As Brittle As Quicksilver (Fourth in The Creators Saga)

Journey's End

Big finale, guys! And it really is big - as in over 11,000 words big. Who knew I could get that much written on a 3+ hour train ride? :D

The Alchemist's fate is decided, and it's all up to the Children of Time to save the universe!

Enjoy "Journey's End!"

***

Abruptly, the Doctor turned slightly, and Rose's eyes widened as his regeneration energy flew towards a jar by the edge of the console. The energy was redirected at once, and when the energy was gone, the Doctor stumbled away . . . looking exactly the same. "Now, then," he caught his breath, making the Alchemist look up, stunned. "Where were we?"

Jack's jaw dropped.

***

"Exterminate! Exterminate!"

Sarah Jane shielded her eyes at once, when she heard two warping noises, then two huge blasts. The Daleks exploded, and Sarah Jane looked left and right to figure out who had just saved her. One – a older blonde woman in a jean jacket – was unfamiliar. The black man on her other side, however, was quite familiar, and someone she knew the Alchemist would be very happy to see. "Mickey?" she gasped in astonishment, opening her car door.

"Us Smiths got to stick together!" he grinned, helping her out.

"Jackie Tyler, Rose's mum," the blonde introduced herself. "Now where the hell is my daughter?"

***

When Gwen and Tosh emptied their entire clips, it was then they realized that the Dalek hadn't shot back . . . and their bullets were hanging in midair. Gwen blinked, walking forward, poking one of them. Her finger stopped, and the air rippled around the tip. "What the hell?"

***

"There, now," the Doctor crouched by the glowing jar, blowing gently on it, stopping the glowing. "You see?" he looked up at the six still staring at him. "Used the regeneration energy to heal myself, but as soon as I was done, I didn't need to change. I didn't want to. Why would I? Look at me! So, to stop the energy going all the way, I siphoned off the rest into a handy bio-matching receptacle. Namely, my hand. My hand there. My handy spare hand. Remember? Christmas Day, Sycorax, lost my hand in a sword fight? That's my hand. What do you think?"

The Alchemist slowly stepped forward, looking him up and down. "You're still you?" she rasped.

The Doctor cupped her face in his hands. "I wasn't going to change my face if when you . . . " He cleared his throat. "I wasn't going to let my face be a stranger's for that."

The Alchemist choked out a sob and flung herself at him, the Doctor holding her closely as she buried her face in his chest. Rose grinned brightly at the Doctor, who held out an arm to her, and she joined in. Owen smiled slightly and held up his mobile to take a picture, and Donna turned to Jack. "You can hug me, if you want," she offered. When Jack considered her, she nodded to-wards the Time Lords. "No, really. You can hug me."

Jack chuckled and hugged her, too. "Good to see you, Donna."

"And you."

***

"It's the Time Lock I was working on," Tosh identified, checking her computer. "Our ultimate defense program. I didn't realize I'd actually finished it. The Hub's sealed in a time bubble. Nothing can get in."

"But that means we can't get out," Gwen frowned.

"Not without unlocking that Dalek," Tosh nodded. "We're trapped inside. It's all up to the boys now."