Hey guys!

Here's the next chapter! Today we start Aliens of London. I think it's only going to be two parts, but I don't have the rest written yet so...

Anyway, I really do like this two-parter, however, I hate the Slitheen with a burning passion. So it's a challenge whenever I have to watch these episodes. How do you guys feel about it?

There's not a lot of action in this chapter, but I still think it's pretty cute.

I won't keep you waiting any longer.

Happy reading!

Chapter 14

Aliens of London part 1

London, 2005. Rose wanted to visit her mom. The three time travelers were greeted with a cold London day. June leaned against the TARDIS doors, rubbing her arms to keep warm.

"How long have I been gone?" Rose asked the Doctor.

"About twelve hours," the Doctor said. Rose grinned and laughed. She spun, staring up at the familiar buildings around her. The Doctor laughed too. June watched her friends with a small smile, shoving her hands in her pockets. It was nice to see them look so care-free.

"Oh. Right," Rose said. "I won't be long. I just want to see my mum." She started off towards her building.

"What are you going to tell her?" the Doctor asked.

Rose looked back at them. She shrugged. "I don't know." She smiled. "I've been to the year five billion and only been gone, what, twelve hours?" The Doctor snickered. "No, I'll just tell her I spent the night at Shareen's." She waved to them as she walked off. "See you two later!" She spun towards them before she was too far away. "Oh, don't you two disappear!" June and the Doctor both gave silent nods of acknowledgment and Rose ran off.

June yawned and rubbed her eyes. The Doctor wandered around the small square section of street they had landed in. June smiled faintly and followed him. "Look, it's just the two of us again," she said.

The Doctor nodded and grinned at her. "Just like old times."

"By old times you mean like, two days ago," she muttered. She pulled on a chunk of her hair and looked around at the grey buildings and street.

The Doctor watched her closely. The bags under her eyes had gotten significantly worse since she had started traveling with him. She never usually seemed tired, but today was different. She seemed exhausted. It was like she was sleepwalking right in front of him.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Are you thinking about visiting home?" He asked.

June nodded. She shuffled her feet awkwardly. "A bit," she muttered. She was quiet, staring off to nowhere in particular. She shifted on her feet. "But they'll find out when I go home." She turned and looked up at him. "And I don't think my parents or Grace are going to be so happy about me lying to them and running off to travel through time and space."

"Don't tell them anything, then," the Doctor said, shrugging.

"Yeah, I wasn't going to," she muttered. "Doesn't mean that they won't find out somehow." She hugged herself. "It's just a bad feeling, you know?"

He gave her a lopsided smile. He ruffled her bushy hair, earning an alarmed glare from her. "Don't worry about it, June," he said.

June crossed her arms and glared up at him. "Yeah, ruffle my hair like that again, and I'll slap you," she grumbled.

The Doctor frowned. "Why can't I?" He watched as she wandered away a bit.

"Because it makes me feel like a kid!" June called back to him.

And then something caught her eye. A flickering paper on a concrete pillar. She walked up and pushed the corner of the paper back. She frowned upon realizing it was a missing person poster. She scanned over it to grab the details and only then did she see how bad it really was. The missing person was Rose Tyler.

"Doctor!" June yelled.

"What did you find?" he asked, jogging over to her.

She moved out of the way so he could look at the poster. She saw him gulp. They exchanged nervous looks. The Doctor grabbed June's hand and they ran off.

~*O*~

The Doctor pushed through the door to the Tyler's apartment. June wondered if they could just break in like that. They only stopped running when they stood in the doorway of the living room. Rose and her mother stopped hugging just to look over at them, both utterly confused.

"It's not twelve hours," the Doctor said, "it's twelve months." June cringed. It sounded so bad. "You've been gone a whole year." He grinned nervously. "Sorry." He glanced at June. She shook her head, a look of warning in her eyes. He stopped grinning.

~*O*~

Jackie Tyler could yell. She could yell loudly. June felt very anxious, glancing between the blonde woman and the policeman she had called. She almost hid behind the Doctor. Rose sat in one of the living room chairs with that look on her face. That one someone got when they were being shouted at by their mother in front of their friends. A mix of terror and awkwardness displayed in wide, unblinking eyes. June felt bad for her, but mostly wanted to get the hell out of there.

"The hours I've sat here, days and weeks and months, all on my own!" Jackie shouted at her daughter. June, wide eyed, leaned her head against the Doctor's arm and tried to look anywhere else. "I thought you were dead, and where were you? Traveling! What the hell does that mean, traveling? That's no sort of an answer!" Jackie stood next to the police officer. "You ask her. She won't tell me. That's all she says. Traveling!"

June was suddenly very thankful that her parents weren't like that. They were more of a fan of the disappointed-toned guilt trip… which… when she thought about it… might actually be worse than being shouted at. They never did yell at her. However, Grace… Grace could yell like an angry mother. One time, June had heard her arguing with a (now ex) boyfriend and her eardrums had almost ruptured from the other room.

"That's what I was doing," Rose muttered weakly.

"When your passport's still in the drawer?" Jackie argued. "It's just one lie after another!"

"I meant to phone," Rose said. "I really did. I just… forgot." June cringed. That sounded bad.

"What, for a year?" Jackie yelled. "You forgot for a year? And I am left sitting here! I just don't believe you! Why won't you tell me where you've been?"

"Actually—" the Doctor started, speaking up for the first time in the whole conversation. June leaned back and stared at him, unsure of what he planned to say. "—it's my fault." June shook her head, attempting to warn him not to go down this path. "I sort of, er, employed Rose as my companion." He grinned nervously.

"When you say companion, is this a sexual relationship?" the policeman asked.

The Doctor and Rose both looked horrified. June shuttered, feeling all too awkward, and went to sit down at the table small, round table next to her. "No!" the Doctor and Rose protested.

"Then what is it?" Jackie demanded, storming over to the Doctor. June tensed a bit. She wondered how easy it would be to book it to the front door and escape. "Because you, you waltz in here all charm and smiles, and the next thing I know, she vanishes off the face of the Earth!" Jackie shouted. "How old are you then? Forty? Forty-five?" June almost laughed. She tried to sink down in her chair further. If Jackie knew. "What, did you find her on the internet?" Jackie asked. "Did you go online and pretend you're a doctor?"

"I am a Doctor," the Doctor argued lightly.

"Prove it!" Jackie spat. "Stitch this, mate!"

She slapped him. And it was a good slap, which meant that it probably hurt a lot. It could be heard across the room. June couldn't stop herself from gasping loudly and clapping a hand over her mouth. She leapt up from her chair and rushed over to him. The Doctor whined and held his hand to his cheek. June moved his hand away and cringed when she saw the bright red, stinging hand mark. She ran her thumb against his cheek in an attempt to be comforting.

"And who are you!?" Jackie demanded.

June froze and glanced over at Rose's mom. She wasn't sure if she was too fond of Jackie. She understood where the woman was coming from but Jesus Christ. She didn't look at her for long. "June," June said.

"June?" Jackie asked. "Is that it, just June?" June gritted her teeth. "Do you have a last name or anything?"

June turned back to the woman and frowned down at her. "I'm June Harlow," she deadpanned. "I travel with him." She nodded towards the Doctor. "And yes, I travel with him willingly, nothing weird. Don't get any ideas."

Jackie took a deep breath. "Do your parents know where you are?" she asked. She was still clearly upset, but she sounded calmer.

June stopped for a moment. She thought about it and then shrugged. "They know I'm traveling. They know I'm in Europe. They know I'm safe. They don't need to know where I am at all times." Jackie frowned at her. "I'm twenty-two," June continued. "I haven't lived with my parents in four years. They're used to not knowing where I am at all times." June turned back to the Doctor. He still rubbed his cheek. She tried to give him a comforting smile.

~*O*~

It was windy on the roof. June let her legs dangle off of the topmost roof platform. The Doctor leaned against the half-wall next to her, his arms crossed. They had slipped out when Rose and Jackie had left the room.

"Hey," June said. The Doctor glanced over at her. "Don't drop me off a year later than I left." She smiled, almost teasingly.

He laughed very slightly. "No promises."

She leaned over and rested one of her arms on his shoulder. "I'm serious," she said with a smile. "You have a couple months of leeway, but that's it." They both laughed a bit. "How's your cheek?" she asked.

"Sore," he grumbled. "Your mum better not slap me."

June laughed. "Yeah," she sighed, "don't worry. That's not like her. That's much more like Grace though, so you're not out of the clear."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, great."

June sighed and then went quiet. The Doctor turned to look at her, frowning. She looked back at him after a moment. "I don't think I want to visit home for a while," she said. "Not after that." She shook her head.

"Was it that traumatic for you?" he asked, smirking. She gave him a blank look. "You weren't the one who was slapped."

June rolled her eyes, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "It's just—" she groaned and ran her hands down her face. "I don't want to see another reaction like that. She doesn't even know that you're an alien for fuck's sake."

"Language."

"Oh, bite me." She laid down, back against the roof. She closed her eyes and let her body sag with exhaustion.

~*O*~

Rose eventually joined them. She sat next to June. "I can't tell her," she said. "I can't even begin. She's never going to forgive me. And I missed a year. Was it good?"

"Middling," the Doctor said.

"You're so useless," Rose muttered. June gave her a disapproving look. Don't push it.

"Well, if it's this much trouble, are you going to stay here now?" the Doctor asked. June gave him the same look. Don't push it.

Rose sighed and looked over at him. "I don't know," she said. "I can't do that to her again, though."

"Well, she's not coming with us," the Doctor said.

They all laughed. "No chance," Rose said.

"I don't do families," the Doctor said with a grin.

"She slapped you!" Rose laughed.

"Nine hundred years of time and space, and I've never been slapped by someone's mother." The Doctor shook his head.

"I'm surprised," June giggled, leaning against his shoulder.

He smiled back at her. "Oh, don't you start."

"Your face!" Rose exclaimed, laughing at the memory.

"It hurt!" the Doctor complained. He put his hand on his cheek. June only laughed at him more.

"You're so gay," Rose laughed. The laughing died after a few moments. "When you say nine hundred years?"

"That's my age," the Doctor told her.

"You're nine hundred years old," Rose said.

"Yeah."

Rose frowned at June, looking for confirmation. June laughed softly and nodded. When he had told her, she hadn't believed him. She had just laughed and told him that he didn't look nine hundred. But now, there was no doubt in her mind that he was. She hadn't been able to see it at first, but sometimes, when she looked in his eyes, she could just see his age in such a way that was unexplainable.

Rose nodded. "My mum was right. That is one hell of an age gap." June laughed a bit. She was right. It was one hell of an age gap. But it didn't bother June all that much. Rose slid off of the platform and walked away.

"What are you laughing about?" the Doctor asked, glancing up at June. He wore a small, interested smile.

June grinned at him. "I don't care." The Doctor furrowed his eyebrows. June bit her lip. She laughed some more. "That you're nine hundred and something," she clarified. "Who cares?" She shook her head. "Not me." She laughed. "It's weird to think about. Because that's not normal." They both grinned.

"Every conversation with you just goes mental." Rose shook her head. "It's just me and June. There's no one else we can talk to. We've seen all that stuff up there, the size of it, and we can't say a word to anyone else. Aliens and spaceships and things, and we're the only people on planet Earth who knows they exist." Rose turned to look at June. "Doesn't that bother you?"
June was going to answer, although she didn't know what she was going to say. But there was a loud, deep honk. It wounded like a car horn, except it came from right behind them. They all spun around in time to see a small spaceship fly up above them. Right above them. June's stomach dropped and she immediately flattened herself. The Doctor and Rose ducked and June wished that she had time to hop off and duck with them. Because the spaceship flew just inches above her scrunched and anxious face. June had to breathe in all the smoke it left behind.

June sat up and began coughing. She knew that if her lungs could talk, they would be cussing her out. She quickly joined the Doctor and Rose's gawking. The Doctor put a hand on her back and tried to give her a small smile, but she could tell he was all too focused on the spaceship. She couldn't blame him.

They all watched as the spaceship flew further and further into the city. It dodged large buildings and kept getting lower and lower to the ground. June was anticipating the worst. The spaceship crashed through Big Ben, the wing ripping through the clock. June winced sympathetically. The spaceship ended up crashing into the Thames. For some reason, it all felt familiar.

"Oh, that's just not fair," Rose muttered as they all stared at the black cloud of smoke rising up into the air.

The Doctor laughed excitedly, grabbed the two girls' hands, and pulled them along to the TARDIS.

~*O*~

The Doctor, June, and Rose ran through the crowded streets. Cars were parked in the middle of the road as soldiers and military vehicles stopped them from going any further. They stopped in the middle of the traffic, watching the events play out before their eyes. "It's blocked off," the Doctor said.

"No, really?" June asked. "I thought the streets of London usually looked like this." He snickered at her sarcasm.

"We're miles from the Centre," Rose said. "The city must be grid locked. The whole of London must be closing down."

"I know. I can't believe I'm here to see this. This is fantastic!" The Doctor laughed and beamed at the sights around him. June couldn't help but laugh with him. His enthusiasm was contagious.

"Did you know this was going to happen?" Rose asked.

"Nope," the Doctor said.

"Do you recognize the ship?"

"Nope."

"Do you know what it crashed?"

"Nope."

"Oh, I'm so glad I've got you," Rose sighed.

"I bet you are," the Doctor said. "This is what I travel for, Rose. To see history happening right in front of us."

"You know," June said. "I think I remember this."

"You what?" Rose asked.

"Because it happened in your past," the Doctor guessed.

June nodded. "Yeah, I was like ten. But…" she thought about the event for a moment, "I can't remember much. It's been so long. It's like there's something blocking the memories."

"Can you remember anything?" the Doctor asked.

"Um…" she stared off into space for a moment, "yeah. There was a body." She remembered her parents reacting to the news. They were shocked, calling it a hoax, and insisting that the body couldn't be real. "And something blew up." Something big. She didn't know what. "My parents didn't want me knowing so much. I was young and this was massive."

"Let's go and see it," Rose said. "Never mind the traffic, we've got the TARDIS."

The Doctor shook his head. "Better not. They've already got one spaceship in the middle of London. I don't want to shove another one on top."

"Yeah, but yours looks like a big blue box. No one's going to notice," Rose said.

"I dunno," June muttered. "Wouldn't a huge blue police box from the sixties be sort of suspicious?"

"She's right," the Doctor said. "Emergency like this, there'll be all kinds of people watching. Trust me. The TARDIS stays where it is."

Rose sighed. "So, history's happening and we're stuck here."

"Yes, we are," he said.

` "We could look it up on the internet," June suggested.

"2006," the Doctor reminded her.

"Oh shit, right."

"Language," he scolded. June rolled her eyes.

"We could watch it on TV, just like everyone else does," Rose said.

The Doctor didn't seem too enthusiastic about the idea.

~*O*~

The Doctor could not just stay on one channel.

"Big Ben destroyed as a UFO crash lands in Central London. Police reinforcements are drafted in from across the country to control widespread panic, looting, and civil disturbance. A state of national emergency has been declared. Tom Hitchinson is at the scene."

"The police are urging the public not to panic. There's a help line number on screen right now if you're worried about friends or family."

"The military are on the lookout for more spaceships. Until then, all flights in North American air space have been grounded."

"The army are sending divers into the wreck of the spaceship. No one knows what they're going to find."

"The President will address the nation live from the White House, but the Secretary General has asked that people watch the skies."

A friend of Jackie Tyler's had come over and the room was divided. Rose, her mother, and her mother's friend sat on one side, taking up the couch and the surrounding area. Meanwhile, June and the Doctor were isolated to one chair. June sat on the arm, preferring to stick close to the Doctor so she wouldn't have to socialize with strangers. Jackie brought out a mug for Rose and her friend, and much to her surprise, one for June. Nothing for the Doctor. June couldn't exactly blame her.

Jackie and her friend were talking over the noise of the TV. "I've got no choice," Jackie said.

"You've broken your mother's heart," Jackie's friend scolded Rose.

Jackie shook her head. "I'm not going to make him welcome." June took a small sip of the tea Jackie brought her. She wouldn't ask for honey. She wasn't going to push things.

"I cradled her like a child," Jackie's friend continued.

"Oi, I'm trying to listen," the Doctor called over his shoulder.

"I don't think you're in a place to be telling people to be quiet," June whispered to him. The Doctor rolled his eyes.

The TV droned on. "—His current whereabouts. News is just coming in. We go to Tom at the Embankment."

"They've found a body."

The Doctor's eyes widened. "Told you," June sang.

"It's unconfirmed," the reporter continued, "But I'm being told a body has been found in the wreckage. A body of non-terrestrial origins. It's being brought ashore."

People began to fill the small apartment. A welcome home party for Rose. Friends of the family gathered, talking and chatting, greeting a rather moody Rose. The Doctor was finding it difficult to watch the TV and June was tired of the constant conversation buzzing in her ear. So much was going on. She just wanted to lay back and close her eyes.

Jackie tapped June on the shoulder. "Yeah?" June asked, trying to sound the sweetest she could.

"Do you want some wine?" Jackie asked. "We've got plenty to go around."

"Oh my god, yes please," June said, nodding quickly.

"Alright. Hang tight."

"A body of some sort has been found inside the wreckage of the spacecraft," the reporter on the TV said.

A moment later, Jackie passed June a glass of red wine. "Here you go, love."

"Thank you so much," June said, smiling up at the blonde woman.

"Oh, it's no problem." Jackie smiled and then shot the Doctor a nasty look before walking away. "Oh, guess who asked me out?" Jackie asked her friends, sitting down on the couch. "Billy Crewe."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. June chuckled to herself and took a drink of wine. "You're eleven," he said.

"Not here I'm not," June said. "What were you saying about time not being a straight line? I can get drunk if I want."

"Not a good idea," he said.

"We're in the middle of a party," June said. "I hate parties. I need this." She took another long drink just for good measure. The Doctor rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the TV.

"—brought to the nearest shore. Unconfirmed reports say that the body is of extra-terrestrial origin. An extraordinary event unfolding here live in Central London. The body is being transferred to a secure UNIT mortuary, the whereabouts is yet unknown. The roads in Central London are being—"

The channel changed to a man making a cake. "And when you've stuck your fins on, you can cover the whole lot in buttercream."

The Doctor had to wrestle the TV remote away from a toddler. June couldn't help but snicker as she watched him. He shot her an annoyed look.

"Oh, look at that. Then, ice it any color you want," the man continued. "Here's one I made a bit earlier. And look at that, your very own spaceship ready to eat. And for something a little extra special—"

The channel changed back to the news. "—Albion Hospital. We still don't know whether it's alive or dead. Whitehall is denying everything. But the body has been brought here, Albion Hospital. The road's closed off. It's the closest to the river."

"Go on," the Doctor told the toddler, pointing him away from the TV. The child stared at him.

"You're not that good with kids," June whispered in his ear.

"Oh, hush," he scolded lightly. The toddler eventually took the hint and moved out of the way.

"I'm being told that General Asquith is now entering the hospital. The building's been evacuated. The patients have been moved out onto the streets. The police still won't confirm the presence of an alien body contained inside those walls."

The news didn't update much more after that. The reporters were just waiting for updates and drama. The welcome home party had reached a new level with loud chatter and laughter. The Doctor would spare an annoyed glance at the humans on the other side of the room from time to time and roll his eyes. June had begun to get a headache. But it didn't matter. They were allowed to have fun. Rose had been gone for a year after all.

After a few more minutes of no news and loud conversation, June leaned towards an obviously annoyed Doctor and whispered, "Do you want to get out of here?"

He gave her a look. "I think the alcohol is getting to your head." He took the almost empty wine glass out of her hand.

"Not like that!" She nudged him hard in the shoulder and quickly grabbed her drink back. "My god. No." He chuckled at her and she rolled her eyes. "I meant that there's an alien body in a hospital not so far away and we're just sitting here. Why don't we go and investigate?" He raised his eyebrow at her. "I know you want to. And besides, you're obviously annoyed with all the humans around here and I don't like parties, so let's bounce. We've got better things to do."

"I'm not annoyed with all the humans here," the Doctor said. June raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm not annoyed with you at the moment."

"That would've been cute if you hadn't added, 'at the moment,'" she said.

"I know." He smiled at her. "Let's go."

June finished off her glass of wine and she and the Doctor left the apartment.

~*O*~

"And where do you two think you're going?" Rose asked, following them out of the apartment. June had assumed that no one noticed them leave, but that was apparently not the case.

"Nowhere," the Doctor said. "It's just a bit human in there for me and a little too much for her." He nodded at June. She shrugged. "History just happened and they're talking about where you can buy dodgy top-up cards for half price."

"And they're kinda loud," June said. "I mean, I guess people are supposed to be loud at parties, but my head hurts."

Rose clearly did not believe them. "We're off on a wander, that's all," the Doctor told her.

"Right. There's a spaceship on the Thames and you two're just wandering," Rose said, pointing out how ridiculous believing that statement would be.

"Nothing to do with me," the Doctor shrugged. "It's not an invasion. That was a genuine crash landing. Angle of descent, color of smoke, everything. It's perfect."

"So?" Rose asked.

"So maybe this is it," the Doctor said. "First contact. The day mankind officially comes into contact with an alien race. I'm not interfering because you've got to handle this on your own. That's when the human race finally grows up. Just this morning you were all tiny and made of clay. Now you can expand." June couldn't help but giggle at the sight of his enthusiasm. "You don't need me. Go and celebrate history. Spend some time with your mum. Come on, June."

They turned, but Rose stopped them again. "Promise you two won't disappear?"

June smiled at her. "Of course. We'll be back in no time."

The Doctor patted his jacket and pulled a key out of his pocket. "Tell you what. TARDIS key. 'Bout time you had one." He handed the key to Rose. "See you later."

June gave a quiet nod to Rose and then followed the Doctor down the hall towards the stairs.

~*O*~

Parties were happening all over the apartment building. June could see people standing on their balconies cheering from the street below. There were signs hanging around, greeting the new aliens to the planet. June didn't remember everyone being so enthusiastic.

"Is this weird for you?" June asked. "Everyone being so excited and all about aliens."

"Not really," the Doctor said. "It's actually nice. I like to see that you humans aren't all up in arms about visitors from another world. It's a shame that this 'crash landing' likely isn't what it seems."

"People are still denying the existence of aliens in 2017," June said. He frowned at her. "They are. Even with events like this. I know more happened, but everyone thinks that they're hoaxes. If we just knew about aliens, then I wouldn't have had to keep my abduction a secret from everyone I know."

"Oi, gorgeous!" some woman yelled down at them. "Come back and join the party!"

"Who do you think she was shouting at?" June asked.

The Doctor clearly didn't seem to notice her. "How difficult was it to make a cover? No one even knew you were missing."

June rolled her eyes. "That wasn't the difficult part. It was upsetting and scary. There was a whole month between then and traveling with you where I had to cope with it on my own. My friends and family would think I'm insane if I told them the truth. But also, it makes it difficult to tell them where I've been and who you are. They might check me into a mental hospital if I ever said anything."

"I'm sorry," he said.

June frowned at him. "What?"

"You had to go through that alone. It couldn't've been easy."

She shrugged. "It wasn't the most difficult thing in the world. I've been through worse." She quickly changed the subject. "By the way, Rose's mom is going to freak out when she realizes what you are."

The Doctor shook his head. "She's not going to find out."

June scoffed and gave him a look. "You brought Rose home a year later than you intended to and on the same day a suspicious spaceship crashes into Big Ben, which we are now going to investigate. This means trouble and unless we can keep Rose away from it, her mom is going to find out. You can't exactly keep it a secret."

"You have no faith in me," he said, shaking his head, a small smile on his face.

"You expect me to?" she asked. They both laughed. "Oh, hey," she nudged his shoulder. "They're saying hello to you." June pointed to a sign that read, 'Ello E.T.'

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Ha ha. Very funny, June."

June laughed and linked her arm through his. "I know it is. Maybe I should start calling you that."

"E.T.?" he asked.

"No, ello. Yes E.T."

He laughed. "Don't you dare."

"Saying that only makes me want to dare," she retorted.

They approached the TARDIS. The Doctor shook his head. "I've been a bad influence on you."

"The absolute worst," June agreed. They both chuckled.

"Also, June" he said.

"What?"

"I think she was shouting at you." The Doctor unlocked the TARDIS and stepped inside, leaving June to stare after him.

So that's it for this week! Tell me what you guys thought of the chapter!

I hope to be back next week with the next chapter, however I am working a lot and I have none of the next chapter written, so it could take a little while longer, but my goal is still next weekend.

Reviews, follows, and favorites are very much appreciated!

Until next time,

~ C.C.