Alex woke slowly, blinking against the harsh light. She frowned slightly at the realisation that she wasn't in her bed in the Tardis. In fact, she was on a floor, and not one she recognised. She jumped when someone kneeled down beside her.

"It's alright, slow down. You okay?" The young man asked, watching her as she sat up.

"I have to… where is… I…" She scrambled quickly to her feet, surprising the man before her, who followed. "He's… He's… I have to…" Everything blurred together suddenly and her head felt light as her legs gave out.

"Whoa, careful there" The man said slowly, holding her up. "That's the transmat beam, scrambles your head a little"

"Someone… I have to find… The… The Doctor" She realised, her head snapping up again as she scanned the room. She frowned slightly at the bright lights and cameras like a TV show set.

"What's your name?" The man asked carefully. Alex looked up at him.

"It's… uh, Alex" She remembered, nodding. "Yeah, that sounds right. That's… that's what he called me. Where is he? The Doctor, my friend, where's he gone?"

"Might be in another game" The man told her. She frowned.

"Game?"

"Yeah, my name is Jacob by the way" He told her.

"What game?" She asked, standing on her own to look around. Her eyes widened as she realised, just as he told her what she had been dreading.

"You're on the Game Station"

"No, no, no, this is a mistake!" Alex insisted as the technicians and stage managers walked past. "I'm not supposed to be here, check your systems, its impossible! I couldn't possibly have been picked up from where I was. I swear to you, please"

"And we're on the air in 3… 2.."

"No!"

"1"

Alex was in a game show. Some British game show she'd not much heard of called Countdown. And she didn't like it. She apparently had to make the longest word possible from the nine letters in front of her. If she was being honest, she'd never really watched this show, so she was a little lost. But apparently she lives if she wins. There are only two contestants, so that means neither goes until the end, which meant she might have a chance of getting Jacob out alive. As long as the Doctor didn't take longer than she'd anticipated. If he came for her first, she might be able to save Rose when they got to The Weakest Link.

Alex looked over the letters in front of her, deciding to play along for now. She realised something, looking over some of them, and began to quickly re-arrange the letters. 'Gallifrey' she spelled, smiling proudly. It might be well known here, and her knowing that might make them just a little scared. Also, it used all nine letters.

Alex waited until they went to 'ad break' before going to talk to Jacob.

"I'm going to get us out of here, neither of us will die" She whispered to him. Jacob looked up at her from where he sat, eyes wide. He glanced over her shoulder before answering.

"That's not legal" He whispered in the game. "We have to follow the rules, otherwise we both die"

"Not today" Alex shook her head. "No, today, lots more people will survive. I have a friend, in another one of these games"

"That Doctor you were talking about" He remembered.

"The very same" Alex nodded. "He's going to come for me, I know it, and then he's going to stop the games, forever"

"How?" Jacob frowned.

"I can't tell you anything more, just be ready to run when that man runs in with a gun, alright?"

"A gun?" He asked, suddenly seeming scared as his eyebrows rose to his hairline.

"Yes, a gun, but it's not like he's gonna use it"

"We are back on air in one minute" The stage manager announced. Alex looked back down at Jacob.

"Just… Trust me" She requested, looking at him pleadingly. He seemed to search her eyes before giving a small, almost imperceptible nod.

"Okay" He whispered in return. Alex gave a small nod, turning to return to the game. Now all she needed was the Doctor to show up in time…

There were ten rounds of the nine letter game, then math related rounds. Numbers. Alex always thought if her living depended on her use of numbers, she'd die. She almost thought if she wasn't hoping for the Doctor, this game might test her theory. But what she was good with, was letters, and logic. So when she was presented with an anagram, that was what she was happy about. She studied the letters, but her eyes kept being drawn back to the stage door. This was the last round of the game. If they went to get Rose first, then they might be caught before coming for her, and her or Jacob might die. Alex decided then that she might need to carry a gun in the future. Not a big one, something compact, only for emergencies, empty threats.

Alex started switching the letters, finding the word 'angel' in her letters. She frowned slightly, spelling out 'fall' beside it, and being left with one more letter. She frowned slightly at the 's', moving slowly to place it down.

Angels fall

What was that supposed to mean?

Time was running short.

There was a loud bang and Alex looked up to see the Doctor run in with Jack, the latter with a gun, as per usual.

"Alex!" The Doctor called. Alex breathed out a sigh of relief, jumping down off the small stage to run towards him, even as the stage manager complained and was promptly silence with Jack's gun waved in his face. The Doctor hugged her tightly, holding her close. It seemed somehow different from how he normally hugged her. Almost… desperate.

"We have to find Rose" She whispered to him.

"I know" He assured her. "We're on it" They pulled apart and Alex waved to Jacob to come over, which he did quickly.

"Doctor this is Jacob, Jacob, the Doctor. We have to go, no time for questions. Have you tracked Rose yet?" She rambled off, heading towards the side stage door as the men followed. No one inside wanted to argue with Jack's gun, so no one stopped them.

Alex watched the numbers count upwards to floor 407.

"You came to get me first" She said quietly. The Doctor glanced at her from where he was also watching the numbers.

"Yes, I did"

There was silence aside from Alex and the Doctor's impatient mutterings of 'come on, come on'. The Doors opened and Alex was the first to rush out. She was even the first the run into the studio as the Doctor got the door opened. Rose was just ahead, standing at her podium and shouting at the robot and people around in true Tyler fashion.

"Stop this game!" Jack shouted, point his gun straight at the stage manager.

"I order you to stop this game!" The Doctor repeated.

"We're live on air!" The stage manager complained, braver than the one on Countdown. The Doctor ran towards Rose, Alex just in front of him as Rose began to run towards them.

"You are the weakest link"

"Look out for the Anne-droid, its armed!" Rose called to them.

Alex looked up at the robot in the middle of the game stage, staring in horror as its mouth opened and a small gun poked out. She saw it shoot, right towards Rose, and Alex managed to get to Rose just in time, jumping in front of her. The Doctor caught Rose, but stared in horror as the beam hit Alex square in the chest, and she disappeared.

Rose gasped, her hand covering her mouth as she looked down at the pile of dust where Alex had been standing. The Doctor let go of the girl, falling to his knees in front of the small pile of dust, touching it lightly. Jack raged at the people on the floor, shouting and yelling with Jacob right on his heels while Rose tried and failed to hold back from crying, and the Doctor had seemed to forget the world around him.

Alex was gone.

Alex opened her eyes, sitting up quickly and looking around. Her state of panic was not helped by the creature she saw heading towards her. She couldn't find enough courage to speak, only crawl backwards until her back was pressed against the wall.

"You will follow" The Dalek declared loudly, making Alex flinch. She stood slowly, following it as it led her into a much bigger room, filled with even more Daleks.

"You will remain silent" The same Dalek ordered, leaving her behind where she stood. She wedged herself into a corner, watching silently. She waited, trying her best to remain composed. But that was no easy feat surrounded by Daleks.

"Alert! Alert! We are detected!" One Dalek screamed. Alex flinched at the sudden volume as they all started yelling at once.

"It is the Doctor! He had located us!"

"Open communications channel!"

"The female will step forward!" One ordered. Alex looked around, eyes wide. "Step forward!" It repeated louder. Alex did so, weaving her fingers together to keep her hands from shaking. An image appeared in the air and Alex couldn't help the small smile that crossed her face at the sight of the Doctor. Rose, Jack, Jacob and the girl Alex remembered to be Lynda with a 'y' were all standing behind him, along with a couple others.

"Not dead" Alex pointed out, giving a small wave to look more confident than she felt. Only Jacob gave a hesitant wave in return.

"I will talk to the Doctor" One Dalek said simply.

"Oh, will you? That's nice, hello" The Doctor responded, giving them a small wave. His fake smile faded quickly as his eyes rested on Alex again.

"The Dalek stratagem nears completion. The fleet is almost ready. You will not intervene" The Dalek spoke again.

"Oh, really? Why's that then?"

"We have your associate. You will obey or she will be exterminated"

"No" The Doctor replied simply. Everyone on both sides of the screen stared at him in shock, but Alex simply smirked despite her fear.

"Explain yourself" The Dalek demanded.

"I said: no" The Doctor repeated, his voice still calm.

"What is the meaning of this negative?"

"It means: no"

"But she will be destroyed"

The Doctor's expression darkened when Alex flinched at the voice.

"No!" He shouted now, standing from his chair. "'Cos this is what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna rescue her" Alex smiled almost encouragingly and he continued. "I'm gonna save Alex Collins from the middle of the Dalek fleet, and then I'm gonna save the Earth, and then just to finish off, I'm gonna wipe every last stinking Dalek out of the sky!"

"But you have no weapons! No defences! No plan!" The Daleks accused.

"Yeah" Alex said softly, smiling at the Doctor as he grinned at her.

"And doesn't that just scare you to death" He finished. "Alex?" Alex perked up visibly, smiling genuinely now despite her fear earlier.

"Yes Doctor?"

"I'm coming to get you" He told her, every last bit genuine and assuring her that he would stop at nothing.

"I don't doubt it for a second" She told him. The screen turned off, the last thing she saw being the Doctor's grinning face.

"The Doctor is initiating hostile action!" One Dalek cried, actually sounding scared.

"The stratagem must advance! Begin the invasion of Earth!" Another ordered loudly. They spun and ran around wildly and Alex stepped back into the wall, trying to stay out of their way while they were ignoring her.

"The Doctor will be exterminated!"

"Exterminate!" They chanted together. Alex looked around, feeling herself shaking again now that the Doctor was gone. She did her best to keep his face and words in her head as she waited. I'm coming to get you.

"Please hurry Doctor" She whispered, looking around fearfully as the Dalek continued their chant at full volume.