The four of them sat in a diner, deciding what they would have. Since Owen and Abby were only kids, and the only currency the Doctor had on him wouldn't be valid for another 45 years, Peri was buying breakfast.

Owen ordered bacon and eggs, Peri ordered scrambled eggs on toast and the Doctor ordered a full breakfast with toast, eggs, bacon and sausages.

"You should be careful of your cholesterol, Doctor," Peri said, worrying more about her hip pocket than the Doctor's health.

"Alas, you may only live once, Peri, whereas I do not," the Doctor said, almost gleefully.

The waitress taking their order raised an eyebrow. There was something wrong with this guy. She turned to Abby.

"What about you, honey?" she asked.

Abby had looked at the menu for a long time. She had been in places like these before but the smells had meant nothing to her. Now everything smelt so alluring she felt spoiled for choice.

"Um, could I have some… water?" Abby asked, cautiously.

"Sure thing, honey," the waitress said, "and to eat?"

"Um," Abby started, fidgeting in her seat.

She could feel everybody looking at her, watching her becoming flustered and that made her feel even more flustered. She started to sweat nervously. She knew this was stupid. All she was doing was ordering breakfast.

Owen, who was sitting next to her, could tell she was uncomfortable. He reached out and held her hand.

"Is there any food you miss from before?" Owen whispered, trying to help.

Abby thought about the food she used to have when she was younger. There really wasn't much that her family could afford back then, mostly just bread.

'Bread!' Abby thought. Abby was old enough to remember when companies started to produce pre-sliced bread. When she was a kid, she would try to slice bread herself, but it never worked out. Either the knife would cut it at the wrong angle; the bread would break in half as she was slicing it, or the crust would be so hard that she'd have to force the knife in and would end up squashing the bread.

Abby thought that sliced bread was the best idea since… well, ever. But she'd been a vampire and couldn't consume anything other than blood. Sometimes that had been enough to make Abby sad, knowing that she could never have a little thing like sliced bread.

"Could I just have some bread?" Abby asked the waitress.

"Do you want it toasted?" the waitress asked.

"No."

"Any butter or spreads?"

"No."

"Just bread?" asked the waitress, "how many slices?"

"Four," Abby said.

"Okay," the waitress said, raising an eyebrow as she wrote the order down.

"Bread and water?" the Doctor asked, "That's hardly a meal for a king, is it?"

Abby looked down at the table, not wanting to meet the Doctor's gaze. She almost felt like she'd let him down somehow.

"Hey, leave her alone, Doctor," Peri said, "If she wants bread, let her have it. She's got plenty of time for everything else."

Abby looked up and smiled at Peri. Peri winked at her and Abby grinned.

"Oh, very well," the Doctor shrugged.

He turned back to the waitress.

"That will be all, thank you," he said.

The waitress chuckled and headed back to the kitchen.

While the group waited for their meals, the TV over the counter was playing local news.

The anchor read to camera, "… still no sign of young Owen Hall."

The whole group turned at the mention of Owen's name.

The anchor continued. "The boy went to the Los Alamos Swimming Centre on the night of the attack. His body was not found at the scene and there were no clothes left behind in his locker, which leads police to suggest that he left before the attack occurred. However, witnesses from that night, most of them children, only recall the four victims entering the building but don't recall Hall leaving the building. We have a statement from his mother, Jennifer."

Owen's eyes widened as his mother came onto the TV screen.

"Owen, honey," his mother began, "if you are out there, please come home. I know you're scared, we all are. Strange things have been happening around here but please," she looked pleadingly into the camera, "please, don't leave me. Come home, Owen."

Owen's mother disappeared to be replaced by the news anchor again.

"A heart wrenching plea, there," he stated, utterly devoid of emotion, "and in our next story…"

The group turned back to the table. They saw Owen, desperately trying to hold back tears. Abby put her arms around him and he started sobbing quietly.

Peri started welling up too. She couldn't think of anything to say that would make it okay.

The Doctor, on the other hand, was thinking. He'd had been foolish enough to lock his family out of his life before. He wasn't going to let Owen make that mistake.

"I'm going to take you home," the Doctor stated.

Owen looked up, wide eyed.

"But you can't," he said.

"Yes I can, and I'll tell you why!" the Doctor began, "I will not have my blood flowing through the veins of someone who spends there life in the shadows!"

Owen and Abby sat stunned by the Doctor's outburst. Even Peri was speechless.

The Doctor pointed his finger across the table to the two children.

"You two are going back to Los Alamos and you are going to make better people of yourselves. I know what you're plan was when you left Los Alamos. You," he said, pointing at Owen, "were content to leave everything behind for a vampire. You probably would've killed for her too, hmm?"

Owen looked down at his hands, ashamed of himself.

"And you," the Doctor pointed to Abby, "were going to use him as you're puppet. I'll even bet that you were only friends with him because you needed someone to do your dirty work!"

"That's not true!" Abby protested.

"Doctor, take it easy," Peri said.

The Doctor ignored Peri and continued.

"How many others have there been?" the Doctor asked, interrogating Abby, "Did the last one die of old age? Or did you kill him?"

"Doctor, stop it!" Peri said.

"They all kept getting old," Abby whimpered, frightened by the Doctor's intense stare.

"And you stayed exactly the same," the Doctor finished. "Did it ever occur to you to take a stroll in the sun and end it all there?"

"DOCTOR!?" Peri yelled, outraged he would even suggest such a thing.

But the Doctor was unstoppable, "If I hadn't come along, the cycle would've continued exactly as it always has, wouldn't it? You're now human because of me! Therefore, you will BOTH go back to Los Alamos and make better people of yourselves. Is that clear?"

Abby and Owen sat in silence for a moment. Owen had gotten somewhat used to being downtrodden but for Abby this was a completely new experience. In the past, people were careful not to lose their tempers around her. Even Thomas knew to keep his mouth shut most of the time but towards the end, he didn't care. He was almost goading her to attack him.

But the Doctor was in no danger anymore and he knew it. So did Abby. Her face flushed red with anger. She started to cry, selfishly wishing she had the power to rip the Doctor apart.

The Doctor calmed himself down, sensing Abby's anger.

"Your life will be different from now on," he told Abby, speaking quieter now, "It going to take some getting used to."

Abby met the Doctor's cold stare with her own.

"How?" Abby challenged, "How can we become better people after everything we've done?"

"Become doctors when you grow up," he said, simply. "Heal people. It will go some way to exorcising your demons, believe me."

Abby paused for a moment considering what he'd just said. Her cold stare disappeared and was replaced with a look of hope.

"When I grow up?" Abby asked, half-smiling, "I'm gonna grow up?"

The Doctor sat back and smiled too, "Yes, you will."

Abby sat back, stunned. She'd never considered what she would do if she grew up. She'd just learned to accept it was never going to happen.

"So we could get, like, a house and have kids and stuff?" Abby asked, holding Owen's hand. Abby and Owen smiled at each other.

"Hey, don't rush into it just yet," Peri said, "you're still very young."

"And there's the 300 year age difference to consider," the Doctor added.

Abby and Owen giggled. Peri chuckled too.

"So, are we dropping these kids off in Los Alamos?" Peri asked as their meals arrived at the table.

"Of course!" The Doctor said, tucking in to his full breakfast, "I won't havff theefff chulddremm gowg horrm allorn!"

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Doctor!" Peri scowled.

In an effort to distract himself from the Doctor's terrible eating habits, Owen watched Abby feasting on her bread and water.

'Feasting' was the right word. Owen watched as Abby delicately removed the crust from the bread and savoured every mouthful of the white dough. She had a look on her face of sheer bliss.

It had been so long since she'd tasted anything at all. In the past, drinking blood had nothing to do with taste. Her taste buds had basically withered and died as soon as she was changed. But now, her new taste buds were coming alive. The soft freshness of the bread was truly wonderful. Every now and then, she would wash it down with a drink of water.

Owen watched curiously as Abby sipped at the water as if it were a fine wine. She sighed every time she had a drink, the same way Owen would if he was drinking a milkshake.

Abby noticed Owen was watching her and started giggling.

"What?" she asked, "You want some of my water?"

"Uh, okay," Owen said, taking the glass she offered to him.

He took a sip. Abby was watching him expectantly and he knew it. But try as he might he just couldn't get excited over plain, boring old water. He swallowed and Abby smiled.

Owen smiled back, confused.

"What?" he asked, "Its just water."

"I know," Abby said, "Isn't it wonderful?"

She took her glass back and finished the rest of it. She sighed with contentment, then poured another glass.

Owen began to realise that there were a lot of things Abby had missed out on, way more than just Rubik's cubes, video games and candy.

"Abby?" he asked, "Have you ever eaten chocolate?"

Abby turned and looked at him. She thought for a second, then shook her head.

"No," she replied, "Is it good?"

Owen was stunned. He looked across at Peri, who was listening to their conversation. She had a look of sheer disbelief on her face.

"Whoa! You've never eaten chocolate?" Peri exclaimed, "Alright. Doctor, we're stopping by a shop on our way to the TARDIS."

The Doctor nodded, fervently. "I firmly agree!"