Alicia

I don't remember much about the incident and I make a point not to try. But after that I knew even more that even if I never found anyone else in the world the Doctor would always take care of me.

Every week after the psychiatrists my new foster mum would take me to the tea shop next door to make up for it.

I don't think she noticed two strangers watching us every week. At least, one stranger and a friend.

Doctor

That's unusual. Thought the Doctor idly. After seeing several months worth of Wednesday tea visits in a few days it had become clear to both Rose and the Doctor that something was up with Alicia.

She looked to have aged almost three years in what would soon be seven months.

"And what's with all the visits to the psychiatrists? " Rose answered.

"Why don't we go and find out?" He stood up and left quickly.

"Doctor!" Rose shouted in her head.

"Well, come on then!"

Alicia's psychiatrist sat across from the Doctor and Rose.

"She first started coming because of her past. That sort of thing can be traumatic. But she didn't like talking about that and instead started asking disturbing questions."

"What kind of questions? " Rose asked kindly.

"Well, she asked why she wasn't like all the other children. She said they thought she was weird and teased her because she was different. She started to make friends with the older children but they never seemed to last long. All perfectly normal questions to begin with, questions I've heard and answered multiple times. But she didn't stop there.

She said she'd been looking up puberty. She came out with some sophisticated language for a seven year old. She was able to describe the complete embryonic process to me and then moved onto more, shall we say adult conversation.

I asked to talk to Mrs Glen, her foster mother and she found this disturbing as well.

We'd both noticed she was maturing unusually fast so I sent an email to a consultant I know to find out about the possibilities of hormone testing. Depending on the outcome it will be easier to help her family and her. I also asked Alicia to do some academic tests designed for 11 to 13 year olds but she passed them easily."

I looked at Rose who seemed almost horrified at the thought of these things.

I turned back to the psychiatrist.

"Did she mention anything else?"

The woman made a confused expression before answering.

"Yes. Sometimes she would talk about the stars and the planets. She mentioned all sorts of aliens. And a man. A man in a box in the sky.

When she talked she would draw. Actually, you remind me of one of them. The drawing of the man. She did that one a few times."

"Well, we have to go now. Thank you for your help. Goodbye." At least I got the information I wanted. Worrying information. If Alicia kept growing like this she wouldn't be able to stay here much longer.

"Yeah, bye" Rose also seemed to be taking this hard.

Rose

I still couldn't get used to watching someone go from little kid to teenager knowing they were barely seven years old.

I've actually become more concerned than jealous of the kid. Even if I am in love with an alien at least I got to be a child first.

"So, what now?" I whispered. I'm way out of my depth here. At least Alicia's strange growth gave the Doctor something to think about, he hasn't been so bad with his anger these last few days.

He took a deep breath. "Now I take her to the Amoran's."

"You can't just abduct her!" I almost shouted in shock.

"She'll be back before they even lose her."

"Like when you dropped me off twelve months late instead of twelve hours!"

"That was one time, one time! But it is a good point. Maybe, maybe i could bring the Amorans to Earth? No they're scaly and blue. They'd stick out like a sore thumb." Once again the Doctor was at a loss. Until,

"She's coming with us."

I do not like this idea one bit. Not one bit at all. We parked, as usual behind the tea shop. The plan was that the Doctor would meet Alicia outside the psychiatrists alone, plead with her to come along and, providing she said yes take her to the TARDIS where she would meet me, go to Omaria, do some other ritual and be back before her mum arrived at the tea shop. That gave us a ten minute landing gap. Easy, right?

Alicia

"Can I go now?" My session had run over three minutes already and I really wanted to go so I made up an excuse. "We've already run over and I don't want to be late for mum, she's got an important meeting later."

"Yes, I'll walk you down stairs though, okay."

This always happened so I nodded eagerly and basically jumped for the door. Except it was already opening so I hit my face.

"I told you about running in the reception area. You get hurt." said the receptionist.

Then I looked up at the man in the doorway. It was him. He hadn't talked to me in ages. I scowled at him.

He was looking at the receptionist. "Sorry, I've been sent to pick up..." he looked down. "oh." He looked back at the lady I know as Janet. They looked like they'd already met. "I've been sent to pick up Alicia."

"Alicia just told me she didn't want to make her mother late for a meeting?"

"That's why I'm here. She had to go early."

I could tell it was a complete lie but it seemed to convince Janet. We left.

"You didn't have to hit me. You know." He looked anxious.

"Actually I was waiting outside but it was getting late. Speaking of, I need you to come with me. Now."

We turned down the little alley between the centre and the tea shop.

"Why?" I didn't really plan on not going with him I just wanted to be stubborn.

"I'll tell you in a minute, now go on get in."

I looked at him in a way that said You can't be serious.

He was holding one door open and a voice echoed from inside.

"What's the hold up?"

I stopped caring about the fact we were in a shady alleyway and walked in. If it was only to glare at the blonde I saw with the Doctor every week.

Rose

"Hi, I'm Rose." I began to feel a little frightened when Alicia looked at me with her death stare. She already saw me as a threat, fantastic.

"So, are you looking forward to seeing another planet? " I tried breaking away from the stare. She looked confused and I looked at the Doctor. "You didn't tell her?"

"I didn't have time, we were late anyway." The TARDIS started whirring.

"Hold on." I told Alicia imitating the actual need to hold on.

"So, Alicia I'm taking you to another planet where we'll do this thing and then I'll bring you straight home."

Alicia still seemed confused. She is only seven though. Adults find simpler things harder to take in.

Then we landed.

Alicia

The Doctor took us to some place that looked like a bee hive. When we first landed I couldn't believe we'd moved but apparently we didn't have time for that. In the beehive weren't giant bees but blue, scaly humans. They took us inside to some nice rooms. We had one each. Mine had a red sofa and an orange bed. How long did they expect us to be here for?

One of the lady creatures came in with something to drink.

"I am an Amoran, my name is Dima."

She sat on the sofa and gestured for me to sit with her. I hesitated but the Doctor trusted them so I should to.

"How old are you Alicia? seven. That's young for a human but it looks like you are growing well. You are thirsty. Here have some tea. It won't harm you."

"I'm not like other kids, I'm not normal. " I said taking a sip of the tea.

Dima smiled.

"I'm growing quicker than them. They play silly games about fairies and unicorns and they're so stupid." I sighed.

"Ah, but you are so privileged. Not many people in your world find true relationships these days. You have one that will last forever."

I whispered "The Doctor said he would be with me forever, whatever I needed I would get, whoever I needed him to be he would be and wherever I am he would find me." Repeating words I treasured every night I began to think things through.

"And has he been doing well so far?"

"Well I see him every week but he never talks to me and he always has that other woman with him."

"Then he is doing well. I shall tell you a secret. The Doctor has a very difficult past, he is struggling to keep himself in his right mind right now.

He should be done with Clman soon. Let us get you ready."

Dima pulled a set of blue robes out and helped me put them on. "What are these for?" I asked.

"In a few moments we will go to ceremonial ground. There is a ritual for you and the Doctor to do. It is called the Ritual of Allegiance.

Don't worry you mostly just stand there. Whatever you do, do not look away from his eyes."

I had so many questions but they all left when I saw the Doctor. He came over to me and Dima. Dima left.

When we arrived at the ceremonial ground there was a tree, beside it there was a dry, sandy patch which looked to be covered in silver, and around this patch was a circle of rough stones. Though they seemed to be cut into certain sizes and shapes.

Rose

Rose was told that the ceremony was far too personal to be witnessed, even by family members. She was more offended than she ever thought she had been and was stuck in her room. When she tried the doors they were locked, and when she tried the tv screen it wouldn't turn on. Eventually she gave up and sat heavily on her bed.

For the next two and a half hours she thought over where she fitted in all this. She was being neglected, ignored, and if she hadn't become the Doctors babysitter she knew she wouldn't be here at all. She'd be at her mum's, bored out of her mind, probably looking for a job that would make life worse, all be it better than listening to her mum gossip on the phone all day. If her mum was good at anything it was gossiping. Wasn't she glad to be away from that?

Maybe, but here was getting almost as bad. She was pining after a man who was stolen by a little kid. Not only that, she'd caused him to push her away, and however silly it may seem she was completely jealous of her. Right now she probably had the Doctors undivided attention doing who knows what. She was being stupid, wasn't she? She thought she had a connection with the Doctor, admittedly she thought she wanted more from it than he did, but it was still there. At least she thought so, until now.

If this whole thing had never happened she would be feeling a lot better right now. Instead of being angry, and jealous, and hurt she would still be going out having adventure's, getting captured, escaping, being caught again on purpose, ruining people's plans or generally having fun. Perhaps it was time to go home for a while. Not forever just a while, like a holiday.

Doctor

I walked over to Alicia when she arrived. One of the Amorans' had brought her in. I looked down at her. From where we were standing we could see the Order of the Mathe clearly. Alicia stopped walking.

I had been told to refrain from touching her until the ritual was over. Being careful not to touch her I knelt in front of her.

"It's okay, don't be afraid. They won't hurt you and I'm not going anywhere." She's a child on a planet she doesn't know and I forced her to come here. Why does she trust me so much?

Alicia looked at me for a moment, but silently consented to keep going.

While Clman explained what was going to be done Alicia stayed slightly behind me. I couldn't tell if she understood what Clman was saying because I couldn't see her, but I got the feeling she did and just didn't like the look of them. All she had to do was repeat what Clman said.

When it was time I led her into the circle of stones, looking her deep in the eyes. Each Amoran took their place at one of the five large gem stones placed at equal points in the circle. Each large stone had six smaller stones surrounding it.

Then the chanting began. It started quietly and was a short repetitive song. The volume increased until a loud, popping sound like a small explosion made the two of them jump. The process was repeated with a different song and I realised that the explosive sounds were coming from the large gem stones. I couldn't see them because Clman had told me not to lose eye contact with Alicia.

Apparently someone had told Alicia the same thing.

Until it was impossible to look away.

"Say to the states I pledge allegiance to my Guandan."

"What?" Lost in the sea of Alicia I'd forgotten this part.

"Say, to the states I pledge allegiance to my Guandan."

The third song had started to get louder so he had to say it loudly.

"To the states I pledge allegiance to my Guandan ."

"Alicia, say to the states I pledge allegiance to my Guandan ."

"I pledge allegiance to my Guandan ."

I immediately felt something like overwhelming desire, mixed with complete trust. I wasn't sure if Alicia was recieving something similar. Also, I wasn't sure if these feelings were coming from me, her or both of us.

Eventually I noticed someone was pulling on my arm which probably meant the ceremony was over. I didn't care, I just kept looking at Alicia. I couldn't stop. The pulling got stronger until I felt myself being dragged away. When I tried to push them away they kept hold.

Alicia was in a similar state. Although they hadn't taken her very far away from me it still hurt. They forced me to turn around causing us to break eye contact.

Once I couldn't see her the overwhelming feelings dropped enough for me to stop struggling and instead I started crying. I was a mess, but back in my right mind I realised what could have happened if I'd been with her like that any longer. To young, to fragile and definitely not ready for what I might have done.

Think about something else, think about Rose. Oh no, Rose. She must hate me right now. However much I love her I haven't been able to treat her right, in fact I've put her aside as something to be dealt with on another day during this. I've ignored her hidden sad looks and I'm sure there was something else, but I haven't bothered to ask about it. Just pushed her aside. I don't know what to do with her anymore.

Alicia

I felt myself be dragged away from him, the only person in the whole world I truly trusted.

Dima was the one who took me back to my room.

"You might want to rest for a while. I can explain more to you when you wake up."

I really was tired, I got on the bed and fell asleep easily.

Rose

Finally Rose heard her door being unlocked and someone came in.

"The ritual has ended, but we think you should know something. The ritual went a little to well."

"What do you mean, what happened?" She whispered.

"The ritual is only supposed to bring the two of them together. When the ritual ended, we had to force them apart. Harsh but necessary."

Now she understood why she'd heard crying outside her window. That was probably why there was so much shouting too.

She was curious. "What about Alicia?"

The Amoran smiled.

"We were gentle with her. She wasn't very strong. It took two of us to hold back the Doctor but only one to hold back Alicia."

Hold them back? Hold them back from what?

"That's not for me to say, but we did speed up some of the humans biological processes which may have caused the result it did."

She hadn't even asked. She supposed this was another one of those personal moments she didn't need to know about unless it was absolutely necessary. She chose not to mention it.

Doctor

While I waited for Rose I thought about what had happened earlier that day. The after effects of the ritual still hadn't worn off. Something had gone wrong. If it hadn't we wouldn't have been ripped away from each other. Except I remember hearing one of them talking to Rose afterwards. He said it went too well, not wrong. If I tried to think back maybe I could remember what the Order had been saying after the ritual.

"Doctor, you can look away now."

"Clman, he's not responding."

"Alicia isn't responding either."

"The connection must still be in flux. This is a very strong connection, it's resisting outside interference, we need to separate them as soon as possible. Turn them away from each other, do anything as long as they stop looking at each other!"

"It's not working!"

"Then remove them altogether. Sinyaya, give him a hand. They're going to struggle, try not to get hit."

I remembered the sudden crushing feeling I'd had when I was dragged away. I hoped I hadn't hurt anyone.