I woke up that night by a pressure at the end of my bed, close to my feet and a voice whispering my name. I didn't need to say a word, but she somehow knew I was awake.

"I couldn't sleep."

If I hadn't been almost fully asleep, I would have laughed. Couldn't sleep! She did nothing but sleep. Of course, drifting in and out of consciousness I just mumbled something not even I remember and patted the duvet by me. I felt her breathing on my arm as she lay down next to me and curled up into a ball.

"Do you get pictures in your head when you sleep?"

I shook my head; no. Apart from the night she woke up and never after and before that had I had dreams. Sometimes I wished I could see what other people see when they sleep. I don't care much for nightmares though.

"They're terrible." I felt her shudder next to me.

When I found her hand it was soft but cold. "Tell me about them."

She traced a tendon along my arm. "They're so dark." In the scant light I saw her lay her head on my pillow. Her dark hair tickled my cheek. "So, so dark."

That was all I could get her to say about the dreams that had interrupted her sleep. When she moved closer, I felt her shiver from the cold.

"Come on then." I mumbled and pulled up the covers so she could get under them. I couldn't let her get cold out there. Her knees pressed against my hips, making me jump slightly form the cold and the jolt they sent through my body. I moved over to give her some room and almost tumbled out of the bed. It really was too small for two people, even if one was the size of a ten year old.

One arm wrapped around her waist to stop her falling out of the bed, I got myself comfy. It didn't seem close enough for her, so she rested her head on my chest. With me stroking her hair for comfort, somehow we managed to drift off.

"Luke! Keira!" the sound of Sarah Jane's voice woke me up that morning from an incredibly deep slumber. I looked down at Keira, who was breathing shallowly in sleep, her head still on my chest. Edging out, I grabbed some clothes and headed for the bathroom.

Sarah Jane looked up from her morning paper as I entered the room after getting changed.

"Seen Keira?" she asked, taking a sip off coffee.

"Errr, yeah, she's still sleeping." I mumbled. Sarah Jane nodded and turned back to her paper.

"I'm thinking about aiming to get her into school by next week, what d'you think?" she asked. "We can't keep her here forever. I've got things to do and people to see. She should be largely better by then anyway."

"Good idea."

Sarah Jane put down her paper. "I rang around and I found a Doctor to take the needle out of her arm. Captain Jack recommends a private organisation he found out about a few years ago that are used to all sorts of strange cases and their policy is no questions asked." She beamed and finished off the rest of her coffee. "I'm taking her there tomorrow while you're at school. We should be back when you get home."

"So it'll be out soon?" I asked happily. I kept on thinking she was going to pass out on the stairs. That could be very dangerous. It would be best just to get the needle out so she could start up a normal life. As normal as you could get if you fight aliens. I was worried how we were going to introduce this to her. She didn't wake up in the middle of a factory with loads of aliens chasing after her, so she didn't really have the introduction I did.

Rani rang the doorbell a few minutes later and we went off to school, picking Clyde up on the way. I thought how it would be weird walking to school when Keira joined us. It would look like we were taking her to Primary school.

School was uneventful. We've learn all we have to learn and now it's just revision for GCSE's. I prefer learning new things than going over old stuff I'll never forget.

When we got back, mum was up in the attic typing an article up and Keira was in the living-room staring wide-eyed at the television. She wore some clothes we had got for her yesterday; a long-sleeved white t-shirt and a small pair of faded blue jeans. She was watching the music channel, gaping at some female singer who was flinging herself about dancing whilst, of course, singing at the same time.

"How do they do it?" she asked in awe. She attempted to recreate one of the moves the singer was doing, but I could tell her back was paining her. Her cut was just one large scab now, though we kept bandages on it just in case. Last night while I was drifting off I could feel the outline of it through her nightshirt.

"I'll have to teach you when you're better." Announced Rani. "Every girl should be able to dance."

"You can't dance." scoffed Clyde. "And when you do it looks like this." He did a funny jiggy thing with his arms and hips which made Rani flush and scowl.

"I can dance!" she told him heatedly, but, as I anticipated, she couldn't stay angry at him and started to smile.

Clyde grinned back at her. "Nah, Lukey's the one that is totally terrible at groovin'." I wasn't going to argue about that. Anything to do with physical activity and skill and I was rubbish at it. Me dancing would just be terrible. Not that I've ever tried.

We all at down on the sofa she was on and watched the afternoon shows. It was so rarely that we did something so normal and it was quite nice just to chill out and relax without the threat of an alien invasion.

As it started to get dark, Sarah Jane came down and shooed Clyde and Rani out.

"You need to revise for your GCSE's you two!" she told them. "Especially you, Clyde. Out." She saw them out and closed the door after them. I couldn't get up because a minute before Keira had slumped on my shoulder and I didn't want to wake her. Not that I probably could with all that sleeping drug trapped in a needle in her arm.

"Tea-time kids." Sarah Jane announced round the doorframe as she passed." And then straight off to bed. You've been having too many late nights; you need to go to bed early to make up."

"But I want to talk to Maria!" I called back as she went into the kitchen. "I only got to talk for a few minutes last time!" and I wanted to see her again, of course. For some reason Maria was the person I thought about the most. Though lately Keira was beginning to take over. I worried about her all the time.

"You better make it fast this time, too!" Sarah Jane called back. "I want Keira early to bed, even if she does sleep half the day."

I felt Keira stir beside me. She levered her head off my shoulder and ran a hand through her hair. "How long was I asleep?" she asked groggily.

"Not long." Assured her. "Come on; supper."