The moment seemed to last forever. The Doctor glanced to Alex and she looked right back at him until he had managed to rip the ID card from around his neck, holding the electricity in his hand. Alex was working on getting her breath back when he stood, facing the Slitheen.

"Deadly to humans maybe" He stepped forward, sticking the electrified card into the Slitheen with his suit off. Both before them cried out in pain as the electricity travelled through them. The Doctor turned, running to the door, taking Alex's hand as he passed her. They stopped down the hall in reception, where all the security was gathered.

"Oi!" The Doctor called, getting their attention as he dropped Alex's hand. "You want aliens, you've got them. They're inside Downing Street, come on!" He announced cheerily. He turned and led them back into the conference room, their guns ready as they followed. Alex stayed where she was as they passed, her breathing having not improved since they had run. She waited a moment to be sure she was okay before taking off after them.

Alex skidded to a stop just as the Doctor did beside her from the other direction. The two put their hands up in surrender as they were surrounded by security with their guns at the ready.

"They didn't buy it?" Alex asked the Doctor, still facing the guns.

"Nope"

"Fair enough"

"Under the jurisdiction of the emergency protocols, I authorize you to execute these two" One of the Slitheen ordered. The security readied their guns and Alex felt her breath catch again.

"Bloody hell" She muttered.

"Uh, well, now, yes" The Doctor stuttered slightly, trying to buy a bit of time. "You see… eh, the thing is… if I was you… if I was gonna execute someone by backing them against the wall, between you and me, little word of advice" Alex smiled as she heard the ping of an elevator behind them. "Don't stand them against the lift" He grinned, grabbing Alex's arm to make sure she followed as he backed into the lift and closed the doors with his sonic screwdriver.

Alex was leaning on the Doctor by then, working to breathe in enough air. The elevator opened again with a ping and there was a Slitheen out of its skin. It roared at them but the Doctor simply smiled, nodding past the creature at Rose and Harriet.

"Hello!" He called happily, watching them slip away from the creature as the closing doors distracted it. He looked over at Alex once the doors had closed.

"Are you alright?" He asked with a frown.

"Not… sure" She huffed. He turned to her properly.

"Alex? You're alright. We're alright, you see? We got away, see?" He spoke softly. Alex managed a laugh, her breathing becoming steadied.

"I see, Doctor" She grinned. He laughed. The door opened and the Doctor stepped out first, looking either way before waving Alex out with him.

"You right?" He double checked.

"Now, yeah" She nodded, although he noticed the particularly deep breath she took as she began to follow him. They reached a flight of stairs and the Doctor looked down, hearing soldiers talking and someone barking out orders. Alex glanced at him as he continued down, taking his hand as she followed. He didn't mention it, but gave her hand a reassuring squeeze as they went. The two had just stopped running, continuing in just walking, when the lift just ahead pinged. They backtracked quickly. The Doctor found a hiding place in a little crevice in the wall. Alex wasted no time in taking up her own hiding place opposite, knowing they'd surely be seen if they tried to squish in together.

Alex held her breath as she heard the Slitheen talking to one another, their voices giving away that they were out of their skin. They passed without noticing the two and Alex let her breath out slowly, following with a couple more slow breaths so she wouldn't have a repeat of what had happened before. The Doctor appeared in her view and held out a hand.

"Now to find Rose" He told her, following the direction of the Slitheen when she took his hand. They hadn't gone far when they could hear their voices echoing down the hall. Alex let go of the Doctor's hand, making him stop as she pulled a fire extinguisher from the wall. It fell quickly, Alex grunting with the weight of it before the Doctor took it from her.

"Good idea" He commented, continuing quickly when they heard yelling from down the hall. The Doctor kicked the door down, placing the fire extinguisher up on the arm of a couch and spraying it at two of the Slitheen. Alex ran in behind him just in time to see Rose pull the curtains down on one.

"Out! With me!" The Doctor called to them. Alex stood close behind him, taking Rose's hand as she and Harriet come to stand behind him. He glanced at Harriet.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked, confused.

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North" Alex recited. "Rude by the way" The Doctor nodded, ignoring her last comment as he turned back to Harriet.

"Nice to meet you" He said politely.

"Likewise" She managed, floundering at Alex. The Doctor gave another spray of the fire extinguisher before the four of them ran, him dropping it in the process and closing the door behind them.

"We need to get to the cabinet rooms" The Doctor told them as they ran.

"The emergency protocols are in there. They give instructions on aliens" Harriet told him.

"Harriet Jones, I like you" He said quickly. Alex couldn't help but smile as Harriet replied.

"And I like you too"

The Doctor got past a door with the sonic and they continued as the Slitheen chased them all the way back to the cabinet room. They reached the cabinet room and Harriet grabbed the protocols, her and Rose ready to run again when the Slitheen appeared at the door. The Doctor quickly picked up a bottle of alcohol from the table beside the door and held his sonic screwdriver to it.

"One more move and my sonic device will triplicate the flammability of this alcohol, whoof! We all go up. So back off" He ordered. The Slitheen hesitated and one of them backed up a little.

"Right then, question time" The Doctor announced. "Who exactly are the Slitheen?"

"They're aliens" Harriet piped up.

"Yes, I got that, thanks" The Doctor replied politely, although being slightly annoyed.

"Who are you if not human?" One of the Slitheen asked.

"Who's not human?" Harriet looked around.

"He's not human" Alex and Rose said at once.

"He's not human?"

"Can I have a bit of hush?" The Doctor asked, glancing back at the three.

"Sorry"

"So, what's the plan?"

"But he's got a Northern accent" Harriet continued.

"Lots of planets have a North" Alex and Rose responded in unison, making Rose glance at Alex with a raised eyebrow. Oh right Alex remembered I wasn't there…

"I said hush" The Doctor snapped. "Come on!" He urged, holding the alcohol bottle up threateningly to the three in the door. "You've got a spaceship hidden in the North Sea, it's transmitting a signal. You've murdered your way to the top of government, what for? Invasion?"

"Why would we invade this god forsaken rock?" Even the aliens seem to know

"But something's brought the Slitheen race here, what is it?"

"Wrong" Alex spoke, making the Doctor look back at her for a moment.

"What? What I get wrong?"

"Slitheen is not our species, Slitheen is our surname" One corrected, seeming almost offended. "Jocrassa Fel Fotch Pasameer Day Slitheen, at your service"

"So, you're a family" The Doctor realised, raising his eyebrows.

"It's a family business"

"Then you're out to make a profit. How can you do that on a 'God forsaken rock'?"

"Ahh, excuse me?" One spoke up from the back. "Your device will do what? Triplicate the flammability…?"

"Yes" Alex nodded quickly.

"Is that what I said?" The Doctor frowned, making Alex sigh in annoyance.

"You're making it up!" They realised.

"Ah well! Nice try. Harriet, have a drink, I think you're gonna need it" He held the alcohol over his shoulder.

"You pass it to the left first" She corrected.

"Sorry" He handed the bottle to Rose over his other shoulder, seeing as Alex was behind him.

"Thanks"

"Now we can end this hunt… with a slaughter" The Slitheen declared happily. The Doctor simply crossed his arms, standing there and watching them.

"Don't you think we should run?" Rose asked, looking between him and the Slitheen.

"You're not running" Alex pointed out. Rose opened her mouth to reply when the Doctor started talking.

"Fascinating history, Downing street. Two thousand years ago this was all marsh land. 1730 it was occupied by a Mr Chicken. He was a nice man. 1796, this was the cabinet room. If the cabinet's in session and in danger, these are about the four safest walls in Great Britain" He flipped open a panel by the door. "End of lesson" And with a push of a button the steel reinforcements slid over the open doorway and the windows. The Doctor turned to them then.

"Installed in 1991, three inches of steel lining every wall, they'll never get in"

"And how do we get out?" Rose asked. There was a pause.

"Ah" He realised. Alex snorted in amusement, drawing everyone's attention to her as she leaned against the end of the table with her arms crossed. The Doctor rolled his eyes, seeing as it was him she was laughing at, Rose shook her head in annoyance at both of them and Harriet looked incredibly shocked that she could find that funny. She bit her lip, trying to smother a grin as she looked down, studying her boots.

"Sorry" She mumbled.


"What was his name?" The Doctor asked, kneeling down beside the secretary's body.

"Which one?" Harriet asked behind him.

"This one, the secretary or whatever he was called" The Doctor clarified.

"I don't know" Harriet realised. "I talked to him, I brought him a cup of coffee. But I never asked his name"

"Indra" A soft voice spoke up, making the two turn. "His name was Indra" Alex repeated, looking down at the body sadly from where she was stood in the doorway. She had her arms crossed tightly over her chest as she stared blankly. The Doctor looked down at the young man himself, crossing his arms over his chest to make him look more peaceful.

"Sorry, Indra" He said lowly. He stood, moving over to Alex. He stood in front of her, ready to pull her into a hug but she shrugged him off, moving back into the room. He stared after her sadly. She was obviously upset, but he'd seen her worse before. Knowing her, she was trying to prove to everyone, not least herself, that she was strong. He sighed. He understood her more than he'd like to.

"Right, what have we got?" He asked loudly, pulling himself from his thoughts as he entered the room. Alex was on the opposite side of the room, inspecting some of the walls as far away from everyone else as possible. "Any terminals? Anything?" He aimed the question at her but, to his disappointment, she didn't even look up.

"No, this place in antique" Rose answered instead, also shooting a glance at the other girl. "What I don't get is, when they killed the Prime Minister, why didn't they use him as a disguise?"

"Too skinny" Alex said simply, surprising all of them. She still didn't turn, tracing her fingers along the pattern of the wallpaper.

"She's right" The Doctor nodded. "They're big old beasts. They need to fit inside big humans"

"But the Slitheen are about 8 feet, how do they fit inside?" Rose asked, looking between the two who had the answers.

"Compression field" Alex answered simply, as she had done before. Her voice was slightly stronger than before, and if she wasn't still avoiding looking at them Rose might think there was nothing wrong.

"That's the device around their necks, literally shrinks them down a bit" The Doctor clarified when it became clear she wouldn't. "That's why there's all that gas. It's a big exchange" He grinned when Alex snorted in amusement.

"Wish I had a compression field. I could fit a size smaller" Rose joked, grinning proudly to herself when Alex turned.

"Count me in on that" She laughed, making Rose laugh in return.

"Excuse me, people are dead. This is not the time for making jokes" Harriet interrupted, seeming almost appalled by the girls laughing at a time like this. Alex's gaze hardened again at the reminder and she sat down at the large table, staring blankly at the dark wooden surface.

"Sorry…" Rose said awkwardly. "You get used to this stuff when you're friends with him" She gestured to the Doctor, who had busied himself scanning the walls with his sonic screwdriver.

"Well, that's a strange friendship" Harriet commented, looking between the three. Her gaze lingered on Alex as she seemed to realise the girl hadn't been as okay with the dying as she was led to think.

"Harriet Jones, I've heard that name before. Harriet Jones" The Doctor thought out loud. "You're not famous for anything are you?"

"Hardly" Harriet scoffed.

"Alex?" He glanced over at her. She looked up, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Don't look at me. I know her from a TV show" She pointed out. Harriet frowned at her.

"What?" She asked, completely confused now.

"Other dimension, spacy wacy" Alex waved off.

"Rings a bell, Harriet Jones…" The Doctor continued muttering to himself.

"Lifelong backbencher I'm afraid" Harriet sighed. "And a fat lot of use I'm being now. The protocols are redundant, they list the people who can help and they're all dead downstairs" Alex sighed, leaning forward to put her head in her hands. The Doctor stopped and looked over at her, concern written clearly over his face. Rose looked between the two, deciding she might have to take over for a bit.

"Hasn't it got like, defence codes and things?" She asked, looking back at Harriet. "Can we just launch a nuclear bomb at 'em?"

"You're a very violent young woman…" Harriet stared.

"I'm serious! We could!"

"Well there's nothing like that in here, nuclear strikes do need a release code, yes, but it's kept secret by the United Nations" Harriet explained, looking over the protocols again. The Doctor looked quickly over at her, away from Alex where he had been looking for the past few minutes.

"Say that again" he said quickly.

"What, about the codes?" Harriet asked, startled by his sudden order.

"Anything, all of it"

"Um, well the British Isles can't gain access to atomic weapons without a special resolution from the UN"

"Like that's ever stopped them" Rose scoffed, glancing at Alex. She still didn't move.

"Exactly" Harriet agreed. "Given our past record, and I voted against that thank you very much, the codes have been taken out of the government's hands and given to the UN" The Doctor didn't respond, simply listening. The room went quiet for a moment as he thought.

"Is it important?" Harriet asked, confused.

"Everything's important" The Doctor returned quickly.

"If only we knew what the Slitheen wanted" Harriet thought out loud before laughing. "Listen to me, I'm saying 'Slitheen' as if it's normal"

"What do they want though?" Rose asked, looking up at the Doctor.

"Well it's just one family so it's not an invasion. They don't want Slitheen world… They're out to make money, which means they want to use something, something here on Earth, some kind of asset" He spoke as he thought, pacing back and forth.

"Like what? Gold? Oil? Water?" Harriet listed.

"You're very good at this" The Doctor complimented.

"Thank you" She grinned, looking rather pleased.

"Harriet Jones, why do I know that name?" He muttered again. A phone chimed and Rose quickly started digging around her pockets.

"Oh! That's me" She declared, pulling it out.

"But we're sealed off, how did you get a signal?" Harriet asked, confused again.

"He zapped it!" Rose told her, sounding quite happy about it. "Super-phone"

"Then we can phone for help!" Harriet realised, turning to the Doctor. "You must have contacts"

"Dead downstairs, yeah" The Doctor said bluntly, not missing how Alex flinched at the mention. He made his way over to her, taking her hands away from her head. She jumped at his touch and pulled away quickly. She relaxed when her wide eyes fell on him and he frowned worriedly when he realised she'd been crying.

"I'm sorry Doctor. I forgot, I'm so sorry" She whispered sadly. He shook his head, pulling her in for a hug despite how she tensed at the contact.

"It's okay, Alex. It's not your fault" He assured her quietly. "You can't be expected to remember everything" She relaxed into him at those words and she was suddenly holding tightly onto the front of his coat.

"Doctor, it's Mickey" Rose told him gently after they'd been silent a moment.

"Tell your stupid boyfriend we're busy" He snapped, likely sounding harsher than he'd meant to.

"Yeah, he's not so stupid after all" Rose corrected, holding the phone out for him to see. Alex pulled back slightly and took the phone from her, holding it so they could both see the picture Mickey had sent of a Slitheen being electrocuted. She smiled softly.

"Good old Ricky" She whispered, making the Doctor grin at her.


Not long later Alex was sitting in another seat opposite her last, beside where the Doctor paced in his impatience. Harriet stood off to the side somewhere while Rose talked on the phone to Mickey at the end of the table. The Doctor glanced at her every now and then, her and her boyfriend being the source of his impatience. Alex smirked up at him and he pulled an annoyed face back at her when he noticed but he had smiled when he turned away.

"Is she alright though? Don't put her on, just tell me" Rose spoke into the phone. The Doctor seemed to have had enough, snatching the device from her ear and holding it to his own.

"Is that Ricky? Don't talk, just shut up and go to your computer" He ordered. Alex promptly elbowed him in the leg, that being to closest from where she sat. He glanced down at her and she shook her head, pulling a disapproving face. He sighed.

"Mickey the idiot, I might just choke before I finished this sentence. But eh, I need you" He struggled out. Alex and Rose glanced at each other from across the table, smiles forming on their faces.


"No, I've got it"

"You're putting it in the wrong one you idiot"

"I can do it!"

"Can you?"

The Doctor simply glared at Alex in response. He finally managed to plug the phone into the speaker, placing it down to talk to Mickey on the other end.

"Say again" He said first, having heard something from the phone during his struggle.

"It's asking for the password" Mickey repeated.

"Buffalo" Alex said quickly.

"Two f's one L" The Doctor clarified. Jackie said something on the other end but it was barely decipherable.

"All the secret information known to mankind" Mickey answered her. "See they've known about aliens for years, they've just kept us in the dark"

"Mickey, you were born in the dark" The Doctor corrected.

"Oh, leave him alone" Rose scolded.

"Well, you too" Alex pointed out, looking up to find the other girl glaring at her. "Sorry" She mumbled, looking back down.

"Thank you" Mickey said through the phone, knowing she was also somehow the reason Alex had apologised. "Password again"

"Repeat it" Alex answered immediately. "Every time"

"Big Ben, why did the Slitheen hit Big Ben" The Doctor repeated to himself as he thought. He glanced at Alex and she simply held his stare. Seeing as she had nothing to give him he went back to pacing.

"You said to gather the experts, to kill them" Harriet reminded him.

"That lot would've gathered for a weather balloon" He waved off. "You don't need to crash land in the middle of London"

"The Slitheen were hiding, and then they put the entire planet on red alert. What would they do that for?" Rose asked.

"Oh, listen to her" Jack muttered through the phone.

"At least I'm trying!"

"Well I've got a question if you don't mind" Jackie continued, sounding incredibly annoyed, if not angry. "Because since that man walked into our lives I have been attacked on the streets, I have had creatures from the pits of hell in my own living room and my daughter's disappeared off the face of the Earth"

"I told you what happened" Rose reminded her, annoyed.

"I'm talking to him. 'Cause I've seen this life of yours Doctor. And maybe you get off on it, maybe you think it's all clever and smart, but you tell me. Just answer me this. Both those girls, are they safe?"

Alex looked up sharply at the phone. Both? Jackie was worried about her? She looked up at the Doctor to find him staring intently at the phone.

"I'm fine" Rose insisted. "We're both fine"

"Are they safe? Will they always be safe? Can you promise me that?"

The Doctor looked up at Rose and Alex, who both stared back at him.

"No one can be perfectly safe anywhere" Alex said lowly.

"Well, what's the answer?" Jackie pressed, ignoring her. Alex locked eyes with the Doctor and he stared almost desperately back at her. She opened her mouth to say something but she couldn't think of a single word.

"We're in" Mickey spoke up suddenly.

"Right then" The Doctor broke eye contact to rush around the table and stop between the two girls. "On the left there's a tab, an icon, little concentric circles. Click on that" Mickey must have done what he said because a beeping came over the phone. Alex leaned in a little closer, trying to discern some kind of pattern.

"What is it?" Mickey asked.

"The Slitheen have got a spaceship in the North Sea and it's transmitting that signal. Now hush, let me work out what it's saying" He explained quickly.

"He'll have to answer me one day" Jackie muttered, annoyed.

"Hush" Mickey repeated. Alex smiled at his choice in words. He certainly wasn't the best character in his first episode, but he dealt with the Doctor well in his position.

"It's some sort of message" The Doctor pointed out.

"What's it saying?" Rose asked, looking to him.

"Don't know. It's on a loop, keeps repeating" The Doctor told them. There was the sound of a doorbell through the phone and Alex frowned. Wasn't it rather late? "Hush" The Doctor repeated.

"That's not me" Mickey told him, not seeming annoyed or surprised at all. "Go and see who that is" He spoke a little quieter.

"It's three O'clock in the morning" Jackie pointed out. So it was rather late. Made sense now that Alex was feeling a little tired.

"Well go and tell them that" Mickey suggested.

"It's beaming out into space, who's it for?" The Doctor thought to himself. The doorbell rang again and Alex frowned. Who could be there at three AM? There must be something she was forgetting. Perfect, you can remember the UNIT passwords but not when a room full of people are going to die or who's at the door at three in the morning. Useless you are.

There was screaming on the other end of the line and Alex shot up from her chair, watching the phone as everyone else did. Jackie was yelling something in the background.

"They've found us" Mickey spoke into the phone.

"Mickey, I need that signal" The Doctor told him, his tone warning.

"Never mind the signal" Rose snapped. "Mum just get out! Get out! Get out!"

"We can't it's by the front door" Mickey told them. "Oh my God, it's unmasking, it's gonna kill us"

"There's got to be some way of stopping them!" Harriet cried, turning to the Doctor. "You're the expert, think of something!"

"I'm trying!" He shot back. Alex pushed away from the table, pulling her hands through her hair. There had to be something, there had to be. What did they use? They had something in the flat. Why can't you remember damn you! They heard the door being broken down and Alex's eyes snapped back to the phone.

"That's my mother" Rose pointed out, panicking.

"Right! If we're going to find their weakness we need to know where they're from, which planet" The Doctor declared. "So, judging by their face and shape that narrows it down to five thousand planets within travelling distance. What else do we know about them? Information!"

"They're green" Rose offered quickly.

"Narrows it down"

"Uh, good sense of smell"

"Narrows it down"

"They can smell adrenaline"

"Narrows it down"

"The compression technology" Harriet jumped in.

"Narrows it down" The Doctor nodded.

"Spaceship in the Thames, you said slipstream technology?" Rose remembered.

"Narrows it down"

"It's getting in!" Mickey shouted.

"Oh! They hunt like it's a ritual!" Rose pointed out.

"Narrows it down"

"Wait a minute!" Harriet spoke up. "Did you notice, when they fart, if you'll pardon the word, it doesn't exactly smell like a fart, if you'll pardon the word, it-"

"Oh for heavens' sake!" Alex cried suddenly. "I am an idiot! Raxacoricofallapatorius!" The Doctor's eyes widened in realisation and he turned back to the phone.

"Get into the kitchen!" He ordered. "Now, Raxacoricofallapatorius. Think, think, think. Calcium! Calcium, recombined by the compression field, acetic acid"

"Vinegar!" Alex remembered.

"Yes! Vinegar! Fantastic!" The Doctor praised, making her grin despite the circumstances.

"Just like Hannibal!" Harriet realised.

"Just like Hannibal" The Doctor nodded. "Mickey, have you got any vinegar?"

"How should I know?"

"It's your kitchen, Ricky" Alex reminded him.

"Cupboard by the sink, middle shelf" Rose told him through the phone.

"Give it here!" Jackie shouted. There was movement and Alex realised she had snatched the phone. "What do you need?" She asked.

"Anything with vinegar!" Alex and the Doctor spoke together. There was movement again and Jackie started talking as she gather things together.

"Gherkins! Yeah! Pickled onions! Pickled eggs!"

"You kiss this man?" The Doctor raised an eyebrow at Rose. There was the splash of the vinegar and then silence for a few moments followed by a loud bang. Everyone sighed in relief. Alex fell back into her chair, her head back and her eyes closed as she evened out her breathing.

"Hannibal?" Rose asked.

"Hannibal crossed the Alps by dissolving bounders with vinegar" Harriet told them. Alex looked up, finding someone holding a glass in front of her. She blinked and looked up at the Doctor.

"Alcohol" He whispered innocently, grinning. Alex laughed, taking the glass.

"Oh, well there you go then" Rose nodded at Harriet's explanation.

"Learn something new every day" Alex added, raising her glass with everyone. They all drank and Alex stared down at her cup as she swallowed. She'd never had whatever it was before, but she was sure she liked it. Bitter but not as stinging as some kinds of alcohol. It would do.


About half an hour later the adrenaline had worn off and Alex was sitting back in her chair with her feet up on the table, her eyes half closed as she swirled her third glass. It was taken from her and she blinked at her empty hand for a moment before looking up to find the Doctor placing her glass on the table.

"I think that's enough for now" He commented, crouching down beside her. "You alright?" She nodded.

"Just tired" She sighed, her fingers playing with the collar of his coat.

"And a bit of a lightweight I think" He smirked, gently pulling her hand away. He placed her hand on her lap and patted it a moment. "You have some rest, yeah?"

"Yeah" She nodded, her eyes already falling shut. He stood and moved to brush some hair from her eyes, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"You did great" He whispered. She could feel herself already drifting off when something warm covered her. She smiled and cuddled closer to the Doctor's coat as she fell asleep.

Alex came slowly back into consciousness, hearing the other occupants in the room talking quietly. She didn't move so they wouldn't know she was awake. She needed to figure out where they were up to first.

"Mickey, any luck?" Rose was asking.

"There's loads of emergency numbers, they're all on voicemail" He responded.

"Voicemail dooms us all" Harriet muttered.

"If we could just get out of here…" Rose thought to herself. There was a pause.

"There's a way out" The Doctor said quietly.

"What?"

"There's always been a way out"

"Then why don't we use it?" The confusion was clear in Rose's voice and Alex's heart rate picked up when she remembered what they were talking about. There was movement and the Doctor spoke a little louder.

"Because I can't guarantee the girls will be safe" He said regrettably.

"Don't you dare" Jackie snapped quickly. "Whatever it is, don't you dare"

"That's the thing, if I don't dare, everyone dies"

"Do it" Alex told him, surprising him as she sat up.

"Do it" Rose agreed.

"You don't even know what it is" He started looking at Rose. "You'd just let me?"

"Yeah" She said simply. He glanced at Alex, who gave him a small smile and nodded.

"I know. Do it" She told him softly. He simply stared at them, stunned.

"Please, Doctor. Please!" Jackie spoke through the phone. "She's my daughter. They're just kids"

"Do you think I don't know that?" He bit back. "Because this is my life Jackie, it's not fun, it's not smart it's just standing up and making a decision because nobody else will"

"Then don't" Alex told him, attracting his gaze. "Because I'm telling you, I'll make the decision. Do it"

"What're you waiting for?" Rose added quietly. He looked between the two, locking his eyes on Alex after a moment.

"I could save the world but lose you" He said desperately. Alex could feel her heart break and the sadness in his voice, how desperate he was to not let her get hurt, but he knew he had to do it, and so did she.

"Except it's not your decision" Harriet spoke up. "Neither of you, it's mine"

"And who the hell are you?" Jackie demanded angrily.

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North. The only elective representative in this room. Chosen by the people, for the people, and on behalf of the people I command you, do it"

The Doctor looked back at the girls, grinning. Alex couldn't help but laugh at his sudden apparent happiness. But maybe it was, maybe he was happy that, for once, the decision wasn't his.

"How do we get out?" Rose asked, climbing up in the table.

"We don't" Alex told her, moving to stand beside the Doctor, his coat forgotten on her chair.

"We stay here" The Doctor confirmed, opening the emergency protocols. "Use the buffalo password, it overrides everything" He told Mickey.

"What're you doing?" Jackie asked.

"Hacking into the Royal Navy" Mickey replied, sounding surprised himself. "We're in" He said after a pause. "Here it is, uh… H.M.S Taurean, Trafalgar Class submarine. Ten miles off the East Coast of Plymouth"

"Right, we need to select a missile" The Doctor told him.

"We can't go nuclear, we don't have the defence codes"

"We don't need to" Alex told him, wanting to feel useful.

"All we need is an ordinary missile" The Doctor continued. "What's the first category?"

"Sub Haffoon. UGMA4A"

"That's the one, select"

Jackie said something quietly in the background and Mickey responded just as quietly. Alex and the Doctor exchanged a worried look.

"Ready for this?" He asked. There was a pause.

"Yeah" Mickey said eventually.

"Mickey the idiot" The Doctor spoke, sounding almost like he wasn't insulting him. "The world is in your hands. Fire"

Alex turned to Rose.

"The steel isn't solid enough for a long-range attack. You've a plan, yeah?" She asked the other girl. Rose looked surprised for a moment before brushing it off, turning to the cupboard.

"It's like what they say about earthquakes, you can survive them by standing under a doorframe" She explained, beginning to empty it out. Alex was quick to step in and assist her. "Now this cupboard's small so it's strong. Come and help us! Come on!" Harriet hurried over to help.

"It's on radar. Counter defence 556" Mickey spoke up.

"Stop them" Alex called over.

"I'm doing it now"

"Good boy, Ricky" She praised. There was a moment of quiet as the girls continued working.

"556 neutralised" Mickey told them.

"Doctor!" Alex called from the doorway, watching as he disconnected the speaker and ran over with the phone. There was gunfire from outside and Alex froze, her eyes fixed on the door. There were people downstairs. She could only hope they all got out. She didn't register her name being called until hands wrapped around her waist and she was being pulled inside only to fall on top of the Doctor.

"Thanks" She breathed, moving so she was sitting next to him. He only gave a nod in response as Rose closed the door and sat squished in beside her.

"Nice knowing you all" Harriet told them. Alex turned to grab at the Doctor, a small squeak of fear falling through her lips. He wrapped an arm round her shoulders and held Rose's hand on the other side as he grabbed Harriet's hand too. There was a moment of silence, and then there was anything but. Harriet and Rose screamed as the whole small room shook, but Alex had her eyes shut tightly, breathing fast and silent. The Doctor held her even closer as a particularly loud crash made her scream. Then as soon as it had begun, it was over.

The four of them were all quiet for a moment before Rose and Harriet stood first, stepping out cautiously. Alex didn't move, still clutching at the Doctor with her eyes shut and her breaths coming shot and sharp.

"Alex. Look we're okay" The Doctor spoke quietly, trying to pull her away. She let go but grabbed at his arms as he held her by her shoulders. "We made it. See?" She opened her eyes when he said that, meeting his encouraging grin with a hesitant smile.

"I see" She whispered in return. She looked him over then, realising something for the first time. "Oh, Doctor" She said sadly.

"What is it?" He asked, suddenly concerned again.

"Your coat" Was all she said. He looked down and seemed to realise she was right, they'd left his coat. He laughed, relieved she was okay enough to be worried about that. She smiled genuinely in return and he helped her to her feet, guiding her out of their little safe box.

"Someone's going to have a hell of a job sorting this lot out" Harriet was telling Rose. "Oh, lord! We haven't even got a Prime Miniter!"

"Maybe you should have a go" Alex encouraged, giving the older woman a warm smile.

"Me?" She laughed. "I'm only a back bencher"

"That's why you should" Alex responded quickly, making her frown.

"What do you mean?"

"Great leaders don't choose to lead. They are called forward by necessity. Guess what, Harriet?" She grinned. "These people need you"

"I'd vote for ya!" Rose added enthusiastically. Harriet looked between the two with a smile.

"Thank you" She said honestly. "Look, I'd better go and see if I can help" Alex gave a small nod and watched her leave.

"Where did that come from?" The Doctor asked curiously. Alex looked up at him, realising his arm was still over her shoulders, but he didn't seem to want to move any time soon. She looked back at Harriet to obscure the blush she knew was on her face.

"I saw it on a movie" She responded evenly, making the two on either side of her laugh. Harriet turned halfway over to the crowd of people, finding Rose and The Doctor laughing and Alex grinning at her. She turned back to the people, making excuses and explaining things while re-assuring everyone they were safe.

"I thought I knew that name" The Doctor began as Alex ducked away. "Harriet Jones, future Prime Minister, elected for three successive terms, the architect of Britain's Golden Age" The two watched Harriet fondly for a moment as she spoke to a camera. The Doctor seemed to realise Alex wasn't there and turned to look for her, spotting her kneeling down in the rubble of Downing Street, digging through. He frowned, walking over to her as she pulled almost desperately at a rather large rock. His shadow fell over her and she glanced up, looking like she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't

"What are you doing?" He asked, pulling the rock away for her. It became clear quite quickly when she snatched up what was underneath. She stared sadly down at the worn leather coat in her hands, singed slightly more up one arm and a seam ripped at the front of the hem.

"I'm sorry" She said softly. He smiled reassuringly at her, taking it from her gently.

"It's perfectly okay" He assured her, inspecting it for a moment before putting it on. They stood together, Alex taking his left arm to inspect the fire damage.

"You found it" Rose pointed out, making the two look over at her. She was grinning happily at them. "Just as well, doesn't look right without it" Alex laughed, nodding as she took the right side of the hem, holding the small rip back together.

"I know, just wait 'til the next one" She agreed.

"Oi!" The Doctor cried indigently. "I'll have you know I have excellent taste in coats" Alex smirked at him, leaning up on her toes to whisper in his ear.

"Technicolor dreamcoat from number Six" She said, pulling away and raising an eyebrow suggestively at him. He looked lost for words and Alex laughed at his expression, practically skipping away to link her arm with Rose's.

"Come on then, that Tardis awaits. Allons-y" She told the other girl, tugging her along as she started off.

"What?" The Doctor called after them, following.

"Spoilers" Alex returned, smirking over her shoulder. He looked so annoyed by that one word that the two girls started laughing as they walked.

"I knew I liked you from that start" Rose told her.

"I knew I liked you before the start" She replied happily. The Doctor managed to catch up and walked beside Alex, taking her hand in his. She grinned up at him and he returned it brightly.


Alex had returned to the Tardis with the Doctor, sitting up on the grates circled around the walls as he worked on the console. Rose had gone inside to spend time with her mother and Alex had gone silent when she had mentioned it. The Doctor tried to cheer her up but seemed to have decided it was best to leave her alone. She had found a nice little notebook with a dark blue cover and was drawing in it when the Doctor had called Rose. He put the phone on a speaker system Alex hadn't known existed and soon enough Rose's voice filled the Tardis.

"Hello?"

"Hello!" Alex shouted back brightly before he could speak. He didn't seem too upset, even smiling as he shook his head at her.

"Right, I'll be a couple of hours, then we can go" He told the girl.

"You've got a phone?" She asked incredulously.

"It is a phone box" Alex pointed out.

"You think I can travel through time and space and I haven't got a phone?" The Doctor added, laughing. "Like I said, couple of hours. I've just got to send out this dispersal…" He moved to press a button on the console and returned back to his position. "There you go, that's cancelling out the Slitheen's advert in case any bargain hunters turn up"

"My mother's cooking" Rose told them, sounding hesitant.

"Good! Put her on a slow heat and let her simmer"


Rose frowned as Alex's laughing filled the speaker and couldn't help but smile a bit bemusedly at the girl.

"She's cooking tea, for us" She corrected.

"I don't do that" The Doctor said immediately.

"She wants to get to know you"

"Tough. I've got better things to do"

"It's just tea"

"Not to me it isn't"

"She's my mother"

"Well she's not mine"


"That's not fair" Rose said it like a statement, like she wasn't complaining. But Alex kind of agreed with her.

"Well you can stay there if you want" The Doctor pointed out, pausing then. He looked up at Alex and she knew he was talking to both of them when he continued. "But right now there's this plasma storm brewing in the horse head nebula. Fires are burning ten million miles wide. I could fly the Tardis right into the heart of it and then ride the shockwave all the way out. Hurtle right across the sky and end up anywhere" There was another pause and the Doctor turned back to the console. "Your choice" He said simply, pressing a button and hanging up the call.

Alex simply stared at him a moment, going through all the things she wanted to say to him right now to try and find which to use.

"Why don't you just set the controls to random?" She asked after a moment. "You could end up anywhere and you don't have to fly into the heart of a plasma storm" He looked up at her with a frown.

"There is no random" He told her, confused. Alex raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Oh well, must be a later update then" She thought out loud, frowning then. "Are you sure?" He paused.

"Yes" He answered, looking very unsure. Alex laughed and placed her notebook and pencil down on the edge, jumping off.

"Alright, gonna have a chat with Ricky. Think I saw him with a paper, I wanna see what it says" She told him, patting his shoulder as he passed. He gave a nod in reply and watched her leave. He waited a few moments before walking over to reach up and grab her book down. He frowned at the page she had been drawing on, glancing at the door before continuing through the book.

Each page was filled with a pencil sketch of a person. Some he recognised, there was one of Rose, one of Mickey, and he smiled at the one of him. Then there were ones he didn't, a little boy with a bright smile and a football, a man and woman sitting together, a young man with a laptop in front of him. The Doctor glanced back at the door nervously, not wanting her to know he'd seen when he realised who those people were. Her family. Alex had been drawing pictures of her old family. He turned back to the detailed picture of the young boy, thinking back on the little brother Alex had told him about before, looking it over with a sigh.

"Oh, Alex"


"You knew it wasn't a good thing to do, didn't ya?" Alex's voice spoke as he opened the door.

"Yes, Miss" The boy beside the Tardis nodded, scrubbing at the graffiti he'd painted on the day before.

"And see this is what happens when you do things you're not supposed to, got that?"

"Yes, Miss"

"You finished there?"

"Yes, Miss"

"Good lad, graffiti that again and I'll 'ave ya" The Doctor spoke up, closing the door behind him.

"You be thankful we don't call your mother" Alex added from where she stood across the alley beside Mickey, who was sat up on a trash bin. "Now shoo" She tilted her head, gesturing for him to go and watching as he picked up his cleaning bucket and ran off. She smiled after him and turned back to the Doctor.

"Kids" She sighed, shaking her head. He grinned in return stepping closer to the two. He wasn't sure why, but he didn't like seeing her standing to close to Mickey.

"I just went down the shop. And I was thinking, you know, the whole world's changed" Mickey told him. "Aliens and spaceships all in public. And here it is" He held up a newspaper so he could clearly see the heading 'Alien hoax?'. The Doctor gave a smile and Alex laughed as Mickey started complaining.

"How could they do that? They saw it!" He insisted, looking between the two.

"You're just not ready" The Doctor explained simply. "You're happy to believe in something that's invisible, but if it's staring you in the face, nope! Can't see it! There's a scientific explanation for that, you're thick" Alex snorted in amusement, shaking her head as the Doctor laughed and even Mickey smiled.

"We're just idiots" Mickey rephrased.

"Well, not all of you" The Doctor said simply. Mickey visibly straightened at that.

"Yeah?" He asked, almost as if he was expecting him to say he was kidding and insult him again.

"Present for you Mickey" he said suddenly, pulling a disk from his pocket and stepping closer to hand it to him. "That's a virus, put it online and it'll destroy every mention of me" He explained as Mickey took the disc, looking at him confusedly. "I'll cease to exist"

"What do you want to do that for?"

"'Cos you're right. I am dangerous, and I don't want anybody following me"

Alex laughed slightly and he looked down at her, raising an eyebrow.

"What's funny?" He asked, confused himself now.

"Oh nothing" She replied almost distractedly, playing with the collar of her jacket with one hand. "Just, well I spent a lot of time trying to follow you when I was younger, never quite worked out" She explained with a shrug.

"I'm here aren't I?" He pointed out, smiling at her when she grinned. The three turned when Rose and Jackie exited the flats, the latter trying to talk her daughter into staying.

"How can you say you don't want people following you, and then take her with you?" Mickey asked, gesturing to the approaching Rose.

"You could look after her, come with us" The Doctor offered. Alex's eyes widened and she looked from him to Mickey, smiling hopefully. He glanced up at her, his expression making hers fall.

"I can't" He tried to explain. "This life of yours… It's too much. I- I couldn't do it" Alex gave a small smile.

"Yet" she told him. She glanced past him at the approaching women and he followed her gaze.

"Don't tell her I said that" He requested quickly as they came into earshot.

"I'll get a proper job. I'll work weekends and if Jim comes 'round again, I'll say no, I really will" Jackie pleaded.

"I'm not leaving 'cos of you. I'm travelling, that's all. And then I'll come back" Rose told her.

"But it's not safe"

"Mum… If you saw it out there… You'd never stay home" She told her. She turned then, pulling a large backpack from her shoulders.

"Got enough stuff?" The Doctor asked sarcastically.

"Last time I stepped in there it was spur of the moment" She reminded him, unceremoniously shoving the bag into his arms. He grunted under the unexpected weight, shifting to grab hold of it. "Now I'm signing up. You're stuck with me" She pointed at him, laughing as she backed away. He stared at her, glancing at Alex as if silently asking for help. Alex simply laughed, making him look even more lost. Rose walked up to Mickey as Jackie looked the Doctor up and down, fixing him with a glare.

"Come with us" Rose suggested to Mickey. "There's plenty of room" Mickey made a vague gesture to the Doctor and Alex, who now stood by his side.

"No chance, he's ah a liability. I'm not having him on board" He told her. Alex pulled a face at him and glanced back at Rose, acting as if she wasn't expecting it.

"We'd be dead without him" Rose pointed out.

"My decision is final" The Doctor stated. Rose glanced at Alex and she shrugged as if to say 'what do you expect me to do?' Rose turned back to Mickey.

"Sorry" She said honestly. They shared a quick kiss and Mickey gave her a small wave as she backed away.

"Good luck then" he told her, glancing at Alex to show he was talking to her too.

"You still can't promise me" Jackie accused, rounding on the Doctor. "What if she gets lost? What if something happens to you Doctor, and she's left all alone standing on some moon a million light years away, how long do I wait then?" The Doctor didn't answer, simply holding Rose's backpack tightly and looking lost.

"Mum…" Rose called softly, attracting her attention. "You're forgetting, it's a time machine. I could go travelling around suns and planets and all the way to the edge of the universe and by the time I get back, yeah, ten seconds would have passed. Just ten seconds" She put her hands on her mother's shoulders, smiling reassuringly. "So don't worry. See you in ten seconds time, hmm?" The two hugged and Rose stepped back to enter the Tardis. The Doctor went to follow but stopped when he noticed Alex had moved closer to Jackie.

"Mrs Tyler" She started hesitantly.

"Jackie, please" She corrected. Alex smiled.

"Jackie, I promise you, as long as I am alive nothing will happen to Rose. I will protect her with my life" She promised. Jackie smiled softly at the girl.

"Thank you. But… remember to take care of yourself okay?" Jackie told her. She moved forward to hug her and the younger girl stiffened for a moment, not expecting it, but relaxed quickly.

"Okay" She agreed as they pulled apart.

"Lord knows how well he does" She added, gesturing to the Doctor. Alex laughed, but shook her head.

"The Doctor does a great job looking after me. And with Rose under the protection of me and the Doctor, she's the safest person in the universe right now" Alex said, honesty lacing every word. The Doctor froze at that. She really believed they were safe, just because they were with him. He didn't even think he believed that himself. Alex shot the woman one last smile and waved to Mickey, who waved back, before stepping into the Tardis, the Doctor following behind.


Props to anyone who can work out what movie Alex got her insparational quote from, because I (she) may have butchered it beyond recognition. This... is the longest chapter I have ever posted in my life. Like, wow. And damn, was there angst. Anyway, review if you like something, dislike something, know the quote, have a comment. I love them all. Until next time.