Chapter 1: The Christmas Invasion

27 year old Hermione walked along the empty street towards the Powell Estate. She was visiting her Aunt Jackie for Christmas like she did every year since the Second Wizarding War ended. Her parents were gone, they had been killed a few weeks after they had made it to Australia. Voldemort had sent a few Death Eaters after them to prove that distance couldn't even stop him.

Her Aunt Jackie had been heartbroken when Hermione had told her. She didn't know the truth about magic, so Jackie believed that Hermione's parents died on holiday in a car accident. She had been thankful that she had never told anyone about her Aunt and cousin because that was what kept them safe during the war.

The other reason she visited her Aunt at Christmas was because she was no longer welcome by Molly and Ronald at the Weasley Christmas. She had gone willingly into a relationship with Ron and it had been rocky at the start as he grieved for Fred's death and she her parents. Once he had accepted Fred's death, things had been fine. He still had moments of sadness, but then he would pull out of it and be his normal self.

Things started to get rocky again when Hermione stated that she wanted to finish her schooling so she could find a job and start living the life she wanted. Ron hadn't been happy that Hermione wanted to spend time away from their relationship so she could eventually work. He had stated that when she became his wife she wouldn't be working. That led to the first Christmas being spent with her Aunt Jackie and Rose. Ron hadn't been happy about that and had told her once she was his wife, she'd have to cut all ties from the muggle world. Hermione wouldn't have any of it and had told him so.

That was when Molly got involved and had gone into a rant about how Hermione will have to be a good wife and listen and obey her husband. Hermione had broken up with Ron then and there and when Molly had gone to curse her for breaking 'Ronnikins' heart, she had sent one back. Arthur had apologised for both his wife and son and George had pranked Ron, thankful for the distraction from Fred. Ginny had given Ronald and earful saying did he expect Harry to keep her home as a housewife.

Hermione had gotten out of there and had never returned to the Burrow. She still saw the Weasley's bar Molly and Ron. They all met up at least once a month and then once between Christmas and New Year.

Hermione smiled as she finally came to the Powell Estate and walked up the stairs to her Aunts flat. Hermione had made sure her Aunt and Rose lived happy lives since her Uncle died and when Rose started to mature she recognised her from the day her Uncle died as the strange blonde woman that was with the Doctor. It appeared that only she remembered that day as it had been and her parents had pegged the Doctor down as an imaginary friend.

When Hermione had received a call a year ago about Rose being missing from her Aunt Jackie and that she was blaming Mickey, Hermione had called and managed to get the information out of him. Rose was with the Doctor. She then was told by Mickey that she had returned, was involved with the explosion at 10 Downing Street and that she was once again travelling through time. Hermione smiled at that remembering the time travel she did in her third year and wondered if it was the Doctors TARDIS that allowed him to travel through time. Hermione reached her Aunts door and knocked on it.

"Hermione!" Jackie called when she saw her niece on her doorstep. "Come in! How are you?"

"I'm good. You?" she asked as she stepped past the threshold "Will Rose be here?" Hermione smiled at the Christmas decoration boxes around the room "It's a little late to put decorations up isn't it?"

"I'm good. No idea if Rose will be here and I forgot." Jackie listed off.

"Would you like some help?" Hermione asked indicating to the bare white Christmas tree.

"Please." Jackie said as she went to the kitchen to make Hermione some tea. "How's work?" Jackie asked when she returned.

"Good and quiet, at the moment." Hermione replied.

Hermione had been offered a job by Kingsley in a new department when she was a liaison officer with the muggle government. She was also sometimes sent to unexplainable events in the muggle world. She was on call for anything and she had even become a liaison officer with UNIT after the 10 Downing Street incident. When Harriet Jones had told her about the Doctor and Rose she had just been thankful the two were safe.

"That's good ain't it?" Jackie said.

"I guess, but it gets boring waiting for something exciting to happen."

Jackie just hummed before she started to put tinsel on the tree, Hermione joining her. Hermione watched her Aunt look at a present wistfully before she placed it under the tree. Suddenly there was a weird wheezing noise that had Hermione frowning and Jackie gasping.

"Rose!" Jackie shouted before she ran out of the flat and down the stairs. Hermione followed her wanting to make sure everything was okay. When they reached the outside they bumped into Mickey. "Mickey!"

"Jackie, it's the TARDIS!" Mickey said as the continued to run.

Hermione continued to follow, now understanding somewhat at what was happening. The Doctor was here, for 19 years she waited to see this amazing man again. She had research all she could about him when UNIT gave her access to their files.

"I know! I know, I heard it! She's alive, Mickey! I said so, didn't I? She's alive!" Jackie replied.

"What do you mean she's alive?!" Hermione asked "What's going on?"

Mickey stared at Hermione in confusion before he remembered she was visiting but ignored her question. "Shush! Shut up a minute!" They both looked around frantically.

"Well, where is it then?" Jackie asked looking round.

Suddenly, the TARDIS appeared out of thin air, about 20 feet above their heads. It crashed against the buildings on either side as it fell to Earth. Jackie screamed and grabbed onto Mickey. As Hermione silently casted a shield around them hoping it would protect them. The TARDIS finally skidded to a halt, smashing into a post van and knocking over some dustbins on the way. The three ran to the door as it was thrown open by a young brown haired man. The man peered out with his mouth wide open.

"Here we are, then! London! Earth! The Solar System! We did it!" He stumbled out of the TARDIS, gazing up at the flats with his mouth still hanging open. Jackie, Hermione and Mickey just stare at him. The man suddenly noticed them. "Jackie! Mickey! Blimey! No, no, no, no, hold on." He stumbled back a few steps before he looked at Hermione, she pulled in a deep breath when she felt a pull at her heart and her magic reaching out to the man. This man was her soulmate. The Doctor stared at the beautiful woman who turned out to be his soulmate, he could feel his hearts beating faster than they already were. He stared intently knowing she was familiar to him before it clicked "Hermione Jean Granger. Still reading your big girl books?" he asked.

Hermione gasped "Doctor?" she whispered, she thought the UNIT files were joking when they said the Doctor could change his face. He was her soulmate!

He grinned, she knew who he was, even with his new face, Fantastic! He looked back to Mickey and Jackie remembering they were there "Wait there, I've got something to say. There was something I had to tell you. Something important, what was it? No, hold on, hold on..." he comes forward and puts his hand on their shoulders, looking like he was thinking hard "Hold on, shush, shush, shush, shush...Oh!" Jackie and Mickey jumped in alarm. Hermione just watched on in amusement "I know!" he exclaimed as he looked from one to the other, panting and beaming before glancing at Hermione "Merry Christmas!" And then he collapsed, falling to the ground unconscious. Hermione quickly bent down and made sure he hadn't hurt his head.

Rose came out of the TARDIS and noticed him on the ground. "What happened? Is he all right?"

"I don't know, he just keeled over! But who is he? Where's the Doctor?" Mickey asked.

"That's him." Hermione said making Rose frown at how she remembered the Doctor and knew the man on the floor was him. "This is the Doctor."

"What d'you mean," Jackie said, not noticing her niece knew the Doctor despite not 'meeting' him. "'This is the Doctor?' Doctor who?"

"It's hard to explain, mum. But we need to get him in." Rose said "Mickey grab his legs." Rose reached down for both his arm but Hermione stopped her, grabbing one so Rose didn't bare so much weight. Rose smiled appreciatively at Hermione before they carried the Doctor back to the flat.

When they entered they took him to the spare room where Hermione usually stayed and placed him on the bed. Jackie handed Rose some pyjamas. Rose stared at them and then the Doctor not knowing how to get him in them. Hermione placed her hand on Rose's arm.

"I can help with that, this will be a shock but when we've made sure he's okay I'll explain everything." She said as she pulled out her wand and gave it a wave swapping the Doctors clothes for the pyjamas.

Rose's and Jackie's eyes widened at what Hermione had just done before Jackie walked off to find something else to help the Doctor. Rose sat down on the edge of the looking at him.

"How did you know it was a Doctor?" Rose asked Hermione.

"I remember the day of Uncle Pete's death vividly. At first I believed my parents at thinking the Doctor was an imaginary friend to help me cope. But then when you started to mature, I knew it just confirmed what I remembered, you were there also. But you were older, I worked out why everything happened and I'm glad you did it." Rose looked at Hermione with wide eyes "It gave you a chance to see and know your dad and it gave us both a chance to say goodbye."

It was silent for a few minutes until Jackie re-entered holding a stethoscope. "Here we go." Jackie said handing it to Rose "Tina the Cleaner's got this lodger, medical student. And she was fast asleep, so I just took it." Rose put the stethoscope in her ears. "Though, I still say we should take him to hospital."

Rose took the stethoscope out again. "We can't. They'd lock him up. They'd dissect him. One bottle of his blood could change the future of the human race." Jackie opened her mouth to say something. "No! Shush!" Jackie stopped and Rose put the stethoscope back in her ears and placed it on one side of the Doctor's chest, after a while she then placed it on the other side. "Both working."

"What d'you mean 'both'?" Jackie asked.

"Well, he's got two hearts." Rose said. Hermione nodded absentmindedly remembering his UNIT file saying the same.

"Oh, don't be stupid." Jackie said scornfully.

Rose got up and headed for the door "He has!"

"Anything else he's got two of?" Jackie asked making Hermione chuckle.

Rose turned back "Leave him alone." She left the room. Jackie peered at the Doctor before following her.

Hermione looked at her soulmate taking in his pale complexion, she pulled out her wand again and casted a diagnostic spell on him. The spell showed her that several of his organs were damaged but were slowly healing themselves and that all he needed was rest. She made sure he was comfortable before she left the room completely missing the wisp of the golden Time Vortex that escaped the Doctor's mouth.

oOo

Hermione entered the living room to see Rose and Jackie talking in the kitchen and Mickey was watching the TV. Hermione smiled slightly at the sight of Harriet Jones. Mickey smiled at her as she sat next to him.

"So finally telling Jackie and Rose about being a witch?" Mickey whispered. Mickey had been the first person she had told when she found out that the weird stuff she did was actually accidental magic. Mickey had been happy for her but also sad that they wouldn't be going to the same school anymore.

"Is that Harriet Jones?!" Rose said as she left the kitchen.

"Oh, never mind me..." Jackie said as she followed.

Rose stared at the TV "Why's she on the telly?"

"She's Prime Minister now." Hermione said.

"I'm eighteen quid a week better off." Jackie said as Rose smiled incredulously. "They're calling it 'Britain's Golden Age'. Keep on saying 'My Rose has met her'."

"Did more than that. Stopped World War Three with her. Harriet Jones..." Rose smiled.

"Oh, she's had some great things to say about you." Hermione said.

"Harriet Jones," a man on the TV said "what about those calling the Guinevere One Space Probe a waste of money?"

"Now, that's where you're wrong." Harriet replied "I completely disagree if you don't mind." Rose laughed and Hermione smiled. "The Guinevere One Space Probe represents this country's limitless ambition. British workmanship sailing up there among the stars."

"This is the spirit of Christmas, birth and rejoicing, and the dawn of a new age, and that is what we're achieving fifteen million miles away." A man next to Harriet said.

"You've met Harriet Jones?" Jackie asked Hermione.

"I work in the government, Aunt Jacks." Hermione replied.

"And they know you can do whatever it was you did?" she asked.

"It's why I work with them." she said "I'm a witch, Aunt Jackie."

Rose scoffed "Yeah right!"

"What? So aliens can be real, but witches and wizards can't?" Hermione asked her.

"Aliens are more realistic." Rose said.

Hermione just pulled out her wand and transfigured the table in to a litter of kittens before turning it back. She then waved her wand and the unforgotten decorations were suddenly zooming about and hanging in their rightful places. She then summon the tin of biscuits and eating one. "I could prove magic all day." She told Rose. "There isn't just me, there are hundreds of us around the world. We have schools, hospitals, shops, a government, and banks. Our world is just like yours, just more outdated and with magic." She paused "I work as a liaison officer between this world and my own. I meet up with the Prime Minister to keep her up to date with anything that might involve the muggles or that she would need to know about our world and she does the same so I can pass it on to our Minister. I also advanced in my job when 10 Downing Street blew up and now liaison with UNIT."

"Wow." Jackie said as she sat down "What else can you do?"

"Loads." Hermione smiled before she went on to tell her Aunt everything. She told her about what she could do and her school years. That then led onto the war, she still didn't tell her Aunt that magic was the reason why her parents had died. But she told her that was why they left to Australia.

oOo

Hermione was back in the room where the Doctor was resting. She had performed another diagnostic spell and found he was still healing but slowly. It hurt her to see him like this and she wished she knew more about his species so she could help him more. Rose and Mickey had left earlier to do some Christmas shopping seeming Rose couldn't do it in the TARDIS. She knew Rose was still sceptical about her being a witch, but Hermione didn't really care at least her Aunt Jackie believed her.

Hermione sighed as she slipped her hand in the Doctors and placed her hand on his forehead to check his temperature. He was quiet warm, but not warm enough to be worrying. She moved her hand and started running it through his hair remembering her mum doing it when she was ill. She gasped when she felt the Doctors hand tighten in hers and when a golden wisp escaped his mouth. She raised her hand and watched as the wisp danced around her hand and fingers before floating out the window. She looked down at the Doctor and felt his forehead again.

"What can I do?" she whispered.

The front door bursting open pulled Hermione away from him and she stood to find out what was going on.

"Get off the phone!" Rose shouted at Jackie who was on the phone.

"It's only Bev! She says hello." Rose grabbed the phone off her.

"Bev? Yeah, look, it'll have to wait." She hung up and looked at Mickey and her mother. "Right, it's not safe, we've gotta get out. Where can we go?"

"My mate Stan, he'll put us up." Mickey suggested.

"That's only two streets away." Rose turned to Jackie "What about Mo? Where's she living now?"

"I dunno! Peak District!" Jackie said.

"Oh, we'll go to Cousin Mo's then."

"It's Christmas Eve! We're not going anywhere! What're you babbling about?" Jackie asked Rose.

"We could go mine, I have room and my place is protected like Fort Knox." Hermione said.

"Mum..." Rose said about to agree with Hermione before she noticed the new tree in the corner of the room "Where'd you get that tree?" Jackie turned to look at it as Hermione frowned at it getting a weird feeling, noticing it was no longer white, but green. "That's a new tree. Where'd you get it?"

"Well, I thought it was you!" Jackie said to her.

"How can it be me?"

"Well, you went shopping, there was a ring at the door, and there it was!"

"No, that wasn't me."

"Then who was it...? Hermione?" Hermione shook her head at Jackie.

They all stare at the tree as it began to light up "Oh, you've gotta be kidding me." The tree started to spin, slowly at first and then very fast. Jackie screamed as 'Jingle Bells' started to play and the tree sped up and then reduced the coffee table within seconds.

"Go, go, go! Get out!" Mickey shouted as Hermione went for her wand but realised she left it on the bedside table next to the Doctor. Rose and Jackie ran from the room while Mickey picked up a chair and held it in front of him. Jackie ran to the front door but Rose ran to the room where the Doctor was.

"We've got to save the Doctor!" Rose called as Hermione stayed behind Mickey so she could pull him back when she needed to.

"What're you doing?!" Jackie shouted.

"We can't just leave him!"

"Mickey! Hermione!" The Christmas tree chopped up the legs of the chair. "Leave it! Get out! Get out!" Mickey just stood his ground. "Mickey! Get out of there!" He gave up, grabbing Hermione's hand and they joined Jackie. They ran into the Doctor's room.

"Just leave him!" Jackie said as Hermione grabbed her wand from the bedside table.

"Get in here!" Mickey demands her.

Frustrated, Jackie slammed the door shut and Hermione magically locked it as she stood in front of the foot of the bed. Mickey and Jackie slid a wardrobe in front of the door while Rose bent over the Doctor.

"Doctor, wake up!" Rose pleaded.

Mickey and Jackie leaned against the wardrobe and Rose took the sonic screwdriver out of the Doctor's leather jacket. The wardrobe started to shake as the Christmas tree tried to get through. Jackie shouted out as Rose placed the sonic screwdriver in the Doctor's hand, but he remained lifeless. The Christmas tree finally smashed through the wardrobe, and Mickey and Jackie were thrown backwards.

Jackie cowered against the wall. "I'm gonna get killed by a Christmas tree!"

Rose, desperate, leaned right down close to the Doctor's ear. "Help me." but again he remain lifeless. Rose drew back slightly upset that he hadn't woken for her.

Hermione stepped forward a spell ready when she fell back when the tree moved quickly forwards.

"Hermione!" Mickey calls panicked.

The Doctor sat up very suddenly and wrapped his arm around Hermione to steady her before both of them simultaneously aim their arms at the tree. The Doctor clicked on the screwdriver as Hermione fired a 'Bombarda' at it. With the mixture of the two energies the tree exploded. The Doctor lowered the sonic screwdriver as Hermione lowered her wand and sagged into him as she panted.

"Are you alright?" he whispered in Hermione's ear, revealing in having his soulmate in his arms.

"Yeah." She breathed also revealing in being in her soulmates arm.

"What just happened?" Rose asked not liking how the Doctor was holding Hermione.

"Remote control. But who's controlling it?" the Doctor murmured as he got out of the bed. He held his hand out to help Hermione. She took it and he led her out the front door, picking a dressing gown up along the way.

The Doctor walked out onto the balcony, securing a dressing gown around him, grabbing Hermione's hand once he had. Rose, Jackie and Mickey follow them. Outside on the ground stand three Santa's.

"That's them. What are they?" Mickey asked.

"Shush!" Rose said as she looked at the Doctor, trying to ignore him holding Hermione's hand.

The Doctor raised his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the Santa's threateningly. They backed away slowly, standing closer to each other. Then, they teleported away.

"They've just gone! What kind of rubbish were they?" Mickey asked "I mean, no offence, but they're not much cop if a sonic screwdriver's gonna scare them off."

"Pilot Fish." The Doctor stated.

"What?" Rose asked.

"Small fish that swim alongside big predator fish." Hermione told them.

"They were just Pilot Fish." The Doctor coughed and threw himself backwards against the wall, clearly in pain. They all hurriedly kneel down to him.

"What's wrong?!" Rose asked him panicked.

"You woke me up too soon." He breathed heavily, his grip on Hermione's hand tightening "I'm still regenerating. I'm bursting with energy." More of the Time Vortex escaped through his mouth and flowed towards Hermione who again let it dance around her hand and fingers. The Doctor watched in awe as the golden glow from the Vortex highlighted Hermione's beauty even more. The Vortex disappeared off into the night sky "You see? The Pilot Fish could smell it. A million miles away. So they eliminate the defence, that's you lot, and they carry me off. They could run their batteries on me for a couple of year." He lurched forward, groaning.

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" Jackie said.

"My head!" the Doctor gritted out as Jackie kneeled before him, holding him up. "I'm having a neuron implosion. I need..."

"What do you need?" Jackie asked frantically.

"I need..." the Doctor panted.

"Say it, tell me, tell me..."

"I need..."

"Painkillers?"

"I need..." the Doctor repeated getting slightly irritated he was being able to say what he needed.

"Do you need aspirin?"

"I..."

"Codeine? Paracetamol? Oh, I dunno, Pepto-Bismol?"

"I need..."

"Liquid paraffin. Vitamin C? Vitamin D? Vitamin E?"

"I need..."

Jackie's voice raised hysterically "Is it food? Something simple? Uh... a bowl of soup? A nice bowl of soup? Soup and a sandwich? Soup and a little ham sandwich?"

"I need you to shut up." The Doctor gritted out.

"Oh, he hasn't changed that much, has he?" Jackie said to Rose and Mickey.

The Doctor lurched forward again, still not releasing Hermione as he leaned against the opposite wall. "We haven't got much time." The Doctor panted as he leaned against Hermione who was now behind him to give him support. "If there's Pilot Fish, then..." he frowned and took an apple out of his dressing gown "Why's there an apple in my dressing gown?"

"Oh, that's Howard, sorry." Jackie told him.

"He keeps apples in his dressing gown?"

"He gets hungry." Jackie shrugged.

He looked confusedly at the apple "What, he gets hungry in his sleep?"

"Sometimes."

The Doctor suddenly shouted out in pain again as he sank deeper in Hermione's embrace. He grimaced. "Brain...collapsing..." He grabbed hold of Hermione's arms, holding them tightly. Speech becoming a huge effort for him "P...the Pilot Fish. The Pilot Fish mean...that something, something...Something's coming." He then collapsed completely into Hermione's lap. She started running her hand through his hair again as she asked Mickey to help her get him back into the flat.

They placed him on the bed and Hermione conjured a bowl and filled it with water before she summoned a cloth from the kitchen. She dipped the cloth in the water and then placed it against the Doctor's sweating forehead. She performed a diagnostic spell and found that only one of his hearts were beating and she said as much to Rose.

oOo

Hermione was sat next to the Doctor running her hands through his hair. Mickey had told her about the aliens on the TV and she knew at some point she might be called in. she smiled when Jackie came in and placed two cups of tea on the bedside table before she tucked the cover in more around the Doctor. Hermione noticed the bags under her Aunts eyes.

"Go and get some sleep." She told her.

"You sure?" Jackie asked.

"Yeah." Hermione watched as Jackie left before she lay next to the Doctor, replacing the damp cloth with a new one. She pulled out one of her books and started reading it aloud.

oOo

Rose stood from the couch wanting to check on the Doctor. She didn't understand why he didn't wake for her and she hadn't liked it when he woke when Hermione was in danger. He's supposed to save her. She also really didn't like how he hand held onto Hermione, how he had stared at her like he was seeing something new and amazing.

She came to the room and stopped abruptly when she saw both Hermione and the Doctor wrapped in each other's embraces. Hermione was asleep with her head on his chest and an open book on the floor. She was about to storm over and rip them apart when Mickey appeared behind her.

"The Doctor wouldn't do this. The old Doctor. The proper Doctor. He'd wake up. He'd save us." She said shakily. He wouldn't be wrapped up with someone else. She thought.

Mickey didn't say anything he just pulled Rose into his arms. He had seen the look the Doctor had been giving Hermione. He may be called an idiot, but he knew that look. It was the look he gave Rose. That look he saw in the Doctor's eyes gave him hope that he could finally get his relationship with Rose back.

A commotion outside startled Hermione awake, she blushed as she noticed the position she was in. She heard one of her Aunt Jackie's neighbours, Sandra, shouting. "What is wrong with you? Jason? Jason?"

Rose and Mickey popped their heads out of the door. "Sandra?"

Hermione got of the bed and walked over to the window and opened the curtain to watch what was happening. She watched as people passed and headed upwards towards the roof. Her heart froze when she watched everyone freeze on the ledges just two steps away from jumping.

Hermione rushed out of the flat and to the roof. She stood at the door to the roof and casted a diagnostic spell. It came back as blood control making her breath in relief, their free will wasn't completely controlled. She left the roof and quickly made her way back down to the flat and told Jackie what was happening but not to worry as no one will jump.

She was sat back next to the Doctor when Rose and Mickey returned heading for the living room and switching the TV on. Hermione listened closely to Harriet Jones.

"Ladies and gentlemen...if I may take a moment during this terrible time. It's hardly the Queen's speech, I'm afraid that's been cancelled. Did we ask about the royal family?" there was a short silence "Oh. They're on the roof. But, Ladies and gentlemen, this crisis is unique, and I'm afraid to say, it might get much worse. I would ask you all to remain calm. But I have one request: Doctor. If you're out there...we need you. I don't know what to do. But if you can hear me, Doctor...anyone knows the Doctor, if anyone can find him...the situation has never been more desperate. Help us. Please, Doctor. Help us."

Hermione closed her eyes as she grabbed the Doctors hand, she had to find a way to wake him so he could save the day. Her eyes opened when she heard movement outside the room. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Rose lean against the doorframe, watching the Doctor's lifeless from. Hermione could feel the heated glare come from her cousin. She had seen the look in Rose's eye whenever she had looked at the Doctor when Hermione had saw them when she was 8. She knew her cousin loved the Doctor. But Hermione knew that with him now being her soulmate, Rose couldn't have him. No matter that Rose was family, Hermione would fight for her soulmates heart, or is it hearts?

Hermione was pulled from her thoughts by her cousin sobbing, taking great gulping breaths. Hermione watched Jackie come to Rose, taking her in her arms. Rose turned to her and puts her arms around Jackie's shoulders, her eyes screwed up against the tears.

"He's gone. The Doctor's gone. He's left me, mum. He's left me, mum..." Rose sobbed.

Hermione just rolled her eyes at her cousin's over dramatics. "He's not gone, he's in what is known as a healing coma. I've been in one and trust me you'll be thankful that he's been in one when he wakes."

"You know nothing about him or what's happening." Rose snapped. Angry at how Hermione thought she knew the Doctor after one short meeting when the girl was 8.

"I appear to know more than you." Hermione said "I knew he was the Doctor even though he has a different face. I'm surprised you didn't know about the regeneration. I wonder what else you don't know about him. Maybe you think you're his first ever companion." She knew she was being harsh, but her magic was pushing her to defend and protect her soulmate from this possible threat.

Before Rose could retort the windows smashed, showering the floor with glass. The ground shaking violently. Rose, Mickey and Jackie raced outside as Hermione cleaned the glass that had managed to cover the Doctor before she looked out the window and saw what looked like a slab of rock floating above London. She felt something in her pocket heat up and pulled out a golden coin. It was like the coins Dumbledore's Army used in fifth year, but this was connected to only one other in the possession of Kingsley. Hermione ignored the summons, knowing her magic wouldn't allow her to leave her soulmate with the possible danger, hanging literally over their heads.

Rose ran into the Doctor's bedroom, Mickey not far behind her. "Mickey, we're gonna carry him." she threw the duvet off the Doctor, Hermione tensed at her cousin closeness to the Doctor, trying to stop her magic from bursting forwards "Mum, get your stuff, and get some food. We're going."

"Well, where to?" Mickey asked.

"The TARDIS. It's the only safe place on Earth." Rose replied as Hermione started to collect her stuff now that her magic had calmed seeing Rose was trying to help the Doctor.

"What're we gonna do in there?!" Jackie asked.

"Hide." Rose stated simply.

"Is that it?!"

"Mum, look in the sky. There's a great, big, alien invasion and, I don't know what to do, alright? I've travelled with him, and I've seen all that stuff but when I'm stuck at home, I'm useless. Now, all we can do is run and hide, and I'm sorry. Now, move."

Jackie looked to Hermione "Can your magic do anything?" she asked.

"Not that I know of, I could put protective shields around us. But that might not be much, I have no idea what we're facing and what their capable off. If I met them I'd be able to cast some spells to see what would affect them or not." Hermione told her Aunt Jackie and the others. "Sorry."

Jackie just nodded and left the room to get some food and other supplies. Rose heaved the Doctor up, taking his shoulders. Mickey took his legs. "Oh, lift him. Hermione, get the doors."

Hermione nodded and ran to the front door holding it open as Rose and Mickey hauled the Doctor out. She then raced ahead of them to open the door to the stairs for them before racing to the bottom to do the same.

"The key is in my left pocket." Rose shouted to Hermione but she was already racing to the TARDIS doors. Rose's eyes widened when Hermione just pulled her wand out and waved it opening the TARDIS doors.

"Don't really need a key." She called over grinning making Mickey grin and Rose's lips twitch. Rose looked back and rolled her eyes at her mother struggling with several shopping bags "Mum, will you just leave that stuff and give us a hand?"

"It's food!" Jackie called "You said we need f..."

"Just leave it!" Rose interrupted.

Rose and Mickey carried the Doctor towards the TARDIS, Jackie still following them with the shopping bags. Hermione stepped into the TARDIS and gasped at the beauty of it. She walked towards the console as Mickey and Rose carried the Doctor in and placed him on the floor. Hermione span around trying to take everything in, she felt a warmth brush her skin and guessed it might be the TARDIS greeting her.

"She gorgeous." Hermione said making Mickey smile. He remembered the second time he entered the TARDIS, Hermione had flashed through his mind. He knew she would have loved the TARDIS and he knew she was dying to ask questions about the ship. But he knew those questions could only be answered by the Doctor.

"Not going to ask about the size on the inside?" Mickey asked.

Hermione just turned to him before she pulled out her small beaded bag and shoved her whole arm in up to her shoulder. She smirked at Mickey's shocked expression as she pulled her arm out.

"Any chance you could make me a bag like that?" Jackie asked as she put the shopping bags down making Hermione giggle and shake her head. Hermione put her hand back in her bag and pulled out a pillow and then kneeled down and placed it under the Doctor's head.

Mickey smiled watching this before he turned to Rose. "No chance you could fly this thing?"

Rose tore her gaze away from Hermione, she had to start to remind herself that her cousin was a caring person. Her mother had reminded her when they were making their way back to the flat when the spaceship had arrived. Her cousin never cared if you were a stranger or not, she would help you. "Not anymore, no." Rose replied.

"Well, you did it before..."

"I know, but it's sort of been...wiped out of my head, like it's forbidden. Try that again and I think the universe rips in half." Rose tried to joke.

"Ah, better not, then." Mickey said.

"Maybe not."

"So, what do we do? Just sit here?"

"That's as good as it gets." Rose said frustrated.

"Right, here we go." Jackie said with a thermal in hand "Nice cup of tea."

"Hmm, the solution to everything..." Rose muttered.

"Now, stop your moaning." Jackie scolded "I'll get the rest of the food." She left the TARDIS as Rose leaned against the console and looked down at the Doctor.

"Tea." Mickey said picking up the thermal "Like we're having a picnic while the world comes to an end. Very British." Rose didn't answer. Mickey looked at the TARDIS computer screen. "How does this thing work? It picks up TV, maybe we could see what's going on out there. Maybe we've surrendered." He pressed a few buttons "What do you do to it?"

"I dunno, it sort of tunes itself." Rose replied still snappish. She pressed a few buttons when a bleeping noise entered the TARDIS. Hermione placed herself down on the floor of the TARDIS next to the Doctor.

"Maybe it's a distress signal." Mickey commented.

"Fat lot of good that's gonna do." Rose once again muttered.

"Are you gonna be a misery all the time?"

"Yes."

"You should look at it from my point of view, stuck in here with your mum's cooking." Mickey joked making Hermione grin at him.

Rose looked around "Where is she?" Mickey shrugged "I'd better go and give her a hand. It might start raining missiles out there."

"Tell her anything from a tin, that's fine." Mickey called.

"Why don't you tell her yourself?" Hermione asked.

"I'm not that brave."

Rose paused at the door "Oh, I don't know..." She smiled at him and opened the door. Mickey smiled back, hope in his eyes as he watched her. Was this her coming back to him?

Mickey looked around when he heard a noise outside "Rose?" He made to follow her, dropping the thermal flask of tea on the grilling next to the Doctor's head. It starting to leak.

"Get off! Get off me!" Rose shouted as Mickey ran out of the TARDIS doors "The door! Close the door!"

The Door slammed shut before Hermione made it to them. Hermione turned round and looked at the Doctor.

"Okay Doctor, time to wake up." She murmured. She leaned down next to him and pulled out her wand. Before she could cast anything she noticed steam rising from the grill flooring. She watched as the Doctor took a deep breath, his mouth opening as the golden Vortex once again flowed out towards Hermione. Slowly his eyes opened and he sat up. Hermione grinned and threw herself at him and held him tightly.

The Doctor smiled into the curly hair of his soulmate, holding her just as tight. "Hello Hermione."

Hermione pulled back still grinning "Hello Doctor."

"You've grown beautifully." The Doctor said to her. Hermione blushed looking down and mumbled a thanks as she fiddled with her wand. The Doctor saw it and smiled "So I was right, you are a witch."

Hermione's eye snapped to his, wide in shock. "How?"

"'I can appear and disappear, make books come to me from the highest shelve.'" He smiled quoting 8 year old her.

Hermione returned it before she gasped "Rose and Mickey!" she said standing "There in danger. Big alien ship."

"Let's go!" he grinned holding his hand out.

She grabbed it as the Doctor threw the doors of the TARDIS open. "Did you miss me?" he asked grinning. The Sycorax Leader roared in fury and lashed his whip at the Doctor, who simply caught the end and pulled it away from him. He discarded it. "You could have someone's eye out with that!" You could have had my soulmates eye out with it. He thought as he looked at Hermione from the corner of his eye to make sure she was alright. The Sycorax Leader just roared again and tried to attack the Doctor with his staff, but the Doctor snatched it off him and snapped it over his knee. He chucked the broken pieces on the floor. "You just can't get the staff. Now, you, just wait. I'm busy." The Sycorax Leader stared at him incredulously. The Doctor pointed at him warningly, then walked over to Mickey. Pulling Hermione with him. "Mickey! Hello!" he turned to Harriet as Hermione hugged Mickey. The Doctor had to stop himself from pulling her away remembering they were best friends. "And Harriet Jones MP for Flydale North! Blimey, it's like 'This Is Your Life'!" he turned to Rose as Hermione said hello to Harriet "Tea! That's all I needed! A good cup of tea! Superheated infusion of free radicals and tannin. Just the thing for healing the synapses..." he lowered his voice looking serious "Now...first thing's first...be honest. How do I look?"

"Um...different." Rose replied.

The Doctor not liking her reply looked to Hermione "Good different or bad different?"

"Good." Hermione smiled.

"Really? How good?"

Hermione blushed "Very." She replied making the Doctor grin, pleased that his soulmate found him pleasing.

He then turned serious again "Am I...ginger?" he asked her, neither noticing Rose's glare.

"No, you're just sort of brown." Hermione said looking at his messy hair,

The Doctor pouted "Aww, I wanted to be ginger. I've never been ginger." He then turned to Rose pointing violently "And you, Rose Tyler, fat lot of good you were, you gave up on me, oh, that's rude. That's the sort of man I am now, am I? Rude." He pondered this "Rude and not ginger."

"Better than being ginger and rude." Hermione told him, remembering the temper of a certain redhead.

"I'm sorry," Harriet said cutting in "who is this?"

"I'm the Doctor." The Doctor smiled at her.

"He's the Doctor." Rose agreed hesitantly still not sure if it was.

"But what happened to my Doctor? Or is it a title that's just passed on?" Harriet asked.

The Doctor walked towards her "I'm him. I'm literally him. Same man, new face, well, new everything."

Harriet frowned "But you can't be."

"Harriet Jones. We were trapped in Downing Street, and the one thing that scared you wasn't the aliens...wasn't the war...it was the thought of your mother being on her own."

Harriet gasped "Oh, my God."

The Doctor bent down slightly "Did you win the election?"

"Landslide majority." Harriet smiled pleased.

"If I might interrupt!" the Sycorax Leader. They all spun around, having seemed to have forgotten him.

"Yes! Sorry! Hello, big fella!" the Doctor said.

"Who exactly are you?" the Sycorax Leader asked.

"Well." The Doctor with his grin still fixed "That's the question."

"I demand to know who you are!"

"I DON'T KNOW!" the Doctor shouted, imitating the Sycorax's voice. He then relaxes "See, there's the thing. I'm the Doctor, but beyond that, I...I just don't know. I literally do not know who I am. It's all untested." He walked around, addressing everyone "Am I funny? Am I sarcastic?" he looked at Hermione "Sexy?" he winked cheekily at her as she blushed and smiled shyly. "Right old misery? Life and soul? Right-handed? Left-handed? A gambler? A fighter? A coward? A traitor? A liar? A nervous wreck? I mean, judging by the evidence, I've certainly got a gob." Her noticed a big red button "And how am I gonna react when I see this?" pointed at it with an insane smile "A great big threatening button." He ran up the stairs laughing, pulling Hermione with him. He let go of her hand watching as she walked round waving her wand "A Great Big Threatening Button Which. Must. Not. Be. Pressed. Under. Any. Circumstances. Am I right? Let me guess, it's some sort of control matrix? Hmm? Hold on, what's feeding it?" He bent down and pulled open a small door in order to access the controls underneath the button. He noticed the red liquid inside. "And what've we got here? Blood?" he dipped his finger in it and tasted it "Yeah, definitely. Blood. Human blood. A Positive. With just a dash of iron." He waggled his tongue around at the nasty taste and wiped his finger on his dressing gown "Ahh. But that means..."

"Blood control..." Hermione told him.

He smiles delighted "Blood control! Oh! I haven't seen blood control for years! You're controlling all the A Positives!"

"I see it sometimes." Hermione told him.

The Doctor nodded "Which leaves us with a great big stinking problem. 'Cos...I really don't know who I am. I don't know when to stop. So if I see a Great Big Threatening Button. Which. Should. Never. Ever. Be. Pressed...then I just wanna do this." He whacked the button hard.

"No!" Rose and Harriet shouted in unison.

"You killed them!" the man with Harriet, who Hermione recognised as Alex, said shocked.

"What do you think, big fella? Are they dead?"

"We allow them to live." The Sycorax Leader replied defeated.

"Allow?" the Doctor asked

"You've no choice!" Hermione snapped "I mean, that's all blood control is. Cheap bit of voodoo."

"Scares the pants off you, but that's as far as it goes. It's like hypnosis...you can hypnotise someone to walk like a chicken or sing like Elvis, you can't hypnotise them to death. Survival instinct's too strong." The Doctor finished, squeezing Hermione's hand to calm her.

"Blood control was just one form of conquest. I can summon the armada and take this world by force." The Sycorax Leader told them.

"You won't just be up against normal humans." Hermione said "I and a lot of other people can do a lot worse than voodoo. At the age of 18 I helped take down a man who consider himself immortal."

"Look at these people." The Doctor gestures to the humans, speaking passionately "These human beings. Consider their potential. From the day they arrive on the planet and blinking step into the sun. There is more to see than can ever be seen. More to do than...no, hold on..." he paused thinking "Sorry, that's 'The Lion King'. But the point still stands. Leave them alone!"

"Or what?" the Sycorax Leader demanded.

"Or..." the Doctor released Hermione's hand and grabbed a sword from one of the Sycorax guarding Rose and the others, he ran down the steps into the empty floor space in front of the TARDIS and raised it into the air. "I challenge you." The Sycorax Leader and the other Sycorax burst out laughing. "Oh, that struck a chord. Am I right that the sanctified rules of combat still apply?"

The Sycorax Leader came down the steps and unsheathing his sword "You stand as this world's champion."

The Doctor shrugged of his dressing gown "Thank you. I've no idea who I am, but you just summed me up." he tossed it to Hermione, who caught it and placed it over her arm. "So...you accept my challenge? Or are you just a cranak pel casacree salvak?" The Sycorax Leader hissed. Letting Hermione, Rose and the others know the Doctor just insulted the alien. They both kneeled by their swords.

"For the planet?" the Sycorax Leader stated.

"For the planet."

They stood up and faced each other, holding their swords at the ready. Hermione held her wand tightly in her hand, but guessed if this was like a wizards duel she couldn't help or they'd lose. The Doctor and the Sycorax Leader ran at each other and began to fight. After a few seconds, the Doctor was thrown aside, the Sycorax Leader laughed. The Doctor, however, just straightened himself up and they began to fight again. The Sycorax Leader swinging his sword at the Doctor.

"Look out!" Rose shouted to the Doctor.

"Oh, yeah, that helped. Wouldn't have thought of that otherwise, thanks." The Doctor called back sarcastically. They began to fight again, Hermione and Rose watching them, terrified. The Doctor led the fight up the stairs. "Bit of fresh air?" He hit a button and a door opened, leading to a platform on the outside of the spaceship.

They continued their fight. Hermione, Rose, Mickey, Harriet, Alex and a few of the Sycorax following them. The Sycorax Leader managed to catch the Doctor slightly on his nose, and he groaned. Rose began to run forward, but Hermione quickly snatched up her arm stopping her as the Doctor raised a hand to stop her.

"Stay back! Invalidate the challenge and he wins the planet." He wiped his nose, and he and the Sycorax Leader ran towards each other, clashing swords. They both grimaced with the effort, and the Doctor is knocked backwards to the ground. Taking advantage, the Sycorax Leader slashed at the Doctor's wrist, succeeding in chopping his hand off, up to the elbow. It falls off the side of the spaceship, sword and all. The Doctor watched it drop, and looked back at the Sycorax Leader, looking rather stunned and annoyed.

"You cut my hand off." He breathed.

The Sycorax Leader cheered "Yah! Sycorax!"

The Doctor got to his feet "And now I know what sort of man I am. I'm lucky. 'Cos quite by chance...I'm still within the first fifteen hours of my regeneration cycle. Which means I've got just enough residual cellular energy...to do this." He held up his stump of an arm, and before the eyes of the observers, it grew right back. Hermione gasped and felt questions bubbling to the surface.

"Witchcraft." The Sycorax Leader breathed.

"Time Lord."

Hermione summoned a sword from one of the Sycorax's "Doctor!" she called The Doctor turned and she tossed it to him. He caught it by the handle and spun it around grinning at Hermione in thanks.

"Wanna know the best bit?" the Doctor asked the leader "This new hand..." he adopted a Texan accent "It's a fightin' hand!"

The Doctor ran at the Sycorax Leader, and the fight commenced once more. They clashed swords for a few more moments, then the Doctor jabbed him hard in stomach with the handle of the sword. The onlookers winced, and the Sycorax Leader groaned. The Doctor did it twice more, causing the Sycorax Leader to fall to the ground. The Doctor pointed his sword at his throat.

"I win." The Doctor panted.

"Then kill me." the Sycorax Leader replied with difficulty.

"I'll spare your life if you'll take this champion's command: leave this planet, and never return. What do you say?"

"Yes."

The Doctor was as angry and serious as anyone had yet seen him, jabbing the sword closer "Swear on the blood of your species."

"I swear." The Sycorax Leader swore labouredly.

"There we are, then!" the Doctor said lightly "Thanks for that! Cheers, big fella!" He jabbed the sword into the ground.

"Bravo!" Harriet called clapping.

Rose rushed forward, Hermione not far behind her. "That says it all. Bravo!"

"Yeah! Not bad for a man in his jim-jams!" Hermione put the dressing gown back on the Doctor. Before she grabbed his regrown hand and examined it, the Doctor grinned before sliding his fingers through hers "Very Arthur Dent. Now, there was a nice man. Hold on, what have I got in here?" He took a satsuma out of his pocket. Rose giggled as Hermione smiled amused. "A satsuma. Ah, that friend of your mothers, he does like his snacks doesn't he? But doesn't that just sum up Christmas?" They all began to walk back to the door. The Doctor threw the satsuma in the air and caught it. "You go through all those presents and right at the end, tucked away at the bottom, there's always one stupid old satsuma. Who wants a satsuma?"

Behind them, the Sycorax Leader got to his feet. He picked up his sword, roaring, ready to charge. Without even turning around, the Doctor lobbed the satsuma at a switch on the side of the ship, causing the ground beneath the Sycorax Leader to open as Hermione threw a Bat Bogey Hex behind her at the charging alien. He tumbled to Earth, screaming and fighting the flying bogey bats. The Doctor's smile had faded from his face. "No second chances. I'm that sort of a man."

"And that's witchcraft" Hermione threw over her shoulder.

They walked back into the ship, all standing in front of the TARDIS. The Doctor addressed the remaining Sycorax. "By the ancient rites of combat, I forbid you to scavenge here for the rest of time. And when go you back to the stars and tell others of this planet...when you tell them of its riches, its people, its potential. When you talk of the Earth, then make sure that you tell them this: It is defended."

The TARDIS, the Doctor, Hermione, Rose, Harriet, Mickey and Alex are all teleported away.

oOo

The group materialised back on Earth. They all look around to try and guess where they were returned.

"Where are we?" Rose asked.

"We're just off Bloxom Road. We're just round the corner, we did it!" Mickey laughed and jumped up and down in glee.

The Doctor held his hand out as the spaceships engines started up. "Wait a minute...wait a minute..." The ship took flight, back to the skies. The Doctor grinned.

"Go on, my son!" Mickey called gleefully "Oh, yeah!"

Rose jumped on Mickey's back "Yeah! Don't come back!"

"It is defended!" Mickey laughed happily along with Rose as she jumped off his back and hugged him.

Hermione grinned at the Doctor before she hugged him. She pulled back and then ran towards Rose and Mickey, pulling them both in a group hug as the three jumped up and down happily.

The Doctor smiled as he watched the happy Hermione, he then turned to Harriet.

She raised her arms, grinning. "My Doctor." She said.

"Prime Minister." The Doctor also grinned, the both of them hugged happily.

"Absolutely the same man." The Doctor smiled. Then they both turned to look up at the sky. "Are there many more out there?"

"Oh, not just Sycorax. Hundreds of species. Thousands of them. And the human race is drawing attention to itself. Every day you're sending out probes and messages and signals, this planet's so noisy. You're getting noticed...more and more." He looked at her as Hermione rejoined him "You'd better get used to it."

"Rose! Hermione!" Jackie called.

"Mum!" Rose called.

"Aunt Jackie!" Hermione grinned.

"Oh! Talking of trouble...!" the Doctor said walking towards Jackie.

Rose ran up to her mum "Oh, my God! You did it, Rose! Oh!" Jackie exclaimed.

"You did it too! It was the tea! Fixed his head!" Rose told her.

"That was all I needed, cup of tea." The Doctor told her as Jackie hugged Hermione.

"I said so!" Jackie said pleased.

Rose smiled happily "Look at him!"

"Is it him, though? Is it really the Doctor?" Jackie asked before she noticed Harriet "Oh, my God! It's the bleeding Prime Minister!"

"Come here, you." the Doctor said holding out his arms to Jackie, who threw her arms around him. Hermione, Rose and Mickey join in the group hug.

"Aww...! Are you better?" Jackie asked him.

"I am, yeah!"

Jackie turned quickly to Hermione and Rose. "You both left me!" Hermione just held up her hands shaking her head as she pointed at Rose smiling.

"I'm sorry!" Rose replied.

"I had all the food!"

Suddenly a green light shot loudly from the ground nearby, making everyone jump. They all watched as four more beams joined the other. The energy shot up into space and then there was an explosion in the sky.

Rose gasped "What is that? What's happening?"

Jackie and Hermione put their hands over their mouths. The Doctor looked unsmilingly from the sky to Harriet. He walked toward her slowly.

"That was murder." The Doctor gritted out angrily.

"That was defence." Harriet stated "It's adapted from alien technology. A ship that fell to Earth ten years ago."

"But they were leaving." Hermione snapped.

"You said yourself, Doctor. They'd go back to the stars and tell others about the Earth. I'm sorry, Doctor, but you're not here all the time. You come and go. It happened today, Mr Llewellyn and the Major. They were murdered. They died right in front of me while you were sleeping. In which case, we have to defend ourselves." She then looked to Hermione "And would your people be able to stop any of them?"

The Doctor stood in front of Hermione "Britain's Golden Age." He said disdainfully.

"It comes with a price."

"I gave them the wrong warning. I should've told them to run, as fast as they can, run and hide because the monsters are coming: the human race."

"Those are the people I represent. I did it on their behalf." Harriet snapped.

"Then I should've stopped you."

"What does that make you, Doctor? Another alien threat?"

The Doctor stepped towards her angrily. Hermione grabbed the back of his dressing gown to stop him from doing something terrible. "Don't challenge me, Harriet Jones. 'Cos I'm a completely new man. I could bring down your Government with a single word."

"You're the most remarkable man I've ever met. But I don't think you're quite capable of that." Harriet said.

Hermione then went on her toes and whispered into the Doctors ear. He nodded and looked to Harriet "No, you're right. Not a single word." Looked down at her silently for a few seconds. "Just six."

"I don't think so."

"Six words."

"Stop it!" Harriet said.

"Six." he stared at her for a few more seconds. He then walked around her and approached Alex. He took off his earpiece and spoke to him quietly, so Harriet couldn't hear him. "Don't you think she looks tired?" He walked off again, leaving Alex looking rather confused, and Harriet plain alarmed. He grabbed Hermione's hand and they joined Rose, Jackie and Mickey again, and the five of them walked off down the street, with Harriet calling after them.

oOo

Hermione, Rose, Jackie and Mickey all helped set up Christmas dinner as they waited on the Doctor. Hermione had arranged a meeting with Kingsley through her coin. She needed to tell him about the spaceship and what Harriet had done to it, and about the weapon that the muggles had that they never knew about. This weapon scared her, the muggle government knew about them, so would they use this weapon on them if they displeased them?

The front door opened and the Doctor entered. Hermione smiled at him and noted how handsome he looked in his new clothes. The Doctor returned her smile as he moved more into the flat.

"You look great!" Hermione grinned.

"Good, good." The Doctor grinned.

"Come on, you lot. Dinners done." Jackie called.

The Doctor walked forward and pulled Hermione's chair out before sitting next to her with a big grin. Rose walked in with a tray and her smile fell when she saw the two sat together closely. Once everyone was sat crackers were starting to be pulled. Rose screamed as the Christmas cracker she pulled with the Doctor banged.

The Doctor winning but he gave it to Rose anyway. "Oh, that's yours..."

Rose took a pink paper party hat out of the cracker. "It's pink! Mum, it should be yours!" she turned back to the Doctor to see him pulling a cracker with Hermione both of them laughing and grinning.

She glared at the pair before the TV distracted her. "Look, it's Harriet Jones!"

They all turn to look at the television, the Doctor taking a pair of glasses from his pocket and putting them on. Hermione smiled at him "Even better." She whispered to him, making him grin.

"Prime Minister, is it true you are no longer fit to be in position?" the man on the TV asked.

"No. Now, can we talk about other things?" Harriet replied. The Doctor stood to get a better view of the TV.

"Is it true you're unfit for office?" the man asked again.

"Look, there is nothing wrong with my health! I don't know where these stories are coming from! And a vote of no confidence...is completely unjustified."

The phone rang and Jackie got up to answer it.

"Are you going to resign?"

"On today of all days, I'm fine. Look at me, I'm fine. I look fine, I feel fine." Harriet said frustrated and confused.

"It's Beth." Jackie said "She says go and look outside."

The Doctor took his glasses off and turned back to the others.

"Why?" Rose asked.

"I dunno, just go outside and look. Come on, shift!"

They all got up and left the flat. Once they were outside they saw they weren't alone. There appeared to be snow falling making them all laugh in delight. Hermione gasped as she looked up seeing meteors in the sky. The Doctor, Hermione and Rose stood beside each other, Jackie and Mickey a short way behind them.

"Oh, that's beautiful. What are they, meteors?" Rose asked.

"It's the spaceship breaking up in the atmosphere. This isn't snow, it's ash." The Doctor said.

"Not so beautiful." Hermione stated. She rooted around in her bag before she pulled an empty vial out and took a sample of the ash, so she could test it to see if they could defend themselves against the energy.

"This is a brand new planet Earth. No denying the existence of aliens now, everyone saw it. Everything's new."

"And what about you? What are you gonna do next?" Rose asked him.

"Well...back to the TARDIS...same old life." He replied.

"On...on your own?" Rose asked tentatively.

"Why, don't you wanna come?" the Doctor asked dejected that the girl he considered a sister might not join him again.

"Well, yeah." Rose replied hopeful.

"Do you, though?"

"Yeah!"

"I just thought...'cos I changed..."

"Yeah, I...I thought, 'cos you changed...you might not want me anymore."

"Oh, I'd love you to come!" The Doctor said happily.

"Okay!" They laughed, beaming at each other.

The Doctor then turned to Hermione "What about you? Wanna come?" he asked, ruining Rose's happy mood instantly.

"I would love too." Hermione said making him grin, she hated to ruin it. Her magic literally warring with her about the decision she was about to make "But I have a report to give and then we have to discuss that weapon we didn't know about and how it could potential be used against my people. Rose also deserves your first few adventures as the new you to herself." The Doctor sagged dejected before Hermione went on her toes to whisper in his ear again, both not seeing the relieved smile from Rose "Ask me next time and see if my answer is the same." She grinned at the happy smile that crossed his face and he nodded.

"You're never gonna stay, are you?" Mickey asked, hoping Hermione had accepted the Doctors invitation and hoping Rose then declined because of it. The Doctor, Hermione and Rose looked at him.

"There's just so much out there. So much to see...I've got to." Rose told him.

Mickey smiles, understanding but still not happy. "Yeah."

"Well, I reckon you're mad. The pair of you. It's like you go looking for trouble." Jackie said.

"Oh Aunt Jackie, if you wanted to see trouble, you should meet my friend Harry. It's like he's a magnet for it." Hermione grinned.

The Doctor rushed up to Jackie "Trouble's just the bits in-between" he put his arm around her and looks to the sky "It's all waiting out there, Jackie. It's brand new to me." Hermione and Rose smiled. "All those planets...creatures and horizons...I haven't seen them yet! Not with these eyes..." he stood beside Hermione "And it is gonna be...fantastic."

He grabbed hold of Hermione's hand wanting to have as much contact with her as he could. Hermione squeezed wanting the same and hoping it will settle her magic long enough until they saw each other again. She then got an idea and rummaged through her bag, she pulled out a pen and her notebook. She pulled her hand reluctantly from the Doctors and then wrote down her landline and mobile number.

"I won't always be there to answer, magic and electricity doesn't really work well together. But I will always call back." she smiled as she handed the piece of paper over to him.

The Doctor grinned and stuck it in his pocket before he grabbed her hand again and looked to the sky. He was going to have one maybe two adventures with Rose before he would come back for his soulmate and then he could start to completely rebuild his life again. Free from war.