Disclaimer: Nothing related to Doctor Who or the Harry Potter Series is mine. I swear. I wish I owned them, cuz then I might have a bit more money, but I don't.

Warnings: Book Two of Three (Main books anyway). Swearing. Sarcasm. I have only watched the new series, minimal knowledge of early Doctor Who. EWE, kind of...

Dedication: To the Writers and Producers of Doctor Who, thank you for giving me something else to obsess over, now that Harry Potter is long gone. And to the lovely people who encourage me to continue writing in their reviews. To the lovely people who encouraged me to post the next chunk. To my lovely reviewers, thank you for everything you've said.

Book 2: Stories of A Shop Girl

Summary: A Death too soon. A woman who steps up to save the world.

Rating: Dark T

Genre: Adventure/Drama

A/N: Well, this story is coming to a close (by which I mean I've still got like 10 more chapters to write). And the third book should be up eventually (and should be up faster than this one came out). Which means I've got a poll up on my profile as to the few stories that are bouncing around my head. Let me know which one you'd like to see and vote!

A/N 2: I may have disappeared briefly. It's all wibbley-wobbley-timey-whimey. But sufficed to say, I'm going to try and keep some form of a schedule until all the chapters for this book are posted. I'm working on 23 and 32 at the same time. Long story. But sufficed to say, it is getting written. Thank you to all the reviewers and people who have alerted the story, and people who've favourited the story. If I listed all of you, it would triple the word count, and really mislead you guys. So I leave you with a heartfelt thank you. Each review made my day.

A/N 3: I also shamelessly stole the second half of the plot for this 'episode' from Torchwood.

Part 3: Count Them

Chapter 22: Out of Time

The aftermath of the visit of Barty Crouch left most of London flabbergasted. Some had been 'turned' into gold, and others had been attempting to save the rest by capturing my family. On top of the confusion about the gold statues, there also was the lack of president of Great Britain. I kept an eye out for anything relating to the Arch-Angel Network, or Harold Saxon, but found nothing. The next president was elected without a hitch and had nothing to do with The Master.

Rather than continue to stay in the eyes of the public for the rest of the time I would be in the universe, I got permission from Pete to have a second Torchwood base in Cardiff, nicknamed the Hub. It was were Mickey, Jack, Malcolm, Jake and I set up base for the testing of the newly rechristened 'Dimension Cannon Project'.

Life continued on. We all worked on the Cannon any time we weren't monitoring the newly 'found' rift above us or chasing down alien invaders. We still completed paperwork. I still sorted through alien technology, and Jack still hit on anything in sight.

Pete and Jackie were close to expecting their child, and I spent my weekends bouncing between Wales and London, keeping an eye on Jackie. I decided against telling her about Rose, and the reason behind her death. For one, it would be too painful, and another, I don't think I could actually say it aloud.

Instead, I focused on using the dimension cannon to get out of her hair. And it was what I was working on when I got the frantic phone call once Jackie hit her due date.

I was the only one in the Hub when Jackie called, whaling that the child was finally coming, and she was stuck in the mansion. According to Jackie, Pete was out travelling in a blimp and wouldn't be back for a day at best, leaving me all alone to help her.

"The baby's coming!" Jackie screamed over the phone.

My team was out chasing down who knows what. So I was left with only one option. "Don't worry Jackie, I'll be there in a minute."

After hanging up, I quickly dialled Mickey's number, leaving a message about what was happening. I ran out of the Hub, and apparated away.

Landing on my feet in London, I ran to the door at the Tyler Manor, opening it wide. Jackie, it seemed, had calmed down enough to not be freaking out. I collected her maternity things while she called one of the drivers.

The ride went quickly and we pulled into the Royal Hope Hospital in no time at all. There was a flashing light going off in my head at the name, but I ignored it, focusing on Jackie. Jackie got moved into a room, and then we waited.

The room was nice and spacious, which I'd guess was because we were something of celebrities. There was a rather large window that looked out to the rest of London.

Between contractions, we discussed how life was going before settling into playing a game of poker. When Mickey arrived, almost out of breath, he found us in the middle of a game, and joined in, Jake and Jack following behind. I pulled Jack aside and whispered,

"There's something that's bothering me about this hospital." I comment, glancing at him. He frowns, before shrugging.

Jack brightened for a moment, "I noticed plasma coils around the hospital, but thought nothing of it. Does that help?" He offered.

I frowned thinking. "There's just something bothering me about all this. It feels like déja vu." Jack shrugged before joining the poker game again.

I spent a moment or two racking my brains for why this felt familiar, before getting interrupted from my thoughts by my cell phone ringing. I answer it as per normal, "Tyler."

"Ria, it's Pete."

"Pete, thank god!" I sigh, catching Jackie's attention.

She growls, "Tell him if he doesn't hurry up through this rain, he's gonna miss the birth!"

I start to relay the message, but Pete interrupts me, "I heard her. It's not raining out here though. And we can see London."

I frown, walking towards the window. "It's raining here." And that's when it hits me. "Pete, I'm going to have to call you back. I need to go save the hospital." I hang up before he has a chance to say anything.

Jackie's looking at me, angry, "What do you mean you have to go save the hospital. We're fine."

I give her an encouraging smile, before grabbing Jack and Jake by the arm and dragging them outside the room. Mickey follows us, frowning, "You're not leaving me here with her, right?"

I give him an apologetic smile. "Someone needs to keep her from freaking out. Jack'll just flirt with her, and Jake doesn't know the in's and out's of Jackie like you do Mickey."

"But-"

"I'll owe you one. And we should be quick. We wanna try and keep the hospital off the moon." I comment shoving Mickey back into the room and closing the door.

"The moon?" Jake asked, frowning.

I nod, and begin walking towards the nurse's station. "We should be going up via an H20 scoop any minute now."

Thunder goes off in the distance, and I lean against one of the walls for stability, as I know what happens next. Jack immediately follows, but Jake isn't nearly as lucky. We all get thrown around the hall for a good minute, before everything settles. And then the screaming starts.

"I take it we've landed?" Jack asked.

I give him a tight smile before frowning. "Jack, Jake, go head off the Judoon. Give them hell for interfering with Earth, and attempt to keep everyone calm, while I go search for the correct nonhuman. If the Judoon come through like they're bound to, they could easily scare off any and all legal aliens we've got, and ruin any treaties."

The two nod, before Jake asks, "And what are you going to do?"

I swallowed, "I'm going to find a medical student." They frown, but turn and go where I commanded them to anyway.

I walk to the nurse's station, telling her to pass along the word that Torchwood was here, and that we would be getting everyone settled. I also asked her which way to the student's office.

I take a few turns, following the man's instructions, before arriving right in front of the females ward. I see two doctors duck in, and remember that would probably be where Martha would end up.

I hear a scream, and burst through the door. One of the women that ran into the room had screamed at the view, and all but fainted on the floor. The other woman was just about to open a window, when the first attempted to convince her not to.

"They're not exactly air tight. If the air was gonna get sucked out, it would have happened straight away, but it didn't, so how come?" She reasoned.

I swallow, a wave of homesickness coming over me, "Good question." The two turn and look at me, before frowning. "What's your name?"

"Jones." She responded. I nod, before she continues, "Martha Jones, Miss Tyler."

"Call me Ria." I said, glancing at the windows, before frowning. "Ms. Jones, I'm going to need your help."

She frowned. "What with?"

"Well, let's walk and talk."

"So what you're saying is that there's an alien race come here, looking for one of the patients." I nod, before my cell phone goes off.

"Tyler."

"Boss, they're looking for a plasmavore. I've detained them enough, and convinced them to give us temporary oxygen, but only for an extra hour. If we don't produce the plasmavore by then, the whole place is going to get executed for harbouring a fugitive." Jack says, and I pale.

"Understood Harkness. Give me forty five minutes."

He hangs up, and I turn to Martha. "I need to see your records."

"What for?" She asked.

I give her a look, "Show me your records, and I'll explain on the way."

She walks me to a small office, and I open the records, grinning. One less worry; the records were intact. "One of the patients is a fugitive. I know exactly what symptoms they would be showing, and therefore need to have access to the records, to find them."

"What happens when the forty five minutes are up?" Martha asks.

I swallow. "Well, the Judoon execute everyone here, as well as all of Earth for hiding a fugitive."

"Isn't that a little excessive?"

I sigh, "Not to the Judoon it isn't."

I locate the woman quickly, "Ms. Finnegan."

"I saw her headed into Mr Stoker's office." Martha said, concerned.

I frown, getting her to lead the way. I give Jack and Jake directions, and they meet us outside the room.

We manage to shoot the slabs before either of them can get us. Martha, of all people, wrestles down the plasmavore, bringing it out to the Judoon. Jake gets to help out Mr Stoker, who'd lost a bit of blood. But he was in a hospital, so there was no permanent harm done.

The Judoon returned the hospital, and left the four of us meeting in front of Jackie's room.

"That worked well." Jack said, grinning. He spots Martha, seemingly for the first time, and smiles, oh, how he always does. "Jack Harkness, and you are?"

"Harkness?"

"Yeah, boss." He responded, cringing.

"Check on Jackie." He nods, and Jake follows obediently behind him.

All that was left was Martha and I. "You alright?" I ask her, noticing she was shaking a little bit.

"I think it's the adrenaline." I nod, pretending to know what that feels like. I doubt I'd come down from the adrenaline rush since I was eleven.

I give her a smile. "Easy peasy."

"Right. I suppose you get aliens threatening Earth every day in your job?" She asked.

I laugh, "Only on the interesting days." I pause, the thought racing back into my head for the fifth time that day. "You know, we could always use a doctor. Jack gets shot often enough."

"Are you- are you offering me a job?"

I grin. "Yeah. We deal with a lot of stuff, and sometimes we need a medic, or a doctor."

"I dunno. I mean, I wasn't much use to you today, was I?"

We both grip the door knobs closest, as we arrive back on Earth the same way we came up. "You kept a level head. We turned up on the moon, of all places, and you just blinked and asked the proper questions. Nothing like, 'how'd we get to the moon?' or anything like that."

"I- I…"

I smile, "You don't have to answer right now. Here." I hand her a card with the number from the Hub, "Call that with your answer, when you'd like."

"I haven't even done finished my rotation. And you're offering me a job."

I flash her one last smile, "Just think about it." Before walking into Jackie's waiting room.

On to a new challenge, delivering a baby.

Pete arrived just in time for Jackie to have to start pushing. Between her yells, we debriefed, earning the strangest debriefing of the month.

It took almost two more hours, but finally Anthony Johnathan Tyler made his way into the world, screaming. Apparently time on the moon didn't agree with him.

It took Martha two weeks to respond, and she did so by arriving in Cardiff, bags in tow. "You couldn't stay away." I grinned.

"It's just…" Martha began, frowning, "Everything looked so different. And I realized, you changed me enough. I just wasn't able to connect with patients, and I was looking for something more."

I nod, smiling at her, "This life, it draws you in. Makes you want it. Makes you wonder what it would be like, constantly."

"I don't think I could have dealt with wondering 'what if' the rest of my life."

I smile, "We can push your residency through if you like. Make you a full-fledged doctor. You'll get enough experience out in the field."

She nods, looking dazed, and I grin, inviting her into the building.

"Welcome, Martha Jones, to Torchwood."

The first call Martha actually came out on happened almost a month later. During that month, she'd been introduced to Mickey, Jake, Jack and Malcolm, who'd joined the team a few weeks prior to her start.

Malcolm had begun working on figuring out the rift that the Hub was sitting under, and made a big enough break through, that we could measure when things were coming through the rift.

Which is how we came to be on a landing strip, just outside of Cardiff, waiting for a plane to land.

"Would those be aliens?" Martha asked, watching the plane warily.

Mickey frowns, "No idea."

Jake cocks his head, looking at the plane through a pair of binoculars. "Well, it might be human. The plane's called Sky Gipsy." He spells it out, as Malcolm types it up. "G-AIDL." He gives the number. Malcolm searches the database for it, but nothing gets pulled up before the plane lands.

Martha, Jack, Mickey and I walk up to the plane. It's a small plane, unlike the current jets, and barely looks to hold five people. The pilot waves at us, smiling. "Hello there!" She yells. We walk towards her, and she gets out of the plane. "Apologies for the unplanned touchdown, just hit some rotten turbulence."

I smile at her, holding out my hand. "I'm Ria Tyler." She smiles and we shake hands.

"Diane Holmes, pilot. Is this some sort of secret base? You must show me around one day, miss."

An older man and a young girl exit the back of the plane. The man speaks up, "Everything all right?"

The girl frowns, "How long before we head off again? My Uncle's expecting me."

I swallow, "When did you leave?"

Diane smiles, "About half an hour ago."

"Which date?" Jack asked, frowning.

Diane frowns, "Today, December the 18th."

"Which year?" Mickey asks. Diane glances at the man, frowning.

I take a deep breath, "Which year? We need to know."

Diane looks between the four of us, before answering, "1953."

We take the time travellers back to the Hub, and they enter cautiously.

Martha smiles at them, "There's no need to be frightened."

The man frowns, "Who are you, exactly?"

I swallow, running fingers through my hair, "The less you know about us, the better." I stop in the middle of our base, and glance around. "Meet the team."

Everyone yells out their name when getting situated back into their offices. Martha smiles, shrugging on a lab coat, "Doctor Martha Jones."

The man glances around the room before introducing himself, "John Ellis."

The girl follows suit, saying "Emma Louise Cowell."

Diane re-introduces herself for Malcolm. Mickey heads into one of the other rooms, and the trio follow him. Martha walks over to me, and smiles, "At least it wasn't a spaceship full of aliens."

"That might have been easier." I replied, knowing how much this was going to hurt them.

John stands up pounding on the table, "But how can you travel fifty years in half an hour?"

"Your aircraft slipped through a transcendental portal." I reply, glancing at Malcolm for confirmation. He nods.

Emma frowns, "A what?"

Malcolm smiles, "A door in space and time."

John glances at the occupants of the room, "It's some kind of trick; it has to be."

I glance at Mickey, who pulls out a stack of photographs, and slides them across our conference table. "Celebrations of the Millennium in your respective home cities, photographs documenting the development of Cardiff Bay from the '50s to the present day, blueprints of modern day aeroplanes."

Emma sits down, hand over her mouth. It looks like it was too much to take in. Diane stares at the blueprints, and frowns, "But if this is true… then how do we get back?"

I swallow, knowing the worst bit of information, "You don't. According to history, your plane never returned." I run my hands through my hair, "I'm sorry."

Diane frowns, "What's going to happen to us?"

"Never mind about us." John cut off, eyes wide, "What happened to everyone else? Our families…"

Martha sits with Emma, on the ground floor of the room. "Your father died in 1959. He was 48."

Emma, smiles through her tears, "Dad said he'd die young. All the men in the munitions factory did."

Martha continues, "Your mother lived till she was 81 though." She glances at Emma again, "I know this is hard to take in. But is there anyone else?"

Emma shakes her head. I turn to John, who's talking with Malcolm.

"My son, Alan Ellis. He was born on the 6th of April, 1937, 14 Park Place, Grangetown. He might still be alive." John looks hopeful and despairing all in one.

Malcolm nods, "The archives in the '50s weren't that well documented."

I nod, "We'll try again tomorrow. Right now, you need to get some sleep." I glance over to Jake and Mickey, who appear to be frowning.

Jake glances at Diane, "Friends? Boyfriend?"

"Not really, Never stayed in one place long enough." Diane replied. She takes a long drag from her cigarette.

We get them all a flat in a local building, and I bring John to his room. I glance around the room, while John unpacks.

"I was going to close a deal on a shop in Dublin tomorrow." John comments, eyes looking far off.

I glance at him, "What do you trade in?"

"Food, knick-knacks, essentials." He puts the empty suitcase down, and begins fiddling with a radio, looking for a station.

I glance between him and the radio before asking, "What are you after?"

"Bit of music." I turn the knob to a classical station, watching John. He smiles. He then hands me a small envelope. "There's photographs of my family in here."

I take the photos from him, and smile, "I'll see what I can do."

"Don't worry, Miss Tyler. I'll look after the ladies."

I smile at him, before replying, "Call me Ria."

We shake hands.

Martha

Emma is unpacking her dress, as Martha leans against the bunk, watching her. She hears a door slam. Emma turns around, "Who else is here?"

"Couple young girls. Pretty dress."

Emma smiles. "Thank you. I made it myself."

"Where are you from?"

"Bristol."

Martha nods, before glancing at the room, "What were you going to Dublin for?"

"Auntie Nora's ill and Uncle Finn can't manage the children. It will be good practice for when I have children of my own, Mum says. She's gone next door so Uncle Finn can telephone… She'll know I'm missing by now."

Martha frowns, before commenting, "Emma, she found out in 1953. Over fifty years have passed, remember?"

Emma sits on the bed, hugging her knees. "What will she think happened?" Martha sits beside her, holding her close. "It must have been like one of those murders when they never find the body."

Martha sighs softly, "They seemed to think the plane went down in the sea." Emma bursts into tears, and Martha tries comforting her.

I'm standing in front of everyone, in the Hub. "These will be your means of identification. We've set up bank accounts for you, but we'll give you an allowance so you can practice with the currency and money management." I comment.

Mickey, Malcolm and I had a large row over whether the others should be allowed to keep their names. I was in favour of it, as was Mickey. Malcolm just wanted to give them new identities.

The others take the group out to the supermarket, while I sit in the Hub, focusing my energy on when they would come back.

In the end, Jake and Diane attempt to get back into the rift. I waved them off. They'd fallen in love, so I wasn't all that worried.

Martha saw Emma off to a new job in London, and told her to keep in contact. She also mentioned her mother, if she ever needed anything.

John eventually met up with his son, and it wasn't pretty. He didn't take well to the new world. It was times like this when I wish I had access to the Doctor or a TARDIS. Because I could easily have just dropped them off.

But sometimes life didn't work like that.

It was a few weeks after the arrival and departure of the trio that became Martha's first mission. Emma still kept in contact, and we kept an eye out for the return of the ship, but the weeks passed, and more missions came and went. Martha was finally getting the hang of the job, which pleased her to no end.

It was of course that point when the world had to change. When things stopped making sense, and life began anew.

Martha and I were walking through Cardiff, having a girls' day out. We'd gone for a bit of shopping, and we talked a bit about the men in the department. I had to discourage her liberally from going after Jack, and she encouraged me to find someone.

And then I let it slip that I'd met her in an alternate universe.

In the sense of the truth, I did tell her that Jack, Mickey, Jackie and I were all from a different dimension, which she seemed to take in stride. I'd also told her about the dimension cannon, and how Malcolm, Jack, and I were working on it in our spare time, when not saving the Earth.

I just didn't tell her that I'd travelled for a year in a blue box with another Martha Jones.

"So, did you offer the job to her or to me?!" She yelled, clearly angry about the outcome of the day.

I sighed, knowing that this was not the way I'd planned on telling her, "I offered the job to you, with knowledge of who you could become, if you had this opportunity."

"Oh." That seemed to defuse her, and she glanced at me, curious. "Is there much of a difference?"

I blink, looking at her, "You wear your hair differently." Which was true. While the Martha in the other universe had nice straight black hair, this Martha had put bright streaks in her hair. "And you are different. It's the little things that add up. And I know the difference."

She nods, and we continue our walk and little tour of Cardiff.

We turned a corner, when my ears perked up to a familiar sound. I saw the movement of leaves come from an alley way, and I ran. Martha came back, hot on my heels.

"What's that sound?" She asked, breathing heavily. I glanced around, confused for a moment as to where the sound was coming from. The echo in the alley was too loud.

I give her a grin, "It's the sound of freedom." I turn another corner, and there it is. Standing there in all her majesty. The TARDIS.

"What's that?" Martha asked, falling in step behind me.

I turn to her, "A Police Box."

"A what?"

"A police box." I said grinning, "Isn't it the most beautiful thing you've ever seen in your life."

Martha looks at me funny, before looking at the box again. "Sure. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I've got to go." I said running towards the door, and throwing it open.

Martha

Watching her boss, Ria Tyler, step into a small blue box that said "Police Public Call Box" was not the most concerning thing of her day.

Watching the box fade away, the sound from before echoing through the alley way, without her boss coming back out was worse.

And when she called Mickey to report this happening, having him describe the blue box to her in perfect detail, didn't faze her as much as one other thing.

After describing the box, and getting the confirmation, Mickey swore.

They were in deep shit.