Chapter 13

Calling in a Favor

~0~

Allison's POV

Usually when one of my companions would die, I would return them to their family. I would then mourn with the family and quickly leave, but I would always keep an eye on them. It was a practice that I did only three times: the first time for Kasey, who was my companion during my first two regenerations; the second time for Jayden and Isobel, they both kept me company when I was the fifth Guardian; and the last time for Gavin, who needs no explanation. They were the only four who died while traveling with me in my previous regenerations, and I made a silent vow that I wouldn't let another companion die because of me. I guess I broke that rule.

Since I didn't know who Lily's parents were in this universe, I improvised. I silently wrapped her in a white sheet and floated her into a newborn star.

This action was based on two reasons. One- we were both not from this universe, and if I just buried her on Earth I feared that someone would find some of her real-universe-DNA and freak out. And 2- I knew that she would want a burial, or cremating, that would be awesome and original. What's more original than cremation by a star? Nothing, well, that I can think of right now.

I closed the TARDIS doors when it was done. For some reason, my beautiful TARDIS was now stuck as an out-of-service red police phone box; that only pissed me off even more. I would rather have it stuck as a tree or something, because now it just looks like I'm trying to be like the Doctor. I guess I should care about if the Doctor sees a floating red police box in space, but right now I didn't care, I felt numb.

I didn't care if I ran into the Doctor at all. I knew him back on Gallifrey, he was one of my best friends in the Academy. I ran away because he did. And also because whenever he was on Gallifrey, he would tell me of his journeys and always I wanted to have my own adventures instead of just listening to his. We kept in touch over the years, but then the Time War started. I returned to Gallifrey to fight, and eventually so did the Doctor but he didn't recognize me during the war.

Perhaps if I ran into him, we could pick up where we left off, as friends, the best of friends. Maybe we could travel together. I knew that even the likelihood of that option was a long shot, but it gave me a little hope. Though that hope was quickly diminished by the thought that he probably didn't want anything to do with me. I mean, I had run from him multiple times.

I don't care if I run into him, or if he learns about me. I don't care about anything anymore. Whatever happens, happens.

I sighed loudly as I walked over to the console and slowly started pressing buttons. My filthy, tear-stained trench coat hung lazily on the coat hanger next to the door. Maybe I should just get rid of that thing. It was once something that was my trademark, but now whenever I looked at it, it just reminded me that I caused yet another person's death.

My TARDIS hummed quietly, in an attempt to cheer me up. It didn't work.

Something dug into my skin around my hip. I pulled up my white dress-up shirt and my saw the pack of 'Panda' Pockys was still in the same place I put it when I first got it in Japan. I lifted the package of sweets out of its designated and unofficial pocket, I guess I must have forgotten that it was there, for an entire week. I threw it down a hall, I didn't want any reminders of my friend who I couldn't save.

I didn't know what to do now. Normally, my companion would want to go see some random planet and I would be more than happy to take them there and run from my problems. But now, there was no one to run with so I couldn't run anymore.

I sank down into my jump seat, watching the purple electricity crackle in the cylindrical glass tube in the middle of the console. What was that thing called anyway? Oh, yeah, the Time Rotor. At least my Timelord brain still worked.

I just sat there in silence, wallowing in self-pity. I think I'm entitled to it once in a while, I mean, my best friend is now dead because of me. She shouldn't have even been outside of the TARDIS. I should have been awake and stopped her.

A sudden beeping pried me out of my thoughts. I quickly hopped out of the jump seat, a part of me eager for any type of distraction, and saw that another spaceship was trying to make video contact with me.

One thought echoed through my head as I opened the emergency chat: Who the heck is contacting me?

~0~

Jack Harkness's POV

"Now then, you lot." The Doctor started, turning his attention away from the monitor and to us, having finished giving assignments to the people who could help on Earth. He then started assigning positions while also continuing his speech. "Sarah, hold that down. Mickey, you hold that. You know why this TARDIS always is rattling about the place? Rose? That, there. It's designed to have six pilots, and I have to do it single handed. Martha, keep that level. But not anymore. Jack, there you go. Steady that." I did what he said, not understanding what this thing I was keeping steady was.

"Now we can fly this thing. No, Jackie. No, no. Not you. Don't touch anything. Just stand back. Like it's meant to be flown. We've got the Torchwood Rift looped around the TARDIS by Mister Smith, and we're going to fly planet Earth back home. Right then. Off we go." A second after the Doctor said that the TARDIS groaned.

"Doctor, what was that?" Rose asked. The Doctor went over to the monitor and his face fell.

"It's too much strain." The Doctor whispered before he repeated himself louder this time. "It's too much strain!" He hit the monitor as if that would should him something helpful.

"What does that mean?" Martha asked.

"The TARDIS can't handle the weight of the world." Donna said a faraway look in her eyes.

"We can't move it, we can't get the Earth back home." The Other Doctor finished.

"Isn't there something we can do?" Sarah Jane asked.

"My TARDIS doesn't have enough power to get the Earth back to its original position. The only thing that could is…" The Doctor trailed off.

"Another TARDIS." Donna finished. It's kind of creepy when they finished each other's sentences like that.

"But there isn't another one left." The Other Doctor added. Wait, yes there is.

"Other Doctor, I need you to do my job for a little bit." I said before letting go of whatever I was steadying. The Other Doctor hopped to do whatever I was doing. I may know futuristic engineering but my knowledge only goes so far.

"What are you doing?" Donna asked as I quickly set to typing across the keyboard under the monitor.

"Calling a friend." I replied as I entered the last digit of the code that would allow me to transmit to the Guardian's TARDIS and bypass most of its securities. I needed her help now, and she owed me a favor from long ago. I just hope she won't be too pissed at me, she can get a bit moody sometimes.

She accepted the transmission and a video chat opened. The face of the Eleventh Guardian was staring back at me with a confused look on her face.

"Jack." Donna started off to my left.

"Who's that?" The Doctor asked from my right. They were both behind me but could see the monitor and the person on it.

"A friend." I answered, looking back at them. My head flicked back to the Guardian, a smile on my face.

"Hiya, Guardian." I said, maybe a bit too loud. Now everyone in the room knew who I was talking to. "I'm calling in that favor."

~0~

Allison's POV

I had two options, pretend I didn't know who Jack was, or not. I chose the first option.

"Who are you? And how did you bypass my security protocols?" I demanded, narrowing my eyes at Jack. From behind him I saw the Doctor and Donna, what are they doing back there?

"Oh, darn it, too early. But listen to me." Jack said.

"Why should I?" I asked. I had to make it sound like I didn't know anything about Jack.

"Ugh, um. Delta Ray 7C." Both the Doctor and Donna looked confused at those words. But I wasn't confused at all. That was my code for, 'shut up, I know what I'm doing, or listen to me', yet sometimes it would be all three. I only told that code to the people I trusted the most. I guess Jack was one of them.

"What do you need help with?" I asked, suddenly very serious.