Chapter 7: Alex: The Girl Who Has Nothing Left

The Doctor walked to Alex's room and was about to knock when he felt like he was being watched. He turned around and didn't see anyone. He rubbed his neck and knocked on Alex's door. There was no answer. He turned around and was going to walk away when the door opened. He turned around and there was no one at the door. He looked up and asked, "Did you do that?"

There was slight hum and he smiled, "I knew it."

The Doctor walked into the room and Alex was laying on her bed. She was awake, but she wasn't moving. She had been crying most of the night. The Doctor sat on the end of her bed and told her, "I know it's hard and painful. It feels like everything you are has been stripped away and all you have left is your body. You want to go and die like the rest of them. You want to know if there was anything you could to save them. You think that if you could have done something different maybe they would have survived."

"How do you deal with it?" asked Alex. Her voice was weak and filled with pain and sadness.

"That's a question I have asked myself time and time and time again," the Doctor answered her, "I guess it's because I go and save others. I go and save others and other worlds and that gives me some comfort over the loss of my people and my planet. It won't go away, that feeling of pain, but it will fade. It will remain a giant scar in your heart that can only be healed by your people and planet returning."
"I lost my family?" asked Alex, "I was once a daughter and a sister. I am now nothing."

"I was once a son, a brother, a father, an uncle, a grandfather, a nephew. Now I am none of those things, but the one thing I am is the Doctor. I am the Doctor, and do you know who you are?"

"The girl who has nothing left. What good am I now? I can't even do my magic anymore," Alex whimpered.

"No, that's not who you are. I know who you are. You are Alex Russo. You are a human from planet Earth. You are destined for greatness," the Doctor told her, "Don't deny yourself that. Plus, don't count out your magic. We are no longer near the Rift at all. Your powers should be returning if they haven't already, but I would advice not using them as much off of Earth. In some parts of the universe, that would get you burned with the steak."

"You mean burnt at the stake," said Alex.

"No, you will be burned with Blunder Steak. It's a meat found in the Porclaan Galaxy and the residents of that galaxy find time wielders such as yourselves to be perfect sacrifices. I'm never going back there again," the Doctor joked.

Alex smiled and told him, "That doesn't sound like fun."

"It wasn't," the Doctor said, "But the point I'm trying to make is even though you've lost everything that doesn't mean you have to give up. Your existence may seem pointless, but it isn't. You haven't lost everyone, Alex. You still have me and Harper."

"I know, but I don't know if I'm up to this Key to Time thing," said Alex, "I just want to lie here forever and not do anything. I feel like giving up and I've never felt like this before."

"I know the feeling, but don't give up. Use all your willpower and not give up and don't give in. We'll need you," the Doctor told her, "We both need you. If you help us and everything is made right, none of this will have happened. Time will be rewritten and all things will be made right."

"Are you sure?" asked Alex. She sniffled again and sat up. She looked at the Doctor and leaned on him. The Doctor wrapped his arm around her and didn't say anything. She asked him, "How did you get your mind off of your loss?"

"I ran away from my past and tried not to remember anything, but no matter what I tried, I always remembered and it was always in the back of my mind, but I did get my mind off of it when I was doing something to help others," the Doctor told her, "That's what we're going to do now. We are going to help the rest of the life in the universe."

"Will that help me?" asked Alex.

"I honestly cannot tell you if it can or not," the Doctor told her, "It depends on the person. If it helps, use your family for your inspiration. Whenever you think you are going to give up and give in, remember that they are what you are fighting for. Fighting for the ones you love will drive you even more than fighting for your people as a whole."

"Why are you telling me that, Doctor?" asked Alex.

"Because I know you. You will fight to get what you want and you want your family back, right?"

Alex nodded.

The Doctor said, "Use that when we are on this journey to assemble the Key. We will make it right, but I need you, Alex Russo. You are going to go and help us. You need to in order to get your family back. We found the location of the second segment of the Key and I came to see if you wanted to come with us."

"Yeah, I'll go," Alex said. She stood up and turned to the Doctor, "I just need to change, but I don't have any clothes."

"There is a massive wardrobe in the TARDIS," said the Doctor, "But if you are going to get into a new set of clothes go for something that is good in a very humid environment. It's a planet called Oceans. It's a planet with two massive oceans and a narrow strip of land on the planet's equator. It's a very tropical planet too."

"I got it, Doctor," said Alex, "Which way to the wardrobe?"

"The TARDIS will direct you there," the Doctor answered her.

"Okay," said Alex.

"I'll leave you to get ready. Harper is already dressed and ready to go out," the Doctor said. He got up and went to the door. He told her, "We'll be in the control room and remember everything will be made right when this is all over with."
"I believe you," Alex said. He walked up to the Doctor and kissed him on the cheek. She said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," the Doctor smiled at her.

"I had a dream when I was sleeping. I only remember one thing from my dream," said Alex, "I don't know what it means."

"What do you remember?" asked the Doctor.

"It was something about a girl," Alex said, "A girl at the heart of it all."

The Doctor froze and looked at her. That was the same thing that appeared on his viewscreen. He took a while to respond, but he did answer her, "I don't know what that means."

"Are you sure?" asked Alex.

He was telling the truth. He didn't know what it meant, but he's seen it before. He told her, "No, I don't know what that means."

"Okay, then," said Alex, "I better go change then."

"Yep," said the Doctor. He left and closed the door. He walked back to the control room. A couple minutes later, Alex walked out and she listened to where the TARDIS was directing her.