Alex was right, crashing was not fun. But she had managed to keep her grip on the railing so she didn't get any more hurt. The Doctor ran to the doors as soon as they landed and Alex let go of the bars, breathing heavily as she tried to get her vision to refocus. That's not a good sign.
"Alex?" She heard Rose's voice but it felt far away, or like she was hearing it through water. "Alex" She blinked around the blurry room, trying to pick out the image of Rose. "Alex!" She was suddenly in front of her and her vision cleared.
"Where's… the Doctor?" She asked dazedly.
"He ran outside. But Alex-" She didn't get time to finish as Alex stumbled to her feet against Rose's protests. She leaned heavily on the console and the railings as she made her way quickly to the doors. By the time she got them open she fell through just in time for Mickey to catch her as her knees hit the ground. He asked her what had happened and looked worried but she ignored him, looking around until she spotted the Doctor unconscious on the ground. She pushed Mickey away and crawled over to him as Rose was leaving the Tardis.
She quickly asked if he was okay, even as she was crouching down to hold Alex steady. Even sitting, she looked like she was about to fall at any moment. Rose quickly explained who he was but she fell silent when Mickey asked what was wrong with Alex.
"Alex, can you walk?" Rose asked gently. Alex's head snapped up and a name tumbled out of her mouth before she could think about it.
"Susan?" She frowned to herself. "No, no wrong face. Sorry, not it, later one, Romana? No, human. Sarah? No this is too early far too early. Let's see, I can get it, hold on" She looked around frowning slightly. "When am I?"
The three exchanged worried glanced before Rose answered softly. "2006"
"Ah, 21st century Earth, always the best. But that means…" She looked her over. "Living in the 21st century, human, oh" She grabbed a handful of Rose's hair rather suddenly but was very careful not to pull on it at all as she looked over the blonde color.
"Alex?"
"Rose Tyler" She declared, looking as if she'd just figured something out. She frowned "I should know that, I should've remembered that. Something's gone wrong" She stood suddenly, swaying even as Rose and Micky attempted to steady her. "Ah, my head" She groaned, holding her head in her hands.
"Alright" Rose started, seeming to decide someone needed to start giving instructions. "Mum, watch the Doctor a moment while Mickey and I take Alex inside, we'll be back for him" She told her. Jackie nodded and Rose and Mickey each made sure one of Alex's arms was firmly over their shoulders as they set off.
"No, something is wrong, something is very wrong, Rose Tyler!" She insisted loudly, digging her heels in.
"I'm sure it is, and I'm sure you'll figure it out" Rose told her calmly. Alex paused a moment, thinking over what she'd said before nodding slowly.
"Yeah… yeah I will"
It wasn't long before they got Alex inside, but she refused to lie down when they asked her to, so they had to be content with her sitting on the couch. She was only alone for a moment before Jackie hurried in, standing by the door so she could watch her and at the same time see Rose and Mickey's progress with the Doctor. Alex was muttering to herself incessantly, switching between English and a language none of them could understand and listing off names none of them recognised.
They took turns trying to talk to her but she didn't even seem to hear them, staring straight ahead and mumbling under her breath as she seemed to be thinking.
"Memories!" She shouted suddenly, making Mickey, who was the only other person in the lounge, jump. Rose and Jackie rushed in and she turned and jumped over the back of the couch to stumble into Rose. "I- I- Rose Tyler, you. I can trust you. That's what it says. In here" She tapped herself on the head.
"Yes, you can trust me" Rose nodded, hoping she'd tell her what was wrong.
"You… are a friend"
"I am your friend" She confirmed patiently.
"But there- there are other people. Not friends, can't trust. Cybermen, Koschei, plastic, Adam, Daleks" She rambled off. "I know you. I know Rose Tyler. Rose Tyler knows Alex" She paused, frowning slightly. "Alex… That's… that's me?"
"Yes, that's you" Rose told her gently.
"But what about…" She shook her head, seeming to decide whatever other thing she was thinking of was not important. "My head. It's wrong, it's broken" She told Rose, who looked rather alarmed at this piece of information.
"Broken how?"
"New memories, old memories, they don't fit together, I'm trying but I can't!" She explained, sounding upset. "I am… the same person" She pulled out her pocket watch, placing it in Rose's open hand. "The same person both thinking I was human and trapped inside here. The same person but separate for so long it's almost different. They need to fit together, but they don't. They don't fit!"
"Alex, calm down" Rose urged her. "Deep breaths for me, can you do that?" Alex nodded, breathing exaggeratedly. "Good"
"Where is he?"
Rose looked startled by the sudden question.
"The Doctor?"
"No, I mean- wait, yes. That's the name he uses, for the humans, since the Academy. The Doctor, yes him. Where is he?"
Rose blinked in surprise at the implication behind her words, but quickly led her to the guest room where the Doctor was still sleeping. Alex pushed Rose away to get to the bed, climbing up and curling up beside him. She started talking softly in the other language and Rose and Jackie shared a look before leaving them alone. It was around an hour later that Jackie came back in to check on the younger girl, smiling at the sight of her asleep, curled into the Doctor's side.
Alex stirred slowly at the sound of yelling and frowned, glancing at the Doctor still unconscious beside her. She closed her eyes to allow her to think for a moment, trying once more to piece everything into one big picture. She was so close. There was suddenly screaming and Rose Tyler stood at the door.
"We've got to save the Doctor and Alex!" She insisted. There was another woman shouting and a man, but Alex couldn't see them from where she was. There was more yelling and the man ran into the room. Alex was staring at the door intensely, no trace of fear. She watched the man a moment.
Mickey Smith, Rose Tyler's friend, ex-boyfriend. Friend. Not travelling friend. Call him Ricky.
The older woman rushed in after a moment and her and Mickey pushed a dresser in front of the door. Rose glanced at Alex as she stopped beside the bed, but she was still staring at the other woman.
Jackie Tyler, Rose Tyler's mother. Friend, or close enough. Not travelling friend. Do not anger.
"Doctor wake up!" Rose cried desperately, glancing worriedly at Alex as she continued to simply stare at the door. Jackie and Mickey leaned against the wardrobe, trying to make sure the tree didn't get through. Rose grabbed the Doctor's leather jacket and found his sonic screwdriver quickly, placing it in his hand. The wardrobe shook and it wasn't long before it was smashed to pieces, Mickey and Jackie being thrown back with the force as a Christmas tree spun wildly into the room. Amidst all the yelling and shouting and screaming, Alex leaned back on the bed, getting closer to the Doctor.
"Doctor, help us" She whispered. She sat back up slightly and the Doctor sat up suddenly, pointing his sonic screwdriver at the Christmas tree and it exploded in a shower of sparks.
"Remote control" He pointed out.
"But who's controlling it?" Alex followed up. The two jumped off the bed and strode out the door in unison, leaving the other three to follow along. The two walked out of the flat onto the balcony, the Doctor tying a dressing gown on as he went. They stopped at the wooden barrier, looking over at the three creatures standing in the middle of an empty courtyard, wearing Santa masks.
"That's them!" Mickey told them. "What are they?"
"Shush!" Rose admonished, watching the Doctor as he stared at them. He raised the sonic threateningly and the creatures stepped back, closer to each other, before teleporting away with flashes of blue.
"They've just gone!" Mickey pointed out in surprise. "What kind of rubbish were they? I mean, no offence, but they're not much cop in a sonic screwdriver's gonna scare them off"
"Pilot fish" Alex and the Doctor said in unison, both still staring at the spot where they had disappeared.
"What?" Rose looked between the two. She seen them do this a lot, who hadn't? But this looked somehow different. This wasn't Alex knowing what he was going to say, this was them having the same thought in the same moment and neither of them did their stupid grinning thing they did when it usually happened. Both looked completely serious.
"They were just pilot fish" The Doctor clarified. He suddenly stumbled back into the wall, falling even as Alex tried to hold him up. Just like that, her calm disappeared. She was wide-eyed and almost panicking at the sight of the Doctor in pain.
"What's wrong?" Rose asked as the other three quickly joined her.
"I woke him up too soon" Alex told her, devastated. "He's still regenerating, too much energy still, he's bursting with it" The Doctor's mouth fell open and a wisp of golden energy floated away.
"You see?" The Doctor continued for her, panting slightly. "The pilot fish could smell it, a million miles away. So they eliminate the defence, that's you lot, and they carry me off. They could run their batteries off me for a couple of year-ah!" He lurched forward, ending up with Mickey holding him off the ground on the other side of the balcony.
"My head!" He groaned, gritting his teeth against the pain. Alex suddenly gasped in pain and the Doctor looked up at her. "No, no, no, no, no" He said quickly, seeming to know what was wrong with her "Disconnect, now, you have to"
"Doctor"
"Someone, get her away!" He insisted, hissing in pain again. Jackie kneeled down in front of him and Rose took over holding him up so Mickey could take Alex as he'd said.
"No!" She cried, trying to get away, but still squeezing her eyes shut against the pain. "No, I need him. I need him!"
"What's wrong with you?" Mickey asked urgently but gently, holding her back.
"I- it's a connection. Me and him, telepathic neural connection. Something happens to him, I'll know, I'll feel it" She explained quickly. "But I can't-" She paused suddenly, as if she'd just remembered something. "Need to fix my head, need to fix it" She muttered, seeming to come to a decision. "There is something I could do, fix my head while helping him rest. But Mickey you will need to trust me" Mickey nodded.
"Yeah, whatever you need, what can I do?" He offered.
"Just one thing" She told him.
"Yeah?"
"Catch"
Before he had time to be confused her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed into him. He managed to catch her looking over his shoulder to see the Doctor had done the same. Rose was now holding him up, looking up at Mickey as they shared the same look. What do we do?