So...Hello. Nice to see you all. Yup...it's me. I'm back. I...have no excuses.

How did you all like the 60th Anniversary and Christmas-special? Because I-for one, LOVED them. So so good.

And yes I am fully not explaining where I was.

As always, please remember that I do not own Doctor Who. Alessia and a few others are mine, but the Canon Characters are not.

I cross-post on AO3.


Chapter 11: World War III

The four were staring at the body when another appeared, a smirk on her face. "Oh! Has someone been naughty?" She asked, stepping into the cabinet room. It was almost instinctual for Alessia to stand in front of Harriet and Rose, wanting to protect them from the woman, feeling rather slimy in the same room as her. "That's impossible. He left this afternoon," Ganesh said in disbelief, looking from the trio of women to the bigger woman, "The Prime Minister left Downing Street. He was driven away!"

"And who told you that, hm?" She said, stepping closer to the three. Reaching her hand out, Alessia pulled Ganesh over, pushing him behind her. "Me," the woman continued nonplussed. The quartet slowly moved back as the woman lifted her hair, a zipper showing. "What is that?" Alessia asked eyes narrowed.

"Oh, dearie me, just see," she said, a smirk on her face as a shining green light in their eyes. Rose and Harriet had to cover their eyes, mounting horror in Alessia's as she watched. "Oh my god," she whispered." Pushing his way in front of them, Ganesh pushed the three behind, urging them out of the door.

"Run! We need to run," he yelled, pushing the others out.

"No, wait! They're still in there. The emergency protocols! We need them," Harriet called frantically.

"No time, our lives are a little more important," Alessia said with a shake of her head, pushing the older woman in front of her. Only when both Rose and Harriet were well in front of her, did she start to run, reaching out to grasp Ganesh's hand. "No one left behind," she told him seriously, a crash heard behind them.

In their run, Alessia made sure to stay in the back the entire time, putting herself as the first line of defense to the others. It was only luck that saved her, as they had just passed the lift, the door opening to the Doctor. "Hello!" He said, stepping in the way of the creature. Distracting her entirely, Alessia pushed the women and Ganesh into a large sitting room. "Hide," Rose called, quickly stepping behind the cabinet. Ganesh and Alessisa looked to one another, but the male quickly ducked behind another cabinet, Harriet hiding behind the screen.

Only once the three had hidden, did Alessia drop behind one of the couches, creeping behind it as the creature walked in. Her voice, echoing and sounding almost serpentine could be heard, a shiver running down Alessia's spine. "Oh, such fun," Margaret said, Alessia peaking her head out to see the creature sweeping it's arm out. "LIttle human children, where are you? Sweet little humeykins, come to me. Let me kiss you better, kiss you with my big, green lips."

Alessia gagged at the thought, head shaking before ducking her head, just as Margaret looked her way. Neither saw how Rose moved from the cabinet to the curtain, but all heard as two more green aliens entered the room. "My brothers," Margaret all but cooed, Alessia frowning from her hiding spot.

"Happy hunting?" One could be heard asking.

"It's wonderful," She said, "The more you prolong it, the more they stink."

"Sweat and fear," Another said, stepping closer to where Ganesh hid.

"I can smell an old girl. Stale bird and brittle bones," the first said, Alessia's eyes narrowing.

"Another, all masculine, a young man. Sturdy enough to pick the meat from," the other said.

"A ripe youngster, all homes and adrenaline. Fresh enough to bend before she snaps," Margaret continued, approaching the curtains. Alessia, from her vantage point, could just barely make out Rose's shoes hiding, as one of the brother's spoke. "And another woman, though her smell is muted, her heartbeat…it is del-"

Rose screamed as the curtains were pushed away, Alessia scooting back as one of the aliens suddenly appeared in front of her. Reaching blindly behind her, she screamed, grabbing onto a small statuette and hurling it at the alien. "No! Take me first! Take me!" Harriet yelled, stepping from her hiding place and in front of Rose. Alessia felt a wave of affection for the older woman, glad that she was so ready to defend the blonde, even as she ran towards the exit. Maybe she could distract them…

That is until she opened the door, the Doctor running in the room. Her eyes widened as he hit them with CO2, the spray hit the closest creature to the two before the two looked at the others. "Out, with me!" It was in that moment that everything seemed to move, Ganesh barelling out of the way and down the hall, yelling all the while, and causing the other green-faced alien to chase after him, and on the other side of the room…The brunette watched as Harriet and Rose worked together, pulling the curtains over Margaret before running over to stand behind her. "Who the hell are you?" The Doctor asked, eyes trained on the creatures in front of them.

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North," Harriet said, pulling out her badge. Alessia grinned, stepping back.

"Nice to meet you," The Doctor responded.

"Likewise," she responded, just as he used the last of the CO2. As one, the four ran out of the room.

-x-x-x-

It didn't take long before they had managed to get away from the others, the foursome quickly approaching the Cabinet Room once again. "We need to get into the Cabinet Room," the Doctor explained, Alessia nodding her head.

"The Emergency Protocols are in there, they give instructions for aliens," Harriet shared with the group. Rose and Alessia grinned at one another as they ran into the room, the Doctor's call of "Harriet Jones, I like you," heard and Harriet's shared sentiment.

Once the four were in the room, Alessia was quick to close the only other door they could get through while the Doctor grabbed a decanter, standing in the doorway. "One more move and my sonic device will triplicate the flammability of this alcohol. Whoof, we all go up. So back off," The Doctor spoke with such conviction, Alessia could have believed him, if she didn't know his dislike of violence. She missed the look Harriet and Rose shared, moving to stand behind him, next to Harriet, arms crossed over her chest. "Right then. Question time. Who exactly are the Slitheen?"

"They're aliens," Harriet said, an attempt to be helpful.

"Yes. I got that, thanks."

"Who are you, if not human?" The one of the far left said, causing Alessia to frown. Now, how would they know that?

"Who's not human?" Harriet asked.

"He's not human," Rose answered.

"He's not human?" There was Harriet again, confusion in her voice. Alessia was ready to answer, before the Doctor cut her off.

"Can I have a bit of hush?" With Harriet's quiet 'sorry,' the Doctor was once again focused on the Slitheen. "So what's the plan?" The Doctor asked.

"But he's got a Northern accent?"

"Lots of planets have a north," Rose and Alessia said, speaking in unison. The two shot each other a look, a grin on their faces even as the Doctor gave out a huff.

"I said shush," he said, "Come on. You've got a spaceship hidden in the North Sea. It's transmitting a signal. You've murdered your way to the top of government. What for, invasion?"

"Why would we invade this God-forsaken rock?" That gave Alessia paused, If not invasion, then why?

"Then something's brought the Slitheen race here. What is it?" The Doctor asked, just as confused as the three women behind.

"The Slitheen race?" One said, laugher heard between the three. "Slitheen is not our species. Slitheen is our surname. Jocrassa Fel Fotch Pasameer-Day-Slitheen at your service."

"You're a family," Alessia breathed out, "And what? This is just…family business?"

"Oh the young one gets it!" The creature in front of them spoke, seeming to nod their head.

"Then you're out to make a profit," the Doctor said in realization, lowering the alcohol in his hand slightly as he looked at them, "How can you do that on a God-forsaken rock?" Frowning, Alessia stepped back, glancing towards the two women beside her. They shared a look before looking forward again, one of the creatures speaking. "Ah, excuse me? Your device will do what? Triplicate the flammability?"

"Is that what I said?" She had to stop herself from groaning, eyes rolling back as she contemplated her life up to that point. Well, at least she could say she got to see the future, the past, and an alien planet before she died…right?

"Ah, well! Nice try. Harriet, have a drink. I think you're gonna need it." Said woman shook her head, clutching the red box in her hand. "You pass it on the left first," she explained.

"Sorry," the Doctor said, shrugging as he passed the drink to Rose instead. Alessia could have laughed if she wasn't so focused on the creatures before them. "Now we can end this hunt with a slaughter," the same from before spoke.

"Shouldn't we run?" Rose asked.

"Run, where exactly?" Alessia asked in return, an eyebrow raised as she waved her hand around them. Rose had the decency to look at her sheepishly, before the Doctor was reaching over, patting each on the shoulder. "Fascinating history, Downing Street," he said, putting everyone's attention back on him, "Two thousand years ago, this was marsh land. 1730, it was occupied by a Mister Chicken. He was a nice man. 1796, this was the Cabinet Room. If the Cabinet's in session and in danger, these are about the four most safest walls in the whole of Great Britain. End of lesson." Alessia blinked as a panel was hit, the foursome surrounded in metal. The Doctor, for his part, simply turned to look at the three women, a smile on his face. "Installed in 1991. Three inches of steel lining every single wall. They'll never get in."

"And we'll never get out," Alessia responded with a smirk, giggling when realization dawned on the man's face.

"Ah," he said.

-x-x-x-

Seating herself in one of the chairs, Alessia threw her legs up to the table, crossing them at the ankle, and closed her eyes, ignoring both the smirk the Doctor had, and the look of horror coming from Harriet. "Right, so we do we have?" The Doctor asked, walking around the room, checking the interior, "Any terminals, anything?"

"Nope," Alessia said. "This place is antique."

"What I don't get is," Rose said, falling into a chair next to her best friend, unsurprised at her antics, "When they killed the Prime Minister, why didn't they use him as a disguise?"

"He's too slim. They're big old beasts. They need to fit inside big humans," The Doctor explained.

"But the Slitheen are about eight feet, how do they fit inside?"

"Pretty sure it's the device on their necks," Alessia offered, finally opening her eyes and looking to the Doctor for confirmation. He simply nodded his head.

"It is," He confirmed, "Compression field. Literally shrinks them down a bit. That's why there's all that gas. It's an exchange for the space."

"Fascinating, I wonder how they were able to make that the only space," Alessia mused quietly, Rose grinning and nodding her head.

"Wish I had a compression field. I could fit a size smaller." She joked.

"Excuse me! People are dead," Harriet interrupted, causing both women to look at her, "This is not the time for making jokes or contemplating the hows."

"Sorry," Alessia apologized.

"You get used to this stuff when you're friends with him," Rose said, pointing to the Doctor. If he looked affronted by the accusation, Alessia pretended not to notice, a smirk growing on her face as Harriet spoke matter of factly. "Well, that's a strange friendship."

"You're not wrong," Alessia said with a smile, just as the Doctor chimed in.

"Harriet Jones. I've heard that name before…Harriet Jones. You're not famous for anything, are you?"

"She's the MP for Flydale North. Labour party, trying to do a lot of good for people, not that you'd ever know that with the way our current…mmm, perhaps I best not," Alessia said, causing the woman to look at her, a smile on her face.

"I'm just a backbencher, I'm afraid," she deferred, "The Protocols are redundant. They list the people who could help in this situation and they're all dead downstairs."

"Hasn't it got defence codes or anything?" Rose asked, arms crossing as she looked at the box that was now on the table, "Couldn't we just launch a nuclear bomb at them?"

"Rose!" Alessia looked at her friend in horror.

"What? I'm serious we could!"

"Absolutely not. A nuclear bomb wouldn't just wipe them out but us and everyone else! No bombs," Alessia responded.

"Well, what do you suggest then?"

"I-I don't know! I just…" Alessia groaned, sliding further into her seat. Harriet and the Doctor watched the two argue back and forth, a grim look on the Doctor's, while Harriet shook her head.

"While your friend may have a point, it wouldn't matter anyway. Nuclear strikes do need a release code, but it's kept secret by the United Nations," Harriet spoke, steepling her hands together. Rose frowned, arms crossing as she stood up from her seat, pacing the room.

"Say that again," The Doctor said, looking at the woman.

"What, about the codes?"

"Anything, all of it!"

"Well, the British Isles can't gain access to atomic weapons without a Special Resolution from the UN," Harriet explained, causing Rose to huff in indignation.

"As if that's ever stopped them," she grumbled.

"That's exactly why they took it…right?" Alessia chimed in, looking to Harriet. The woman nodded her head. "Exactly, given our past record. And I voted against that, thank you very much. The codes have been taken out of the government's hands and given to the UN. Is it important?" The Doctor nodded his head, something clearly running through his mind as he moved to sit down. "Everything's important."

Harriet sighed, tapping her fingers together. " If we only knew what the Slitheen wanted," She said, before laughing, "Listen to me. I'm saying Slitheen as if it's normal."

"What do they want, though?" Rose asked.

"Mmm, well they are a family. Just one family, so it's not an invasion," Alessia tossed out.

"They're out to make money," the Doctor said in realization.

"But-" Alessia sat up, sliding her legs from the table and placing them on the ground, "That means they're out to make money…right?"

"Yes. Some kind of asset, something here on Earth." Alessia frowned, her mind rapidly turning over the evidence and knowledge of what it could be that they wanted as Harriet chimed in.

"Gold? Oil? Water?" She suggested.

"You're very good at this," the Doctor praised.

"Thank you."

"Harriet Jones…why do I know that name?" He mused quieter, more so to himself than anyone else in the room. The room was tense and quiet as they all fell into their collective thoughts. Sliding further into her chair, Alessia eyed the decanter before looking towards the Doctor, lips pursing. "Doctor," She started, the man turning to her, "Do you think-" Anything else she may have said was cut off with a loud ping. All eyes turned to Rose as she pulled her cell phone from her pocket, the blonde looking at it. "Oh! That's me," she said.

"But we're sealed off," Harriet said, confused, "How did you get signal?"

"He used a special technology to unlock it even when we're sealed like this," Alessia explained, kicking herself for not thinking of it sooner.

"Then we can phone for help!" Harriet exclaimed, looking to the Doctor, "You must have contacts." He shook his head.

"Dead downstairs, yeah," he responded…Alessia narrowed her eyes, suspicion settling on her face when he refused to look at her.

"It's Mickey," Rose said, pulling the attention back to her.

"Is he okay?"

"Oh, tell your stupid boyfriend we're busy."

"Oi! Mickey is family," Alessia said throwing a pen at him. He easily dodged it, stepping closer to her chair in the process. Rose rolled her eyes, looking at something on her phone before turning it so that the two could see.

"Yeah, he's not so stupid after all." Alessia felt dread when she saw the picture of the Slitheen, looking at the Doctor and back to the photo.

"Call him." Alessia all but demanded. "Now." Please went unsaid, as Alessia finally stood from her seat and around the table.

She was leaning against a wall as the phone rang, tapping her hand against the other in a nervous motion when the Doctor came to stand beside her. He could tell she was nervous, her anxiety rising with each ring, until finally, finally, Mickey's voice was heard on the other end of the phone.

Alessia would be the first to admit that she didn't pay attention when he and Rose began talking, simply allowing his voice to filter into her ears, the worry and dread loosening a little as she switched from messing with her hands to simply chewing on her bottom lip. At some point the Doctor stepped away, moving to take Rose's phone, and Harriet took her place. "Are you quite alright?" She asked, breaking Alessia out of her thoughts.

"Hm?" Alessia looked to the woman, seeing the concern in her eyes for what it was, and nodded her head before stopping herself. "Thank you for your concern. I feel like I should be asking you if you're alright though. Seems like a lot to be suddenly in the know on." Harriet and Alessia gave each other warm smiles as the woman shook her head.

"Is it always like this?" She asked, causing Alessia to laugh.

"Believe it or not…no. We've had plenty of calm moments in the storm, but it just seems like a lot right now in this one."

"Have you been traveling with him long?" Alessia shook her head.

"Some might say so, we've been traveling for a year, but it feels like…" How did one say that it had actually only been less than a week? Time travel could not be included. At least not yet. "It feels like it's only been a couple of days," She finally settled on.

"Oh, that must be wonderful. How did you meet-" Harriet and Alessia continued to speak quietly to one another, unaware of the Doctor looking at them, a small smile on his face before he was focused on the conference phone once again. "Just repeat it every time," he told Mickey, in response to his password being asked.

Arms crossing over his chest, the Time Lord contemplated the facts. "Big Ben. Why did the Slitheen go and hit Big Ben?" He said, speaking aloud. This seemed to pull Harriet and Alessia back into the conversation, the two moving closer to the table. "Well, you said to gather the experts. To kill them," Harriet responded.

"That lot would have gathered for a weather balloon," He countered, "You don't need to crash land in the middle of London."

"The Slitheen are hiding, but then they put the entire planet on Red alert," Rose pointed out, Alessia nodding her head. "What would they do that for?"

"Oh, listen to her," Jackie could be heard over the phone, sarcasm laced in her voice.

"Oi, she's got a point, Jackie," Alessia called out, "They wanted the planet on Red Alert. Why?"

"Well I have a question if you don't mind," Jackie said, causing the blonde on their end of the phone to roll her eyes. Alessia smiled, forcing herself to not laugh. "Since that man has walked into our lives, I have been attacked in the streets. I have had creatures from the pits of hell in my own living, and both of my daughters - yes I did say both, disappear off the face of the Earth." Alessia's stomach clenches at that word, her heart softening towards the older woman.

"Jackie," she murmured, so quietly that only Harriet could hear it.

"I told you what happened," Rose was saying, only to be cut off by her mother.

"I'm talking to him. 'Cos I've seen this life of yours, Doctor. And maybe you get off on it, and maybe you think it's all clever and smart-" Alessia looked up to meet the man's eyes, a quiet conversation as the question they both knew came to fruition. "-Are they safe?"

"Mom, I'm fine," Rose protested, jumping to defend the man. The Doctor didn't answer, instead continuing to look at Alessia as she asked again. "Is she safe? Will she always be safe? Can you promise me that?" A breath was taken, Rose clearly annoyed with her mom's antics. "Well, what's the answer?"

He looked like he didn't want to answer, but knew he'd have to. Alessia shook her head. Now…Now was not the time. It seemed that Mickey agreed as well, taking the phone back, his voice cutting through the tension in the room. "We're in."

"Now then, on the left at the top, there's a tab, an icon. Little concentric circles. Click on that," The Doctor spoke, taking command of the room once again. While he and Mickey went back and forth, Alessia encouraged Harriet to sit, taking the place next to her. An eye on Rose was all that was needed before the blonde joined them. "-It's some sort of message," he was explaining to the group.

"What's it say?" Rose asked, curiosity in her voice.

"Don't know. It's on a loop, keeps repeating." Alessia frowned, looking towards the phone. She and Rose couldn't understand it, so it wasn't something the T.A.R.D.I.S could translate for them…was it something he just knew?

"It's beaming out into space, who's it for?"

She felt something warm in her pocket.

"It's him! It's the thing, it's the Slipeen!" Jackie's cries could suddenly be heard over the phone, Mickey's panic soon following.

"They've found us."

"Mickey, I need that signal," The Doctor said, Rose rolling her eyes.

"Nevermind the signal! Get out! Mum, just get out! Get out!" Rose was yelling now, having stood up to try and get closer to the phone.

Alessia moved her hands into her pockets, fingers gripping the chain of her old pocket watch.

"We can't! It's by the front door-" Mickey said, a slam heard as they ran into a room. "Oh, my God, it's unmasking. It's going to kill us." Alessia closed her eyes, fingers gripping the chain more, it warming more.

"There's got to be some way of stopping them! You're supposed to be the expert, think of something!" Harriet said, jumping up from her seat, unable to take the tension.

"I'm trying!" The Doctor snarked back, pacing himself. The commotion could be heard from the phone, but Alessia focused on the chain, her thumb rubbing against it as her mind whirled.

"Right," she finally spoke, causing the three in the room to look at her. "To determine how to stop them, we need to find out which planet they're from. Based on their appearance…Doctor?" She looked at him. He grinned, his eyes brightening as he regarded the woman before him.

"Judging by their based shape, that narrows it down to five thousand planets within traveling distance. What else do we know? Information!" He said.

"They're green," Rose started, uncertainty in her voice.

"Yep, narrows it down."

"Good sense of smell," she continued, encouraged by his assurance.

"Narrows it down," the Doctor nodded his head.

"They can smell adrenalin - hunting like a ritual," Alessia interjected.

"Narrows it down."

"The pig technology," Harriet pointed out.

"Narrows it down."

"The spaceship in the Thames, you said slipstream engine?" Rose asked.

"Narrows it down." They could hear Mickey's panic on the phone, the only stopping Alessia from joining in the pacing being her fingers on the chain in her pocket.

And then suddenly, there was cold. Alessia's eyes widened as it clicked, turning to look at Harriet, who seemed to realize at the same time. "Wait a minute. Did you notice? When they fart, if you'll pardon the word, it doesn't smell like-" Harriet started, Alessia standing to pick up where she left off.

"It doesn't smell like one! It's something else, almost like bad breath!"

"That's it!"

"Calcium decay! Now, that narrows it down!" The Doctor exclaimed, clapping his hands before he started in another thought, Rose trying to calm her mum and Mickey down. "Calcium phosphate. Organic calcium. Living calcium. Creatures made out of living calcium. What else? What else? Hyphenated surname. Yes! That narrows it down to one planet. Raxacoricofallapatorius!"

"Raxa-what?" Alessia asked, just as Mickey cut in-

"Oh, yeah, great. We could write 'em a letter."

"Get into the Kitchen," the Doctor yelled into the phone, over the sound of a door breaking open. The two could be heard running out of the room they were in, words shouting into the phone while Alessia stepped away and paced the length of the room. "Calcium, weakened by the compression field. Acetic acid. Vinegar!"

"Just like Hannibal!" Harriet exclaimed, a smile on her face. The Doctor grinned at her, nodding his head.

"Just like Hannibal. Mickey, have you got any vinegar?"

"How should I know?" Mickey asked, both Alessia and Rose groaning.

"It's your kitchen," the Doctor said, while at the same time, Rose called into the phone, "Cupboard by the sink. Middle shelf." He still, clearly, didn't know what she meant, and Alessia reached over to place her hand on the table. "Give the phone to Jackie!"

"What do you need?" Jackie could be heard next, Alessia letting out a breath of relief.

"Anything with vinegar," she explained.

"Right," Jackie started, a rummaging heard from where they stood, "Gherkins. Yeah, pickled onions. Pickled eggs-" Alessia's nose scrunched up before she looked at Rose. The Doctor simply raised an eyebrow at her. "And you kiss this man?" He asked, a snort leaving Alessia before she shook her head. She'd kissed worse, so couldn't say a damn thing. Shame Donna, an older woman she's met once in Chiswick, hadn't been interested in women, but that was neither here nor there.

Alessia was startled back to the conversation when a loud noise was heard in the phone, no doubt the creature exploding from the vinegar. She grinned, moving to grab the decanter. "Hannibal?" Rose asked Harriet, silently nodding thanks to Alessia when the port was passed to her.

"Hannibal crossed the Alps by dissolving boulders with vinegar," Harriet explained, smiling as she took a glass as well. If the two women noticed that Alessia didn't pour any for herself, neither said a word, toasting with the Doctor to a victory well done.

Settling down, the quartet relaxed some, unaware of the trouble downstairs. Alessia, for her part, waited until Rose and Harriet focused on Mickey and Jackie on the phone, pulling the Doctor to the side. Reaching into her back pocket she pulled out her own phone, setting it in the man's hand. "I know you feel like there's no one you can call," she said softly, so as to not be heard, missing the curious glance shot their way by Harriet, "But there has to be someone. When we met you, this wasn't your first time on Earth." The Doctor blinked at her.

"No, it's not."

"Then use that beautiful mind of yours and think. Surely there must be someone you didn't see downstairs." She gave him an encouraging smile before stepping away. She could see him look down at the device in his hand before looking up at her, clearly thinking about her words. A wink and she was facing away from him, coming to join the two women. "Hey, listen to this," Mickey said, Alessia raising an eyebrow.

"Listen to what?" She asked quietly, trying to get caught up to speed. Harriet simply thrugged her shoulders.

"-Our inspectors have searched the sky above our heads," the man from before said, causing the Doctor to step closer himself, "And they have found massive weapons of destruction capbable of being deployed within forty-five seconds."

"What?" The Doctor said, confused.

"Our technicians can baffle the alien probes, but not for long. We are facing extinction, unless we strike first. The United Kingdom stands directly beneath the belly of the mother ship.-"

"No," Alessia said, eyes widening in horror. She knew where this was going, where it had always been going. Rose looked at her in confusion as the dreaded words were spoken.

"I beg of the United Nations, pass an emergency resolution. Give us the access codes. A nuclear strike at the heart of the beast if our only chance of survival because from this moment on it is my solemn duty to inform you…Planet Earth is at War."

"They'd destroy an entire planet…for what? Money?" Alessia asked brokenly, her heart hurting as the Doctor turned to her shortly.

"He's making it up. There's no weapons up there, there's no threat. He just invented it," he stated out loud so everyone could hear.

"Do you think they'll believe him?" Harriet asked, worry in her own eyes as she reached over to grasp Alessia's hand. Clearly, the two women were of the same mind.

"They did last time," Rose murmured.

"That's why the Slitheen went for a spectacle. They want the whole world panicking because you lot…" He looked ready to say more, but a glance at Alessia made him hesitate. She gave him a grim smile, shrugging her shoulders.

"It's a fear tactic. Humans…" She shook her head, "We're afraid of the unknown. They're playing on it, knowing what would happen. What do you do when you're afraid?"

"We lash out," Rose said in understanding, "They'll release the defence codes."

"And the Slitheen go nuclear," The Doctor said, moving towards the shutters. Alessia looked up, not moving to follow him, and instead held Harriet's hands tighter.

"But why?" Harriet asked. They would soon find out, the Doctor opening the shutters and Margaret standing there, a smug grin on her face.

"You get the codes, release the missiles, but not into space because there's nothing there. You attack every other country on Earth. They retaliate, and fight back. World War Three. The whole planet gets nuked," he stated.

" And we can sit through it safely in our spaceship waiting in the Thames. Not crashed, just parked. Only two minutes away," she grinned.

"But you'll destroy the planet, this beautiful place," Harriet said appalled, "What for?"

"It's like Alessia said," The Doctor said, looking back towards the woman, "Profit. That's what the signal is beaming into space. An advert."

"The sale of the century. We reduce the Earth to molten slag, then sell it piece by piece. Radioactive chucks, capable of powering every cut-price star liner and budget cargo ship. There's a recession out there, Doctor. People are buying cheap. This rock becomes raw fuel," Margaret explained, the same smile still on her face. Alessia realized where she recognized it from and tensed, a sense of revulsion filling her before settling into a quiet rage. She stood then, still gripping Harriet's hand. "At the cost of five billion lives," she snapped.

"Bargain." It was all that Alessia could do to not scream at the pathetic creature in front of her, eyes hardening as she stayed in the back, the Doctor stepping in front of them, as if to protect.

"I give you a choice. Leave this planet of I'll stop you." He spoke evenly,

"What, you? Trapped in your box?" If looks could kill, Margaret would certainly be six feet under now, the glare Harriet, Rose, and Alessia sported saying more than the Doctor's words, his confident, 'Yes. Me,' heard clearly before the shutter was once more closed.

A deep inhale and the Doctor was looking at the three women once more, his eyes locking at the younger brunette with a searching gaze before dialing on her phone. She nodded her head, bringing the two with her back to the conference phone. "Jackie, Mickey…I need you two to get out of there," Alessia said, ignoring the look of confusion that Rose shot her.

"We're not leaving you two!" Mickey hastily responded.

"There's nothing you two can do for us, 'least not right now. No, what I need is you two to get out and get somewhere safe. There's a cafe about three blocks - Mick you know the one. It's where you, Rose, and I would go on the weekends. Ask Missy to let you into the apartment above, she's an old friend of mine from Uni. Let us know when you get there…she has a computer as well, so if we need to access that site we can there." There was little reason for them to argue with her on this, and by the looks on Rose and Harriet's face, they agreed as well. There the phone was disconnected, promises between Mickey and Rose to speak as soon as they were safe said, Alessia leaning back to glance to the Doctor.

He, for his part, was watching the trio carefully, before nodding his head, once more looking at her phone. She wondered what he was thinking, but held back from saying anything just yet. There would be plenty of time for that yet. "Do you need to call anyone Harriet?" Rose asked quietly, drawing attention from the Doctor and towards her, a heavy shudder running through Harriet as she shakily nodded her head, seemingly realizing she had her own call to make.

Nodding her head, Alessia left them to it, moving close to the Doctor. "So…who are you calling?"

"Have you ever heard of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart?"

"Mm, he founded U.N.I.T right? Mum mentioned it once, never explained what they were though, not fully anyway."

"United Nations Intelligence Taskforce, they defend Earth from alien threats. I got put on with his secretary but they're trying to stop the United Nations, tell them that it's a lie." Nodding her head in understanding she presses into his arm lightly, almost as if to comfort, before pulling away.

"And? Are they?"

"Don't know yet…we'll just have to wait." Biting her bottom lip, Alessia nodded, glancing towards Harriet and Rose, the blonde once more on the phone with Mickey and her mother, Harriet looking far less harried, likely from the results of a phone call to her own mother. "Let's hope they do something then."