Chapter Three: The Christmas Fiasco
[The TARDIS]
The Alchemist sighs, cleaning her hands with DNA-disintegrating wipes as her Bondmate pulls the doors shut behind them. He placed the remains to the side when they entered to be brought to UNIT later.
The Doctor quickly wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her into him tightly from behind.
"I'm sorry; I'm so, so sorry. You were doing right by that Tribe, and she murdered them," he whispers into her ear.
The Time Lady leans back into him, "I can't even inform Emperor Kasifik; he would instantly go to a war footing. He's been looking for a way to free the Halvinor Tribe since they were enslaved by their Tribe leader and forced to become pirates," she sighs, " He's an excellent Emperor and has changed many of the outdated laws of the Sycorax, but he does not condone murder. The Shadow Proclamation would interfere and... I don't even want to think about what will occur then. Their future is set at a steady pace; they never see war again."
The Doctor lets out a deep sigh, fully aware that she has always taken great care to avoid any possible violence in the universe.
"We can't even contact their family lines," he says, equally remorseful, "They were all in that ship."
"I know their family line names. Kasifik showed me the list when we talked about it in case I ever came upon them. I won't be able to find out about their Given names, but... I can celebrate their loss in their traditions, at least."
"We'll do it together, then," he suggests as she turns in his arms to face him, "Since you're Kerriff of 32 years, that means I'm Kerr as your husband and Bondmate, and we can use your Blood Oathmaker together."
The Alchemist smiles, "I'll look up the right lunar cycle day for them later. All three moons must be at the highest point, which only happens once every three months."
"Why was it red?" he asks.
She shrugs, "Kerriff Oathmakers are typically crystal. To have one made of blood glass means it was also given to one named family."
He hums, "Is that when you went on that trip with your father?"
"Yeah," the Time Lady confirms, "I told you all about it afterward. I saved his next in line from an assassin, and my father and I found the perpetrators."
"Oh! Yes, yes, yes. And Kasifik named you Kerriff. That was ages back."
"Ages and ages," she agrees.
The Doctor nods, "We should probably find our new clothes then, hm?"
The Alchemist shakes her head in denial.
"You want to stay in that?" he asks with a laugh.
"No, you idiot; I feel like my piercings are missing again," The Time Lady huffs at him and slaps his shoulder lightly, "My body feels off without them, finally."
He sighs with relief and kisses her forehead, "You're recovering?"
"I'm not... all together. Something's wrong, but I don't know what. Just keep an eye on me, please. I'm actually really concerned about it."
He nods, understanding, "I feel it from you through the empathic bond. I've never gotten it before, and I don't know what it is either; I'll keep track of it. Now, time to stick you with some needles, hm?"
"We'll work it out. I have a backup piercing kit in the sickbay so off we go," The Alchemist says with a false grin and starts dragging him through the corridors.
[TARDIS - Sick Bay]
She scrubs her hands clean at the sink before heading to one of the back drawers to remove the piercing kit and hand it over to her husband, who starts pulling out everything necessary.
"Where do you want to start," The Doctor asks as he removes the last ring from the box.
"Ears... then we'll go down from there, I think," she laughs.
Frustrated, He sighs, "You're going to have to get undressed, and you know how I get."
"You'll just have to deal with it until after dinner then, love," the Time Lady says with a happy hum.
"Yeah, yeah," her Husband complains as she pulls her hair back in a ponytail.
He starts on the first piercing and pauses momentarily, "Do you feel that?"
"Um, yes. On both your end and mine... you should finish, though," she says with wide eyes.
He swallows and nods before completing the two piercings on the lobe of each ear.
"I uh... I have a theory, but I'm not going to say it yet," she mutters softly as she lifts up her blouse.
He watches intently as each bit of skin is revealed.
"Your skin really is like a constellation, too; it's beautiful," he says in reverence.
She laughs and smiles at him, "I haven't been this covered in freckles in a long time."
"I see that vividly," the Doctor mumbles, still staring.
She glances down at her chest and tilts her head, "I'll need to go shopping."
"Mhm," he agrees.
The Alchemist rolls her eyes and removes her bra, throwing it onto his head to get him out of his fantasy.
"What? Oh, right, yes, yes, of course," he stutters as he swipes it off and preps for the following piercings.
He backs away and stares straight at her, "That's... new."
"Uhuh, we haven't, uh..." she trails off before swallowing hard, "New body, new rules?"
He nods quickly.
The Alchemist looks down at her legs and then up, "Can you handle this one, or do you need me to close the bond?"
He's silent, debating.
"Theta, we're going to have to deal with this anyway..." she trails off.
"Open," the Doctor demands, and he fumbles as he finishes the piercing.
"You..." the Doctor trails off, pupils dilated, as his eyes trail over her delicate frame.
"I'm well aware of what just happened, Theta Sigma," she finally manages to get out as she carefully sits back up.
"This'll be interesting," he mumbles and turns to clean up the area.
The Time Lady sighs and nips her tongue in realization.
"We're not done," she mumbles.
He pauses and turns to look at her with a brow raised, "You only had seven."
"It's now eight," she shyly says.
"What do you mean?" The Time Lord asks, confused.
"It's how I knew I needed them the first time around. I went ages feeling like they were missing. My tongue needs something. It feels like it's… empty."
"Empty?" he frowns.
"Yeah, that's how I figured it out the first time," the Alchemist shrugs.
He jumps up and down a few times making her look at him in confusion.
"Ah, that's what that is," the Doctor mutters and scratches the back of his head.
She frowns before excitedly shouting, "You mean it took this long!? I have been wanting you to get that piercing for ten Regenerations now!"
The Doctor rolls his eyes, "Well, apparently, now my body wants it, so… congrats."
Grinning brightly, the Time Lady asks, "Can you grab everything else we need so we can pierce my tongue, and then I can pierce you?"
He turns to get the jewelry, and they finish her last piercing.
She sticks her newly pierced tongue out at him, and he's quick to latch on with his fingers.
"Behave," he admonishes before letting go.
The Alchemist swallows thickly at the command and watches him intently from her seat as he begins to strip.
"You're staring," the Doctor mutters.
"I'm allowed. You're giving me a show, and it's hot," she shrugs.
The Doctor rolls his eyes.
"Hm, this will certainly be different," the Alchemist mumbles as she jumps off the table and approaches him.
After closing the bead, she quickly rises to her feet, kissing his lips briefly before confidently striding out the door and down the corridor, completely bare.
He wipes the sheen of sweat off his forehead with one hand and growls; she just left him.
[TARDIS - Wardrobe]
In the Wardrobe, the Alchemist is in one of her fitted wardrobes, looking for a stretchy bra and panties in her Regeneration section. She just needs something before she can shop for lingerie that fits this body and her new preferences.
In her temporary set, still green, she closes the door back over, and it relocks. The Doctor is never allowed in these fitted wardrobes. Never.
She just begins to make her way over to the racks when she senses and hears him walk into the room.
"I thought I told you to behave," he grounds out in annoyance as he approaches her.
She shrugs, "Didn't feel like it."
"You will later," he informs her as he steps before her.
She smirks, "Oh, I certainly hope so, Sir."
They both pause and swallow hard.
"I think you should avoid calling me that in front of anyone from now on," he says, voice high and tight.
The Alchemist nods in agreement before her eyes widen, "Your squeaky voice is back! You have a squeaky voice again, Theta! I love squeaky voice!"
He laughs happily at her excitement before pulling her narrow, tall frame into him and holding her tightly, smoothing his hands along her warm skin.
"Apparently I do and I like it also, now, clothes... clothes..." he trails off as he lets her go and walks off to find his own outfit.
The Time Lady hums in thought, deciding which section to head to. '60s? She's kind of feeling a bit like a Mod now. She skips over to the section and pauses at the dresses. A lot of these pieces she bought with Polly Wright.
"What section are you in?" the Doctor calls out from across the room.
The Alchemist responds, "'60s, I'm looking at the Mod dresses right now. How about you, love?"
"I'm feeling like I need a suit of some kind but I'm not sure what one," he explains.
Acknowledging this, the Alchemist retrieves two dresses in the same style. The first is a striking blue, featuring three-quarter-length sleeves and a discreet front pocket designed to fall mid-thigh. While the hue is appealing, the dress itself doesn't quite resonate.
The second dress, on the other hand, is absolutely stunning. It features short sleeves made of black lace over a nude lining. A charming white lace peter pan collar adds a touch of elegance, complemented by two solid black suede pockets at the front. Silver wire floral buttons run down the dress and serve as decorative closures for the pockets. A slim black suede belt cinches the waist. The hem is designed to fall about four inches above her knees. It's delicate, yet with a little strengthener boost from Sexy, it should withstand any challenges it might face.
"Any luck, Amara?"
"Oh yes, love, I found the perfect dress," she replies happily, "I picked this beauty up in 2023 in New York with Polly. She thought it was way too Mod to put it in the 2020s section. She was convinced we needed it in the Wardrobe; never even been touched since."
He laughs, "Polly was always one to shop."
"That she was, that she was. I'm rather glad she made me get this now," the Alchemist tells him as she slips it on.
She'll definitely require some thigh-high stockings. Black would be a must, but perhaps white, gray, and blue could work too. Fortunately, she has several sturdy options in her accessories collection that are resistant to tearing.
"Any luck yet, yourself?" the Alchemist calls out.
He lets out an annoyed groan, "Nope. Nothing. I might need your help on this one."
"Alright, I'm almost done. Let me find the right boots and my tights."
Her eyes land on the ideal pair as she examines the Mod boots. They're a rich blue velvet, almost identical to the TARDIS itself. The boots will hug her long legs all the way above the knee, featuring a sleek pointed toe and a stylish high curved black wedge. Turning one over, she smiles, pleased to find it has impressive traction.
She carries them along and picks up a pair of sturdy black tights from the 58th century, confident in their durability, before heading in the direction where she can feel the Doctor's presence.
He's currently going through suit after suit in the 1940s section.
She wiggles into her tights as he turns to watch her, eyebrows raised high.
"Nice dress. You think you can keep that from tearing?" he asks.
She nods as she smoothes the opaque black tights down her long legs.
"It's stretchy, and I'll ask Bluette to use Material Strengthener tonight before she duplicates everything."
"It's lovely. I'm also glad you picked it up. You look delightful in it," he tells her as he goes back through the rack.
"You're so sweet, love, but I think you're in the wrong section," she tells him as she slips into the blue velvet boots.
He glances over, "What section should I check, do you think?"
"Mm, maybe the gift section first?" she mumbles.
"Where'd you get those boots? Aren't you afraid you'll slip?" he asks as they approach the right rack.
The Alchemist shrugs, "I think Sexy must have made them at some point. Probably knew I'd be wearing them. They have really good traction."
'I do,' she hears.
"You do what?" the Alchemist asks out loud, confused.
The Doctor eyes her, "I didn't say anything."
She shakes her head, "Well, someone said something, and it wasn't Teacher. My hearing is perfect."
They both hear the TARDIS let out a loud hum.
"Say it again," the Time Lady demands, eyes widened.
'I do make them,' the Alchemist hears, and the stumbles back in shock.
The Doctor grabs her arms to steady her, "What? What? What's wrong?"
"Theta, I just heard our TARDIS speaking to me in my mind!"
He looks at her with widened eyes and grins, "You have no idea how jealous I am right now."
"I am quite aware of it," The Alchemist rolls her eyes, "I can feel it through the bond."
"There's so much I want to ask; where do we start, where do I start..." he trails off excitedly, jumping up and down.
"How about later? First, we need to get you into a new outfit, remember? We are expected for dinner shortly," she reminds him.
"Right, right…" he nods and returns to looking at the rack.
The Doctor pulls out the ensemble Casanova gifted him to look over, and the Alchemist starts laughing heartily.
"You still owe him that chicken! You are not wearing that thing!"
The Time Lord winces at the reminder and puts it back.
"What about one of the suits that the Fitzgeralds got you?"
The Doctor nods and goes to grab one, "One of these ones, right? Oh, I like this, yes. Blue pinstripes... pockets," he shows it to her, "I like the brown. Do you like the brown?"
"I certainly love your hair and those gorgeous eyes, so I suppose I do like the brown,"
He plants a swift kiss on her lips before beginning to undress once more, preparing to slip into the suit.
The Doctor rolls his eyes, "You're staring again."
"You're hot," is all she says.
He laughs as he puts on the new outfit, "That makes two of us then."
"I do my best," The Alchemist smirks.
He grumbles, "More than your best, apparently."
The Time Lady chuckles softly, observing with humor and disbelief as he fumbles through, tying his tie in the most clumsy manner imaginable.
"What do you think, Amara?" The Doctor asks with arms wide, shifting side to side.
The Time Lady laughs, "I think you forgot how to knot your ties."
She redoes it for him, tightening it gently before tucking it into his jacket.
The Doctor looks down at it, nodding, "That's better. I'm still missing something, though."
She takes a step back so he can go through the rack; the Alchemist knows he'll find what he needs on his own now.
"You're in the '60s, hm? Maybe I need something...too…"
The Doctor swiftly dons a long, double-breasted brown trench coat and turns to confront her.
"The Janis!"
The Alchemist grins, "Ohh, Woodstock! That was a blast! We should do it again."
"Do I look good? I look good, right? You feel and look like you enjoy what you see."
"When don't I, Theta?" the Time Lady laughs, "But yes, you look good. No question marks."
The Doctor rolls his eyes at her for the pun, "I liked them then. You had some weird stuff, too; I remember that bright red fedora of yours."
"You want to compare hats, scarf man?" she asks, pointing to the long knitted scarf on the hat stand.
He frowns, "You made me all of those scarves. Every last one of them, Amara."
The Alchemist grins brightly, "Oh, I most certainly did. As a joke. You hated that gift in your third body. Then you absolutely loved it when you Regenerated, so I just kept making more of them whenever you'd destroy or lose them, love," she snickers, "All different lengths. I was rather fond of the red and purple one, especially with that lovely wool coat."
"You said you couldn't remember how to stop the knit, so you just kept going until you remembered again!" he says, aghast.
"Oh, yeah, that was a huge lie. Massive," the Alchemist explains, "You 'accidentally' corrupted the file I had on the Sonic Screwdriver manual, remember? I couldn't get any of that information back. Neither could the Achiever. Bondmas plus payback equals scarf," she flicks his nose while he gapes at her.
"Have you ever not been cheeky?" the Time Lord asks her.
The Alchemist shakes her head, "Base personality trait, of course, I haven't."
He sighs and looks at his feet, "I need shoes."
"Well, we have many of those to pick from; best get to it!"
As he strides away, she approaches the mirror to take in her new appearance and ensemble.
"Wow. You're right, I am right thin!" the Alchemist gapes, "Just like you. We're strings. Am I... am I a fashion model?" she tilts her head, "A freckled fashion model? I'm tall. 5'10" definitely. Hair's a bit boring, though. Just long and wavy, might play with it a bit," she puffs out her cheeks, "These cheekbones are so high I could slice something with them. Better be careful of that, love," the Time Lady blows a kiss at her double, "And my lips! Pouty, pretty pouty, and... freckles? More freckles? Theta! My lips have freckles!"
"Yes, and they taste delicious," The Doctor chuckles as he approaches her, "You're gorgeous as always. We're about the same age again, too!"
The Alchemist nods and looks down at his new shoes, quirking an amused brow, "Sandshoes? Good for running, at least."
The Doctor scoffs, "They are not sandshoes!"
"Uhuh, sure, keep telling yourself that. Also, those are not going to stay clean for long."
"Yeah, yeah," he rolls his eyes, "Come on, Ally, the Tylers are waiting."
She smiles, and he takes her hand to lead them out of the TARDIS.
The Alchemist rolls her eyes when he doesn't close the door behind him, though, so she drops his hand and does it herself. New theory: doors will be an issue.
He waits a moment, and she retakes his hand; they continue to leave the ship.
[The Tyler Flat]
The Doctor opens the door before the Alchemist hits it with her knuckles to knock.
"I smell dinner. Is there Christmas dinner?" the Time Lord asks as he drags her into the room.
Rose, Jackie, and Mickey are at the table.
Mickey is working on carving the turkey while the Alchemist gazes at it, her eyes narrowed in contemplation.
"Christmas dinner, alright!" Rose smiles tensely.
Jackie says, "We cooked up a whole shop, it feels like! That turkey came out perfect."
The Doctor hums a cheerful tune as he gently pulls his wife toward the two adjacent open seats. They sit down, and Mickey starts offering the slices of turkey: dark, light, or leg.
"Light for me, Micks," the Doctor says, filling his plate.
When Mickey turns to the Alchemist, she lets out a frustrated sigh and covers her plate with one hand.
"Something wrong, sweetheart?" Jackie asks, concerned.
The Time Lady frowns, "Apparently, I Regenerated as a vegetarian again. No turkey for me, please. Although it does look lovely, Jackie. I'll stick to the veg tonight."
The Doctor instantly starts cackling; he clearly remembers how this happened last time. She lightly smacks the back of his head to get him to shut up, making him huff.
'Back to the smacks again, hm?' the Doctor silently asks as she looks at her hand, stunned.
'Apparently so. Sorry in advance.'
"You can become vegetarian when you turn into someone else?" Mickey asks curiously.
"A lot of things happen, Mickey," the Alchemist nods, "Our entire top personality traits change, and we get new skills, lose some, tastes change... and apparently, once again, I'm appalled by the idea of eating meat."
Mickey shrugs slightly, and she can smell the irritation radiating from Rose ever since she entered the room.
"We'll just have to stock up on veg and fruit again, no problem," the Doctor reminds her and starts piling the vegetarian side dishes onto her plate to try.
"Must be difficult changing like that," Jackie says, "You never know what's going to happen."
The Time Lady feels a spike of fear through the bond that concerns her and decides to add it to the later pile.
"I've never really minded it, honestly," the Alchemist shrugs, "I've Regenerated a lot at this point. I live and enjoy my life as it is, and then I live and enjoy my life in the next one."
She feels the Doctor push a considerable amount of love and calm through the bond when he feels her sadness peak again.
Finally, it seems that Rose can't take it anymore, and her annoyance and anger peak.
"Why did you say all that?" she demands.
The Alchemist, confused, asks, "Say all what? What I just said? Because it's how I view Regeneration, that's all."
"No! Not that. The stuff you said when we were dealing with the Daleks!"
'I was hoping Teacher would wipe that, but apparently, they're too angry,' she tells her Bondmate, and he nods, holding her hand under the table.
"That wasn't me, Rose. That was Teacher..." She tries to explain but is interrupted by shouting.
"Of course, it was you! I saw you; you said all those mean things to me!"
Jackie and Mickey exchange glances of uncertainty and concern, opting to remain silent.
"It wasn't her, Rose," the Doctor confirms.
Rose scoffs, "Right, so something just possessed her, then?"
"Pretty much, yeah," the Doctor shrugs.
"What?" Mickey gapes.
"I have a soul connection to the Time Vortex," the Alchemist explains tightly, "I have since I was a child. It's... grown since then at two distinct times now. They took over for a moment when we were attacked by the tree and to get us to the TARDIS remember?" she glances around the table, receiving two nods from
Jackie and Mickey, "Teacher also got the Doctor and me inside the flat."
The Time Lady turns to Rose, frowning, "What you did is something that would have happened anyway, and Teacher, the Time Vortex, is aware of that. But by taking in this power without their consent and not knowing how to use it, they were furious, Rose. Very, very angry. You refused to give it back, and you hurt them both."
"I was in full control; I knew exactly what I was doing," Rose denies, rolling her eyes.
'Allow us to speak, our Chosen,' Teacher says.
The Alchemist sighs heavily, consenting, "Jackie, Mickey, my eyes are about to change. I should probably check my new set later," she shrugs, "I'm sure they've changed too. My voice will not be my own, it will sound like many voices overlapping simultaneously. This is not me speaking," she gestures to herself, "This voice, right now, this is me," she drops her hand, "That voice? That's Teacher, the Time Vortex. I can allow them to... use my form if they need to speak aloud or help protect the Doctor and me."
Rose continues to scowl while the other humans nod and wait, curious.
The Alchemist shuts her eyes, releasing the Doctor's hand, and when she opens them once more, her gaze reveals a luminous abyss, her expression devoid of any feeling.
Jackie and Mickey gasp at the sight.
The Vortex turns to the companion, "While we were aware of what needed to occur, child, we were not aware of what you would try to do while using our power; time is in flux when you use it. Your fear of the Daleks remains within you as you are not our Chosen and thus cannot be trusted with our power.
"You stole our daughter's heart. Tore it from her form, the TARDIS, and thus cut directly into our soul. You used our power to commit genocide, child. Those Daleks were touched by humanity. They were alive. We tried to stop you, attempted Time Lock them, but you overpowered us with your fear, and the Time Locks were incomplete. They died. All of them.
"Using our power to end life has consequences. Time has consequences. Our Chosen knows this. She learned how to use our power long before she held it. You, as a human child filled with fear, jealousy, and desire, do not and can not."
"I did it to save them!" Rose shouts, rising from the table.
"You did it to help yourself and our Chosen's Other half, and by doing so, you hurt us, our Chosen, her Other half, and our daughter. That loss has consequences, and the price is yet to be paid in full. You committed mass murder."
Rose stumbles back from the table in alarm, noting the cold look from the Doctor and the concerned and alarmed gazes her boyfriend and mother are sending her.
"You said you looked into our daughter's heart?" the Vortex continues.
"Yes, that's what I did! I looked into the heart of the TARDIS," Rose recalls.
Teacher shakes their head, "You tore it out and pulled it inside of you along with our daughter's connection to us, hurting us deeply. We wanted to destroy you when you did it, but our Chosen asked us to keep you safe.
"The singing you heard. A human mind could never comprehend it, a Time Lord that has not yet been Chosen by us cannot comprehend it. That singing was our daughter screaming in agony. Our Chosen heard it, which also hurt her; she cried out of sympathy."
Rose sits back down in silence, feeling a wave of disappointment wash over her. As she reflects on her actions, doubts creep in, leaving her to question whether she made a mistake or crossed a line. What if she was wrong and she did something bad.
"Yes, you were wrong. Yes, you were bad," Teacher says.
Rose asks, wary, "You can read my mind?"
"We know everything, we are Time Itself,"
Rose breathes, "I'm sorry."
Teacher shakes their head, "You are not, and thus we do not accept your apologies."
"But I am! I'm sorry! I didn't know that I was doing that to you. I didn't know they were alive!" the young woman denies.
"You are not sorry; you do not care about the deaths you took. We do not care to repeat our lessons. We are Time Itself. We know everything. Given the choice, we have seen you would do it again and what you will do later."
A hush falls over the table as everyone sits in silence, apprehensive about what the future holds in the presence of this all-encompassing force. The Doctor stares at his filled, cooling plate, desperately wanting to hold his Bondmate's hand.
The Time Vortex breaks the silence, "The only consolation we have is that this was always meant to occur even if we did not have control and our hand was forced. Now, our Chosen has gained her full connection to us and our daughter. We were also able to provide her with a gift for the pain she, herself, experienced when you took us in."
Rose looks up in shock, "Ally was hurt? But she looked fine!"
The Doctor clenches his fists in fury; he knows precisely why she looked fine.
"Our Chosen is connected to us, child. What we feel, she feels. What she feels, we feel. She has faced much pain in her many lost lives, ones she did not have the chance to enjoy. More than a mere mortal could ever withstand. Pain that nearly killed her just to experience. Pain that did kill her to experience.
"Her resistance is strong; she would have never told you, but we are not our Chosen. We will never forgive you, but it is up to our Chosen to forgive you for what you did and said to her," the Vortex says
The connection drops, and The Alchemist shakes her head, rubbing her eyes in annoyance.
"Been a while since they've been in control that long," she mutters, "I forgot how weird it feels. My eyes are still tingling."
She lets out a deep sigh, glancing around the table at everyone. The tension in the air is palpable, and she can sense the worry and distress radiating from each person. Even more troubling is the simmering anger emanating from her Bondmate.
"It's fine, Rose, I've been through worse,"
Rose frowns at that, "How much worse? When you were...?"
The Alchemist glares at her, cutting the girl off, "That's not something I will ever explain to you unless I find it necessary... which I hope I don't, so don't bother asking again."
"Don't you trust me?" Rose asks warily.
The Doctor clasps his Bondmate's hand beneath the table, gripping it firmly as he senses her growing irritation. Despite her annoyance, he finds comfort in the connection, his own simmering anger easing slightly with just the touch of her skin.
"Can I? Should I?" the Alchemist scoffs, "You tore open the TARDIS, the Doctor's, and my home and ripped out her heart without even thinking about what you were doing. That ship is alive. I don't care about my own pain, but you hurt those I care for deeply," she looks her over distastefully, "To top it off, you committed mass murder out of fear."
"I heard every word while we were out!" the Time Lady snaps, "We both did. You blamed me for the Doctor changing, something we naturally have to do, when in reality, we needed to Regenerate because of you. I lost an entire life. That body was only a few months old," she swallows hard, " I had finally convinced Teacher to take over and stop the Daleks by time-locking them when you stole the TARDIS' heart," she glares at Rose, infuriated, "You didn't trust me, so why should I trust you?"
Rose lowers her gaze, struggling to swallow the weight of the reprimand. The Doctor shakes his head, his teeth clenched in frustration. The Alchemist's following remark piques his interest, returning memories of her words just before they Regenerated.
"My only consolation is that what I received I would have given an entire cycle of Regenerations to get. Nothing will ever compare to this gift except one other. And no, I'm not telling you what it is. So, yes, you have your forgiveness. My trust? You will have to earn as everyone does."
Rose glances upward and nods, grateful for the opportunity to make up for her past actions. The Doctor remains fixated on his wife, intrigued by her words, but he understands that she will share the whole meaning when they have a moment to themselves.
'Please say something to lift this dreadful mood, love,' the Time Lady calls out to her husband.
"So... Can someone pass the mash?" the Doctor grins, "Love a good mash. The wife loves mash, too... I think."
Laughter begins to bubble up slowly, but soon everyone is in stitches. The atmosphere shifts to one of joy, brightening after the earlier somber discussion, infused with the peaceful spirit that the holiday brings.
'I love you, Theta Sigma,' she says.
'And I love you, Amara,' she hears.
Dinner complete, Jackie pulls out the crackers.
"Ooh! Christmas crackers!" The Alchemist grins, clapping.
The Doctor practically shouts, "Do not let her touch one of those crackers!"
"Why not?" Mickey laughs.
"She cheats. She's a cheater," he says, eyeing his Bondmate warily.
The Alchemist rolls her eyes and huffs.
"One time, one time, I had my hand preceptors on while cracking them, and I never lived it down! It's quite literally been centuries, Doctor," the Alchemist gestures to him, "You need to get over it."
"How does she cheat?" Rose asks.
"She knows what's inside," he explains, glaring playfully at the Time Lady.
"That's great, that is!" Jackie laughs, "You can do it with me, so I get something pink!"
"Nope," the Doctor says.
'No testing this new thing out if you do it or even participate,' he tells her.
The Alchemist gasps in shock, but she can feel he's completely serious.
She pouts, "Fine."
'That was blackmail,' she replies, crossing her arms in annoyance.
The Doctor grins. She always does it to him, and now it's his turn.
The Alchemist remains sulking not long after, adorned with a green paper crown from a cracker that someone else popped open. The Doctor had asked for it to be given to her.
Rose and the Doctor are busy with the final cracker when it suddenly pops open, unveiling a pink crown inside.
"Oh, that's yours," the Doctor confirms, noting that she won.
The Alchemist turns to eye the television, listening. It's Jones.
"It's pink!" Rose grins, "Mum, it should be yours! That's what you wanted Ally to find!"
She hands it to the woman, who happily puts it on.
"Look, it's Harriet Jones!" Rose cries, pointing to the television.
"Prime Minister, is it true you are no longer fit to be in position?" a male interviewer asks.
Harriet huffs, "No. Now, can we talk about other things?"
"Is it true you're unfit for office?" another asks.
The Doctor puts on a pair of spectacles to watch the interview.
The Alchemist spares him a glance and rolls her eyes fondly; he has his smart glasses again, too.
Harriet's frustrated now, "Look, there is nothing wrong with my health. I don't know where these stories are coming from. And a vote of no confidence is completely unjustified."
The first journalist asks, "Are you going to resign?"
The telephone rings, and Jackie goes to answer.
Harriet says, alarmed, "On today of all days, I'm fine. Look at me, I'm fine! I look fine, I feel fine!"
Jackie calls out, "It's Beth. She says go and look outside."
"Why?" Rose asks.
"I don't know, just go outside and look. Come on, shift!" Jackie says excitedly, leading them toward the doorway.
[Powell Estate]
The ground is covered with white flakes falling from the sky. Streaks of light cris-cross the sky.
The Doctor and the Alchemist are frowning side by side, Rose to the Doctor's left.
"Oh, it's beautiful. What are they, meteors?" Rose asks.
"No, not meteors..." the Time Lady whispers.
The Alchemist grabs hold of her Bondmate's hand, and he squeezes it tightly.
The Doctor explains, "It's the spaceship breaking up in the atmosphere. This isn't snow… it's ash."
Rose grimaces, "Okay, not so beautiful."
"This is a brand new planet Earth. No denying the existence of aliens now. Everyone saw it. Everything's new."
"Yeah, like that's going to happen," the Alchemist scoffs quietly.
The Doctor shoots her a pouty glare.
Rose looks at the pair, "And what about you guys? What are you going to do next?"
"Well, back to the TARDIS. Same old life," the Doctor shrugs.
"All by yourselves?" Rose frowns.
"Why? You want to come with us?" The Alchemist asks her dryly.
Rose shrugs, "Well, yeah."
The Doctor asks, "Do you, though?"
"Yeah!" Rose replies.
"Well, not only did we change, but... you don't trust my wife," the Doctor mutters.
Rose shakes her head, "Yeah, I thought… because you changed, you might not want me anymore. And… and, Ally, I'm so sorry I didn't trust you. I promise to trust you from now on."
The Time Lords glance at each other, and he asks, 'Thoughts?'
'She can come, but she needs to behave better,' the Alchemist replies.
The Doctor smiles, "Oh, it'd be great if you were to come, and Ally wants you to as well."
"You can't promise that, though; just promise to learn to, alright?" the Alchemist asks her.
Rose smiles at them both, "Okay."
Mickey sighs, "You're never going to stay, are you?"
The Alchemist's brow furrows in concern. Does he want a fully committed relationship?
"There's just so much out there," Rose explains, "So much to see. I've got to."
"Yeah," Mickey sighs.
Jackie scoffs, "Well, I reckon you're mad, the three of you. It's like you go looking for trouble."
"Trouble's just the bits in-between," the Doctor smiles, "It's all waiting out there, Jackie, and it's brand new to me, brand new to Ally. All those planets, and creatures and horizons. We haven't seen them yet! Not with these eyes. And it is going to be fantastic."
Rose glances down at his reformed hand, "That hand of yours still gives me the creeps."
"Trust me, Rose, I've seen worse Regeneration issues. This is nothing in comparison," the Alchemist quips.
The Doctor rolls his eyes; he knows exactly what she's talking about, and Rose takes his hand when he offers it.
"So, where're we going to go first?" Rose asks.
"Er, that way. No, hold on. That way." he says, pointing both held hands around toward the sky.
"That way?" Rose asks, pointing outward, herself.
"Hmm?"
She nods, "Yeah, that way."
"Actually," the Alchemist says cheekily as she points with the Doctor's hand towards the TARDIS, "That way. Rose needs to sleep, and I need to run some errands while she does that."
The Doctor and Rose laugh as the Alchemist gazes thoughtfully into the night.