Hi everyone, Loki here. Thank you all for reading! I was stunned at my number of hits, favourites and reviews. They mean a lot to me, all of them. But wow, CC is nearly finished! Sorry about the delay between this one and last. Computer problems. To save confusion, here's a quick list of who's speaking where. It's fairly obvious really, but maybe it'll help!

1. Rose
2. Martha
3. Sarah-Jane
4. Martha
5. Jack
6. Martha (briefly)
7. Donna

I've indicated changes. Enjoy! Please keep reading and reviewing. I love to hear what you think.

Action Stations

Everyone went in to action stations as Daisy left. I watched them all in a daze, but Donna was right by my side the whole time. It was strange to have her looking after me of all of them, but it felt comfortable. Blake immediately put in a call to some of the qualified police. Alex, Grace and Hal went around the school telling everybody what had happened, making sure they all knew various talents could be called on at any point.

Jack and Sarah-Jane, along with K9 were writing out some kind of plans to make their weapons compatible and much more powerful. It made me shiver, thinking of Sarah-Jane, the woman who had 'adopted' three children, was pushing sixty (all though, she did look very good on it) and had started out as a journalist was now mapping out something so destructive.

With Jack, I expected it. Ever since he'd joined his branch of Torchwood, it had opened up a much stronger, darker side of him. He couldn't die, so he threw himself in to danger at every opportunity. Or that's what it seemed like anyway. Martha had gone along similar lines. She'd told me she now worked at UNIT, and she was off on her phone discussing tactics with them, talking explosions and damage control as easily as the weather.

Donna was the most normal one and I was grateful for it. I worked at Torchwood too, but losing my sister had kind of shut me down. She was never far from me if I needed anything and kept me talking about what Daisy and I would do when she came back and how fantastic it would be to see The Doctor again. She was talking about it like it was a sure thing and I admired that.

Blake came in to the canteen where we had moved to and looked at us. "We're getting together a lot of strong people, Torchwood and UNIT are giving us tactical advice and the students are on alert for anything suspicious. We have a lot of muscle power if we need it."

"What do you mean if?" I cried, "My sister's up god knows where surrounded my metal soldiers, slowly turning in to one of them!"

"We're hoping perhaps you can get through to her." replied Blake simply. "Try and detach her from the others so we can bring her here and work on an antidote."

"Were you not paying attention before she left? She hates me!"

"Stop right there Rose." said Donna sharply. "She could never, ever hate you. She was just angry and upset; we all say stupid things when we're like that."

"But…!"

"You don't give your sister enough credit." concluded Donna. "If she had hated you, she wouldn't have done what she did and saved all our hides."

She was right. Maybe she hated me, but she didn't hate Sarah-Jane, or Jack or Donna or Martha. Speak of the devil, they came in just then. Donna had managed to shut me up. Martha came over and hugged me, sitting down beside me, Donna shifted over so I could too and there was room for her.

"UNIT are prepared to help us if we need it." She reassured gently.

"My guys are networking to try and find about weak spots." added Jack with a charming smile.

"Jack's pumped up my sonic device and added more settings." added Sarah-Jane.

"Our troops are at the ready." continued Blake.

Alex, Grace and Hal came in, "And we have a bunch of people who are willing to kick a little butt and come with us."

I couldn't believe it. They had done all this for me, for my sister, no questions asked. I welled up again. "Thank you. Just, thank you." I whispered.

"Come on." decided Donna decisively, "You need tea."

She linked arms and pulled me up towards the door, the others were following us and I noticed Donna and Martha exchanging a look as I was led away, but I didn't think much of it.

I nodded to Donna as she took Rose away. She really needed a break. It left me with Jack and Sarah-Jane, quite an odd combination but it made sense. I had a feeling we had a few things to discuss. Blake saw that we wanted to talk and politely excused himself. Hal and Grace followed, but Alex hung behind. Looked like he had a word or two to share as well.

"Well. This is a turn of events." sighed Sarah-Jane as she flopped down on the couch, absent-mindedly twirling her sonic lipstick. "I still can't believe it happened."

"I was really hoping the machine would malfunction or something." agreed Jack. "Daisy's a sweet kid. She doesn't deserve this."

"But she certainly made plans, didn't she? That thing with Rose broke my heart." I sat by Sarah-Jane. "But she did the right thing, trying to distance them."

"So, what exactly did she say to you?" Jack turned to Sarah-Jane.

Sarah-Jane

"Sarah-Jane, can I tell you something?" Daisy gave me the strangest look, sad and haunted.

"Of course Daisy, what's wrong?" I asked, suddenly worried about her.

She paused for a long moment, thinking over what she was trying to say. I had some suspicion what it could be regarding. Whilst the poor lass had been unconscious in Majimji, that horrible little Periculum man appeared to us.

"Don't worry." He had cackled, "Your precious little flower's not going anywhere. Yet."

"What do you mean yet?" demanded Rose, immediately defensive.

"The machine didn't work because her genes have already been altered." He smirked

"Already altered?" Martha repeated.

"Spreads like an infection. She got bit, now she's slowly turning in to one of us." He seemed giddy with happiness.

"We're gonna need more than that." Donna was all hands on hips.

"Make the most of your time with her. Because soon she'll be mine."

I was snapped out of my reverie by a concerned look from Daisy who had leaned forward slightly. She was looking up to meet my eye and she seemed half terrified and half defiant. Words couldn't express what she was trying to explain, so she slowly peeled off those gloves of hers and her jacket. I couldn't help it; my hands flew to my mouth. From somewhere in the middle of her palm to just passed her wrist, Daisy's skin was metal. Just like those soldiers that had side-tracked us in the desert.

"Not quite the look I was going for." She confessed with a wry grin, but I could see she was worried. "I know what's happening to me Sarah-Jane. I'm becoming a monster. There's nothing I can do about it. But you can."

"What do you mean I can?" I really didn't see what she meant. Of all of us I was least likely to be able to help. The rest were younger and fitter than me.

"When I change, I won't be myself. I want you to forget the Daisy Tyler you know. I need you to see me as I will be, not what I was." I swear she had just gained a few decades of wisdom in her voice.

"What are you saying?" How could I possibly forget Daisy? Or any of them? After all we'd been through.

"You have to see an alien threat. You know how to deal with those." She looked long and hard at me, before her eyes passed over her wrists.

"You don't know what'll happen! It might be something completely different!" I protested.

"Promise me, you'll forget Daisy Tyler when you need to." She didn't look up.

"I…can't. But, I'll try and help you." I replied to her honestly.

"And don't tell Rose." She finished.

It was then that Martha came in and our conversation was terminated. We never brought it up again.

"She told me to forget her." Sarah-Jane answered. "Forget what she was and focus on what she would be."

"Easier said than done." It was Alex speaking up this time. He was staring out of the window, totally lost.

"Why are you still here Alex?" I wondered aloud.

"Daisy asked me to be." He admitted, staring intently at the shoes. "When we first came in to the office, we were talking?" I nodded, I remembered that. "She told me to protect you. Me, Grace and Hal."

"But you're just kids!" I exclaimed, ashamed of my own bias. They were kids, but they were very advanced kids. Daisy was a kid too.

"She didn't see us like that." argued Hal. "She told us that we could be strong. We trust her." He looked at me, "What did she say to you then Martha?" he challenged.

Martha

I had liked Violet. She was a sweet girl and I hoped she did well for herself. It was tough being a woman in those times, especially a businesswoman. I could sympathise with it completely. It was pretty late and most people were in their rooms. I was just finishing clearing up; it was my turn on the rota. When I came across young Daisy sitting with the TARDIS doors open, staring out at space, occasionally glancing down at something.

"Hey Daze." I grinned wandering over. She looked up with a start and offered me a small smile, "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

"I don't think much can surprise me nowadays." She admitted.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Pull up a floor tile." She grinned that cheeky, lively grin of hers and hitched up. "Jack really hasn't got a hang of the vacuum cleaner has he?"

"What brings you out here? Can't sleep?"

"Nope. My brain refuses to shut up."

"I get that sometimes." I sympathised. I noticed she looked down again, "What've you got there? Can I see?"

She hesitated, thinking about it for a while. I could see her debate the pros and cons and finally decide it wouldn't hurt to let me peek. She held up a small square piece of paper and passed it over to me. My mouth dropped open, it was all of us watching the fireworks and we looked ridiculous. Ridiculous, but happy.

"Violet posted me it." She explained.

"Fast work."

"I daresay Alex had a hand in it." She paused. "Hey, Martha?"

"Yes?"

"You work for UNIT, right?" I nodded, that was true. "Have you guys done a lot of work on the rift? The thing Rose and I fell through?"

Now I was cautious. I had to be very, very careful with what I could say to her. I trusted her with my life, but I wasn't sure an association like UNIT would see it quite that way if I accidentally let something slip that I shouldn't.

"Some." I shrugged.

"Do you think there's any way of contacting it?" What a weird question.

"Possibly, though that's not really my department." That much was true. "Why?"

"Because…" she paused again, "If something should happen to me. Would you be able to let my family know?"

"I honestly don't know. What do you think is going to happen to you?" I smiled, trying to lighten the mood, "We'll look after you. We look after each other."

"Thanks. But there's only so much you can do." She sighed, a sigh full of, something. Exhaustion, resignation, exasperation, I wasn't sure.

"What's wrong Daisy?"

She rolled up her sleeves and I couldn't believe it. The tips of her fingers to just below her shoulders were completely metallic. Then she slipped up the leg of her jeans, the rings around her ankles were metal too.

"Oh, my god. Why didn't you tell us about this?"

"Because I figured you'd freak."

"You should have let me know!" I scolded, "I'm a doctor, and this is my job!"

"There's nothing you can do Martha." She told me simply, "You can't stop it. But please, if you can, try and contact my family. When the time comes. Will you do that for me?"

"Of course I will. But that's not going to happen. I'll run tests, call in experts…" she cut me off with a hand on my arm.

"Don't tell Rose."

I didn't. Still hadn't. The only people that knew now were Sarah-Jane, Jack and Alex. I told them she wanted me to try and contact Jackie and Pete and reassure them. I don't know how I would do that, but I had asked UNIT to look in to it. I'd promised. Jack was suddenly very quiet. He looked almost angry, angry at what I'm not sure, but something.

"Jack?" ventured Sarah-Jane.

"Damn. I really got the short straw." He sounded really bitter. "I'd much rather have jobs like you two have than what she assigned me!"

"What was that?" asked Alex.

Jack

We had some kind of understanding between us. The others didn't know what I'd told Daisy. They knew about the two people I lost, but not about my family troubles. I found myself telling her everything I would normally have told The Doctor. She never told me anything, except once. Never judged either, just listened, except once.

It was a couple of days after we'd visited Violet, the photographer. Everyone was taking some time out, when there was a knock on my door, very quiet.

"Hello?"

"Jack?" It was Daisy. "Can I come in?"

I wondered why, "Sure."

I walked over and opened the door. Daisy glanced at me then looked at the floor; she kept hugging her arms like she was nervous or worried about something. She suddenly looked very young. Well, compared to all of us, she was very young. Never seemed it until then though. She closed the door behind her.

"Everything ok?" I asked.

She didn't answer me for a few seconds. When she did it surprised me. "No. No, everything's not ok."

She knocked me completely off my stride as she started crying. I had never once seen her cry. It was that creepy crying, completely silent and totally devastating. I offered her a seat and she shook her head, claiming if she sat down she probably wouldn't get up again.

"What's going on kid?"

"Your job. What do you do exactly?"

That was a weird question. "You know what we do. We keep tabs on alien activity, largely based around the rift."

"What do you do when you find a threat?"

Where was she going with this? "We deal with it appropriately."

"Are you brave Jack?" another strange question. "Will you do what's best for people, no matter what?"

"What are you getting at Daisy, give me a straight answer."

"I need to know yours before I do. Would you always protect Martha, Rose, Donna, and Sarah-Jane?"

"Of course I would!"

"Good."

"Daisy, stop being cryptic."

She sure did. Dropped her jacket to the ground, just wearing a tank top. Too bad she was Rose's little sister…but I couldn't think of that. Especially not now. She was part metal, her arms and a ring around her torso. I realise what she wanted me to do then. I wanted to go back on my word, but I couldn't. She had done a lot more for me than she realised.

"Deal with it appropriately. When you need to. Don't tell Rose."

She picked up her jacket and left, leaving me shell shocked.

Sarah-Jane, Jack, Alex and I were completely silent. We were rounding up the troops, to destroy Rose's little sister. Not just Rose's. She was like a little sister to all of us, always had been. Yet she had commanded it. Blake came back to tell us we were ready to move out and my mind and heart went numb. I put in a quick call to UNIT. Then walked out.

Bloody fantastic. I somehow had to keep the spirits up of a girl who was absolutely devastated whilst everyone around us was planning the demise of a teenage girl that she had ordered herself. It made me feel sick. I would have cried, but Rose had been doing enough of that for us both lately. Up until about half an hour again. It was like some kind of transformation. She was suddenly harder, colder, like she had used up all of her emotion. I did notice she kept running her hand over the seven stones around her neck. We only had two more to find. That was something, despite everything. We would get Daisy back and then get The Doctor back.

"Feeling better Rose?"

Rose shook her head; even her voice was more mechanical. "Not even close. But I'm useless as a blubbering wreck."

I honestly couldn't blame her reaction. If it was any of my relative I'd be a complete mess. But I had a job to do; Daisy had assigned it to me. Just after that dreadful card game, she had pushed a piece of paper in to my hand without anyone seeing it. I didn't look at it until she had gone and it made me skin crawl.

Donna,

I have to break ties with Rose, for her own good. Please look after her.

Tell the others how sorry I am, and let them know how grateful I was to get my sister back and a whole new family as well. I've seen this coming for a long time and I'm not scared. No, that's a lie, I'm terrified, but rather me than all of you.

Find the Doctor, get him back, and then forget me. Don't ever think about me again, you've all got a lot more to worry about than some random kid who hitched a ride to a parallel universe. Saving the world for instance, the whole of time and space to explore.

Even Rose should forget about me in time. I love her, always have and always will. But I don't know her. We're like complete strangers, we went our own way for twelve years, it's not like we have a lot to miss…

I couldn't bear to recall the last part. Just thinking about it, I could feel my eyes watering. I had to pull myself together though, because the other came in to the cafeteria and stood around our table.

"We've got to go." said Blake solemnly, "Everyone's ready."

I squeezed the letter, which was in my pocket and stood up, nodding me understanding. What a funny old world it was. But there was a young girl we had to save. If we could.

Visit a star for me and take care.

Much love and thanks to all of you.

Daisy xx