As Brittle As Quicksilver (Fourth in The Creators Saga)

The Sontaran Stratagem

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Donna returns home, Martha returns with UNIT, and it's the return of the geeky Alchemist. :P

Enjoy "The Sontaran Stratagem!"

***

"I can't believe I'm doing this!" Donna squealed later.

"No, neither can I," the Doctor admitted, watching the Alchemist as she tried not to laugh. She was sitting in the captain's chair, watching the Doctor teach his sister to pilot the TARDIS . . . or attempt to teach her, anyway. "Oh, careful!" He readjusted how they were flying, then let her retake control. "Left hand down, left hand down! Getting a bit too close to the 1980s."

"What am I going to do, put a dent in them?" Donna quipped.

"Well, someone did!"

The Alchemist laughed at their banter, then stopped when she heard a phone ring. "One tick," she hopped off and investigated.

"Hold on, that's a phone," Donna frowned, watching the Alchemist pluck a mobile from a socket in the console. "You've got a mobile? Since when?"

"It's not ours," the Doctor couldn't help but smile as he recognized it.

The Alchemist winked and answered the phone. "You've reached the TARDIS helpline. If it's not aliens and it's not outside our universe, we can't help you. This is the Alchemist speaking. How may I help you, Miss Jones?"

"Very funny, Alchemist," Martha Jones said dryly, but she was laughing, too. "I'm bringing you back to Earth."

***

The minute the TARDIS materialized, the Alchemist poked her head out the door, smiling when she saw the black woman standing at the end of the alley. "Martha Jones," she smiled widely.

"Alchemist," Martha countered.

The Alchemist squealed and ran to hug her, Martha laughing and hugging her back. "You haven't changed a bit!" the Alchemist giggled.

"Neither have you," Martha countered.

"Well," the Alchemist drawled.

"Don't give her ideas, now," the Doctor admonished as he walked up, smiling. "Martha."

"Doctor," Martha hugged him.

"How's the family?"

"You know, not so bad. Recovering."

"What about you?"

Martha looked past him to see Donna hesitantly walking out of the TARDIS, and she forced a smile. "Right. Should have known. Didn't take you long to replace me, then."

"Oh, come on, Martha," the Alchemist rolled her eyes, linking their arms. "Be honest, do you really think we would replace you?"

Martha sighed. "No."

"Exactly. That's why the Doctor's got a sister, not a replacement."

Martha did a double take. "Sorry, you got a what?"

The Doctor just laughed, gesturing for Donna to join them. "Martha, Donna, Donna, Martha. It was a running joke at first, and then we decided it was true. Donna's my big sister."

"I've heard all about you," Donna smiled at Martha, shaking her hand. "He talks about you all the time."

Martha blushed. "I dread to think."

"No, no, no, no, he says nice things, good things. Nice things . . . really good things."

"Oh, my God, he's told you everything," Martha groaned.