*Hey guys! Another Oswin Oswald chapter for you today and this picks up almost directly where the last one left off, from Oswin's perspective. I'm going to try and alternate perspectives a bit but it'll probably end up being mostly Oswin. I still have absolutely no idea how long this story is going to be, but chapters will be between 2 and 3 thousand words in general. So maybe 10/15 chapters? At a guess? I know roughly where I want to go with it. As ever, thanks for reading, reviewing, following and favouriting and thanks to whouffletothemax for the prompt! I hope you enjoy this chapter and please please review and let me know your thoughts! Next chapter should be up before Wednesday. TPD*

Oswin had been dead for over a year. It was an odd feeling, when you'd been assumed dead, to step out of a blue box and back into the lives of everyone who thought that you were dead. Her dad, her friends, they had all heard the news of course. That the Alaska had gone down, communications had gone and their last mayday signalled that they were heading for a crash landing. It had been assumed that there were no survivors. Well there were no survivors, except Oswin. Part of her was hoping that the Doctor would stay and help her explain, but then she didn't need his help, which is exactly what she told him when he offered. So he whizzed off, promising to come back in a few days. Oswin wasn't sure if he was telling the truth or not. A couple of months ago, she would have been convinced that the Doctor had no intention of coming back for her. But they had developed a rapport; one might even say a friendship, though Oswin wasn't sure. He would come back for her, she was sure of it. Just as she'd been sure that someone would get her off the Asylum.

She didn't have to lie in her story, as most of what happened was true. She'd been stuck on the planet where the Alaska crashed for over a year, until another vessel arrived to rescue her. That same vessel had then brought her home, and over the three months that it had taken to get back (this part Oswin was most definitely toying with the truth), she and the man had become good friends and were going off travelling together.

She couldn't believe how glad her father had been to see her. He had pulled Oswin into a hug so tight that she was surprised he ever let go. And he had cried. She hadn't seen her father cry since the funeral. Oswin had cried that day too, it was the day she had decided that she wanted off Earth and that she wanted to go and see the universe. And she was so glad that she had managed it. She would never admit it to him, but a year in the Asylum would be worth a lifetime of the Doctor. She found Nina and Angie and all her other friends from home and told them her story and how she was going back off to see the universe. They were all so jealous and excited, but in truth, her days at home felt slightly hollow. All her friends had long since accepted they would never see her again, so for her to come home, only to leave again, seemed cold. Oswin knew that her father wanted her to stay, but she also knew that she had left for a reason. They had all made peace with her leaving before and they had made peace with her death. She really just wanted them to know that she was alive, and that she would be having the time of her life.

On her third day back home, Oswin began to expect the Doctor. She packed up her little apartment with all the clothes and gear she had left. She wasn't going to sell it, in case she ever came back but she had left some of her mum's stuff the last time she had left and she had also left her favourite dress, black with red trim. She changed into the dress, packed up the rest of her gear and waited. The Doctor knew exactly where she lived, so there was no reason that he wouldn't return for her. And yet, he didn't. Not straight away at least. The third day came to a close and Oswin went to bed. But she couldn't sleep. She lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling, waiting, hoping, praying for that stupid blue box to make its whooshing sound and appear somewhere nearby. Hell, he could park it in her bedroom if he wanted to. As long as he came back for her.

On the fourth day, Oswin began to get agitated. He had said two or three days, four tops. But as the fourth day dragged on and on and Oswin found herself increasingly frustrated and increasingly bored, she began to face up to the prospect of never seeing the Doctor again. It was stupid and she knew it was stupid. But he had dangled the whole of time and space in front of her, like a carrot and she had been so willing to gobble it up that she hadn't even considered that the lying bastard would leave her behind. She knew that he had been tempted, once upon a time, but the last three months had been the best of Oswin's life. And she wasn't ready to give that up.

On the fifth day of her return, she went out for dinner with some friends and they asked her why she hadn't gone off travelling yet with her new mystery friend. The mocking tone was very subtle, but Oswin knew it was there. She informed them that he was running a bit late, but the words sounded empty, even to her. They pitied her, she knew that. She also knew that she wasn't the same girl who had left on the Alaska. She was brash, harsh and often took them aback by the way she said things. She didn't care too much about pushing them away, but it would be useful to have some friends, in case the Doctor didn't come back.

A week she had decided. She would give him a week and then she would shut him out completely and move on with her life. She would get a job, find some new friends and start to go on living her life. She could not live for the Doctor forever. So she gave him a week.

It was on the seventh day, almost a week to the minute since he'd dropped her off, when Oswin had completely lost hope, that she heard it. The groaning, wheezing noise that signified that the TARDIS was coming in to land. She was on her feet in an instant and she took the stairs in her flat three at a time, almost slipping and breaking her ankle but managing to keep her balance as she threw open the front door and stepped out into the street. The TARDIS had just finished materialising and the doors crashed open. Oswin crossed her arms, put on her best angry face and tried not to show her overwhelming relief as she demanded to know:

"Where the hell have you been…?"

She trailed off, as the Doctor that stumbled out of the TARDIS was not the Doctor that she knew. Well he was, in appearance at least, but he was different, she could see instantly. He was broken. He looked up and saw her and then he ran towards her and Oswin didn't know what to say as he barrelled into her, sobbing. Oswin took a step back, letting him cry on her. She didn't know what to do, this was an entirely new thing for her. She should pat his back, that was what people did, wasn't it? Oswin patted the Doctor's back and decided that guiding him inside was the best course of action. The TARDIS doors had swung shut of their own accord and Oswin shot a guilty look back at the machine as she helped the Doctor inside her tiny little flat and put the kettle on. He was positively shell-shocked, like all the light had gone out of his eyes. Tea and patting on the back was a good start, but Oswin was worried that this might end in an emotion conversation and she hated emotional conversations.

"Umm…" she handed him his tea and he looked up at her, eyes wide and cold. "Did you break the helmic regulator?"

And then, something magical happened. He laughed. It was a short laugh and more of a bark than anything else, but it was genuine. And for a brief moment, he was the Doctor that she knew and liked. Then, the laugh died away and he returned to this mask of depression.

"They're dead Oswin," he said suddenly. "Amy and Rory. The Ponds. They're dead."

Oswin knew how he felt in that moment. When she had lost her mum, it felt like her entire world was going to collapse around her. It had felt as though no matter how hard she tried, she would never be happy again and his pain was the worst kind of pain that there was.

"They've been my best friends for over three hundred years and now they're gone."

Yowsa. That was a very long time. They didn't even look that old. He didn't even look that old. But they'd had that conversation before. He'd told her he was over a 1000 years old, that his people were dead and that he had two hearts. She'd called him a buzzkill and asked what that did to the blood flow to his sex organs. That had well and truly thrown him. She didn't want to throw him now. The Doctor and Oswin didn't do hugging as a general rule. It was far too intimate for her and there was an unwritten rule between them that hugs were for special occasions. Snogging, hell yeah, she was always up for a snog. But snogs were fun, casual, they didn't express the same emotion that a hug did. Nevertheless, Oswin hugged him now, pulling him in with her arms, wrapping them around him and squeezing him tightly, trying to convey her understanding of his pain. It was an odd moment between them and Oswin found it a tad awkward, but it seemed to be reassuring him, so she carried on for his sake. Then, she broke the hug and he followed suit, slumping back in his chair. He looked…better. She hoped. It was hard to tell.

"Thank you Oswin," he said quietly.

"What for?" she asked breezily.

"Being here for me," he replied. "River Song, that's my…thing. She's Amy and Rory's daughter. And she was there. She had to lose her parents with me and she suggested that I find someone to travel with. I told her I didn't need to find anyone, I already had an amazing person waiting for me to pick them up."

Oswin found herself blushing and kicked herself. He hadn't even noticed, he was too busy staring at his feet. She put a hand on his shoulder in what she hoped was a reassuring manner and he managed to smile slightly at her.

"I can't see her anymore," he murmured and Oswin frowned. "She reminds me too much of them. Besides, she was older. I think it's time I let her go to the Library."

"The Library? What's that, some care facility for older ex-girlfriends?" Oswin teased and the Doctor grinned at her now, a welcome sight on his tear-stained face.

"You've been there you liar," he responded. "I checked the Alaska's records; you've been to the Library."

"Oh, you mean THE Library," Oswin giggled. "What's that place got to do with anything?"

"That's where I lose River Song," the Doctor sighed. "She gets uploaded to the Library data base, saving my life and the lives of over 4000 people."

"Bummer," Oswin muttered. "So what you're just not going to see her anymore?"

"Time travel," the Doctor informed her. "I don't need to see River Song again and she'll only remind me of the Ponds. We were married you know, are married…complicated. Though I suppose strictly speaking, she married a robot version of me in a universe that never existed, so if you're worried about it it's not strictly a legal marriage…"

"Why would I be worried about it? Who you marry is your business!" Oswin snorted. She had absolutely no intention of letting the Doctor think that she had those kinds of feelings for him. He was cute alright and a great guy, but she had zero interest in being another River Song. Whoever River Song was.

"Quite." The Doctor seemed agitated. "I'm sorry for this Oswin. I promised to show you the stars and here I am, late and crying."

"Oh don't worry about it," Oswin waved it away. The casual approach was always the best approach in her view. "I'm sure you'll make it up to me somehow Chin-Boy. Anyway, I know what it's like to lose someone close to you. To not know how to cope. To…need someone."

Oswin turned away from the Doctor. She tried not to open up too much, but she found herself opening up nevertheless. She thought back to those weeks with Nina, where she had been the only thing keeping Oswin going. Nina had been so many things for Oswin, a crush, a friend, a lover and after her mum died, Nina had become an emotional crutch. Oswin loathed the idea of being an emotional crutch, but if the Doctor was going to show her the universe and Oswin did want to see the universe, then she would have to deal with it. Anyway, she did care for him, although she'd never admit it.

"Your mum?" the Doctor asked gently and Oswin's eyes flashed with anger as she turned back to him.

"I don't talk about my mum!" she snapped. "Not ever. Do you understand? She died, that's all there is to it."

The Doctor nodded. He didn't press her further, like Oswin had half expected him to. He was very good at that. Understanding. Caring. Things that she rarely did anymore. A year with the Daleks had taken caring off of the table for her. Three months with the Doctor had at least made her care more. But how much more, Oswin wasn't yet sure. She didn't say anything to him, she took his empty tea mug and chucked it into the sink. She could feel his eyes, watching her.

"Doctor," she said softly, or about as softly as she could manage. He was still looking at her when she walked back to him, his eyes never leaving her for a moment. Oswin took a deep breath. "I'm sorry about your friends."

"So am I Oswin," he said in a heartbroken voice that she knew only too well. "So am I."