Chapter 3: Together Again

When Darlene and Ahsoka walked inside the console room they weren't surprised to see Alex, dressed today in dark clothes, hard at work on the TARDIS console. His faithful Droid ID-RS beside him as they made modifications to the console, once the droid noticed them he said "so good to see you, Mistress Ahsoka, Mistress Darlene" at this the two friends smiled and bowed to the droid, the droid bowed back as a sign of respect and friendship.

"Good to see you too" said Ahsoka happily and she noticed a distinct change in the droid, in fact the whole console room had changed, from what used to be a white room with circular things in the walls, now changed to a more organic room, with coral surroundings everywhere making the whole place feel life like. ID looked liked that too and Ahsoka wondered if that happened all the time when the TARDIS changed it's desktop.

"You need any help?" Asked Darlene when she went to see Alex, who was working on retiring the central console "you look like your struggling there" suddenly Alex stopped and looked at Darlene thoughtfully, it was for a breif moment then he went back to his work.

"I'm afraid this is far too technical for your knowledge," Alex said speaking for the first time. "Even I don't know half the stuff that goes into this" when he saw Darlene's worried expression he smiled and said "don't worry, did I ever tell you that it's like I have a connection to this machine? Everything I do I only learn more of how this vessel works"

"Enough with the spacey-wacey stuff" Darlene said smiling and Alex had to smile with her. Though it was hard to see through his goggles he could tell that something was bothering Darlene and she didn't want to say it. Sky's loss had really affected her and he didn't want her going down the same path. To be honest she nearly did when Sky tried to turn her on Tatooine, and that really scared him.

If Sky got through to her, Alex would loose his best friend perhaps forever "you OK? I thought after Tatooine, you would perhaps" he would have said more but Darlene cut him off

"I know what you're gonna say" she sighed and looked away from him "no, it's just now that Team Avatar is together again, I don't wanna risk anything that might cause it to fall apart. These nightmares you keep having" Alex raised a hand and Darlene shut herself up.

"Ahsoka told you, didn't she?"

"She's worried about you, and she thinks if these nightmares get any worse."

"They've been getting worse all the time, why now should it matter?"

"Because we're you're friends. And we're worried for you, me more than Ahsoka"

"Don't worry about me." Alex said looking away from his work and standing up to face Darlene. He placed a hand on his friend's shoulder "if anything I should be more worried about you. How are you feeling?"

"After Tatooine?" Darlene asked and Alex nodded "worse. Scared even." She looked away from her friend and tried not to think about what she went through. Considering she'd almost lost her sanity. She was never ever going to go through that again. "What are we going to do if Sky gets out?"

"I'll protect you" Alex said taking off his goggles "you can count on me" when he said this Darlene smiled at him and she hugged him, Alex hugged her back, and looking back on it, he didn't regret it, he was lucky to have a friend like Darlene "what did I do to ever deserve you as a friend?"

"Probably the same thing I did to deserve you" Darlene said pulling away from the hug and wiping a tear away from her eyes. Ahsoka saw this and smiled.

"Hey" Alex said noticing his girlfriend for the first time "by the look on your face I say you have a destination in mind" Ahsoka smiled at this and walked next to him.

"How did you guess?"

"There's always a look" Alex said happily and he bounded up to the console room and prepared for the journey "so?" He said turning round and smiling "where to?"

"To Trap Street" Ahsoka said smiling "I believe there's someone that can help with your visions" Alex looked nervous at this and then turned to the console and typed the co-ordinates in. They had only visited once and that was not a happy occasion. "You OK?"

"Sure" Alex said reassuring himself, he flexed his fingers and finished typing the co-ordinates "to Trap Street we go" and just like that the familair rumbling and whooshing sounds could be heard as Ahsoka witnessed the TARDIS taking off for it's journey through the time vortex...