Title: I Burn Eternal
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: All owned by the Beeb. (Except for Crystal and the catacombs and Phoenix, those belong to me)

Note: This is a Tenth Doctor fic exclusively, is not meant for any other Doctor. This fic had been in my head since David Tennant took over, and with the end of his tenure as Doctor, I wish to finish the saga that was the writing of this fic off once and for all. This has been a labour of love for me, starting off first with Rose and the Doctor, and then shifting to the Doctor and Martha, to then being a fic with the Doctor alone, I have rewritten this story many times and I cannot bear to rewrite it again.

Prof. River Song narrating: Everybody knows that everybody dies. But not every day. Not today. Some days are special. Some days are so, so blessed. Some days, nobody dies at all. From 'Forest of the Dead' by Steven Moffat

Welcome back, my friend Phoenix told him. 'Phoenix is it time yet' she asked.

I think so Crystal, bring it out Phoenix replied. Crystal went over to a cupboard and took down what looked like a small glass paperweight. 'This is for you' she told him. He took it from her rather puzzled. Then he looked closer at it, then looked back in disbelief to Crystal before looking back again at the paperweight again, it was an impossible object. There seemed to be a small red cloud of spiraling dust, debris and energy. 'What is this, Crystal? He asked her. 'It's a piece of home, along with the TARDIS that you can have with you always' she told him. 'That cannot be in existence' he told her adding 'When Gallifrey was destroyed, Phoenix had to consume its energy'. But I didn't, I couldn't, Doctor. I am a creature that burned wild and free in the universe, before Rassilon tamed me and taught me how to have a conscience. As much as he is responsible for many a bad deed, he is also equally responsible for some good ones also.

I burn eternal, I have lived before you were born, forged during the dark times. I will live long after you're dead. I have eternity, whereas you, Doctor are just finite to me. Rassilon tamed me and taught me there. I have many a good memory of Gallifrey; it's the place I considered home before Rassilon sent me here. I couldn't consume Gallifrey, I weep for Gallifrey and her loss to the universe. So here is my gift, please accept it, old friend it told him. 'It's suspended in the sky? You mean it's still there' he questioned it. Yes, it is suspended in both time and space as energy and dust it told him. He half smiled at them then and looked away, becoming caught in his own thoughts.

Later, she went with him to the surface. Y'know, I remember it all, everything that happened with the Master, I worked in the resistance and helped Martha. I told her to keep quiet about me. When time was reversed, Phoenix cocooned me in a time proof shield to preserve my memories she told him adding I helped to boost the psychic network, it wasn't strong enough and not even on the right frequency for the Time Lord brain to even fully interact with. So slowly but surely I hacked into the system psychically and voila! She said pointing at him. 'I was thinking that there was someone there at the time in the matrices, but I dismissed it as just being my old mind finally succumbing to the cobwebs. And with my body being, well not what it was at the time, I just dismissed it………'he told her. 'As just phantoms of the mind, Doctor? We all have those' she told him smiling. He smiled back at her.

They were chatting later on back at the catacombs, recounting all that they had seen since they last saw each other. She loved being able to talk to him and laugh with him again. 'It's strange, Doctor. I mean I remember everything from that year. I mean, I literally cannot talk to anyone about it'. He cleared his throat making an 'Ahem' noise with his throat. 'Except for you of course….and Martha, maybe, am still a bit iffy about her and UNIT' she told him adding 'The curse of the Phoenix host, I remember because I must. In case it ever happened again' she told him. He understood what she told him.

Later, they went to the surface in the TARDIS. 'This is where we say goodbye' she said. 'For now' he said. 'For now' she mimicked with a grin. She went over and hugged him 'don't leave it so long to see me again, ok'. She told him. He chuckled. She opened the door of the TARDIS, gazing back for a moment before leaving. See you again, Sasha he thought at the TARDIS dematerialized.

With that she sighed and walked away. Till we meet again, Doctor she thought.