Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. If I did, there would be WAY more episodes than 13 a season.

Alex dashed up to the rooftop, watching as a bunch of Air Raid Warden's raised a British flag up. She smiled. The air raid had ceased and the Doctor had mysteriously disappeared afterwards. She had slipped away from Amy and Winston to go and find him, because she was sure that he would be up here.

Sure enough, she found him sprawled under a Spitfire, working on taking out all the alien tech in it. She stopped in front of it and called out "Working hard or hardly working?"

The Doctor let out a surprised noise and started upwards, only to bang his head on the underside of the Spitfire and yelp. He rolled out from under it, rubbing his head, to look at Alex. "Working hard, thank you very much!" he snapped playfully at her.

Alex smirked and shimmied underneath with him. "I figured I'd find you up here. Have to maintain the timelines and all."

"How'd you figure that out?" the Doctor asked, eyes still on the engine underworking.

"Pretty obvious once you think about it," Alex answered. She stared up at the machinery and pointed to one gadget. "There." She tapped it with her nail. "Take that one down."

"Thanks," the Doctor said, putting the sonic screwdriver against the gadget. A second later, it fell into his open hand. "I take it you memorized all of Bracewell's diagrams for this, then?"

Alex blushed slightly. "I guess," she answered modestly. The Doctor raised an eyebrow at her and she laughed. "Okay, okay!" she admitted. "After I stare at something for a while and I deem it relevant, it sticks into my brain. My friend back home called it selective eidetic memory."

The Doctor snorted. "That's a good name for it."

Alex watched him work in silence for a few minutes. She admired the way the muscles in his arms and chest flexed when he reached for something, the way his bottom lip stuck out in frustration, and the way his deep green eyes concentrated on something so intently it was as though there was nothing else around him but the object and himself. She had seen that look before; the other night on the TARDIS when he had caught her before she fell, when his arm had been wrapped around her, firm and reassuring that he wouldn't let anything hurt her.

The Doctor tried not to stare at her out of the corner of his eye, but he couldn't help himself. He noticed how her dark eyelashes were perfectly curved without help from a mascara wand, how her eyes were now dark green, and how there was a smudge of grease across her nose. Looking away from the alien tech on the Spitfire, he reached over and said "Here, you have a little…" He trailed off as he gently rubbed away the grease and wiped his hand on his jacket.

"Oh! Thanks," Alex said. "I forgot that was even there."

"Received from ducking under planes, no doubt," the Doctor joked. He had heard Bracewell say something about Alex helping him modify the Spitfires before he had raced up here to change whatever they had modified.

Alex shrugged dismissively, a difficult task since she was lying down. "You needed help," she pointed out. The words hung in the air like an invisible toxin, causing others to react to it without even knowing what they were reacting to.

The Doctor swallowed. "Right," he acknowledged.

Alex looked up at the underbelly of the Spitfire. She was silent for a moment, letting her words sink into his veins before she suddenly cried "A Jammy Dodger? Really?!"

"It fooled them for a while!" the Doctor argued.

Alex rolled her eyes. "That was so stupid and so idiotic I don't think there are enough words to accurately express how stupid and idiotic that was!"

"And I suppose you could've done better?"

Alex shook her head. "Probably not," she admitted. "You've had more experience with the Daleks than I have."

The Doctor shifted uncomfortably. "Right," he said again. He thought about all the times he had faced the Daleks and what he had lost from each encounter. His people, his planet, Rose…those were just a few of the many things he had lost from those vile creatures. Now, they had gotten away. Who knew when he would see them again? By the time he did, they would be even stronger and more impossible to defeat.

Alex looked over at him. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she whispered. "I mean…I saw the look on your face when you were hitting that Dalek. It was one of pain and loneliness and regret…you've lost so much because of them and you felt justified in what you were doing, didn't you?"

The Doctor sighed and swallowed roughly. "Yes," he said softly. He said it so softly that Alex almost didn't catch it, but she did.

"There was a friend of mine," the Doctor began, "a girl, Rose Tyler. You would've liked her, Ally. She was smart, energetic, loving…just everything."

Alex smiled at the smile on his lips as he spoke of Rose. "You were in love with her, weren't you?"

The Doctor nodded. He had never admitted this to anyone, hardly even to himself, but with Alex, it was different. He felt as though he could open up to her. It should've scared him that she might be able to glimpse the hidden darkness in him that he tried so hard to keep tucked away, but strangely, it didn't. Instead, it only made him want to open up more and shed some light on his inner dark side. "Yes," he admitted. "So was she. But we never spoke it aloud to each-other. Too scared I suppose."

"What happened?" Alex asked hesitantly, prepared for a sudden change in subject should the Doctor decide that the current topic was too painful.

"There was a battle, at Canary Wharf in London." He looked at her for recognition.

"Oh, I heard about that!" Alex said, furrowing her brow. "Wasn't it caused by pranksters at Torchwood, that security agency that got shut down?"

Despite himself, the Doctor grinned at the cover story that had been spread to calm down the panicked public. "Not exactly. Torchwood was a government agency dedicated to the capture of aliens. It was started by Queen Victoria after a little encounter with a werewolf." He cleared his throat. "She…uh, wasn't pleased by mine and Rose's enthusiastic reactions to it."

Alex cackled. "I bet she was not amused, wasn't she?"

"That's exactly what Rose said," the Doctor laughed. "Anyway, over the years, Torchwood grew a little…edgy about aliens. Whenever alien tech landed on Earth, Torchwood captured it and modified it for their own benefit. Rose and I went there after we caught word of worldwide ghost sightings and they captured me."

Alex was shocked. "Why?" she cried.

"Apparently, I was considered a threat."

"Asses," Alex muttered.

"There's a word for them," the Doctor snickered. "Anyways, to make a long story short, the Daleks and some robots called the Cybermen were stuck in the Void, another dimension. They were trying to get through. Torchwood had accidentally opened that Void and they started coming through. Rose and I figured out that we needed to close the Void and the only way we could do that was to push down some levers and hold tight to some clamps as the Daleks and Cybermen were sucked through." The Doctor's face fell and Alex felt a pang in her heart for what must have happened next.

"Rose fell through, didn't she?" she guessed softly.

The Doctor's face was impassive as he shook his head. "The lever on her side became undone and she tried to push it back down. She had to hold it down but she wasn't strong enough to hold tight…she got transported by her father to a parallel universe."

"Couldn't you go back and get her?"

"No. The walls between the universes had closed. I couldn't see her again. I did manage to get contact with her though by harnessing the energy of an exploding star to kind of call her. I told her what had happened and she challenged me to tell her that I loved her. I started to but…"

"The signal cut off, didn't it?"

"Exactly," the Doctor confirmed. "Two years later, the Daleks stole several planets, including Earth, to create a bomb that would destroy all of reality."

Alex snorted. "That's pretty stupid. How could they control anything if nothing existed?"

"They were operating under the old if we can't have it than no one can routine. Although you do make a good point. But in her parallel world, Rose and that version of Torchwood had created a dimension cannon to travel between dimensions for a short amount of time. A number of my former companions and I managed to stop the Daleks and when I returned everyone home, I took Rose back to her parallel universe."

Alex gawked at him. If he had loved this girl so much, why didn't he take her with him?

"I'm getting to that," the Doctor replied to her unspoken question. "By accident, a clone of me had been created from my severed hand - a long complicated story, don't ask - and he killed all of the Daleks without even offering them a second chance. I always try to do that. Rose wasn't safe with me. With a partially human clone that could grow old with her, she'd be better off in my opinion. Besides, he needed to be with her, so that she could change him into the man that she changed me into when I first met her. She challenged me to say what I was about to tell her on Bad Wolf Bay before the signal cut off but the clone told her. The last I saw of her, she and him were kissing."

Alex was silent, absorbing this information. The Doctor had given up his own happiness to make sure that another person had stayed safe. She thought it sweet but also sad since he hadn't been able to have a relationship with a girl he loved. "No wonder you want the Daleks to pay," she remarked.

"Exactly." The Doctor narrowed his eyes as he removed another piece of alien tech. "I lost Rose because of them and so much more. They always survive while I lose everything."

"But you didn't lose anything today!" Alex argued. Looking at her, the Doctor saw the sincerity in her eyes. "Amy and I are still alive. Winston's still alive and kicking! The Daleks may have gotten away, but they didn't gain a personal victory over you. They got rebooted. That's it. The only way they'd have really won is if something happened to someone close to you. And even then, you would be able to come back from it, because you would have found something that would make you happy and eager again."

"How is it you know me so well already?" the Doctor asked her.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I guess I can just read some people well. I always knew when my guardian was in a bitter mood and when she was about to leave for weeks on end, so I guess I can do the same with you."

The Doctor tried not to let his thoughts about her statement show. Alex hadn't spoken much about her personal life, but from the sound of it, she hadn't been loved much as a child. He wondered how a lonely child could've grown up into the courageous, cheerful, optimistic, and intelligent young woman beside him. However it had occurred, he was glad that it did.

"Do you still love her?" Alex suddenly asked. "Rose, I mean."

The Doctor repressed a groan. He had been wondering about this incarnation's feelings for Rose for a little while now. Considering his attraction to Alex, that certainly spoke volumes about his previous infatuation with Rose. "I don't think so," he answered carefully. "I mean, don't get me wrong, she'll always hold a special place in my hearts and I still greatly admire her, but I don't think I'm still head over heels in love with her as my previous incarnation was. If she were still here, I would be, but I moved on. She's happy in that universe and I want her to be."

Alex nodded amicably at his words, but secretly she was pleased. She felt bad for Rose, who she already liked just because she helped the Doctor so long ago, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't get a little thrill of joy at his words. Stop it Alex, a snide little voice in her head reminded her. Just because Rose is no longer in the picture, it doesn't mean you have a clear pass to hit on him. She knew that the snide little voice was right but she couldn't help herself. She liked this guy even though she knew she shouldn't.

Suddenly, something the Doctor had said hit her. "Hearts?" she repeated, giving him a puzzled expression.

"Oh yes, I have two hearts," the Doctor said casually, as if he were reading off grocery items.

"No way," Alex breathed.

He smiled at her. "Yes way," he said seriously. He scooted closer to her. "Take a listen if you want." Raising his arms, he started to work on another piece of alien tech as Alex cautiously lay her head down on his chest.

Inhaling deeply, Alex caught whiff of the Doctor's personal scent; the faintest hint of aftershave, some musky cologne, a freshly laundered shirt, and just him. Alex couldn't help but wish that she could bottle this scent up to enjoy forever. It made her dizzy and she loved it.

Two hearts Alexandria Nicole! She mentally cried. She shook herself. Right, focus. Placing her head on his left side, she heard a familiar heartbeat. Well, that had been expected. Alex rose up slightly to move to his right side, where she figured his other heart would be. Placing her head back down, she visibly started as she heard the distinct thump-thump of another heart. He hadn't been lying! Once the initial shock had worn off, Alex relaxed and kept her head there, just listening to the double heartbeats. They were strangely soothing, she thought.

The Doctor watched as Alex felt his first heart, then his second. He resisted a chuckle as she tensed in shock from hearing the second heartbeat but after a moment, she relaxed and kept her head there. He carefully avoided her head as he removed more bits of alien tech, not wanting to ask her to move. He liked her head resting there. It felt as though she had always belonged there and for the life of him, he didn't want it to end.

Alex smiled to herself. This was so nice. She couldn't believe she was doing this. Here she was, Alex Locke, lying underneath a tricked out Spitfire with an alien who had two hearts, in the middle of the London Blitz. Some might've called her crazy, but Alex called this perfection.

Realizing she was about to drift off, she shifted back to her original spot next to the Doctor. That was when she remembered something else. Grinning mischievously, she remarked off-handedly "Hey Doctor? Remember what I said I might let you do to me if you saved the world?"

The Doctor was distracted slightly though by a difficult to remove alien gadget. "Sorry, what?" he asked, looking over at her.

But Alex didn't repeat her remark. Instead, she leaned in, fast as lightning, and pressed her lips to his. Inside his body, the Doctor's blood raced, his head felt foggy, and his heart rates increased rapidly. Little did he know that Alex's own heart and brain were doing that and that a cool fresh load of adrenaline was now running through her veins; and all because of one quick kiss. Their lips felt like they were on fire when they touched and smoldering when they lost contact. This happened so quickly, that neither was sure how to react.

The Doctor was the first to speak. "W-what, what, d-did," he stuttered before clearing his throat and saying, in a slightly husky voice "What was that for?"

"You said after we diffused Bracewell that you could 'bloody kiss' me. I said that if you saved the world, I'd consider it." Alex smirked impishly. "And I did."

The Doctor's eyes widened. "B-but, I, I didn't save the world!" he protested.

Alex's gaze leveled with his. "Yes, you did," she told him, seriousness filled in her voice. "You saved London from being completely destroyed by the Germans, saved the planet from getting sucked into an Oblivion Continuum…that is saving the world."

"But the Daleks…"

"Who cares about them?" Alex questioned. "Yes, they got away, but they didn't achieve anything major. They may come back stronger than before, but you'll be ready for them." She squeezed his hand. "We'll be ready."

Then, before the Doctor knew it, she had scooted out from under the Spitfire. "I'll let you continue working!" she called to him. "With me around, you'll likely get distracted!" And then she was rushing off, happy as can be, while he was stuck under here, getting rid of alien tech.

The Doctor inhaled deeply. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't enjoyed that very brief kiss. It had been lightning fast but still so slow and full of passion. He hadn't been kissed like that in a very long time. He wanted it to happen again and he wanted it to be with Alex. Are you insane? His subconscious cried. She's a HUMAN! You are an ALIEN! Remember what happened with Rose? Sure you've moved on, but it could still happen again. Do you really want it to happen again, but to Alex this time?

He sighed. He was right. Nothing like that could happen with Alex. Besides, they barely knew each-other. Sure there was body chemistry but that was just that; body chemistry. Still, he knew he was lying to himself if he said that he never wanted that to happen again.

The Doctor grimaced and went back to looking for more pieces of alien tech in the Spitfire. God, how much alien tech was in these things?

Alex's head was buzzing as she went back to the Map Room. Why in the hell had she kissed the Doctor like that? Well, the idea had been thrilling to say the least and she had said she would think about letting him kiss her…and she had meant it. He HAD saved the whole world from the Daleks, definitely Brownie Points with her. Plus, there was all that weird body chemistry with him. The tingles, the stifled breaths, the buzzing in her head like now…Alex sighed. Stop it! She told herself. That cannot happen again. You need to keep those urges to yourself Alexandria…no matter how tempting they may be.

Alex soon caught sight of Amy and Winston and went over to stand next to them. They were watching the young woman named Blanche cry as another woman tried to comfort her. "Is she okay?" Amy asked, concerned.

Winston looked up from a message he had been handed. "What?"

Amy pointed over to Blanche. "She looks very upset."

Winston didn't seem surprised by the young woman's obvious despair and sadness. "Oh, Miss Breen? Her young man didn't make it, I'm afraid. Just got word; shot down over the Channel." He then looked over and caught sight of Alex. "Where's the Doctor?" he asked her.

Alex was about to reply when a voice behind her replied "Tying up loose ends." The Doctor went to stand next to her. "I've taken out all the alien tech Bracewell put in." What he didn't tell anyone was that he had rushed through the task so that he could stand next to Alex again, despite what he knew about getting involved with her.

"Won't you reconsider Doctor?" Winston begged. "Those Spitfires would win me the war in twenty-four hours!"

"Exactly," the Doctor said. He grabbed a tea cup off a nearby tray and sipped some, only to spit it back out into the cup. Alex rolled her eyes at this.

"But why not? Why can't we put an end to all this misery?"

"Oh, it doesn't work like that Winston, and it's going to be tough. There are terrible days to come. The darkest days. But you can do it. You know you can."

"Stay with us, and help us win through! The world needs you!"

The Doctor waved him off. "The world doesn't need me."

"No?" Churchill said skeptically.

The Doctor made that weird peace looking sign again. "The world's got Winston Spencer Churchill!" he cried.

Winston laughed. "It's been a pleasure Doctor, as always."

The Doctor and him hugged. As they did, Amy and Alex noticed Winston subtly reach into the Doctor's pocket. They exchanged a grin. How can he be so brilliant and so clueless? Alex wondered.

"Too right," the Doctor agreed.

"Goodbye, Doctor."

"Oh, shall we say adieu?" the Doctor laughed, pulling away.

"Indeed," Winston nodded before turning to Amy and Alex. "Goodbye Miss Pond, Miss Locke."

Amy practically jumped up and down with excitement. "It's, it's been amazing, meeting you."

"Really amazing," Alex added, managing to retain a shred of dignity.

"I'm sure it has!" Winston agreed. Amy kissed him on the cheek and Alex, still not used to the overly affectionate ways of the British, simply gave him a hug. He then began to walk away. Amy and Alex looked at each-other and as the Doctor raised his tea cup to his lips, Amy called out "Oi, Churchill!"

Winston turned around as Alex and Amy stuck out their hands. "TARDIS key," Alex clarified. "The one you just took from the Doctor?" The Doctor spat his tea out and nearly choked.

"Oh, they're good Doctor!" Winston laughed as he handed Amy the key. "As sharp as pins! Almost as sharp as me!" He lit up a cigar. "KBO!"

As Winston left the room, the Doctor held out his hand for the key, knowing the girls would be rather reluctant to release it. Amy rolled her eyes and passed it to Alex, who sighed and handed it off to the Doctor.

Bracewell was standing solemnly in his office as the Doctor, Alex, and Amy walked in. A leather glove was over the hand the Dalek had shot off, which hid the stump of metal and wires pretty well. "I've been expecting you Doctor," he revealed as they came in. "I knew this moment had to come."

The Doctor stared at him blankly. "Moment?"

"It's time to de-activate me."

"Is it?" The Doctor looked over at Amy and Alex, who both gave him a look. "Oh. Err, yeah."

"You have no choice," Bracewell said. "I'm Dalek technology. Can't allow me to go pottering around down here where I have no business."

"No, you're dead right Professor," the Doctor agreed, winking at Alex and Amy. "100 percent right. And by the time we get back here in what…ten minutes?"

"More like fifteen," Amy said, a slight smile on her face after she had caught on to what the Doctor was planning.

"Fifteen minutes, yeah, that's exactly what I'm going to do," the Doctor nodded at her. "You are going to be so de-activated."

"It's going to be like you've never even been activated," Alex lied.

"Yeah," Amy agreed.

"Fifteen minutes?" Bracewell asked.

"More like twenty if I'm honest," the Doctor said. "Once Pond and Ally and I see to the urgent thing we've got to see to…the…the…see?"

Bracewell took a deep breath. "Very well Doctor. I shall wait here and prepare myself."

Alex stared at him. How could he not get it? She heard Amy hiss "That Dalek tech's a bit slow on the uptake." Louder, she said "That thing we've got to do, going to take half an hour, realistically, isn't it Doctor?"

Alex nodded. "Yeah, like maybe half an hour at least?"

The Doctor nodded at her. "Easily. So no running off, that's what I'm saying. Don't go trying to find that little Post Office with the ash trees or that girl. What was her name?"

"Dorabella," Bracewell slowly supplied.

"Dorabella," the Doctor repeated. "On no account go looking for her." He smirked at the scientist. "Mind you, you can get a lot done in half an hour."

Bracewell finally caught on and he gave off a bright grin. "Thank you! Thank you Doctor!"

The Doctor smiled at him before turning to the girls. "Come along Pond, Ally."

As they left, Alex glanced over her shoulder and jumped in place happily as she watched Bracewell hurriedly pack a suitcase. Oh yeah, she definitely loved traveling with the Doctor.

A few minutes later, they were back at the TARDIS. "So, you have enemies then?" Amy asked.

"Everyone's got enemies," the Doctor replied.

"Yeah," Amy agreed, "but mine's the woman outside Budgens with the mental Jack Russell."

Alex nodded at this. "Yeah, that woman and her dog are insane. And my enemies are my grandmother and Hillary Westcott."

"Who?" the Doctor asked.

Alex rolled her eyes. "High-school rival. Amy knows the type; peppy, blonde, had the highest kick on the cheer team. The girl was a walking Barbie doll with no substance."

"But anyway," Amy steered the conversation back to the previous topic, "you've got, like, you know, arch-enemies."

The Doctor shifted slightly. "Suppose so."

"And here's me thinking we'd just be running through time, being daft and fixing stuff. But no, it's dangerous."

"Yep. Very," the Doctor acknowledged. "Is that a problem?"

She smiled at him. "I'm still here, aren't I? And so is Alex." She nodded to the girl in question.

Alex decided to address an issue she knew was still plaguing the Doctor. "You're worried about the Daleks," she stated.

"I'm always worried about the Daleks," the Doctor replied. It was a little weird how Alex could instantly read him but he did kind of like it, if only because it was happening to a person he already trusted deeply.

"It'll take time though, won't it?" Amy questioned, concerned. "I mean, there's still not many of them. They'll need a while to build themselves up."

"It's not that," the Doctor disagreed. Actually, something had been at the back of his mind, pestering him, ever since he had first heard it mentioned. "There's something else. Something we've forgotten. Or rather, the two of you have."

Amy looked surprised. "Alex and I?" she asked dubiously. Instantly, Alex flashed back to the BBC article she didn't remember reading but knew she had. Those strange deaths by the strange creatures…it was ever-so-slowly inching back into her conscious brain but not fast enough for her liking.

"You didn't know them Amy, Ally," the Doctor told them gently. "You two had never seen them before. And you should have done. You should."

With this thought echoing in the girl's minds, they all ducked back into the TARDIS and set off for another world that needed saving.

A/N: They kissed! They kissed! They KISSED! Not really a proper one, but still, they kissed! Sorry for the later update but I went back to school today...fun. Believe me, I'd rather write all day than endure eight hours in class...

Notes on reviews...

TheConsultingEditor - So glad you loved it! I've never listened to the show's soundtrack until you mentioned it in your review. You're right, it is funny listening to it while picturing Alex being dragged out of the TARDIS! :)

Reading Addicted - A fixed point is an event in time that has to happen. It can't be changed at all. This extends into people, like Jack Harkness with his immortality and, in this story, Alex. Hope that helps! So glad you love this story! :)

rycbar15 - Thanks for telling me about the crack! I couldn't tell on TV whether or not it actually closed or whether the Doctor just solved the problem of two points in time touching. Because of that, for this story, the physical crack is still there, but not harmful. Thanks! Glad you can't wait for the original chapters. I'm a little nervous about them because they are my own made up adventures and I'm worried I'll get the characters wrong, but your eagerness eases my nerves a little. :)

Tomorrow, we get a little chapter that reveals more about Alex and then...'The Time of Angels'. Believe me, the relationship between River and Alex will be...interesting. See you tomorrow!