Sarah Jane, the Doctor, and I were sitting at a coffee shop table with K9 while Rose and Mickey were at the counter. I watched as the Doctor fiddled with K9's wires, trying to fix the dog, him and Sarah Jane talking while I listened a bit. "I thought of you on Christmas Day. This Christmas just gone? Great big spaceship overhead. I thought, oh yeah, bet he's up there."

"Right on top of it, yeah. Me and Cerys."

"And Rose?"

"She was there too."

She smiled but it quickly dropped. "Did I do something wrong, because you never came back for me. You just dumped me."

"Do you want me to go? So you can talk in private?"

"No it's fine, Cerys," Sarah Jane replied with a smile. I nodded, sitting back in my seat and tried not to pay attention to their conversation, looking out the window to distract myself.

"I told you. I was called back home and in those days humans weren't allowed."

"I waited for you. I missed you."

"Oh, you didn't need me. You were getting on with your life."

"You were my life." I watched his smile fade. I really wanted to let them have their talk in private but every time I moved to get up, the Doctor would stop working and give me one of his looks, one that practically begged me to stay and each time, I'd sigh and sit back down. "You know what the most difficult thing was? Coping with what happens next, or with what doesn't happen next. You took me to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, you showed me supernovas, intergalactic battles, and then you just dropped me back on Earth. How could anything compare to that?"

"All those things you saw… you- you want me to apologize for that?" he asked, confused.

"No, but we get a taste of that splendour and then we have to go back."

"Look at you, you're investigating. You found that school. You're doing what we always did."

"You could have come back."

"I couldn't."

"Why not?" The Doctor looked away from her and kept working on K9, not answering the question. I knew what that meant, as did Sarah Jane seeing as she dropped the conversation with a heavy sigh. "It wasn't Croydon. Where you dropped me off, that wasn't Croydon."

"Where was it?"

"Aberdeen."

"Right. That's next to Croydon, isn't it?" She fondly smiled and shook her head. Suddenly, K9 came to life. "Oh, hey. Now we're in business."

"Master."

"He recognizes me."

"Affirmative."

"Rose, give us the oil," he called to her.

She came over, handing him the capsule. "I wouldn't touch it, though. That dinner lady got all scorched."

"I'm no dinner lady. And I don't say that often." He dabbed his hand in and smeared it on K9's outstretched probe that retracted when he had finished. "Here we go. Come on, boy. Here we go."

"Oil. Ex-ex-ex-extract. Ana-ana-analysing."

"Listen to him, man. That's a voice," Mickey laughed.

"Careful. That's my dog."

"Confirmation of analysis. Substance is Krillitane Oil."

"They're Krillitanes."

"Is that bad?"

"Very. Think of how bad things could possibly be, and add another suitcase full of bad."

"And what are… Krillitanes?"

"They're a composite race. Just like your culture is a mixture of traditions from all sorts of countries, people you've invaded or have been invaded by. You've got bits of Viking, bits of France, bits of whatever. The Krillitanes are the same. An amalgam of the races they've conquered. But they take physical aspects as well. They cherry pick the best bits from the people they destroy. That's why I didn't recognize them. The last time I saw Krillitanes, they looked just like us except they had really long necks."

"What're they doing?"

"It's the children. They're doing something to the children."

With that we stood to leave the shop. I watched Mickey and Sarah Jane placed K9 in the boot of Sarah's car before turning and having their own conversation. Rose had cornered the Doctor, most likely to question him. "How many of us have there been travelling with you?" she asked as we walked outside.

"Does it matter?"

"Yeah, it does, if we're just the latest in a long line."

"As opposed to what?"

"I thought you and me were mates. I obviously got it wrong. I've been to the year five billion, right, but this? Now this is really seeing the future. You just leave us behind. Is that what you're going to do to me and Cerys?"

"No. Not to you, and not Cerys."

"I figured you wouldn't leave her," she said with a small smile. "But, you left Sarah Jane and you're going to leave me too? You were that close to her and you never mention her. Are you never going to mention me?"

"I don't age. I regenerate. But humans decay. You wither and you die. Imagine watching that happen to someone that you-"

"What, Doctor? Cerys it human too! "

"She's different."

I glanced at him. "Doctor…"

"You can spend the rest of your life with me, but I can't spend the rest of mine with you. I have to live on. Alone. That's the curse of the Time Lords."

"Time Lord." I heard a voice say. I looked up and saw a giant bat swoop down towards me. I ducked, as did everyone else. Straightening up, I let out a relieved sigh.

"Was that a Krillitane?"

"But it didn't even touch her," Rose said, pulling me to her. "It just flew off. What did it do that for?"

"It doesn't matter," I said before turning to Sarah Jane. "I know we just met but we can't really reach the Tardis. Would you mind lodging us for the night? I'll pay for whatever he damages."

"Of course," the woman said with a hearty laugh as she led us to her car.

The moment we reached Sarah's home, I collapsed on the couch. Sarah Jane had insisted I take a room but I refused, not wanting to make too much of a fuss about it. After she realized she couldn't change my mind, Sarah Jane retrieved a comforter and draped it over me. I thanked her and closed my eyes, trying to go asleep.

I laid there for what felt like hours when I heard someone enter the room. Sitting up, I saw that it was just the Doctor. I figured he wouldn't be asleep, seeing as he rarely slept as it was. It seemed like the only time he did sleep was when I forced him to, which only happened once or twice a week. "What is it?"

"Nothing. Just checking on you. Just finished with Rose and Mickey. How come you aren't sleeping?"

"I'm not that tired." I pulled my legs up, giving him room to sit. "Why did you tell Rose that?"

"It's the truth. You are different."

"Rose wants to stay with you."

"Do you?"

"Yes, but I don't want to lose Rose… no matter what. She's my sister."

"I understand."

"She feels threatened by Sarah Jane, not for her sake really. I think she's looking out for me but she's just like mum, instead of showing worry, they go on the defensive."

"I know. Do you feel threatened by the Sarah Jane Smith? She was one of my best companions, you know."

I laughed, knowing he added the last bit to try and get a reaction from me. "No. You aren't mine and it would be silly for me to feel that way. Besides, I think it's a treat to finally meet a companion of yours. It gives us some insight on who you were… who you are." I looked up to find the Doctor beaming at me. "What?"

"Nothing. I'll let you sleep. Goodnight, Cerys."

I laid back down as he stood. "Yeah… night."

After a quick breakfast, we all returned to the school around the same time the students were. "Cerys, Rose, and Sarah, you go to the Maths room. Crack open those computers, I need to see the hardware inside. Here, you might need this." Rose held out her hand for the sonic screwdriver but he handed it to Sarah Jane instead. I watched as she glared at the woman before rolling her eyes. "Mickey, surveillance. I want you outside."

"Just stand outside?"

"Here, take these and keep K9 company," Sarah Jane smiled as she tosses her car keys to him.

"Don't forget to leave the window open a crack."

"But he's metal!"

"I didn't mean for him."

"What're you going to do?"

"It's time I had a word with Mister Finch," the Doctor replied before we walked off. Once he was gone, Mickey returned to the car and Sarah, Rose and I went to the Maths room.

Sarah was under the table trying to sonic the wires to no avail as Rose sat on a chair beside her and I watched. Rose grinned at her smugly while I bent down to see if I could help. Sarah shook her head and stood, pressing keys on the computer. "It's not working."

"Give it to me," Rose said, taking it from her.

"Used to work first time in my day."

"Well, things were a lot simpler back then."

"Rose, can I give you a bit of advice?"

"I've got the feeling you're about to."

"I know how intense a relationship with the Doctor can be, and I don't want you to feel I'm intruding."

"I don't feel threatened by you, if that's what you mean."

"Nor do I, honestly. It's an honour to meet you," I said with a smile.

"Right. Good. Because I'm not interested in picking up where we left off."

"No? With the big sad eyes and the robot dog? What else were you doing last night?" I sighed and took the sonic from Rose, getting down to work on the computer myself.

"I was just saying how hard it was adjusting to life back on Earth."

"The thing is, when you two met they'd only just got rid of rationing. No wonder all that space stuff was a bit too much for you."

"I had no problem with space stuff. I saw things you wouldn't believe."

"Please don't start this up," I begged.

They ignored me. "Try me."

"Mummies."

"We've met ghosts."

"Robots. Lots of robots."

"Slitheen, in Downing Street."

"Daleks!"

"Met the Emperor."

"Anti-matter monsters."

"Gas masked zombies."

"Real living dinosaurs."

"Real living werewolf."

"The Loch Ness Monster!"

I turned my attention to Sarah Jane. "Wait, seriously?" Sarah nodded. "That's amazing."

"Seriously? Listen to us. It's like me and my mate Shireen. The only time we fell out was over a man, and we're arguing over the Doctor and I don't even want the man." I smiled, knowing she was doing this for me. Standing up, I gave her a quick hug.

"You and the Doctor, Cerys?"

"I don't know what I mean to him, but I might love him. I think I have for a while."

"She just has to tell him that."

"You should! Don't listen when he tells you it can't work."

"I don't think he cares if I'm human, to be honest. But can we please change the subject?"

The women nodded, Rose quickly starting up, tucking her hair behind her ear. "With you, did he do that thing where he'd explain something at like, ninety miles per hour, and you'd go, 'what?' and he'd look at you like you'd just dribbled on your shirt?"

"All the time. Does he still stroke bits of the Tardis?"

"Yep," I replied happy that the conversation had shifted. "Sometimes I wonder if he wants to be alone with it."

The three of us burst into laughter. As we laughed, the Doctor entered. "How's it going?" We kept on laughing. "What?"

"Listen, I need to find out what's programmed inside these."

"Can't. Deadlocked," I managed to get out between my laughs.

"What? Stop it!"

We finally stopped laughing as the Doctor strode over and took his sonic from me. As he did that, Rose went to the door, turning kids away from the room we were in. The Doctor had wires looped around his neck and shoulders as he tried to get into the CPU. "I can't shift it."

"I thought the sonic screwdriver could open anything!"

"It can," I told her, "besides a deadlock seal."

"There's got to be something inside here." He lifted up the piece and examined it. "What're they teaching those kids?"

I looked up to see that the screens were on and showing green symbols. Sarah Jane saw as well. "You wanted the program? There it is."

The Doctor looked up, looking at it. "Some sort of code." He continued to examine it for a moment. "No. No, that can't be."

"Doctor… how come I can recognize what that is?"

He glanced at me, concerned before turning back to the screen. "The Skasis Paradigm. They're trying to crack the Skasis Paradigm."

"The Skasis what?"

"The God maker. It's the universal theory. If you can crack that equation, you have control over the universe's building blocks. You'd have control over time space and matter," I said before the Doctor could. The three of them stared at me, Rose and Sarah Jane more in disbelief.

"What and the kids are like a giant computer?"

"Yes. And their learning power is being accelerated by the oil. That oil from the kitchens, it works as a, as a conducting agent. Makes the kids cleverer."

"But that oil's on the chips. I've been eating them."

"What's fifty nine times thirty five?"

"Two thousand and sixty five," Rose answered instantly. "Oh, my God."

"But why use children? Can't they use adults?"

The Doctor looked at me, letting me answer. "It's the children's imaginations and that's what is needed to crack the God maker. They're using their souls."

Just then Finch walked in, eyeing me curiously. "How is it that a human has such knowledge? Unless… she isn't human at all."

My rolled my eyes at him but I kept my composure. A part of me wanted to slap the smirk off his face. "Leave her out of this."

He turned his attention to the Doctor. "It seems as if you have taken the role of her protector. How… charming. Anyways, let the lesson begin. Think of it, Doctor. With the Paradigm solved, reality becomes clay in our hands." Finch walked towards us. "We can shape the universe and improve it."

"Oh yeah? The whole of creation with the face of Mister Finch? Call me old fashioned, but I like things as they are."

"You act like such a radical, and yet all you want to do is preserve the old order? Think of the changes that could be made if this power was used for good."

"What, by someone like you?"

"No, someone like you. The Paradigm gives us power, but you could give us wisdom. Become a God at my side. Imagine what you could do. Think of the civilisations you could save. Perganon, Assinta. Your own people, Doctor, standing tall. The Time Lords… reborn."

I stared at Finch angrily, knowing exactly what the man was doing. He was trying to entice the Doctor into his bidding. Sarah Jane also saw. "Doctor, don't listen to him."

"And you could be with him throughout eternity. Young, fresh, never wither, never age, never die. Their lives are so fleeting. So many goodbyes. How lonely you must be, Doctor. Join us."

"I could save everyone."

"Yes."

"I could stop the war."

I glared at the Doctor as he said that before turning my gaze to Finch. It had taken practically all my self-control to keep from hurting the man but the fact that he used the Doctor's loneliness as an opening, irritated the hell out of me. It was a low blow in my book and I refused to let him get away with it. I stormed over to him and punched him square in the jaw. He looked at me, dazed before his expression changed to anger. I stood my ground for a moment before I was pulled away. I began to protest but I saw the look Rose was giving me and shut up. I would have preferred not to endure her wrath. "No. The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss, they define us as much as happiness or love. Whether it's a world, or a relationship, everything has its time. And everything ends," I heard Sarah Jane say. I smiled at her words, knowing how true they were. Turning my attention back to Finch, I smugly smiled, not even fazed by the pure fury that littered his expression. There was a smash and a hand took mine.

"Out!" the Doctor said as he pulled me out of the room.

As we ran down the stairs, we ran into Mickey and a student. "What is going on?" he asked as we ran to the canteen.

The boy looked up seeing the bats flying around Finch. "Are they my teachers?"

"Yeah. Sorry."

"We need the Doctor alive. As for the others? You can feast."

The Krillitanes swooped down at us but we hid under tables, although the Doctor had picked up a chair and was madly swinging at them. Suddenly there was a beam of light and one of the bats fell. Finch let out a high pitched scream. "K9!"

"Suggest you engage running mode, mistress."

"Come on!" We took off at full speed, hastily making our way out of the room.

"K9, hold them back!"

"Affirmative, master. Maximum defence mode."

Once the Doctor was out, he sealed the door and we ran to the physics lab. Once there, we caught our breaths. He spun at me, irately giving me a look. "Don't you do that again."

"He deserved it," I muttered before slapping his arm. "And you were an idiot for even going along with it."

He sheepishly smiled at me before turning to everyone else. "It's the oil. Krillitane life forms can't handle the oil. That's it! They've changed their physiology so often, even their own oil is toxic to them. How much was there in the kitchens?"

"Barrels of it," Rose replied, a smile playing on her lips.

The Krillitanes were banging at the door, breaking it down. "Okay, we need to get to the kitchens. Mickey."

"What now, hold the coats?"

"Get all the children unplugged and out of the school. Now then, bats, bats, bats. How do we fight bats?"

Suddenly the fire alarm went off. Just as suddenly as it started, it stopped. We all ran out to the canteen, with Mickey going to the classrooms. When we were outside of it, we found K9. "Master."

"Come on, boy. Good boy." K9 came and we all entered the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, the Doctor soniced the barrels of oil but they wouldn't open. "They've been deadlock sealed. Finch must've done that. I can't open them."

"The vats would not withstand a direct hit from my laser, but my batteries are failing."

"Right. Everyone out the back door. K9, stay with me." As the others left, I stayed in my spot. "You have to go, Cerys."

"But you're…"

"I'll be fine."

"You always leave me in the end," I sadly stated.

The Doctor stopped and stared at me for a moment before he grabbed my waist and pulled me to him. He dropped a kiss on my forehead before hungrily attacking my lips. Pulling away, he pushed me to the door. I walked out, keeping my face an emotionless mask so that the others would not know how I felt.

Leaning against the wall, I looked up as the door opened and the Doctor came out. He quickly sealed the door but before he could do anything else, Sarah Jane rounded on him. "Where's K9?"

"We need to run."

"Where is he? What have you done?!" He grabbed her and pulled her away from the school.

"Come on, guys. Let's go, let's go! Run."

We ran until we were a good distance away. As the school blew up, I placed my arm around Sarah Jane. "I'm sorry," the Doctor said.

"It's all right. He was just a daft metal dog. It's fine, really." She burst into tears, turning into me. I comforted her best I could before we walked to the Tardis.

Reaching it, the Doctor unlocked the door, walking in for a bit and coming back out. Rose and Mickey had gone in after him while I remained with Sarah. "Cup of tea?" he asked her. I smiled at the woman and pulled her inside.

Her eyes lit up in wonder. "You've redecorated."

"Do you like it?"

She walked around, admiring the Tardis. "Oh, I, I do. Yeah. I preferred it as it was, but er, yeah. It'll do."

"I love it."

I chuckled. "I quite like it."

Sarah smiled and turned to Rose. "Hey, you what's forty seven times three hundred and sixty nine?"

"No idea. It's gone now. The oil's faded," Rose replied with a shrug.

"But you're still clever. More than a match for him." Rose beamed and walked over to Mickey, leaving Sarah and me. "You're worth it, you know." I shrugged. "You are. You're perfect for him."

I smiled at the woman, thankful for her words even if it left me feeling a bit awkward and my cheeks a bit heated. "Thank you, Sarah Jane."

"Er, we're about to head off, but you could come with us."

"No. I can't do this anymore." The Doctor's face fell. "Besides, I've got a much bigger adventure ahead. Time I stopped waiting for you and found a life of my own."

"Can I come?" I turned to face Mickey, surprised by his question. "No, not with you," he clarified, motioning to Sarah Jane and then the Doctor. "I mean with you. Because I'm not the tin dog, and I want to see what's out there."

"Oh, go on, Doctor. Sarah Jane Smith, a Mickey Smith. You need a Smith on board."

"Okay then, I could do with a laugh."

Mickey turned to her. "Rose, is that okay? Can I come?"

"No, great! Why not?" She replied as she intertwined their fingers, startling the man a bit. I smiled at her, happy she'd want Mickey along. While in the beginning, she'd left him, maybe this time she'd see that he was always there for her, something I've seen even with my slight dislike of the man. In the end, he was loyal to her and I was glad she had someone and that she was starting to recognise it herself.

"Find me, if you need to, one day," Sarah Jane said giving me a hug before doing the same for Rose. "Find me."

"We will." With that, the Doctor and Sarah Jane left the Tardis. Once they were gone, I turned to face Mickey. "Look, I know we haven't really gotten on in the past but I'm willing to start over, try to be friends or at least civil. What do you say?" He nodded, giving me a small smile. Returning it, I left the console room for the library.

I sat in my spot reading a favourite of mine, The Castaways of the Flying Dutchman. I was a bit surprised to find a copy in the Tardis library but I chalked it up to the Tardis' telepathic field. It was nice to find a book I loved, seeing as I had left my ripped and thoroughly used copy at home. Getting comfortable before the fire, I opened up to the first page.

Forty five minutes later, I started part two of the book. As I reached chapter twelve, I saw someone sit next to me from my peripherals, content that it was the Doctor. He was silent for a while but I could feel his eyes on me. I ignored it, not wanting to be distracted from the book. It was a pet peeve of mine, being interrupted in the middle of a favourite read. Rose had often been the one to incur my wrath the times she had disturbed me. It seemed as though he sensed it and waited until I finally finished, which was an hour or so later. Shutting the book, I faced him, a content smile on my face. "What brings you away from your precious console?"

"I was looking for you."

"Well, you found me. How can I be of assistance?"

"Did you enjoy the book?" he asked, not answering my question.

"I always do. I have it memorized."

"Your favourite book," he speculated.

"Yep. What's it doing in your library though? Is it because of the Tardis' telepathic field?"

"I've had it for a while."

"Oh. It was hers… wasn't it?"

"Yes but I'm sure she'd be happy to find that you also enjoy her favourite book," he chuckled.

"I suppose. You didn't come here to talk about books though, did you?"

"No. I noticed the jacket."

"Yeah…"

"I quite like it on you."

"I like it on me too actually. It might possibly be my favourite jacket."

"Hmm," he smiled, wrapping an arm around my waist. "I also wanted to thank you."

"For what?"

"How you treated Sarah Jane."

"We already went through this, Doctor. She's amazing; I can see why you chose her as a companion."

"She is. My Sarah Jane."

I smiled and rested my head on his shoulder, just enjoying his company. As we sat there in comfortable silence, I felt myself begin to doze off. Forcing my eyes open, I moved to get up. The Doctor wrapped his other arm around my waist, keeping me on the floor. Pulling me to him, I returned to our previous position and let sleep take me.

Yay, another chapter posted. This part was a lot easier which is why it's up so quick. As I post this, I'm combatting a migraine and have to get ready for work... at a fricking bar :/ I don't really want to go in today but ugh! Anyways, thanks for reading the story so far and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. As always, thanks for the reviews.

I'm-a-Klaus-addict: Yes I know. It's been a tough two/three weeks for me. I'm definitely trying to make the Doctor and Cerys' relationship rocky for the moment. While most can be, I want theirs to be the type that could make or break the future... if there is one for them. Hopefully I'm doing a good job at that. I also love Sarah Jane. One of my favourite old Who companions beside Ace. It was fun to write her in and have her and Cerys meet. While I kept Rose the same, I really felt that Cerys wasn't or wouldn't react that way due to her nature, hence her great attitude to meeting the amazing woman. Any time. As for Miami, I am having fun thanks. :)