Fire With Fire (First of The Creators Saga)

Epilogue

The Alchemist blinked rapidly, groaning when she felt a pounding headache coming on. She slowly sat up, wincing and rubbing said head. "What happened?" she asked groggily.

"Don't you remember?" the Doctor's voice asked from nearby.

Startled, she turned to him, seeing him leaning on the console, looking at her in something akin to amazement and awe. She blinked, before the memories vaguely returned to her. "Yeah," she nodded slowly before blinking and looking at him. "I think you need a Doctor?" she asked, smirking. "Really?"

"Wasn't planning on letting you die," was all he said.

The Alchemist's smile fell, her eyes widening. "No," she breathed, standing up and walking over, grabbing his head and looking into his eyes before looking down and grabbing his hand, seeing orange energy washing over it. "No!"

"I wasn't going to let that be you," the Doctor told her, gently pulling his hand away, seeing her gaze still fixed where it had been. "Not again so soon."

"Why?" she asked, staring at him. "After everything I did to you, after the War . . . just, why?"

"Don't you know?" he asked gently.

The Alchemist's eyes widened as he got what he was hinting at. "Oh, God," she whispered, her voice trembling as she backed away, biting her lip. "I'm sorry," she told him, looking him over, looking at the orange energy growing stronger, hoping she let him know she wasn't refusing basically his equivalent of singing his love for her to the world, just telling him she regretted what she'd made him do for her. "I'm so sorry!"

"Don't be," the Doctor told her, shaking his head. "I would always do it - " He groaned, doubling over.

"Doctor!" she shouted, stepping forward.

"Stay away!" was all he told her, holding out a hand to stop her coming forward, seeing her bite her lip and nod as she stepped back a little bit more. "You know what happens, it's not safe."

"To hell with not safe," the Alchemist snapped. "Don't you remember what just happened out there?"

"Hard not to," the Doctor admitted, looking up at her. "Don't think I ever will."

"I hope to God you told Rose about this," the Alchemist muttered. "She's going to bloody kill me."

"When did that ever stop you?" the Doctor joked, both of them sharing a tense laugh. "Alice," he began to say.

"When did you call me that?" she asked.

"Wanted to call you something else," he answered. "No one else has called you that yet, have they?" She smiled at the sentence when his smile faded. "Alice, before I go - "

"No," she said, shaking her head desperately. "Don't say that!"

"Alice," he added, emphasizing the name, and she swallowed. "Before I go, I just want to tell you . . . you were fantastic." The Alchemist smiled, feeling tears in her eyes as he looked at her with so much care and - she swallowed - love in his eyes, it was so hard to picture this man would soon be gone. "Absolutely fantastic. And you know what?"

"What?" she asked softly.

He grinned. "So was I."

The Alchemist laughed, seeing him grin one last time, before he threw out his arms, orange regeneration energy taking over. She ducked back behind one of the coral structures, never taking her eye off of the Doctor as he changed. She couldn't see very well, but she was definitely surprised when the Tenth Doctor fell forward. He was already much different, thin and lanky, with extremely messed up brown hair and big brown eyes. "Hello!" he told her, and she noted the accent change as well before he blinked. "OK - ooo." He ran a tongue across his teeth. "New teeth. That's weird." The Alchemist stared at him. Of all the things to comment about, it was his bloody teeth?! "So, where were we?" he asked.

"Hoping Rose wouldn't kill me," she answered slowly, still looking him over. Well, she could admit this Doctor was already better looking . . . no offense to Nine . . .

"Right!" he cheered. "Rose Tyler!"

And despite fearing for what would happen the moment they made it back to the Powell Estate, the Alchemist grinned.

The Doctor was definitely still there. And so was she. To hell with Rose. What mattered was that they were safe.

And that was what would matter to her always in the end.

***

To be continued in "Slowly Shining!"

And there's a familiar face! :D All you "The Bad Wolf Chronicles" readers, I didn't deprive you from the Tenth Doctor for very long. ;)

Ooo, "The Christmas Invasion" is going to be interesting! Rose has no idea about regeneration, so when these two come flying back . . . *cough* Well, there's a reason I had it just being the Alchemist who went.

But . . . I hope you like the next book's title. ;) And I will give you a heads up . . . no Alchemist regeneration here. I want guesses as to if she dies in Season 2 *wink wink* when do you think it would be? }:)

That's the end of Book One of The Creators Saga! I hope everyone sticks around for the next book. If you are, see you then!

 ~ WritersBlock039