Chapter 2

...

Sarah Jane watched the Doctor as he fiddled about with the console, not once looking in her general direction since they had re-entered the TARDIS. She would have been lying if she wasn't worried about him. They had left Mickey outside with Rose, hoping the younger man would keep an eye on her. The last thing they needed was for Rose to wander off into the unknown when none of them knew what could be waiting for them.

She came out of her thoughts when she heard the Doctor slam his hands on the console, then kicked it in frustration before sauntering over to the chair with a scowl on his face.

"Did that help?" Sarah asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes."

"Did that hurt?"

"Yes. Ow." He muttered painfully as he sat down and began to rub his foot.

Sarah shook her head, walking over to where he sat. Kneeling down in front of him, she placed her hands over his own prompting him to look at her.

"I know you're worried, but you need to have more faith in Rose. Mickey is with her; I doubt he will let her run off." She gave him an encouraging smile.

"Yes, but all it takes is one small temptation and boom, end of the world as we know it. I've been there myself, Sarah. You saw it first hand at Deffrey Vale when Finch offered me the ability to change the universe, to save everyone, even restore the Time Lords and have you and Rose by my side forever, never growing old. It would have been so easy to have said yes."

"You didn't though."

"Only because of you and what you said to me that day. If you hadn't been there, I don't want to think about what would have happened."

"I've known you for years, Doctor. I know you would have done the right thing."

The Doctor gave her a sad smile, "You put too much faith in me, Sarah. If only you knew the things I've done, your perception of me would change."

"I said I know you, Doctor, I never said you were a saint. You have to make the hard decisions because no one else will. I know it doesn't seem fair, but it's true. All these years you've had the universe on your shoulders; lost people you've cared about along the way. You may think you've always been alone Doctor, but you couldn't be more wrong. The worlds you've seen, the people you've met, the lives you've saved- people never forget you. If they have, it's not been by their choice. You've touched the lives of so many people, Doctor that you'll never be alone."

The Doctor stared at Sarah not knowing what to say. He had never thought about it that way. He may be the only Time Lord left, but he had made a family of sorts for himself along the way without even realising.

"What would I do without you, Sarah?

"Oh, I don't know. You seem to have done pretty fine without me for the past thirty or so years. Minus the half a dozen regenerations since the last time we met."

"Yeah, sorry about that. You think after all those regenerations I would have been at least ginger at one point."

"Ginger? I can't picture you being ginger, Doctor. Besides, I've grown quite fond of your current incarnation."

The Doctor was about to reply when he heard the doors to the TARDIS open, and Mickey walked in with no Rose in sight.

"Where's Rose? I told you to keep an eye on her!"

"She's alright…" Mickey said dismissively.

"She goes wandering off, parallel world, it's like a gingerbread house! All those temptations calling out!" The Doctor snapped.

"Oh, so it's just Rose then? Nothing out there to tempt even Sarah Jane or me?"

"Well, I don't know, I can't worry about everything..."

"For all, you know there could be a human version of yourself here, the one Sarah Jane travelled with all those years ago," Mickey exclaimed staring over at the Doctor refusing to back down.

The Doctor's face paled as he watched Sarah stand up almost in a daze. "That's impossible." He muttered, trying to let Mickey's words have an impact on him.

"Is it? How do you know?" Mickey defended.

"Right, both of you that's enough!" Sarah looked at both men. "Arguing is getting us nowhere. We have more pressing matters to deal with." She looked over at Mickey. "Where's Rose?"

"I left her on one of the benches not too far away from the TARDIS. I think she wanted some time alone to process everything."

"While I can understand that it's a shock, she shouldn't be left alone. So, if you two want to continue arguing go right ahead, but I'm going to check on her. Try not to kill each other while I'm gone."

Mickey and the Doctor watched as she left the TARDIS, leaving the two of them feeling like small children.

"Has she always been like that?"

The Doctor smiled fondly, "Oh, you have no idea, Mickey. Even in her twenties, she was a force to be reckoned with. I don't know how many times she put me in my place and any enemies we met as well."

"I can imagine."

The Doctor ran his fingers through his hair, "She's right though. We do have more pressing matters to be dealing with. We're not meant to be here. The TARDIS draws its power from the universe, but it's the wrong universe. It's like diesel in a petrol engine."

Mickey walked over and sat down next to the Doctor. "But... I've seen it in comics. People are hopping from one alternate world to another; it's easy."

The Doctor gave him a withering look, "Not in the real world. It used to be easy. When the Time Lords kept their eye on everything, you could hop between realities, home in time for tea. Then they died, took it all with them. The walls of reality closed, the worlds were sealed. Everything became that bit less kind."

"Then how did we get here?"

"I dunno. Accident? Should've been impossible, now we're trapped."

The two lapsed into silence when suddenly the Doctor caught a faint green light from the corner of his eye beneath the console.

"What's that?"

Mickey looked at where he's pointing wondering if he's gone insane. "What?"

"That there, is that a reflection? It's not."

Mickey finally saw the faint light as he and the Doctor crouch down to stare at it.

It's a light!" The Doctor cried excitedly. Is it? Is that a light? I think that's light! That's all we need!"

They both removed the grilling from the floor, seeing the light glow a bit brighter.

"We've got power! Mickey, we've got power! Ha!"

Mickey continued to stare at the light in hope. They were finally one step closer to getting back home.

/*\*/*\

Rose stared out into the Thames, deep in thought as the zeppelins chugged softly in the sky. Looking up, she watched as one flew low over her head, with a strange logo on the bottom. Rose stared up at it for a few moments, only looking away when she heard her phone emit a series of beeps. Taking it out her pocket, she started to read the message on the screen for what appeared to be a free trial for an internet network. Clicking on the link, she watched as it brought up news footage of John Lumic returning to Britain.

Rose watched the report with intrigue as the reporter started to discuss Cybuus industries, and how Lumic was the inventor of high-content metal. She glanced back up at the zeppelin realising who must be inside it.

"How are you feeling?"

Rose jumped at not having heard Sarah Jane approach, watching as the older woman sat down on the bench next to her.

"Alright, given the circumstances," Rose muttered looking back at her phone and shutting off the link.

"I know it can't be easy for you, but the Doctor is worried about you, I'm sure you know that. He only has your best interests at heart. He doesn't want to see you get hurt."

"And I won't. I just want to see my dad. To see what he's like in this universe and if he's still the same man. If you were in my position, say you had the chance to meet someone again you thought you lost, wouldn't you want the chance to see them one last time?"

Sarah looked away as she thought of Mickey's earlier words back in the TARDIS, imagining such a scenario, but it would never happen. She had already said her goodbyes; there was nothing more to be said or done.

"If you asked me that earlier before this happened, I would have said yes, but even if I did meet that person again, it wouldn't be them. If anything, it would feel like I've lost them all over again."

"You don't know that."

"Rose, this isn't our world. We don't belong here."

"You're starting to sound like him," Rose muttered bitterly.

"Alright, let's say you visit your dad, and he welcomes you with open arms. Maybe even offers you to stay here in this world, would you? When you know, you have a mother waiting back home for you. Would you leave her, to live the perfect life with Pete and your mother in this world, assuming he is married to your mother of course? Can you honestly sit here, and tell me you would you throw away everything your real mum and dad have given you, for a Pete in this world who doesn't even know you exist?"

Rose looked away, not wanting the older woman to see how much her words impacted her.

"I'm not saying this to hurt you, Rose. I just don't want to see you get hurt." Sarah finished softly.

"I appreciate the offer, but you aren't changing my mind."

Sarah looked at her sadly, "You don't even know anything about him, or where he lives."

"No, but I can search." She quickly typed away on her phone. "Cybus network gave me a free trial."

Sarah narrowed her eyes, "Cybus network? Why would an internet network give out free trials?"

"Maybe they're promoting a new service?" Rose replied absentmindedly never taking her eyes off her phone. "Ah ha, found him."

Sarah watched as the smile fell from her face, knowing it wasn't the information she had been hoping for. She inwardly sighed wishing for once in her life that people would listen to her.

/*\*/*\

Mickey looked on as the Doctor started pulling out various cables and wires underneath the console deliriously happy.

"It's alive!"

"What is it?" Mickey asked in apprehension.

"It's nothing. It's tiny. One of those insignificant little power cells that no one ever notices, and it's clinging to life. But with one little ounce of reality tucked away inside."

"Enough to get us home?"

"Not yet." The Doctor replied, picking up the power cell and sat back on the small set of stairs under the grilling. "I need to charge it up." He held it carefully, cupped in both hands.

"We could go outside and latch it up to the national grid!

"Wrong sort of energy. It's gotta come from our universe."

"But we don't have anything."

"There's me." He replied blowing gently on the power cell causing it to glow brightly. "I just gave away ten years of my life. Worth every second!"

The Doctor and Mickey stared at the power cell with huge grins, when suddenly the light started to fade.

"It's going out. Is that okay?"

"It's on a recharging cycle. It grows brighter again, and then back to dim and so on. It'll loop around, power back up and be ready to take us home in, oh, twenty-four hours?" He said kissing the power cell.

"So, that gives us twenty-four hours on a parallel world?"

"Surely! As long as we keep our heads down, shouldn't be a problem." He tossed the power cell into the air and caught it again. "Let's go and tell Rose and Sarah." The Doctor ran towards the door, ordering K9 to stand guard.

"Affirmative."

The Doctor and Mickey left the TARDIS and saw Rose and Sarah Jane sitting on one of the many benches along the embankment. The Doctor ran over to them with a massive grin on his face.

"There you two are. I managed to fix it." He held out the power cell for the two women to inspect.

"It's beautiful," Sarah muttered in awe, as she ran her fingers over the cell. "How did you manage it?"

"A little bit of energy from myself, and voila. It's currently recharging."

"How long will it take?" Sarah asked finally tearing her eyes off the cell.

"Twenty-four hours, then we're flying back to reality."

Sarah smiled at him. "Well, it seems we're stuck here for twenty-four hours."

"Yup." He said popping the 'p' then looked over at Rose, who hadn't even glanced his way since his and Mickey's arrival.

His grin faded when he noticed the mobile in Rose's hand, and he looked at Sarah who merely shook her head sadly.

"What is it?"

"My phone connected. There's this Cybus Network; it finds your phone. It gave me Internet access."

The Doctor squeezed himself in between the two women. "Rose, whatever it says, this is the wrong world."

"I don't exist," muttered Rose sadly.

"What do you mean?"

"There's no Rose Tyler. I was never born. There's Pete, my dad, and Jackie... he still married mum... but they never had kids."

"Give me that phone." He reached out trying to snatch the mobile only for Rose to pull it away from his grasp.

"They're rich. They've got a house and cars, and everything they want. But they haven't got me." She told him, her voice breaking.

Standing up, she started to walk away from the bench.

"Rose."

Turning around, she faced the Doctor with determination. "I've gotta see him."

"You can't!"

"I just wanna see him."

"I can't let you!" The Doctor replied getting up off the bench.

"You just said twenty-four hours! That's more than enough time to go and see him, then return to the TARDIS."

"You can't become their daughter, that's not the way it works! Mickey, tell her," demanded the Doctor as he turned to look at the younger man.

"Twenty-four hours, yeah?"

"You can't be serious?" Sarah stood up and looked over at Mickey. "We need to stick together. Wandering off isn't going to do us any favours."

The Time Lord looked at Mickey in bewilderment, "Where're you going?"

"You're not my keeper, Doctor. I can do what I want!"

"I've got the address and everything," Rose called walking backward with every word.

The Doctor looked back and forth frantically between the two of them.

"Stay where you are, both of you! Rose, come back here! Mickey, come back here right now!

"I just wanna see him," Rose called.

"Yeah, I've got things to see and all." Mickey declared.

"Like what?"

"Well, you don't know anything about me, do ya? It's always about Rose. I'm just a spare part. The only person who seems to know I exist is Sarah Jane." Mickey shouted before walking away in the opposite direction.

Sarah ran after him and placed a hand on his shoulder causing him to turn around. "Don't do this, Mickey."

"I'm sorry, but I just need some time alone."

"I'm sorry. I've gotta go. Rose said walking away. The Doctor turned from Rose to Mickey as they both started to walk away from him not knowing which way to turn. He looked over at Sarah who seemed to be just as lost as he was currently feeling.

"Go on then, Doctor?" he said gesturing to Rose. "No choice, is there? You can only chase after one of us, and it's never gonna be me, is it?"

Rose stopped walking backward, turned and started to leave.

"Sarah, go with Mickey. We don't know what's out there. I want you both back here in twenty-four hours!" He said the last part more for Mickey's benefit. "Take this." He held out a mobile for her to take. "Call me if you need me."

Sarah nodded and pocketed the mobile. "Be careful, Doctor." She told him before following after Mickey.

"You too, Sarah." He whispered staring at her for a few seconds, then turned and ran after Rose.

Sarah jogged to catch up with Mickey. "Where are you going?"

"You really wanna know?"

Sarah stopped and walked beside him. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't." Sarah gave him an encouraging smile.

"When I was little, I didn't exactly have the best childhood. My father left to go to Spain and never came back. After that, my mother just couldn't cope, so I moved in with my gran, who brought me up. Even though she was blind, she still used to slap me silly when I misbehaved. She was a great woman."

"What happened to her?"

"About five years ago, she tripped over the tear in her stair carpet and fell down the stairs. My gran died all because I never fixed that stupid tear, even though she had asked me countless times to fix it. I never did. I've blamed myself ever since."

"I'm sorry, Mickey, I know it doesn't mean much, but It wasn't your fault," Sarah told him softly. "Is that what you meant by you have got things to see. You want to see if you're gran is still alive in this universe?"

"I thought if I see her again and apologise it will give me some closure."

Sarah smiled, "then let's see if we can find her."

/*\*/*\

At the air slip, Pete Tyler watched as Lumic's zeppelin touched down, creating a small gust of wind, just as a car pulls up and three men get out. Pete walked towards them, with a smile.

"Mr Tyler. Couldn't the matter wait until tonight?"

"Mr President," Pete said shaking the man's hand. "Honoured. I'm on the fast-track program. Cybus Industries have pulled up my company, so I'm part of the firm now."

"Some people say they've bought my Government." The president said which caused Pete to laugh.

"I've never heard anybody say that. Never." He replied giving him a wink and a thumbs up. "You can trust me on this."

"I tried your drink. That Vitex stuff. It tastes like Pop."

"Well, it is Pop."

The President seemed nonplussed by Pete's attempt at humour. "You made money by selling a health-food drink into a sick world. Not quite the ordinary Joe you appear to be, are you?"

Pete didn't know what to say, which caused the President to sigh.

"He does like to keep us waiting, doesn't he?" The President muttered walking off leaving no choice but for Pete to follow him.

They stopped at the foot of the steps that were descending from the zeppelin when the President once again decides to speak.

"Tell me - you've had a chance to observe John Lumic more than most. What's your opinion?"

Pete seemed to be taken off guard at the question, as he quickly thought of an answer. "He's very sharp, I'd say. Sharp as ever. Very clever man. Brilliant, in fact."

"Then, you don't think he's insane?"

"That's not the word I would've used, no," Pete replied beginning to feel uncomfortable with the line of questioning.

"I see." Said the president as he began to climb the steps into the zeppelin that would take them to Lumic.

/*\*/*\

Sarah and Mickey had been walking for over an hour, leaving the majority of the busy city behind. She had no trouble keeping up with her younger companion; she just wished her feet could say the same. They turned the corner, only to stop in their tracks at seeing the military barring the road ahead.

"What do you think is going on here?" Mickey whispered looking around.

"I'm not too sure." Sarah looked at the building next to her seeing the same logo that was at the bottom of one of the Zeppelins she had seen earlier at the embankment.

"Looks like trouble?" Mickey muttered seeing a soldier approach.

"Are we all right to get past?"

"Yeah. No bother. Curfew doesn't start 'til ten."

"There's a curfew?" Sarah asked, sharing a confused look with Mickey.

The soldier looked at them incredulously, "Course there is. Where have you been living? Up there with the toffs?" He looked up at the zeppelins in the sky.

Mickey and Sarah follow his gaze. "I wish," Mickey muttered as the soldier lifted the barrier for them, allowing them to go on their way.

Once they were a reasonable distance away, Sarah tugged on Mickey's arm signaling him to stop.

"Woah, why have we stopped?"

"Something strange is going on here, Mickey. Why would there be a curfew, better yet why would the military close off the full street for one building? It makes no sense."

"Gas leak, perhaps?" replied Mickey wondering where she was going with this.

"That doesn't explain the curfew," Sarah muttered to herself. "Come on, the sooner we arrive at your gran's the better I'll feel."

Mickey didn't question her further as he walked on while Sarah followed at a slower pace. Taking out her mobile, she quickly typed a quick text to the Doctor. If something was going on, she at least wanted to give him heads up.

She had just pressed send when Mickey called out to her asking if she was coming. Pocketing her phone, she followed after Mickey, hoping that her instincts were wrong.

/*\*/*\

Rose and the Doctor walked down another street, as the Time Lord found out more about Mickey's life. He couldn't help but feel guilty that he never paid more attention to the younger man. It was no wonder Sarah had taken a shining to him. He had done similar to Sarah when she travelled with him. Never listening to her needs because he was too occupied with something that seemed more interesting.

"I never knew." Said the Doctor softly.

"Well, you never asked."

"You never said!"

"That's Mickey. I suppose I... we just... take him for granted. Do you think she's still alive, his gran?"

"Could be. Like I said, parallel world, gingerbread house. We need to get out of here as fast as we can." The Doctor told her, just as he heard a beep come from his pocket. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the mobile, seeing a message from Sarah.

"Who is that then?"

"Sarah." The Doctor replied absentmindedly as he read the message.

"Of course it is," Rose muttered under her breath. "So what did she say?"

"The military has closed off the road. Don't know why or if it's just the one, but will find out. Be careful."

"It may be nothing," Rose said watching as he paid her no attention as he typed a reply.

"Or it may be something." He said pressing send. "I would rather she or Mickey didn't get themselves killed."

As soon as he finished his sentence, a low alarm echoed around them, causing them to look around seeing the passerby's suddenly freeze.

"Still think it's nothing?" He asked her confused.

"What are they all doing?"

"They've stopped..." The Doctor walked over beside one man to see his earpiece flashed and beeped quietly.

"It's the earpieces... like Bluetooth attachments, but everyone's seems to be connected."

"It's on my phone. It's automatic, look. It's downloading. Is this what they're all getting?"

The Doctor peered over her shoulder and put his specs on as Rose scrolled through the "daily downloads.

"News... international news... sport... weather..."

"They get it direct. Downloaded right into their heads."

"TV schedules, lottery numbers..."

"Everyone shares the same information." He said taking the phone from Rose. "Daily download published by Cybus Industries." They watched as the download scrolls to 'Joke' causing everyone around them to chuckle before going on their merry way.

The Doctor and Rose stared, utterly baffled as the crowd carried on as though nothing had happened.

"You lot, you're obsessed. You'd do anything for the latest upgrade."

"Oi... not my lot. Different world, remember..."

"It's not so far from your world. This place is only parallel. But it also means Sarah was right; something is certainly off about this full scenario." He said while pressing a few buttons on the phone.

"Oh, look at that. Cybus Industries owns just about every company in Britain, including Vitex. Mr Pete Tyler's very well connected."

Rose doesn't reply but instead hung off his arm smiling innocently giving him puppy-dog-eyes.

The Doctor sighed, "Oh, okay. I give up." He tossed the phone back to her. "Let's go and see your father." He only hoped he wouldn't regret his decision.