Thanks to TheWitch1963, Caitlin600, Yuki101, K.C.96 for following/faving my story.

frosty600: thanks. And don't worry about it. I get into writing slumps too.

Caitlin600: thank you!

~two days later~

"Sweetheart, the Doctor is here!" Sarah Jane called when she heard the familiar noise of the ship. She heard her daughter running down the stairs two and a time. Sarah Jane burst out laughing when she saw Imogen. She had several charcoal smudges on her face.

"What?" Imogen asked not understanding why her mother was laughing.

"You've got a little smudge on your face", Sarah Jane managed to say between laughs.

Imogen had a look in the hallway mirror and giggled too. "I'd better clean up then", she said going into the downstairs bathroom "You are still ok for me to travel with him mum?" she called as the cleaned her face.

"Of course I am", Sarah Jane replied.

"Are you absolutely sure?" Imogen asked sticking her head out of the bathroom.

"Yes I'm sure", Sarah Jane said standing in the doorway of the bathroom "I saw amazing things out there and now it's your turn".

Imogen hugged her mother "I will see you later... or whenever it'll be. I'll try to keep in touch", she promised.

"Honey I understand if I don't hear from you for a while", Sarah Jane said understandingly "It's hard to keep track when you're time travelling".

"Yeah because time is just a big ball of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff", Imogen said.

"What?" Sarah Jane asked confused.

"I honestly don't know why I said that", Imogen said "Anyway I'm gonna head off before the Doctor leaves".

Sarah Jane watched her only daughter run down the path and across the road where the TARDIS sat.

~TARDIS~

Three hours later….

The Doctor strolled into the kitchen and was surprised to see Imogen still baking soufflés "You're still at it?" he asked. As soon as she'd gotten into the box, she'd told both himself and Rose that she was going to the kitchen to do some baking. Three hours in and neither of them had seen her leave the kitchen.

"Yup", Imogen replied "just call me Soufflé Girl". She then wrinkled her nose "actually don't call me that. It's a rubbish title", she said.

"Ok I won't", the Doctor said as she turned back to the mixing bowl "Soufflé Girl", he added in a mock whisper. He quickly dodged the tea towel tossed at him with a grin on his face.

"I told you don't call me that", Imogen said.

"All right. All right I won't", the Doctor promised.

"Good", Imogen said. The Time Lord waited till she started mixing again before he muttered 'Soufflé Girl' under his breath. "Ok! That's it!" Imogen shouted picking up a handful of mixture. She then proceeded to chase him around the kitchen before finally managing to splat him with the mixture in her hand. This in turn caused the Doctor to do the same in retaliation.

When Rose came in, her mouth dropped open seeing the state of the kitchen. It was a mess! There was stuff literally everywhere. And leaning against the counter in fits of laughter was both the Doctor and Imogen. They too were covered in flour and egg and other cooking ingredients.

"You two are seriously a bunch of children", Rose remarked trying but failing to keep the smile from her face.

"It's better than being an adult", Imogen said "speaking of which…" she reached over and scooped up some stuff from the side. Rose's eyes widened and she rushed out of the room before Imogen could chuck it at her. "Aw…I wanted her to join in", Imogen mumbled, her arm hanging limply by her side, gloop sliding down her fingers onto the floor.

"Don't worry we'll get her later", the Doctor said "now I think I may have missed a spot", he added eyeing her face. This time it was Imogen's turn to run as he picked up some soufflé mix with the intent to splat her face with it.

~Van Statten's museum~

"So what is it?" Rose asked as she left the TARDIS followed by Imogen and the Doctor "What's wrong?"

"Don't know. Some kind of signal drawing the Tardis off course", the Doctor replied. Once the Doctor and Imogen had finally calmed down and cleaned up the kitchen and themselves, they were once again off on an adventure. Though they never made it to their destination, the moon landing as the TARDIS had picked up a strange little signal which drew the ship off course.

"Where are we?" Rose asked looking around. It was a little difficult to see their surroundings as there were no lights on.

"Earth. Utah, North America. About half a mile underground", the Doctor replied.

"When exactly are we?" Imogen questioned.

"2012", the Doctor answered.

"God, that's so close. So we should be about twenty six Imogen", Rose said. Light flooded the place as the Doctor found the light switch and flicked it on.

"Blimey. It's a great big museum", Rose said taking in their surroundings. Imogen walked forward looking at the display cases either side.

"It's a way he keeps score", she commented.

"The way who keeps score Imogen?" Rose asked walking behind her. Her friend didn't bother to turn around as she answered.

"I don't know. Someone" Imogen said vaguely touching the locket around her neck "There are two things guaranteed to show up in a museum. One: the Doctor and two…" she trailed off when she saw the little blonde haired girl from the TARDIS.

"Gen you ok?" the Doctor asked when the brunette didn't say anything for a minute after she'd broken off. Imogen turned to the Time Lord.

"Yeah I'm fine", she said.

"Ok", the Doctor said and walked past her to take a look at some of the other displays. Rose and Imogen followed after him, the latter glancing back to where she'd seen the girl but she was gone. This was the second time she'd seen her.

"Whats that?" Rose asked looking at the display case that the Doctor had stopped in front of. Inside was a robot head with handlebars on top.

"An old friend of mine…well, enemy. The stuff of nightmares reduced to an exhibit. I'm getting old", the Doctor replied.

"So is that where the signal's coming from?" Imogen questioned nodding to the robot head.

"Nah, its stone dead. The signal's alive. Something's reaching out, calling for help" he places the tip of his finger on the glass. Immediately an alarm and they're promptly surrounded by soldiers all pointing their guns at the trio.

"If someone's collecting aliens, that makes you Exhibit A", Rose said to the Doctor, putting her hands up.

They were promptly escorted to an office where a British guy about Rose and Imogen's age was showing something to an American man. "What does it do?"

"Well, you see the tubes on the side? It must be to channel something. I think maybe fuel", the British guy replied.

"I really wouldn't hold it like that", the Doctor cut in seeing how the American man was holding the item in his hands.

"Shut it", the curly haired woman whom escorted the time travellers in, snapped.

"Really, though, that's wrong", the Doctor insisted.

"Is it dangerous?" the American asked.

"No, it just looks silly", the Doctor replied reaching for the item. Several security personnel readied their weapons making him pause. The American man sitting at the desk held up a hand, signalling the men to lower their weapons. He then handed the object to the Doctor. "You just need to be..." the Time Lord gently stroked the item and it made a pleasant noise "Delicate"

"It's a musical instrument", Imogen said.

"And it's a long way from home", the Doctor added. He handed it to Imogen and she stroked it gently to make several notes play just like the Doctor. She smiled at him, pleased she managed to make it work. The American snatched it from her and tried to do the same but harsher sounds were produced instead. "I did say delicate. It reacts to the smallest fingerprint. It needs precision"

The American man changed his touch on the instrument and pleasant sounds "Very good. Quite the expert", the Doctor said.

"As are you", the American man said.

Much to the dismay of the Doctor and Imogen, he carelessly tossed the instrument aside. "Who exactly are you?"

"I'm the Doctor. And who are you?" the Doctor asked with a new disdainful look in his eye.

"Like you don't know. We're hidden away with the most valuable collection of extra-terrestrial artefacts in the world, and you just stumbled in by mistake"

"Pretty much sums me up, yeah", the Doctor confirmed.

"The question is, how did you get in? 53 floors down, with your little cat burglar accomplices" the man looked at both Rose and Imogen "You're quite a collector yourself, they're rather pretty. Especially you violet eyes"

Imogen gave a disgusted look when he winked at her. The Doctor wasn't happy with that either. "This is Mister Henry Van Statten", the British guy said introducing the American man behind the desk.

"And who's he when he's at home?" Rose asked.

"Mister Van Statten owns the internet"

"Don't be stupid. No one owns the internet", Imogen retorted.

"And let's just keep the whole world thinking that way, right kids?" Van Statten said.

"So you're just about an expert in everything except the things in your museum. Anything you don't understand, you lock up", the Doctor said.

"And you claim greater knowledge?" Van Statten asked.

"I don't need to make claims, I know how good I am", the Doctor said.

"And yet, I captured you. Right next to the Cage. What were you doing down there?" Van Statten asked.

"You tell me", the Doctor countered.

"The cage contains my one living specimen", Van Statten explained.

"And what's that?" the Doctor asked.

"Like you don't know"

"Show me", the Doctor challenged.

"You want to see it?"

"Blimey, you can smell the testosterone", Rose commented. Imogen nodded in agreement. Van Statten turned to the curly haired woman.

"Goddard, inform the Cage we're heading down" he then turn his attention to the young British man "You, English. Look after blondie. You, Doctor with no name and violet eyes, come and see my pet" with that Van Statten walked towards the lift.

"I'm staying with Rose", Imogen said to the Doctor. The Time Lord was happy about that. He didn't like the way Van Statten was looking at her.


The British guy who Rose and Imogen now knew as Adam showed them around his workshop. "Sorry about the mess. Mister Van Statten sort of lets me do my own thing, so long as I deliver the goods" Adam handed Rose a piece of metal "What do you think that is?"

"Er, a lump of metal?" Rose said unsure what it could be.

"Yeah. Yeah, but I think…well, I'm almost certain, it's from the hull of a spacecraft", Adam explained "The thing is, it's all true. Everything the United Nations tries to keep quiet, spacecraft, aliens, visitors to Earth. They really exist".

"That's amazing", Rose said.

"I know it sounds incredible, but I honestly believe the whole universe is just teeming with life", Adam said.

If only he knew Imogen thought wandering over to a random basket filled with random items. "I'm gobsmacked, yeah. And you do what, sit here and catalogue it?" Rose asked smiling slightly.

"Best job in the world", Adam said sounding rather proud about it.

"Oh please", Imogen muttered riffling through the basket. She picked up an item, inspected it before tossing it aside "Broken"

"Hey!" Adam exclaimed. Imogen just ignored him and kept going.

"Broken", she said tossing another item out.

"Ooh. This is a hairdryer", Imogen said pulling out another item "I wonder if it can disrupt a sonic?" she mused putting it down. Both Rose and Adam stared at her "what?"

"How did you know what that was?" Adam asked.

Imogen shrugged "I don't know. I just did", she replied. She then picked up a large gun "why on earth do you have this?"

"Mister Van Statten tends to dispose of his staff, and when he does he wipes their memory. I kept that in case I needed to fight my way out one day", Adam explained.

Imogen snorted "you? In a fight?" she scoffed.

"I could do", Adam insisted.

"Yeah when hell freezes over", Imogen retorted putting the gun down.

"So Adam wouldn't you rather be downstairs?" Rose asked changing the subject "I mean, you've got these bits of metal and stuff, but Mister Van Statten's got a living creature down there".

"Yeah… Yeah, well, I did ask, but he keeps it to himself. Although, if you're a genius, it doesn't take long to patch through on the comm. system"

"Let's have a look, then", Rose said.

Imogen and Rose watched over Adam's shoulder as he accessed the camera feed to the cage where Van Statten's 'pet' was being held. "It doesn't do much, the alien. It's weird. It's kind of useless… It's just like this… great big pepper pot"

Imogen stiffened when she saw Van Statten's pet. Something about it seemed familiar to her just like the locket did. The trio watched a man using a drill on Van Statten's so called pet. "It's being tortured!" Rose exclaimed.

"Hold on where's the Doctor?" Imogen asked. She knew that Van Statten was going to show the Time Lord his pet but the man wasn't there.

"I don't know"

"Take us down there now", Rose demanded and Adam complied.


"Don't get too close", Adam warned the girls as they entered the cage. Rose slowly approached the 'pet'.

"Hello" she said. It didn't answer her. "Are you in pain? My name's Rose Tyler and this is Imogen Smith. We've got a friend, he can help. He's called the Doctor. What's your name?"

"Yes", the metal alien said.

"What?" Rose asked confused. It raised its eye stalk to look at her.

"I am in pain. They torture me, but still… they fear me. Do you fear me?" it asked.

"No", Rose replied. She felt sorry for it. Its eye stalk moved to look at Imogen as she stepped forward.

"Do you fear me?" it asked the brunette.

"No", she replied although she was a little unsure. Something didn't feel right "you're dying aren't you?"

"Yes"

"No, we can help" Rose turned to Imogen "there must be something we can do".

"There isn't", she said "I'm so sorry". Tears in her eyes, Rose gently placed a hand on the alien's metal dome.

"Rose, no!" Adam exclaimed but it was too late. Where Rose put her hand suddenly burned orange and she snatched her hand back.

"Genetic material extrapolated. Initiate cellular reconstruction!" the alien said sounding far more alive. Imogen and Rose backed away as it burst from its chains. The man that was torturing the metal alien ran in.

"What the hell have you done?" he demanded. Imogen, Rose and Adam watched as Van Statten's former pet killed the man using its sucker when he got too close. The violet eyed girl thought that she was going to be sick when she was that.

"It's killing him! Do something!" Rose shouted at the guard.

"Condition red! Condition red!" he called over the intercom and sounded the alarm.

In the room the Doctor was being held prisoner, both the Time Lord and Van Statten also heard the alarm. "Release me if you want to live", the Doctor told the American. Van Statten wasted no time in undoing the chains on the Doctor's wrists.