This next story is an Earth based one, mainly focusing on what has happened between Alec and Shannon since being held in the 24th century cells, but there's a crashing meteorite and an alien threat. I've also tried to add to Osgood as a character, and explore more aspects of her personality. Please review and tell me if you want a 2nd series!
The TARDIS landed outside a block of flats, on the concrete floor of London 2014. Alec stepped out, feeling the cool breeze on his face. A kid cycled past him on a BMX, using the geography of the estate as a skate park. The sky was grey, as usual. Nothing ever changed.
"Mmm!" Sasha sighed. "Nothing like the dismal air of the modern day."
"The future from my view," Alec corrected her. "2004, remember."
"Jesus!" Sasha cried. "You've missed so much! The Olympics, Broadchurch, Prince Harry playing strip poker . . . Thank God you missed Flappy Bird!"
"Why, what is it?"
" . . . Nothing," Sasha sighed. "And I never beat four . . ."
"Ah!" the Doctor smiled, stepping out the TARDIS. "I love London. Ok then, let's agree, we each go our separate ways. Meet back here at the TARDIS at 6 o'clock."
"Ok," Alec agreed. "Shannon lives in one of these flats."
"And Claire's about 15 minutes away from here. We could take a cab?" Sasha asked.
"Or we could take the TARDIS?" the Doctor suggested."
"Doctor! Come on, you're in London; embrace the culture! Cab or the tube, and the nearest station is a bit of a hike from here."
"Fine, I'll come with you," the Doctor groaned, giving in. "But you're paying!"
"I'll see you later, Alec," Sasha smiled, following the Doctor down the street, hailing a cab as they went.
Alec searched through the block, knocking on doors and asking for Shannon, only to then be rejected by children and mothers and strange men that seemed to be acting a little too aggressive.
"Do you know a girl called Shannon?"
"Wha'? She your girlfriend? Ha!"
"Is there a girl called Shannon near here?"
"No' a clue mate. Go' a twen'y I could borrow?"
"Which flat is Shannon Taylor's?"
"What, that brunette girl?"
"Yes, that's her!" Alec smiled, after nocking on the door of an elderly woman.
"Strange story, that one. Disappeared for four months, then reappeared a week ago with absolutely no excuse. The police asked her questions but she never said anything. Something really bad must have happened. How do you know her?"
"Four months!" Alec gasped. "But the Doctor said . . ." Alec trailed off, realising that the woman was a little confused by his behaviour. "Sorry. Forget that. I'm a friend . . . From school," Alec smiled. "Which flat did you say?"
"14b," the woman replied. "And what school exactly?"
"The local one!" Alec called, already climbing up the stairs to the fourteenth floor.
"Kids these days," the woman sighed, shuffling back into her flat.
Alec reached the fourteenth floor. He looked out a window, gazing over London. So many buildings were unfamiliar to him, but others he remembered so fondly. Five months ago, he'd been into the city, gone on the eye with his sister and Dad, and yet ten years had passed. Shrugging off his thoughts, Alec found 14b. It was just like any other flat, a pale white door. He knocked.
A blonde haired woman answered the door, roughly in her 40's, in a cardigan and jeans. "Hello?" she wondered.
"Hi. I'm Alec, I'm a friend of Shannon," Alec said with a smile.
"When Shannon disappeared, all her friends came to visit. I don't remember you, Alec."
"I was on holiday."
"She disappeared during term time."
"My granddad suddenly died, so I went to see him in Jamaica," Alec lied. "Trust me, she'll recognise me."
"Shannon!" the blonde woman called. "There's a boy here looking for you!"
"Is it the police again? I've had enough questions; I've told them, I don't remember . . ." Shannon railed off as she reached the door. She stopped, struck speechless as she noticed Alec on the other side of the door. "It's you," Shannon gasped.
"Who is he, love?" her mum asked.
"Oh my God, it's you!" Shannon gasped, her face splitting into a smile. "Come on, in!" she said, grabbing Alec by the arm and pulling him into the house.
"Who is he?" her mum insisted.
"A friend, from the hairdressers," Shannon smiled, clearing the sofa so Alec could sit down in front of the TV.
"He said he was from school," Shannon's mum questioned.
"Is it not possible for him to be in both categories?" Shannon challenged. "Mum, could you get us some ice-cream? Crisps maybe?"
"Not before you tell me who this boy is," her mum said with a frown.
"He's an old school friend. He's called Alec," Shannon smiled. "Trust me, mum, he's a great guy. Always dead nice! Works with me in the hairdresser each Saturday and covers me whenever Charlie has another emotional break-up."
Shannon's mum raised an eyebrow to Alec. "Ok then," her mum said. "I've got some popcorn; I'll stick the microwave on. I'm Francesca, by the way. Nice to meet you, Alec."
"Hi, Francesca. Sorry for the hassle," Alec apologised.
"It's alright," Francesca grunted. "I'll get your popcorn. You get yourself comfortable."
"Thank you!" Shannon smiled. "So, how are you?" she asked Alec, sitting beside him.
"Four months," Alec interrupted. "I can't believe it. The Doctor said an hour."
"The Doctor was wrong," Shannon shrugged. "It was a nightmare at first; I arrived home, saying I'd been round Charlie's, and Mum nearly collapsed. She was in a right state! And then she rang Carlie on the phone, who didn't have a clue, and it all spiralled from there. It was a disaster! Mind you, the Doctor saved me, so I suppose he's allowed a mistake or two. Stop avoiding the question! How are you?"
"Alright," Alec replied. "I've been kidnapped and nearly blown up so far, but it's pretty good overall. you?"
"I've had police here everyday this week. I didn't tell anyone what happened; they wouldn't believe me if I told them. I didn't tell them anything, so they're still a bit suspicious. They backed off quickly though, which seemed odd," Shannon shrugged. "But did it all really happen? Mr Derbyshire and the cells? Sometimes I wake up and I can't believe it really happened."
"I'm pretty sure it did, unfortunately. The Doctor has a time machine! I'm not the sort of person that believes in conspiracy theories, but if I didn't believe what happened, I'd be an idiot."
"I know right," Shannon gasped. "It's crazy! I'm not even special, I'm just a normal girl. And I can't tell anyone because they won't believe me."
"But it's terrible. I'm sorry," Alec said, holding Shannon's hand.
Shannon smiled. "Thank you, Alec. You're a really nice guy."
"So I've been told," Alec laughed.
"I knew it!" Shannon's mum cried, rushing into the room with a bowl of popcorn in her hands. "You're my daughter's boyfriend!"
Shannon and Alec burst into fits of laughter. "Never! Never ever," Shannon cried, but her face didn't quite agree.
"Claire!" Sasha cried, as the flat door was opened to her best friend. "How are you?"
"It's you!" Claire smiled. "I'm great, by the way. And you?"
"Good, good."
"How did it go, with the man on the phone? The Doctor, was it?"
"Great. Really great," Sasha smiled, pulling the Doctor to the door. "Here he is!"
"Oh," Claire gasped. "Nice to meet you, Doctor."
The Doctor shook Claire's hand. "You too. I've heard lots about you!"
"Really? Not all bad I hope," Claire laughed.
After a moment, the Doctor realised that Claire wanted to elaborate. "Oh, just nice things in general. You know . . . Friendly stuff . . . About you two being . . . Friends . . . It was all friendly stuff. Really."
Claire feigned a grin. "Anyway, come on in. Can I get you some tea?"
"Just some biscuits if you've got any," Sasha smiled, following Claire into her house.
"Black coffee, no sugar," the Doctor grunted, entering the flat behind them.
"Of course," Claire smiled, hurrying into the kitchen, then hurrying back to plump the cushions for the Doctor and Sasha. "Make yourselves at home. I'll be back with biscuits in a moment."
"Thanks, Claire," Sasha smiled, taking a seat on her bright pink sofa. The Doctor opted for a wooden chair in the corner of the room. "What are you sitting there for?"
"I'm away from the pink," the Doctor explained.
"Ok. I knew you were an alien, but not a six year old," Sasha joked.
"Nevertheless, I'd prefer to sit here."
"It looks antisocial."
"It wasn't me looking for a social call. I don't like social. Something about a relaxed coffee morning on a pink chair doesn't appeal to me."
"Then go somewhere else and be back in an hour."
"I'm not an intergalactic taxi driver."
"You're not an intergalactic conversationalist either, but here you are, about to enjoy a coffee morning," Sasha replied with a slightly sinister smiled, knowing she'd won the argument.
"Here it is," Claire announced, entering the room with a large mug of coffee, which she passed to the Doctor, and a plate of biscuits. "I got your favourites: the wafers."
"Mmm," Sasha smiled, snatching a couple from the plate.
"Personally, I've always preferred a Jammie Dodger," the Doctor moaned.
"Sorry, I don't think I've got any," Claire fussed, about to go back to the kitchen to check. "Are those the red ones? I don't get them. My nephew comes round every so often, and those bloody E numbers put him in fits of madness. It's a complete nightmare until his Mum turns up."
"Don't worry, he was joking," Sasha interrupted.
"No. I really wasn't," the Doctor whispered. Sasha pulled her tongue at him. The Doctor did the same back.
"So, any developments looking for Alec? Don't worry if nothing's happened yet; it can take forever to find just one person," Claire inquired.
"Oh, we've already found him," Sasha said, quite casually.
"What?" Claire gasped, coughing up a half-eaten wafer. "Already? It's only been a day!"
"Yes," Claire said, turning to the Doctor. "I suppose it was suspiciously quick."
"I can't believe this! And how is he? How old will he be now? Twenty four, right?" Claire asked.
"Oh, um, he's good," Sasha replied. "But would you believe this, he's . . ."
"Good and healthy," the Doctor interrupted, stopping Sasha from saying a word about the time travel, or the fact that her brother that had been missing for ten years was still a teenager. "He's perfectly fine."
"Well done to you, Doctor!" Claire cried, smacking him on the leg. "Police tried for months what you did in a day. Thank God for that girl that gave me your number!"
"Which girl?" the Doctor wondered.
"Dunno. Just the girl that works down by the cake shop. But how did you do it? Finding Alec, I mean," Claire asked.
"The Doctor, and I, took a very . . . In-depth look at the night Alec disappeared," Sasha replied.
"Really? The in-depth look - was that like a psychological thing?" Claire wondered.
"You could say," Sasha shrugged.
"Well done! I was losing hope myself, but you're obviously some form of hero, Doctor," Claire congratulated. "A girl, not far from here, disappeared a few months ago. It was all over the news last week when she suddenly reappeared. Was that you too?"
"It might have been," the Doctor smiled, then he coughed up his drink. "Sorry, but did you say four months?"
Smash! Sasha jumped out of her seat, narrowly avoiding the shards of glass that erupted from the window, spilling out into the room as it shattered. Two men in black uniforms fell into the room through the window, armed with guns and red berets. The door was thrown off its hinges, scattered to a side as soldiers in black uniforms and guns engulfed the flat. The soldiers shouted and screamed at the Doctor and his friends, aiming their guns. The Doctor raised his arms, showing he meant no harm. Claire screamed, knocking over the plate of wafers and jumping into Sasha's arms in hysteria, who was too shocked to move.
"Point the guns down!" the Doctor screamed. "I don't mean any harm!"
"What are you doing in my home? Get out! Argh!" Claire screamed.
"Why are you here?" Sasha cried.
"Guns down, it's alright!" a familiar voice called from behind the line of soldiers. "You heard me, guns to the floor!"
The Doctor, relaxing a little from the initial panic, looked about the room. The soldiers were familiar. He recognised the guns, and the outfits with red berets. Even the symbol which sat on all of them was the very symbol he'd seem time after time again. The soldiers were from UNIT, and the voice was Kate Stewart.
"Sorry about this, Doctor. Every time we meet there are soldiers with guns," Kate joked, stepping out of the crowd into the centre of the room. "It must be the effect you have."
"What are you doing in my house?" Claire asked, calming down.
"Sorry for the intrusion, but we detected a surge of artron energy in the area, and the CCTV proved that it was the Doctor," Kate explained.
"Are you a friend of the Doctor?" Sasha asked.
"Yes. Kate Stewart, I work for UNIT," Kate introduced, shaking Sasha's hand. "I take it you're the latest of the Doctor's companions."
"Latest? You've made it sound like there are been loads," Sasha said, laughing a little.
"41," the Doctor coughed. Sasha's jaw dropped.
"UNIT?" Claire wondered. "What's UNIT? And why does it have an army?"
"It stands for Unified intelligence Taskforce," Kate explained. "We investigate alien, and potentially dangerous circumstances that are too classified for the police, which is more things than you could anticipate. The army is just a precaution. Some aliens are hostile."
"So, I'm guessing something's happened, otherwise you wouldn't have made such a fuss?" the Doctor asked Kate.
"Yes," Kate said, then turned to the army, "you can wait outside. What I have to say is highly classified, even for UNIT's army." The soldiers left the flat. "May I?" Kate asked, sitting on the sofa beside Sasha.
"So, what's happened?" the Doctor asked.
"A meteorite is heading to Earth," Kate began, "and is due to crash in approximately an hour. In usual circumstances, our army would blow up the meteorite, but there is a complication. From what we know, the meteorite is carrying an unknown life form, and we can't afford to destroy it, as the life form could fall back to Earth and harm the human population. We don't have the equipment to find out what the life form is, so we need your help. If the creature is dangerous, the meteorite must be destroyed by other means which won't harm our population."
"So, there's a meteorite with a potentially lethal life form on it, and we have an hour to discover the creature and stop the meteorite crashing onto the planet?" Sasha clarified, smiling slightly. "That would be such a good movie!"
"And what do you do if the meteorite is carrying a harmful life form?" the Doctor asked.
"Well, you've got a TARDIS. You could pull it to a different galaxy," Kate suggested.
Kate turned to Claire, who was typing on her smartphone in a hurry. "What are you doing?"
"Networking," Claire responded, not looking up from her phone. "I'm telling everyone about the meteorite."
Kate held out her hand. "Phone. Give it to me."
"What?" Claire gasped. "Why?"
"This information is top secret, not even UNIT soldiers are allowed to hear this. I've only entrusted this information with you as you are a travelling companion of the Doctor. The outer world can't find out; there would panic in the streets, a crash in the economy, theft. Trust me, it's best to not say anything until necessary."
"But people should be warned!"
"And there are already procedures in place for situations like this," Kate stated. "Now, phone. I'll be blocking all of our e-mail and social networking sites until the current situation is over."
Claire groaned, handing over her phone.
"So, the co-ordinates for the meteorite?" the Doctor asked.
"I'll send them to the TARDIS console," Kate explained.
"You can communicate with the TARDIS?" the Doctor panicked.
"We have an archive full off your possessions. Of course," Kate said, as if it were obvious.
"Come on, Sasha! We've got a job to do!" the Doctor called, heading towards the door of the flat.
"I'm coming!" Sasha said.
"Wait, hold on!" Claire cried. "Where are you going?"
"The TARDIS!" Sasha replied.
"The TARDIS? Was that what you were asking about yesterday?"
"Did I mention the TARDIS yesterday? I don't remember it."
"I'm sure you did . . . Hold on. The Doctor's companion? What does that mean?"
"Erm . . ." Sasha stuttered.
"We . . . Erm," the Doctor stammered. "I take Sasha on journeys."
"What does that mean?" Claire worried.
Sasha wasn't sure how to answer. She just stared at her friend, searching through the right answer in her mind. Nothing surfaced. "We have to go!" Sasha cried, pulling the Doctor out the door.
"Oh," the Doctor said, pausing to speak to Kate, "my other companion is at a house not far from here . . ."
"Alec Parker and Shannon Taylor?" Kate recalled. "We both recognised their faces when you arrived a week ago. They girl had been missing for months and suddenly appeared from the TARDIS; off course we noted her address. Why do you think the police gave up in their inquiry so easily? A quick nudge from UNIT and they were on their way; we couldn't risk details of one of your escapades being exposed."
"Good, good," the Doctor smiled, hurrying out the door.
"Where are they going?" Claire asked, still startled. "How are they going to stop the meteorite? UNIT? What's going on?"
"Are you not one of the Doctor's companions?" Kate wondered.
"No . . ." she muttered. "Who's that man Sasha's with? How come this all started when he got here?"
"Oh, he's the Doctor. And he's an extraordinary man. If you want to know more, talk to the Doctor, then we can bring you in for a screening."
"A screening?"
"Shush! Top secret," Kate smiled, stepping out the door.
"But the meteorite! What do I do?" Claire called.
"Just leave it to the Doctor!"