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The Doctor had a lot on his mind, especially after New York. Ever since they'd returned to the TARDIS, he'd been running scans on Alice without her knowing. It filled with guilt, but the alternative—doing nothing—was worse. The locket had been damaged since the adventure on New Earth. It wasn't holding the Time Lord's energy as it should, and that energy was slowly seeping into Alice, gradually changing her DNA structure. It would get worse. It would become more painful over time. And the most challenging part? Watching it happen to someone he had truly begun to care about.

He needed to keep a very close eye on her.

Meanwhile, Alice was glad she no longer reeked of the New York sewers. A hot shower had significantly helped, but sleep hadn't come easily to her. There was too much swirling around in her head— flashes of a burning orange planet in flames, Daleks and people screaming in a battle she couldn't make sense of, and an unexpected twinge of pain that had vanished as quickly as it came.

And then, there was another thing.

She had been lying to herself for a while now, but there was no denying it, let alone to her best friend or others, that she and the Doctor were just 'friends.' Alice was slowly falling for the Doctor. It was ridiculous, let alone dangerous, but it was happening. However, the trouble was that he probably didn't feel the same. Shaking the thought away, she entered the console room to find the Doctor staring at the monitor, his expression tense. Across his features, which she didn't like the look of and wanted to take away.

"Doctor," Alice greeted him with a minuscule frown. As she approached, it seemed the Time Lord hadn't heard her. His fingers tapped away against the console, still lost in deep thought. Brown eyes narrowed, gazing intently at whatever had distracted him. If she didn't know him better by now, she called for him a little louder: "Hey, Spaceman."

"Oh, Ally," he jolted at her words slightly, now seeing the redhead young woman before him looking a lot fresher after their last adventure, "Sorry didn't hear you come in," the Time Lord taps a keyboard button, shifting the display back so Alice couldn't see what he had been doing as she approached.

"Yeah, it looked like you were miles away," Alice responded, leaning back against the console with her arms folded loosely. Her head tilted in his direction, and she had a slight frown on her face. "Sure, you're okay?"

"Yeah, of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" The Doctor forced a convincing smile, not wanting to worry the young woman or have her catch on to the fact that anything was wrong when he knew there was. Just this minute, he had noticed the other young woman wasn't here yet, so he cleared his throat to inquire, "Where's Martha?"

"Oh, she'll be up shortly."

Knowing he already had enough on his plate, as much as the Doctor hated to do this, it was time to take Martha home, and Alice would become upset with him. After all, he had promised one trip.

"So, where are you taking us?" Martha asked before the Time Lord could speak as the young woman entered the console room.

"Oh, I don't know. How about a bit of surprise?" the Time Lord replied with a put-on grin, hiding a mixture of thoughts and feelings as he whizzed around, setting in coordinates, throwing up a lever, and jerking the ship into life. Martha and Alice quickly grabbed the console, dropping and rising, as rumbling vibrations beneath their feet.

The Doctor was madly dashing about pushing buttons, turning this and flicking that as he piloted his ship through the time vortex. He briefly checked that his coordinates were correct and was not in the mood to make any mistakes. His heart was heavy with the decision to take Martha back home, just as promised, but he had not discussed this with Alice, knowing it would upset or anger her for sending her best friend away. He would need to make it up to her somehow.

With a couple more adjustments around the console and swiftly throwing up a final lever, "There we go..." the Time Lord declared with a forced smile across to Martha and Alice as the ship wheezed, its engines getting ever quieter as the TARDIS materialised until nothing, "...perfect landing," the girls finally letting go of the console, as he went on to state, stepping away from the console, "Which isn't easy in such a tight spot."

"You should be used to tight spots by now," Martha said with dry sarcasm.

"Or two," Alice added with a small, teasing smile. Her eyes twinkled with excitement, as did Martha's. She raised an eyebrow at him before sharing a glance with her flatmate, both eager to get outside those doors and distract themselves from their troubles.

"So where are we?" Martha now inquired, curiosity getting the better of her.

The Doctor's grin almost wavered briefly, "The end of the line," he said aimlessly, watching Martha excitedly head towards the TARDIS doors. That's when the grin vanished from Alice's face, now finally understanding what was happening, taking only one guess of what lay beyond the other side of those doors. Yet her best friend hadn't noticed as the Time Lord nodded for her to go ahead, "No place like it."

Martha pushed open doors, only for any joy and enthusiasm to be snatched from underneath her. The Doctor felt eyes boring into the back of his head, sighing.

"Ally..." he uttered, turning to see nothing but contempt within Alice's hazel-green eyes. I only promised Martha one trip; she got more than just one. " He did not want to cause any misunderstanding, but it seemed he had.

"You just had to see right through that loophole, didn't you?" the redhead muttered under her breath, disappointment laced in her voice. Yet you're now turfing her out," she scoffed before going on, not meeting his eyes anymore. I guess neither of us is good enough for you."

But before he could even utter a word, Alice could only look at him in disbelief as she strode past him down the ramp out of the TARDIS into her familiar, grotty, tiny flat she shared with Martha.

"Home," Martha asked, her tone unsavoury, with a hint of disappointment, "of all places, you took us back home?" The redhead looked around the familiar surroundings of her and Martha's flat, and it seemed smaller somehow. After the vastness of space and the excitement of adventure, being back in the familiar warmth of their cramped kitchen and living room was almost...disappointing. The soft hum of the refrigerator was the only sound in contrast to the thrilling whirl of the TARDIS. The quiet seemed too loud, too ordinary. "You took us home?"

"The morning after we left," the Time Lord explained matter-of-factly before wandering over to look at some of the girls' photos, "you've only been gone about 12 hours. No time at all, really."

"But all the stuff we've done—Shakespeare, New New York, old New York?" Martha went on with some frustration, now crossing her arms and frowning at the Doctor uncertainly. She wondered if this was the end when they had been hoping for more, refusing to believe it was over. Alice, still not best pleased about what was happening, folded her arms in front of her.

The Doctor sees a couple of photos of Alice sitting on a shelf: one with her family, probably abroad in Spain, then her and Donna when they were younger, followed by a more recent one of her, Martha, and some of their other University friends smiling back happily. The same applies to Martha.

"Yep," the Time Lord nodded. "All in one night—relatively speaking," he continued to inspect the room casually. Everything should be just as it was—books, CDS..." He paused and picked up some skimpy underwear from the drying rack with his fingertips, giving it a questionable yet mischievous look, "Laundry," Alice slapped his arm when she realised they were hers making him drop them earning a questioning look from him, "So, back where you were, as promised."

Martha glanced in her best friend's direction. She could tell Alice wasn't best pleased about what was happening before asking, "This is it?"

The Time Lord inhaled deeply before gesturing back at the Tardis, "Yeah, I should probably...um...we"

For a few moments, there was an awkwardness hanging in the air, which was soon broken by the ringing of Martha and Alice's telephone, which, after a few rings, was picked up by the answering machine.

"Hi! This is Alice and Martha. We're out right now!

"I'm probably getting laid! "

"Ally! "

"So, leave a message!"

The cheery recorded voices of both young women now come out from their answering machines, giggling near the end of it. The girls now pull equally embarrassed faces, their cheeks red, as they recall being a little drunk at the time of the recording.

"I'm sorry," Martha apologised to the Time Lord.

"Me, too, don't know what either of us was thinking," her redheaded best friend and flatmate added just as the machine beeped, and Francine Martha's mother began to speak, leaving a message.

"Martha, Alice, are either of you there? Pick it up, will you?" The Doctor raised his eyebrows at them both as Martha's mother continued to talk from the answering machine.

She glanced at the Doctor and Alice, her brow furrowing slightly. "It's Mum," she sighed, "but it'll wait."

The voice continued as Francine, Martha's mother, spoke through the speaker. "All right, then, pretend that you're out if you like. I was only calling to say that your sister's on TV—on the news- of everything. I just thought you might be interested."

Martha's eyes widened as she reached for the remote control and sat on the sofa, switching on the television. The screen flickered to life, and the voice of an older man filled the room.

"...the details are top secret—"

Martha blinked, confused as Alice perched on the sofa's arm, the Doctor standing behind them. "How could Tish end up on the news?"

The older man—Professor Lazarus—held a press conference, looking authoritative, yet excited. Behind him, Martha's sister, Tish, stood composedly, playing her role in the background.

"...tonight I will demonstrate a device..." Lazarus continued with a flourish, his voice steady and confident.

"Didn't Tish mention she got a new job. PR for some research lab wasn't it," the redhead recalled glancing in her best friend's direction, who nodded in return.

"Yeah, I think she did."

Lazarus's voice grew more intense on the screen, the weight of his words hanging in the air. "...with the push of a single button, I will change what it means to be human."

Suddenly unsettled by the gravity of his words, Martha switched off the television. "Sorry," she said, almost apologetic, shutting off the television, as if trying to regain her composure. "You were saying we should—?"

The Doctor, now staring thoughtfully at the blank TV, blinked as if pulled back from a deep thought before going to grasp the TARDIS door frame. "Yes, yes, we should. One trip was what we agreed on."

Alice felt he was stalling a little and maybe starting to feel guilty about leaving Martha behind.

Martha nodded, though her gaze lingered on the now-silent TV voice, now sad. "Yeah. I suppose things just kind of... escalated."

"Mmm. Seems to happen to me a lot," the Doctor said, though his voice was more subdued than usual, still noting the sourness in Alice's expression hadn't changed.

Martha smiled softly. "Thank you. For everything." Her tone had an edge of finality, as if she were bracing for their parting.

The Doctor, ever enigmatic, smiled back. "It was my pleasure, come on Ally."

"I'll see you soon, yeah?" Alice uttered, now hugging her best friend tightly before drawing back with an unhappy smile as the Time Lord pushed the TARDIS door open as he slipped inside.

Martha stood there, watching them, her expression pensive. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what seemed to be the inevitable. The sound of the TARDIS dematerialising filled the room, and for a moment, Martha felt an unexpected emptiness settle over her.

But then, just as quickly as it had vanished, the TARDIS reappeared. The Doctor and her best friend popped their heads back out, the Doctor's face alight with curiosity. "No, wait a minute... Did he say he would change what it means to be human?"

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Alice and Martha were getting ready to attend the event. They were in the TARDIS's vast wardrobe, which contained everything they could ever need. Finding what they required was initially tricky, but the ship provided guidance. Alice wore an elegant navy-blue, off-the-shoulder velvet Bardot maxi dress with a side split and mermaid hem. She paired it with sparkling silver heels.

Her red hair was in an elegant, messy bun, with a few strands framing her face. Her eyes were done with a smoky, golden eye, and she wore nude, glossy lips, red nails, with just the chain of her locket showing and some silver diamond dangling earrings.

"Ally, I'm ready. What do you think?" Martha called out to her nearby, wearing a purple knee-length sleeveless dress with matching heels.

"Wow, Mar, you look great!" Alice said.

Martha smiled back, pleased with the compliment. "You're not too shabby yourself," she raised an eyebrow at her best friend, teasing her, "Not trying to impress a certain tall, spiky-haired Time Lord, are we?"

Alice rolled her eyes with a smirk, pretending to smooth the fabric of her dress. "Don't be daft, Mar," she replied, brushing Martha's teasing off even though her heart skipped a beat at the thought of him. "It's a party. You dress nicely for parties."

Martha grinned, not entirely convinced by her best friend's statement. "Uh-huh. Sure."

Alice scoffed, picking up her clutch. "He's just...the Doctor."

"Exactly my point."

"Shut up," Alice said, trying not to smile, though her cheeks betrayed her. "Anyway, I'm going for classy yet mysterious tonight. Not flirting with a Time Lord."

"Classy but mysterious, huh?" Martha raised a brow, following her toward the wardrobe exit. "More like hopelessly obvious. You're so gone for him, Ally."

"Whatever," Alice muttered under her breath, lips twitching into a reluctant smile as they exited the corridor.

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The Doctor wandered about aimlessly in the Tardis console room, ensuring he kept his back to the stairs. Now and then, he adjusted the black bow tie as he became a tad more impatient, along with straightening the black tuxedo jacket he had put on for the party Alice and Martha had been invited to. He would attend with them, hoping both young women hadn't gotten lost in the Tardis's vast wardrobe.

Now wandering over to the console, the Time Lord checked over a few buttons, switches or whatever else needed looking over. He adjusted his shirt collar, starting to feel uncomfortable in the outfit, when, at last, he heard the sound of heeled shoes coming up the stairs as the two young women talked to one another. In doing so, the Doctor turned and leaned against the console, eagerly awaiting to see them as soon as Alice was at the top of the stairs. His mouth was hanging open at just how beautiful she looked.

Martha took in their reactions internally, grinning and shaking her head. She saw how much the Time Lord was lost for words over her best friend's appearance and how Alice blushed from the Doctor's gaze. Oh, they both fancy each other, no doubt about it.

"You both look lovely," the Doctor now complimented awkwardly, clearing his throat and breaking the overwhelming silence in the air.

"Thanks, you don't scrub up too bad yourself, Spaceman," Alice returned the compliment. The tux looked good on him and made him all the more handsome to her. She leaned forward without thinking to tweak it a little, "Never thought you'd be one for a bowtie kind of suits you in a way," she timidly said, "I don't know why, but I've always liked them."

"Right, shall we go?" the Time Lord insisted, stepping away and heading towards the doors. He had been tempted to stay there longer, but was still coming to terms with his new feelings, for the young woman was now walking past him as the door opened. Once Martha was out, he was the last to shut the Tardis door behind him, and they began walking.

"Oh, black tie," the Doctor mumbled disdainfully as he began fussing about with the cuffs of his dress shirt. Alice and Martha, on either side of him, strolling down the street towards the venue, said, "Whenever I wear this, something bad always happens."

"Maybe it's not the outfit, Spaceman. That's just you in general," the redhead offered with a tiny smirk, watching him out of the corner of her eye.

Martha nodded and smiled in agreement, adding, "Ally's right, and I think it suits you. In a James Bond kind of way."

"James Bond?" the Doctor asked, somewhat cynically, unsure at first, only to change his tune and ask, not denying that he liked Martha's compliment, "Really?"

"Maybe yeah," Alice nodded, "maybe more along the lines of between Daniel Craig and—"

"David Niven?" the Doctor offered dryly.

"Somewhere between, definitely," Martha mocked.

Alice added, "Well, as long as there's no exploding pens or invisible cars, we should be fine."

"I wouldn't rule anything out," the Time Lord muttered.

Both young women chuckled just as the time-travelling trio approached the rather impressive entrance of Lazarus Laboratories. The building, gleaming with polished, modern grandeur, made Alice immediately straighten her posture. She took in the towering glass panels, the elegant lighting, and the hum of polite chatter drifting out through the revolving doors.

"Oh, nibbles!" the Doctor grinned, immediately plucking something cheesy off a silver tray. "I love nibbles."

An elegantly dressed Tish, her hair pulled back into a bun, spots her sister and Alice in the crowd heading towards them. She smiles joyously as she gets closer, "Hello."

"Tish," Martha turned around, smiling wildly at her sister. They tightly embraced each other before letting go.

"Ally, I'm so glad you could make it." Tish greets the redhead with a brief hug and pulls away to take in both their outfits. You both look great. " She then carries on with excitement, nodding around the room with its high-tech screens and panes of streak-complementary glass, rather pleased with all her hard work putting this event together. So, what do you think? Impressive, isn't it?"

"Very," Martha agreed with a nod, eyes looking about the busy room.

"And two nights out in a row for you..." Tish returned her focus to her sister with a teasing smile. " That's dangerously close to a social life."

"Put it this way: If Mar keeps this up, she'll end up in all the gossip columns," Alice added, giving her best friend a slight nudge.

"Not wrong there. But keep an eye out for photographers anyway. And Mum is coming too, even dragging Leo along with her," Martha's eyes widen slightly at the mention of their brother, who only wore a suit when forced to by their mother.

"Leo in black tie? That I must see," Martha voiced incredulously with a scoff as her sister began to take notice of the Doctor standing behind her sister and Alice.

"You and me both," the redhead leaned to the side and muttered to Martha, who nodded.

"This is, uh..." Martha began cautiously, drawing the Time Lord into their conversation and gesturing with her hand towards him. "The Doctor."

"Hello," he greets Tish with a shake of her hand after wiping away the crumbs of what he had been eating on his trousers.

"Is he with you both?" Tish appraised him with a smile, her eyes lingering a few seconds too long, obviously finding the Doctor attractive, which did not sit well with Alice, but she didn't show it.

"Yeah," Martha replied with a nod.

"But he's not on the list," Tish frowned now, a little confused about how this man had gotten into the event. "How did he get in?"

"He's both our plus one," the young Noble replied, gesturing between herself and Martha, who nodded. She gazed in the Time Lord's direction before discreetly nudging him in the chest with her elbow. "Aren't you right, Doctor?"

The Doctor quickly catches on, "Yes, that's right. They couldn't find a date at the last minute, so they brought me," before quickly changing the subject and drawing Tish's attention back. "So, this Lazarus bloke, he's your boss?"

"Professor Lazarus, yes. I'm part of his executive staff," Tish said smugly, pleased with herself for giving herself the chance to talk about herself. Alice could tell it was getting on Martha's nerves that her sister thought she was better than her.

Martha clarified with a scoff, "She's in the PR department."

"I'm head of the PR department, actually," Tish retorted, slightly offended.

"You're joking."

Tish looks at her sister knowingly and says, "I put this whole thing together."

"Very impressive," Alice voiced honestly.

"So, do you know what the professor's going to be doing tonight?" the Time Lord asked, his gaze drawing back towards the device standing in the room's centre. That looks like it might be a sonic micro field manipulator."

"He's a science geek. I should've known." Tish muttered partly to Alice before letting out a sigh. " I've got to get back to work now. I'll catch up with you later."

Tish now mingles with the other guests, leaving the Doctor affronted by her comment, "Science geek? What does that mean?"

"It means Spaceman," the redhead uttered dryly with a smirk, stepping up beside him playfully nudging his shoulder, "That you're obsessively enthusiastic about it."

"Oh, nice," he returned, cracking a grin. It made Alice feel warm inside to see him happy, even if it was just for a moment, and it boosted his ego.

A waiter now passes with a tray of champagne flutes. The redhead grabs two and gives one to Martha. They follow after the Doctor, who goes to have a closer look at the dais with the machine on it.

At that moment, an older woman in a glittering gold dress, Francine Jones, entered the building and into the reception, muttering in complaint to her son, Leo, who looked uncomfortable in the tuxedo he was wearing: "Your father's caused me enough heartache already with his menopause and his trophy girlfriend."

"Yeah, Mum, I know," the young man sighed warmly, wishing he had kept his mouth firmly shut, "It's just something he said last night," but tries to reassure his mum.

That's when Francine lays eyes upon her daughter, "Martha."

Alice heard Martha's mother's familiar voice and observed her best friend smiling widely and buzzing with joy as she turned to face her as if she hadn't seen her for years, which was true in some aspect. Martha passed her champagne to Alice before giving her mother a massive hug, "Mum!"

"Oh," Francine, startled but pleased by the greeting, pats her daughter's back as the Doctor turns around from looking at the machine, "All right, what's the occasion?"

"What do you mean?" Martha asked innocently as they parted, "I'm just pleased to see you, that's all."

But she raised an eyebrow at her, unconvinced, "You saw me last night."

"I know," her daughter nodded, "I just...miss you." Martha internally cringed at the sorry excuse she had made before turning her attention to her brother, "You're looking good, Leo."

"Yeah," Leo nodded before muttering, "If anyone asks me to fetch 'em a drink, I'll swing for him."

Francine's expression faltered as she noticed the tall, brunette, spiky-haired unknown man standing behind Martha and Alice. She hadn't seen him before, not anyone from the hospital, and certainly not someone her daughter had ever mentioned, making her expression tighten.

"You disappeared last night," she voiced intensely, scrutinising the situation, folding her arms across her chest.

Martha hesitates to glance towards Alice, who stands to her right holding a champagne flute, to reply, "I...went over to Alice's. I stayed at her mum's instead of returning to our flat."

Francine narrowed her eyes at her daughter, "You went on your own?

Before Martha could draw breath, Alice, noting her best friend's exchange with her mother, quickly interjects with a reassuring warm smile, "Oh, no, no, no-I just met her at the end of my road, near the old corner shop. It was late, so I figured it was safer that way. Then we came back to the flat just this morning."

Francine accepts the explanation with a vague nod. It was enough to convince her, but not entirely enough to press it further.

The redhead holds her gaze calmly, although she could feel the Doctor's eyes on her. He watched on not tensely but attentively.

Alice turned towards Leo with a sheepish smile, "Sorry for not turning up last night, Leo. Mum wanted me home after what happened yesterday, didn't want me out of her sight."

Leo shrugged good-naturedly, "No worries, Ally. It was still a decent night, though you did miss Dad getting told off by his girlfriend for flirting with the barmaid."

She grinned, "Knew I should have gone now."

"And this is?" Martha's mother asked about the man hovering next to them.

Martha cleared her throat, keeping her voice level, "This is a friend of ours, the Doctor."

"Doctor, what?"

"No, it's just the Doctor."

"Yeah, all right. (shakes Francine's hand) Lovely to meet you, Mrs Jones. Heard a lot about you.

"Have you? What have you heard, then?"

The Doctor faltered just a little, scratching behind his ear in a scramble to find the words that seemed remotely plausible. "Oh, you know, that you're Martha's mother and...um..." he trailed off to now sheepishly grin. "No, actually, that's...that's about it. We haven't had much time to chat; we've been busy."

"Busy?" Francine repeats tone sharp as a blade, "Doing what, exactly?"

Alice tensed, watching the Time Lord closely. She knew him well enough to know he was brilliant at many things, but something told her he wasn't great at lying when put on the spot.

"Oh...you know," the Doctor said vaguely, "stuff."

Alice instinctively stepped in, "By that, the Doctor means he's been helping us with some medical research," she offered, "Not anything too exciting though."

It wasn't a total lie. Just...an edited truth. And right now, Francine seemed satisfied for the time being.

Their conversation was cut short by a sudden tapping on glass. Heads turned as the lights shifted, a hush falling over the reception room. A raised platform was now lit from above, where an older man in a sharp suit stepped forward with theatrical flair. Alice recognised him from the news broadcast earlier.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Professor Lazarus began, his voice rich and confident as he addressed the crowd, "I am Professor Richard Lazarus, and tonight I'm going to perform a miracle."

Alice arched an eyebrow, exchanging a glance with the Doctor, who folded his arms with that suspicious squint of his.

Lazarus continued, pacing with energy that defied his years. "It is, I believe, the most important advance since Rutherford split the atom—the biggest leap since Armstrong stood on the moon. Tonight, you will watch and wonder. Tomorrow, you'll awake to a world which will be changed forever."

Without another word, he stepped into the sleek white chamber at the centre of the dais. The door sealed shut behind him. Two female technicians at the controls began typing and activating the machinery.

Alice shifted on her heels, her champagne glass forgotten in her hand.

"That doesn't sound ominous at all," she muttered.

The Doctor's brows furrowed deeply, his eyes narrowing as the four curved pillars around the chamber began to spin, generating a high-pitched whine. A brilliant blue light erupted, dancing between the spinning tubes, which picked up speed with alarming intensity.

Then came the klaxon. Sharp. Jarring. And too loud.

"Something's wrong," the Doctor said sharply, his entire posture becoming alert, "It's overloading."

Before Alice or Martha could react, he vaulted swiftly over the low barrier and rushed toward the control panel. The technicians frantically attempted to regain control, but sparks erupted violently from the panels, showering the immediate area with bright embers.

"Somebody stop him!" Lady Thaw cried, panic seizing her features, "Get him away from those controls!"

"If this thing goes off, it'll take the whole building with it," the Time Lord snaps at the old woman. "Is that what you want?"

Alice felt Martha tense beside her. They were frozen momentarily as the Doctor swiftly pulled a thick primary wire loose. The spinning pillars gradually slowed, the energy field dissipated, and silence descended, dense and heavy, upon the room.

"Get it open!" the Doctor urged Martha and Alice, commanding.

Together, they hurriedly opened the chamber door. Smoke curled outward, briefly obscuring the interior until Lazarus stepped forward, emerging dramatically through the haze. Alice's heart skipped in disbelief; the elderly professor was now visibly transformed, appearing decades younger. Cameras flashed wildly, capturing the unbelievable moment

"Ladies and gentlemen," Lazarus announced, his voice stronger and filled with pride and awe. I am Richard Lazarus. I am 76 years old, and I am reborn!"

Applause erupted throughout the room, accompanied by astonished gasps and excited chatter. Lady Thaw was nearly breathless, relieved and amazed, whispering, "He did it. He actually did it."

Yet, amidst the celebrations, Alice watched closely as the Doctor's expression remained grim. His eyes never left the machine, studying it with a severity that sent a chill down her spine. Martha moved to his side, equally confused and disturbed.

"It can't be the same guy," Martha murmured, disbelief thick. "It's impossible. It must be a trick."

"Oh, it's not a trick," the Doctor replied quietly. His voice was low, edged in steel. "I wish it were."

Alice slowly turned toward him, her expression tense. "Then what just happened?"

The Doctor's gaze followed Lazarus as the man basked in the adoration of the crowd, arms raised like a god.

"He just changed what it means to be human."