Yes,' is her answer.
The Alchemist smirks, "You'll see."
[Console Room]
The Alchemist pauses at the entrance to the Console room, and waves Rose on. The girl gives her a confused look but continues.
"Ah! There you are, you ladies take forever to get ready. You look great, Rose! Where's my Bondmate at anyway?" the Doctor asks.
Rose laughs, "She's coming. Thank you, though. Ally even gave me this dress to keep! It's so pretty I can't believe it."
The Doctor and Rose turn and walk away, their backs to the corridor and console, while the Alchemist quietly slips away to the screen, intent on finding the restaurant's number for a call. She knows they'll be too engrossed in their conversation to notice her absence. After all, she's been trained as a spy, among her many other forced skills.
"That's Ally for you," the Doctor nods, "I recently found out that she sneaks out to shop when I'm busy... Can't say I'm surprised. I sometimes wonder where she gets the money, but I know she'll never tell me."
"Yeah, this is a very famous brand on Earth. This dress must have cost thousands of pounds and she said she only wore it once. Just how many times have you lot Regenerated anyway?" Rose asks.
The Alchemist now possesses the restaurant's time number and quietly moves around the console to make the call.
"A lot. I was in my eighth body about 400 years back, tho..." he starts to say but trails off when he hears the Alchemist speak.
"Hello Juliette, I'd like to make a dinner reservation for three under Lady Ally Starlight. Please inform Fabrice that I'm making the reservation. He tends to like to pick my table…Yes, I'll wait, thank you." the Alchemist says over the line, twisting the curling cable in her fingers.
"I...you… you... skin?" the Doctor stutters as he ambles up to her, "So, so, so, what? What? How? I don't." he swallows hard, managing a soft, "Ally... You're magnificent."
The Alchemist glances over her shoulder at him coyly, phone still to her ear, "Thank you, love. All for you, of course."
The Time Lord lets out a deep sigh, eyes filled with adoration for the woman who is both his wife and Bondmate.
"Oh! Fabrice! How are you?... I'm very well, thank you... Although different, like I warned you, yes... No Diamond this time, but I'll let her know you asked of her when I call her later, hm?... I'm bringing my lovely husband and our friend Rose with me!" she chuckles, "Yes, you finally get to meet the man who managed to catch me.
"Honestly, he likes food, but I don't know if he knows how to cook... Yes, I'll be certain to make sure he takes lessons from the best...
"When is a good time to come... I just want a lovely table with a nice view of the garden and water. Three seats... You're still awfully kind, Fabrice... I will see you Thursday early evening then... Tah!"
The Alchemist ends the call, only to be swiftly pulled back against a solid chest and spun around, her waist firmly held. She doesn't even flinch; she anticipated this moment. He captures her lips with a passionate kiss, his fingers weaving through her long, sleek hair until they meet his other hand, which begins to explore the bare skin of her back gently.
Rose laughs at the action and shakes her head at herself. She can't believe she ignored all of this earlier. It will take a while to get over, though, and she hopes she can. He looks at her like she's created the universe itself and she, him.