Time Lord's Hearts

by Raine44354

I've made it through the Doctor's regeneration. But what if I can't make it until the next. Canary Wharf is looming down on me. I don't want to leave my Doctor, not after we've begun to get closer. But I might just have to. Should be read in order.

2. 2x Christmas Special

Christmas Special 2005

"The Christmas Invasion"

I clutched onto console as the TARDIS slammed into buildings as it crash-landed on Earth. It took a few minutes for the TARDIS to settle and by the time I had the courage to stand without wanting to puke the newly regenerated Doctor was outside. "Fuck," I muttered, rushing after him.

"Here we are, then!" he said. "London! Earth! The Solar System! We did it!" He stumbled out the TARDIS, the Doctor's attention was on the apartments while mine was on Jackie, Rose, and Mickey. The three stood there incredibly confused as to what was going on. The Doctor suddenly noticed then, "Jackie! Rose! Mickey! Blimey! No, no, no, no, hold on." He stumbled backwards a few steps. "Wait there, I've got something to say. There was something I had to tell you. Something important, what was it? No, hold on, hold on..." The Doctor made his way back to them. He placed a hand on both Jackie and Mickey's shoulder's. "Hold on, shush, shush, shush, shush... OH!" The three of them jumped at the Doctor's sudden shout. "I know!" The Doctor turned to all of them with a smile, "Merry Christmas!" The Doctor then collapsed to the ground.

"Oh shit!" I said rushing to him. "Is he okay?" I asked them as I placed the Doctor's head in my lap.

"I don't know," Mickey said. "He just keeled over! But who is he? Where's the Doctor?"

I looked at the three of them with a completely straight face and said, "This man, he's the Doctor."

Jackie frowned at me, "What d'you mean, "he's the Doctor"? Doctor who?"

-x-x-x-

The Doctor was tucked in Rose's bed, wearing a pair of stripy pajamas. Where Jackie got men's pajamas I really didn't want to know. Mickey had helped move him to the bed and he had been the one to change the Doctor, though I had to be in the room because Mickey was scared of him. I didn't look as Mickey changed him but being there was weird enough. At the moment I sat by the Doctor's side on the edge of the bed, brushing his hair to the side as a way to sooth myself rather than him. Rose was standing by the door, not entirely sure what to do about the whole situation.

Jackie came into the room holding a stethoscope. She handed it to me as she sat on the bed, "Here we go. Tina the Cleaner's got this lodger, medical student. And she was fast asleep, so I just took it." I placed the stethoscope in my ears. "Though, I still say we should take him to hospital."

I shook my head, "No Jackie. He's an alien. That never goes well. Besides one drop of his blood could possibly be the cure for cancer. If that's true, imagine what they would do with the Doctor himself?" I shivered at the thought. Jackie made to open her mouth again but I shushed her. I turned my focus on the Doctor. I moved the stethoscope on the left side and then the right, feeling relieved that both sides had an equally strong heartbeat. "Good, they're both working." I pulled the stethoscope from my ears.

"What d'you mean 'both'?" Jackie asked.

"He has to hearts," I said.

"Oh, don't be stupid."

"He does!" I said.

"Anything else he's got two of?" Jackie asked.

"Jackie," I said. "Leave him alone." Jackie paused before getting up and leaving. I turned my attention back to the Doctor, taking his hand and wrapping it in mine. "I know you want to ask Rose," I said softly glancing at the blonde. "Go ahead."

Rose was quiet for a moment before she asked, "How can he change like that? Is it just a different face or a different person?"

"He was dying," I said softly. "It was my fault. He tried to convince me it wasn't, but it was. When …" I paused. "I guess it's kind of like how a cat has nine lives. Well, the Doctor literally has twelve. He can change his whole structure to keep himself alive. I guess along the way pieces are lost and others are gained but he's should still be the same."

"Should?" Rose asked moving to sit on the edge of the bed beside me.

I released the Doctor's hand and turned to her, "Well. As he is now, he's a bit more energetic, bouncy I guess. He bounces ideas off himself and would go to the end of the universe, the end of time, for the people he cares about." I smiled, "He's still the same Doctor. It's kind of like having really long hair and getting it cut super short. It takes some getting used to, but you know that in time you'll come to love it."

"But," Rose said, "he's still the same Doctor. Not some body snatcher or something."

I laughed, "Yeah. He's still the same. He may look different but he's still the Doctor."

"You love him," she said.

I opened my mouth to answer before her question processed into my head. I leapt from the bed and rushed from the room, pulling the blonde with me. We were in the middle of the living room before I stopped. "Yes," I said. Rose smiled. She looked like she was going to jump up and down, clapping like a little schoolgirl. "Rose, he cant know."

"Why not?" she asked frowning.

"I-" I sucked on my lip ring. "I'm scared. He's the only person I have ever had these kinds of feelings for. I don't know what to do. But I do know that I can't leave him. He and the TARDIS are the only ones that connect me to my home. My dimension or whatever. I wont throw that away if he finds out and hates me for it. That kiss was far-"

"KISS!" Rose shouted.

"Rose," I groaned, irritated that the only thing she was taking from this was my kiss, well I guess what we did deserves the English term of snog.

"You kissed the Doctor!"

"Yes, I did. Quiet a few times within his death and coming here."

"Well, that's got to mean something then."

"Mean what?" I asked throwing myself onto the couch. My eyes were then drawn to the television that had been left on, if it were my house I would yell because of that. I hate when things like TVs and lights were left on when no one was in the room. However I didn't yell because of the woman on TV. "Is that Harriet Jones?" I asked.

Jackie came in with tea saying, "She's Prime Minister now. I'm eighteen quid a week better off." I smiled at her as she handed me a cup. "They're calling it 'Britain's Golden Age'. Keep on saying "my Rose has met her"." Jackie ran her hand through the blonde's hair, a smile on her face.

Rose smiled at her mother and said, "We did more than that. Stopped World War Three with her. Harriet Jones..."

I turned back to the TV as a male news reporter spoke, "Harriet Jones - what about those calling the Guinevere One Space Probe a waste of money?"

Harriet replied with, "Now, that's where you're wrong. I completely disagree if you don't mind." I smiled, I always loved how polite Harriet was. "The Guinevere One Space Probe represents this country's limitless ambition. British workmanship sailing up there among the stars."

The news reporter then said, "This is the spirit of Christmas, birth and rejoicing, and the dawn of a new age, and that is what we're achieving fifteen million miles away. Our very own miracle." The screen then showed a computerized image of the probe zooming from the Earth.

The main news reader then spoke, "The unmanned probe Guinevere One is about to make its final descent. Photographs of the Martian Landscape should be received by midnight tonight."

-x-x-x-

I sighed I relief as I pulled on the nice clean clothes that Rose had gotten from the TARDIS for me as I took a much-needed shower. After the news program had ended I noticed how grimy I felt in my dirty clothes. The Tylers let me use their shower, taking up all their hot water. I opened the door, letting the steam pour out while I held a navy blue hoddie. It was too hot right now to pull it on, but I knew that I was going to head outside at some point so I kept it with me. Rose had left my boots just outside the bathroom door before she left with Mickey to go on the date they had previously planned. Jackie was in the living room watching TV and talking on the phone and the Doctor still lay asleep on the bed. I picked up the boots and made my way to where the Doctor lay sleeping. I stood in the doorway, watching him for a moment before taking a seat at the vanity to pull on my boots. Once my boots were on I made my way over to the Doctor. I sat down on the floor beside the bed and lay my head on it. My hand was on the bed, laying over the Doctor's. I want him to wake up so badly. I want us to get back to normal, or as normal as we can get with a newly regenerated Doctor. I just wanted it to be the two of us again. The two of us away from it all; going against the universe, against time. I closed my eyes, not realizing how heavy they were before. I just wanted my Doctor back. I wanted this Doctor back.

-x-x-x-

I woke when I heard the front door slam and Rose yell at her mother to 'Get off the phone!' I slowly stood, a blanket that had been covering me fell down and I saw two mugs of still warm tea on the beside table. I looked over the Doctor before making my way to the living room. "What's going on?" I asked rubbing my eyes.

Rose ignored me and turned to her mother, "What about Mo? Where's she living now?"

"I dunno! Peak District!" Jackie said just as confused as I was.

"Oh, we'll go to Cousin Mo's then," Rose said.

"It's Christmas Eve! We're not going anywhere! What're you babbling about?" Jackie asked.

I placed my hand on the younger blonde's shoulder, "Rose?"

Rose was about to say something when she noticed the tree in the corner of the room. I too turned my attention to it. "Where'd you get that tree?" Rose asked. The tree from before was a pure white, and this one now was green. "That's a new tree. Where'd you get it?"

"Well, I thought it was you!" Jackie said.

"How can it be me?" Rose asked her mother.

"Well, you went shopping, there was a ring at the door," I frowned. When the hell did the doorbell ring? "and there it was!"

Rose shook her head, "No, that wasn't me."

Jackie frowned, "Then who was it...?"

We all stared at the tree. I moved in front of them as the tree lit up. "Fuck me," I growled. The tree began to spin, slowly at first and then faster. Jackie screamed as 'Jingle Bells' began to play, increasing in speed. The tree moved forward, reducing the coffee table into firewood in seconds.

"Go, go, go! Get out!" Mickey shouted.

The three of us ran while Mickey used a chair to hold it off. Rose and Jackie ran to the front door while I went to the Doctor's room. "We have to get the Doctor!"

"What're you doing?" Jackie asked.

"We cant leave him!" I yelled at the woman.

"Mickey!" Rose called as the Christmas tree chopped up the legs of the chair. "Leave it! Get out! Get out!" Mickey stood his ground. "Mickey! Get out of there!" He gave up and joined Rose as she made her way to help me.

"Just leave him!" Jackie yelled.

"Get in here!" Mickey growled at her. Jackie came into the room, slamming the door shut. The two of them pushed the wardrobe in front of the door. The two then leaned against it.

Rose bent over the Doctor and yelled, "Doctor, wake up!"

I grabbed the Ninth Doctor's leather jacket and fumbled through the pockets. My hand finally hit the sonic screwdriver and I pulled it out. I wrapped the Doctor's hand around it as the wardrobe began to shake. The Doctor remained still.

The Christmas tree smashed through the wardrobe and Mickey and Jackie were thrown back. Jackie cowered against the wall and cried, "I'm gonna get killed by a Christmas tree!"

"Doctor! Wake up!" Rose yelled as she two moved against the wall.

I went to the Doctor's side and kissed his cheek. "Ten, please. Help."

I moved back quickly as the Doctor shot up. He pointed his sonic screwdriver at the tree and that stupid tree exploded. The Doctor lowered his arm. "Remote control," he said to himself. "But whose controlling it?" He leapt out of bed and I followed him, grabbing my hoddie and the men's robe on my way out. The Doctor went onto the balcony and I handed him the robe before pulling on my own hoddie.

Rose, Jackie, and Mickey were behind us. We all focused on the robot Santas that were down in the street.

"That's them," Mickey said. "What are they?"

"Fucking Santas," I growled. I really hated them. They were always around during the Christmas episodes when on Earth. Stupid Santas trying to kill people. The Doctor rose his arm and pointed the sonic screwdriver at the Santas. The Santas backed away, standing close together before they teleported themselves out.

Mickey frowned and said, "They've just gone! What kind of rubbish were they? I mean, no offence, but they're not much cop if a sonic screwdriver's gonna scare them off."

"Pilot Fish," the Doctor said.

"What?" Rose asked as we all turned to him.

"They were just Pilot Fish," he said. The Doctor coughed and threw himself against the wall. I knelt down beside him, brushing some of his hair from his pained face. The Doctor panted as he said, "You woke me up too soon."

I nodded, "Ya. Sorry about that. But it was either that or we die."

The Doctor gave me a weak smile, "I'm still regenerating. I'm bursting with energy." More vortex energy escaped his mouth. "You see? 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 on me for a couple of year—" He lurched forward, groaning. Jackie gasped. "My head!" the Doctor said through gritted teeth. "I'm having a neuron implosion. I need—"

Jackie was frantic as she asked, "What do you need?"

"I need—"

"Say it, tell me, tell me—" Jackie interrupted.

"I need—"

"Painkillers?"

"I need—"

"Do you need aspirin?" she asked.

"I—"

"Codeine? Paracetamol? Oh, I dunno- Pepto-Bismol?"

"I need—"

"Liquid paraffin. Vitamin C? Vitamin D? Vitamin E?"

"I need—"

Jackie's voice was almost hysterical, "Is it food? Something simple? Uh- a bowl of soup? A nice bowl of soup? Soup and a sandwich? Soup and a little ham sandwich?"

The Doctor was finally done with her interrupting and said, "I need you to shut up."

Jackie looked slightly taken aback, "Oh, he hasn't changed that much, has he?"

The Doctor lurched forward again, leaning against the opposite wall. He panted as he said, "We haven't got much time. If there's Pilot Fish, then—" He pulled his hand out of his robe revealing an apple. "Why's there an apple in my dressing gown?"

"Oh, that's Howard, sorry," Jackie said.

"He keeps apples in his dressing gown?"

Jackie shrugged, "He gets hungry."

The Doctor looked down at the apple confused, "What, he gets hungry in his sleep?"

"Sometimes," Jackie said.

The Doctor suddenly shouted in pain and sank to the floor. I was by his side in a second. "Brain- collapsing—" He grabbed onto my upper arms tightly, staring into my eyes. I could tell that it hurt him to even speak. "P- the Pilot Fish. The Pilot Fish mean... that something- something—" He took deep breaths. "Something's coming." He then fell forward, into my lap, unconscious.

-x-x-x-

Again we carried the Doctor to his bed, thankfully this time all we had to do was take off the robe this time rather then all his clothes. I sat on the edge of the bed, wiping away the sweat that formed on the Doctor's brow. It hurt to see him in so much pain and know that it was my fault, again. I curled up beside him, lying my head against my chest listening to his hearts. Tears formed in my eyes when I only heard one beating, no matter how hard I listened. I wrapped my arms around him and cried into his chest. "I'm sorry. Doctor, I'm so sorry."

"Faline," someone said softly. I looked to the door to see Jackie standing there. "Rose and Mickey wanna talk to you."

I nodded and lifted myself from the bed. "Ya." I then left the room without a word, willing myself not to look back at the Doctor. I walked into the living room where Rose and Mickey were gathered around Mickey's laptop. I opened my mouth, ready to ask Mickey what he and Rose needed to speak to me about when I notice the television.

The reporter from earlier was speaking, "Scientists in charge of Britain's mission to Mars have re-established contact with the Guinevere One space probe. They're expecting the first transmission from the planet's surface in the next few minutes."

A man live from a press conference said, "Yes, we are. We're - we're back on schedule. We've received the signal from Guinevere One. The Mars landing would seem to be an unqualified success."

The man beside him asked, "But is it true that you completely lost contact earlier tonight?"

The first man nodded, "Yes, we had a bit of a scare. Guinevere seemed to fall off the scope, but it - it was just a blip. Only disappeared for a few seconds. She's fine now, absolutely fine. We - we're getting the first pictures transmitted live any minute now. I'd better get back to it, thanks."

I shook my head and turned my attention to Mickey and Rose, who too had been distracted by the television. "What do you two need?"

Mickey showed me his laptop, "Here we go, Pilot Fish." Rose came to stand beside me. "Scavengers, like the Doctor said. Harmless - they're tiny, but the point is, the little fish swim alongside the big fish."

Rose frowned slightly and asked, "Do you mean like sharks?"

"Great big sharks. So, what the Doctor means is, we had them... now we get that." Mickey clicked on a link. An animation of a shark snapped viciously at the screen, I flinched. I did not like sharks.

I sucked on my lip ring as Rose asked as I glanced to her, "How close?" As I turned my attention from Rose back to the laptop only to have the television catch my eye. It went from a white screen to a distorted image.

"There's no way of telling," Mickey said. "But the Pilot Fish don't swim far from their daddy."

"So it's close?" Rose asked.

Jackie came up behind me from the kitchen. She too noticed the television screen. "Funny sort of rocks," she said.

Rose and Mickey's heads both rose to see the screen. "Those aren't just rocks," I said softly. Well I wasn't actually sure if they were rocks in the first place. Rose walked closer to the television, moving like it was attack her through the screen.

The television reporter spoke over the image, "… coming live from the depths of space on Christmas morning." The image was then thrown into clarity. It revealed an alien. The alien roared viciously causing us all to jump.

Jackie then grabbed the remote and began flipping through all of the news channels. On BBC News one said, "The face of an alien life form was transmitted live tonight on BBC1."

Change to an American News station, "On the 25th of December, the human race has been shown absolute proof that alien life exists."

The channel then moved back to the first station, thankfully the image of the alien was gone. "These remarkable images have been relayed right across the world."

-x-x-x-

I had taken a little walk. I needed it, some time to think for a few minutes. There was coffee shop was only a block away from the Tyler residence, I had asked before I left. I ended up buying a French Vanilla coffee, something that I normally don't drink, before walking back home. When I came back everything was the same, Mickey typing away at his laptop, Rose alternating between watching him and the television. Jackie made everyone, but myself, tea and looked after the Doctor. I didn't want to return the room he was in. I couldn't bare to see him in so much pain so I curled up on the couch, staring absently at the wall. I only paid attention when I took a sip of my coffee.

"Faline," Mickey said. I turned to him as he sat beside me, Rose on the other side, to show me what he found on his laptop. "Take a look, I've got access to the military. They're tracking a spaceship. It's big, it's fast, and it's coming this way." He has up an image of a large space ship and its proximity to the earth. I could immediately tell it was from UNIT.

Rose frowned and asked, "Coming for what, though? The Doctor?"

Mickey shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe it's coming for all of us." An image of four of the aliens from before came onto the screen. They began to speak in an alien language, something that wasn't translating into English. Mickey turned to me and asked, "Have you seen them before?"

I shook my head, "No." I frowned, "I wish I knew what they were saying."

Rose turned to me confused, "You don't?"

"The TARDIS translates alien languages in my head. Makes everything they say and write into English. But since the Doctor isn't okay, then whatever connects me to the TARDIS is messed up." I looked away from them, staring at the wall again. I was quiet a moment before sighing and standing. I was going to see the Doctor.

I listened to the television as I walked. It was that American News station again, "Despite claims of an alien hoax, it's been reported that NATO forces are on red alert."

I stood at the doorway, seeing Jackie sitting beside the restless Doctor. I listened as she spoke to him, "Oh, come on, sweetheart. What do you need? What is it you need, tell me..." She then stood, probably to get more tea. She looked at me, surprised I was there for a moment before walking past.

I entered the room, my eyes solely on the Doctor. I placed my coffee on the end table and laid down beside the Doctor, placing my head on his chest. It hurt that the Doctor was in pain, but maybe listening to at least one of his hearts beating and his breathing would bring me some peace.

-x-x-x-

I woke up later to someone yelling outside. Slowly, I lifted myself from the bed and stared down at the Doctor for a moment. He looked less pained then before I fell to sleep. I placed my head back against his chest. His heartbeat was stronger, but still it was only two rather then the four thundering beats that I've grown used to. I heard yelling again and the door open and shut as someone left the apartment. I frowned, trying to remember exactly what had happened in this episode. All I could remember was the end, when the Doctor was better. It got me so angry that I couldn't remember. I pulled myself off the bed and made my way out of the apartment, nodding to Jackie who made her way to into the bedroom.

I made my way into the hall to already see Rose and Mickey standing with a woman by the balcony. My attention then shifted to the balcony railing where a man, presumably the woman's husband stood. He stared straight forward and made no movements other then subtle breathing. "What's going on?" I asked Rose and Mickey.

Rose turned to me and said, "I don't know. They're just standing there."

I walked to the balcony and looked over the edge at people just standing in the streets, looking straight ahead, just like the man on the balcony. I tilted myself out and looked upward only to see the tips of people's shoes. I nodded to myself, remembering this part and only because I remember the Doctor explaining it when he wakes up and presses a button without positively knowing what it would do. "It'll be alright," I told Rose, Mickey, and the woman who was paying attention to me rather then her husband.

"How do you know?" the woman asked. "He's standing on a ledge!"

I smirked, "But he wont jump. Not unless he actually wants to, and I highly doubt that. So, he'll be fine." I turned and began to walk back to the apartment. "Come on Rose, Mickey." The two followed me, probably because they were lost at what they were supposed to be doing and I seamed to have all the answers. That was sort of true, I did have answers but the truth to my answers wouldn't come until later. I walked inside the apartment, and made my way into the Doctor's room.

Rose and Mickey didn't follow me into the apartment like I thought they would. I didn't mind that though. I knew that they would be here eventually. My eyes wandered around the room before resting on the Doctor. It hurt knowing that it was my fault he was still in pain and that one of his hearts wasn't functioning properly. It was my fault that he regenerated in the first place… but it was in order to save his life. He would forgive me right? I hope he knows how terrible I feel about the whole thing. I kept myself by the door. I didn't want to sit down; I was too wired at the moment to want to sit down. The Doctor should be waking up soon; at least I believed he would. It was getting close to Christmas Day and I that's when most of the, for lack of a better word, fun will take place.

The front door opened and I turned slowly. Rose and Mickey went into the living room and quickly changed the channel. I walked into the living room to see the three of them, Jackie having come from the kitchen, standing in front of the television.

The channel was tuned into a station with Harriet Jones addressing the people. "I would ask you all to remain calm. But I have one request: Doctor. If you're out there... we need you." Jackie turned to look at Mickey and Rose and then turned to me. I didn't bother to look at her, knowing that I would burst into tears. "I don't know what to do. But if you can hear me, Doctor..." I sucked on my lip ring, turning away from the screen. "If anyone knows the Doctor, if anyone can find him... the situation has never been more desperate." I turned and walked into the Doctor's room. I could still hear Harriet speaking as I walked to the Doctor's bed. "Help us. Please, Doctor. Help us."

I sat on the edge of the bed and began running my hands through his hair. "Please, please wake up soon Theta." I ignored the fact that I was almost positive the Doctor could hear me right now. I ignored the fact that he would later ask me how I knew his childhood name and that I would easily answer 'Wikipedia'. It seamed to have all the answers, so it might as well be an answer.

Jackie entered the room. "Faline," she said softly. "Maybe he isn't coming back."

I gave the older woman a slight glare. "He's the Doctor. He is going to come back. Even if I have to put myself in harms way to make him wake his ass up, I will." Of course, that's what's going to happen anyway. I sighed and said, "But either way I want him back. I want Ten back."

Jackie didn't have a chance to say anything about me calling the Doctor 'Ten' because every window smashed. Glass showered the floor as the ground shook violently. I jumped to my feet and ran with Jackie outside the apartment building, crushing more broken glass. There were large groups of people doing the same, all staring at the sky. Above us a large spaceship floated, obscuring the sun. My eyes widened at seeing the spaceship. No matter how long I'm with the Doctor and no matter how much I know in advance, I cant get over the simplest things. Like, 'HOLY SHIT IT'S A GOD DAMN SPACESHIP!'.

I grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her into the apartment with me. Mickey followed like the good boyfriend he is, Jackie following moments after when she realized I was stealing her daughter. "Alright!" I said. "Mickey and Rose, you two are going to help me carry the Doctor to the TARDIS," I threw the blankets off the Doctor.

Rose, going along with me without even knowing my train of thought, turned to her mother and said, "Mum - get your stuff, and get some food."

"Why the TARDIS?" Mickey asked.

I grabbed the Doctor's sonic screwdriver and shoved it into my jacket pocket. "Because A) it's the safest place on Earth. B) the Doctor is connected to the TARDIS. And C) I know the future so do what I fucking say Mickey." I saw Jackie just standing there and said, "It's the safest place for all of you. You're one of only two connections I have to this Earth. I need to know that you three are safe. So please. Just do what your daughter said Jackie." The blonde nodded and left the room. I quickly placed myself behind the Doctor, sitting him upright. Mickey took his legs while Rose stood to the side for the moment, ready to join me when I needed it. I wasn't ashamed to admit I'm a wimp. Ok, maybe I am but she wasn't saying anything so lucky me. I locked my elbows under his arms and said, "One. Two. Three. Lift!" Mickey lifted the Doctor's legs while I lifted his arms and upper half.

Rose went to Mickey's side and grabbed the Doctor's left leg. I was alright with carrying the Doctor for the moment, but I could tell that if I told Rose to get over here and grab one of the Doctor's arms she would. We slowly, but surely made out way out of the apartment and then down the stairs. I could hear Jackie behind us and didn't have to look back to know she was having issues.

"Mum!" Rose yelled. "Will you just leave that stuff and give us a hand?"

"It's food!" Jackie retorted. "You said we need f—"

"Just leave it!" Rose growled.

Of course, Jackie didn't do as her daughter asked and continued to carry the bags. Rose was about to make it over to my side when we made it to the TARDIS to hold him while I opened the door. Only the doors opened by themselves, letting us in. We carried the Doctor inside and placed him on the floor beside the console. I knelt down beside him as Jackie closed the doors.

"No chance you could fly this thing?" Mickey asked.

I shook my head, "Not a chance."

"You flew it before…" Mickey started.

I looked up at him and said, "Not really. I just stood in my little spot and she flew herself. Besides, even if I could I wouldn't be aloud to remember. Unless the Doctor is the one to teach you, or you're a Time Lord, no one should be able to fly the TARDIS." Even though technically neither can the Doctor. "And don't suggest I try again. Without the Doctor to save me I would burn. Literally or figuratively I don't know. But I will die and if the Doctor were awake he would tell you the same."

"Ah," Mickey said. "Better not then."

Rose nodded, "Maybe not," she agreed.

"So, what do we do? Just sit here?" Mickey asked.

I bit my lip. "Not sure. I don't exactly remember what's going to happen until after the Doctor wakes up."

"You don't exactly remember?" Mickey asked.

I glared at him. "Mickey its not an exact science. Besides," I looked down at the Doctor brushing some of his floppy brown hair back. "He always shows up for Christmas, so this one and a few others are a little jumbled."

Jackie came over with a thermal flask, "Right, here we go. Nice cup of tea."

Rose rolled her eyes, "Hmm, the solution to everything..."

"Now, stop your moaning. I'll get the rest of the food." Jackie left the TARDIS.

Rose leaned against the console and looked down at the Doctor. I heard Mickey scoff saying, "Tea. Like we're having a picnic while the world comes to an end. Very British." I smirked but neither Rose nor I spoke. Mickey walked around the console, looking at the computer screen. "How does this thing work? It picks up TV, maybe we could see what's going on out there. Maybe we've surrendered." He pressed a few buttons. "What do you do to it?" he asked me.

I sighed and stood, moving from the Doctor to Mickey's side. "Don't know. The Doctor isn't one for television, even though he has it. I think he mostly has it just because he likes the choice." I pressed a few buttons trying to get the television to work on the computer screen. I will ignore how weird that sounds. Nothing happened for a few seconds until a beeping sound came from the console.

"What's that?" Rose asked.

I shrugged, "No idea."

"Maybe it's a distress signal," Mickey guessed.

Rose rolled her eyes, "Fat lot of good that's gonna do."

I snickered. Before returning to my place beside the Doctor. I placed his head on my lap, brushing back his hair. What's going to happen next? I truly didn't remember and it scared me that I didn't. What was I supposed to do? Was I supposed to do anything at all?

I looked up when I saw movement in the corner of my eyes. Rose was making her way towards the doors. "Where are you going?" I asked her.

"Going to check on my mum," she said.

I moved the Doctor's head from my lap and stood. "I'll help, knowing your mother she might try to take the whole kitchen."

Rose smiled at me as she opened the door. I exited the TARDIS first only to have a hand, or what I assume to be a hand, slammed over my mouth preventing me from screaming. Rose however was able to scream. As the aliens, from what I could quickly tell the ones from the television, pulled us from the TARDIS Mickey came running out. The alien holding me had released my mouth allowing me to yell at the awestruck boy. "Close the door!" Mickey quickly turned and slammed the door shut before the alien grabbed him.

The three of us were pulled from the TARDIS and then released while the aliens cheered. Harriet Jones, not looking any different from the last time I saw her, stumbled towards Rose and I. "Rose, Faline," she hugged the both of us. I don't know about Rose but I took great comfort from her warming embrace. "Rose! Faline! I've got you. My Lord. My precious girls. The Doctor... is he with you?"

Rose's voice shook, as she answered, "No. We're all on our own." I didn't both to say anything. The Doctor would be joining us soon, he just had to.

An alien, the leader I assumed, pointed to me and addressed me angrily. I didn't understand what he said. Harriet's companion, seeing as that's the only word that popped into my head, responded for him using some sort of device on his tablet to translate. ""The brown girl. She has the clever blue box. Therefore, she speaks for your planet.""

Harriet frowned and said, "But she can't."

I kept my eyes on the alien leader. "I can and I will. Someone has to act like the Doctor. Might as well be the one that knows him the best."

Harriet grabbed my arm saying, "They'll kill you."

I smirked, "Then I go out with a bang rather then a whimper." I took a few steps towards the alien leader. Oh fuck me, I have never felt so small in my life. Damn me and my inability to publicly speak. "I, umm… I address the …" I bit my lip, lost for their name.

"Sycorax," Harriet's helper supplied.

I nodded before beginning again, "I address the Sycorax. In … in order of the Shadow Proclamation, I … I demand that you," I took a shuddering breath. "I demand that you leave and never return to this planet." My voice began to die as the Sycorax Leader made its way to me. "This … This is in agreement with – with Time Agents, the Face of Bo, and …" I bit my lip thinking of any other of the 'good guys'. "And the Oncoming Storm."

There were a few seconds of stunned silence before all the Sycorax began to burst out laughing. The Sycorax Leader began to speak and Harriet's assistant translated, ""You are very, very funny."" The Sycorax Leader's voice grew darker. ""And now you're going to die.""

Harriet lunged forward, "Leave her alone!"

The Sycorax Leader continued to speak to me, circling like a vulture. ""Did you think you were clever with your stolen words?"" The Sycorax Leader raised his arms into the air, clearly passionate about whatever he was saying. ""We are the Sycorax. We astride the darkness."" I bit my lip with a whimper as he moved closer, hissing at me. ""Next to us you are but a wailing child. If you are the best your planet can offer as a champion...""

"Then your world will be gutted..." the Sycorax Leader said. … Wait WHAT?

""... then your world will be gutted..."" Harriet's helper continued.

"… and your people enslaved." The Sycorax Leader said. Hold shit, holy shit, holy shit!

""... and your people enslaved."" Harriet's helper looked up from his tablet. "Hold on, that's English.

Harriet frowned saying, "He's talking English."

Rose then addressed the Sycorax Leader, "You're talking English."

The Sycorax Leader growled, "I would never dirty my tongue with your primitive bile!"

I frowned, "But that's what we hear." I looked to the other humans. "Right?" They nodded. So if we heard English then that meant the TARDIS was working. And the TARDIS was conncected to the Doctor, so that meant-

The Sycorax Leader's anger grew, "I speak only Sycoraxic!"

I immediately turned towards the TARDIS not needing to work it out any further. Mickey, Rose, and Harriet followed my action. All joined me in staring at the Doctor, standing in the open doors while wearing his stripy pajamas and the robe. The Doctor, my Doctor, smiled and asked, "Did you miss me?" I smiled at him, so glad that he was finally awake. I turned when I heard the Sycorax Leader roar in fury. The Sycorax Leader lashed a whip at the Doctor, who caught then end and pulled it away before I had the chance to even gasp. The Doctor tossed the whip to the side. "You could have someone's eye out with that!" he said. The Sycorax Leader roared again and tried to attack the Doctor with his staff. The Doctor snatched it from him and snapped it over his knee before tossing the broken pieces to the floor. "You just can't get the staff. Now, you, just wait. I'm busy." The Doctor pointed at the Sycorax Leader warningly before going over to Rose and Mickey. "Rose! Mickey! Hello!" He then turned to Harriet. "And Harriet Jones MP for Flydale North! Blimey, it's like 'This Is Your Life'!" He then turned to mean, beaming. "Tea! That's all I needed! A good cup of tea! Superheated infusion of free radicals and tannin. Just the thing for healing the synapses..." I laughed. Of course it was tea, I guess I subconsciously remembered that because while I was drinking tea all I wanted was Monsters. The Doctor then became serious, lowering his tone. "Now... first thing's first... be honest. How do I look?"

I laughed even harder, "Didn't we go over this Ten?"

The Doctor smirked. "Yes, but you never told me." He paused and his voice grew deadly serious. "Am I… ginger?"

I didn't even look to his hair, though I know everyone else did. "No."

The Doctor turned away with a pout, "Aww, I wanted to be ginger. I've never been ginger." He turned back to me and pointed violently, "Why didn't you tell me that before—oh, that's rude. That's the sort of man I am now, am I? Rude." He pondered this for a moment. "Rude and not ginger."

I shrugged, "Kind of ya." He turned and smirked at me, which a returned.

Harriet then ruined our little moment the nicest way she could, "I'm sorry – who is this?"

"I'm the Doctor," he said turning to her.

I nodded, "He's the Doctor."

Harriet frowned, "But what happened to my Doctor? Or is it a title that's just passed on?"

"I'm him," the Doctor said walking towards her. "I'm literally him. Same man, new face - well, new everything."

Harriet's brow furrowed, "But you can't be."

"Harriet Jones. We were trapped in Downing Street, and the one thing that scared you wasn't the aliens... wasn't the war... it was the thought of your mother being on her own."

Harriet's jaw dropped. "Oh, my God."

The Doctor bent down slightly, seeing as he was still taller then her. "Did you win the election?"

Harriet smiled, rather pleased, "Landslide majority."

The Sycorax Leader then growled, "If I might interrupt!" We all spun to face him, it seamed we all forgot he was there. I know I did.

The Doctor smiled, "Yes! Sorry! Hello, big fella!"

"Who exactly are you?" the Sycorax Leader asked.

"Well," the Doctor said with a fixed grin. "That's the question."

"I demand to know who you are!" the Sycorax Leader growled angrily.

"I DON'T KNOW!" the Doctor said imitating the Sycorax Leader's voice before relaxing it. "See, there's the thing. I'm the Doctor, but beyond that, I- I just don't know. I literally do not know who I am. It's all untested." He walked around addressing us all. "Am I funny?" Kinda. "Am I sarcastic?" Kinda. He looked to me. "Sexy?" He winked like the cheeky bugger he is. I smiled and gave a slight nod. Fuck yes he's sexy! "Right old misery? Life and soul?" … Not sure about that. "Right-handed? Left-handed?" I'm pretty sure he's right-handed. "A gambler?" Not more then he already is. "A fighter?" He fights for what he believes and who he cares about. "A coward?" No. "A traitor?" To an extent, No. "A liar?" Only to protect those he cares about. "A nervous wreck?" Of course not. "I mean, judging by the evidence, I've certainly got a gob." I smirked, oh yes.

The Doctor turned, noticing a big button that I had overlooked. "And how am I gonna react when I see this?" He pointed to the button with an insane smile. Thank god it wasn't the same smile he used when he crash landed the TARDIS. "A great big threatening button." He ran up the stairs, laughing. "A Great Big Threatening Button Which Must Not Be Pressed Under Any Circumstances. Am I right? Let me guess, it's some sort of control matrix? Hmm? Hold on, what's feeding it?" He bent down and pulled open a small door in order to access the controls underneath the button. "And what've we got here? Blood?" He placed his finger inside, and pulled it out. The tip was covered in a smear of blood before he placed it in his mouth. I rolled my eyes, and his strange need to taste things begins. "Yeah, definitely. Blood. Human blood. A Positive. With just a dash of iron." Wow, thank god I'm O Positive. He wagged his tongue around at the taste. Ha, that's what you get for tasting strange things. He wiped his finger on the robe. "Ahh. But that means... blood control—" He smiled, clearly delighted. "Blood control! Oh! I haven't seen blood control for years! You're controlling all the A Positives!" The Sycorax Leader's grimace faltered slightly. I suppose he realized that while I had been talking out my ass, the Doctor wasn't. "Which leaves us with a great big stinking problem. 'Cos... I really don't know who I am. I don't know when to stop. So if I see a Great Big Threatening Button Which Should Never Ever Be Pressed... then I just wanna do this." He whacked the button hard while smirking at me.

I heard Rose and Harriet cry out, "No!" But there really was no need. Everyone that was effected was perfectly safe, that's why I was pretty uninterested with the whole thing.

"You killed them!" Harriet's assistant cried. I really need to learn this guys name.

The Doctor turned to the Sycorax Leader, "What do you think, big fella? Are they dead?"

"We allow them to live," he growled.

"Allow?" the Doctor asked. "You've no choice! I mean, that's all blood control is. Cheap bit of voodoo. Scares the pants off you, but that's as far as it goes. It's like hypnosis - you can hypnotise someone to walk like a chicken or sing like Elvis, you can't hypnotise them to death. Survival instinct's too strong."

"Blood control was just one form of conquest," the Sycorax Leader said. "I can summon the armada and take this world by force."

The Doctor gave a slight nod, "Well, yeah, you could, yeah, you could do that - of course you could. But why? Look at these people." He gestured to us humans, speaking passionately. "These human beings. Consider their potential. From the day they arrive on the planet and blinking step into the sun. There is more to see than can ever be seen. More to do than- no, hold on..." He paused thinking, "Sorry, that's 'The Lion King'. But the point still stands. Leave them alone!"

"Or what?" the Sycorax Leader asked.

"Or…" the Doctor grabbed a sword from one of the Sycorax guarding myself and the others. He ran down the steps to the empty floor space in front of the TARDIS and rose the sword into the air. "I challenge you." The Sycorax Leader and the other Sycorax burst out laughing again. "Oh, that struck a chord. Am I right that the sanctified rules of combat still apply?"

The Sycorax Leader came down the steps, unsheathing his sword. "You stand as this world's champion."

The Doctor shrugged off his robe, "Thank you. I've no idea who I am, but you just summed me up." He tossed the robe to me. "So - you accept my challenge? Or are you just a cranak pel casacree salvak?"

The Sycorax Leader hissed at the apparent slur. They both knelt by their swords. "For the planet?"

The Doctor nodded, "For the planet."

The two stood up and faced each other, holding their swords at the ready. They ran at eachother and began to fight. After a few seconds, the Doctor was thrown aside. The Sycorax Leader laughed. The Doctor straightened himself up and they began to fight again. The Sycorax Leader swung his sword at the Doctor.

"Look out!" Rose called.

"Doctor!" I screamed. My heart thundered in my chest.

The Doctor rolled his eyes and said sarcastically, "Oh, yeah, that helped. Wouldn't have thought of that otherwise, thanks." They began to fight again. I held my hands to my chest, breathing heavily. Things can change, I know that. But please… for the love of all that is holy. Please keep everything the same. And I mean everything. The Doctor led the fight to up a flight of stairs. "Bit of fresh air?" He hit a button and the doors opened, leading to a platform on the outside of the spaceship. The platform.

As they went up they continued their fight. I was the first to rush up the stairs after them, followed by all the other humans and a few of the Sycorax. The two continued to fight. The Sycorax Leader managed to catch the Doctor slightly on the nose. He groaned and I jolted forward. The Doctor rose his hand to stop me. "Stay back! Invalidate the challenge and he wins the planet."

I gave him a glare, "Then don't fucking get hit Ten!" By my using 'Ten' he knew that I wasn't angry, just scared.

The Doctor gave a slight nod as he wiped his nose. He and the Sycorax Leader ran towards each other, clashing swords. They both grimaced with the effort. The Doctor was knocked backwards to the ground. I grabbed onto Mickey, trying to keep myself from bolting forward. Taking advantage, the Sycorax Leader slashed at the Doctor's wrist, succeeding in chopping his hand off up to the elbow. Said appendage fell off the side of the spaceship, sword and all. The Doctor watched it drop and looked back at the Sycorax Leader. He looked rather stunned and annoyed. "You cut my hand off."

The Sycorax Leader, smiled I guess, and said, "YAH! Sycorax!"

The Doctor got to his feet. "And now I know what sort of man I am. I'm lucky. 'Cos quite by chance... I'm still within the first fifteen hours of my regeneration cycle. Which means I've got just enough residual cellular energy... to do this." He held up his stump of an arm, and before all of our eyes, it grew back. That's so gross.

"Witchcraft," the Sycorax Leader growled.

I smirked and said with the Doctor, "Time Lord."

I then turned and took one of the swords from the waist of another Sycorax and yelled, "Ten!" The Doctor turned and I tossed him the sword. I smirked, only to have it wiped from my face when a Sycorax backhanded me. I felt my lip split, thankfully that didn't effect my lip ring. All the humans and and the Doctor protested loudly.

"Faline," the Doctor said. "You alright?"

I nodded, "Ya." I wiped away the blood on my lip. "Why is it that this universe just plain hates me?" I grumbled to myself thinking back to all of the times I got hurt. Thankfully none of them were life threatening. Well, too life threatening.

The Doctor turned and glared at the Sycorax Leader. "Wanna know the best bit? This new hand…" he switched to a Texan accent. "It's a fightin' hand!" The Doctor ran at the Sycorax Leader and the fight commenced once more. They clashed swords for a few more moments. The Doctor then jabbed him hard in the stomach with the handle of the sword. We all winced as the Sycorax Leader groaned. The Doctor repeats this action twice more, causing the Sycorax Leader to fall to the ground. The Doctor pointed his sword at his throat. "I win."

The Sycorax Leader spoke with great difficulty, "Then kill me."

"I'll spare your life if you'll take this champion's command: leave this planet, and never return. What do you say?" I smiled. One thing about the Doctor that would never change. Everyone gets a chance, even a Dalek.

"Yes," the Sycorax Leader agreed.

The Doctor jabbed the sword closer, "Swear on the blood of your species."

The Sycorax Leader breathed out heavily, "I swear."

The Doctor gave a slight smile, "There we are, then! Thanks for that! Cheers, big fella!" The Doctor stabbed the sword into the ground.

Harriet clapped, "Bravo!"

I rushed towards the Doctor, "You are amazing!"

He jabs the sword into the ground. "Yeah! Not bad for a man in his jim-jams! Very Arthur Dent. Now, there was a nice man."

I grabbed his face and kissed him quickly on the lips before turning bright red and pulling away. "Sorry," I said quickly.

The Doctor smirked and gave me a quick kiss. It probably would have been deeper and longer but my lip was still split. He pulled back and brought his hand to my face, thumb rubbing at my lip. "Are you okay?" he asked. Clearly he didn't see earlier that the Sycorax had split my lip.

"Ten," I said with the best smile I could manage. "I'm fine. Promise." I then helped him into the robe, feeling the chill even through my hoddie.

"Good," he said. "Can't have you less then perfect as usual." He smiled at me, which I returned. I didn't bother telling him that I was nowhere near perfect. I didn't want to argue with him. A slight frown came across his face. "Hold on, what have I got in here?" The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out some sort of fruit. "A satsuma." He turned to Rose. "Ah, that friend of your mothers - he does like his snacks doesn't he? But doesn't that just sum up Christmas?" We all made our way to the door, the Doctor grabbing my hand with his own. He threw the Satsuma into the air and caught it again. "You go through all those presents and right at the end, tucked away at the bottom, there's always one stupid old satsuma. Who wants a satsuma?" I turned when I heard the Sycorax Leader roar. He was ready to charge when the ground beneath him vanished. I flinched when I heard him fall to the Earth, screaming. I turned to the Doctor to see that the smile had faded from his face. "No second chances. I'm that sort of a man." He tightened his grip on my hand and we continued our way down to the other Sycorax.

The Doctor led us all to the TARDIS before releasing my hand and turning to address the remaining Sycorax. "By the ancient rites of combat, I forbid you to scavenge here for the rest of time. And when go you back to the stars and tell others of this planet... when you tell them of its riches - its people - its potential. When you talk of the Earth, then make sure that you tell them this: It - is - defended." We were all surrounded by some sort of light and were teleported away only to rematerialize back on Earth.

Rose looked around confused, "Where are we?"

"We're just off Bloxom Road," Mickey said. "We're just round the corner, we did it!" He laughed and jumped up and down in glee.

The Doctor held up his hand in a 'wait' gesture. We could hear and almost feel the rumble of the spaceship's engines. "Wait a minute... wait a minute..." The ship then took flight, back into the skies. The Doctor grinned.

"Go on, my son! Oh, yeah!" Mickey cried.

Rose jumped onto Mickey's back, "Yeah! Don't come back!"

"It is defended!" Mickey said repeating the Doctor.

I turned from them to watch the Doctor and Harriet face each other. Harriet rose her arms, grinning. "My Doctor."

The Doctor smiled, "Prime Minister."

They hugged happily. "Absolutely the same man," she said. The two pulled apart to look up at the sky. "Are there many more out there?"

"Oh, not just Sycorax. Hundreds of species. Thousands of them. And the human race is drawing attention to itself. Every day you're sending out probes and messages and signals - this planet's so noisy. You're getting noticed... more and more." The Doctor turned to her. "You'd better get used to it."

"Rose!" Jackie called as she ran down the street.

"Mum!" Rose ran to meet her mother.

The Doctor playfully rolled his eyes and said, "Oh! Talking of trouble...!"

Rose and Jackie hugged. "Oh, my God! You did it, Rose! Oh!"

Rose turned to the Doctor and while saying to her mother, "You did it too! It was the tea! Fixed his head!"

The Doctor nodded with a smile, "That was all I needed - cup o' tea."

Jackie smiled, "I said so!"

"Look at him!" Rose said smiling happily. Clearly she now believed one hundred percent that this man, this extraordinary man, was the Doctor.

"Is it him, though?" Jackie asked. "Is it really the Doctor?" She turned slightly and noticed Harriet Jones standing there. "Oh, my God! It's the bleeding Prime Minister!"

The Doctor held his arms out to Jackie and said, "Comer here, you." Jackie came rushing over and hugging him. Rose and Mickey joined in. But I didn't bother doing so. I was a hugger, but at the same time I wasn't. At this moment I wasn't much of a hugger.

They all pulled away and Jackie said, "Aww...! Are you better?"

The Doctor nodded, "I am, yeah!"

Jackie then turned to me, "Faline!" She quickly hugged me and I let her. "Your alright too?"

I nodded with a smile, "Yes. I'm fine Jackie."

Jackie kissed my forehead in a motherly fashion. "Good." She then turned to Rose, "You left me!"

"I'm sorry!" Rose said with a smile.

"I had all the food!" Jackie complained.

The Doctor turned and gave Harriet a smile while wrapping an arm around my shoulder. I smiled at him as he beamed down at me. Our moment however was broken when we jumped as a beam of green light shot loudly up from the ground nearby. The same green light beamed up from another four pints, and the five points met in the middle. The energy shot up into space and hit the spaceship, destroying it.

"What is that?" Rose gasped. "What's happening?"

I breathed heavily as I turned my wide eyes from the explosion to Harriet. The Doctor followed my line of sight and placed it together. He began to walk towards her. "That was murder," he growled.

"That was defence," Harriet said. "It's adapted from alien technology. A ship that fell to Earth ten years ago."

"But they were leaving," the Doctor said.

"You said yourself, Doctor. They'd go back to the stars and tell others about the Earth. I'm sorry, Doctor, but you're not here all the time. You come and go. It happened today - Mr Llewellyn and the Major. They were murdered. They died right in front of me while you were sleeping. In which case - we have to defend ourselves."

I made my way towards her angrily. The Doctor had to grab hold of my waist to keep me from going forward and hitting her. "You're an idiot!" I growled. "No matter what you do they will always come. You just told them that they can never come in peace! That humans will treat them like trash and get rid of them. You may have just gotten rid of this planet's only chance at survival!"

"Britain's Golden Age," the Doctor said disdainfully. He kept holding me, even as I stopped fighting against him to get to her.

"It comes with a price," Harriet said.

"I gave them the wrong warning. I should've told them to run - as fast as they can, run and hide because the monsters are coming: the human race."

"Those are the people I represent," Harriet said. "I did it on their behalf."

"Then I should've stopped you," he said.

Harriet gave him a glare, "What does that make you, Doctor? Another alien threat?"

The Doctor let me go and stepped towards her angrily, "Don't challenge me, Harriet Jones. 'Cos I'm a completely new man. I could bring down your Government with a single word."

"You're the most remarkable man I've ever met," Harriet said. "But I don't think you're quite capable of that."

The Doctor nodded, "No, you're right. Not a single word." He looked down at her silently for a few seconds. "Just six."

Harriet shook her head, "I don't think so."

"Six words," the Doctor said.

"Stop it," Harriet growled.

"Six," the Doctor said. They stared at one another for a few seconds before the Doctor walked around her, approaching her assistant. He took off the assistant's earpiece and spoke to him, quietly enough that Harriet couldn't hear. Neither could I, but I knew what he said. 'Don't you think she looks tired?' The Doctor then walked off, leaving the assistant rather confused and Harriet just plain alarmed. The Doctor grabbed my hand and we walked to Rose, Jackie, and Mickey. All five of us walked down the street.

We could hear as she called after the Doctor, "Doctor! Doctor, what did you- what was- what did he say? What did you say, Doctor? Doctor?" The Doctor completely ignored her as did we.

-x-x-x-

The Doctor ruffled around the wardrobe looking for the perfect outfit to wear. Something that suits him well. Well, at least that's what I knew he was doing. I was in my room, making an urgent phone call. I used speed dial to contact him. He picked up after the second ring, "What?" he asked. I could hear the fear in his voice. "What's wrong? Did something happen? Are you hurt? Faline, please tell me. Are you hurt?"

I shook my head even though I knew he couldn't see me. "Were you a part of it?" I asked.

"What?" he asked confused. "Part of what Faline?"

"The beams!" I growled, anger and sorrow coming in the form of tears. "Did you take part in setting the beams off?"

"No," he said. "I swear. I had nothing to do with that. They were leaving Faline. I tried to convince them not to. It had nothing to do with me, I swear." I sat down on my bed, relieved that CJH had nothing to do with it. "Faline, are you still there?"

"Ya," my voice cracked. "I'm still here."

"And your alright?" he asked. "Rose, Jackie, Mickey, the Doctor. They're all alright?"

I nodded, "Yes. Everyone is fine. But I should tell you."

"Tell me what?" he asked.

"There's a hand that fell from the spaceship. It's the Doctor's." I quickly added, "He's just fine. New hand grew in its place, but that's besides the point. In the next hour or so, go find it. Or send one of your team members after it now. We don't need for the Doctor to see you just yet. But you'll need it later on. Heck, so will the Doctor. So you find it and take care of it, alright?"

I could practically see him nod. "Of course. I'll send Owen and Suzie to retrieve it right now."

"Good, just don't let Owen try to operate on it or anything, okay?"

He chuckled. "Alright." He paused. "You take care of yourself Kitten, okay?"

"I promise," I said. I looked up as the door to my room opened showing the Doctor. He wore a dark brown pinstripe suit, a long lighter brown trench coat, and a pair of black converse. "I have to go. Bye."

"Bye, Kitten," he said before hanging up.

I hung up my phone and stood. "Hey," I said. The Doctor looked at me with a straight face. "What?" I asked tilting my head.

"I remember most of what happened when I was asleep," the Doctor told me. "You hardly ever left my side." I nodded. I wasn't ashamed of that. The Doctor needed someone; a rare occasion, and I wanted to be there for him. "And you called me something. Something that no one knows about."

I nodded, "Theta." I said simply. "You know for the longest time I thought that was your real name? But then I looked it up, its just a name from your school days. Isn't it?"

The Doctor nodded, "Yes. I haven't heard that name in so long. I guess I just wasn't expecting you to know it."

I nodded. "I'm actually surprised I remembered it. But I guess it's the closest thing anyone has ever gotten to a name for you. I mean your called the Doctor. But that isn't your birth name, rather the name you gave yourself." I smiled at him, "Your name is one of the worlds best kept secrets. In both worlds." I paused. "I wont call you that if you don't want me to. I was just worried… I didn't want you not to wake up."

The Doctor shook his head, "It's fine. I don't mind."

I nodded. "Okay." I took his hand and pulled him out of my room and to the console room. "Let's go to the Tyler home for the rest of Christmas. Be a bit normal."

The Doctor nodded with a slight laugh, "Alright."

-x-x-x-

We entered the Tyler apartment. The Doctor shut the door behind us and I released his hand, immediately going to help Jackie in the kitchen. Jackie smiled at me giving me a hug. "Anything I can help with?" I asked.

Jackie shook her head. "No, you just go with Rose and the Doctor." The older Tyler then shooed me out of the kitchen.

I sat down on the couch with a pout. Rose looked at me and smirked, "She shoo you out too?"

I nodded, "Yes." I looked down with a pout but something caught my eye. It was something that looked very similar to a large Tootsie Roll, only Christmas themed. "What's that?" I nodded to it.

Rose frowned, "You've never seen a Christmas Cracker?"

My eyes widened. "Christmas Cracker? No way." No fucking way! I've never used a Christmas Cracker before. I knew what you did of course. Two people pull on it, and the winner gets to keep the prize.

Rose nodded. "Ya," she picked it up and handed it to me. "You against the Doctor."

"Ten," I said jumping up excitedly, I grabbed his arm and pulled him to sit beside me. I wanna play really badly. "Come on." I held the Christmas Cracker out to him. The Doctor smiled and took the other end of the Christmas Cracker. We pulled. The Christmas Cracker went off causing me to scream slightly. I smiled and laughed. The Doctor won, but I didn't care. That was so much fun! I'm so doing this every Christmas. The Doctor placed the blue paper hat on my head. I frowned, "No, you won."

The Doctor gave me a smile, "And you get the prize." He kissed me softly just as Rose and Mickey set off a Cracker. I jumped and then laughed at the silliness of my jumping.

Rose, having won, pulled the yellow hat onto her head. She then turned to the television. "Look, it's Harriet Jones!" We all turned to the television, the Doctor taking a pair of glasses from his pocket.

"Prime Minister, is it true you are no longer fit to be in position?" the announcer asked.

Harriet frowned, "No. Now, can we talk about other things?"

The Doctor pulled on the thick rimmed geeky, but sexy, glasses. He looked sternly at the screen. The announcer then asked, "Is it true you're unfit for office?"

"Look," Harriet said. "There is nothing wrong with my health! I don't know where these stories are coming from! And a vote of no confidence... is completely unjustified."

The phone ran and Jackie hurried into the kitchen to answer it. "Are you going to resign?"

Harriet, clearly confused and frustrated, said, "On today of all days, I'm fine. Look at me, I'm fine. I look fine, I feel fine."

Jackie came over after ending her call, "It's Beth. She says go and look outside." The Doctor took off his glasses and turned to the others.

"Why?" Rose asked.

Jackie shrugged. "I dunno, just go outside and look. Come on, shift!" We all got up and made out way outside. As the Doctor and I went under the threshold at the same time Jackie called, "Stop." The two of us froze, confused. Jackie pointed up. "Mistletoe."

The Doctor and I looked up. True to her word, there was mistletoe above us. As I went to look back at the Doctor, his lips descended against mine. He kissed me, quiet similar to my first kiss with him as the Tenth Doctor. When he pulled away I looked at him, blushing. The Doctor smirked and grabbed my hand, pulling me past the stunned Jackie out to meet Rose and Mickey outside.

They weren't the old ones we saw outside in the snow. I frowned, snow? Rose and Mickey laughed in delight as it looked like meteors shooting across the sky. The Doctor and I stood together as Jackie joined them. "That's not snow is it?" I asked.

The Doctor shook his head, "No. Its ash. And those aren't meteors; they're the spaceship breaking up in the atmosphere." The Doctor looked around, "This is a brand new planet Earth. No denying the existence of aliens now - everyone saw it. Everything's new."

I turned to the Doctor, "What's next for you?"

"Us," the Doctor quickly corrected.

"Us?" I said, making sure.

"Unless you don't want to come," he said.

I nodded quickly. "I do!" I almost shouted. "I was… I was just worried that you wouldn't want me around. What with …" I blushed. I couldn't tell him I was worried he wouldn't want me around because he practically knows that I love him.

"Stay," he said. "With me."

I smiled weakly, "Okay."

"Your leaving again?" Rose asked.

I turned to her, nodding. "You know why Rose."

The blonde smiled, "I do. I just hoped you might stay."

Jackie then said, "Well, I reckon you're mad. The pair of you. It's like you go looking for trouble."

The Doctor rushed towards her, "Trouble's just the bits in-between," he put his arm around her, looking up at the sky. "It's all waiting out there, Jackie. It's brand new to me." I smiled. "All those planets... creatures and horizons... I haven't seem them yet! Not with these eyes..." The Doctor came and stood beside me. "And it is gonna be... fantastic."

I smiled at the use of his old catchphrase and he grinned back. He held his hand out to me. I looked at it for a moment. "So weird," I said. The Doctor grinned and wiggled his fingers persistently. I took his hand. "Where to first?" I asked as we walked away from Rose, Mickey, and Jackie. The three of them waved and went back inside.

"Um... that way," the Doctor pointed deliberately at a point in the night sky. "No, hold on... that way." He pointed a smidgen to the right of his first point.

I pointed in the same direction, "That way?"

The Doctor looked down at me, "Hmm?"

I nodded, "That way." The Doctor and I smiled at each other for a few seconds before I leaned up and kissed him. The Doctor returned the kissed immediately. I took my hand from his and wrapped my arms around his neck shyly. However, his arms moving around my waist made me feel a whole lot less shy. I have to say, this is the best Christmas EVER!

END