Sasha gulped for air, only to inhale two lungs' worth of smoke and ash. There was only fire. She could feel its heat washing over her body, bathing her in its deadly grasp as its deep orange light flickered. A shard of metal fell from above her as the ship fell apart. Ash and rubble tumbled like dust. Darkness filled her eyes, and where there wasn't darkness there was burning. Chunks of Dalek bodies were scattered as they exploded. Only ever destruction.

Even her limbs were burning, aching as she moved, trying to crawl away from the fire, but it caught up with her. She couldn't. She didn't have the energy. All hope was lost as Sasha collapsed onto her back, resting in her fiery coffin.

There may not have been a silver lining . . . but there was a white light. In the distance, Sasha was sure she could see a white light. Then came the mechanical wheezing and groaning that reminded Sasha of the comfort that she needed at that very moment.

"You came back . . ." Sasha coughed, choking on the smoke but smiling nevertheless.

The TARDIS landed. The blue box stood amongst the fire and the burning, untouched by the deadly heat. It could've been a God, bathed in white light, never crumbling, never fading. The white light grew closer, seeping into Sasha's eyes as the TARDIS doors opened. Out stepped the Lord of Time himself.

Sasha watched, her vision fading into dark blurs, as the timeless man stepped towards her. Flames licked his heels, but he remained untouched, striding through the metal paths of hell in his Crombie coat.

"Help me . . ." Sasha gasped, her eyes flitting shut; her outstretched hand drooping to the floor as she slipped into a deep unconsciousness.

"I've got you," the Doctor whispered. He stood over Sasha weak, crumpled body, and grasped her in his arms. He took carried her, through the flames and the Dalek destruction, back into the white light that wondered from the heavenly blue box.

Claire Hodgson fixed her stethoscope around her neck and placed a pen in her pocket. She yawned, tightening her hair back into a bun and spat out her coffee, realising that she definitely preferred tea. "Come on, what've I got next?"

"Um . . ." the Head Ward Sister thought, tapping her fingers against an x-ray she'd been gazing at, clueless, for the past ten minutes. "There's a woman, mid-twenties, with mild burns and severe smoke inhalation."

"A fire?" Claire guessed.

"Well done, flippin' Sherlock!" the Sister shrugged.

"Jesus! You're cranky today!" Sasha gasped.

"Hey! Enough of that. I can't be bothered today. Just get some work done, then it's a round on me."

"You can't have alcohol in a hospital."

"Not beer. Doughnuts!"

Claire just laughed, giggling to herself as she walked through a set of large doors into the resuscitation room. Immediately, her laughing smile was struck down into a confused, almost tearful expression. Her hope sank to Atlantic depths.

Laid on a hospital bed, tubed to machines, Sasha's life was on weighing scales.

"What . . .?" Claire gasped, covering her mouth in shock. She looked around the room, where she spotted the Doctor, whose head was slumped on the shoulder of a blonde haired woman. "Doctor?"

The Doctor looked up. "Claire?"

"What the hell happened to her?" Claire snapped.

"I'm sorry. I tried to help her, I really did but . . ." the Doctor trailed off his sentence, leaning in to hug Claire.

"No! Don't touch me! I don't need . . ." Claire gave up her fight, relaxing as she hugged the Doctor back, enjoying the warmth. "What happened, Doctor? The last time we met, you said something about a meteorite?"

"This is something different," the Doctor explained. "There was some trouble."

"What trouble?"

The Doctor gulped. "I'm sorry but I shouldn't say."

Claire pushed the Doctor away from her. "What? You can't say? You've only been in her life for a week and already she's in a critical state. You'd better tell me or I swear to God I will have the police dragging you away with cracked knuckles if that's what it takes to get an answer out of you!" she snapped. "A while ago, she told me not to mention, but she came into my flat in a state. She didn't make sense; she was saying nonsense. She said she couldn't tell me what had happened, and now you're doing the same. I'm not asking you, Doctor, I'm telling you: explain what's going on!"

"It's you," Alec gasped, standing out of his seat. "It didn't recognise you at first, but now I do."

"I'm sorry, but who exactly are . . .?" Claire spun around, facing Alec. She recognised him immediately. She remembered the face of that teenage boy from ten years ago. "How is that possible?"

"Claire, it's me, Alec."

"I know who you are," Claire replied. "It's the how that's confusing me. You were lost! You were missing for ten whole years! None of this makes sense! First I had Sasha crying her eyes out; then there were soldier in my flat, telling me a meteorite was going to hit London; now my best friend's in critical condition and her brother, who went missing as a teenager, has reappeared ten years later with not a day of it on his face. I can't . . . This is 's going on? This doesn't make sense!"

"Claire, let me explain," the Doctor offered.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Claire screamed.

"Nurse Hodgson!" a Doctor snapped. "This is a hospital; please don't disturb our patients. I'll have to call security to remove you from the building if you do not comply."

"That's fine," Claire insisted, breathing deeply to calm herself, "I was leaving anyway."

"Claire . . ."

"No, Doctor!" Claire snapped. "Stay in her with Sasha. Look after her. I just need some time . . ." she stormed out of the room, her reddened eyes drowning in tears.

"I should . . ."

"No, Doctor," River interrupted, stopping the Doctor from chasing after Claire. "I'll go after her. Don't worry, I'll explain everything. She's involved now; she deserved to know." Silently, River left, leaving the other three to watch over Sasha.

As River left, the room was filled with an electronic beeping. Panic thickened, deepening into hysteria as doctors and nurses rushed into the room, surrounding Sasha's body. Someone held Alec back – he didn't know who; it didn't matter. All he could do was watch, dizzy with fear as the room was filled with hurried voices.

"What's happening to Sasha?" Alec cried, pushing whoever held him back to get to his sister. "Someone tell me!"

Shannon appeared, clutching his shoulders as she gently eased him away from Sasha. "Sssh," she soothed him. "Alec, you have to stay calm. You need to stay back so the doctors can make her better."

"But I need to be here," Alec pleaded, reaching out.

"No!" Shannon snapped, having to drag Alec out of the room into a corridor. "You need to leave!"

"But she's sick. I want to be near her!" Alec insisted.

"They're taking her to surgery," the Doctor said, appearing beside Shannon in the corridor. "She'll be fine. It just looks a bit scary; that's all."

"Sit down," Shannon insisted, easing Alec into chair. "It'll be ok."

"Yeah . . . Ok . . ." Alec muttered, starting to settle. The doors to the resuscitation room opened as Sasha was taken to surgery, dragged by doctors in a hospital bed. "Sasha . . ." Alec stuttered, reaching out to his sister. For a moment, there hands met, but not for long as she was rushed away. Shannon hugged Alec.

Calm. Finally, a moment of silence from the tears and the havoc that had persisted – like a secret desperate to unravel.

"Shannon?" a voice asked from down the corridor.

Shannon looked up from Alec's shoulder. Down the corridor, there was a woman with blonde hair, wearing a cardigan and jeans. Immediately, Shannon stood up. Alec watched her, wondering whether the expression on her face was happiness r dread. He soon realised that dread would be correct.

"Mum, why are you here?" Shannon asked.

"Your nan's gone and twisted her ankle while gettin' off the bus again," Shannon's mum, Francesca, said. "It's worked out fine cos I was lookin' for you anyways. Come on, let's get goin'!"

"Not now, Mum," Shannon begged.

"How come? What's goin' on anyways? Why are you here?" Francesca inquired. She noticed Alec. "Oh. Right. It's that boy again – the one that's making you keep secrets."

"He's not making me keep secrets," Shannon corrected.

"I wouldn't believe that if it were written in gold. Come on."

"Mum, don't make me do this," Shannon pleaded.

"It's ok," Alec said. "Go home. We'll come back for you when Sasha's ok again."

"But you won't be able to," Shannon sobbed.

"Why?" Alec asked, a little confused.

"Haven't you told him? Come on. Get it over with so we can go; the train leaves in an hour," Francesca insisted.

"What train?" Alec worried.

"It's . . ." Shannon stuttered. "Alec . . ."

"What is it?"

"I'm leaving London. We've got trains tickets booked and we're going."

"That's fine. The TARDIS can still get to you."

"That's not the point!" Shannon cried. Her body was shaking a little. "My Mum doesn't want me to be around you anymore."

"What?"

"I know. It's stupid. Mum still thinks there's something going on ever since I've disappeared. She's paranoid and thinks you've got something to do with it. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. But I can't see you again," Shannon sobbed, tears forming in her eyes.

"What?" Alec gasped. "You can't be serious."

"I wish I wasn't," Shannon apologised, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Mums sorted it for us to leave in an hour."

"Yeah, so we'd better get a shift on," Francesca called.

"Not now, Mum!" Shannon cried. "Can't you see that I'm talking?"

"Just tell her that you don't want to go," Alec suggested, a flicker of hope in his eyes.

Shannon shook her head. "I know how ridiculous it sounds, but I think I want to go."

"But just minutes ok we had plans. I was going to stop at Earth every other day so we could spend some more time together."

"I don't want to be burden, and I would be if I keep dragging you back here."

"You wouldn't be a burden. Don't you understand that I want to be a bigger part in your life?"

"I know. And I'd like that. But really? It's just a fantasy that we've created into an illusion. This sort of a relationship can't last . . ." A moment's silence. "This scares me, Alec. Even if this relationship did last, then it would end how things have happened now – with you caught up in destruction. Look at what's happened to your sister; I don't want it to happen to you. It's selfish, I know, but I can't afford to be dragged into this danger. My life's already been changed since the first time we met . . . I can't let it happen again."

"But this is a good thing!" Alec insisted, stepping forwards and holding Shannon's hands. "You mean everything to me, Shannon, so don't do this."

"What about Sasha? Your sister needs you more than I do, and more than I ever will do. I'm stopping this now before both of us get hurt." Slowly, Shannon removed her hands from Alec's warming hold. She walked to her mother, where she began to disappear into the distance.

"SHANNON!" Alec called, his eyes red and glistening with tears. "Please . . ."

Shannon stopped. She turned to her mother and told her to wait, then she ran back down the corridor towards Alec. She took his hands in hers and spoke to him. "If this wasn't so complicated then I would've dropped everything for you. Derbyshire tore my life apart in his cold, cruel hands, and you've build me back again. You have changed my life in so many ways and I want you to know that it was for the better. Don't remember me as the girl that you couldn't have; remember me as the girl that you should have had. You deserve better, Alec Parker. What am I? I'm just Shannon Taylor from that crappy housing estate."

"No!" Alec snapped. "You're Shannon Taylor. You're funny and sweet and brave and beautiful. I'm not worth that single tear that's caught in your eye right now, because you deserve better than me and better than anyone you'll ever meet."

"Is that so?" Shannon smiled. "Even still, that won't change anything. We need to move on, Alec. You need to jump in your blue box and fly away through the universe. I need to be a better daughter because that's what my mum deserves."

"If this is about who deserves what, then what do you deserve? Surely you're about to give up on something that you deserve?"

"Oh, I know what I deserve," Shannon grinned. She leaned forwards, lifting off her toes as she kissed Alec's soft, warm lips. For that one moment, Francesca and the Doctor disappeared from the corridor, leaving nothing but the warmth and intimacy that connected them. All was gold and the red of lips. Slowly, wanting to hold on to that deep closeness, Shannon pulled away. "I think you deserved that too."

Alec stepped back a little, his whole body tingling. "Why won't you stay?"

"Sssh," Shannon whispered. "The girl you should have had, remember."

Alec never saw Shannon again. The kiss was his last memory of her beautiful face. Some memories are made to be remembered. The girl he should have had . . .

"Back to the start, hey," River smiled, leaning against the TARDIS console as she and the Doctor landed, not quite sure of where.

"We're back where we started, not the start," the Doctor corrected her, definitely a little solemn.

"Smile, Doctor. For me," River pleaded. "You escaped with them both; that's a success. And I know you blame yourself for what's happened, but remember this: you tried as hard as you could. You walked through an exploding ship to rescue Sasha, and you could've stopped Shannon from leaving. Either way, you destroyed the Daleks."

"Sasha destroyed the Daleks."

"And you gave her one hell of a starting point," River grinned.

"What is it, River?" the Doctor asked abruptly.

"What's what?" River inquired, a little confused.

"What's coming for me? Ever since the Angels, I can tell that you've been hiding something from me. I see this look in your eyes, and it's like you're sad."

"Then don't look into my eyes."

"But how about that cut on your leg? How did that happen? And you keep hinting at something in my future. I want to know."

"You know I can't tell you."

"Please, just tell me. A hint? A spoiler?"

"Maybe," River grinned. She walking towards the doors and opened them, stepping halfway out the TARDIS. "He's coming for you, Doctor. He's returning from your past, and now he's going to destroy your future. It's already happened for me, so there's no turning back. What's about to happen is fixed in history."

The Doctor raised his eyebrows; curiosity and worry building inside him. "What's fixed? Who's coming for me?"

"Oh," River grinned. "I think we both know who. I won't tell you, of course. Spoilers," she laughed, closing the TARDIS doors behind her.

The Doctor chuckled to himself as he spun the TARDIS through time, flicking switches and pulling levers. "I think we both know who."

"You ok?" Alec asked, clutching Sasha's limp hand. She was still unconscious. It was dark. A little moonlight entered through the window, along with the deep amber of a street light on the kerb. "You'd better be ok, Sis. Great. I'm talking to myself now. You can't even hear me, can you? I bet your just dreaming about unicorns or biscuits or some holiday you're planning that's never going to happen." Suddenly, Alec leaned closer to his sister's body, grasping her hand in both of his. "Be better!" he pleaded. "Please, for me, do one thing: get better. Wake up, at least. I want to see those eyes open, and your fingers twitching. No? You always were a boring old cow. Now I really wish you can't hear me," Alec laughed, a tear rolling as he chuckled. "Wake up. Please . . . Wake up."

Sasha didn't do anything – she just lay there, unconscious.

"I need you. Don't just give up when your brother needs you!" Alec begged. "I remember when Mum died. Emily Parker. She lay in a bed just like this one as we sat beside her dying body, just like I am now. I won't let it happen again; not with you. I've lost too much today, so you'd better wake up! Come on . . . One push . . . Please . . . For me . . ."

Slowly, Alec was aware of a twitching between his hands. He opened his clamped palms, watching as a set of fingers began to move. A smile lit up across his face. "Yes . . ." Alec laughed. "Yes!"

"I knew she'd be fine," the Doctor smiled, leaning against the door of the room.

"She's awake. She's going to be better. Thank you!" Alec cried.

"Thank the surgeons; I didn't do anything," the Doctor declined.

"You walked through a burning ship to save her. I owe you at least this," Alec insisted, jumping into the Doctor's arms for a warm hug.

"Oh . . . Ok," the Doctor stuttered. "I'm not particularly comfortable with this, Alec."

"Shut up," Alec said, squeezing the Doctor even tighter.

"Here," the Doctor offered, handing Alec a piece of plastic. "There's a hotel on this street. Room four one three. Get yourself a good night's sleep. I thought you should be nearer to Sasha. I'll take the TARDIS for a spin; back in the morning."

Alec accepted the room key. "Thanks. You're too kind. You know, when we first started travelling, I was sure you hated me."

"No. I never hated you. I was testing you, that's all. I wanted to see what type of person you were. You're kind, brave and adventurous; I like people like that."

"Thanks . . . It's creepy that I have to thank you so much today."

"Ok, I hated you a little." Alec just laughed. "Back in the morning?"

"Anytime you like," Alec grinned. "I'll be here. You'll be anywhere. Just one last time, Doctor: thank you."

"My pleasure, Alec Parker. I hope Sasha gets better. I really do. Anyway, I should be going now. Look after yourself, Alec. I'll be seeing you soon." Alec watched as the Doctor closed the door behind him, suddenly disappearing.

As the latch of the door clicked, Sasha gasped, jolting upwards as she woke. She shook out her hair, her eyes still adjusting. Immediately, she hugged Alec, nearly breaking his ribs. "Are you ok?" she gasped.

"Yeah, of course. We were more worried about you, to be honest," Alec replied.

"I heard the door close," Sasha started to remember. "Anyone important? Who was it?"

A smile spread through Alec, yet he hid it, almost revelling in the thrill of his little secret. "It was no-one. Just a doctor."

"Hello. This is Captain Rippon. Can I take a name please?"

"Yes. Erm . . . Francesca Taylor."

"Ok, Miss Taylor. What is it you have to tell me?"

" . . . It's about my daughter - Shannon."

"Shannon Taylor? Yes, I'm aware of her. What is the problem?"

"There's this boy she knows. His name is Alec Parker. I don't know how, but he was involved in her disappearance. I've taken Shannon away to get shot of this boy, but even still, I'm sure that we need to stay away from him."

" . . . Alec Parker? We have his name on file."

"Ha! I thought so. He's dangerous! Alec Parker is a danger to this nation and I need to trust you to catch him. Keep him away from me and my daughter and anyone else. Get Alec!"

"Don't worry, Miss Taylor. We'll get him."

OH MY GOD! Thanks so much for reading this series! I'd really like some feedback, and I'd appreciate if you could tell me whether you'd be interested in a second series. Thanks so much, I hope you've enjoyed every chapter. Thanks guys! I'll be back with a Christmas special later this month :)