She didn't know who they were, or where they were from, but what she did know, was that if one of those laser beam things hit her, she wasn't going to live long enough to find out.

"EXTERMINATE" bounced off of the walls, as Willow stumbled down an alley way, desperately trying to escape these robotic salt and pepper shakers that seemed intent on killing her.

"SHE MUST NOT ESCAPE," why they wanted her she did not know either, and it pained her to be in such a state of ignorance, but all these thoughts stopped as she smashed into a metal barrier, realising that a fence now blocked her only chance at freedom.

Jumping up she slammed her hands into the barbed wire, crying out in pain, and attempted to throw herself over the gate. The creatures rounded the corner just as she had reached the top and a laser beam sent her falling over the edge, clothes and limbs torn on the sharp metal coils, but alive, and that was all that mattered. Willow tried to breathe, although she was sure that somewhere she had a rib broken which was making it quite difficult. As she concentrated on breathing and trying to move something bright caught the small ray of sunlight, then passed over like a shadow until there was a face, surrounded by a halo of golden curls, a voice appeared around her as her eyes closed,

"Hello Sweetie."

"Figured you might need a hand, or rather a med bay" bright lights burned Willow's eyes as she craned her neck, watching the woman check a monitor.

"Where?..."

"Are you?" The woman finished, "well specifically the medical bay, you took a pretty tough fall, that snapped rib was puncturing your lung" Willow rubbed her eyes, and became aware of the breathing mask, she was expecting the distinct smell of sanitiser when she removed the apparatus, but no such smell assaulted her.

"But, this isn't a hospital.." Her saviour moved over towards Willow, and sat on the edge of the bed, "no, it's not, but I think it'll be easier to show you where you are along with the explanation."

Then taking Willows pale hand in her own warm ones, she pulled her down a series of corridors until they reached a central room, with a large circular control panel, a light with buttons and levers that flashed in different rhythms, the centre contained a cylinder that moved up and down, emanating various colours as it pumped.

"So where?" Willow turned to ask the woman, who was staring at a circular pattern on the wall.

"Ah yes, well from a larger perspective we are in the universe," Willow rose an eyebrow, unwilling to play games "well you are certainly taking that well" the lady said as she opened the doors to this strange place.

It was at this point that Willow's mouth fell agape, she staggered backwards as space literally was outside the door, a shooting star sped past and Willow could only stare in amazement.

"Currently in quadrant 957 in the Kartanian constellation, and you my dear are in the Tardis, stands for Time and Relative Dimensions In Space, it's is a time machine, that can go anywhere in the universe, and I am its controller, Doctor River Song."

Willow sat on a seat nearby that achieved a hum from the tardis causing her to jump in startled surprise.

"Its a sentient being, can read your thoughts" River added, puzzled looks crossed Willow's face as she tried to piece this all together, the distance they had ran, it would make the tardis huge.. "Its bigger on the inside by the way" River added, as she began to switch leavers and flip switches. "So where do you want to go?"

Willow stood next to River, watching her work the machine in amazement, "so whats actually going on, this has got to be a practical joke or something right, or just a really bad dream..." Willow wandered to the other side of the console, pinching herself in an attempt to rouse herself.

"Willow I know this may seem hard, but everything that has happened over the past twenty four hours is real." Willow looked at River with eyes that looked far too old for her, "but my parents, my siblings, those robots..."

River sat down and took the other woman's hand "they're called Daleks, the most feared race in the universe, they were once afraid of their greatest enemy and rarely attacked, but after the doctor..."

River trailed off as she swallowed, her gaze lifted to the circular pattern again, her mind clearly in another world. "Please just explain to me what is going on" Willow pleaded, a desire to understand threatening to burn her up.

"There, there was once a man called the doctor, well I say a man, but he was so much more than that, so much more. And he helped to keep peace within the universe, he fought for was right, he sacrificed so many things, and one day he sacrificed it all, he had reached almost all the lives of his second cycle, and decided it was time, and gave his final breath in an attempt to save mine. Ever since the universe has been in disarray, my influence is in no way comparable to his, and although he entrusted me with his tardis and sonic I fail at keeping the peace, and thus I quit, and now I travel."

Willow turned to River, a questioning look in her eyes, "and so why am I here?" River's face dropped, with concern that the girl may not want to stay, "well I need a companion, I doubt now that you have anywhere else to go, although if you don't want to be here you are more than welcome to leave."

Willow turned to look at the door, evaluating her options, a home where she had nothing left, or all of time and space... "So you're looking for a companion then?" River nodded, staring at Willow intently "well then congratulations, you have a companion". Both women broke into a smile as Willow rushed to the console, eager to see where they would speed off to.