You can probably tell what goes down in this by looking at that pic. And the Doctor's Season 4 theme fits in quite nicely.

Enjoy!

***

The Doctor checked in on the Alchemist later in the kitchen, seeing she was downing a cup of tea in one go. "Impressive," he raised an eyebrow.

"Never challenge me to a drinking competition," she warned him, wincing.

"Could you even get drunk?"

"Probably not."

He sat down across from her and gave her a hard look. "You know what I'm going to say."

"I know exactly what you're going to say. It doesn't need saying."

"Does it?"

"I'll keep a hold on it," she promised. "After that incident today, I need to lay off."

"About time," he grumbled, but there was a soft look in his eyes.

The Alchemist patted his hand. "I mean to stay for as long as I can," she promised.

"I know," he whispered.

She kissed him softly. "I'll be in the medbay," she whispered back, standing and heading for the door.

He just nodded, staring at a random spot on the table. He had Donna now, which he was grateful for. He'd never had a big sister before - well, he hadn't had any sibling before. The Master had come close, but then he'd gone mad.

And then there was Alice.

He leaned on one hand, his other hand running through his hair. God, how was he going to deal with this? Their Bonding wasn't even complete, which would make her death even worse. They had agreed not to finish it unless by some miracle she survived, as if they finished it before she died, the Doctor would more than likely die of heartbreak sooner or later. They knew it was entirely possible, that was why starting the Bond had been such a risk. The Alchemist had been adamant about it, that the universe would still need him if she died. In the end, he'd only agreed just so she would stop saying herself and death in the same sentence.

Even now, it bloody hurt . . .

"Finally!" Donna's loud voice sighed, and the Doctor cringed, quickly trying to control himself to not show he'd been internally fighting with himself. "Bloody place is a maze! Oh, is that tea? Lovely," she poured herself a cup, then plopped down next to the Doctor. "I picked out a room for sure, it's not bad at all, your ship is - " She paused, taking a good look at him. "All right," she put her cup down. "What's wrong?"

The Doctor blinked, looking at her. "What?"

"Don't try and bluff your way through it," she leaned back and folded her arms. "I know that face. That's what my mum calls my bluffing face. If something's up, you don't show anything, hoping no one notices. Won't work on me."

"You really are my big sister, aren't you?" the Doctor tried to smile.

Donna saw right through that, too. "Come on, Spaceman," she told him. "What is it?" She looked at the abandoned cup on the table. "And where's the Alchemist?" The Doctor's mask dropped, and so did Donna's jaw. Instead of the Doctor, a man who grinned in the face of danger, she was seeing a man scared for his life - no, it wasn't his, she realized in horror. "What is it? What's wrong?"

The Doctor just shook his head, trying very hard not to cry. "Alice," he began, but his voice cracked.

"Let it out," she advised, giving him a bear hug. "Tell me."

So he finally let every tear he'd tried to keep inside out, crying into his sister's shoulder, Donna just holding him supportively.

Caecilius was right. They really were brother and sister, and by God, she was going to be a sister when he needed one.

***

The Alchemist stared at the readings on the monitor, her eyes wide in horror. "No," she breathed, looking at the ceiling. "Tell me this is wrong!" she demanded.

The TARDIS buzzed at her. She knew that meant no, the TARDIS was not wrong. She sniffed, her hand over her mouth as tears filled her eyes. She had accepted she was going to die, she'd known for a while she was probably going to get herself killed . . . but this . . .

Just by how much she'd used the Vortex these last two adventures had cut a third off her remaining time.

Eight months. That was how long she now had.

She took a deep breath. "Don't cry," she whispered to herself. "Don't do it."

The TARDIS whirred, as if trying to comfort her. It didn't help much.

***

The Doctor told her everything. About The Year That Never Was, when the Alchemist collapsed after the Titanic, when they found out she had a year left to live.

Donna was a good listener. She never once interrupted him, letting the Doctor get everything off his chest he needed to. She nodded along, her face draining of color as she started to really understand just what the Alchemist's condition was. When he was finished, she was speechless. "And she knew?" she whispered. "All this time, she knew she was going to die?"

"No Creator, let alone Time Lord, has survived having the Vortex in them for longer than two years," the Doctor nodded, taking calming breaths. "When Alice told me about the Time War, she never had it longer than a few months. She's had this for over two years. She should've died a long time ago, but she's never used it like she has recently."

"Oh, my God," Donna's face, if possible, went even whiter.

"And I'm scared to death," the Doctor admitted. "Or Jack might kill me first . . . "

"Her brother?" When the Doctor nodded, she shook her head. "Oh, he's not going to kill you if I've got something to say about it. No one messes with my little brother."

The Doctor cracked a grin. "You were serious."

"Of course I was serious, you dumbo!" she whalloped him - lightly - on the head, making him wince. "We've got a lot in common, you and me, and I kept thinking about what Caecilius said. You're my brother, like it or not, and I fully intend to be a sister."

"I'm glad," he whispered. "I think I'm going to need an ear to chew out."

"And if - and I mean if," she gave him a determined look, "worse comes to worst and the Alchemist does . . . " She cleared her throat. "Well, then I'm not leaving."

"Everyone leaves in the end," he muttered. Alice was dying, and who knew how long she had now?

"Not me," Donna promised. "I won't leave you alone if she does."

He smiled gratefully at her. "Thank you."

"What else is family for?" Donna smiled back, squeezing his hand. "Now, you go get some rest. I'll go check up on Supergirl."

The Doctor chuckled. "You've just got a name for everyone, don't you?"

Donna winked and stood up, heading for the door. "Get yourself to bed, Spaceman."

The Doctor finally laughed for the first time in the last few hours, and Donna smiled when she heard it.

It was good to hear him laugh.

Still smiling, she wandered down the hall, finding the medbay at the end. She knocked on the door. "Alchemist?" she called, opening the door. "I just wanted to check and see - " She broke off, seeing her quickly switch something off and spin around, a deer-in-the-headlights look on her face. "What is it?" she asked, looking from her to the computer. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, but her face could rival hers in whiteness. "I just needed to check something."

"Alchemist," she took a deep breath. "I know."

It was as if a switch had been flipped. The lights in the Alchemist's eyes went out, and she seemed to lose her balance, leaning back against the table. "You know," she whispered, trembling. "Oh, God . . . "

Donna quickly walked over and engulfed her in a hug, finding that she was still as hot as she'd been in the villa, only slightly better. The Alchemist sobbed, burying her face in Donna's shoulder. Donna held her in one arm, whispering reassurances in her ear. With her free hand, she clicked on the monitor she'd been looking at it.

The words on it made her blood freeze and her heart drop like a stone. It wasn't twelve months any more, like the Doctor had said. The number had dropped to eight.

The two of them only had eight more months.

"Oh, my God," she breathed, hugging the Alchemist even tighter.

The Alchemist just squeezed her eyes shut and sobbed harder, Donna continuing to hold her, trying to keep in tears of her own.

She failed rather miserably. What the hell were they going to do?

***

Donna knows. :( Poor Alice.

I figured using too much in such little time would make a huge dent in what time she has left. I can think of at least three more times where she pulls a stunt like this, all in different episodes, and you can bet there'll be chunks of her time taken out as well.

River's reaction to them is going to be priceless. }:)

Anyway, double update for Anna and company! And they've got an outing at the Blitz! :D On to Captain Jack Harkness!