A/N: Hello! Wow, I haven't posted anything since last year! *snickers* I'm sorry, those jokes get me every time. So, here's the thing, my mind just refuses to post anything that's too long. I can't bring myself to post such long chapters but it kills me to keep dragging this episode out on you guys. I really hope you're okay with that, but if this makes up for it, there's more to the chapter than what's in the episode. Anyhoo, you just go ahead and read. Enjoy!

PS: SON; No lawsuits for me. ^^

Chapter 25

Luna raised a single eyebrow at Mickey incredulously. "Trouble hearing there? It's a pretty simple sentence."

"Be nice." Rose chastised.

"Doctor, what is going on?" Sarah demanded.

"Well, this is Luna, thought we went through this." He evaded, scratching at his sideburns.

"So, she's not Alli Rose?"

Luna scoffed, "Of course I'm not Alli, I just said I'm Luna."

Crack

"Yeah, I'm Alli, she's Luna." She pointed to herself like that explained everything. "I don't see what's so confusing about this."

"Are you loony?" Mickey shouted, not holding back any of his rude mannerisms.

"Mickey!" Rose shouted in shock, the same moment the Doctor shouted, "Oi!"

Alli groaned, "No. I'm Alli."

Crack

"I'm Lu-na." She pronounced with precise articulation, "Is he hard of hearing or just a bit slow?" She asked to what seemed like no one in particular.

Crack

"I'm thinking it's either both or he just got dropped on his head as a baby." Alli giggled, enjoying the insulted and bewildered face he was making.

"And I was worried I was going to be a bad influence on her." The Doctor whispered to Rose, still being heard by Luna though.

Crack

"Hey! You are just as bad an influence as I am so we're all to blame in that department."

"Can someone please explain to me what's going on?!" Sarah Jane shouted over all the ruckus that was going on in the cramped shop.

A respectful silence fell over the small crowd as the Doctor let out a deep breath. "Let's all head over to Jackie's for the night, I'll explain everything from there. Promise."

Everyone nodded their heads in numb agreement, Sarah moved to grab her dog and shrewdly asked Mickey to help her carry it outside with her. She didn't really need to investigate more into the Doctor's life since she's been away, he seemed happy now that he had a family and there wasn't much more she could do, although she most certainly was getting all the information she could on what was going on with Alli Rose, or Luna Erythro, whoever she was. This Mickey, however, didn't seem to fit anywhere in the picture, a harmless questioning wouldn't hurt anyone.

Luna stayed a little longer in the shop, finishing off the box of chips… fries, she wasn't sure what to call them anymore. Meanwhile, Rose ran after the Doctor when he tried to duck out unnoticed.

Stopping him by shouting, "How many of us have there been traveling with you?"

"Does it matter?" He snapped irritably.

"Yeah, it does if I'm just the latest in a long line."

"As opposed to what?" He spun around, hiding the vulnerability in his eyes with a mask of anger.

She felt her heart throb in pain at the question. Does he really not feel this way with me? She thought to herself miserably, the heartbreak showed in her eyes and all the Doctor felt from seeing it was regret. He didn't see or hear Luna crack open the door to see what the commotion was about.

"I thought you and me were…" Her voice trailed of small before coming back with indignation. "But I obviously got that wrong. I've been to the year five billion right, but this? Now, this is really seeing the future. You just leave us behind! Is that what you're going to do to Alli? Or me?"

Luna couldn't help but feel a betrayed sense of jealousy about the fact that they were still referring to her as just Alli, she was real too, yet she felt like they were excluding her.

"No." He responded right after. "Not to you. Not either of you." He's doing it too! Luna tetchily thought.

"But Sarah Jane? You were that close to her once, and now, you never even mention her." She whimpered, holding back tears. "Why not?"

"I don't age. I regenerate. But humans decay. You wither and you die. Imagine watching that happen to someone you..." Don't you dare! He cut himself off before he could say anything else and truly get his hearts broken.

"What, Doctor?" She felt a surge of hope for him to finish that sentence, to prove he did feel the same. Instead, he gave her a promise.

"You can spend the rest of your life with me, but I can't spend the rest of mine with you. I have to live on. Alone."

It clicked for Luna why they weren't together when they obviously should be. That makes no sense, they should be happy together with whatever amount of time they have left. And here I thought Time Lords were clever.

She heard Alli thinking, Can you blame him for being too scared to get both his hearts broken? We should try to help him and Rose, it's obviously hard on her too.

Agreed.

The concluded their little scheme in time to tune into the conversation once more.

"That's the curse of the Time Lords."

"Time Lord!" Said a surprised echo. The Doctor looked up to the ledge of the building opposite them to be greeted by a large Krillitane swooping down on them. They all hit the ground as one to avoid it when it instead flew menacingly over them, coming close to hitting a few of them. It faded away in the light of the moon as it flew off in the distance towards the school.

"Was that a Krillitane?" Sarah asked in shock.

"But it didn't even touch her, it just flew off! What'd it do that for?" Rose shouted.

The Doctor stood with the distant brewing of a storm lurking in his eyes before he turned to check on everyone, he noticed his most recent companion loitering in the doorway and wondered how much she heard.

They all arrived at Jackie's flat, much to her enjoyment, as she nattered with Rose about everything going on at the Estate while she'd been away. She offered drinks for everyone and rushed to spiff up the sitting room for the sudden company. She swiped up Alli's Scooby from being tucked in the couch cushions and handed it to her eager arms, smiling at her child-like tendency of constantly losing things just like Rose when she was younger.

Rose gave the Doctor a pleading look for help the second Jackie began to drag her off to the kitchen, so he moved to come to her rescue.

"Actually, Jackie. I know that you have a lot of important matters to discuss with Rose but I really think that you should stay in here with us for a bit. This is something you should know too, so we can avoid anymore confusion." At that comment he gave a sideways glance to Luna, meeting a mischievous smirk while she fiendishly stroked her stuffed animal.

Jackie was taken aback when she was asked to stay, she always got left out of these sorts of things, leaving her feeling obligated to comply and take a seat with Rose on the couch.

"Oh. Well, alright. We can always talk about that stuff later, Rose."

Rose raised an eyebrow at the Doctor, impressed at his ability to get her mum to do something without so much as an argument. He met her eyes with a smug gleam in his own, unaware that they locked gazes for a while until they were abruptly pulled out of it.

"Well, Doctor? I think you have some explainin' to do." Mickey demanded in a crude voice, crossing his arms like a petulant child. He kept stealing suspicious glances at Luna, causing her to glare at him.

"Can I help you with something?"

"No, but you obviously need help." He barked at her.

Crack

Alli rolled her eyes and mumbled, "God you're rude." She stopped a moment to think before adding, "Granted, so are we."

"All the same," Sarah Jane interrupted, "You did say you'd explain."

Mickey nodded in agreement with her and sat down in a chair next to Sarah, both looking at the Doctor and waiting for him to start talking. He sighed as he sat on the armchair across from them, getting a surprise as Alli crawled into his lap and curled up as if he was telling stories for bed. He and Rose shared a smile while he situated the tiny child in a more comfortable position and held her in a one-armed hug on his chest.

"Right then, might as well start from the beginning. So, I made an Automated Newspaper Article Archives, or ANAA for short, and we happened to pull up a certain article on Alli Rose here..."

By the time the Doctor managed to finish the story of how they came across little Alli and how Luna came into the picture, she had long since passed out in his lap, curled up in a small ball and clutching her Scooby close to her. Everyone except for Rose looked either shocked, confused, or outraged.

"You did kidnap her!" Jackie shouted, quickly being shushed by him and Rose, an abrupt silence swarmed the room when the girl in questioned stirred in her sleep before relaxing back into slumber. Everyone collectively released a sigh of relief and continued on in a more calm manner.

"I already told you, not exactly." The Doctor protested, "She snuck on-board and because of that, the article confirmed her disappearance. She was never found, I couldn't take her back even if I wanted to."

"I thought that she was-" Sarah Jane stopped herself from relaying what her previous suspicion was but he caught on to her hesitation.

"Thought that she was what?" He asked.

"Well, you and Rose's…" She motioned between them to help them get the picture without her actual saying so.

Both of their eyes widened comically at the point she was making and began retorting at the same time.

"No-no!" He started.

"She's not-"

"-Ours? No. We're not even-"

"-Together, ever, like at all!"

"Not once!"

The rambled on and thankfully were saved from further explanation when Sarah raised her hands for them to stop. "I'm sorry for the confusion. Let's just move on to the matter at hand."

"Agreed." They both said with their blushing cheeks, barely even looking at the other out of pure embarrassment.

Jackie rolled her eyes at their sheepish behavior, Honestly, who do they think they're fooling?

She thought to herself.

Mickey voiced his opinion that settled the awkward moment that popped up. "I think we should all look at the problem here, and that's her-" He pointed at her, " traveling with you." He then pointed at the Doctor.

"What are you talking about, Mickey?" Rose asked exasperated, though the Doctor's gaze began to fall to the innocent face in his lap as he knew the point he was making.

He continued. "The Doctor knows what I'm talking 'bout, he's dangerous, Rose, whether you want to admit it or not. The fact that you haven't gotten hurt yet doesn't prove anythin'. You're smart enough to keep yourself safe, but what about her? She's just a kid and traveling with him? She won't survive long, and he knows it."

The Doctor felt shame creep through him like ice, he just let her travel with him without a second thought, he never even stopped to think about the danger he was putting her in. She was only a child! He was just about to dive headfirst into his self-loathing until Rose defended him.

"You don't know him like I do!" He looked up to see her standing up from her seat and directing an angered look at Mickey "The amount of people he protects and saves, the wonders that he shows us that we could never have the chance to see before more than makes up for it. I know him, and I am confident that she is safer with us than if we were to just drop her off with some strange family anywhere or anywhen in time and space. So don't you dare try and tell him that he's the problem, 'cause he isn't!"

Her ire cooled down to give the Doctor a comforting look that he needed, both their hearts warmed at the sight of the caring in their eyes.

Jackie spoke out on Mickey's side however. "Not like that did her any good, you say he'll keep her safe but look what already happened. He shows up and next thing you know she gots voices in her head or some demon possessing her or whatever."

"Mum, that's not what happened, it was an accident. He didn't even know she was on the TARDIS."

"But that's my point! Unless he keeps his eyes on her all the time it's not going to matter, she's gonna get into trouble because that's the only thing around him."

"I trust the Doctor will keep her safe, he knows what to do, he's been around long enough to prove it." Sarah Jane said, standing up from her seat on the couch. "Listen, it's been a long day and we obviously could use the rest." She motioned to the sleeping child in the Doctor's arms.

Fatigue began weighing down on the human's eyelids, forcing them to make a conscious effort to keep them open. The Doctor gently stood up, mindful not to jostle Alli from her sleep.

"Sarah's right, we're gonna need our rest anyway for tomorrow. I'm betting Mr. Finch-y already got the heads up that we know about them. I'll figure out what to do about them while you catch up on some sleep. Do you mind if she sleeps in your room, Rose?"

Rose moved towards her room and opened the door for him. "Not at all, I don't mind sleepin' on the sofa."

The Doctor tucked her and her beloved toy in the sheets of loud pink before he creeped out of the room, softly shutting the door behind them. He didn't notice when Jackie had moved over towards him and pulled him aside to have a hushed word with him.

"Listen. I know Rose trusts you, and I'm more proud of her than she thinks, but don't risk her life." She motioned to the door where Alli was sleeping. "A girl at her age needs a normal life, she doesn't need all the life-threatening situations that you and Rose get caught up in and I don't want to see her get hurt, or worse, killed. Unless you can promise me that nothing terrible will happen to her, you owe it to her friends, family, her parents... who will never get to see her again, that you will keep her safe. Otherwise, you'd be better off just leaving her with someone capable of doing that."

For once, the Doctor couldn't find words as he looked at the earnest look she held. He lost so many people, that much is painfully true, but could he fight the universe's determination for him to be alone and keep her safe?

He turned his eyes down to the floor, unable to meet hers any longer, and allowed Jackie to confirm her point that he wouldn't be able to.

All she said was, "I thought so." She went to her own bedroom and called out a goodnight to Rose, leaving him standing in the hall outside.

He didn't sleep that night, not that he needed it, but even if he wanted to his mind wouldn't have permitted him that release from his demons. He sat up late in the night, he got up only to re-position Rose's blanket as it slipped off when he heard Alli tossing and turning in her room, and he decided to check on her too. He wasn't expecting to find anything troublesome.

It's dark everywhere I look. It's suffocating me to the point that when a single pin-prick of soft white light in the distance shows itself, I set off sprinting for it.

I come to a stop beneath the ethereal glow but instead of finding comfort underneath the treasured light, it sets me on edge. I find myself desiring to fall back in the smothering blackness but the second I attempt to move away, a haunting howl paralyzes me.

Shining, golden orbs prowl from the inky nothingness, a massive wolf with vicious yet beautiful features reveals itself, stalking me. I feel my heart stutter when it sticks its snout in front of me, my shuttering muscles react to the the deep, guttural growl. The deceitful illumination brightens the shimmering coat as it glistens the promise of powerful muscles on the beast. It makes its way around me once, twice, thrice, four times. I anticipate the next one, gaining no relief as it's absence draws on. I risk glancing behind me to find nothing there, the same eternal emptiness all around me. I turn back around to a frightful sight.

Monsters of my worst imagination stand in formation in front of me, the spotlight grows in speed, showing more and more, all varying, all infinitely worse than the next. Emotionless monsters scrutinizing me from behind a shell, robots with gory brains of other creatures in their own head, frozen, blood-thirsty snarls off angelic, demonic statues.

They all turn as one, some slowly, some with speed, others just seemed to blink into position, all turning to face one direction just to the left of me. I look to find The Wolf had returned, the fangs in its jowls were dripping with blood, I turn back to them to see fear sketched on most of their faces. But then I hear laughter to the right of me, a heartless laughter I'm familiar with. I turn expecting my demented half but instead find an older man.

He's battered and weary, a worn leather jacket covered in dust and specks of red hang from his shoulders. Dark, cropped hair covers his head, a pair of large ears and a nose fitted to him somehow naturally without seeming out of place, but his smile… his cold smile doesn't belong there. Nor do his eyes.

They glow with the same ferocity as the wolf, but seem somehow worse. Flickering and swirling with a force of a storm. The spiraling, golden dust begins drifting my way with a purpose. Breathing becomes more labored as the panic sets in of what it might do to me, but it slides eerily past my skin, leaving hairs standing on end.

I hear slaughter behind my back, screams and screeches of pain until silence remains. I look back to see the carnage, greeted with oozing parts of what used to be alive. The Wolf and it's heavily padded feet squelch through the viscous liquid pooling on the ground, gliding past me as well, moving towards the man with burning eyes.

I scream out for the first time, "Watch out!", but his eyes blaze into my own, seeming satisfied that The Wolf was coming for him. I can't help but watch as the almighty being rips through him, spilling more light from the gashes in his torso. He throws his head back and arms spread wide as the light erupts from him, the blinding brilliance dies down to reveal… The Doctor.

His raving, cheshire grin parades a victorious man who shared the same face as the Doctor, but it wasn't… couldn't… be him.

He seemed to taste my timidity, relish in it even, before he pointed at me, sending the creature after me. Using only two words. They couldn't be more accurate. The Wolf twisted a monstrous head towards me, hunger gleamed from the jaws of the malicious form as it lugged itself around to face me. It was coming for me. It jumped with wide jaws, ready to attack. All I could do was scream as the Wolf sunk in sharp teeth and…

The Doctor barely opened the door a crack before he heard muffled whimpers and near screams. He burst through and raced to her bedside to shake her awake from the troubled sleep.

"Alli, wake up. Wake up!"

Alli woke up in gasps and flailing limbs, trying to pry off something that wasn't on her, her sheets were thrown off the bed with her cross-eyed Scooby sailing to the other end of the room. She looked around the dark room in fear, expecting something to pounce on her. He took hold of her hand and tried to calm her down but he couldn't seem to break the spell. He clicked on the lamp next to him to cast light in the night of the room.

"Sh-sh-shhh. It's okay, it was just a bad dream. It's alright, I'm right here." He whispered in a soothing voice, not risking waking anyone in the flat.

She whipped her head towards him in and seemed to scramble away from him more.

"What's wrong?"

"It was so dark!" She cried. "The Wolf! The storm in his eyes! He killed so many, and let the Wolf kill him. You! You were mad, you sent it after me. It was killing me!"

"I would never hurt you, that was just a dream. You're alright now." Concern was cracking through his calming mask at the panic she still held onto from the dream. She clutched her head and retreated into a ball rocking back and forth, repeating a chilling mantra that left the Doctor's blood running colder than usual.

"Bad Wolf. Bad Wolf. Why did you say it?" She hissed.

"No. No, that's not possible! It's gone." He rambled, looking back out the door in fear of where Rose slept.

Crack

"Don't look, Alli. I'm hiding it, try not to think about it anymore. It wasn't real, don't worry." Luna whispered in a deep, husky voice from being woken up and concentrating on organizing the dream in the intricate web of their mind.

"What do you mean, 'Hide it.'? Why do you know about Bad Wolf?" He demanded rather eagerly, getting on her nerves.

"All I can say Doctor is that a large number of these bad dreams seem to involve you since we met. Even I don't understand them, so don't bother asking!" Luna snapped, she took a deep breath and spoke in a kinder voice after seeing the hurt and blame on his face. "Listen, I don't like these nightmares anymore than she does, I've been trying to hide them from her but she woke up first. I try not to think about it too much otherwise I risk Alli stumbling over it and remembering. It's not like I can just delete it, it's way too unstable in here to try that." She finished tapping her temple wearily.

"So you know then what's going on in that top class I was asking Alli about? Can you tell me?"

Luna sighed and fell back in the bed in a heap of exhaustion, groaning about the fact that she's awake this late.

"Come on, you can go to sleep soon just- just, tell me what you can."

She glared at him and threw her blanket over her head, blocking him out. He rolled his eyes and pulled them off of her, putting on the most convincing puppy dog eyes that even works on Rose.

"Please?" His last ditch attempt seemed to work as she pulled herself up.

"All I can say is I remember Alli was looking at the computer and put on headphones before we were in a lot of pain and blacked out. It felt like our brain was melting and I'd rather not recall that feeling if you don't mind. Please, just let me sleep now." She croaked, sleep commanding her back.

"Course. Goodnight, Luna."

Before she could wish him a good night back he raised a single finger and poked the middle of her forehead, sending her eyes rolling back and collapsing into a peaceful slumber. Her arms and hair fanned out and spread across the bed. The Doctor stood up and tucked her sprawled out limbs under the covers and proceeded out of the room, his anger brewed to threatening levels. Mr. Finch had not only manipulated innocent children, but he hurt Alli. That was a very dangerous place to stand.

A/N: Alright, so I know I must have asked this a long time ago, but do you guys mind if I start writing another story? I only ask because if I do it will take even more time away from this one, but this new story's been stuck in my head for weeks. Pretty please? Next update definitely coming soon, this episode has gone on long enough. XD Until next time my little companions!