At nine o'clock that night, everyone re-gathered at the diner. In the hours before the big break-in at the power plant, Alex and the Doctor had drove around Bristol, the two of them bickering and bantering in the front seat while Amy and Rory sweated off five pounds behind them in the backseat. Poor Amy had looked like a wilted rose with her sweat-slicked hair and melted eyeliner before she changed into a pair of shorts and a strapless top.

At that time, Bristol had been pleasantly busy. A few cars passed them on the road, some clothing boutiques were having sidewalk sales, and plenty of young adults in shorts and sundresses waved at Alex or beeped their car horns at her as they passed, only drilling home the obvious to the TARDIS group; Alex had been and always would be immensely popular in Bristol.

But now, the sky was an inky black, streetlights flickering on. The diner was the only store on the whole street with lights on, the parking lot only containing a few cars. The idea was that too many cars driving to the power plant would attract attention. In the end, only Lacey, Ross, Mike, Emmy, Lola, and Bree were accompanying the Doctor, Alex, Amy, and Rory to the power plant. Brett had to work late at his job at the movie theater one town over, Nat had a mandatory dinner with her visiting aunt, and Kenny, while tempted to come with them, was babysitting his younger sister while his parents were in the hospital visiting a sick relative.

After carefully reviewing the plan of getting into the power-plant, the diner lights were switched off and everyone filed out to the cars. Ross, Emmy, and Lola piled into Ross's car while Bree and Mike shared Mike's truck. Lacey, Alex, the Doctor, Amy, and Rory were crammed into Lacey's Rabbit. It was so cramped in fact, that Amy was forced to sit on Rory's lap unless she wanted to be scrunched in between him and the Doctor in the backseat. Alex looked back more than once to see Amy's hand clutched in a death-grip on the car door as Lacey rapidly sped down country roads with no stoplights anywhere in sight.

They reached the power plant in less than twenty minutes, the others already there. Everyone was pleased to see that the lights in the plant were off except for a few security lights which the Doctor's sonic screwdriver quickly, and surreptitiously, took care of.

Alex crept up to the reception door and tried it. Surprisingly, it opened. "That's weird," she whispered to an equally surprised Doctor. "It's like . . . they were expecting us." She looked up at him worriedly. "You don't think they were expecting us, do you?"

The Doctor didn't answer her, which didn't reassure Alex much. Instead, he turned to look at the others. "Everyone, stay out here. No arguing," he hastily added, noticing Amy, Emmy, Bree, and Lacey all opening their mouths, about to object. "It's better this way. That way, there will be more eyes to keep a look-out." The group didn't look happy at being left out, but reluctantly leaned against the cars and began quietly talking as they kept an eye on the long drive leading up to the plant.

The Doctor hooked an arm around Alex's back and led her into the plant. It was quiet, the sounds of machinery dimmed thanks to thick walls and doors. Once they were out of sight from the Bristol group, Alex asked, "Okay, are we splitting up?"

The Doctor didn't really like that idea and that wasn't just because he was concerned for Alex's safety if he wasn't around to protect her. "I suppose," he said slowly as he took out the sonic screwdriver and began scanning. He frowned, looked at it, before putting it back up in the air. "That's weird," he murmured.

Alex arched an eyebrow. "What's weird?"

"There aren't any cameras here," the Doctor informed her.

Alex frowned. "Huh. You'd think they put some in the reception area."

The Doctor shook his head. "No, Alex. There aren't any cameras in here or anywhere else in the whole plant. I scanned for them and nothing."

Alex's mind quickly began reviewing the possible reasons for this. Either Carslile was cheap (an option she hoped for) or something was going on in the plant, something that Carslile didn't want security companies seeing. Despite her hope, Alex knew that this last option was the most likely one.

"Okay," she said slowly, drawing the word out. "Maybe splitting up isn't such a good idea."

"Yeah," the Doctor agreed, already pressing the elevator button. As it dinged open, he said, "I'll come with you to Carslile's office upstairs. Then we'll come back down here and look at that equipment."

A few minutes later, Alex was on her knees in front of an open filing cabinet in Carslile's office. The office was dark, thanks in part to the closed window curtains, but the Doctor's sonic screwdriver provided enough illumination for her to read.

"These files don't make any sense," Alex revealed. "All of the Social Security numbers are the same; 00-00-0001. And listen to these stupid names; Peter Parker? Diana Prince? They're the secret identities of Marvel superheroes!"

The Doctor nodded. "That confirms it then. They're aliens."

"And not very good at keeping a low profile," Alex snorted. "The stuff in these files scream 'Look at me! Look at me!'."

Alex placed the files back, now knowing they had obviously been fabricated, and crossed over to the Doctor, who was studying the solar system map on the wall. "Doctor? What's up?"

The Doctor pointed to the added planets on the map. "Ally, you see these planets?"

Alex nodded and frowned. "Yeah. You mentioned them yesterday. You don't actually think they were added on by an artist, do you?"

"No, I bet Carslile added them. Probably got a bit homesick and wanted a visual reminder."

With that said, the duo headed back downstairs to the mechanical part of the plant. Inside, machinery was still thrumming, but there wasn't a worker in sight. As they walked through the rows of looming machinery, Alex whispered, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't power plants supposed to have 24/7 workers?"

"Exactly," the Doctor whispered back. They were now standing so close to each-other, he could hear the rapid beating of her single heart. "This machinery is programmed to continue working even without maintenance. It's far beyond Earth technology for this time period."

"But what kind of aliens are here?"

"Why don't you just ask?" a voice came from behind them.

The Doctor and Alex whirled around, the Doctor automatically placing himself in front of Alex. The lights slowly flickered on, revealing Carslile and some of the power plant workers standing in front of them. The Doctor counted five workers accompanying Carslile, making it almost impossible for him and Alex to escape.

"Who are you?" the Doctor asked, his voice low and almost calm if you didn't see the warning gleam in his eyes.

Carslile stepped towards them casually, as if he wasn't plotting on doing them any harm. Despite this, neither Alex nor the Doctor felt reassured. "We are the Lylon's, a proud and noble race."

The Doctor's face lit up in recognition. "Of course! No wonder the last planet on that map was Lycardia."

Carslile smiled a pure, villainous smile. "I knew instantly you were not from this world, Doctor." He glanced behind him at Alex, who looked both scared and strong. "Your companion, however, I'm not so sure. It doesn't seem as though the mind drug worked on her."

The Doctor frowned at him. "You leave her out of this," he warned.

"Yet she's already in it, isn't she?" Carslile challenged. "In order for our plan to succeed, we needed a powerful Earth family. And what better family than the famed G-Locke Publications Locke family?"

Alex stepped forward slightly. The Doctor grabbed her wrist loosely but firmly, ready to pull her back behind him at a moment's notice. "So, you used my family and my rightful money. This better be a nice, non-harmful plan you're plotting, because you're currently on dangerous ground as far as I'm concerned."

Carslile hardly seemed bothered by this. "Tell me, Doctor, what do you know of Lycardia and the Lylon's?"

The Doctor seemed surprised by this turn of questioning, but decided to go with it, if only to figure out what these aliens were up to. "Lycardia is in the Andreas Belt; a small galaxy filled with electricity-charged asteroids. Barely anything can survive in the Andreas Belt without being electrocuted at some point, but the Lylon's adapted, making electricity part of their life."

"Precisely!" Carslile looked pleased by this. He crossed over to a large metal drum attached to some wires and suddenly ripped a wire out. A visible spark of electricity burst in the air but Carslile, hardly bothered, easily grasped it within two fingers and placed it in his mouth. Alex was vaguely aware of her jaw dropping as she watched Carslile swallow what should have been lethal to him.

He frowned slightly. "Hmm, low charge. Oh, well. Can't garner much electricity this time of night."

"You eat electricity?!" Alex cried, turning to the Doctor.

"Like I said, they've adapted. The Lylon's are the only beings in the universe that can successfully convert electricity into food."

"Precisely, Doctor!" Carslile beamed like a proud parent.

Alex stared at them, her mind hastily working out everything that had been said and fitting them into a scenario with the unsaid details. "Oh, now I get it," she realized. Her voice sounded so much like the Doctor's whenever he figured something out, the Doctor himself was taken aback. "Something happened to your planet and/or source of food. You needed to come somewhere where electricity's abundant, somewhere where people wouldn't really notice if some of it went missing because there was so much lying around."

"Oh, she's clever, Doctor," Carslile remarked, although judging by the slight sneer on his face, it wasn't a good thing in his mind. He began to pace in front of them and the Doctor and Alex watched, muscles tensed, as he began to explain.

"After our planet was lost, we were forced to look for a new one. Not very many planets in the universe have such amazing electricity as Earth, so we decided to come here."

"Lost?" the Doctor repeated, focusing on that one part of Carslile's statement.

Carslile paused, suddenly looking sad and remorseful. "There were cracks," he said slowly as he began pacing around. "They were everywhere. There were few days where nobody reported new ones. They were threatening our species and our planet."

Unbeknownst to Carslile, behind him, the Doctor and Alex's eyes had widened and the Doctor's hand had moved from Alex's wrist to around her waist. Both remembered Rosanna's words about the mysterious cracks she and the Sisters of the Water had fled: There were cracks. Some were tiny . . . some were as big as the sky. Through some we saw worlds and people, and through others we saw Silence . . . and the end of all things.

That could not be a coincidence.

"What did you see through the cracks?" Alex asked hesitantly, already knowing the answer.

If Carslile was surprised by this question, he didn't show it. Instead, he answered, "Mostly Silence and the end of all things. There were a few that showed other worlds and times. Once we realized that the cracks would soon eat us up if we stayed, we went through one and landed here in the forest. The cracks snapped shut behind us and Lycardia was gone."

The Doctor carefully kept his emotions hidden but secretly, he was both terrified and curious. All of what Carslile had told them was exactly what Rosanna told them back in Venice. What the hell are these cracks? And what is the Silence and why will it end all things?

"Without Lycardia, our food source was gone," Carslile continued. "We soon realized we were on Earth, a planet filled to the brim with electricity, and we set up operation here."

The Doctor frowned. "Operation?"

"Our race is dying, Doctor. For the past few months, we've been hoarding as much electricity as we can gather. Soon, in a matter of a few weeks, maybe even days, we'll have all of Earth's electricity."

The Doctor gaped at them. "You can't do that! Electricity is the most valuable resource on Earth! Without it, too many things cease to function, society collapses, dystopian and apocalyptic conditions occur. . ." He trailed off, not needing to go any further. Alex could easily see the possible future ahead and none of it was good.

Carslile glared at them. Alex shivered slightly; like the Doctor when he got mad, Carslile looked downright frightening whenever he was challenged. "You shouldn't even try to stop us, Doctor. If you try, it will not be pretty."

The Doctor casually moved his hand across Alex's back, making her shiver under his touch. Once he reached her wrist, he slowly trailed his hand down it, talking all the while. "Oh, but you see, there's nothing in this world that can stop me. You're forgetting that Earth is a Level 5 planet and I have no intention of seeing it sabotaged in any way."

Carslile and the workers threateningly stepped towards them. "Very well. Have it your way, Doctor," Carslile sneered. "We'll just have to deal with you the regular way." At that moment, sparks began buzzing around the room, jumping towards the Lylon's. Instead of being shocked by it though, the current raced through their bodies before pooling out into their palms like magic in a sorcerer's hands.

"Well, in that case. . ." The Doctor quickly grabbed Alex's hand and pulled her along after him. "RUN!"

The two sprinted through the piles of machinery, the Doctor zigzagging every few turns so as to throw the Lylon's off. Alex yelped a little whenever an electrical spark flew out at her, just threatening to zap her into unconsciousness. The Doctor's grip on her grew tighter and she forced herself to go even faster so she could keep up with him, despite her legs burning and her lungs screaming for more air.

Sensing her failing energy rather than seeing it, the Doctor whirled around, picked Alex up by the waist and threw her over his shoulder before resuming his running. Alex gripped the back of his jacket so that she wouldn't flop around and watched as the Lylon's chased after them.

"They're getting closer!" she called as they ran through the hallway to reception.

"Thanks, never would've figured that out!" the Doctor said, placing her down so that they could run more easily to the glass doors.

Outside, the Bristol group seemed perfectly calm, confirming that Carslile and the rest of the Lylon's had already been inside the plant when they arrived. Bree and Mike were sharing a cigarette, which they immediately stomped out when they saw the Doctor and Alex racing out.

Amy and Rory immediately noticed the slightly terrified looks on their friends' faces. "Doctor?" Amy quizzed, her voice high as she waited for something bad to happen.

She didn't have long to wait. Just as the Doctor opened his mouth, the door burst open behind them, Carslile and the Lylon's stepping out to join them. The electricity was still buzzing in their hands and Alex was sure that everyone save her and the Doctor had their mouths hanging open in shock.

Despite how far they were from the machinery, the Lylon's were excellent at controlling and using electric power, for right at that moment, the buzzing, crackling balls of electricity in their hands grew until it was quickly being passed down the line towards Carslile. Carslile expertly grabbed it and threw it – right at the group.

Alex was right in front of the electric ball. As it got closer, she could feel her skin tingle and react to the charged ball. She felt frozen to the spot. She tried to move her legs but she couldn't. Her whole body was in shock. As she felt her hair start to stand on end, her only comforting thought about her predicament was that she would take the brunt of the blast, leaving everyone else to survive.

However, a split second before the ball could hit her, Alex found herself being shoved down hard to the ground. Alex gasped and groaned, this feeling all too familiar. Then, she remembered who had done it the last time she was in a situation like this: the Doctor.

Alex swiftly turned over just in time to see the electrical ball hit the Doctor chest-on. With a cry, he fell backwards, electricity sizzling and popping all over his body. Though he twitched a little for a moment, all too soon he was still. Dead still.

"DOCTOR!" Alex shrieked. She crawled over to him on her knees, ignoring the rocks digging into the palms of her hands. Once she was by his side, she placed her hands on each side of his face and shook him slightly before bending her head down to check his hearts. She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the familiar, soothing thudding beneath her.

"Thank God, they're both working," she told an equally horrified Rory and Amy, who had at some point dove down next to the Doctor.

"Both?" Lacey questioned, pulling Alex back to the moment. "What the hell do you mean both?"

"Yeah, both of what?" Lola chimed in.

Alex looked up, about to answer, when she caught sight of the Lylon's. They were standing there, slightly shocked, but Alex could see the electricity buzzing at their fingertips. In a few short seconds, they'd overcome their shock and try to kill them again.

"Never mind that," Alex said, taking control. It's what the Doctor would have done after all, had he been conscious. "Just run!"

In a split second, everyone had jumped into their respective cars and without even being told to do so, Amy and Rory helped Alex get the Doctor into Lacey's car. Due to their hurrying, the Doctor was lying slanted on the backseat. Amy jumped onto the floor and Rory leaped into the passenger seat. Alex only had enough time to jump onto the Doctor before Lacey rapidly sped off down the road.

The Doctor was jarred awake when Lacey hit a speed-bump. He glanced up, seeing the night sky whizzing above his head and . . . Alex. Her legs were locked around his, essentially straddling him, and she was leaning forward, hands clutching his tweed jacket so she could keep her balance as Lacey swerved around sharp curves. He ignored the sharp crease in adrenaline in his system and instead concentrated on what had happened in the time he had been unconscious.

"Ally, what happened?" he shouted over the roar of wind and skidding of tires on the road.

"The Lylon's tried to throw a huge ball of electricity at me but you stepped in front of me and took the blast!" Alex cried.

"What the hell are those people anyway?" Lacey screamed from the front seat. The car suddenly rounded a corner, nearly launching Alex into the air, but the Doctor immediately tugged her down and wrapped his arms around her waist, keeping her on top of him.

Alex's face was pressed into the crook of his neck and from this close contact, she could smell his shampoo and thick, musky cologne. God, she really needed to find that cologne and keep some of it in her room. Focus, Alexandria!

She leaned in close to the Doctor's ear so that they wouldn't need to shout anymore. "Why would you do that?" she asked, her voice soft.

The Doctor knew she was referring to the bomb blast and he shrugged. "How could I let it hit you?" he asked. And it was true. If that electric ball had hit Alex, it would have killed her instantly and God only knew what he would have done if that had happened. He might have snapped completely and strangled each and every one of the Lylon's with his bare hands.

Alex smiled, her lips inadvertently touching the Doctor's ear. He swallowed a moan and tried to ignore the new rush of heat and desire that was running through his veins. His attempts at trying to distance himself from Alex weren't working and were pretty much futile. Alex was like a sweet drug he had to have. Once he had a taste of her, he was craving more.

In an effort to distract his thoughts away from Alex, he looked up at the night sky, stars whizzing by as the Rabbit picked up speed. "Where are we even going?" he called.

Alex shifted slightly to where her head was raised above the seat. She instantly recognized the large, overgrown hydrangea bushes they were passing and, in the distance, she could vaguely see the rise of some buildings. "We're heading near the high-school!" she revealed.

Lacey, hearing her, called out, "It's pretty far from the plant! The others are just ahead of us and that's where they're going!"

Two minutes later, Lacey was pulling into Southern Bristol High School's parking lot. Alex recognized the many cracks in the concrete and was overcome with a slight thrill upon seeing the large round portico in the front of the school, ivy snaking up the sides of the columns. At this time of night, there were no cars in the parking lot, save the night janitor's, Mr. Wilkins. However, Alex knew Mr. Wilkins wouldn't be of much help to them; he was currently drinking a beer and watching a baseball game at the Red Rose Roadhouse two blocks over.

Ross's car was parked helter-skelter across two parking spaces while Mike's truck had burned tire tracks onto the pavement. Alex carefully hopped out of the car and watched as Emmy and Lola scrambled out of Ross's car. Lola looked on the verge of tears, and Alex mentally scolded herself for allowing the sixteen-year-old to accompany them on such a dangerous trip.

"Okay!" Bree screeched as she was assisted out of the truck by Mike. She crossed over to Alex and narrowed her eyes at her in a poor attempt to intimidate her. "What the hell was that?!"

"They threw a freaking ball of lightning at you!" Mike cried.

"Electricity," the Doctor corrected him as he clambered out of the Rabbit. "It was a ball of electricity."

Emmy simply stared at him. "Who cares what it was?!" she protested. "The point is, they tried to kill Alex!"

"More like all of us," the Doctor corrected again. "Alex was just in the way."

Lacey looked at Alex carefully. All this time, Lacey had suspected that Alex wasn't exactly being truthful about her and the Doctor and Lacey had an inkling on what she could be hiding. "All that electricity would've killed you had it hit you," she mused slowly. She then turned to look at the Doctor. "But it hit you and it didn't." Lacey narrowed her eyes and the Doctor felt like she was actually inside him, searching for the truth in a maze of deception and centuries-long guilt.

"And what was that about both working?" Lola questioned, looking at the Doctor through red-rimmed eyes.

But before the Doctor could answer, a familiar voice called out, "Why on earth are y'all out here at this time of night?"

Everyone whirled around to see Marigold's car loitering at the curb. Her head was stretched out the window, eyeing them all curiously. Before any of them knew it, Marigold had switched off the ignition and was walking towards them, her heels clicking on the pavement.

"Auntie, what are you doing here?" Lacey asked.

"I had to run and see your cousin Delilah. You remember she's in the hospital for appendicitis? Apparently, she's been creating a ruckus up there with her being a hypochondriac and all so I had to go and straighten everything out. I was on my way back to the house when I noticed all the cars parked here."

Alex sucked in a breath. Oh, God, how was she going to explain this one? As far as she knew, Marigold didn't believe in aliens!

"Well, what happened at the plant?" Marigold asked expectantly.

"Other than those maniacs nearly killing the Doctor and Alex?" Mike rhetorically asked.

Marigold's eyes widened and she sent a sharp look towards the Doctor and Alex. "WHAT?!" she screeched as everybody winced. She whirled around sharply to look at the Doctor. "What the hell did you drag her into?!"

The Doctor was about to respond – even though he couldn't think of a damn thing to tell Marigold that wouldn't end with him getting slapped – when there was a sudden pinging noise. The group watched as all around them, the streetlights began going out, each bulb exploding and plunging a section of sidewalk into darkness.

"What's happening?" Rory demanded.

"The Lylon's have increased their power," the Doctor explained, eyes worriedly fixed on the darkening streetlights. "They can now make individual bulbs go out as they suck in electricity."

"Isn't there a way to stop them?" Alex asked. She hurriedly thought for a possible solution. "Like, um, generators or something?"

"Generators. . ." the Doctor mused, thinking it over for a second when his face suddenly lit up into a grin. "Generators!" He whirled around and planted a kiss on Alex's forehead. "Ally, you're brilliant! All I need is some backup generators and those Lylon's won't know what hit them!" He looked around, as if expecting a bunch of generators to suddenly fall from the sky. "Where are some backup generators?" he asked.

"Right here at the high school," Lacey answered, deciding it was in everyone's best interest to temporarily abandon the subject of the Doctor's mysterious survival from the Lylon attack and instead focus on the matter at hand.

"Brilliant!" the Doctor cried again before making a mad dash towards the front doors. Taking the steps up to the portico two at a time, he was already at the doors when the rest of the group, Marigold now included, caught up with him.

Alex darted to his side and watched, bemused, as the Doctor pushed against the doors. "Locked," he muttered, one hand already fishing in his jacket pocket for the sonic screwdriver. "I'll just—"

"Move, Doc," Alex interrupted, pushing him to the side with her hip. Having captured his full attention, she made a big show of cracking her knuckles and flexing her palms before calmly reaching out and pulling the door open.

She smirked and bit back a laugh at the Doctor's flabbergasted expression. "It's a high school, Doctor, not Fort Knox." With that said, Alex sashayed into the high school.

The first room the group encountered was the large foyer that had been added on when Alex was in eighth grade. The glass ceiling stretched high above them, allowing the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia to shine down on the tiled floor. Across the room you could see the main office, separated from the foyer by a sheet of glass.

"Where are the generators located?" the Doctor asked.

"Basement," Emmy quickly replied. "Come on, it's right off the math hallway."

As they went through a set of double doors leading further into the dark school, Alex eyed Emmy critically. "How do you know where the generators are?" she asked. "Most people don't even know the school has generators, let alone a basement."

Emmy shifted uncomfortably. "Let's just say that me and some friends of mine got to know that basement very well." There were a few grossed out looks at this and Alex caught Marigold swallowing hard.

The school hallway still had the familiar scent of Germ-X, pine-scented floor cleaner, and mystery meat. The group passed several locked doors ranging from the guidance office, to a computer lab, to several math classrooms. Finally, they reached the end of the hallway and Emmy ducked around a corner. The group followed her to where she was standing in front of an inconspicuous looking gray door, crammed between a glassed-up fire extinguisher and a series of lockers.

The Doctor soniced the door open, ignoring the looks of shock and mutterings of awe as he did so. Pushing the door open, he paused a moment before quickly rushing down the steps.

Alex and the others hastily followed him and the group soon found themselves in the giant basement. The walls and floors were made of concrete and a large abundance of machinery was spread out all along one wall. Filing cabinets and boxes made up the rest of the area. Curious, Alex inched open a water-stained box to discover a bunch of anatomy books from 1999. Emmy opened another box to reveal a bunch of old tennis team trophies from the 1980s while Ross and Mike discovered a bunch of old, broken desks behind a stack of boxes labeled FENCING EQUIPMENT.

Lacey stared at the aforementioned boxes. "We don't have a fencing team," she pointed out.

"There used to be one, back in the '80s," Marigold explained. She smiled sheepishly. "I should know. I was team captain."

"Oi!" the Doctor called from where he was scanning the machinery with his screwdriver. "You lot, you can reminisce later! Ally, I need you!"

Alex darted to his side and gazed over his shoulder at the generators. "Okay, what do you need?" she asked, ready to do business.

"I can use the generators to connect to the electric grid the power plant is using," the Doctor explained as he maneuvered her to stand by a certain piece of machinery.

"And then you can hack in and release all the horded up electricity?" Alex guessed.

"Exactly!" the Doctor confirmed, beaming at her. "Now, make sure that lever stays in position."

Alex watched as the Doctor darted around, fiddling and scanning and messing with the generator as though it was second-nature to him. He was completely in his element, working with advanced equipment as a serious situation pressed down on his shoulders. She felt a strange sense of being proud of him flow up in her and she found herself smiling slightly. Why was she feeling this way?

Meanwhile, Marigold studied Alex. She had known Alex for thirteen years, ever since the day she brought Alex home with her and Lacey on the second day of kindergarten when Carla had forgotten to pick her granddaughter up. Back then, Alex had been a quiet, determined child. Now, Marigold could see a noticeable change in her. She couldn't name what it was, only that the Alex she knew didn't mesh with the one currently standing before her. And even though she couldn't name what the change was, she did know who had caused it: the strange doctor in the bowtie that was currently running around the generator like it was his job.

Marigold stepped up to the Doctor, her high heels making an ominous clicking noise on the concrete floor. She took in his floppy dark brown hair, dark green eyes, and slim but muscular physique before opening her mouth. "Who are you, Doctor?"

The Doctor didn't even turn around. "What do you mean? I'm the Doctor," he said distractedly as he ran the sonic over the generator before darting to the other side.

Marigold followed him. "Just that, who are you? Because I scarcely believe you're a professor from Cambridge, not with all the things I've seen you do in the last ten minutes."

"Does it really matter?" the Doctor asked, ripping open a panel and beginning to rearrange some wires.

Marigold gawked at him. "Does it matter?" she repeated, her voice shrill. "Of course it matters when the girl who I practically consider my daughter is involved with you!"

"Alex is fine," the Doctor argued as he placed a red wire into where a green one had been.

"It's true, I am!" Alex called out as she – and the others – could easily hear the conversation.

Marigold ignored her. "Ever since you and she arrived, Alex has been in the craziest situations that shouldn't even be possible. I thought I heard Bree mention something about her nearly being poisoned when I went to the diner this afternoon, but I thought it was just tall-tales and rumor so I ignored it. But then, I hear this talk about you nearly getting her killed by some psychopaths!"

The Doctor jammed a blue wire into a socket and barely winced as a spark blew up in his face. "You think I would willingly bring Alex into danger?" he questioned, his voice trying to be light but failing.

Marigold crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "You tell me," she challenged, her sapphire eyes piercing into him. "Who are you really? You seem to be the type that constantly gets into danger, maybe even goes looking for it. Do you really care about Alex enough to keep her safe? Even leave her alone if it would benefit her?"

"Marigold!" Alex objected.

A cord snapped inside the Doctor. He lifted his head up to meet Marigold's eyes. Marigold was struck by the bitterness and self-hate she saw in them. Whoever the Doctor was, he was carrying around a burden that was bigger than any other man carried – more than what a man should carry. "Do you really think I want harm to come to Alex?" he asked, his voice dangerously low.

"Doctor," Alex said softly. She was a little afraid to speak any louder. In that moment, she could see the man who had killed his entire race, even if it was for the better good.

Marigold, of course, knew none of this, but she could see the darkness deep inside the Doctor, just waiting for a chance to come out, take control of its owner, and wreak havoc. "No," she answered, her voice surprisingly even. "But that doesn't explain who you really are and why all this madness seems to circle you."

The Doctor stood there. Alex wasn't sure if he was going to answer that or not. However, she would never know what he would have done in that moment for right then, the generators died. Above them, the flimsy fluorescent lights went out in a flash. Alex stiffened, frozen to the spot as she heard a bunch of cries and curses ring out around her. Then, an arm wrapped around her waist and a small green glow appeared in front of her face; the Doctor's sonic screwdriver.

The Doctor wasn't exactly sure how he had found Alex in the dark without his sonic; he seemed to have been naturally drawn to her, like a lion to its prey. Bad analogy, he thought, although . . . NO! He mentally slapped himself for the interesting scenarios his mind had come up with based on that analogy. He had to keep himself in line. God only knew how many times Alex would slap him if she ever found out about Scenario #5.

"What happened?" Mike's voice rang out from a distant direction.

"The lights are out!" Marigold proclaimed.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," the Doctor muttered.

"Don't be rude!" Alex hissed in his ear, making him shiver slightly. He really needed to have a talk with her about doing that. His self-control was already dangling by a thread and he didn't know how much longer he could go before the thread snapped completely.

Focus, you bloody idiot! He snapped to himself. "Right!" he cried. He pulled Alex along with him as he went to each and every one of the generators, scanning them with his sonic screwdriver. His face fell and he was almost grateful for the darkness. "Oh," he said, lowering the sonic.

"What is it?" Alex asked worriedly. Though she couldn't see him, she could tell his face was tense and worried. Whatever he had learned, it wasn't anything good.

The Doctor took a deep breath before beginning. "The Lylon's have initiated a power suck. It's just what it says on the tin; they've sucked in all sources of power from all around the world – electric, nuclear, etc. – to the power plant."

"Can a power plant even handle that much power?" Rory asked.

"Probably not," the Doctor answered. "But the Lylon's have made electricity part of their everyday life. All that electricity? It'll be just like it was on Lycardia. Nothing they can't handle."

"But isn't there something you can do?" Amy asked.

The Doctor thought about it for a moment. There was something he could do, but it was really dangerous and possibly deadly. Actually, death was pretty much guaranteed. But he needed to do something! Nothing good would happen if the Lylon's fulfilled their plan. "Actually," he said slowly, drawing the word out, "there is something."

Alex looked at him impatiently. "Well, what is it?" she cried.

The Doctor smiled down at her. Oh, God, he was going to miss her if he didn't survive what he was about to do. "I can't shut the power suck off from here. There's just no way. The controls are at the power plant. I can go there and shut the power suck off and release all the electricity."

"Brilliant!" Alex exclaimed, but there was a slight twinge somewhere inside her. She wasn't sure how she knew this, but she just knew that there was a downside to this otherwise brilliant plan. "Now what's the bad part?"

Oh, she's so good, the Doctor thought. "The bad part, as you put it, Ally, is that a power suck is a really dangerous thing to be dealing with. It's a very temperamental thing. When you release the electricity, as it leaves the systems, the wiring and controls become overloaded, causing. . ." He trailed off, not wanting to say the word, but nothing got past Alexandria Locke.

"Explosion?" she finished, her voice bitter and fearful.

"But you'll get blown to pieces!" Emmy objected. Alex winced at the wording.

"It's only a possibility," the Doctor assured them, but Alex knew that it was one hundred percent likely that the Doctor would die in his attempts. She couldn't allow it. She wouldn't allow it.

"Doctor, I'm coming with you!" she declared, setting her face in a stubborn glare to ward off any attempts by the Doctor to get her to change her mind.

In an instant, everyone was arguing against her. "Alex, are you crazy?" Ross cried.

"Alex, you can't die!" Lola wept and Alex mentally berated herself once again for allowing the young teen to be around such mayhem and destruction.

"Alexandria Nicole Locke, if you think for one second I'm letting you leave this room to follow that man to your grave, you're sorely mistaken!" That was Marigold's voice, towering over the other, seemingly helpless and futile, pleas.

The Doctor remained silent. He had known Alex long enough by now to know that arguing with her didn't get you anywhere. He sighed deeply. "Very well, Ally," he allotted. "I don't suppose I can stop you."

"DOCTOR!" Amy, Rory, and Marigold roared.

Alex, however, didn't hear them. "Thanks, Doc," she smiled, eyes sparkling. Somehow, the Doctor could still see them in the thick darkness.

"Doctor, do you know what you're—" Amy began, but the Doctor cut her off.

"Ally, come on!" he cried, lighting up his sonic screwdriver. Just distantly, he could see the steps and the door. "We don't have much time! I'd like to get to the plant before they suck out all the lights in Belgium. Funny place, Belgium. Never cared much for it."

The Doctor dragged Alex along behind him and they took the stairs two at a time. They ran down the hallways until the Doctor abruptly came to a stop, Alex nearly plowing into his back.

"Doctor, what the hell?" she cried, pressing a hand to the cool cinderblock wall in an effort to regain her balance.

The Doctor turned around and looked at her seriously. "Alex," he said in a voice that Alex instantly knew she shouldn't challenge, "at the power plant, there's going to be a ton of wires. Now, the Lylon's are extremely adapt at electrical technology and they make their wires harder than steel. The sonic can't do much with them, so we need something else."

Alex nodded. "What do we need? Bolt cutters?"

"Those should work," the Doctor agreed. He glanced over and noticed a janitorial closet behind Alex. Unlocking the door with his sonic, he quickly ushered her inside. "Ally, look for some bolt cutters!" he instructed, placing one hand on the door knob.

"Okay," Alex agreed. She paused a moment to allow her eyes to get used to the large, dark space before venturing further. The janitorial closet was crowded with CAUTION – WET signs, mops, brooms, and several bottles of floor cleaner. It could take a while to find something as simple as bolt cutters in here. "Hang on a sec, though. There's a ton of stuff in here."

The Doctor twirled the sonic in one hand. "Take your time," he said in what he hoped was a casual voice. Ever so slowly so that Alex wouldn't notice, he started inching the door closed.

As he did this, Alex was already digging through a red toolbox she had found in a back corner. "I don't see anything," she began, not even noticing the fading light as the door closed, too concentrated on her own task. "Oh, wait – aha!" she cheered, lifting out a pair of bolt cutters. But right before she could turn around to hand them off to the Doctor, she heard the distinct sound of the door slamming closed.

She whirled around. The door was shut. Just then, she heard the sonic whirring outside and the knob jiggling. Oh no. He wouldn't. Within an instant, Alex had dropped the bolt cutters and was across the room, banging on the door and rattling the stubborn knob. "Doctor!" she cried out. "Doctor, let me out!"

On the other side, the Doctor leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, which were already watering with tears. He refused to let them fall though. He had been refusing himself the privilege of having a good cry for a long time now. He really didn't want to do this to her. Alex was so, so perfect and she didn't deserve to be locked up in a closet. He listened with hurt hearts as Alex continued to pound against the door. It was a miracle she hadn't broken it off its hinges yet.

Of course, this had to be done. It was way too dangerous for Alex to accompany him. While he admired her bravery, her reckless sense for taking on trouble was a trait he could have done without. If Alex went along with him and she died, he'd never forgive himself. Marigold wouldn't even have to set about killing him; he'd do it for her. He cared for Alex too much to allow harm to come to her. It was this thought that was making him do this.

So, with heavy hearts and watering eyes, the Doctor swiftly turned and rushed down the hall, heading towards a plausible suicide mission, trying to block Alex's protests from his ears.

A/N: So we now know what the aliens are and what they're planning on doing. Will the Doctor stop them? Will Alex get out of the janitorial closet? Stay tuned!

Some notes on reviews. . .

SopherGopherroxursox - I promise you, I put that Clara thing in long before Clara the Companion was announced. Can't say the same about Ross though. . . :)

calicat197 - Thank you! I wish more stories would update daily. :)

rycbar15 - Still haven't looked at the Ally thing, but I promise I will! Hope you like the Lylon's! :)

TheGirlWhoWaited - I was hoping people would have that reaction! The cheerleader thing popped in my head as I writing and I thought 'Why not?' And thanks for the birthday wishes!

TheUltimateGuest - Glad you liked the yearbook bit! I think a yearbook says a lot about you and, in this case, those yearbooks certainly told a lot about Alex. :)

Timey-Wimey Somn-Like Lass - I'm so glad you like Ally! I'm trying hard not to make her a Mary-Sue, giving her good qualities (intelligence and loyalty) and some bad qualities (easily jealous, slight lack of tact). And don't worry; she had a genius moment in this chapter by figuring out what the Lylon's are up to. :)

evilpinklollipop - SO glad you love this story! I can't tell you how much that means to me!

Thank you to all those that reviewed and to those who followed/favored this story. Please review and see you tomorrow!