"He's gone" Rose sobbed. Alex nodded.

"Yeah" She agreed, her voice breaking slightly. "He's gone"

Alex stayed inside as Rose left, making her way up to her perch on the maintenance platform. She pulled her legs up to her chest and buried her face between them, trying to imagine The Doctor was there, rushing about the Tardis and glancing at her worriedly when he thought she wasn't looking. The way they did after every dangerous day, after the days that reminded her of her family, or days she managed to blame herself for something. But when she looked up the room was still empty. The door creaked open and Mickey walked in slowly.

"Alex?" he called, glancing around.

"Up here" She said quietly. He looked up at her, seeming sad himself.

"Are you alright?" He asked hesitantly.

"I'm always alright" She responded instinctively.

"No, you're not"

"Get out"

"Alex" he sighed, shaking his head slightly. "You can't just act like everything is fine, when we all know it isn't. You have to-"

"And you can tell me what to do why?" She demanded loudly, stopping him. She stood, her grief turning to anger as she continued to shout, gesturing wildly. "I don't have to do anything. The Doctor is gone, don't you understand? He is out there somewhere, two hundred thousand bloody years in the future, surrounded by the creatures that hate him the most. So I don't think any stupid human is going to be telling me what to do. I am going to get him back. So, Mickey, stay out of my way. Get. Out" Mickey actually looked terrified by this point, rushing to get out of the machine, the door slamming shut behind him.

Alex started pacing on the platform, fuming. She let out an angry yell, kicking the wall as hard as she could. She lost her balance and fell to her hands and knees on the grating, letting out a frustrated huff before her anger dissipated. Tears filled her vision once more and she couldn't find it in herself to hold back this time, a sob pulling free. She had her eyes shut tight when someone pulled her back to sit more comfortably, hugging her close. It took Alex a long time to calm down enough to think about who it was, but when she did she recognised the motherly tone in the touch quickly.

"He- he's gone" She sobbed. Jackie nodded.

"I know. I know, Darling" Was all she said. Alex nodded in return, continuing to cry as Jackie rubbed her back soothingly.

"Come on" She said eventually, pulling the younger girl to her feet. Alex followed her down and out of the Tardis silently, looking down at her feet as she walked.

Alex found herself sitting beside Rose, staring out the window of a little chip shop as Jackie and Mickey talked across from the girls, trying to act like everything was normal. They seemed to eventually realized it wasn't working, abandoning their conversation and lapsing into silence.

"Oh, girls, have something to eat…" Jackie pleaded, looking over the girls' untouched food packages. Alex glanced at hers, looking away immediately.

"Not hungry" She mumbled, staring out the window again.

"Two hundred thousand years in the future, he's dying, and there's nothing we can do" Rose told the other two, her voice shaking. Alex closed her eyes, looking down.

"Well like you said, two hundred thousand years, its way off" Jackie pointed out.

"It doesn't work that way" Alex spoke softly, but the simple sound of her voice was enough to silence the others. She hadn't spoken more than three words since they had got her to leave the Tardis. "It happening two hundred thousand years in the future, but we're connected to his timeline. Time moving for us is time moving for him. He's dying now" She didn't look at them, returning her gaze to the scenery outside as she fell silent.

"That fight is happening right now, and he's fighting for us" Rose continued in her place. "And I'm just sitting here eating chips!"

"Listen to me" Jackie ordered softly. Rose fell silent. "God knows I have hated that man, but right now, I love him, and do you know why? Because he did the right thing. He sent you back to me. Both of you" Alex's head snapped up as she looked over at the older woman, surprised.

"But what do I do every day mum? What do I do? Get up, catch the bus, go to work, come back home eat chips and go to bed? Is that it?" Rose questioned desperately.

"It's what the rest of us do" Mickey pointed out coldly.

"But I can't!"

"Why, 'cos you're better than us?" He asked challengingly. Alex stood suddenly, her chair screeching behind her as she placed her hands on the table with a loud bang.

"Neither of us have ever said anything of the sort. We don't think we're better than you, but we do know that we're different. Not better, not worse, simply different. Get your head 'round that Mickey" She explained coldly, her voice on the very tipping point between calm and showing the anger she was feeling. Mickey looked rather taken aback, not by her practically yelling at him, but for the use of his real name. Alex moved quickly, walking around Rose and leaving the little shop with the door banging shut behind her. She needed to think of something, and fast. What if having her there meant that Rose didn't think of her plan to open the Tardis? What if she wasn't as determined and so she couldn't convince Jackie to help. How could Alex ever hope the fly the Tardis on her own? And if she got there, what then? With no vortex, she was just handing the Tardis over to the Daleks.

"Alex"

She turned with a gasp, just now taking in her surroundings of the public park down from the Powell Estate. But her eyes were quickly fixed on the man standing behind her.

"Doctor" She breathed out. The young man smiled softly at her, but it looked rather forced.

"It's been a while, Alex" Eleven greeted softly, regarding her. "But I haven't come for a social call"

"What do I do?" She asked breathily, tears threatening again. "He's dying, what could I possibly do?"

"Hand in your pocket, have you noticed that?" He asked, seemingly randomly. Alex glanced down to see that she did, in fact, have one hand in one of her coat pockets.

"How is that… everything's important" She realised. She pulled her hand from her pocket, her eyes widening at the object that came with it.

"You've been carrying it around recently, any idea why?" He pressed. Alex looked up at him, seemingly in shock.

"I- I- I really d- don't know" She stuttered slightly, confused by her own actions. She looked down at the gold pocket watch in her hands, turning it over to trace the Gallifreyan writing on the back. A voice invaded her mind, whispering, talking to her, telling her what she had to do, but the moment it was gone, she had forgotten every word that was said.

"Doctor…" She breathed out. "Am I supposed to open this?"

"Whatever you feel is right" He told her softly. She looked up at him, her mind working on overdrive to analyse him. He was still wearing the same clothes as last time, bow tie still gone. He looked sad, so very sad, but he smiled encouragingly at her nonetheless. She returned her gaze to the watch.

"I'll wait" She told him softly. "It's getting closer, the time of the angel, but not yet" Alex shook her head, frowning at what she had just said.

"That wasn't-"

"I know" The Doctor nodded. "But now you have to go. Back to the Tardis. I couldn't possibly survive without you" He smiled. Alex found herself smiling back as she ran past him to get back to the Tardis. She stopped suddenly, turning around to see him but found he was gone. Alex frowned slightly at the empty space before continuing on. She'd been walking a while, maybe Rose had thought up her plan already. If she was very lucky, she might get there just in time to take over from Rose. She had promised to protect her, and that meant from anything. She had seen the vortex before, and she was still here. She just hoped now that she wasn't too late.

Alex managed to return to the Tardis to find only Rose sitting inside, crying. Alex sat down next to where she was on the flight seat, holding the other girl close. She felt the watch heat up slightly in her hand and sighed.

"Rose… there's something I need to do" She told the younger girl. She looked up, wiping her tears away as she frowned at her friend.

"What d'you mean?" She asked in a mumble.

"I mean… Something kinda dangerous, to save the Doctor. So to do this kinda dangerous thing… I have to do something else first, and I'm not sure what will come of it" She tried to explain. Rose blinked in confusion.

"What's the first thing?" She asked slowly.

"Well… it'd take a while to explain. But, if it works, by the end of this, I may not be me anymore"

"How d'you mean?"

Alex actually smiled down at her for a moment.

"Rose Tyler" She sighed. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes" She answered instantly. Alex gave a small nod, standing up and stepping away from her, the watch held out so they could both see.

"I open this… things might never be the same again, I may never come back" She said slowly. Rose just watched with wide eyes and her mouth hanging open, unsure how to respond. Alex took a deep breath to prepare herself.

She pressed the small button at the top, and the watch sprung open. With a flash of gold, the inside of the watch lit up and Alex gasped as a wisp of gold flew right at her, and she breathed it in. She stumbled, falling to her knees with sudden force. Rose called her name, jumping off the seat to kneel beside her, holding her up. Mickey was just outside in time to hear Rose calling her frantically. He joined the two at a distance, staring. Neither understood what was currently happening.

Alex's gold tinged eyes were moving rapidly, as if the memories she was receiving were to be physically read. It was only a moment longer before her eyes rolled back into her head and she fell forward, Rose barely catching her. Mickey rushed over to help Rose lay the girl on the floor, both watching her anxiously. It was only several seconds more when her eyes flew open, the gold disappearing quickly as she sat up with a gasp. She glanced between Rose and Mickey, stumbling to her feet to back away.

"Alex?" Rose called hesitantly, remembering what she had said about not being her.

"What? Who's-" She stopped suddenly, her eyes widening in what looked like realisation. "Oh, hello" She mused, staring off into the distance somewhere as she seemed to listen to something. "I see, second set of memories, nearly different person, that's interesting. Hello then Alex" Rose and Mickey exchanged a glance, neither being able to understand the conversation going on in her head. "Rose Tyler" She said suddenly, her gaze moving to her. She turned to Mickey then, a light frown crossing her features. "And… Ricky? Oh, no, you cheeky little human you, well human me so I shouldn't be surprised. Mickey Smith, but we're just gonna keep calling you Ricky" She grinned at him.

"So… who exactly… are you?" Rose asked slowly.

"Has she not told you who I am?" She asked in disbelief, looking between the two. Both shook their heads. "Oh, that's alright, Alex didn't know, I see. Interesting. Um, I can't actually tell you my name. Can't tell anyone, secret, you see, shh" She rambled off.

"Is there… something we could call you?" Rose tried again. The other girl's face fell.

"I had a title once, but I am no longer deserving of it. I must pick something else" She explained slowly now, surprising the two with her sudden change. "Maybe something more accurate. Nemo" She mused. "Oh but wait, Alex is listening in, what am I missing, Al?" She went silent suddenly, as if she got an answer she didn't like.

"Rose, Ricky, go outside, wait for Jackie, meet me in here when you're ready to try again" She ordered quickly.

"What-"

"Shut up Ricky, just go"

With that, the two did as they were told, Rose returning to hook the chain onto the console again a couple minutes later.

"You can still hear Alex in there?" She asked hesitantly. The girl nodded.

"But she probably won't remember any of this" She told the blonde. "Now, tell Ricky to get going. We have someone to save" She positioned herself in front of the console, watching Rose out of the corner of her eye as she moved to stand just inside the door. Jackie stood just outside and Mickey drove the truck she had brought, the chain attached straining at the console.

"A little more!" She shouted back, hearing Rose and Jackie repeat it over the straining of the truck. The metal of the console creaked and her heart beat even faster. "Faster!" She shouted over her shoulder. "Okay Alex" She muttered softly. "You'd better be ready for this" Finally, the panel flew open and she moved to stand in front of the open space, the blinding white light shining onto her.

"Rose, stay back" She warned.

There was a wind from seemingly nowhere to push her hair back over her shoulders as two streams of gold from the heart of the Tardis raced towards her and flowed into her eyes. Rose watched in shock from her place on the ramp, holding the railing tightly as the Tardis took off, the engines groaning loudly as always. They landed with a thud and Rose was silent as Alex made her way to the doors.

The doors of the Tardis flew open and Alex stood right inside, the golden light of time vortex swirling around her. She disappeared with a flash, rematerializing outside the ship. The Doctor, who had been staring at her in shock, stumbled backwards, falling to the ground.

"What've you done?" He asked, horrified. Alex looked down at him, the gold swirled eyes he recognised too well. When she spoke, it was strange to think it was her, just about her whole curious mix of accents that made her uniquely her, seemed gone.

"I looked into the Tardis, and the Tardis looked into me"

"You looked into the time vortex, Alex, no one's meant to see that" He corrected. "There's only one person in the universe who has" He added to himself.

"This is the abomination!" The Emperor Dalek declared, bringing Alex's attention to the screen.

"Exterminate!" One of the Daleks cried, shooting at her. She held up at single hand, stopping the beam where it was before sending it back where it came from. The Doctor looked up at her in amazement.

"I am the Bad Wolf" She declared calmly. "I take the words… I scatter them in time and space" She waved her hand at the giant lettering on the wall above them, the words floating away. "A message to lead myself here. Me and no one else"

"Alex, you've got to stop this. You've got to stop this now" The Doctor begged, concerned and terrified for her. She didn't respond, didn't even act like she'd heard him. "You've got the entire vortex running through your head, you're gonna burn"

"I want you safe" She told him, desperation clear in her voice now as she looked down at him. He was shocked silent. "My Doctor, protected from the false god"

"You cannot hurt me. I am immortal" The Emperor claimed.

"You are tiny" Alex all but snapped, looking back up at the screen. "I see every single atom of your existence, and I divide them" She raised her hand and the Dalek in the middle of the room was reduced to nothing but gold particles, floating away. "Everything must come to dust, all things, everything dies" She looked to the side and the rows of Daleks in the room all turned to golden dust as she had said.

"The Time War ends" She declared.

"I will not die! I cannot die!" The Emperor claimed, screwing its one eye tightly shut. The entire Dalek mothership was reduced to golden dust in space, closely followed by the rest.

Alex stood still when they were gone, her arms still raised even as her body trembled.

"Alex, you've done it. Now stop. Just let it go" The Doctor begged her.

"How can I let go of this?" She spoke softly, her voice almost blissful. "I bring life…"

"But this is wrong!" The Doctor protested, terrified. "You can't control life and death"

"But I can" She insisted, looking down at him again. "The sun and the moon… the day and the night… but why do they hurt?" She asked, her voice faltering.

"The power's gonna kill you and it's my fault" The Doctor responded softly, looking down.

"I can see everything" Alex continued, a tear falling. The Doctor looked back up at her. "All that is… all that was… all that ever could be" The Doctor stood suddenly, looking down at her in almost awe.

"That's what I see. All the time" he told her honestly. "And doesn't it drive you mad?" Another tear fell from her eye as she looked up at him desperately. All of a sudden, it seemed her voice returned, and she sounded like her again when she spoke.

"My head" She whimpered, terrified. The pain was worse than she had ever felt in her life and worse than she could have imagined.

"Come here" He coaxed gently, reaching out to her.

"It's killing me" She cried.

"I think you need a Doctor"

He took her hands, pulling her closer to him. Alex knew what he was doing, she could see it in his eyes, the way he looked at her. But her mind was clouded with the power and the pain of the vortex and with everything moving through her head she couldn't focus on one thing. She could barely keep her eyes on him as he leaned down close to her. Their lips met slowly, softly, and Alex almost tried to pull away when she felt the vortex leaving. The Doctor moved, his hands resting on either side of her face now, keeping her from retreating. When he pulled away the two looked at each other for a moment and Alex's eyes fluttered closed as she fell, the Doctor lowering her to the ground gently.

He stood, facing the Tardis with the golden light in his eyes now. He took in a breath and slowly let it out, letting the vortex flow from him back into the Tardis where it belonged. The doors shut quietly and he stumbled slightly as his eyes opened once more. He thought back over the last few moments and smiled to himself, kneeling down beside the girl who had come back for him. He stroked the side of her face softly, watching her sleep peacefully.

Alex woke slowly, her eyes opening to reveal the console room ceiling.

"Wha… what happened?" She asked groggily, glancing around at the Doctor and Rose as she sat up.

"Don't you remember?" The Doctor asked, frowning slightly.

"I don't actually" She shook her head. "Like… this, I don't know, singing"

"That's right, I sang a song and the Daleks ran away" The Doctor nodded cheerily. Alex snorted in amusement, shaking her head slightly as she tried to remember.

"We were back in London. Wait, no, in the Tardis. Rose was there and I…" She trailed off, frowning. She looked up at the Doctor to find him staring at her. He smiled softly.

"Alexandria Collins, one of the longest human names I've ever had to say" He laughed slightly. Alex glanced at Rose, who was standing by one of the coral supports, watching the man closely. She went back to watching him herself. "I was gonna take you to so many places. Barcelona. Not the city Barcelona, the planet. You'd love it. Fantastic place. They've got dogs with no noses" He laughed and Alex couldn't help but join in slightly, rolling her eyes at him. He never told the actual joke.

"Imagine how many times a day you end up telling that joke, and it's still funny" He shook his head slightly.

"Debateable" Alex added in.

"The why can't we go?" Rose asked, confused.

"Maybe you will, and maybe I will. But not like this" He told her, looking back at the monitor. Alex went pale as she stood, watching him intently.

"You're not making sense" Rose accused.

"I might never make sense again. I might have two heads. Or no head! Imagine me with no head, and don't say that's an improvement" He rambled off. Rose smiled at his joking but Alex was staring at him with barely concealed horror. "But it's a bit dodgy, this process. Never know what you're gonna end up with"

There was a sudden flash of gold light and the Doctor stumbled backwards, clutching his stomach as he cried out in pain. Rose went to rush forward but Alex managed to pull her back, despite wanting to do the same.

"Stay away!" The Doctor told them quickly. He winced in pain and Alex felt a tear fall.

"You can't do this. Doctor, you can't" She begged. His gaze was drawn to her and he looked heartbroken at her sadness. "I've only just got to know this you, I- I don't want to lose you. Please"

"Doctor, Alex, please tell me what's going on" Rose pleaded.

"I absorbed all the energy of the time vortex" The Doctor explained simply, trying to keep his tone light even as he gritted his teeth against the pain. "And no one's meant to do that!" He paused, closing his eyes tightly against the pain. "Every cell in my body's dying"

"Can't you do something?" Rose asked urgently.

"He's doing it now" Alex told her, not taking her eyes off the man. She sounded almost betrayed.

"Time Lords have this little trick" He continued for her. "It's sort of a way of cheating death. Except… it means I'm gonna change. And I'm not gonna see you again. Not like this, not with this daft old face" He laughed, trying to lighten the mood, but both girls just stared at him. "And before I go-"

"Don't say that"

"Rose"

There was silence for a moment.

"Before I go, I just wanna tell you, you were fantastic. Both of you" he smiled. "Absolutely fantastic. And d'you know what? So was I" Finally the girls managed one last smile and he grinned back at them.

"Doctor…" Alex whimpered slightly. He looked at her, seeming almost guilty.

"I'm sorry…"

Suddenly he convulses and orange light bursts out from around his hands, around his head, even glowing around the bottom of his trousers. Rose stumbled back and Alex jumped forward, grabbing her back and holding her tightly as she watched the man she loved change into someone else, tears streaming down her own face. And suddenly, the light was gone, and there he was. Someone else, wearing the Doctor's clothes.

He looked very surprised, almost scared even, in his first few moments, but his eyes landed on the girls and he looked them over a moment.

"Hello! Okay- ooh" He stopped suddenly, running his tongue over his teeth. Rose stared at him in undisguised shock as Alex merely stared at him, the drying tears on her face the only clue that she had any kind of emotion about his regeneration. "New teeth. That's weird. So where was I? Oh, that's right. Barcelona" The girls simply stared at him and he grinned.

Hey look it's a new Doctor! And this marks the end of the season so guys, really quick, could you pop over to my profile and answer the poll question for 'should I keep posting the new chapters on this story, or publish them in a new one as a sequel' I'm massively paraphrasing but oh well. I hope you've all enjoyed this story so far and I hope you'll stick with Alex into the Doctor's next regeneration. She's got her memories back! Review if you like! Until next time!