The Cost of a Box

Author: Naomitrekkie

Series: The whole Whoniverse, with a focus on Doctor Who

Rating: K+, to be safe

Synopsis: Only the people on the Valiant remembered the Year That Never Was, or were they? One seemingly crazy girl knows more than she should, but at what cost?

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, Torchwood, or The Sarah Jane Adventures, but I wish I did.

A/N: A new story. My first for the Whoniverse. I apologize in advance if this doesn't sound very British, but I'm trying.

Enjoy!

Prologue: Rambling

"I can't have, I can't have, I can't have. No, it can't be, it must be here. It can't be gone, it can't be," a small blond girl muttered as she frantically searched through her bedroom. What had once been a small, somewhat tidy child's bedroom was now a disaster zone. A tornado would have left less damage. Scattered everywhere were clothes, toys, books, papers, pencils, crayons, and all of the girl's other possessions, all thrown carelessly around. Some things had broken in the panic, but the girl took no notice. She was determined to find it and nothing was more important to her.

"Where is it? It must be here, it must. I can't have lost it, I can't have. It's here, somewhere, but where? Where's it gone?" the girl continued muttering, not even realising she had been thinking aloud. She turned around from the drawer she had been digging through and crawled under her bed, searching every inch underneath. She knew it was around, it had to be. She wouldn't let herself believe she'd lost it.

She turned her whole room inside and out, but she couldn't find it. It was missing. Someone had stolen it, she realised, and she filled with more fear than she'd ever felt in her whole life.

Hours later, her mother called her for dinner, but she did not leave her room. Her mother, growing tired of waiting, walked to her room and entered, determined to get her to come eat. She was shocked speechless by the mess, but one glimpse at her nine year old daughter curled up in the center of the room, rocking back and forth and muttering some sort of unintelligible nonsense brought her back to her senses.

She rushed over to her daughter, but the girl took no notice of her, until she was touched. The girl started screaming and, startled, her mother stepped backwards, breaking a doll that she stepped on by mistake. She couldn't hear the crack over her daughter's screams, nor would she have wanted to. She was too focused on her daughter.

Suddenly aware of her surroundings, the girl started rambling to her mother, her terror evident.

"Mum, they're coming, they're coming. The got it, and now they're coming. They're gonna get me, Mum. They're gonna kill me. I've gotta get it back. It's the only way. They're coming, they're coming to get me. Mum, we've gotta go, go far away. They've got it, and they'll come for me next. We have to go, we have to go now, before they find me. They'll kill me. They took it so they could kill me. I've gotta get it back. I need it or else they'll kill me. They're coming, Mum, they're coming."

"Who's coming, dear? Who's coming to get you?" her mother asked, grabbing hold of her daughter's arms to stop her pacing and keep her in place.

"The Toclafane, Mum, the Toclafane. They're gonna get me and bring me to him, then he's gonna kill me. He knows I know, Mum. We've gotta run. There's only one person who can save us. We have to find him, we have to. Mum, we've gotta go, or they'll kill me. We need to find the Doctor, he can save me. Martha said so. She promised. She said he'd save us. We have to find him, Mum. He's the only one who can save me."

Her mother watched in fear as her daughter started speaking her fears quicker and more to herself as her pacing began once more. The only thing she could make out from what her daughter was saying was "They've taken it," "They're coming for me," and "I need the Doctor." It made no sense to her, but she was terrified for her daughter. Her daughter was having a relapse and there was nothing she could do, except call them again. She didn't want to, but this was worse than ever before.

To Be Continued . . .

So, what do you think? The Doctor'll be in the next chapter, I promise!