Disclaimer – I don't own Doctor Who or any of its characters as much as I wish I did.

Getting Left Behind

-Ruby's POV-

After the Doctor disappeared, I figured I should meet up with the Clive guy I've been emailing. I knock on the door, and this kid answers it.

"Hi, is Clive here? We've been emailing." I trail off hoping I'm at the right address.

"Sure, hold a bit." He turns around slightly, "Dad! It's one of your nutters!" *sigh* Well that's just great. Now I'm considered someone's "nutter". I'm starting to doubt coming here. I look back at Shareen who's waiting in the car. She was suspicious about this whole meeting and warning me that this guy could be crazy and might murder me or something. I wave at her letting her know I'll be fine, but she's still glaring suspiciously. Oh well, whatever. Clive leads me inside and called up the stairs to his wife, "She's read my web page! She's here about the Doctor."

"She? She's a she?!" I think I've worried his wife, but he doesn't seem to hear her. He's already talking about the Doctor as we head down to his basement. I hope this guy actually knows something.

It's been a couple hours since I was at Clive's house. Shareen and I went to grab a bite to eat at some restaurant. Shareen was hungry and I just wanted to get my mind off of that Doctor. Shareen's been acting weird though. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there's something not right. I've been kind of rambling about things to Shareen for the past few minutes, and I'm not really sure what I've been talking about.

"Your champagne, miss?" a voice broke into my thoughts.

"We didn't order any," I said, waving whoever offered it off. I don't bother to look up, because I just noticed that Shareen's face is looking a little waxy. "Shareen? You okay? You don't look so good…"

"Champagne for the happy couple?" The server offered again, but this time to Shareen. She waved him off irritably.

"We're not a couple, and we didn't order any –!" she cut off when she looked up at the server. Her expression changed completely into something I've never seen on her face before. I looked up too, to see the Doctor! I give him a confused, questioning look, but he just smiles his happy-go-lucky grin, shakes up the champagne bottle, and somehow shoots the cork at her forehead. What on earth?! It hit her, but her forehead rippled when it struck and it just disappeared into her head…until she spat it out. What is going on here!? Shareen grins and her hands start into form these paddle like things. She bashes the table and knocks it over. The Doctor grabs her around the head and yanks hard. Her head came off! But it's still talking, and the body is still moving. The body starts knocking things over and come towards us. People are panicking, someone could get hurt. I do some quick thinking, and spot a fire alarm.

"Everybody out! Go!" I shout, ushering couples nearest to me to leave. I look over to the Doctor, he grins and yet again, he says, "Run" and I follow him out the back of the building. Once we're outside, he does something to the door and I'm running around to look for an escape. There's only one gate, but it's chained shut! I start yanking at it in hopes it'll come loose or something.

"Doctor! Do that thing! On this and open it!" I shout back to him. I'm getting desperate, and turn around. He's unlocking this big blue box.

"What are you doing?! Doctor?" He just opens the door to it and steps in. It's a wooden box! What on earth is he thinking? That thing is already breaking through a metal door! I keep calling him, but he's still in it. I yank on the chain a few more times. I run to the blue box and run right inside to try to convince him to get us out of here. But the box, it's – it's bigger on the inside! I see the Doctor and he's just grinning. I'm just too freaked. I back out of the box to circle it at a run before I remember the alien thing beating down the restaurant's back door and race back inside. Leaning on the shut doors behind me, he just grins his wide grin, saying "So, what do you think?"

-Rose's POV-

"Rose!" Mum called to me as I stepped out of the shower. Wrapping a towel around myself, I pop my head out the door calling back to her, "Yeah Mum?"

"I'm goin' to do some late shopping; you can come if you like."

"Nah, that's okay. I've got to study for a test tomorrow." She paused a bit before responding.

"You want to study instead of going shopping." Not a question; just a deadpanned, doubtful statement. "Whatever. Suit yourself, but my phone's on if you need me."I hear the door shutting, the click of the lock, and I'm alone. I sigh to myself, walk to my bedroom and crank up the stereo thinking, "I hope the neighbours like this song."

I start to hunt for my hair dryer, when I see movement in the corner of my eye. I freeze, then slowly turn my head to look at whatever was moving. It was a Barbie? But it was moving. It was one of my older ones that I used to love. I didn't even know I still had that thing. It's still wearing an awful, pink space-age dress that I had once thought was very cool and chic. The little plastic snowman I had sitting on a bookshelf next to my bed jumped off the top of my books onto the floor. It stood up and started walking towards me too. What is going on here!? I mean, as freaky as all this is and I'm really curious as to how it was done, but I'm in a towel for goodness sake. There are more things moving in my room, like my plastic human body take apart kit and my purple haired Trollz doll that are on top my dresser.

They. Are all. Moving.

I've only just realized that I've backed myself up to my door. I twist the knob, slip through the narrow crack I've opened it to, and quickly shut it behind me. I lean against the wall just outside of my door. None of this makes any sense! How are all those things moving? What's the connection between them? Why tonight of all nights? Is there something special tonight? I go to the kitchen to look out the window, but it's not like a new moon or even a full moon.

Then it hits me. All the things moving are plastic. Not sure why that's important, but it's a fact. Fact number two, I've seen something else plastic moving of its own accord (or so it seemed); the hand from this morning. Fact number three, I'm still in just a towel…Never mind that though. I think all of the moving plastic things are moving toward whatever is alive and not plastic in a room. I'm thinking it's like, a heat signature that they've been going towards.

So if all the moving things are plastic things seem to be doing/ heading towards the same thing, they must be operated by a single unified controller. Why in my apartment? To what end? What's the objective? World domination is my first thought, but honestly, when does that actually happen outside of sci-fi novels and movies? Suddenly I'm startled out of my ponderings when my phone rings. Lucky for me, it's still in the living room.

"Rose?" I hear Mum's panicked voice say when I answer it. "Rose stay inside! It's not safe! Oh, it's not safe." She trails off almost as if she's talking to herself. I hear her scream, and there's a thunk. She must have dropped her phone.

"Mum?" I call to her, but no response comes. I hear gunshots in the background noise of Mum's phone and screams. I feel so helpless. I can't do anything but listen. Even if I went to go find and help her, I wouldn't know where to go and I'm only 14. What can I do? Build something useless? Besides, I can't go out like I am now. I feel like crying, but refuse to give in to the tears. The other side of the line goes silent. Absolutely nothing. I'm fairly certain that it's still connected, but it's like everything just stopped. I hear something hit Mum's phone, and it clicks, ending the call. I just hope she's okay. Where's Ruby? Last I heard she was with Shareen doing something or other.

There's a noise coming from the alley. I head back to the kitchen to check it out through the window. When I see it, I can't help but laugh out loud. There's a blue box in the middle of the alley. To my surprise – again – the doors on it open up, and out stumbles Shareen. She stumbles away and keeps going till her gait turns into a run in the direction of the apartment building she lives in.

"Shareen!" I faintly hear someone call; it's Ruby. I was so caught up in watching her, I didn't notice Ruby. Judging by where she's standing, she must've come out of the box too. Weird. The door of the box is still open. A guy pops his head out of the doors. Somehow I'm not surprised at all to see that the guy is the Doctor. Man, how did they all fit in there? The Doctor's saying something to Ruby, but I can't hear what it is. I'm assuming Ruby's talking too. After a bit, the Doctor ducks back into the box and closes the door.

I'm bored of watching by now, so I turn away from the window. But the moment I do, there's this strange noise; like a loud generator fan and a crappy car engine. I turn back to look and see the light on top of the blue box flashing and the box itself is disappearing. What?! It's gone! Ruby is just standing there, until she finally turns around and starts towards our apartment complex. All of a sudden, the box is back. The sound it made caused Ruby whip back around towards it. The Doctor pops his head out again, and says something to her. I can't see her face, but she starts running back down the alley and into the box.

"Ruby!" The shout is torn from my throat. Not long after that, the box disappears. Ruby left me. Again. But this time, she didn't even say goodbye. For the third time today, I feel absolutely helpless. First, I see a plastic arm hurting my sister, and I can't even help. Then I hear my mum screaming and I hear gunshots, but I couldn't do anything. Now, I see my sister disappear in a box that shouldn't be able to disappear, but does and I still can't do anything or even leave my apartment because I'm only in a towel. I try to be hopeful, but it's hard. She'll be back for me, I think to myself. I know it. She always comes back. Slowly, I walk back to my room. The door knocks over the now unmoving plastic things. I'll just wait for tomorrow to see if she's back by then.