A/N: During the travel scene, I imagined the song "Find Me" by Birdy (from The Darkest Minds) playing in the background, because I felt like the lyrics fit perfectly with Nova's current situation about finding her bio-parents; or rather Nova waiting for her bio-parents to find her. Listen to the song to understand why.

Also, I read comments that those who try to get into London by Uber or taxi have had a poor experience and that it's much faster to take the train. I'm sure those that agree with this may be right, but I personally have never had that experience because my family and I always took the train into the city from our home town at the time we lived there, which was for three years. For the sake of the story, taking the taxi was no problem for Nova. As she thought in this chapter, "it's about the journey and not the destination."

Anyway, on with the story.

Chapter 11: Travels with Tears

For two whole months, I don't talk much to my guardians; if at all, it's only small-talk. I mean, after spending my entire life lying to me about my true identity, you can understand why they are being given the silent treatment; of course, this is something that can't be easily forgiven. So, that's how I've been spending my summer vacation.

Of course, whenever I do feel the need to talk, I just call Hazel and spend the day at her house (or she'd come to mine, and we'd avoid my guardians as much as possible). Or, if she's busy, I just spend the day talking with myself; although, oftentimes, even when talking to oneself can be extremely helpful, it gives me an earache after a while, and I get bored of hearing nothing but my own voice responding to everything I say. I'm sure whenever my guardians hear me talking to myself through the walls, they think I've gone mad, and they may be right; but if I had the nerve to actually talk to them, I would say to them, 'Well, who else would you talk to if the people you don't want to talk to are the only ones in the house?' If they knew what I was going through (which they should; I mean, they had ruined my life, after all), they'd understand my point. That's what sucks about being an only child; you don't really have anyone else to talk to about your problems. If only I had a sibling—a Time Lord sibling—my life wouldn't be so complicated.

Of course, trying to figure out how the stupid "sonic screwdriver" works isn't really easing my frustration either, especially when it looks absolutely nothing like a screwdriver, nor did it come in the box with a manual with fully detailed instructions ("POINT AND THINK" isn't exactly anything specific. Point at what? Think what?). Besides, how is a screwdriver going to help me anyway? I can't just "unscrew" my complicated life and then "screw" it back together in a less complicated way; unfortunately, that's not how life works, and that's the most frustrating thing of all. I then realize that this is the sort of thing that teenagers go through all the time, so maybe I'm not a total alien, after all; maybe Time Lords felt this same thing when they came of age too.

In any case, this doesn't change my mind about leaving my human life behind. As much as I don't want to leave my family, no matter how angry I am at them, my leaving them is what is best for them, if my theory that I'll be attracting more danger to myself, now that I am this age, is true. I don't want any harm to come to them, because if I stay, that's what's going to happen, and it'll be my fault.

During these two months, I plan my leave in secret. I don't tell my guardians, not even Hazel. In fact, I try to spend as much time with my best friend as 'humanly' possible, knowing this is going to be the last time I'll ever see her again. During one of her (unbeknownst to her) "final" sleepovers at my house, I lie to her, saying I've actually decided to stay in town for Community College instead of going straight overseas to London to study abroad. Knowing she'd just follow me wherever I go—especially when she promised once upon a time that if I go down, she goes down with me—this is the only way to make her believe I am staying.

Surprisingly, the trick seems to work; she seems to take the bait immediately, without checking if it is safe first. Once that happens, I instantly feel guilty about lying to her, but I remind myself that this is what is best for her as well. I am saving her life by lying to her; and if, in the future, she ever finds out that a certain danger has come after me and only me, she'll thank me for leaving her behind, since she, nor my guardians, will no longer be targeted.

Come July, I've already decided on a university to attend, including a major and classes. My father-guardian always said I seemed to have a real knack for figuring out how things work, especially in the IT world, so I choose Computer Science as a major, which involves learning different computer languages to code, and make websites, and stuff. Of course, I don't reveal the fact that I am actually studying abroad in London at University College London (or UCL for short), which is located slap-bang in the middle of the city; so, needless to say, when I have free time from studying, I can go pretty much anywhere in any direction and run into a major tourist spot, such as Buckingham Palace, Parliament, or the Tower of London. I can honestly say that I am stoked about this experience, as I have always wanted to go to London since I was a kid.

Come to think of it, I'd have to have money to get there, as well as pay for tuition and stuff. As much as I hate to admit it, that's where my mom's purse comes in. Technically, it won't be stealing, since all three of us share the account, but by the time I've transferred the money into my personal account (which will only be a few thousand dollars which will be later converted into the European currency), I'm going to delete myself from their account and go on my own. That way, they can't track how much money I'm spending and where I am spending it, knowing they'd come and find me once they find out.

But they can't find me, knowing they'd get themselves killed by doing so, which also defeats the purpose of me leaving in the first place. I am leaving them to keep them safe from me, and there's no guarantee that they'll be safe if they find me, same for Hazel.

Come mid-July, I find out that my guardians are going to a concert in Salina, Kansas, which is a three-hour drive west of where we live, and, of course, that's the day I plan to move out. Before the specific day, I book my flight overseas (two flights, to be exact, since there's no direct flight from here to Heathrow), using the money I "stole" from Mom. On the actual day, I print out my plane tickets and hide them in my dresser until my guardians leave for their own trip.

However, before they leave, I overhear them talking downstairs, and they sound as if they're having second thoughts, which sets my nerves on edge. I seriously hope they're not, because it would be very difficult to lie about why I am bringing a fully packed suitcase to Hazel's for a "one-night sleepover." To be honest, I'm surprised they're thinking of going out at all, since they've never left me home alone before, for fear of my powers attracting danger to the house (clearly they have the same theory as me, I think, which is another reason why I'm leaving), which is why they've been so overprotective of me all these years, even when I've taken years of Martial Arts classes. Still, this doesn't stop me from opening my bedroom door and listening in to their conversation.

"Are you sure we should go?" Mom asks Dad nervously. "I just…I don't want to leave her alone in the house even for this long. What if she's asleep, but she's kidnapped before she wakes up? Or worse…"

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Dad assures her. "We put her in martial arts classes for this very reason. It's only for one night. Besides, she's a big girl now; she can look out for herself." He then exclaims, "Hey, there she is, our little college supernova!" He's been calling me by that nickname ever since they spilled the beans on me about my true identity, and I honestly don't think it sticks to me all that well, even though my regeneration energy can be very 'explosive' like a supernova, which I guess is where the nickname comes from, and because I may actually be named after a supernova.

When he said that, I honestly didn't realize before then that I had come downstairs until it was too late. I then realize that now that I am down here, I must have an excuse for coming down in the first place, so I say the very first thing that comes to mind. "Hey. I…uh…actually just came down to…see you guys off." It's not the greatest excuse, but luckily they seem to buy it.

"See us off?" Mom says as if it's a joke. "Oh, sweetie, you don't have to do that." She then pulls me in for a hug, which I awkwardly accept, as she continues, "We're not going to be gone that long. It's just for one night, and then we'll be back tomorrow. Don't act like you're never going to see us again."

That last statement sends a wave of guilt rushing up my spine. If you only knew, I think in my head before saying out loud, "No, of course not." Even to my own ears, it sounds dead like a lie. I then release the hug and say as calmly as I can muster, "Go. Have fun." Clearly they aren't aware that this is goodbye forever, but I make this sound like a casual goodbye, regardless, like I will actually see them again the next day.

"Are you sure?" Mom asks a little hesitantly, like she senses that this isn't in fact a normal 'see you later' kind of goodbye. "You'll be home alone for the entire night. You won't have any protection if someone tries to come after you."

Hoping to steer her away from that suspicion, I say, "Mom, I'll be fine. You forget, I was top of my class in both high school and Martial Arts. Like Dad said, I can look out for myself now. I've grown up; I don't need protecting anymore."

"We know," Dad says as he pulls me into a hug this time. "You'll still be our baby girl, no matter what. We love you so much."

"I love you too," I admit honestly. "You both are seared onto my hearts always." I honestly don't know what got me to say that last bit, but I remember my bio-father saying those exact words in his letter to me, so I guess I unconsciously decided to say those same words to my guardians. I am going to leave them, after all—possibly for good—and there's a high chance that I will not get a second chance to say it. Just this thought makes my eyes water with tears, but I fight them back as much as I can; for if they see me cry, they'll immediately know something is up.

"Wow!" Dad exclaims, impressed with my choice of words. "Strong words there. I guess it makes sense. 'Two hearts' means 'double the love,' right?"

Knowing it makes perfect sense to me, I just nod and chuckle, "Right."

Dad suddenly releases me from our hug and looks me dead in the eye. "Hey," he says in a calm but stern voice, "your mother and I are sorry we lied to you about your identity, but you need to understand we—"

"No, I understand," I say, shaking my head. "You did it for my own good; you did it to protect me. If you hadn't used a different name for me, I probably wouldn't be here today, or I wouldn't have lived for as long as I have. It's okay, I forgive you." I then smile warmly. "Besides, that's what true parents do, right? They do whatever it takes to keep their children safe, whether they're adopted or not." This last statement instantly makes me think of my bio-parents, knowing that they kept me safe from the Silence by giving me up when I was first born. Now, I am going to do the same thing to my guardians—leave them as a way of keeping them safe.

"Right," Dad says, hugging me again. "You've always had a bright spirit, Nova. We are so proud of you. I know you've been angry with us over the last few months, which is why you haven't spoken to us in a long time, but let us make it up to you. After tonight, we'll start spending much more time with you—take you to your favorite restaurants, watch your favorite movies, and maybe even find a weekend to go on a trip together as a family, and you pick the location. What do you say?"

His words make me feel guiltier than ever, and I can't help but think, Thanks, Dad, now you're breaking my hearts, knowing these things are just wishes—wishes that will never be fulfilled.

And what's worse is that they don't know it, and it breaks my hearts even more.

The only thing I know how to say, even though it isn't the full truth, is, "That sounds wonderful. I would like that very much." Of course, if I was human, I would've agreed to do those things in a heartbeat, but since I am not human, I can't agree to them like I want to…not completely.

Not at all.

This talk must have convinced Mom that everything would be fine, because she kisses me on the forehead and says, "See you tomorrow, sweetie. Call us if something happens, and we'll come straight home."

"Thanks," I say, shaking my head, "but I don't think anything will happen tonight." Besides me leaving you behind forever, I can't help thinking in my head, which only brings more tears to my eyes.

"Love you!" Dad calls before he gets in the car with Mom as they prepare to (unknowingly) leave me behind forever too.

"Love you too!" I call back as they close the car doors and pull out of the driveway. As they drive off, I murmur softly, "Goodbye," before I go back inside the house, finally allowing my tears to spill as I get back to work on packing my bags, knowing that at this point I will never see my true parents ever again.

Luckily, I still have a bit of time before I head to the airport to catch my first flight to Chicago, Illinois, and then from there to Heathrow in London. Although, it isn't much time (about three hours until Boarding Time), so there is no time for tears at this very moment. I still have much to do before I leave, including writing letters to explain the truth about why I am leaving, so I need to focus.

Once I finish packing, I write a letter to my guardians, writing:

Dear Mom and Dad,

If you are reading this, then I have long since left the country, and I regret to tell you that I will not be telling you where I'm going, nor when I will be coming back, because I won't be coming back. Now that I have come of age, there is a high chance that my powers will grow stronger and more powerful, and I fear that I will start attracting more danger to myself much more often, whether I use my powers or not, and those dangers may come after you as well if I stay. I don't want either of you to get hurt because of me, which is why I am leaving you for good. I am sorry, but this is what is best for you as well as myself. The farther I am from you, the safer you will be from me and from anything or anyone else that may target you to get to me. In fact, once I find my bio-parents, it may be best that we leave Earth entirely.

Despite being adopted, being your daughter has been the best thing that's ever happened to me. I don't know where I'd be or what would've happened to me if you hadn't agreed to raise me for as long as you have. No matter where I am, I will always love you, and I will never stop loving you. You both are seared onto my hearts always.

Have a good life.

Nova

P.S. Also, I may have stolen a few ('few' actually being an understatement) thousand dollars from Mom's account so I could at least afford my travel overseas, as well as tuition and other things (sorry, Mom). I also disconnected my account from our family account (and also so you can't track what and where I am spending), so I'm officially on my own now.

I also write a letter to Hazel, the only similarity being the first paragraph. For the rest of the letter, I tell her that she's been the greatest friend anyone could ask for, and that I have always thought of her as a sister to me, despite us being from two different families and species. I end her letter by telling her that I will miss her terribly, no matter where I am, and that she will also have a place in both of my hearts alongside my guardians.

Once I finish her letter, I tape my guardians' letter to the refrigerator, knowing that to be the best place they'll see it once they get home. Next, I stop by Hazel's house and deliver her letter in her mailbox, hoping that she'll receive it after I am gone. Finally, I return to my own house, gather up my bags, and walk out the front door.

Before I completely leave the property, I turn back to the house and whisper, with tearful eyes, the one thing my bio-father told me before he gave me up, "I wish it never had to be this way, but it is the only way to keep you guys safe. To keep you safe from me." Then, I turn away from the house and leave the property for the last time.

Dragging my suitcase and other bags in tow (as well as my guitar case, as there is absolutely no way I am leaving my music behind), I walk to our local park, thinking that to be the safest place to get picked up instead of my house, not knowing whether my Uber driver might actually be trustworthy or not. I share my location with the app, and a black SUV pulls up to the parking lot of our community pool. He immediately asks my name ('Sydney,' since I'm not yet comfortable with using my real name around strangers), and after I confirm, he helps with getting my bags in the trunk, and I tell him to take me to the airport as I get seated in the back seat.

On the way, he is very friendly and talkative with me, asking me general questions, like where I'm travelling, what I'll be doing there, including whether I'll be playing in a band (which I don't) since I have a guitar, and so on. At first, I find it a bit creepy, like he's asking for specific information, like the exact hotel I'm staying in, or something of that sort, but I just shake off the uneasy feeling and answer as honestly as I can without sounding too paranoid. Granted, I've encountered many psychos in my life—two of which had tried, and nearly succeeded, to kill me—so I figure I can't be too careful, no offense to the driver. As long as he gets me to where I need to be on time, there's nothing to worry about, right?

Luckily, he gets me to the airport with an hour to spare. He helps me unload my luggage and even delivers it to the check-in area with me, which is very thoughtful of him. After that, he leaves, and I proceed to the security area and to my designated gate.

The first flight to Chicago is just like every flight I've ever been on, which isn't a surprise. Even as a kid, I've always insisted on getting a window seat, because I enjoyed watching the world pass beneath the plane, and I still do. The second the plane lifts off the runway at our local airport, I feel a pang of sadness wash over me. I honestly want to cry, but I hold back the tears, not wanting to be questioned by the passenger sitting next to me, who obviously doesn't know of my current situation. I then realize that the sadness is actually coming from my missing my family, but I can't do anything about it, now that we've taken off. Instead, I put in my earbuds and listen to some music to calm me down, which does the trick.

While waiting at the gate in Chicago for my flight to Heathrow, I suddenly have a feeling like I'm being watched. It's not from someone dangerous, nor from another Time Lord, but it is definitely from someone whom I feel is familiar to me. I glance around at the other waiting passengers, and no one stands out right away as the person who is watching me, but sitting not too far from me is another teenage girl who looks neither older nor younger than me. She is wearing a lime-green sweatshirt and jeans. Her face is partially obscured by the hood of her sweatshirt, but she appears to be staring down at her sneakers, at least for the moment. For some reason, seeing this girl, I can't help but think of Hazel, because the girl is wearing the exact same sweatshirt that Hazel owns; I know, because I've seen her wear it a thousand times at school and at our sleepovers. At one point, the girl glances up toward my direction, but then she looks back down just as suddenly, like she doesn't want me seeing her face. A part of me wants to go up and talk to her, thinking that we could be the same age, but I decide to stay put, knowing we are about to board the plane anyway. Maybe we'd have a seat near each other, and I can talk to her then, but for some reason that idea seems to be a longshot. Besides, even if we became really good friends, I don't want to drag her into my situation either, knowing she'd get hurt.

As much as I hate to admit it, I'm pretty much done with friends. Because of my abilities, I'll continue attracting danger to myself for as long as I have them, and any 'friend' I meet will just end up being targeted by my parents' enemies, and I will not let that happen, nor let it continue to happen, hence why I'm leaving my guardians and Hazel forever. I'm not going to drag anyone else into this mad, alien life of mine.

This wolf is officially becoming a loner, I declare in my head.

It is about 11pm when the plane takes off, and that's when I feel more homesick than ever. That exact moment was the moment when we—I—officially left my home country, which means that I am officially on my own…a 'lone wolf,' as I now call myself. That other teenage girl I saw earlier, who I know is also somewhere on this plane, hasn't seemed to have left my mind either. She looked so much like Hazel that if I don't know any better, I'd say that girl actually is Hazel, but that's impossible. Just because she dresses seemingly the exact same as Hazel doesn't mean they're the same person…are they? I wonder. In any case, it could be I'm seeing 'Hazel' there simply because I'm missing her, which I am. I had promised her I'd take her to London with me, but I broke that promise when I lied to her that I was going to be staying in town. I figure if she finds out that I am heading that way right now without her, that might put an end to our friendship, which may be for the best anyway; better to be alone in this mess than drag anybody else into it, as complicated as it already is…as complicated as It's continuing to become.

To take my mind off of things, and while everyone else on the plane is getting in a comfortable (well, at least as comfortable as one can get on a tightly packed aircraft) sleeping position in their seats, I stare out the window at the starry sky beyond, and I imagine myself with an aircraft of my own, travelling to every star I can see, and what I might find there. Of course, that only exists in Sci-Fi movies, but even if sitting in this plane right now is the closest I'll ever be to travelling to Outer Space, this is fine with me.

It's not until about 8am (local time) that we finally arrive in Heathrow Airport. The airport itself is actually quite amazing, especially since I've never been to one outside the US before, but I unfortunately don't have time to explore; better to do that in the city once I get my luggage and settle at the hotel. Unfortunately, I have to catch a taxi into London (as I was unwilling to pay extra for having a chauffeur pick me up), which is a huge hassle, since other people seem to have the same issue as me. Luckily, I catch one before someone else can, and I ask the driver to help me with my luggage as well as take me to the Victor Hotel in the Victoria part of London, which he gladly accepts (although, I'm pretty sure he has to because it's his job). We exchange pleasantries (he introduces himself as Frank), and we leave the airport, although it takes several minutes because of traffic.

I guess international airports are just as busy as the American ones, I think with a smile, maybe even busier. Of course, this doesn't bother me one bit, because it's about the journey and not the destination.

When the main city comes into view, the taxi driver—Frank—literally welcomes me to London, and I can honestly say the sight was literally breathtaking. I mean it, because both hearts seemed to stop beating for two minutes straight. I've always seen images of London in books, and movies, and stuff, but this right here is a whole new experience for me, because this isn't just an image…this is the real thing. Frank must've noticed my reaction, because he immediately comments that I should be thankful that it isn't raining (I read it rains a lot in England), otherwise the view of the city wouldn't be as magnificent, which I agree. Now I know how Dorothy felt when she found herself in the Land of Oz; I am definitely not in Kansas anymore...literally.

A solid hour later, we arrive at The Victor Hotel in Victoria, London, which looks much like 10, Downing Street, just solid white instead of black. Within ten minutes, I check in (with the receptionist also welcoming me to London, calling me 'Sydney,' which made me pause for a moment, knowing that the original owner of that name was now dead, but for some reason I couldn't quite give up the name just yet) and go upstairs to my assigned room. The room is just like any typical hotel room, with a single queen-sized bed and bathroom. This room even has a balcony that I can stand out on, which I do immediately after I throw my bags and guitar case on the bed.

For several minutes, I just stand outside, taking in the sites as well as the cool morning air. I can't believe I'm in London. I've always wanted to come here, even with all the alien invasions that happen here more than any other city on Earth, which I honestly don't care much about. All that matters is that I am finally here, and nothing is going to change that.

As excited as I am to be here, I can't help but feel a little sad. Ever since I told Hazel about the idea of coming here, she wanted to come here as well, and I promised her I'd take her one day. Now that I am here, I feel lonelier than ever. If we'd come here together, I think she'd love the view, and she'd want to skip unpacking and immediately go to the nearest tourist attraction without batting an eye.

"Oh, Haze…" I say with a heavy sigh, "I wish you were here. You would love this place. It's just amazing."

Not long after I start unpacking my bags, I receive a phone call from the front lobby. I immediately answer it, and the receptionist explains in a seemingly concerned voice that someone has arrived at the hotel, and this person has asked to see me personally, seeing if she can share the room with me. Those words immediately set off a red flag in my mind, so I respond by saying that I don't want to share my room with a total stranger, and that it would be best if I come downstairs to meet this person in person first, which the receptionist graciously accepts. I hang up and prepare to go downstairs to meet my mysterious roommate-wannabe. Before I leave the room, however, something tells me to bring my unearthly screwdriver from my bio-father with me; he did say in his letter that he insisted that I carry it with me everywhere I go. Needless to say, I have also taken my locket that came with my screwdriver with me on this trip, thinking of it as like a 'good luck' charm, which has never left my neck since the day I was given it.

The moment I reach the lobby, I scan the area with my eyes, looking for anything and anyone I recognize, all the while inserting my hand in my sweatshirt pocket and wrapping my fingers around the hilt of the screwdriver in preparation to use at any emergency. Although, thinking about it, I'm honestly not sure what I'll 'think' it to do if I have to actually use it; there's a pretty high chance the image of me holding an unearthly flashlight-looking device aloft like a wizard's wand would look ridiculous.

Suddenly, I spot the teenage girl in the lime-green sweatshirt I'd seen at the Chicago airport—the girl who reminded me of Hazel—sitting alone, surrounded by large suitcases at her feet. At first, I find it strange that she's staying at the same hotel as me, as the odds of that happening are like succeeding in finding a needle in a haystack, and yet she's sitting right there, clear as day. Despite the bizarre circumstances, I approach the girl anyway. Unlike at the airport, this time her hood is down, and I can partially see her familiar face behind her long brown hair.

"Um…hi," I say a little nervously to the girl. "I saw you yesterday at the Chicago airport, and I couldn't help but notice that you're wearing the exact same sweatshirt that my best fri—"

The girl looks up at me, revealing her face, now more familiar than ever, and that's when my body turns into a lifeless statue.

"Hey, Syd…" Hazel says a little awkwardly, but then she frowns uncertainly and asks, "Or is it Nova now?"

"Hazel?!" I exclaim in disbelief. All this time, the girl at the airport actually was Hazel! I run over, practically tripping over her luggage, and wrap my arms around her in a tight hug. "Oh my god! What are you doing here?"

"Is it not obvious?" Hazel says incredulously. "I followed you. Duh."

I am still speechless. "No, but…you can't be here."

"Why not?" she asks, pulling away from me so that she can get her bags that have toppled over. "I'm already here. Besides, I have to be, now that we're gonna be roomies."

"No, I said I didn't want a roommate," I say, this time seeming to have a hard time controlling my own mouth. I mean, yeah, I don't want a complete stranger staying in my hotel room with me, but that was before I found out Hazel was said 'complete stranger,' or lack thereof.

Hazel chuckles. "Not at the hotel, dumb-dumb. At school. You accepted my roommate proposal, remember?"

That is partially true. At the time I was searching for a roommate, I got a request from a girl who had the exact same name as my best friend. My immediate thought was that she was actually a British girl who coincidentally shared the same name as my Hazel, which I thought was pretty cool, and I accepted her request; however, it wasn't until after I accepted that the school automatically sent me the girl's email address and phone number, and then I realized that it was in fact the same Hazel, although how that was possible, I didn't know…at least until now.

I shake my head. "No, but…I thought you were just another girl with the same name…and the same phone number and email address," I add that last part slowly.

Hazel laughs. "Nope. It was always me. You didn't think you'd get rid of your bestie that easily, did you? Turns out you're not the only one with secrets."

"No, it's not that I was getting rid of you," I say honestly. "I was…" I then pause, frowning. "Wait, what are you talking about, I'm not the only one with secrets?"

Hazel frowns as well, but in disbelief. "Oh, come on, Nova, don't tell me you haven't already figured it out." She pauses, hoping I'd confirm everything, but I just stare at her, so she explains. "During one of my last sleepovers at your house, I secretly planted a camera in your room so I can see what you've been doing, specifically when you'd plan to move out. I honestly thought you were lying when you said you'd be staying in town, and clearly I was right. I specifically put the camera where it was facing your computer so I could see what sites you were looking at, and whenever I saw you applying for more colleges in England, I did the exact same thing and applied for the same colleges. And when I saw you enroll at one school, I enrolled at the same school and requested that you be my roommate for the first year. I even made sure to buy tickets for the exact same flights as you, hence why you saw me in Chicago, and I secretly planted a tracker in your purse so I could find you once you got into London. You can guess how I got here after that."

I am almost completely speechless at this point, but somehow I still hear words come out of my mouth. "I can't believe this. I can't believe you did all that just to find me." I then raise an eyebrow and murmur, "You know, I could have you arrested for intentional stalking, right?"

Hazel laughs as if I am joking. "Of course I do." Then she suddenly pauses, realizing that I'm not. "Wait, you're not serious, are you?"

"No, but I could have the police force you back to the airport to buy a plane ticket home," I say. "In fact, I'm very tempted to do that anyway." If I actually do that, the police would force Hazel to stay home where she'd be on literal house-arrest; that way, she can't come back to find me like she did today.

"Why?" she says in an offended tone. "I just got here! Besides, I'm fully enrolled here; I've paid for all my classes and everything, just like you."

"It doesn't matter," I say, shaking my head. "I could still have the police force you to cancel everything and send you back home. Haven't you read my letter? I left you because I didn't want you to get hurt, in case I attracted more danger to myself."

"I understand that," Hazel nods, "but did you really think I'd just take your advice and let you go off on your own? You'd be in more danger on your own, especially without me around."

I sigh heavily. Why is it not obvious that I saved her life by leaving her yesterday?

"No, Haze, you don't get it!" I exclaim. "By coming after me, you just put yourself in more danger. Because of my powers, I'm the one attracting the danger, and as long as you're with me, you'll have a higher chance of getting killed; and if that happens, it'll be because of me, because I let you stay here with me. That's exactly why I was going to leave you but not tell you where I was going, knowing you'd just follow me. I was leaving you to protect you from me. And now that you're here…" I suddenly feel another wave of emotion rush through me, and I immediately wrap my arms around her again, not wanting her to see how much I am hurting. "I don't want you getting hurt because of me…because of what I am." It's the other kind of hurt—the physical kind—that I don't want Hazel to experience. Now that she's here, it's only a matter of time before that happens.

I hold my best friend against me for what feels like minutes, but in reality it may only be seconds. In any case, I don't let go, fearing that she might just be an illusion and disappear.

After however much time that passes, Hazel speaks up, saying, "I'm sorry, Nova. I get that you were just doing what you thought was right. You're right, I shouldn't have come here. I'll just cancel my enrollment and catch the first flight home tomorrow." She releases me and gathers up her bags in preparation to head back to the airport, but I stop her.

"No!" I exclaim, pulling her arm back from lifting one of her suitcases. "In all honesty, I'm glad that you're here. The truth is, when my Uber driver was driving me to the airport, I was already missing you terribly. I know I promised that I would take you with me to London—not just to school but to also help me find my bio-parents and figure out who and what I am—and at the time I felt like I was breaking that promise, but I was doing it to protect you. But now I see that there's no stopping you, now that you're already here; you obviously disobeyed me after I said in my letter that I didn't want you to follow me, and clearly you've proven that you don't take orders from anyone, certainly not from me." I then hold out my hand to her and say, "Friends always stick together, for better or worse."

"Even 'til death do us part," Hazel adds, shaking my hand as a way of sealing the promise that can no longer be broken. "Although, if that does happen, the fault will be on me, because I chose to ignore your advice. It won't be because of you. It's not your fault you were born the way you are."

"No, it's not," I say in agreement. "It's my bio-parents' fault. They turned me into this, and they will never be forgiven." I then smile, suddenly having a change of mind. "In fact, I've decided to not look for them anymore."

Hazel stares at me as if I've grown a second head. "Really?" she says incredulously.

I shrug. "Yeah. Why would I want to be acquainted—not to mention blood-related—with people I deeply hate? It's their fault my life isn't normal. They took my normality—my humanity—away from me and destroyed it forever by making me this way, and I will never get it back…but that's not going to stop me from trying to live a normal life. I may not have been born human, but this planet is my home, and it will always be my home. I won't let my non-humanness take away the parts of me that are human. I was raised as a human, so human is what I will be, from now until I can no longer regenerate."

"Speaking of which, what about your powers?" Hazel asks curiously. "I mean, your regeneration is what makes you not human."

I smile uncertainly. "I don't know, I kinda like having these abilities. They make me feel like a superhero. I mean, I saved your life when I healed your arm that one time. Who knows what would've happened to your health if I hadn't healed you when I did." Or if I hadn't had the courage to knock out that Sontaran, I think. If I had the power to see alternate realities, that version of the event would not be one that I would like to see.

"That's true," Hazel nods in agreement.

"The idea of having these so-called 'superpowers' is really cool," I continue, "but that's all I want them to be—an idea, and nothing more. I'd rather they be imaginative, not real. With these powers, I'm a danger-magnet; I just attract danger, wherever I go, and it's not by choice. The only way I can live a normal life is if I never had these abilities, and that way I wouldn't have had to leave home." This is true. If I was never born with my (literally) otherworldly abilities, I'd still be at home, or I would've gone with my parents to the concert.

But I'm not normal, and nothing is ever going to change that.

"Will you ever come back home," Hazel asks hopefully, "even if you've decided to not search for your bio-parents anymore?"

I shake my head sadly. "No. I'm sorry, Haze. I wish I could, but I can't. Like I said, as long as I have these abilities, I'll just continue attracting danger to myself."

"Yes, but what if you found a way to get rid of them somehow," she suggests, "like, give them up?"

I smile, nodding at the idea. "That would be a possibility, but I'd have to know how to give up my powers, and I don't. My bio-mother did it to save my bio-father once upon a time, but I don't know how she did it then; my bio-father didn't say how." I then pause, realizing something. I then think aloud, "Of course, my bio-parents would know how to do something like that, especially my mother. In which case, I may need to talk to them, after all." If it's true that my bio-mother gave up her Time Lord abilities to save my father, maybe she could show me how she did it, and maybe I could do the same.

"So what do you want to do?" Hazel asks me, knowing that at this point, I am completely indecisive, and honestly, I am.

I sigh, confirming her assumption. "I don't know. I don't know what to do. I just want a normal life, but I can't have one with the way that I am, this 'not being human.'" I recently learned that all these powers have done is bring darkness and destruction (hence why all these alien invasions keep happening), And I don't know if I can continue to live with that, certainly not with my family. The only way to get even a semi-normal life is by forcing my bio-parents to take away my powers that they have given me since I was first born, and maybe then I'll have a decent shot, but only if that happens, which makes me more desperate than ever to find them.

Dear God, I sure hope I find them soon, I pray in my head.

"Well, it sounds like you don't have a choice," Hazel says regretfully. "You may have the ability to change your appearance with regeneration, but you can't change your entire species."

"You're right, I can't," I agree. "Granted, my first regeneration is what turned me non-human to begin with. I can't just 'retro-regenerate' back to who I was before. That's impossible; my dad said so in his letter."

Hazel shrugs. "Well, whatever you decide to do, or how you decide to do it, I'll be with you, no matter what; and if you go down…"

I smile and finish her statement. "You'll go down with me." I then hug her again for what feels like the thousandth time today (not really), saying, "Thanks, Haze. I'm starting to think it was a big mistake leaving you."

"No kidding," she chuckles, returning the hug. "You know, I'm never going to let you live this down."

I chuckle as well. "Of course you're not. I guess I'll be stuck with you for a while."

"Yup." She releases me and starts gathering up her luggage, and I help her carry the items that she can't carry on her own. She then starts rambling at an incredibly fast speed that would normally be way too fast for human ears to keep up with, but with my Time Lord hearing, I can keep up just fine. "Now, how about we try to become proper sisters? Do you think we'll meet the Queen while we're here? Also, when are we gonna start hunting for a British boyfriend?"

I apparently lose my battle with myself in trying to hold back a snort. Yeah, like hunting for a British boyfriend or girlfriend is the very first thing everyone does after arriving in London, I scoff in my head. Oh, Haze, what would I do without you?

A/N: TO BE CONTINUED!