Ok. Bring on the death threats again. For hard core David Tennant/Tenth Doctor fans out there, I know, I hated writing this, but I wanted it to really stand out. For the rest of you...well...sorry anyway. It does get better! ^_^ *dodges various items being thrown at me from readers*

Chapter 18: Horrors and Ideas

I tried to, fearing how bad it was. My heart started pounding as the minutes ticked past. Then suddenly, an image filled my mind.

A podium stood erected in the middle of Central Park in Armidale. The Doctor, chained and wearing ripped clothes, was being held by two creatures that should only exist in nightmares: Xenomorphs. He looked to be in great discomfort, which, as I watched, escalated into pain. My heart already ached.

A third Xenomorph stood a few metres in front. "At long last the Doctor is ours!" It screamed in a horrible, screeching voice. "For 24 hours he has been in our custody. Now it is time for him to meet his end by finally becoming useful to us!"

I had a suspicion. I didn't want to think it was true.

The two holding the Doctor thrust him forward harshly into the wooden ground. He had started groaning and shifting about, eyes tight shut. "Why couldn't you have just given me a good old-fashioned beheading?" he gasped through clenched teeth.

"Our greatest enemy deserves to be of benefit at his death. And to all those out there who still support the Doctor, know that he will not be able to regenerate from this." The lead Xenomorph hissed.

Suddenly the Doctor screamed and a cracking noise filled the air. It was then that I knew my suspicion was true.

"No, no, stop!" I shouted, not wanting to see it, but I had no choice.

His face was contorted in pain as another crack echoed, followed by a second scream. His shirt tore in two as the creature burst its way through his chest.

"NO!"

He screamed louder, and it ended in a horrific gurgling sound as the blood filled his throat. My eyes were glued to his face, blank and stained red…Above it all high, cold laughter filled the skies…

The terrible picture faded. Backing away slowly, breathing so heavily that I was starting to hyperventilate, I stared into space, my mind's eye reliving the Doctor's death over and over again.

I didn't even realise I was sobbing until my back hit a wall. I slid down it, letting the tears fall.

"Talia?"

I couldn't recognise the voice; I was too much in shock. (Even if you were his best friend you'd react this way…that was pretty bad). My hand flew to my mouth. I felt slightly ill from the gore of the scene. "No, no, no, no, no, no…Doctor…no…" I kept whispering. Then I murmured, over and over, "Not my Doctor, not my Doctor."

"Your Doctor is still alive. We haven't got that consolation."

That was Martha, her voice gentle, yet troubled over what she, too, had again seen. She came and placed a hand on my shoulder. "You need to calm down. I know it was one heck of a shock."

I took a deep breath and nodded, squeezing my eyes shut one last time. Martha pulled me to my feet and led me to the bathroom, where I was given a towel and told to have a shower. I was impressed that they had gotten plumbing down here, but couldn't really be bothered to ask how just then. After the shower, I walked back to the main room, feeling utterly exhausted.

"It's late. I think we should all get some sleep. Now Talia's back, we might actually have something to do tomorrow." Sarah-Jane's voice cut through the tired haze my mind had slipped into.

"I can't sleep." I said truthfully. Although I felt as though the second I put my head down I would be unconscious, I was scared to sleep after what I'd seen.

"Here." Martha was holding a pill.

"What's that?"

"Sleeping pill. Guaranteed to knock you out for six hours, works fast and has no side effects." She rattled off.

"Thanks."

Everyone said goodnight and headed in different directions, except Martha and Mickey. I was led to my room by Rose, before taking the pill. She was right, despite my horror, I was unconscious in under thirty seconds…

When I woke I had no idea of telling whether or not it was morning except for the clock next to the bed. Right time, then, six in the morning. It felt very odd to not be waking up in the TARDIS.

It seemed that my subconscious had locked away yesterday's experience, something I found helped me to get up, get dressed and get on with the day. I headed back out to the main room and found a breakfast there waiting that was as normal as any: toast and tea. I ate, though without too much enthusiasm.

"Right, well today we should…um…Talia, you're flickering?" Rose began to explain before frowning at me.

I groaned in frustration upon glancing down and finding out that it looked as though I was being teleported again. I looked back up at her, trying to convey my apologies.

"I think the TARDIS is taking me back. I'm sorry!" was all I could get out before she and the room disappeared.

I arrived in the TARDIS with a thud, stumbling again until the console room righted itself.

"Talia!"

I turned. Words could not describe the joy I felt upon seeing him, my Doctor, alive and well. We were together in a second, each of us gripping the other in the tightest of hugs.

"Oh, Doctor, my Doctor, you're alive!" I cried, squeezing him tight and burying my head in his chest.

"Of course I'm alive!" he snapped, pushing me away to arms' length and giving me a thorough look-over. "What about you? Are you alright? Are you hurt? What happened? Where were you?"

His eyes were wild, his voice husky. There were black shadows around his eyes as well. I had a funny feeling that he hadn't left the console room since I'd been gone.

"I'm fine." I said: with the Doctor, that was the first thing to establish. "Completely fine. As to where I've been…well…how about we go to the lounge and I'll explain there."

He nodded before pulling me into another hug and kissing me gently on the forehead.

As we sat down on the comfortable couch (he still wouldn't remove his arms from around me), I explained all about the other world and their problems.

"So you see, she couldn't send you, because you would be killed on sight. I don't know how she found out about them, but they really do need help." I finished after over an hour of speaking.

By this time he was sitting a few inches away and, upon that last comment he pulled both his hands over his face. "Well…for some reason she's got you linked to her mainframe. You've got 12 hours with me before she sends you back, and there's nothing I can do to stop that, I'm afraid. I've tried everything, but she's being so stubborn. I suppose you'll just have to stay underground for as long as it takes me to work out a way to fix this."

"Weren't you listening?" I asked, grabbing his chin so he had to face me. "Doctor, I want to, no, I need to help them! Come on, it's Rose and Martha! They need my help! I can't just go there and do nothing."

He put his head back on the sofa, his eyes tight shut and his mouth set in the expression that told me he was very much not happy.

"Oh, and by the way…" I continued. "You weren't too nasty to the TARDIS, were you?"

He looked at me then, his eyes now dark. "Didn't you see when you came back? Half the console's ripped to pieces."

I frowned. "Oh, Doctor, you shouldn't have done that. She did something good by sending me there. Surely…"

He interrupted me, his patience suddenly at an end. "Talia, please understand! You disappeared right in front of my eyes! I had no idea where you were, or if you were hurt or if you would ever come back! I thought, for 12 hours, that I had lost you forever! Of course I was going to rip the TARDIS apart to try and get you back! Heck, when I lost Rose I ripped up a star! I wasn't going to let another person I loved vanish never to be seen again!"

I had flinched away from his anger. He frowned at me, trying to get me to understand. I did, and I embraced him again. But I also wanted him to understand.

"Doctor, I love you more than I've ever loved anyone, but I've got to go back and I've got to do my best to help them otherwise they will die. I promise you I will do my best to keep myself safe, but that might not always be possible. I would rather die doing something good for my friends rather than hide in a tunnel until the TARDIS gets tired and brings me back for good while they suffer and die."

I spoke slowly. I knew he couldn't argue; he was exactly the same. He knew that I knew that. I could tell that he was conflicted between anger and admiration.

"Fine." He said the word bitterly, turning away from me. I reached out and put my hand on his shoulder.

"Doctor, if we've only got 12 hours, let's not spend it with you upset, please?"

Again, he couldn't disagree. Sighing, he turned back and asked, "What do you want to do?"

"I think you can actually help the situation." I told him. "You've got the biggest library in the universe, I need to find out how to rid the Earth of the Xenomorphs; let's get researching!"

That got him excited. Xenomorphs obviously existed in this universe as well, although the Doctor hardly knew anything about them. So, we started looking through the library's vast catalogue and devouring book after book, searching for a weakness.

Hours passed, but it was lovely! We were like two nerds studying for an exam.

"A-ha!" he yelled suddenly, running over. "I've got it! They've only got one weakness, and I don't know how it will work, but…"

"Tell me." I said.

"Xenomorphs only have one predator in the entire universe: Daleks." His voice was low, his eyes darting over the page at the same speed his mind must have been going at. "If they hear a Dalek, they will run immediately, leaving the entire planet."

"Excellent!" I exclaimed, grinning. I was met with confusion.

"How is that excellent? What're you going to do, lure Daleks to Earth? You'll end up in a worse situation." He snapped the book shut and placed it on a table.

"Of course not!" I gasped, exasperated that he thought I could even have that idea. "All we need is a recording amplified by a sonic device to echo all over the planet, repeating over and over. If all it takes is for them to hear a Dalek, then hear one they will."

"How?"

He was so cute when confused.

"We need to go and visit a man called Nicholas Briggs." I began, before explaining how, in my universe, he was the voice of the Daleks. All we needed to do was ask him to repeat the voice of the alien invaders from two years ago.

The Doctor was stunned. "That's brilliant! Allons-y!"

So, what do you think of her idea? Well, part of her idea anyway. The rest will be explained next chapter.