I forgot to put in a disclaimer last time that said that Molly's view on Doctor Who is nothing like mine. Otherwise, it wouldn't be in several of the fics I've already written.

Anyway, thank you loads for the reviews last time and sorry I didn't update on Monday, as it was the Fourth and the whole country went patriotic. (It's not really that, I just forgot...) Anyway... Chappy 13!

Chapter 13

Molly silently scoured the empty flat. The bed linens had been stripped bare, all the knick-knacks on the shelves had been removed. The only sign that someone had once lived here were the imprints of frames on the wall. Other than that, it contained no traces of her mother at all. Taking one last look at the horrid couch, Molly walked down to the Quattro, devoid of any emotion at all.

Gene sat on the driver's side, the backseat holding the last trinkets that remained in the flat. He looked at her seriously. "You ready, Molly?"

"I suppose so," she replied with a sigh. They drove down the street in silence until Gene broke it once more.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," she said. "It wasn't a shock, but it's still going to take some getting used to."

Gene stared at her for a moment. "I'm shit at this kind of thing."

Molly gave a small grin. "I noticed that the first time I met you. Well, maybe not the first time, but I figured it out rather quickly."

The corners of Gene's mouth twitched, but he remained silent staring at the road, driving until they reached Christopher Street. He slowed down and stopped in front of an Italian boy in his teens.

Molly got out of the car and hugged the boy. "Hey Tom," she said.

"How's Luigi doing since his favourite client won't be drinking there every night?" he asked quietly.

Molly shook her head and raised her eyebrows. The silent communication was all Tom needed to understand what she was saying. Tom sighed. "He's so emotional."

"Are we going?" Gene asked suddenly, his window rolled down.

Molly and Tom both jumped before looking at him.

"You ready?" Tom asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied. "I just can't believe that this is happening."

"You know you can always come back and live with us."

Molly gave a small smile. "If only. Something tells me I'm going to have to suffer through this, whatever happens."

Tom waggled his eyebrows in Gene's direction. "Good luck."

"Get in the bloody car!" Gene snapped.

Tom and Molly laughed and moved to the car.

"Don't even know why I'm taking you," Gene grumbled to Tom.

"Because I begged you," Molly said sweetly.

"Turning into a bloody taxi."

"I'll make sure to tip you at the end of the ride," Molly remarked.

Tom grinned and they settled into their seats, buckling up against Gene's insane driving. He swerved around corner after corner, narrowly avoiding several pedestrians before pulling up in front of a shop. He sighed almost immediately and started tapping on his steering wheel.

"Patience is a virtue, Gene."

"Shut it," he growled without menace.

After about three minutes, the shop door opened and Alex emerged, sporting a new haircut and two freshly cut keys.

"S'about time," Gene grumbled without menace. Alex just rolled her eyes and got into the car.

"What do you think?" she asked pointing to her head.

"Love it, Mum," Molly said. She really did. With short, straight hair and a quiff, Alex looked more like her mum than she had since Molly arrived in 1983. Alex grinned at Molly and then looked at Gene who gave a non-committal grunt before starting up the Quattro.

"How are you Tom?" Alex asked.

Since their conversation in the hospital, Alex was slowly warming up to Tom. She still harboured some resentment toward him for hiding Molly, but that was lessening.

"I'm doing great, Alex, thanks."

Alex had insisted that Tom call her by her first name, as she decided he was old enough to remove the 'Miss' formality.

Alex turned and handed Molly a key. "Thanks," she said.

Molly was a bit nervous about what was going to happen next. In the months since Alex had been released from the hospital, Gene and her mum had been growing closer. A few weeks earlier, after a day full of buying Molly whatever she seemed to want, Alex sat Molly down on the ugly couch. She had then asked what Molly thought about going to live with Gene.

To the idea which had made her run months earlier, Molly merely shrugged. "He's here almost every night anyway. I guess I was expecting this," she had said.

Soon after that, boxes had started to appear in the flat and slowly it had been packed up until today, when she retrieved the last box. Tom was coming to help her unpack her room, door wide open of course. Luckily, Gene and her mother's room was on a different level.

She was excited to have her own room. For the past several months, she had been sleeping on the sofa. When Alex returned home from the hospital, she had tried to persuade Molly to sleep in the bed, but Molly had refused, convincing Alex that it was better for her side if she had more room to move. Alex hadn't been happy but had eventually agreed.

Gene started to slow as they approached his house. Finally, they pulled up outside. Gene put the car in park and they got out, Tom grabbing the small box. Using her new key, Molly unlocked the door and stepped into the mess of boxes. There was a set of steps right in front of the door, along with two doors embedded into the wall. One led to the kitchen and another to a toilet. Up on the first level there was her bedroom, a loo, and another bedroom that was currently empty. Molly was determined to turn this into her own private sanctuary, and was in the middle of persuading Gene and her mum to let her do it. The answer had so far been no, with the argument that she already had her room to be her sanctuary. She knew she'd win eventually however.

On the second level was the master bedroom, complete with a toilet of its own, and another empty room.

If Molly went down the stairs she'd be in the sitting room, where Gene had a nice television set and a VCR. She had already checked out his supply of movies to find that they only contained Westerns.

Molly walked into the house, starting up the stairs to her room.

"Where do you want me to put this?" Tom asked.

"Anywhere," she replied. "None of it's my stuff, so Gene can sort it."

"Oi! I heard that."

Molly merely laughed and ran up the stairs to her room, Tom following behind her.

"Door open, Molly!" Alex called after her.

"Whatever," she said, out of breath, when she reached her room.

Tom followed her in. "So this is it?"

"It is!" she replied. "Isn't it glorious?" she asked overdramatically, pretending to faint on the bed for good measure.

"Fabulous," Tom smirked. "Look at the size of that bed."

Molly threw a shoe at him. "Don't let Gene hear you say that."

"Don't let me hear you say what?" a voice growled from the doorway.

Tom dropped the shoe that he was holding.

"Tom likes Barry Manilow," Molly said without batting an eyelid.

"Barry Manilow?" Gene asked incredulously. "Don't ever play that crap in my house, otherwise you're both getting booted out."

"Mum likes it too, Gene."

"Shit. We're going to have to talk about this...Bolly!" Gene walked down the stairs and Tom and Molly both let out a pent up breath. Molly burst into giggles.

"Barry Manilow? Really Molly?"

Molly just shrugged. "It was the first thing I could think of that wouldn't get you thrown out of the house."

"Well, thanks, I guess."

Molly threw her other shoe at him. "Help me unpack this stuff."

An hour later, everything was unpacked, and the boxes thrown carelessly outside the room. They were sitting together on the floor next to Molly's bed and the stereo was playing softly.

"So what do we do now?"

Molly shrugged. "I'm not sure."

Suddenly they heard Alex giggle and the low rumble of Gene's voice coming up the stairs. They didn't stop at the landing, going up to the second floor, where a door slammed. Molly made a face and turned up her music.

"You hungry?" she asked after a few minutes of awkward silence.

Tom nodded. "Let's go down to the kitchen," she suggested. "I'll make the tea and you can fix me a sandwich."

Tom laughed. "Not if I get there first!"

He jumped down a flight of stairs and Molly followed suit, trying to get ahead of him. Eventually, however, Tom won, grabbing the kettle.

"You can make my sandwich, Miss Drake. Cheese and apple, if you will. Add some raisins."

Grumbling, Molly made the sandwiches. Just as she got done, the kettle started to whistle. Smirking, Tom poured them both a cup of tea.

"Let's go back up to my room," she suggested. "At least there's music up there." They headed back up, Tom already munching on his sandwich. Molly looked at hers, but suddenly, it was making her nauseous. Just the idea of food sounded unpleasant. Not even the tea in her hand sounded appealing. Fighting it off, Molly walked into her room, setting the food on her desk.

"I'll eat later," she said.

Tom smirked. "Do you want me to do the same?"

Molly raised an eyebrow. "Only if you want to."

Tom grinned and stood up, putting his tea and sandwich down on the desk and stacking the boxes in her doorway so they piled up almost up to the top. "Your door's not shut," he cackled.

"You're brilliant."

"I know."

Tom sat down next to her, turning her head. Slowly, carefully, his lips met hers in a kiss reminiscent of their first. His fingers slid through her hair and his tongue slowly started to part her lips.

Molly put her arms around his neck, pulling him closer and sitting on his lap. He groaned as she bit his bottom lip and pulled away from her, his eyes dark. She saw the question in his eyes and nodded in acknowledgement, their faces growing closer, hands starting to find the pieces that held their clothes together.

Suddenly, Molly jumped up, the wave of nausea overwhelming her. She ran out of the room, crashing through the boxes, barely making it to the toilet before she was sick. Voices swam in her head.

"Turn her on her side and suction her," commanded a voice. "We don't want her to choke."

"What caused this?" asked Evan voice.

"It may be the drugs in her system. Because she destroyed the label, we can't give her an antidote and have to let them work their way out of the system," said the voice. "Keep her on her side in case this happens again."

Everything was hot for a moment, but then it all went cold and the world faded to black.

~(*)~

Alex lay naked on the bed, wrapped in Gene's arms, the bright sunlight shining on her face. A slow smile worked its way across her face, remembering as he insisted they christen the bedroom. Gene's eyes were closed, but he wasn't asleep, merely relaxing in the midday sun. Alex heard the soft beat of Molly's music on the level below and the noise of the two teenagers coming upstairs.

The music continued to play softly and it almost sent her to sleep until there was a crashing noise downstairs followed by Tom's cry of 'Molly!'

Alex jumped up immediately, clothing herself faster than Gene could even move an inch. She was downstairs before he reached his pants.

"Molly, are you okay?" Tom was asking worriedly from the toilet. "Molly, can you hear me?"

Alex rushed to the toilet to see Molly sitting over it, a faraway look in her eyes. The smell of sick filled her nostrils and she rushed over to her daughter immediately.

"Molls," she murmured, putting her hand on her daughter's head, noting how cold and clammy it felt.

Molly didn't respond, continuing to stare at the wall before she slumped over.

"What's going on?" Gene asked, arriving in the room at last.

"Can you take her to her room?" Alex asked. "She's passed out and she's too heavy for me."

Gene nodded and moved into the room, picking up the girl like she weighed no more than a sack of flour. Tom and Alex followed into Molly's room, where Gene set her carefully on the bed.

"What happened?" Alex asked Tom.

"I'm not sure," he said worriedly. "We made tea and sandwiches and she said she wasn't hungry...and...and then she ran to the loo and then you were there."

"Might just be the lurgy," Gene offered. "It's going around."

Alex nodded, staring worriedly at her daughter.

"Why don't we just leave her for a bit and she'll come down when she's ready."

Alex nodded again and Tom cleared his throat. "I think I'll go," he offered. "I'll be by tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow, Tom," Gene said. "C'mon Bolls, I'll make you some tea."

~(*)~

When Molly awoke, it was dark. She noticed how sour her mouth tasted and moved to the loo to clean her teeth. The nausea still had not passed, but it was better than earlier. She moved around the house, looking to see if anyone was up. All the lights were off, so she headed up to her mother's room, praying to God that they had worn clothes when they went to bed. Her wish was granted when she saw her mother's satin-clad arm hanging over the bed.

Molly walked up to the bed, tapping her mother's shoulder. Alex jumped and made a noise of surprise.

"Mum. It's only me," she hissed.

"Molls," Alex said, sitting up. "When'd you wake up?"

"About ten minutes ago. What happened?"

"Wait for me in the kitchen," Alex murmured as Gene started to stir.

Molly walked down the stairs, putting the kettle on and looking into the fridge. She was rather hungry. Molly spotted carrots hidden behind bacon and eggs that were clearly for Gene and grabbed one, washing it.

She started to eat it as Alex came down the stairs, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Good, you've started the tea."

"I don't know what's going on, Mum. I've not been feeling right."

"It could be the lurgy Molls."

Molly shook her head. "It's been like this for months, since the day you got shot. Weird bouts of nausea, exhaustion, and then sometimes I hear voices."

"Voices?" Alex asked as the kettle started to whistle. She stood and poured the tea, handing them both a cup.

"Not like I'm crazy. Just... sometimes I'll hear something on telly where it's like a doctor speaking to me, or Evan sometimes. God. What if I am crazy Mum?"

Alex shook her head, smiling softly. "You're not mad, honey. You're still alive in 2011. The voices you hear, that's the voices that are getting through your coma."

"So... I'm still alive there?"

Alex nodded. "Hang onto that life, Molls. You may be productive in this world, but no matter what, you're still dead. In life, you can change the world, just like I always knew you could."

"But then I won't be with you."

Tears formed in Alex's eyes. "Yes, but I will be here, waiting for my baby to return home. But not until she's good and ready."

"Are you sure, Mum?"

Alex nodded. "That life is the one you want to live."

"But I feel alive here!"

Alex said nothing, but she didn't need to. Molly knew she had to go back. "I've got to help Evan, don't I? He's so guilty about everything. I did this all out of selfishness. And I'll still have you. I'll have my pictures, and some of your recordings on the computer. It won't be the same, but I'll still have you."

Alex smiled, but her face turned into one of shock. "Molls," she whispered.

A bright light came from the doorway of the kitchen. "It's my opportunity back, isn't it?"

Alex nodded. "Go, honey. I will see you when it's time."

"Bye Mum!" she said hanging on to Alex's neck, tears pouring down her face.

"My baby," her mum whispered, wrapping her arms even tighter. Tears were falling from Alex's eyes as well. "Go."

Their embrace ended and Molly walked slowly toward the light. Soon it enveloped her and everything around her was gone, replaced by the feeling of lying down and her body feeling as though it was covered in sand. The world was silent except for one voice, which only spoke three words.

"She's waking up."