Misplaced Slayer - Part 1 of the Time Thrown Chronicles

by frosty600

Thrown into a world not her own and a life not her own. Buffy Summers/now Tyler just wants to get her butt home... but home is subjective and hope is hard to cling onto in the face of continuous dead ends. And a world soo normal compared to her own. (summary subject to change and refining) Sneak-peak inside :)

2. Chapter 1 Buffy And Rose

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who or Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

A/N: Finally, after many different attempts that tried many different things. I've managed to actually get a Doctor/Buffy fic really underway. There was some hiccups and some parts that I'm not entirely happy with and wish that they could be a bit better. But all the same I'm happy to be able to finally start posting this.

I've started with 9 again, because I'm obsessed. I adore him and nothing can change that. Even though it's a concern that things will get repetitive even with trying to adjust it to fit the character I'm inserting.

CHAPTER 1

Buffy and Rose

Buffy let out a long slow steady breath as she shifted her weight, her hazel eyes closed as she attempted to centre herself. To cast off the shadows of the nightmare that had plagued her night. The echo of her little sisters' scream haunting her ears. It made her want to break things… cut a path through the fabric of the world to get to her sister.

Except. She had no idea where her sister was… only that she wasn't here. Wasn't in any way reachable. Hadn't been ever since she'd become aware of herself in this odd place. In this world where vampires and demons didn't seem to exist.

She raised her arms in time with a rhythm that she had long since memorised, the motions familiar, calming – she could still hear her sister screaming for her. Had that been real? Or just a part of her nightmare. She couldn't remember how she got here. What the cause was. Only that she didn't really belong.

That she'd been catapulted into a life that wasn't hers – and left to flounder as to why, how… stranded and alone in the knowledge that something was wrong. With a family of strangers – that weren't strangers. Not really. She knew them but didn't. Memories clashing. Memories that she knew logically had never happened to her and yet, where real all the same.

She inhaled, pulling air deep into her lungs, muscles relaxing into the familiar motions that she'd done a thousand times before – in another life.

She let out her breath in another controlled exhale, arms lowering to her sides once more just as she heard the blare of her and the twin alarm in the room beside hers. Her sister's and yet not sister's alarm. Set for the exact same time

She opened her arms and broke her stance, stepping over to the alarm and turning it off as she heard a displeased tired groan of objection from the other room.

Buffy sighed, before drawing in a deep breath. Bracing herself for another day of normalcy. Something she'd craved. But now grated that she had it, because it wasn't hers and she had no clue as to what happened to Dawn. To Willow. To Xander. To Giles. To Angel. To Spike… to everyone she cared about and had no way of reaching.

She was trapped in this fallacy of normalcy and despite how long it had been. Years. She had not a single clue as to how to make it back. Nothing preternatural that existed in her world seemed to exist here. Not even The Watcher's Council. Something she'd have rejoiced in, in other circumstances. But here – they'd have at least been a lead she could follow. A chance for a way home.

She stepped out of her room and started down the hallway just as Rose, stumbled bleary eyed and sleepy from hers. Almost crashing into her, "Sleepy, grandma?"

Rose groaned, "Shut it…" blinking at her elder sister, "How are you always so awake this early?!" she bemoaned, "It's unnatural!"

Buffy shrugged, "Chronic early bird."

Rose let out a disgusted noise.

Buffy sniggered, before offering, "Coffee?"

Rose visibly perked up at the mention, "Have I told you, you're the best sister ever?"

"From unnatural to amazing," Buffy mused, "The wonders of coffee."

Rose frowned, brown eyes suddenly more awake, "I never said you were unnatural," she protested with a scowl. Her brown eyes somewhat alarmed at the very idea of accusing her older sister of such.

Buffy huffed, lips quirking upwards, "Yeah, alright," she cajoled, before teasing, "Go have a shower before that epic bed hair sticks."

Rose gave a soft yelp of alarm and darted around her sister for the bathroom. The door slamming behind her with a thud that rattled the photo frames along the walls.

"Oi!" came a shout from the eldest Tyler, "Don't slam the doors!"

"Sorry Mom!" Rose shouted from the bathroom, whilst Buffy cast her gaze briefly over the family photos. The images depicting the Tyler family… all three of them. Pictures of events that her mind told her happened and yet. She also had a conflicting memory with her mom and Dawnie. It made her wonder – if she'd been inserted in this life as Dawn had been in hers. But she couldn't fathom why.

There was no need for her here. No preternatural threat to defeat. The world didn't need saving from some demonic threat.

She was just here… with no answers and many questions… with a family that she'd started to care for as much as her own.

How could she not? She had memories of a life here and when she'd appeared here, confused and angry… no doubt sounding crazy as she spouted off at the mouth in her desperate need to get back to Dawn. To everyone. Jackie Tyler hadn't shipped her off to a mental institution. Had in fact thrown out a long-time family friend that had even suggested it.

Instead, unlike Joyce and Hank Summers, Jackie had stuck by her. Even as she fretted over what was wrong with her 'eldest'.

She called shrinks and Doctors but had never let them walk over her. Had never even entertained the idea of sending her away.

That had been the start of it. When Buffy had warmed to Jackie Tyler… it still pained some part of her to call the woman mom. But she was, to Jackie's mind, Buffy was her eldest daughter, and the only mom Buffy had... the only parental figure and in many ways she was a fierce protective mother bear that Joyce Summers hadn't been.

Buffy tore her gaze away from the family photos and photos of her and Rose at various ages throughout childhood.

A family home full of loving memories that she did and didn't remember as fact. She slipped quietly down the hall and into the kitchen. Flicking on the kettle as she passed it on the way to the loaf of bread.

Pulling out a couple of slices and popping them in the toaster, before meandering over to the fridge and getting out the butter. Waffling over what she felt like on her toast before grabbing the raspberry jam.

The pipes rumbled to life with a squeaking groan, before settling into a quiet rumble that was soon overtaken by kettle as the water heated to a simmer and then a boil.

"Morning love," Jackie greeted as she wandered past the kitchen.

"Morning," Buffy replied, the 'mom' sticking in her throat this morning, as it still did on occasion, especially after a hard night, "Coffee?"

"Tea," Jackie rebutted.

"Sure, sure," Buffy muttered, 'Brits,' she thought with resigned fondness as she grabbed down three mugs, before, grabbing a plate as the toasted bread popped out of the toaster. Her focus switching from her morning beverage to her hot breakfast.

She puttered around the kitchen, handing off a steaming mug of tea to Jackie, mom… it'd been years. She really had to get used to calling the woman mom. She'd earned it. Raising and looking after both her and Rose… one her daughter the other a potential imposter that had been fostered on her without her consent.

Before returning to the kitchen to grab her coffee and her cooling toast. She migrated over to the dining room table as Jackie turned on the telly to watch one of her morning shows.

Buffy started in on her toast, only casting half an ear to the telly. The early morning shows Jackie liked had never really interested her.

She'd just sat down with a second round of two slices of toast, having decided that she was still hungry. When Rose came barrelling out of the hallway. Rushing past Buffy into the kitchen, the younger blond taking a quick gulp of barely lukewarm coffee, before setting it down with a hurried thud.

"Oi!" Buffy exclaimed indignantly, grimacing at how English she'd just sounded, "Get your own!" she huffed as Rose stuffed the piece of toast she'd just swiped into her mouth.

"Can't," Rose said around a bite, before gesturing at the clock with her stolen breakfast, "We gotta get to the stop."

Buffy glanced at the clock, before shooting up almost knocking her chair over, snatching her last piece of toast off the plate and following Rose towards the front door.

"Bye," Rose said, kissing her mum on the cheek, before continuing on towards the door with a hurried gait.

"See ya later!"

"Bye," Buffy called over her shoulder as the front door closed behind Rose.

"See you…" Jackie began before recalling that she hadn't reminded her eldest to be careful, "Oh and don't break anything today!"

Buffy blinked then grimaced with mild embarrassment, "No promises!" she hollered back as she stepped through the front door, closing it firmly behind her.

Whilst inside the flat, Jackie sighed, settling back into her seat and picking up her tea mug and turning her attention back to her morning programmes.

*O*O*O*

Buffy disembarked the bus, stepped away from it as the doors slid shut behind her and the bus pulled away from the stop. Her gaze landed on Henricks. And the sign hung across the building that proudly declared the ongoing sale.

She started towards the building, trailing after Rose. It was going to be a long day filled with tedium. She could just feel it – and to think. Once upon a time. She'd craved this. The slow plod of normalcy. Of having a normal job.

Maybe it'd be better if she actually liked her job. But getting her dream job hadn't been her priority when she'd been stranded here. Getting home was. So here she was working retail, having allowed Jackie to pester her into applying when she'd gotten old enough to start working. Bored out of her mind for years.

And still no closer to any kind of answer as to how to get home. Or how she'd ended up here… in what she could only assume was an alternate dimension. One of the thousands that were adjacent to her own.

'At least it wasn't a hell dimension,' Buffy thought humourlessly. Though having to go through puberty again was fairly hellish. Once was rough. Twice had been a waking nightmare. Five years older than Rose put the teen years firmly behind her again.

"Are you coming?!" Rose hollered from the steps of the building, "Dragging it out, isn't gonna make it go any quicker you know!"

"Yeah, yeah. Keep your pants on!" Buffy huffed but picked up her pace as she crossed the last of the distance to their place of work.

*O*O*O*

"Oh no," Buffy whispered, stilling in between a set of racks filled with leather jackets as she eyed the oncoming threat.

Rose who'd been walking past with an arm load of neatly folded ladies' shirts, paused, glancing her sister curiously, "What?"

"It's a Queen C," Buffy stated as she stared at the woman that was decked out in stylish clothes, a small handbag looped over her arm as she stood in place and looked down her nose at her surroundings, "But worse."

Rose stared at her sister in confusion, "A what?"
"A Queen C – but without any of her redeeming qualities," Buffy replied, before she side-stepped so that she was out of sight of the woman that had picked up a sleeve of a jacket with the tips of her pointer finger and thumb only to drop it in distaste.

Rose shook her head, brow slightly furrowed with slight impatience, "You know, sometimes, you talk, and I've got no idea what you're saying."

Buffy jerked her head in the direction of the customer and Rose glanced over, her brown gaze landing on the woman, "Oh – wait," she hissed as her gaze jerked back to Buffy as she caught movement out of the corner of her eye, "Where are you going?!"

"To pre-emptively get a manager," she replied, "We don't get paid near enough to deal with this without backup."

'And I'm pretty sure that whole don't break anything today thing includes customers noses – even if they are a demonic harpy trapped in a person suit.'

Rose turned away from Buffy, only to still like prey under the gaze of a predator as her gaze landed on the customer again to see the woman coming straight for her. She gulped, suddenly wishing she'd thought to get out of sight like Buffy had.

She plastered a bright smile on her face, "Hi," she greeted in her best customer service voice, "How can I help you today?"

*O*O*O*

Rose groaned in relief as she and Buffy stepped out into the afternoon sun, "Can't believe the days not even halfway done yet," she groused, her run in with the unpleasant woman having sucked a lot of her energy out of her and not that she'd ever admit it. Had left her rattled, even after Buffy had reappeared manager in toe just as the woman had started screeching for a manager, "You joining me and Mickey for lunch?"

"And play third wheel to your canoodling?" Buffy retorted playfully, before shaking her head, "I'll pass," she bit her lower lip. Swallowing down the deep pit of loneliness that had always been there… a loneliness that had grown when she realised just how alone she was here. No friends, no family… all of them a world away.

And the Tylers, she cared for them. She did. Loved them even. But it didn't stop the knowledge that they weren't hers. Not really. For all she knew. She unintentionally stolen the life from the real Buffy Tyler. Slotted into her life like some kind of creepy body snatcher. Worse, had whatever happened killed the real Buffy Tyler?

If she did somehow get home. Would Jackie and Rose be bereft of a daughter, a sister. Or would Buffy Tyler slip back into her body like awakening from a coma – and have no memories of what had happened to her?

Those possibilities had guilt pile in on top of the loneliness, even though logically she knew that she'd had no hand in it. Hadn't deliberately chosen to do so. But those feelings, when they flared from the deep dark hole, she tried to bury them in. One that replaced the weight of the world she normally had to carry around.

Buffy swallowed the emotions back and smiled instead, "Besides," she added brightly, "I have a date with a cute little coffee shop and a double shot mocha latte with my name on it."

"Ooh, that sounds soo good," Rose groaned, "Are you sure you don't wanna join me and Mickey?" she asked again with an innocent tongue in teeth smile.

"Positive," Buffy replied arching an unimpressed but fond brow, "I'm not intruding on you lovebirds just so you can get a mocha latte fix. Say hi to tweedle-dee for me won't you tweedle-dum?"

Rose scowled at her older sisters back, "I'll give you tweedle-dum, you spaz!" she huffed before turning and starting off towards the square.

*O*O*O*

Buffy relaxed into the chair at the table she'd snagged in the café. Her double shot mocha latte clasped between her hands. The heavenly taste of her currently favoured beverage of choice coating her tastebuds.

She stared aimlessly out of the window. A thoughtful furrow to her brow as she tried to think of what else she could possibly try. What avenue she had left to explore in her attempt to find a way home.

She seemed to be at a dead end all things considered. But she couldn't give up either. Giving up would mean really abandoning her friends. Her family back home. But there was no Watcher's Council and no magic. Or if there was – it was vastly different to what was around back home and stubbornly resisted her attempts to access it.

She puffed out a breath and went to take a sip of her drink – only to pause and blink as she registered eyes on her. She took her sip and casually lifted her gaze to the café she was in. Hazel eyes scanning the crowd.

She didn't have to scan for long. Her gaze landing on a bloke with piercing blue eyes, ears that stuck out a bit, and wearing a leather jacket over a jumper. A bloke that was making no secret over the fact that he was staring at her as he stood close to her table. She raised her brows in question as the staring continued, "Can I help you?"

The man seemed to shake himself and grinned at her, "Uh, no," he stated, "No, I don't think so…" he peered at her. Then at a strange slender device in his hand. A new model of phone, perhaps? Buffy pondered as she eyed it curiously, "Seem to have gotten turned around…" he muttered, before he started for the exit at a hurried pace.

Only to pause a few steps away from the door and turn to look back at her with a quizzical frown. She raised her brows again and gave him a small wave.

He blinked, smiled at her again as he returned her wave and then turned away, "Can't be," she swore she heard him mutter to himself, "Not possible," he added as he opened the door, "Stupid things on the fritz again."

Buffy watched him hurry away through the window and out of sight, before shaking her head at herself. Even in this land of the normies. She attracted the weird and the wacky. It was a pity it wasn't the type of weird or the wacky that could help her get home.

She sighed and took a gulp of her cooling mocha. Trying to shake away the ever-growing pit inside her that told her she was never going to find a way home. That there was nothing and no one here that could help her.

But no. She tightened her grip around her mug. The ceramic straining under the pressure. She'd gone down that road of hopelessness and despair before. And she swore to herself never again would she let herself fall down that endless overwhelming hole…

She sucked in a sharp breath as the mug gave under her strength, splashing her hands and the table with still hot, but not boiling hot mocha latte.

"Oops…" she muttered as a waitress hurried over; her eyes wide with concern. Asking her if she was ok and assuring her that their mugs had never broken in a customer's hands before. All the while Buffy sheepishly tried to assure the girl that she was ok.

*O*O*O*

"This is a customer announcement," one of the employee's voices came through the tannoy, and Buffy felt her shoulders start to relax at the thought of being able to get home, "The store will be closing in five minutes. Thank you."

The five last minutes of shift both went quickly and dragged as Buffy went about straightening and tidying the shop floor for those slotted to come in tomorrow. Whilst customers dragged their feet towards the registers to make their purchases and step out into the night.

Buffy gathered her things minutes later, and took the stairs down at an energetic pace, happy to be on her way out. Throwing her jacket over her shoulders as she followed Rose towards the exit to Henricks.

"Oi!" the guard stopped them in their tracks as he held out an arm, dangling a sealed baggy with the lottery money inside it in front of Rose.

Buffy grinned, glancing at Rose seeing her put out expression, before stepping past her and out the doors, "See you when you get home Tweedle-dee."

"You're not going with me?!" Rose protested, bringing the older blond up short and getting her to turn back to face her.

Buffy frowned mildly with concern as she looked at Rose, stepping back towards her, silently agreeing to deliver the lottery money with the younger girl, "You've never minded going home alone before."

"I don't," Rose protested even as she relaxed from the unknown tension she had felt when she realised, she'd be going home alone, "Just last time," she began as they started back across store floor towards the elevator that'd take them down to the basement, "There was this creepy guy on the bus…"

Buffy's concerned frown darkened dangerously, lips pursing, hazel eyes flashing, "I'll take care of it," she promised.

Rose nodded, before bumping her shoulder into Buffy's, "Thanks."

Buffy smiled and bumped her shoulder back with her own, "What else are older sister's for, if not to scare off the creeps of the world."

"And you do exceed in scaring off creeps," Rose nodded as they came to a stop in front of the elevator the younger blond jabbing the call button for the lift.

"Years of practise does that to a girl."

Rose shot her a sister a look, a brow raised playfully at her, "You wouldn't be trying to say something there, would you?"

"Nope, not at all," Buffy replied blink innocently at her, easily playing along, the role of older sister a more comfortable fit now than when Dawn had first appeared in her life.

"Good," Rose nodded sagely, before grinning, "Otherwise I'd be tempted to mention about a certain some ones 'clutz' attacks."

"Ooh," Buffy hummed as the lift doors dinged open and the two stepped inside, "Them be fighting words. Besides I'm not a clutz," she insisted as the doors dinged closed behind them and Rose hit the 'B' for basement button, "I'm just… accident prone."

Rose snorted on a laugh as the lift began descending.

"Besides, I haven't broken anything in ages…"

"Your alarm clock 4 days ago," Rose cut in.

Buffy pouted, "Yeah, well it had it coming," Rose raised a questioning eyebrow, "It pulled me from a really good dream."

"The audacity."

"I know right," Buffy replied, ignoring Rose's teasing tone. The pair stepped out of the lift as the doors dinged open on the basement level of the building. Buffy paused, blinking at the interior of the basement, the dim flickering lights. She grimaced to herself, 'Why are basements always so dang creepy?'

"Wilson?" Rose called as Buffy easily fell into step beside her once more, the pair travelling down the corridor, "Wilson," she tried again, "I've got the lottery money," they came to a stop outside of a door with a 'danger electric shock' shock sign beneath the sign that claimed the office as belonging to, 'H P Wilson, CEO'. Rose knocked, "Wilson, are you there?"

Buffy frowned, stepping away from the door as she peered around the dimly lit corridor, her 'spidey' senses starting to tingle with unease. It wasn't like Wilson to not be in his office at this time. She eyed the corridor they were in – everything seemed to be in order – but now that she was listening – it was silent… to silent outside of the constant low hum coming from the flickering lights above them.

She bit her lower lip. Her blood beginning to pump harder in her veins, an undercurrent of the thrill along with a spike of adrenaline at the slight possibility of something being 'wrong'. She swallowed the feeling down. Mastering it as she'd learnt to do all so long ago. The price of letting loose and giving into the call for blood – for 'want, take, have' was too high.

Rose let out an irritated sound, and smacked her hand against the locked office door, "I can't hang about 'cos they're closing the shop! Wilson!" she smacked the door again, before turning away from it with a huff, "Oh, come on."

She sighed, before blinking as her gaze landed on her sister, who was stood completely still, just observing the corridor in a way that had the fine hairs on her arms and the back of her neck standing on end in warning, "Buffy?" she called with concern, stepping away from the door, "Is something wrong?"

"I dunno?" Buffy murmured with a frown, gaze still searching the corridor, before she gave herself a small shake and smiled, "It's probably nothing."

A sudden clatter that came from further down the corridor had booth turning in the direction of the noise.

"Or not…" Buffy muttered under her breath, her hazel gaze narrowed, muscles shifting, prepared to spring into action. Her blood almost singing in her veins now. Begging for the release that a good fight brought.

"Hello?" Rose called as she started in the direction of the noise, glancing to her side as Buffy came up beside her. An unfamiliar tension radiating off her that Rose wasn't familiar with. She swallowed, "Hello, Wilson, it's Rose and Buffy Tyler. Hello? Wil… Wilson?"

They came up to a storeroom door, Rose pausing in mid motion of pushing the door open when Buffy's hand caught her arm. She frowned and turned to look at her sister, "What?"

Buffy shook her head, frowning, "I dunno," she admitted lowly, but her 'spidey' senses where tingling and she'd learnt long ago to not ignore her senses or instincts. People, good people tended to die when she did that, "But…" she trailed wondering how to put it that wouldn't get the stubborn younger girls hackles up, "Something doesn't feel right," she settled on, brow still furrowed as she trailed off a little lamely as Rose arched a dubious brow at her.

Rose stared at her a moment, before taking in just how serious her older sister's expression was. She nodded and stepped back. A bit disconcerted now. What could possibly be down here that was so dang dangerous? She scowled at the baggie full of lottery money and just where was Wilson? She wanted to get home already!

Buffy slowly pushed open the storeroom door, scanning the room quickly with her gaze before stepping through the door and turning on the light casting the ominous shapes into sharp relief. Her eyes scanned over the boxes stuffed full of clothes and the plastic dummies dressed in out of season clothes.

Rose stepped in after Buffy, glancing about the room, before snorting, "You're such a worry wart," she teased, relaxing at the complete lack of danger in the storeroom, "Wilson?" she went back to calling stepping further into the room, "Wilson?!" she called again louder. Irritation making its way into her tone.

Buffy frowned at the room at large, stepping after Rose, "Something still not right," she murmured lowly. Trusting herself as she'd learnt to over the years since she'd been called and dragged somewhat kicking and screaming into the fight against what went bump in the night. Even as doubt wanted to niggle in at the complete absence of anything or anyone that was out of place in the storage room.

Rose huffed as she tried a side door, the handle not budging, "There's no one here!"

"Exactly!" Buffy exclaimed in response, catching Rose's wrist in a careful hold, drawing the teen to a halt as she went to keep moving, "Where's Wilson?!"

"What?" Rose blinked, frowning at her sister. That was the whole reason they were here in the first place. To find the man and give him the damned lottery money so they could get home.

"Wilson wants to get home at the end of the day just like the rest of us," Buffy stated, "He can't do that if he's not in his office at shops close on lottery day."

"He could've gotten a work order," Rose rebutted.

"And he would've left a safe box for us to slip the money into if that was the case," Buffy shot down. It'd happened enough times for them to know the man's routines. And by the end of the day the man wanted to get home.

"So, he forgot this time," Rose shrugged casually, "Come on, let's just find him, so we can get home and-"

Buffy whirled around as the door they'd come through suddenly slammed shut.

"You're kidding me!" Rose exclaimed in surprise, crossing quickly back over to the door, testing the handle, "Locked," she muttered with a frown, turning back around to face the room. Her gaze immediately finding her sister, only to still. Unease going up her spine as she took in the stillness in her older sister's frame. Something predatory to the stillness, like she was ready to pounce at moment's notice. Rose swallowed, a lump lodging in her throat, "Buffy?" she tried and to her relief her sister shifted, the predatory tension in her frame easing, the unease she'd felt easing along with it.

"So, what-" Rose trailed off, unease going up her spine again, "Buffy!" Rose shouted in warning as she spotted movement behind her sister. Except her call had barely started to leave her lips when Buffy started moving with a fluid grace that had her gaping in shock and alarm as her sister grabbed the plastic arm that had come at her from behind, in a chop or a grab. Rose couldn't tell. She watched as the older girl jabbed her elbow into the male mannequin's stomach before with a shocking ease sent it sailing over her head. The arm coming free of the socket and the body skidding along the floor to hit against some boxes, "Oh my God! You took his arm off," she exclaimed wide eyed.

"Uh huh," Buffy acknowledged tossing the arm to the floor.

"Are they alright?!"

Buffy turned to her, a brow arched, "It's plastic."

"Yeah, but…" Rose swallowed, her gaze going from the downed dummy, that had yet to move again since hitting the floor, to Buffy, "Shop dummies can't move on their own."

Buffy's gaze shift from Rose to a corner as movement caught her eye. Her gaze landing on a dummy in a Hawaiian shirt as it twitched to life, shuffling out of its corner, "Rose," she began firmly her eyes fixed on the threat, "Get behind me."

Rose turned her head following her sister's gaze, her eyes landing on the dummy that was shuffling towards her. She burst into motion without protesting, darting behind her older sister. Fear starting to rise in her despite herself, "Oh, this is gotta be someone mucking about," she exclaimed nervously. She slowly backed up as Buffy took a step back, the older blonde's eyes assessing as one moving dummy became three and then four. The one she'd downed slowly picking itself up from the floor. Fingers closing around its fallen arm.

Rose swallowed heavily, heart starting to hammer in her chest, "Who is it? Heh, you've got me… very funny…" she yelped as she tripped over a box falling on her butt to the floor. Her eyes wide as the dummy that'd lost its arm put it back into place as it started to advance.

She scrambled back up to her feet. Her eyes darting from the advancing dummies to her sisters back as she moved to the side, leaving her feeling vulnerable and exposed as suddenly there wasn't her sister between her and the advancing dummies. She backed up a few more steps, fear bubbling nauseatingly in her stomach.

"Rose," Buffy began, her hands closing around the metal pipe of a clothing rack that'd been stuffed into the storeroom. She kicked the base and lifted at the same time, breaking the metal rod of the rack free, clothes and other bits of metal falling to the floor with a loud clatter. Her hands closing around the cylindrical cold metal as she backed tracked to place herself between her sister and the advancing dummies, "Stay behind me," She reiterated, take a protective stance in front of her younger sibling, "But, get your back to a wall."

Rose backed up, unwilling to argue with the steely calm in her sister's voice. A calmness that both eased her fear and left her floundering internally. Especially as she watched her sister twirl that metal pipe around her hand like she'd been doing it for years.

"Alright," Buffy mused eyeing the moving dummies as they advanced on her, "Let's see if I've still got it."

Rose watched wide eyed with alarm as the dummies attacked her sister. Only for alarm to turn to pride as she watched Buffy move, dodging and countering with an ease and deadly brutality. It almost looked like a dance. And then it was over almost as quickly as it had begun. The dummies in dented pieces at her sister's feet.

Buffy tossed the pipe up into the air. It spinning once, twice, before she caught it again, "Hmm, I'm definitely a bit rusty," she muttered. She nudged a plastic torso with the toe of her shoe. That'd been kinda disappointing. The moving plastic whatever it was, hadn't put up much of a fight… even the fledging vamps had been better… but then. They all seemed to somehow know martial arts of somkind and she wasn't home. She was here. She tilted her head, eyeing the parts at her feet. How'd the plastic come alive?

The sibling's eyes shot towards the door that they'd come through as something slammed against it, before the lock clicked open and more dummies stumbled into the room. Advancing towards them with growing menace.

Buffy blinked and then frowned, fingers tightening around her makeshift weapon, "Oh of course, they called for backup," she groused.

Whilst Rose let out a small sound of alarm, before stiffening her spine, annoyance setting in along with the cold fingers of fear, "Ok!" she exclaimed to the room at large, "We've got the joke. Whose idea was this?" she demanded to know as the fight broke out again, "Is it Derek's? Is it? Derek, is this you?" she called. God, she hoped it was just Derek being a jackass, "Oh come on! One of your friends it's gonna get hurt at this rate!"

"Oh for," Buffy gritted, biting off the curse that wanted to leave her lips as irritation rose, as she ducked a sloppily swung plastic arm, before kicking it back with a solidly landed kick to the chest, "Did they call the entire shop's worth in?!" Oh, the boss was gonna bite her head off tomorrow – she just knew it.

She scowled as more of them advanced. Her gaze darting to ground as she saw the scattered dummy parts start to pick themselves up and reassemble, "Oh, I hate dummies," she muttered, stomping her foot down heavily on leg that was moving towards a torso, feeling resistance for a moment, before crushing it under her heel. Breaking it into two pieces.

"Derek, you better stop! It's not funny anymore!" Rose shouted, wanting the assault of dummies to end. Not wanting her sister to be hurt, no matter how well she appeared to be doing in the fight she'd engaged in.

"Dummies are never funny," Buffy huffed, backing up a bit. She needed more room… she swiped heavily with the pipe she was wielding at a dummy that tried to move past her to get to Rose, the easier target, sending it tumbling back into its fellows and onto the floor. She ducked, swung and then ducked again, rising fluidly, before punching the lead dummy in the face, denting the plastic cheek bone.

Rose's gaze tore from her sister as her head all but snapped to the side as a warm large hand suddenly clasped her own and her gaze landed on a man with piercing blue eyes, his brown hair closely cropped to his head and a leather jacket over a jumper.

"Run!" he told her, before he turned his attention to blond who was using a metal pipe to beat back the plastic dummies, "Oi, Karate kid!"

The shout had Buffy turning, "What did you..." she trailed off her gaze landing on the man who had her sister by the hand, her eyes widening in recognition, "You!" she exclaimed in surprise and perhaps accusation, before she ducked a swiping arm, retaliating with a backward kick that sent the dummy soring backwards.

The man blinked in surprise, eyes tracking the dummy as it collided into more, knocking them down like dominos. Taking in the carnage littering the floor. He gave himself a mental shake, gaze returning to her, "Yes me!" he agreed, having recognised her in turn, "Run!" he demanded again before taking off. Taking the girl, he had by the hand with him. The sound of booted feet hurrying after them assuring him that the other was following.

The plastic steps behind those telling him that the dummies were following after them. Faster than he would have liked.

The three darted out of the fire escape and down the dimly lit corridor.

He barrelled into the open doors of the lift, pulling the girl he had by the hand in with him. The slightly older blond darting in behind them a moment later. He jabbed a button, getting the door to start closing. Only for a dummy that had lost its head during the battle, to jam its arm in between the doors, preventing them from closing.

He grabbed it and yanked at it until it came free with a pop and the doors of the lift finally managed to close allowing the lift to start it ascent.

"You pulled his arm off!" Rose exclaimed for a second time that night. She scowled scrunching her nose, "What is it with you two and pulling their arms off."

Buffy shrugged, "It's therapeutic," she quipped, glancing down at her shoes, catalogue the damage done to her shoes,

Rose scowled, nosed scrunched, "Way to sound psychopathic."

Buffy glanced over at her sister, "Plastic," she retorted gazing going back to her shoes, grimacing at them. She had bits of dummy plastic clinging to the soles of her shoes. She'd liked these shoes too… though hopefully getting the plastic off them should be easier than cleaning demon guts out of the little grooves in the soles. Eyeing the man with convenient timing out of the corner of her eye. What was he doing here.

"Plastic doesn't just move on its own!" Rose huffed for a second time that night, arms crossing over her chest. She turned her attention to the man that had gotten them out of there. Who had been busy looking from one to the other with bemusement, "So, who were they then, students?"

Buffy blinked, eyes flicking once again to her sister, taking in her expression, "Ah, denial," she mused softly. A smile touching the corners of her lips. It'd been a long time since she'd had to deal with that. It was nostalgic.

The Doctor glanced at the older blond, eyes curious, having caught the quiet whisper, mind flicking back to earlier in the day. Coming across her in that café. The impossibility of what his sonic had picked up.

Before he returned his attention to the issue at hand, to the blond that was attempting to bore a hole into the side of his head as she glowered at him, "Why would they be students?"

Rose blinked, thrown at the question, "I don't know."

"Well, you said it," the man replied reasonably, "Why students?"

"Cos… to get that many people dressed up and being silly…" she started slowly, "They've got to be students," she reasoned.

He grinned at her, "That makes sense. Well done."

Rose nodded with a small, gratified smile, "Thanks."

"Students wouldn't crumble like plastic," Buffy cut in, getting a scowl from her sibling, "Sturdy plastic. But still plastic."

"What do you think is then?"

"I just said," Buffy eyed him, "Plastic."

"Right, yes…" he agreed with a hum, impressed and curious… and that couldn't be it. There was no way that was it, "And?"

Buffy quirked her brows at him, "What is this a pop quiz?"

"Yes," he retorted with a beaming grin, "And so far, you're both failing."

Rose scowled again at that with rising irritation.

Buffy huffed an amused breath, before conceding, "First thought was possession of some kind – but…"

"But," he encouraged.

Buffy hummed trying to think of how to word it before settling on, "Changed my mind."

"Cos possession is so much more likely than students being silly," Rose snorted, eyeing her sister with some concern.

"Not possession and not students," the man cut in grinning with delighted amusement.

Rose scowled in annoyance, "Well, whoever they are, when Wilson finds them, he's going to call the police."

"Who's Wilson?"

"Chief electrician," Rose stated as the doors dinged open.

"Wilson's dead," the man replied as he stepped out of the doors and into the corridor.

Rose scowled, stalking after him, "That's not funny," she exclaimed, "That's sick!"

"That's not a jokey face," Buffy murmured lowly, side eyeing the man as she followed Rose out of the lift.

"Hold on," the man paused, turning to them and shifting them back and out of the way, "Mind your eyes," he warned before he turned back to the lift and zapped the control panel, causing it to spark as its innards fried.

Rose scowled as the man started away without another word to them, "I've had enough of this now!" she groused, stalking after him.

Buffy snorted softly at that, earning herself a peeved look from her already irritated sister.

"What?" she snapped.

Buffy shook her head and held up her hands in surrender, "Nothin'," she muttered. It was just in that moment Rose had reminded her of herself. When she'd been freshly Called and hadn't wanted a damn thing to do with the destiny the Council had been foisting on her.

"Who are you, then?" Rose demanded curtly, "Who's that lot down there?" she scowled as the man continued to ignore her, "I said, who are they?"

He glanced back at her, "They're made of plastic," he began, strolling down the corridor.

"Plastic," Buffy repeated, eyeing him. She'd said plastic. Literally the first thing she'd said.

He shot her a grin, "Living plastic creatures," he continued, "They're being controlled by a relay device in the roof. Which would be a great big problem if I didn't have this," he showed her an electronic device.

Buffy eyed it, a brow lifting, recognising the device for what it was, "Oh, bomb-tastic."

"Got a problem with that."

"Nope," Buffy popped the p. When it came to blowing things up. She couldn't talk. She really couldn't, "Enjoy your fiery explosion."

"I will," he nodded as he opened the fire escape door, he'd been leading the two towards, a bit of a grin curling up his lips whilst Rose gaped, gaze going from her sister to the man and back again, momentarily lost for words, "I mean, I might well die in the process."

Buffy went to reply only for him to continue on, not letting either of them get a word in. He didn't have the time to indulge either of them further.

"But don't worry about me," he smiled, "No, you two go home, go on!" he grinned at the pair, "Go and have your lovely beans on toast," he stated as he ushered the two through the door still grinning as one gaped at him and the other stared head cocked to the side, "Don't tell anyone about this," he warned, "Because if you do, you'll get them killed," he said in all seriousness before he shut the door on them.

Buffy let out a low breath and shook the remaining tension from her limbs, "Come on," she sighed turning to Rose, "We don't wanna get caught in the fiery ball of death that's about to become our shop."

Rose pulled her eyes from the door and nodded, the two turning to start away, before they whirled back around as the sound of door opening again drew their attention back to the building and the man who'd stuck his head out of the open door, peering at them.

"I'm the Doctor, by the way," he introduced himself, that grin still quirking his lips, before he asked, "Who are you two, then?"

"Buffy."

"Rose."

"Nice to meet you both," he grinned at them one last time, before adding, "Run for your life."

Buffy blinked as the Doctor shut the door again, before she urged her sister into motion and ran for the alley exit. Having no idea just how soon the bomb was due to go off now and in no way did she want either of them to get caught in the crossfire.

The two ran out of the alley, Buffy keeping a somewhat wide berth from the dummies in the shop windows. Wary of more of them springing to life. She jerked to a stop, Rose running into her back as she almost ran out in front of a black cab.

The driver behind the wheel honking aggressively at her for the narrowly avoided collision.

Buffy ignored it, darting across the road and making it to the other side, glancing back at Hendrick's just in time for the top of the building to explode with a loud kaboom, engulfing it in flames. The heat of which she could feel from across the street.

She stared at it. Rose's hand clenched tightly around her own as the younger blond grasped it for comfort as she stared at it too with wide eyes.

"So, if mum asks," Buffy broke the silence between them, pulling her gaze from the flames to look at Rose, "That explosion had nothing to do with me."

Rose shot her a bewildered look, just as sirens sounds in the distance.

"Come on," Buffy muttered and started off again, "We don't want to be here when the cops show up."

Rose blinked baffled, "Why not?" She questioned as they broke into a run.

Buffy hesitated a moment. Her reasons for booking it before the police showed up not valid here… but it was an instinct to her now. She glanced over her shoulder at her sister, "Do you wanna be questioned for hours?"

Rose snorted, "No."

"Exactly."

The pair running past a police box that was parked in an alley between two other stores.

"Wait!" Rose panted out of breath a couple of blocks later, "Can we stop," she clutched her side as Buffy slowed, "I have a stitch."

Buffy glanced around the night, eyes landing on a vending machine tucked into the corner of a street. She jogged over to it lightly. Digging into her pockets for some loose change. She slotted the money into the machine and pressed the button that'd give them a bottle of water. She made her way back over to Rose, bottle in hand.

"You ok?" she asked holding the bottle out to her panting sibling.

Rose nodded, gratefully accepting the bottle of water, "Yeah, just haven't done that much running since gym class in high school," she took a few greedy gulps of water. Eyeing her sister who hardly looked any worse for wear… she looked rather unfairly composed despite fighting off those plastic creatures, "How are you not a mess," she whinged with a small pout.

"Luck?"

Rose rolled her eyes, "You and your super strength," she groused. Gets in a fight, runs for blocks and she's not even out of breath.

Buffy quirked a brow at her, "You can always join me on my morning run."

Rose snorted, "Yeah, no."

"Lazy," Buffy teased as they started down the road again.

"I prefer my beauty sleep, thanks," Rose sniffed. She glanced at Buffy again, "You scared me tonight."

"Sorry?" Buffy murmured. The apology wrapped in a question as she eyed the younger girl.

"I've never seen you like that before. I mean you've always been crazy strong, Buffy… but that was…" she trailed unsure if she wanted to voice any more or if she could even find the words.

Buffy effected a nonchalant shrug, "Never been in that situation before," not in this world. Had started to believe she never would be. But the strange had come knocking and Buffy had answered, just like she always did. Even when she hadn't wanted to.

Rose bit her lower lip, concerned and maybe a little fearful. Not of her sister. Buffy would never hurt her. But… memories from years ago. When things had gotten crazy. When her sister had woken up one day not recognising them. Spouting what sounded like nonsense. Nonsense out of a horror movie – downright terrifying to her young ears. How she'd almost lost her sister to a institute for her safety. She hadn't understood at the time how close it had gotten. But years on she knew. Knew that it had taken all of Jackie's gumption and overwhelming need to protect her children that had stopped it. Along with the fact that Buffy herself had stopped. Practically returning to normal soon after.

She'd been too young to remember it all in detail… but tonight… seeing Buffy move in a way she'd never seen her do so before. It had her wondering…

"Didn't look like your first time."

Buffy stopped walking eyeing Rose's back as she pulled a couple of steps ahead, "What are you saying?"

Rose paused and turned back to her. Teeth sinking into her lower lip, before she blew out a breath, "Nothing," she shook her head. It wasn't possible. It was completely barmy to even contemplate. Buffy was fine. She was her sister. And that was all there was to the matter. Her stupidly brave older sister had simply done what she'd always done since they were little.

Protected her.

"So," she started again as they fell into step with each other again, "How'd you meet him?" she asked curiously.

"Who? Mr. Splosions?"

"Don't be coy," Rose rolled her eyes, "Who else?"

"During lunch," Buffy shrugged, "At that little café I went to."

"Oh," Rose perked up, "Like a meet cute?" she grinned, tongue between her teeth, "Did you have a meet cute?"

It was Buffy's turn to roll her eyes, "No," she huffed before musing thoughtfully, "Kinda gave me a weird vibe."

"You think!" Rose exclaimed, glancing back towards the flames they could still see in the distance, "You sure?"

"Yes!"

"Probably for the best," Rose conceded, "Doubt mum would be happy if you brought home a bloke that blew up a building."

Buffy let out a hum, "Personally I think she'd care more about his age. I mean look who you're talking to. Walking property destruction extraordinaire."

Rose snorted a laugh, "There's a difference between smashed alarm clocks and broken locks and a bomb."

Buffy winced a little. If only they knew how many buildings she'd blown to pieces to save her little town. Before she'd all but blown the town up to save the world. The town had been nothing but a hole in the ground after they'd closed the hellmouth it sat upon.

"Still, you're hot. You should date."

Buffy rolled her eyes, for what felt like the hundredth time that night, "Powers save me from little sisters meddling in my romantic life."

"What romantic life?!" Rose retorted hurrying to catch her sister up as the older blond swiftly started moving again. Walking at a faster clip than before, "You've never dated anyone."

Buffy shrugged, hiding a grimace. Of course she hadn't. She hadn't been a teen in high school. Not really and she'd had no interest in dating one. Gods, teens were feral and had gross hygiene at the best of times, "Haven't met anyone that's my type."

Rose perked up with interest again, "You have a type?"

"Course I do," Buffy stated, "Ah, nope," she cut Rose off as the younger blond opened her mouth to speak. Anticipating the question, "I'm not giving you any ammunition – you give me enough grief over my romantic life or lack of as it is," besides, it was doubtful she would ever meet anyone that was her type here.

She'd been forced to concede over the years. That Spike had been right in many ways. She needed a little monster in her man and the average joe just didn't have that.

"Although," Buffy mused aloud, willing to give her little sister something to chew on, "The Doctor had nice eyes. Soulful."

Rose let out a high-pitched noise only for the older girl to talk again, "You should probably call mum."

Rose blinked thrown off by the sudden change of subject. She touched a hand to the pocket her mobile was in, before remembering, "Went flat after lunch."

"Hmm. Best hurry up then. The longer she worries. The worse she's gonna be," and with that Buffy took off a run. A slow one for Rose's sake, but a run none the less.

"Oi! No… Buffy – wait…" Rose cried, taking off after her.

*O*O*O*

Buffy sat with Rose on the settee in the living room of their home. The sibling's eyes on the telly that was switched on to the BBC News 24 broadcast that was covering the explosion, "The whole of Central London has been closed off as police investigate the fire. Early reports indicate…"

Buffy's eyes wandered from the telly as Jackie walked back in phone held to her ear with one hand and a steaming hot mug in the other, "I know," the older Tyler woman was saying to the person on the other end, "It's on the telly. It's everywhere. They're both lucky to be alive," she exclaimed moving towards the settee, "Honestly, it's aged them both," Buffy quirked her brows at her, "Skin like an old bible. Walking in now you'd think I was their child."

Buffy made a face and glanced at Rose the two exchanging an exasperated look, before she accepted the mug that was pressed into her hand, before Jackie turned and walked away again listening to the person on the other end of the line.

Buffy sighed, taking a sip, screwing her nose up. Tea. Of course, it was tea. She'd yet to find a tea that she liked… but it was warm against her fingers though. So, she kept a hold of it. Her gaze going to the plastic arm that Rose had tossed onto the pale sofa, lying innocently against the bright pink cushion.

As if it hadn't been attached to a moving dummy that had tried to kill them. The question was. What to do with it. The part of her that wanted to wig out at the mere thought of dummies that moved. Dummies where wiggins inducing enough. But ones that moved. She kinda wanted to piff it out the window… but how would she explain that?

But… what if it sprang to life again… and if it did. What could she do about it?

She had no resources here. No one she could call for info. That'd help her with research… or even have a clue where to start looking. Despite having all her Slayer strength and senses… she was effectively helpless here.

Maybe she could melt it somehow? Make a big bonfire and just toss it on. There'd be something satisfying in that. But where could she do that that wouldn't attract unwanted attention? They weren't exactly in the countryside. Hell, they lived on an Estate in the middle of London packed full with nosey neighbours.

She gave herself a mental shake. The Doctor had said he was blowing up the relay device which would stop them. So, they were stopped. She'd feel better about it if she'd actually seen it go up… but Rose had been her priority. Keeping her safe.

The front door all but banged open and all three women she turned to look at the entryway. Buffy tensing and then relaxing as her gaze landed on Mickey instead of a threat.

"Oh, and here's himself…" Jackie said gesturing at Mickey as he appeared in the doorway, slightly out of breath and eyes worried as his gaze shot to the Tyler siblings. He started towards them, limbs almost trembling with relief as he stared at his girlfriend.

"I've been phoning your mobile," he accused Rose as Buffy shifted over to allow Mickey room to sit beside his girlfriend.

"Sorry," Rose apologised sheepishly as Mickey hugged her tightly.

"And you," he rounded on Buffy, who raised her brows at him in question, "You need a mobile!"

"You do," Rose and Jackie agreed in tandem. The oldest Tyler woman calling over her shoulder, before going right back to her phone call.

"Pass," Buffy huffed, this was hardly the first time Jackie and Rose had tried to get her to get a mobile.

"How else are we supposed to contact you in an emergency!" Mickey exclaimed, "You both could have been dead!" he exclaimed frantically, "And Rose wasn't answering and there was no way to contact you!"

"You could beep me," Buffy stated calmly, detaching a small device from one of the belt loops of her jeans and holding it up for him to see.

Mickey blinked at it, "You've got a beeper?!" he exclaimed incredulously, "What is this?! The early 1990's?! Who has a beeper these days?!"

"Me," Buffy retorted, snapping the device back to her belt loop. She was quite happy without a mobile thank you very much. All those things would have done was make it impossible for her to have anytime to herself back in her own world.

There was no way she was giving in and getting one here just because there wasn't the pressure of the saving the world on her shoulders here.

"I'm alright. We both are, honestly. I'm fine," Rose attempted to sooth, hugging Mickey back, who was still holding her, "Don't make a fuss," she pleaded.

"You mean that wasn't making a fuss?" Buffy quipped.

Mickey sat up, changing tack, eyeing the two expectantly, "Well, what happened?"

Buffy shrugged nonchalantly, "Firebug."

Mickey blinked, "What?"

Rose rolled her eyes, "We don't know."

Mickey turned back to her, "What was it though? What caused it?"

"We weren't in the shop," Rose sighed exasperated over how many times they'd been asked that tonight already, "We were outside," she stated yet again as Jackie walked back into the living room and made her way back over to them. Phone still in hand, "So, we didn't see anything."

Jackie came to a stop in front of them, holding the phone out towards them, "It's Debbie on the end," she explained staring at her daughters expectantly, "She knows a man on the Mirror. Five hundred quid for an interview."

Buffy grasped the phone and hung up, "Hard pass," she stated flatly, and Rose nodded as Buffy set the phone down on the coffee table.

"Definitely a pass," she huffed.

"Well, you've got to find some way of making money," Jackie huffed at them, "Your jobs are kaput and I'm not bailing you both out," she couldn't afford it even if she wanted to help them out financially. The phone rang again, and Jackie snatched it from the coffee table and brought it up to her ear, "Beth!" she exclaimed as she turned away from the settee, phone once again pressed to her ear, "They're alive! I've told them," she started from the living room again and the siblings settled against the settee again the two exchanging an exasperated look as Jackie continued, "Sue for compensation. They were within seconds of death."

"What are you drinking? Tea? No, no, no, that's no good," Mickey said after checking the mug Jackie had pressed into Rose's hand earlier, "You're in shock, you need something stronger."

Rose gave him a questioning look, "Why?"

"You deserve a proper drink, you and me and Buffy if she wants," he tacked on, "We're going down the pub, my treat."

"I'm good," Buffy replied and got up with a stretch, setting her mug of tea down, "You two kids have fun though."

Rose rolled her eyes, "Like you're that much older than me."

Buffy shot her a small grin, before she picked up her mug and started from the living room, moving to dump the barely touched tea in the kitchen sink.

"How about it?" Mickey asked Rose with a hopeful smile.

Rose smiled knowingly, "Is there a match on?"

"I'm just thinking about you, babe!" he denied quickly almost too quickly.

Rose's smile widened, "There's a match on, ain't there?"

Inside the kitchen Buffy sighed as she looked at dishes in the sink, Jackie still talking on the phone at the kitchen table. She emptied the mug and started running the taps, plugging the sink as she pulled open a cupboard to grab the dishwashing liquid.

"One sec Beth," Jackie spoke into the phone, before pressing the mouthpiece to her shoulder as she addressed her eldest, "You don't have to do that love."

Buffy shrugged, not bothering to reply as she heard the older woman begin speaking into the phone again.

A little while later, dishes washed and drip drying for now. Buffy stepped back into the living room, only to freeze as her gaze fell on the pale sofa that was now devoid of the plastic arm, "Where's the arm?" she asked with alarm.

"Hmm?" Rose blinked, "Oh, I got Mickey to bin it," she shrugged, giving her sister a weird look as she eyed her sister's expression.

*O*O*O*

Buffy looked out at the street from her bedroom door. Fingers twitching at her sides. The adrenaline from earlier long gone, but the itch remained. Something was happening and she didn't know if it was over or not. If she had stumbled in at the end of the situation or the beginning. She didn't know because she'd put Rose first. The little family she'd been dropped into without so much as a by your leave.

This wasn't her world… but that itch was there. The need to save it… it'd been so long and the darkness in her that had reluctantly gone to sleep at the tedium of life here. Was awake now and it was still pulsing through her veins longing to be let loose. The window shop dummies had been disappointing. Easy to leave in pieces even if they got back up again… though the sheer numbers towards the end had gotten, daunting.

Still, this was the first whiff of something weird since she'd been here… so maybe just maybe she could find a little more purpose to her life… and maybe just maybe… it'd lead to her finding a way back to her world.

But even if she did. It'd been years… and Dawn had screamed for her. Why had she screamed for her… was she alright or would she get back to see that it'd been years and there was no one left to save.

Buffy shook her head. Trying to dispel the line of thought. Worrying about that wouldn't do her any good…

She blew out a breath. If she did get home though she'd still be losing something. Two people that had become so important to her.

She sighed heavily. Her life was never easy. And as hard as it would be. She needed to get home. She belonged there.

Not here. Where she wasn't needed.

*O*O*O*

"What?" the Doctor frowned as he paused outside the Tardis, glancing around the dark street. This wasn't where he'd meant to land. He'd been tracking the signal. He knew he had been. Must have gotten it a little wrong. He made to turn and go back into his ship to try again. Only to pause as he caught movement out of the corner of his eye.

He turned towards it and blinked as a familiar blond came into view, crossing the road at a run. He blinked. Glanced back at his ship and then down at his sonic screwdriver, "Not what I was tracking," he muttered. He was trying to save the planet here.

But then, the girl. Buffy. He recalled. If he was right… and he was. It shouldn't be possible for her to be here. And he had to make sure. It was potentially too dangerous to not make sure. 'Ah well,' he internally sighed and then grinned, 'No time like the present.'

He took off at a sprint, determined to catch up.

*O*O*O*

Buffy shifted, her focus moving from the rhythmic pounding of her feet against the pavement. Her head tilting slightly as she heard steps running up behind her. She kept moving, the tension in her flexing muscles shifting as she braced for a potential attack. Ready to spring from a run into a defensive motion.

"Blimey, you're fast," a male voice stated.

Buffy slowed recognising it and glancing at him as he came up beside her, "You, again."

"Hello," he gave her a grin, "We running from anything in particular?"

Buffy blinked, eyes quizzical and just a little suspicious, "No – just running."

"Bit early."

She blinked again, brow furrowing, wondering what his point was, "Roads are quieter. Less people to bump into," they rounded a corner, "how's your plastic problem?"

"Going – I keep getting waylaid…" he cut off with a small puff of air escaping him as suddenly Buffy, who honestly looked like she shouldn't be able to, grabbed him by the lapels of his leather jacket and shoved him against the wall of the building they'd just rounded.

"What do you want?" she demanded as the Doctor blinked down at her in obvious surprise. His hands splayed in the universal sign of surrender.

"Woah," the Doctor exclaimed, shifting subtly, testing the grip the small blond had on him, concluding that he wouldn't be going anywhere until she released him, "I don't mean you any harm," he assured, "I just want to help."

Buffy blinked, head tilting, as she eyed him, suspicion written all over her face, "Help?"

"Yes. Help." He stated, "You're a long way from home."

Her eyes widened, her heart that had been beating calmly until now, picked up speed, "What did you say?"

"You're a long way from home," he repeated easily, "A world away, you could say."

Buffy let out a shaky breath, before releasing him and taking a step back. A fine tremble to her hands as she fought her instinct to lash out, "You called yourself a doctor. Did the institute send you? Cos you're not allowed to just check up on me out of the blue. Not unless you've got permission and Jackie would never."

They'd fought to long to get them to go away. And she hadn't acted out, not since she'd first woke up here in the middle of this life with no clue how she got there.

"What?" the Doctor exclaimed confused, eyeing the tense woman in front of him everything about her stance and face screaming suspicion, "No, no. I'm not a doctor. I'm the Doctor."

Buffy stared at him for a long moment and the Time Lord felt like he was being measured in that moment, before she let out a breath some of the tension leaving her frame but not the suspicion etched on her face, "No I suppose you wouldn't be…" she muttered to herself. No, he wouldn't have been there last night with a bomb if he'd been sent from the institute. She eyed him again, "What makes you think I'm from another world?"

"I don't think," he refuted, "I know."

Buffy frowned, backed up a couple of more paces, suspicion warring with her wants. Their gazes locked for a moment, before she turned and jogged away. Being sure to continue on her way and not turning back in the direction of home.

She wouldn't risk being followed.

The Doctor stared after her. She didn't trust him. Suspicious little thing. That was ok. He'd have time to work out how to convince her after he dealt with the latest threat to his favourite planet.

*O*O*O*

Buffy groaned as the alarm clock on her nightstand blared to life. She lifted a hand, groggily hitting the air for it. Her eyes feeling gritty as she pried them open. Feeling like she hadn't gotten enough sleep after the run she'd taken mere hours earlier to get rid of some energy to be able to manage some sleep. Only to not even manage that much after her extremely early or very late-night run in with the Doctor. Her hand found the edge of the clock and she gave it a careless smack. Just wanting it to shut up.

Only for the thing to crumple under her hand like cardboard. She peered at the broken pieces littering her nightstand and the bits that had fallen to the floor.

"Oops," she sighed, rolling over onto her back to stare up at the ceiling.

"There's no point getting up, you two," Jackie called as Rose's alarm also shut off with a far less violent end to Buffy's own, "You've got no job to go to."

The same question that had prevented her from getting a descent sleep after she'd fallen into bed once she'd gotten home plaguing her.

Had she made a mistake. Had she missed her chance in walking away. But it had seemed too good to be true. It'd been years and suddenly plastic attacks and the bloke in the middle of it can help. Just knows.

It'd had her instincts conflicting with her desire to go home. Which conflicted with the desire to stay which had grown over the decade she'd spent here. She'd chosen her instincts. The instincts she'd learned and honed over the years.

And now alone in her bedroom. She wondered if she'd blown it.

Buffy lay there for a moment longer, before throwing the covers off herself to get up. She needed to clean up the mess she'd made and hopefully keep Rose from finding out she'd broken yet another alarm clock.

*O*O*O*

"There's Finch's," Jackie suggested as she sat down at the kitchen table with her youngest, whilst Buffy boiled the kettle for her morning coffee, "You could try them," she encouraged trying to be helpful, "They've always got jobs."

"Oh, great," Rose huffed with a grimace, "The butchers."

"Yeah, pass. Thanks, mum," Buffy said with a grimace of her own.

"Well, it might do you both good," Jackie huffed as Buffy reached up for a cupboard to grab a mug, "That shop was giving you both airs and graces…"

"Oops," Buffy exclaimed making Jackie trail off, looking at her eldest to see one of the cupboard handles in her daughters hand and not attached to a cupboard like it was supposed to be.

"Ooh, again?!" Jackie huffed.

"Sorry," Buffy apologised sheepishly, tossing a subtle wink at Rose. The younger blond hiding a smile in her mug, "I guess I've got some excess energy after last night."

"Well, go for a run or something," Jackie told her.

Buffy shrugged, "Already been."

"Well, go on another one," Jackie groused, "And stop breaking bits off my kitchen," she muttered as she got up, "I'll go get the super glue," she muttered, before shooting both her daughters a look, "And I'm not kidding about compensation. You've both had genuine shock and trauma. Arianna got two thousand quid off the council just cos the old man behind the desk said she looked Greek!" she started out of the kitchen, "I know she is Greek but that's not the point. It was a valid claim."

The Tyler sisters watched her go, before sharing a brief look and Buffy turned back to the cupboards determined to continue on her quest for her morning beverage. Now that they were momentarily safe from being pestered into applying for a job at the butchers.

"Thanks," Rose broke the silence between them.

Buffy glanced over her shoulder at her, "I'm sure I don't know what you mean," she quipped lightly, a small smile gracing her lips.

"Course not," Rose nodded with a smile of her own… the two pausing as a rattle came from the front door.

"Didn't you say you were going to nail the cat flap down?" Rose asked glancing at Buffy who was already starting from the kitchen.

Buffy shook her head, "I was going to, but mum said she'd do it."

Rose rolled her eyes and started after Buffy, "Mum, you're such a liar. You said you'd nail that cat flap down. We're going to get strays."

"I did it weeks back!" Jackie hollered from her bedroom.

"No," Rose huffed, "You thought about it," she let out a disgruntled sound as she almost walked into her sisters back for the second time since last night, "What you stop for?" she huffed and peered around her sister to see screws on the floor.

Buffy watched as another screw unwound from its spot on the door and clatter to the floor. She took another step forward, yanking the door open, preparing to kick out at the potential burglar or plastic intruder. Only to pause as she caught sight of the Doctor. Who jumped to his feet.

"You!" Buffy exclaimed, eyes narrowed in suspicion, "You stalking me or something?!" she hissed, "First the café. Then the shop. My run this morning and now here."

The Doctor blinked in surprise at seeing Buffy, "What no," his gaze going behind her to Rose as she peered around her sister, with a scowl, "I'm-I'm following a signal," honestly, he was. He couldn't focus on the girl that wasn't of this world. When the planet needed a bit of saving. He frowned eyeing the two, "What are you two doing here?"

Buffy gave him a look, "We live here."

"Well, what do you do that for?"

"Cos we do," Rose huffed, crossing her arms as she glowered pointedly, "We're only home cos someone blew up our job."

The Doctor ignored her outburst as he pulled out his sonic screwdriver again giving it a shake, frowning at it, before his gaze returned to the elder blond. Their eyes meeting, "Must have gotten the wrong signal," he muttered pointedly.

Buffy arched a brow, arms crossing, determined to appear unaffected, "Again? You said something about that yesterday too."

"It can happen," the Doctor huffed defensively, not appreciating the small amount of mocking in her tone. Even as her hazel eyes screamed how suspicious she found this situation, "Especially when something is…" he hesitated, searching out an appropriate word, "Out of wack," he watched her stiffen at his implication. Eyes narrowing at him.

"I'll give you out of wack," Buffy hissed from between her teeth with a glower.

Something the Doctor happily ignored as he flicked his gaze back to the younger blond, "You're not plastic, are you?" he rapped his knuckles against her head, "No, bonehead," he grinned at them, "Bye then…" he trailed off as hands gripped his arm and turned his head to look to see Rose glowering at him.

"You," Rose hissed, yanking him towards the house none to gently, "In now!"

The Doctor allowed it easily enough… he wasn't in that much of a hurry… and he glanced at Buffy from the corner of his eye. The blond shifting to allow him past her despite the suspicious glower she had for him. He still needed to try and convince the blond he meant her no harm. That he was honest in wanting to help her as much as he could. He pocketed his sonic as another female voice called from down the corridor.

"Who is it?"

"It's about last night," Rose stuck her head into her mum's room, "He's part of the inquiry. Gives us ten minutes."

"They deserve compensation," Jackie stated as the Doctor came into view, hovering in her doorway as he waited.

"Oh, we're talking millions," he agreed genially.

"I'm in my dressing gown," Jackie murmured, eyeing the man up and down.

"Yes, you are," he agreed easily.

"There's a strange man in my bedroom," she added, a flirtatious note entering her voice as she continued to regard the stranger that wasn't half bad looking in her opinion.

"Yes, there is."

"Well, anything could happen."

"No," the Doctor retorted flatly and stepped back into the entryway before entering the living room, sweeping his gaze over it. His gaze settling on Buffy who was leaning against the kitchen doorframe, eyeing him, "You gonna glower the entire time then."

"Thinking about it."

"You don't trust me."

"Nope," Buffy popped the 'p', a habit from her first teen years that she never broke, "I mean, would you?"

"Yes!" He exclaimed with a grin, "I'm very trustworthy."

Buffy smiled despite herself, "I think your full of it."

"Sort of, yeah," the Doctor nodded, his grin widening as he got the smallest of laughs from the distrustful woman.

Buffy couldn't help it. The man was kinda ridiculous. She straightened up from her lean, doing a quick glance to see if Rose was still getting changed and Jackie was still in her bedroom, "I mean, how'd you even get another wo…"

She heard a door close, "Right," Rose started walking the short corridor, "What's this I heard," she stepped into the living area, "About you stalking my sister."

"I'm not," the Doctor spluttered, "Honestly, you just had to go and put that idea in her head," he groused.

Buffy shrugged, "Sorry, not sorry."

Rose glanced from him to her sister and back again, before rolling her eyes, "Do you want a coffee, then?"

"Might as well, thanks," he agreed easily, "Just milk."

"Buffy, want another?"

"Sure, why not," she nodded, she could use all the caffeine she could get after the bad night she'd had.

"We should go to the police," Rose called back to them as she started bustling about the kitchen, "All three of us."

"Pass," Buffy stated flatly whilst the Doctor picked up the copy of heat that had been sitting on the coffee table. Eyeing the cover.

Rose rolled her eyes, "Seriously. What have you got against the police."

"Nothing," Buffy denied, "They're great," they just happened to get in the way when it came to the preternatural.

"That won't last," the Doctor commented eyeing the picture of the couple he'd come across, "He's gay and she's an alien."

Buffy quirked a brow at him. And got a grin in return as he dropped the magazine back on the table, snatching up a paperback book instead.

"I'm not blaming you," Rose continued as she finished prepping the mugs, the kettle starting to whistle, "Even if it was just some sort of joke that went wrong."

"Ah, denial," Buffy mused quietly, getting a curious glance from the Doctor, "It's not just a river in Egypt."

"Hmmm," he turned his attention back to the book he'd picked up. Quickly flicking through it, "Sad ending."

He dropped it back where he'd found it and stepped away. His eyes catching a small pile of envelopes from yesterday's mail.

"They said on the news they'd found a body."

Buffy let out a soft hum at that, eyeing the Doctor as he stepped around the living room. Wilson really was dead then. Only to scowl as he she watched him pick up their mail.

The Doctor flicked his gaze over the names addressed on the envelopes. Rose Tyler. Buffy Tyler. Sisters then, he deduced. But how? Unless Rose was also from another world… he didn't think so, tossing a speculative glance over his shoulder towards the kitchen where Rose was still puttering around. What were the chances of two. Certainly slimmer than one and the chances of that was as close to zero as possible.

Still, he'd have to check. Make sure. Know what he was dealing with. His thoughts were brought back to the room when the letters were snatched from his hands. He looked down, eyes meeting Buffy's unimpressed frown. He was getting a lot of those from her.

"Do you mind?"

"Nope," he replied, meeting her frown with a grin, unrepentant in his blatant snooping. He shifted and caught sight of a mirror out of the corner of his eye. He turned towards it, "Ah," he mused touching his jaw, "Could've been worse. Look at the ears."

Buffy shook her head, she wasn't gonna touch that. Nope.

"All the same," Rose spoke again from the kitchen as the Doctor picked up a deck of cards he spotted, "He was nice. Nice bloke."

"Luck be a lady," the Doctor declared as he started to shuffle the deck.

"Anyway, if we're going to the police, I want to know what I'm saying."

"We're not going to the police," Buffy refuted firmly.

In the kitchen, Rose rolled her eyes.

The Doctor attempted to perform a trick, only for the cards to go flying, all 52 of them scattering across the carpet.

Buffy looked down at the mess.

"I want you to explain everything," Rose continued.

Buffy looked back up at the Doctor, "Not it."

The Doctor grinned, "Me neither."

Buffy arched a brow, before calling, "Rose, you're it."

"What?" Rose called back puzzled, "It for what?"

"Pick up 52."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding," Rose groused at her sister, starting to fill the mugs with boiled water, "Why'd you even drop them."

"I didn't."

Buffy's gentle amusement, as she listened to her sisters muttered grousing, shifted as she frowned as she heard the cat flap rattle once more. Drawing both hers and the Doctors attention.

"What's that, then?" the Doctor asked Buffy, "You got a cat?"

"Not anymore," Buffy replied, shifting her attention going to the couch as a rustling sound came from behind there, "Get the occasional stray though," she continued as she stepped towards the couch. The Doctor moving with her, "The screws were supposed to prevent that," she couldn't help but add. Shooting him a quick side eye.

She placed a knee on the couch, one of the Doctor's own joining hers a second later. The pair peered over the couch.

The Doctor jerked back on instinct as something suddenly flew out from behind the couch, launching itself at his face. He blinked as nothing happened. He glanced down. To see one of the plastic arms, fingers twitching, grasping in the air, right where his throat had been a mere second before. His gaze shifted to the small hand that had caught the plastic arm mid launch. He turned his gaze higher, mouth a little agape, eyes taking in Buffy's face as she held the attacking arm back with, what appeared to him, with ease.

Down the hallway, Jackie turned on her hairdryer.

"Of course it's not over," Buffy grumbled, straightening up, fingers tight around the arm that was struggling determinedly against her grip, "That'd be too easy. When is it ever that easy."

The Doctor gave himself a mental shake and grinned, "Nice reflexes."

Buffy flicked her attention to him and then grimaced as the arm, tried to launch itself towards her face, plastic fingers flexing menacingly, "Right, that's enough out of you," she huffed, jerking it away from her face.

"Wait!" the Doctor exclaimed as he saw Buffy's fingers flex around the plastic, fingers starting to dent the plastic alarmingly, "Don't crush it –" Buffy shot him an incredulous look, "I need it," he finished.

"Course you do," Buffy huffed, yanking the arm back as it gained ground, "Got a box or something to put it in, then? Cos this thing is not giving up."

"No, I've got… um," the Doctor patted at the pockets of his leather coat, "I've just gotta find it."

"Well, hurry up then," Buffy exclaimed with a grimace, her arm starting to strain from trying to hold the flailing arm in place.

Behind them, Rose stepped out of the kitchen holding two steaming mugs. She paused at the sight of her sister seemingly struggling one armed with what appeared to be the length of a plastic hand. She rolled her eyes, "I told Mickey to get rid of that thing," she muttered whilst the Doctor frantically searched the pockets of his leather coat, "Seriously Buffy, I know dummies give you the wiggins," she stepped towards the coffee table, placing the mugs down, "But that's a little much," she turned intending to go back for her own mug. Only to freeze as the new angle allowed her to see the hand of the plastic arm that was viciously attacking the air, trying to get at her sisters' throat, her sisters arm trembling now with the effort of holding it back.

She screamed and the hand slipped from her sister's grasp. The loud sound startling her.

Buffy stumbled back a step. A strangled gasp escaping her as the plastic fingers closed around her throat. She closed both hands around the arm and attempted to pull, only to grimace in pain as the fingers tightened around her throat.

"Hold on, hold on," the Doctor exclaimed as his hand finally closed around his sonic. Buffy shifted her grip on the arm, grasping it instead around the fingers. She wedged her fingers between it and her throat and pulled with determination. Inching the determined hand away from her throat. The thumb of the plastic snapped off in her grasp. The digit wiggling disturbingly in the palm of her now closed fist. She grimaced at the sensation it almost felt like it was trying to dig through her palm. She crushed it on reflex in the next instant as she gasped in pain. The remaining fingers of the plastic hand managing to close around the fingers of her opposite hand and squeezed with all its might.

"Get off!" she hissed at it, as she dropped the mostly powdered remains of the thumb as she grasped the plastic by the fingers again, "Get off!"

"I've got ya," the Doctor assured as he grabbed the arm with his free hand and jabbed the exposed palm with his sonic. The slender device buzzing and the arm stilled, the fingers that had been viciously squeezing around Buffy's fingers relaxing.

"Oh my God," Rose unfroze rushing over to her sister as the older girl flexed the fingers of her abused hand, "Are you ok?"

"Hm? Yeah," Buffy nodded, before shooting the palm a withering look, "Always knew I disliked dummies for a reason."

Rose turned to the Doctor, "What the hell was that?!" she demanded to know. Her voice a little shrill with her shock.

"It's alright, I've stopped it," he assured tossed the now lifeless arm at Rose, who caught it, "There you go, you see?" he grinned, "Armless."

Rose scowled, "Do you think?" she smacked at him with it. It'd just tried to kill her sister!

"Ow!" he winged, shooting her a small frown before he snatched the arm back from her and headed for the door.

He had what he needed. Everything else could wait until later.

*O*O*O*

"Hold on a minute," Rose demanded as she and Buffy chased the Doctor down the staircase. Or rather, she was chasing the Doctor and Buffy was chasing her. Though really. It was more Buffy striding along beside her. The older blond easily keeping pace. Her stride almost lazy in its gait to Rose's hurried one, "You can't just go swanning off."

"Yes, I can. Here I am, this is me, swanning off," he replied. His voice rather cheery as he swept his gaze back at them briefly, "See ya!"

"You're enjoying this," Buffy observed, brows quirked, not quite sure what to make of him anymore if she ever really knew what to make of him in the first place.

He grinned at her, "Whatever gave you that impression?"

"But that arm was moving!" Rose exclaimed, "It tried to kill my sister!"

"Oh," Buffy mused eyeing her sister, "Your vacation in the land of denial over, is it?"

"Shut up," Rose huffed.

"Ten out of ten for observation," he commented, continuing his descent, the two following him, hot on his heels.

"You can't just walk away, that's not fair!" Rose glowered at him as they followed him through the doors and out onto the street, "You've got to tell us what's going on!"

"No, I don't."

Rose slowed to a stop, "Alright then. We'll go to the police. We'll tell everyone," she threatened, drawing the Doctor to a stop, "You said if we did that we'd get people killed…"

"Yeah, that's still not happening," Buffy shot down.

Rose glowered at her, "What is it with you and the police."

Buffy shrugged, "Rather not get accused of things I didn't do. And with no way to prove anything we say… they'd jump to all the wrong conclusions," she been there done that. No thanks. 10 out of 10 did not recommend.

"What she said," the Doctor agreed with a grin.

"Alright then, I'll go to the police," Rose began, and Buffy felt an eye twitch. Had she not just been listening, "I'll tell everyone. And you wouldn't want us to get accused of things we didn't do, would you?"

The Doctor quirked a brow at her, "Is that supposed to tug at my heart strings?"

"Sort of," Rose acknowledged with a hopeful grin.

"Didn't work."

Rose scowled, fighting a put-out pout, "Who are you?"

"Told you. The Doctor."

"Yeah, but Doctor what?" Rose questioned.

"Just the Doctor," he insisted.

"Sounds very… title-y," Buffy mused, a bit thoughtfully. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed something like how she was called 'the Slayer' back home.

"It does, doesn't it," the Doctor agreed.

"The Doctor," Rose repeated it dubiously, drawing his attention again.

"Hello!" he grinned at them and waved the de-thumbed plastic hand as if to say that's me.

Rose arched challenging brow, "Is that supposed to sound impressive."

"Sort of."

"Alright, I'll bite," Buffy quipped, taking the plastic hand from the Doctor and starting off again the direction the Doctor had been going, "What's the sitch?"

The Doctor beamed a grin, mildly surprised, but happily so. Perhaps it wouldn't be a difficult as he'd started to think it would be to gain some trust with the untrusting blond.

"Oh, come on," Rose wheedled from where she'd fallen into step on his other side, "You can tell us. We've seen enough," she eyed him curiously, "Are you police?"

"No, I was just passing through," the Doctor replied, before swallowing a little heavily, "I'm a long way from home."

Buffy swallowed heavily, her eyes widening a little at the possibility she heard in those words. That maybe he knew, because he was in the same situation. She felt something like hope stir, "How long?"

"Long," he replied, his gaze meeting hers, reading the naked hope in them that the guarded blond couldn't quite hide, "Not as long as others," he added and winced sympathetically as he saw the hope die, before she cast her gaze ahead of them.

"But," Rose frowned, "What have we done wrong?" she asked, "How come those plastic things came after us?"

"Oh!" the Doctor exclaimed, "Suddenly the entire world revolves around the two of you!" he shook his head, "You two were just an accident. You got in the way, that's all."

"I'm good at that," Buffy quipped.

"I bet you are," the Doctor quipped back.

"It tried to kill us!" Rose exclaimed hotly, frowning at him, "And just before it tried to kill my sister again!"

The Doctor rolled his eyes, "Last night," he began, "In the shop. I was there, you two, blundered in, almost ruined the whole thing," he grumbled exasperated.

"Who was blundering?" Buffy huffed, lips quirking, "I was kicking plastic ass."

"Doesn't change the fact that I would have gotten that relay device taken care of without a hitch if you two hadn't been blundering about down there."

Buffy waved the hand at him dismissively. Plans never went off without a hitch. Ever. None of hers ever had.

The Doctor rolled his eyes in response, "Then this morning," he carried on, determined to finish his explanation now that he'd started, "I was tracking it down, it was tracking me down. The only reason it fixed on wither of you is 'cos you've met me."

Rose cocked her head at him, "So, what your saying is, the entire world revolves around you."

The Doctor grinned, "Sort of, yeah."

Buffy gave him a look, lips quirking with amusement, "Ego, much?"

"Sort of, yeah," he shrugged, with an amused grin.

Rose shook her head, grinning, "You're full of it."

"Sort of, yeah."

"But all this plastic stuff, who else knows about it?" Rose asked.

"No one," he shrugged.

"What you're on your own?" Rose asked incredulous.

"Well, who else is there? I mean you lot, all you do is eat chips, go to bed, and watch telly! When all the time, underneath you, there's a war going on!"

Buffy almost missed a step, those words hitting her hard. She swallowed, "Alright. So, how do we kill it? Like Mr. Arm here?" she waved the plastic at him again.

"Wait, you believe him?" Rose queried mystified, "Just like that?"

Buffy shrugged, "Why not? Proof was kinda in the plastic," she turned her attention back to the Doctor, "So, killing it, how?"

The Doctor grabbed the lifeless arm from her, "The thing controlling it projects like into the arm. I cut off the signal, dead."

"So…" Rose frowned, grabbing the arm off the Doctor, she could hardly believe that she was entertaining this. It was so out there, "That's radio control?"

"Thought control," he corrected. He eyed Rose with concern, the younger blonde's expression somewhat strained, "Are you alright?"

Rose swallowed eyeing the plastic arm in her hands, "Yeah."

"So now, the question is," Buffy began, eyeing the Doctor expectantly, "Who or what's controlling it?"

The Doctor hid a grimace, oh no. Not happening. He refused. He was not, well maybe… he glanced from Buffy to Rose and then back again, "Long story."

Rose frowned in confusion, "But what's it all for? I mean, shop window dummies... what's that about? Is someone trying to take over Britain's shops?"

"No."

"No," Rose echoed, with a small nod.

"It's not a price war," the Doctor quipped.

"Let me guess," Buffy half sighed, "They wanna take over the world."

The Doctor looked at her in surprise, "Sort of, yeah."

"Called it," Buffy muttered. It was always about taking over the world. Well, nearly always.

Rose blinked, mouth slightly agape with surprise, "Wait, really?"

"Yeah. Sort of," the Doctor nodded, before expounding, "They want to overthrow the human race and destroy you. Do you believe me?"

Rose shook her head, "No."

"But you're still listening," he mused a little smugly.

Buffy eyed him with a slight frown. At war with herself. She wanted to trust him. With what she just heard she wanted to take a chance on hope. Hope that she had been struggling to hold onto after all the years of failing to find anything. But could she?

"Who are you?" she found herself asking softly, eyes meeting his as he paused and turned towards her, "Tell me," she swallowed again, eyes glancing to the side as her sister shifted beside her, "Us," she amended, "Just, who are you, really?"

The Doctor, eyed her for a brief moment, taking in her expression that was almost as lost as it was intense, "Do you know like we were saying? About the Earth revolving?" he stepped closer to them. Rose glancing from the Doctor to Buffy and back again. Sensing an undercurrent in the exchange even as she did her best to pay attention to what was being said. As curious to know as she was finding it difficult to believe, "It's like when you were a kid. The first time they tell you the world's turning and you just can't quite believe it because everything looks like it's standing still. I can feel it," he explained taking Buffy's hand, the blond tearing her eyes from his to follow the movement as he traced his finger over her palm.

"The turn of the Earth. The ground beneath our feet is spinning at a thousand miles an hour," he released her hand to take Rose's, "And the entire planet is hurtling around the sun at sixty-seven thousand miles an hour, and I can feel it. We're falling through space, you and me. Clinging to the skin of this tiny little world, and if we let go..." he released her hand and Buffy's gaze snapped back up to his, "That's who I am. Now, forget me, Buffy and Rose Tyler." he grabbed the arm back from Rose and waved it at them smiling once again, "Go home," he told them firmly.

Buffy frowned, the hope that had risen withering once again as she watched him walk away, heading the direction of an old police phone box. 'Forget him?' Had he not meant what he said about being able to help. He'd never said how he knew she wasn't from here. She should have known better. Good things didn't happen to her.

"So," Rose said musingly, a cheeky bright smile on her face as Buffy turned to her in response, "He's your type, then."

Buffy blinked, "What?"

"Oh please, I know flirting when I see it."

Buffy rolled her eyes, "You're seeing things," she turned to start away. Typical. Plastic threatening to take over the world and Rose was focused on trying to meddle in her love life.

"Oh, come on, Buffy!" Rose wheedled as she followed her sister, "I'm your little sister, you can tell me!"

Buffy paused mid step as she heard a strange wheezing sound fill the air. She spun back around and darted the few steps back towards where the Doctor had walked away from them. Her eyes widening at seeing that the police box had vanished without a trace.

"Rose," she murmured, glancing at the younger blond who'd also run back at the strange noise, "Is Tweedle-Dee home today?"

"I think so, why?"

"He's a man with a computer," Buffy stated, "And internet access."

"So not forgetting about him, then."

"Not just yet."

Rose grinned, and Buffy rolled her eyes. She could almost see the K.I.S.S.I.N.G song that was playing in her sister's head.

"Oh, stop," she groused, "You're such a teenager."

"And you're a grandma in the body of a 24-year-old," Rose retorted as she followed Buffy back towards the Estate.

*O*O*O*

"Hey, hey, here's my woman," Mickey grinned as he opened the door to see Rose behind it, shifting back to let her in, about to slap her bum as she walked past him, "Kit off!" he paused paling a little as his gaze landed on Buffy, "Or not. Hey Buffy."

"Tweedle-Dee," she greeted as she stepped past him into the flat

Mickey shut the door to his flat accepting a kiss off Rose as he stepped over to her, "Coffee?" he offered them.

Rose nodded, accepting for them as Buffy glanced around the flat that was the definition of young man that lived alone, "But only if you wash the mug," she added, "And I don't mean rinse," she warned, "I mean wash."

"Can I use your computer?" Buffy cut in before Mickey could respond to Rose's ribbing.

"Yeah," Mickey glanced back at her a little curious as she started towards his bedroom, "Just don't read my emails!"

"Got something to hide, Micks?" Buffy called teasingly over her shoulder.

"Yeah, my sordid affair with my fellow computer geeks."

Buffy waved a hand over her shoulder, "Your privacy is safe," she assured before disappearing into the bedroom.

Mickey glanced at Rose, "So, what's that about?"

Rose smirked, "She's got a crush."

Mickey blinked in surprise, "Really?"

"I can hear you!" Buffy huffed from where she'd taken a seat in front of Mickey's computer.

"She's in denial," Rose told him.

"I've still got that itching power," Buffy threatened.

"Touchy," Rose muttered with a small pout before following Mickey into the kitchen to make sure he washed the mugs, not just rinsed them before making them a coffee.

In the bedroom, Buffy brought up the engine. Her fingers hovered over the keys as she thought about what to type. 'Doctor' she began, hesitating again as she thought. She doubted trying to search for anything to do with living plastic would yield anything useful. She gently tapped the spacebar with a thumb, not depressing the button. She back spaced 'Doctor' and instead typed 'The Doctor' and hit enter.

She grimaced at the thousands upon thousands of results that popped up in response. She clicked into the search bar where 'The Doctor' was still displayed. She rested her hands behind her head for a moment, before touching her hands to the keyboard again and adding to her search parameters, 'disappearing blue box'.

She grinned as the top result came up rather promising.

'Doctor Who – Do you know this man? Contact Clive here…'

"Willow would be proud," Buffy mused softly to herself. Missing the red head rather strongly in that moment.

"Who?" Rose asked having just stepped into the bedroom two mugs of coffee in hand.

"No one," Buffy replied as she accepted the steaming mug. Which wasn't exactly a lie. As far she could tell. Willow Rosenburg didn't exist here. None of the friends and family she left behind existed here, "Do you have your phone?"

"You wouldn't need to borrow one. If you had one of your own," Rose prodded, her tone almost sing-songy.

Buffy narrowed her eyes, and stated flatly, "Pass."

"You'll give in one day," Rose sighed, but handed over her mobile.

"Never," Buffy vowed stubbornly.

"What do you need it for anyway?" Rose asked and peered at the computer screen as Mickey came in clutching his own mug, "Oh," she mused, "That was fast."

Buffy shrugged as she began carefully punching in the number listed on the site, "Got lucky, I guess. Research, isn't my forte."

"Must be true love guiding yo…" Rose cut off as Buffy's hand shot out, a finger pointed rather menacingly at her nose.

"Itching powder. You'll never know which of your clothes are safe again."

"Spoil sport."

"So, is this him then?" Mickey asked peering at the grainy picture, "Looks sorta…" he trailed as Buffy pointed a menacing warning finger at his nose too. He held his hands up in teasing surrender. Sharing a bemused look with Rose as Buffy pressed the phone to her ear.

*O*O*O*

"You're not coming in!" Rose insisted as Mickey pulled up across the street from the address Clive had given them, "He's safe. He's got a wife and kids."

"Yeah, but who told you that?" Mickey huffed, eyeing the house, the whole street, distrustfully, "He did. That's exactly what an internet lunatic murderer would say."

"Shoulda just gotten a cab," Buffy softly bemoaned from where she was stuck in the backseat unable to get out until Rose did so that she could fold the seat forward and let her out. Unless she broke a window and really. Mickey didn't' deserve that, "If you really want to you can come Mickey, but I'm going in."

"You're not coming," Rose refuted. Knowing full well that he'd send the entire time eyeballing the poor man like he was a murderer just waiting to jump them. She got out of the car and folded the seat forward. Allowing Buffy out.

"Thanks for lift, Micks. We won't be long," she assured, "And if he does happen to try anything – I'll clobber him," she added, hoping to give him a little more peace of mind, before shutting the door. Mickey made no move to leave the car.

Mickey watched them with continued concern as the siblings started across the residential street towards the house in question. His gaze was drawn by a man that was wheeling out his black wheelie bin. He glowered at the man with deep suspicion. Much to the man's bewilderment when their eyes happened to meet.

Across the street Buffy stepped up to Clive's front door, the blond rapping her knuckles against it. As Rose strode up beside her. Barely a moment later the door was pulled open by a boy that Buffy didn't think was any older than 11.

"Oh, hi," Buffy greeted the boy who was staring up at them a bit flatly, "We've come to see Clive? I spoke to him on the phone."

The boy rolled his eyes, before moving away from the doorway, "Dad!" he shouted, "It's a couple of your nutters!"

The boy disappeared back into the house and a man that had been drawn by his son's shout ambled towards the open front door, "Sorry," he gave them a friendly smile, "Hello. You must be Buffy and Rose," the sibling's nodded returning his friendly smile, "I'm Clive, obviously!"

"I better tell you now, my boyfriend's waiting in the car, just in case you're going to kill us," Rose told him, gesturing over her shoulder at the car in question.

"No, good point. No murders," he agreed good naturedly. He waved to Mickey who stared at him distrustfully still but nodded in acknowledgement.

"Who is it?" a woman, Clive's wife called from the floor above them.

"Oh, it's just something to do with the Doctor," Clive called back, "These young women have been reading the website," he turned back to the two still standing on his front porch, "Please, come through," he ushered them ahead of him down a narrow corridor by the staircase, following them down it, "I'm in the shed."

"Young women?" Clive's wife questioned as she started down the stairs carrying a full washing basket, "They're girls?" she questioned with amusement and smiled ironically, before shaking her head as she closed the front door that Clive had left open.

*O*O*O*

"Wow," Buffy murmured, not sure if she was impressed or just felt sad for the man as she took in the shed they were being shown around, "You've got quite the uh," she struggled briefly for a non-hurtful word, "Operation going on here."

Clive nodded with a proud smile, completely missing or ignoring the hesitance in her tone, "A lot of this stuff's quite sensitive, I couldn't just send it to you. People might intercept it, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I get it," Buffy nodded, "We didn't mind coming to you. I kinda prefer the in-person approach anyway."

He nodded appreciatively, before he continued, pointing to some of his pinned-up research, "If you dig deep enough – keep a lively mind – this Doctor keeps cropping up all over the place. Political diaries, conspiracy theories. Even ghost stories. No first name no last name. Just the Doctor. And the title seems to have passed down from father to son, it appears to be an inheritance," he pointed to a photo on his computer screen, "That's your Doctor there, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Rose murmured.

"That's him," Buffy agreed.

"I tracked it down to the Washington public archive last year," Clive told them, "The online photo's enhanced, but if we look at the original…" he opened up the slender folder he'd picked up and pulled out photos, first showing them one of the Doctor standing in a large crowd, one face among many, "November the 22nd, 1963. The assassination of President Kennedy. You see?"

Buffy stared at the photo, "So, he's like a vampire or something?"

Rose rolled her eyes, "Don't be silly. It's his father. Must be."

Buffy bit her lower lip. She didn't think so. That wasn't just a resemblance. That was identical to the Doctor that had just left them earlier that day in a disappearing blue box. Whether he was actually a vampire. She couldn't say. But that was him, she was sure.

"Going further back… April 1912," Clive continued, delicately not addressing the vampire comment as he moved away picking up a photo album and bringing it over to them, "This is a photo of the Daniels family of Southampton, and friend," he pointed to the friend in the photo who also looked exactly like the Doctor they'd seen earlier that day, "This was taken the day before they were due to sail off for the New World. On the Titanic. And for some unknown reason, they cancelled the trip and survived."

Buffy cocked her head in thought at that. An unknown reason or a Doctor reason? She was betting on the later.

"And…" Clive pulled out a sketch with careful hands, showing it to them, "1883. Another Doctor. And look – the same lineage. He's identical. This one washed up on the coast of Sumatra on the very day Krakatoa exploded. The Doctor is a legend woven throughout history. When disaster comes, he's there. He has a storm in his wake. And he has one constant companion."

"Who's that?" Rose asked, her voice coming out hushed as unease filled her.

"Death," Clive replied ominously, and Rose swallowed her unease growing.

Whilst Buffy swallowed heavily. 'Your gift is death.' The words of the first Slayer filling her head like the woman was stood right beside her.

*O*O*O*

Outside on the street where Mickey was still waiting in his car, peering about with suspicion. The black wheelie bin that had been brought out to the curb earlier started to shuffle its way towards him.

*O*O*O*

"If the Doctor's back…" Clive continued seriously, "If you've seen him, Buffy, Rose… then one thing's for certain. We're all in danger."

*O*O*O*

Mickey watched suspiciously as the bin moved. Slowly he got out of the car and walked over to it. He jerked open the lid determined to catch who was mucking about with the bin trying to scare him, "Come on, then."

*O*O*O*

"If he's singled you out… if the Doctor's making house calls then… God help you."

*O*O*O*

Mickey blinked down at contents of the bin, not seeing the person he'd expected to have been inside. He shut the lid and went to release it, only to find himself stuck to the plastic. It stretched determined to hold onto him as he attempted to pull himself free.

A growl came from the bin, before it flexed menacingly, much to Mickey's horror. It snapped and Mickey found himself flung around by it, before being sucked inside it. The plastic bin, releasing a burp as the lid snapped shut on the human it had snared.

*O*O*O*

"But who is he?" Rose asked a bit unsure now that she really wanted to know. If she was keen on the idea of her older sister having a crush on the man now, like she'd been teasing, "Who do you think he is?"

"I think he's the same man. I think he's immortal," Clive admitted seriously, "I think he's an alien from another world."

Rose couldn't help what she did next as Clive's words registered. She turned and all but ran out of the shed.

Buffy who had still been staring at the latest picture of the Doctor. Glanced after her little sister, before her gaze turned to Clive as he spoke.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, thanks," she assured him, "You've been, helpful."

With that, she took one last look at the photos depicting the Doctor through the ages, before she followed after her sister at a much calmer pace.

*O*O*O*

"Alright," Rose exclaimed as she pulled open the passenger side door of Mickey's car, "He's a nutter! Off his head! Complete online conspiracy freak! You win!" she turned to allow her sister into the car only to still, "Hang on, where's," she let out a relieved breath as her older sister stepped out of the house, closing the door behind her. Glad that she didn't have to go back in there after her, "Buffy, come on!"

"Yeah, I'm coming."

She slid past the impatient Rose and into the back of the extremely small car that Mickey owned. Rose snapped the seat back up, barely waiting for Buffy to be clear, before throwing herself into the seat and slamming the car door closed.

She took a breath to calm herself, before smiling, "What are we doing tonight?" she asked. "I fancy a pizza."

"Is this becoming a date thing?" Buffy quipped, "If so, you can let me off here?"

"Pizzzaaa! P-p-p-pizza!" Mickey stuttered.

"Or not…" Buffy muttered slumping back in her seat.

"Or maybe we could do Chinese…" Rose mused.

Buffy sighed, but conceded, "I could eat," she could always keep poking about after food.

"Pizza!" Mickey repeated grinning rather manically as he took off down the road. The car weaving precariously.

"And people say, I can't drive," Buffy groused, bracing a hand against the top of the car's cabin to keep herself steady.

Rose glanced back at her in the rearview mirror, "Since when have you driven?"

"Ah…?" Buffy floundered a little mentally. Scrambling for what to say to that. As she hadn't driven not in this world…

*O*O*O*

"Mickey, you alright?" Buffy asked with a quizzical look, that bordered on concern, "Your grin is starting to look kinda manic there, bud."

"I'm fine, b-b-bud- Buddy."

"Ookay…" Buffy replied, before glancing at Rose who was seated beside her at the small table they had claimed. She lowered her voice conspiratorially, "I think your boyfriends losing it."

Rose rolled her eyes, "Shut up," she muttered in a bit of a mood now that she'd calmed down a bit, "He's fine," she sighed, "What do you think about trying the hospital? Suki said they had jobs going in the canteen."

Buffy pulled a small face before she could stop herself, "That's a pass for me," she glanced at Rose as she stated, "I don't do hairnets."

Rose pulled a face of her own, "Yeah, maybe not, then. I could do my A levels," she brainstormed out loud.

"Shouldn't have dropped out in the first place," Buffy told her.

"Yeah, rub it in why don't you?" Rose scowled, "I don't know. It's all Jimmy Stone's fault," she shot a look at her sister, "Don't say anything," the older blond held up her hands in mock surrender, "I only left school cos of him. Look where he ended up," she glanced at her sister again, "What do you think?"

Buffy mock sniffed, "I'm not saying a word."

"Oh, haha," Rose huffed.

"So, where did you meet this Doctor?" Mickey asked, cutting into the conversation, drawing their attention back to him.

"I'm sorry," Rose huffed at him, eyes narrowing with irritation that he'd brought the conversation back round to the Doctor. That man was the last thing she wanted to continue thinking about today not after their strange meeting with Clive the conspiracy nut and his theories, "Wasn't I talking about me for a second."

"Because, I reckon it started back at the shop, am I right? He have something to do with that?"

Buffy eyed him with a frown, "What makes you say that?"

"Come on," Mickey wheedled.

And Rose relented with a sigh, "Sort of."

"What was he doing there?" Mickey questioned, eyeing the two women sitting across from him intently.

"Do we have to go on about it?" Rose sighed, "I really don't want to, Mickey," she admitted, "I know it sounds daft, but I don't think it's safe. I think he's dangerous."

"But you can trust me, sweetheart!" Mickey exclaimed before rambling in quick succession much like he'd done earlier, "Babe, sugar, babe, sugar."

Buffy eyed him with suspicion now, "Are you broken?" Mickey didn't stutter.

"Tell me about the Doctor and what's he's planning, and I can help you, Rose, Buffy. Because that's all I really want to do, sweetheart, babe, babe, sugar, sweetheart."

"Seems like everyone just wants to offer help these days," Buffy muttered as Rose frowned at her boyfriend.

"What're doing that for?" she asked as what she assumed was a waiter approached their table.

"Your champagne?" he asked proffering the chilled bottle at them.

"We didn't order any champagne," Mickey dismissed him not looking up as he continued to stare at the siblings intently, "Where's the Doctor?" he asked as he grabbed Rose's hand, the action making Buffy tense.

"Madam, your champagne," the waiter proffered the bottle again, standing now beside Buffy's chair.

Her gaze flicked up, recognising the Doctor and flicked back down to the situation in front of her, "It's not really my drink," she muttered, and he moved away from her rounding the table.

"I need to find out how much you know," Mickey stated, handing tightening around Rose's, "So where is he?"

"Mickey, I'm warning you now," Buffy stated lowly, subtly shifting in her seat, "I'm not above breaking your wrist if you don't let my sister go."

Rose looked at her in alarm, "That's a bit drastic. It's just Mickey."

"Madam, your champagne," the bottle was proffered again this time at Rose.

"It's not ours…" Rose dismissed with distraction as she eyed her boyfriend, "Mickey, what is it? What's wrong?" she winced as Mickey's hand tightened around hers.

"Last chance," Buffy glowered, not having missed her sister's wince. The only thing stopping her from having done it already was knowing how upset Rose would be, "Let her go."

"Doesn't anybody want this champagne?" the waiter cut in, loudly.

"Look," Mickey said with exasperation, "We didn't order it…" he looked up, the siblings following his gaze to see the Doctor standing by the table, bottle of champagne in his hands, "Ah," Mickey smirked triumphantly at him, "Gotcha."

"Don't mind me," the Doctor grinned at them as he started to shake the champagne bottle vigorously, "I'm just toasting the happy couple," he fiddled with the cage around the cork, working it open, "On the house!" he exclaimed as he got it off and the cork popped free of the bottle, smacking directly into Mickey's skull.

"Right! Not Mickey, then," Buffy exclaimed with surprise as she watched him chew before spitting out the cork.

Mickey spat out the cork, glowering at the Doctor the entire time, "Anyway," the Auton Mickey stood, turning a hand into a plastic club.

Rose screamed and Buffy launched into motion as the plastic Mickey attacked the table getting her sister out of the way. Creating space as the Doctor got the plastic in a hold, yanking at its head determinedly. Choosing to trust that the Doctor had it under control she turned her attention to the pizza place as whole at the frozen customers, "Everybody out!" she shouted only for them to continue to stare, "Run!" she shouted as the Doctor managed to yank the head off the body. The body starting to flail about in response.

"Don't think that's gonna stop me," the Auton Mickey declared with a glower and the Doctor grinned at it. Whilst a couple at the nearby table screamed eyes wide with shock at what they'd just witnessed.

Rose darted over to a wall and pulled the fire alarm that she'd spotted, setting the sirens to blaring, "Get out! Get out!"

Buffy rolled her eyes, "Oh, of course," she muttered as the customers broke into a panic now. She ran over to Rose, "Time to go!" she urged, pushing her sister into motion again, running for the kitchen and the back exit as the body of the Auton destroyed more tables, before giving chase to the Doctor who was following the women towards the kitchen head tucked under his arm.

Buffy paused in her run towards the gated exit out into the main street as her gaze landed on the blue police box.

"Buffy!" Rose shouted. The younger blond having run past her to the locked gate. Slamming her hands against it, "Help me get this open!"

"Rose, it's the box."

Rose rolled her eyes, "Forget the box!" she exclaimed as the Doctor finished sealing the back exit of the restaurant and started towards them, "One of you open the gate. Break the lock or use the tube thing! Come on!"

"Sonic screwdriver," he corrected.

Rose scowled, she didn't care what it was called right now, "Use it!" she demanded.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming," Buffy huffed starting towards the gate again.

"Nah," the Doctor said catching Buffy by the arm as she made to move past him, grinning when she allowed him to stop her, "Tell you two what, let's go in here," he gestured towards his beautiful blue box.

He released Buffy's arm as he started towards it. It was there choice now, whether they joined him inside or not.

"Buffy?!" Rose exclaimed as her older sister started towards it, "You can't be serious! We need to get out of here!"

"Come on then!" Buffy called back to her, 90% certain that Rose would follow her in in a moment or two.

"You can't hide inside a wooden box!" Rose protested a second before the Auton started slamming against the sealed metal door, "It's gonna get us!"

*O*O*O*

Buffy slipped inside the door closing behind her and she stilled, eyes wide as she took in the impossible space she'd stepped into.

"Shut up a minute," the Doctor spoke from where he moved about the console, setting about wiring the head into it.

"I didn't say anything!" Buffy huffed, stepping away from the door.

"You were going to!" he retorted, before reiterating, "Now shut up a minute," he stepped about the console hitting a few buttons and switches. Eyeing his guest from the corner of his eye as she moved slowly about the space. Taking it in with wonder. Unwilling to miss her first reaction to his ship. It was one of his favourite things to experience. That wonder and amazement when they first stepped inside.

"Alright," he couldn't abide the silence anymore and neither could he miss the opportunity, "Sensitive parts done – so, go on then," he grinned at her, as he hit a couple more buttons, then adjusted a wire, "What do you think?"

"I think…" Buffy murmured, still looking around, "That there's no way that all this should be able to fit inside your blue box."

He grinned at her, adjusting some of the wires as the console bleeped at him softly, "And you haven't seen anything yet."

"There's more?!"

"Yep!"

Buffy shook her head lightly, "Is…" she hesitated, still a little unsure, but she'd regret so much if she didn't take a little leap. Just a small one, "Is your big blue box thing how you knew I was from a different world?"

The Doctor stilled briefly, not having expected her to admit as such so soon. Not without a lot more prodding from him, "Sort of, yeah," he agreed voice soft not wanting to accidently spook her. He couldn't risk her retreating. Or running. And he had an inkling that either or both was possible if he didn't play his cards right, "So, you believe me then?"

Buffy pulled her gaze from the interior of the large room they were in to look at him, his back to her as he worked, "I'm starting too."

The Doctor grinned at her in response a second before Rose ran in through the doors. Froze and then turned and ran back out again.

"Rose!" Buffy headed for the doors, concerned now. That reaction wasn't confidence inspiring.

"She'll be back," the Doctor stated with confidence and Buffy turned to him her question silent but obvious, "It's between in here and the headless club swinging plastic. She'll choose in here."

Buffy nodded, yeah. She would.

There was a beat of silence, then.

"I can prove it, you know," his words had Buffy's full attention on him again. Her posture attentive. Waiting for his next words, "I mean, a bit busy at the moment, but later. I can," he was interrupted as Rose dashed back in frantic now.

"It's gonna follow us!"

"The assembled hordes of Genghis Khan couldn't get through that door," he rolled his eyes. Mildly irritated. His time was up to earn trust with the older Tyler. Sometimes he hated having to multitask, "And believe me they've tried."

Buffy eyed the doors that didn't seem all that solid to the naked eye, "Sounds ferocious."

"Very," he retorted, "Now just give me a mo…" he frowned down at what he was doing. He needed to get the wires just right. And they were being stubborn, or the head was. He wouldn't put it past the head. He lifted head, "You see, the arm is too simple," he began willing to explain now that both of them were present, "But the heads perfect. I can use it to trace the signal back to the original source," he finished wiring the head in, setting it down. He turned and faced them, "Right, you're turn," he beamed, "Where do you wanna start?"

"Um…" Rose floundered slightly still glancing about rather overwhelmed, "The insides bigger than the outside?"

The Doctor grinned delighted, honestly, it never got old… and he'd missed hearing it in the time that he'd been travelling about on his own, "Yes."

"It's alien."

"Yeah."

Rose eyeballed him, a bit cautiously, "Are you alien?"

"Yes," the Doctor agreed again, and eyed the two of them carefully, trying to judge their reactions to the revelation, "Is that alright?"

"Yeah," Rose agreed a little too quickly.

"Depends," Buffy shrugged nonchalantly, and the Doctor eyed her expectantly, a small frown darkening his brow, "Are you really a sluglike alien that's sole purpose is to purge anyone that sounds crazy?"

The Doctor blinked thrown. That was oddly specific, "No."

Buffy smiled amused at the bemused expression on his face as he processed what she'd said, "Then it's fine."

He beamed, "Fantastic!"

"So, with you being an alien," Buffy thought out loud as she glanced about the space again, "Does that make your big blue box a ship?"

"It's called the Tardis," the Doctor said in answer patting the console he was standing in front of fondly, "T.A.R.D.I.S. That's Time And Relative Dimension In Space."

Rose who'd gone silent, as she stared somewhat lost about the Tardis let out a soft sob drawing their attention back to her.

"Rose," Buffy went to her, "Hey," she called softly kneeling down as Rose sank to the ground, wrapping her in a hug, "You're ok. I promise. I'd never let anything happen to you. Not if I could help it. You know that."

Rose shook her head, sob hitching in her throat when she tried to talk.

"That's ok," the Doctor nodded, "Culture shock. Happens to the best of us," he assured them as he shifted a bit uncomfortably about the console. Attempting to give them a moment.

"Did they kill him?" Rose asked, looking up at her big sister beseechingly, eyes wet.

"I," Buffy hesitated, wishing that she could tell her little sister what she wanted to hear, "I don't know."

It would depend, she knew. On if they needed him or had further use for him… but she didn't know who was controlling the plastic so, she couldn't say one way or the other and explaining that wouldn't help.

"Did they kill him?" Rose asked again turning her head to pose the question to the Doctor this time, but not pulling away from the comfort of her sibling's arms, her heart aching, "Mickey?" she clarified as the Doctor blinked at her a bit quizzically. Her eyes narrowing on him as her temper bubbled, "Did they kill Mickey? Is he dead?"

"Oh…" the Doctor grimaced, tugging at his ear, "I didn't think of that," he muttered, internally cringing at the domestics that were now playing out in front of him. In front of him and inside his Tardis at that, he grimaced again.

"He's my boyfriend," she glowered at him as she shifted, shifted enough for her sister to get the hint and drop her arms from about her, "You pulled his head off. They copied him and you didn't even think?" she questioned hotly, before her gaze went back to the head of the Auton Mickey, the sight of which having set her off in the first place, to see the plastic was melting heavily into the grating it was resting on, "And now you're just going to let him melt?"

"Melt?" the Doctor blinked.

Buffy grimaced, "That is very melty."

The Doctor turned to look at the head in question, his eyes widening at the sight of the heavily melting head.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, NO!" he grumbled as he started to frantically run about the console, pressing buttons and pulling levers.

"What're you doing?!" Rose questioned with alarm as they watched him madly dash about the console.

"Reviving the signal, it's fading!" the Doctor exclaimed in reply not pausing in what he was doing, he didn't have "Wait I've got it…" he turned his head to look at the monitor, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" he groused hands moving frantically over the console. The Tardis starting to shake as the engines stirred to life, the rota rising and falling, "Almost there! Almost there!" the Doctor urged his old girl on, "Here we go!" he shouted as he parked the Tardis once again. The shaking abruptly stopping as it did, before he was racing out the door, without sparing the two humans a glance.

"You can't go out there, it's not safe!" Rose shouted after him, "Buffy!" she cried as her sister ran out after him. Her absence prompting her to get back onto her feet to chase after them. Not wanting to stay in the alien ship on her own.

Buffy looked around the deepening night. Taking in the place they'd stepped out into, "Totto, we're not in Kansas anymore."

"I lost the signal," the Doctor bemoaned, ignoring Buffy's quip as Rose came up beside Buffy, "I got so close."

Rose glanced around, "We've moved," she peered at him, "Does it fly?"

"Disappears there, reappears here," the Doctor explained away impatiently. He didn't have time right now.

"Nifty," Buffy mused. She couldn't count how many times that would of come in so handy back home.

"You wouldn't understand," he finished as he paced a bit. His gaze searching. Come on it shouldn't be that hard to spot.

"Probably not," Buffy agreed easily. She'd hardly been the brains of the operation back home. More the muscle.

Rose swallowed, "But if we're somewhere else, what about that headless thing?" she questioned brow furrowed lightly in concern, "It's still on the loose."

"Oh, good point," Buffy muttered.

"It melted with the head," the Doctor informed them dismissively, "Are you two going to witter on all night?"

Buffy narrowed her eyes at him, biting back the sarcastic whitism that wanted to leave her at that comment.

"I'll have to tell his mother…" Rose lamented her voice trailing as she wondered just how she was going to explain that one. How do you tell someone that their child was dead by living plastic, drawing their attention to her. She scowled darkly at the Doctor as he stared at her with an irritated and questioning air about him, "Mickey!" she exclaimed angrily, "I'll have to tell his mother he's dead."

"We don't know that for sure yet," Buffy attempted to reassure even as she hoped that she wasn't giving Rose false hope.

"Well, he could be!" Rose snarled at her, on a roll now and just angry, "And you," she turned her anger on the Doctor again, "Just went and forgot him, again! You were right," she sneered, "You really are alien," she whirled ready to stalk off, not caring in that moment if Buffy came with her not as she seethed.

"Look," the Doctor huffed, "If I did forget some kid called Mickey…"

Rose whirled back around, stalking back the single step she'd taken, "Yeah, he's not a kid!"

Buffy made a small face at that, of all the things to focus on.

"It's because I'm trying to save the life of every stupid ape blundering on top of this planet, alright?!" the Doctor yelled back.

"Alright!"

"Yes! It is!" he snapped, glaring, irritated. Whilst Rose shook her head disbelievingly and crossed her arms defensively.

Buffy glanced from one to the other and back again, "Is it safe to come up for air now?" she quipped, "Have the missiles stopped firing?"

Rose dropped her arms, blowing out a breath, "Yeah," she muttered, the anger leaving her as quickly as it had flared. She eyed the Doctor who'd gone back to glancing about the night, her gaze a bit sceptic, "If you are an alien, how come you sound like you're from the North?"

"Lots of planets have a North," he harrumphed dismissively, crossing his arms indignantly as he looked away from them, frowning.

Buffy tilted her head at him musingly, "You look very human for an alien."

He rolled his eyes, "More like your lot look like my lot," he refuted, before allowing the grin that wanted to curl up his lips, "My lot came first."

Rose glanced at the big blue box again, eyes lifting to lettering on it, "What's a police public call box?" she questioned, eyes going back to the Doctor.

The Doctor grinned, glancing at his ship fondly, "It's a telephone box from the 1950's. It's a disguise."

"Sounds like your lot thought of everything," Buffy mused.

"Pretty much," he replied tone still fond even as he forced himself to swallow past the pain of mentioning his people for a second time in so short of a space, "Yeah."

They'd tried at least.

"Ok," Rose focused her eyes back on the Doctor, "And this living plastic, what's it got against us?"

"Nothing," the Doctor replied, "It loves you. You've got such a good planet. Lots of smoke and oil, plenty of toxins and dioxins in the air… perfect," he grinned at them, "Just what the Nestene Consciousness needs."

"And that'd be what's controlling the plastic, then," Buffy murmured with a slight frown. It kinda sounded like it was gonna be gloopy. She was not fond of gloopy. It tended to get messy and on her clothes.

"Yep," he grinned, "It's food stock was destroyed in the war, all it's protein plants rotted," he explained, "So Earth… dinner!"

Buffy made a disgusted face, "Yummy."

The Doctor nodded flashing another grin, "To the Nestene Consciousness. Delicious."

"Any way of stopping it?" Rose asked.

The Doctor grinned at them and pulled out a tube of liquid from his inside jacket pocket, showing it to them, "Anti-plastic!"

"Anti-plastic," Rose parroted dubiously.

"Anti-plastic," he agreed.

"So," Buffy eyed the slender tube of blue liquid, "One tiny tube of anti-plastic to save mankind."

"Yep!"

Buffy looked up from the tube to the Doctor, "Hope it's a small Nestene Conscious-thingy."

"Nestene Consciousness," he corrected, "But first I've got to find it," he turned from them to search the night with his eyes. Peering across the Thames, "How can you hide something that big in a city this small?"

"Hold on…" Rose frowned at his back, "Hide what?"

"The transmitter," the Doctor explained, glancing back at them, "The Consciousness is controlling every single piece of plastic, so it needs a transmitter to boost the signal."

"What's it look like?" Rose questioned as she started glancing about the night as the Doctor started to pace back and forth again.

"Like a transmitter," the Doctor retorted.

"Dets!" Buffy huffed back.

"Round and massive," the Doctor expounded in response, "Slap bang in the middle of London. A huge circular metal structure… like a dish…" he came to a stop in front of them. His back to the harbour, "Like a wheel. Close to where we're standing," he put his hands on his hips as Buffy and Rose's gazes almost in tandem landed on the Eye of London behind him, "Must be completely invisible." he mused, before he took in their considering expressions, "What?"

"I'm getting big," Buffy quipped, glancing at her little sister small, amused quirk of her lips.

"Check," Rose agreed with a returning quirk of her lips.

"Round," she added as the Doctor turned back around with a frown once again searching the darkness.

"Check."

He spun back to face them, "What?"

"Middle of London."

"Big check."

The Doctor turned to face the way they were looking once again, before turning back to them with a frown, "What is it?! What?"

"Get's extra points for the bedazzlement," Buffy added as she took in the lights that made it so such a beautiful landmark, "I mean if I had a giant transmitter," she continued as the Doctor whirled around as realisation hit, "I'd want it bedazzled."

"Yeah," Rose agreed as the Doctor beamed a bright grin as he looked at the London Eye that they'd been describing an exalted 'oh' escaping him, "Gotta love, a bit of that 90's vibe," the two sharing a small laugh.

He spun back around, "Fantastic!"

He took off at a run, his hand finding one of theirs as he darted past them.

Buffy blinked down at the hand grasping hers with bemusement as she easily fell into step with the Doctor. She didn't think she'd ever held someone's hand when running before.

The three ran across the Westminster Bridge. Rose breathing a bit heavily by the time they reached the foot of the London Eye. The structure looming large above them.

"Think of it, plastic all over the world, every artificial thing waiting to come alive," the Doctor told them, "The shop window dummies, the phones, the wires, the cables…"

"The breast implants…" Rose added.

"Oh," Buffy grimaced, "I'm suddenly getting Alien. The breast implant edition," totally an image she didn't need.

Rose made an 'ick' face, "That's a terrifying image."

"Still," the Doctor continued, "We've found the transmitter. The Consciousness must be somewhere underneath," and the three split up as they started to look around the area for anything that looked like a possible entrance.

"What about down here?" Rose called from where she'd found a manhole. The Doctor and Buffy ran over.

"Looks very entrance to creepy lair," Buffy agreed.

"Looks good to me," the Doctor nodded and the three descended, running down the stairs to the manhole. He took the lid off the top and smoke tinted an ominous red by a light billowed out at them.

"Ah, this takes me back," Buffy mused quietly as she descended the ladder into the manhole, following behind the Doctor.

Rose quirked a brow down at head before she started her own descent, "To when?"

"To uh…" Buffy hesitated, "Other times I've descended ladders," she finished lamely as she stepped down off the ladder.

She swiftly followed the Doctor over to another door, Rose only a few steps behind, the younger girl hurrying to catch them up. He got it open, and they stepped through it into another chamber, before starting down another set of steps that led them into a larger multi-level chamber. The Doctor pointed to a large vat in the centre of the chamber, a wobbly orange mass inside it, "The Nestene Consciousness, that's it, inside the vat. A living, plastic creature."

"Oh, I knew it," Buffy muttered with a small grimace, already mourning the potential loss of her shoes, "It's gooey."

Rose nodded, eyeing it, before she turned her gaze to the Doctor giving him a look, "Well, then. Tip in your anti-plastic and let's go."

"I'm not here to kill it," the Doctor frowned as he glanced at her, "I've got to give it a chance."

Buffy quirked a brow at him in question, "Does that ever work?"

"Sometimes…" the Doctor muttered trailing. Not as often as he'd like… not often at all really, "Right, wait here. Shouldn't be long."

Buffy shrugged and proceeded to lean against a wall, "It's your rodeo," hazel eyes watching him as he descended towards a catwalk.

"I seek an audience with the Nestene Consciousness under peaceful contract according to convention 15 of the Shadow Proclamation," the Doctor announced, leaning over the railings and the Consciousness flexed and wobbled about as it made its reply, "Thank you," the Doctor replied as Buffy and Rose glanced around the space. The younger blond pacing a bit, whilst the older catalogued their surroundings, "If I might have permission to approach?"

Rose spotted Mickey's huddled form and ran to him. Buffy straightening from her lean and following a few paces before seeing who she'd spotted herself and relaxing a little, "Oh my God! Mickey!" she gasped relieved, earning an eyeroll from the Doctor for the domestics. He was in the middle of an important negotiation, and she was making with the domestics, again, "It's ok! It's alright!" she told him as she squatted down next to him with a relieved smile.

"That thing down there, the liquid, Rose, it can talk!"

Rose wrinkled her nose at her boyfriend, "You're stinking!" she grumbled at him, before smiling at the Doctor, "Doctor! Buffy! They kept him alive!"

He nodded a bit absently, "Yeah, that was always a possibility. Keep him alive to maintain the copy."

Rose glared at the Doctors back, "You knew, and you never said?"

"Just be glad he's alive," Buffy murmured, she could understand why he might not have said anything. Because what if he'd been wrong and Mickey hadn't been kept alive? The devastation Rose would have felt.

"I am!" Rose insisted, "But, he could've…"

"Can we keep the domestics outside, thank you?" the Doctor sniped at them, cutting Rose off. She shot him an annoyed scowl before she helped Mickey to his feet.

The Doctor approached the vat, "Am I addressing the Consciousness?" he paused as the alien globbered at him, "Thank you. If I might observe, you infiltrated this civilization by means of warped, shunt technology. So, may I suggest, with the greatest respect, that you shunt off?" the living plastic globbered in reply and the Doctor frowned, "Oh, don't give me that, it's an invasion! Plain and simple! Don't talk about constitutional rights!" he demanded, and the plastic roared angrily rearing up to form a head, "I… AM…TALKING!" he roared back.

"Buffy?" Rose murmured softly as her sister went from idly looking around to alert as the Doctor started shouting.

"Talks aren't going well," Buffy replied to the unasked question, her gaze catching a moving shadow as something approached. She was betting on plastic, "Things are about to go a bit…" she spotted more shadows, plastic she was sure closing in from where they'd been hidden out of sight, "Wrong," she missed her scythe. Her scythe would have come in so handy she internally mused as she shifted away from Rose and Mickey putting more distance between them and creating space if she needed it, before she moved to close the distance between her and the Doctor.

"This planet is just starting," the Doctor continued, focused on the Consciousness, "These stupid little people have only just learnt how to walk, but they're capable of so much more. I'm asking you on their behalf - please, just go."

"Buffy!" Rose shouted with alarm as her older sister suddenly jumped back and two dummies hit the floor on their bellies right where her sister had been about to step.

Buffy looked up to where they had jumped from, "Huh, smart for plastic," she muttered, before she lowered her gaze. Her eyes going to the Doctor she'd been attempting to get to, seeing him about to be grabbed, "Doctor!" she shouted just as he was. She turned her gaze to dummies that were lumbering to their feet and scowled, "I don't have time for you," but she resisted the urge to look behind her. Her sister and Mickey. Her gaze looked past the dummies as she heard the Doctor shouting again.

The small tube of anti-plastic in one of the dummies hands. She internally cursed, yeah. Things where really going wrong.

"That was just insurance! I wasn't going to use it," the Doctor assured the living plastic struggling to get free whilst the plastic globbered angrily at him again.

Buffy pursed her lips, teeth gritted. Instincts warring. Protect her loved ones. Save the world. She swallowed and then leapt into the air, summersaulting over the dummies blocking her way with ease. She landed and spun on her heel and smirk curling up the corner of her face as they turned from where Rose and Mickey stood huddled together to face her. She looked past them briefly to her little sister. Silently trying to urge her to stay unobtrusive, coming to the conclusion that they'd leave her alone so long as she didn't register as a threat.

"I was not attacking you. I'm here to help," the Doctor insisted as Buffy spun on her heel and ran towards the catwalk he was on. The two dummies chasing after her, leaving Rose and Mickey to stare wide-eyed, "I'm not your enemy. I swear, I'm not..." he paused as it globbered again. Buffy vaulted over a small ledge, "What do you mean?" he asked confused.

Doors above him blew open and the four in the chamber with the Consciousness turned their heads looking up to see the Tardis in the doorway.

"Oh," Buffy breathed like a curse, her gaze having been drawn by the sound of the doors banging open, "From bad to worse."

"Oh, oh no, honestly, no!" the Doctor exclaimed with alarm, "Yes, that's my ship," he attempted to explain to the living plastic only for it to roar enraged, "That's not true," he denied, "I should know, I was there. I fought in the war. It wasn't my fault! I couldn't save your world! I couldn't save any of them!" he shouted.

"What's it doing?!" Rose shouted with alarm as Buffy nimbly dodged one of the dummies as it made a leap to tackle her in it's bid to keep her away from the Doctor and the anti-plastic.

"It's the Tardis!" he shouted as the place suddenly started to shake around them rather violently, "The Nestene has identified its superior technology. It's terrified! It's going to the final phase. It's starting the invasion! Get out, Buffy! Rose! Just leg it! Now!" he continued as he desperately struggled against the grip the dummies had on him.

He didn't want to lose anyone else he couldn't.

Buffy made it to the catwalk the Doctor was being held immobile on. Whilst Rose pulled out her phone as the chamber continued to shake about them. Her thoughts turning to her mum. She pulled it out and pressed call over her mother's contact, "Mum?"

"Oh, there you are. I was just about to phone," Jackie greeted lightly as she stepped out of the police station, "You can get compensation. I said so. I've got two of the document things off the police. Let your sister know. Don't thank me."

"Giving up a bit quick, don't you think?" Buffy asked the Doctor as she plucked the tube of anti-plastic from the dummies hand.

"I'm not!" the Doctor refuted one arm being released as the dummy turned to retrieve the anti-plastic she'd swiped from him. The blond twisting back out of the way of the arm that came swiping for it, "I'm not!" he insisted at the look that she shot him, "Wanting you two safe," he struggled with the remaining dummy, "Is not giving up!"

Buffy let out an 'oof' as she was slammed into from behind pressed against the railing by one of the dummies that had been chasing her, "Oh," she groused, shifting testing the grip it had on her, "I'm rusty!" Giles would be so disappointed with her lack of situational awareness.

"Where are you, mum?" Rose demanded into the phone, trying get Mickey to loosen the death grip he had on her as he clung to her midsection.

"I'm in town."

"No, go home!" Rose demanded, "Just go home right now!" her gaze was drawn to the catwalk her eyes widening as she saw her sister struggling with a dummy, another plucking the tube of anti-plastic from her, "Buffy!"

"Darling, you're breaking up," came Jackie's disjointed voice down the line, "Listen, I'm just gonna to a bit of late-night shopping. I'll see you later. Ta-ra!"

"Mum! Mum!"

"Ok," Buffy grumbled, "Enough playing around," she wrenched her arm free and smacked the dummy that had taken the tube from her in the face once twice, before moving to grab the anti-plastic only to watch in horror as it slipped from the dummies fingers at it stumbled back, "Oh not good!" she breathed as she and the Doctor watched it fall. It hit the ground. She exhaled a relieved breath as it didn't break on impact, the slender tube the world was riding on rolling to a stop on the level below.

"Mickey! Let go!" Rose groused her eyes on the tube. If Mickey would just let go she could get to it! Mickey gripped by his fear, gripped her tighter.

The tube had barely come to a stop before a bright bolt of energy shot up from the orange roaring mass.

"It's the activation signal," the Doctor shouted over the noise of the vat and shacking chamber, the Auton that still had a grip on Buffy releasing her as it moved to retrieve the anti-plastic, "It's transmitting!"

"It's the end of the world!" Rose screamed.

"Not on my watch," Buffy quipped, eyeing the distance judging the jump she'd need to make.

"Get out Rose!" the Doctor shouted at the same time, struggling the one Auton that still had a grip on him. The plastic trying to shove him in, "Just get out run!"

"The stairs have gone!" Rose shouted back.

"Buffy…" the Doctor went to continue only to blink as the slender blond leapt, easily taking over the running dummies, flipping as she reached the apex of her jump, before landing by the anti-plastic, "Yeah, that!" he decided, blinking as he was let go, the Auton attempting to push him moving to also attempt to intercept the blond. Her threat level increasing in the Consciousness mind, "Let's go with that!"

Rose seeing Buffy stick her leap, turned finally breaking free of Mickey as he realised, she was going to move away from the vat instead of towards it. She tried the doors, "I don't have a key!" she exclaimed anxiously as the doors remained firmly closed.

"We're going to die!" Mickey shouted desperately.

Buffy scooped up the anti-plastic, then rolled forward just in case the dummies had closed the distance, barely missing the dummy that had jumped after her in an attempt to grab her before she could get the anti-plastic. She refused to be caught unaware twice in one night. She straightened, spun, "Here endith the negotiations."

"Time Lord!" the Consciousness all but screamed in desperation as the Doctor darted back up the catwalk at the same time Buffy tossed the anti-plastic into the vat. She couldn't help but watch as the tube hit, breaking open as it was designed too at the heat of the Consciousness, her eyes transfixed as it's golden hew started to turn blue.

Explosions started shaking the ground and she stumbled back and into a chest. The Doctor steadying her, "Now, we're in trouble," he urged her into motion.

"Weren't we in trouble before?" Buffy huffed as she ran with him, a step behind towards the Tardis and her sister who had Mickey clinging to her again for dear life.

"More trouble," the Doctor retorted, stepping past Rose and Mickey, unlocking the Tardis and darting inside.

Buffy urged Rose in ahead of her, the younger blond pausing the glance back the shaking chamber, a small smile on her face, "In!" she huffed as she helped the trembling Mickey up, who once on his feet darted inside the Tardis with no issue. She darted inside herself closing the door on the next explosion that erupted.

The Tardis dematerialising the moment the door snicked shut.

*O*O*O*

The moment the Tardis reappeared in an alleyway by a row of shuttered kiosks, Mickey dashed out the doors stumbing over his feet, before he fell to the ground and stayed their staring at the box, terrified.

Buffy and Rose stepped out next a lot calmer, the younger blonde's phone already going to her ear as she rang her mother back, needing to know that she had escaped unharmed and beamed a grin as her mum answered.

"Rose! Rose!" Jackie cried in alarm even as she eyed all the downed plastic around her, "You and your sister, don't go out of the house!"

"Oh, she's fine," Buffy breathed relieved, having easily caught Jackie's shouts from the phone's speaker. Whilst Rose let out a relieved laugh.

Rose nodded, "Yeah," she pulled her phone from her ear as they walked towards Mickey whilst the Doctor leaned against the open doorway of the Tardis watching them.

*O*O*O*

"It's not safe!" Jackie cried into her phone, unaware that her daughter was no longer listening, "There were these things, and they were shooting! And they…" she frowned as the line went dead, "Hello?! Hello?!"

*O*O*O*

"A fat lot of good you were," Rose grumbled at Mickey as she and Buffy came up to him, Mickey immediately latching onto her legs.

"Oh, leave him be," Buffy chided, "He did well for his first time," she murmured fondly remembering how she'd met Willow and Xander and their consequential introduction to what went bump in the night, resulting in the loss of Jessie. Even as she felt the pang of loss again. Would she ever see them again?

Rose shot her a look, "It was ours too!"

Buffy gave her a look in return, her brows quirked pointedly.

"It wasn't my fault!" she huffed, "I was being held hostage," she grumped as Buffy raised her head slightly, expression still pointed, "Had him. Clinging like a monkey," she gestured to the boy that was clinging to her tightly even now, "Clinging monkey."

"I saw," Buffy nodded, "And, I was grateful."

Rose sighed, "You can't protect me forever," she crossed her arms.

"I know," Buffy muttered with a slightly frown. She knew that all too well, "Doesn't mean I'm not gonna try."

"So," the Doctor shifted slightly drawing their attention, "Nestene Consciousness?" he clicked his fingers, "Easy."

"Boring almost," Buffy quipped, "As ends of the world go."

The Doctor quirked a questioning brow, his lips parting. Whilst Buffy bit back a grimace already anticipating the question and wondering how to wave it off as she glanced at her sister. She was really gonna have to start being more careful. She didn't want anyone to think she was backsliding. That'd lead to nothing good.

"You were useless in there," Rose interrupted before he could, not noticing the question on his lips. High on their success, "You'd be dead if wasn't for u… her," she nodded at Buffy as she corrected herself midsentence.

"Yes," the Doctor nodded, "I would," he locked eyes with Buffy, "Thank you."

Buffy shrugged as she fought the urge to shift, a little uncomfortably, even as it warmed her. She could count on one hand just how many times she's been thanked for saving someone, "All in a day."

The Doctor's eyebrow arched again, before he grinned letting it go for now. If things went as hoped he'd have time for his curiosity, "Hell of a day."

Buffy returned his grin in response.

He straightened from his lean, "Right then! I'll be off!" he clapped his hands together and then paused, "Unless… uh…" his gaze focused on Buffy again, "I don't know…" he hedged not wanting to sound too eager. She was a suspicious little thing. It wouldn't take much to ward her off he was sure, "You could come with me."

Buffy's gaze flicked to the bigger on the inside box and then back to him, "Come with you?" she repeated lowly.

"Yeah…" here he hesitated again a little unsure if he should extend the offer. He liked the youngest Tyler well enough he supposed. But he'd gotten hints of just how easily overwhelmed she was. Perhaps even a little narrowminded. Which didn't particularly bode well when confronted with the great expanse that was the universe. Plus, full of domestics… so much, domestics. Still, from what he'd witnessed between them. He'd have better chances of getting the girl that was not of this world on his ship if her sister was inside it, "Both of you could," catching how Rose straightened her spine in response. Interested, "This box isn't just a London hopper, you know," hook, "It goes anywhere in the universe," line, "Free of charge."

Buffy swallowed heavily her eyes on the box he was talking about. Hope. Powers, she'd felt so much hope since he'd showed up. But could he really. With is box he said could go anywhere in the universe. Could it get her home? He promised he could prove it. Did that mean he could promise that he could get her home?

"Don't!" Mickey spoke up for the first time since he'd run into the Tardis, "He's an alien!" he cried clutching Rose harder, not wanting to let go, "He's a thing!"

"He's not invited," the Doctor shot him a glare, hoping he hadn't ruined his sinker before he focused back on the Tylers, "What do you think?" he questioned, relaunching his line, "You could stay here and fill your life with work and food and sleep, or you could go, uh..." he smiled at them, wide and encouragingly, "Anywhere."

Anywhere? Buffy bit her lower lip. She'd started to believe him… but could she trust him? Trust that he could help.

"Is it always that dangerous?" Rose asked a bit cautiously, her gaze flicking from the box to the Doctor.

Buffy felt her rather circle-y thoughts screech to a halt at her sister voice. The reminder harsh. If she left. If the Doctor could/did help her get home. Which he hadn't specified that's that the help he meant. She could only hope… it'd mean leaving Rose and Jackie behind – potentially without a goodbye.

"Yeah," the Doctor gave a small nod.

"Yeah, I can't..." Rose hedged.

Buffy turned her head to look at her. If she went. If she got home. She'd really have to go without saying goodbye to either of them. She looked down. Her heart hurting.

"I've um... gotta go and find mum and um..." Rose patted Mickey's head, "Someone's gotta look after this stupid lump," she said with a small laugh.

"Ok," the Doctor nodded, his gaze focusing solely on Buffy, waiting, his bated breath almost niggling into impatience.

Buffy squeezed her eyes shut. Knowing that really, she didn't have choice at all. This might be her only chance and no matter how much it hurt. Dawn had screamed for her. She'd never forgive herself if she didn't take the chance. She needed to know. She spun to her little sister of this world and flung her arms around her tightly. Trying to convey everything she couldn't put into words in what could be the final hug she ever gave her.

Rose 'oof'ed, "Ow…" she grunted. Buffy's arms squeezing a little too tightly. The arms relaxed but didn't release her. Her own arms came up to return the hug even as she frowned. Why did it feel like her older sister was trying to say more than just goodbye for now.

Buffy released her reluctantly, hazel eyes meeting brown, taking her in, before she turned and darted for the Tardis. Teeth worrying her lower lip sharply as the Doctor step back into his ship and out of the way so that she could pass him.

"See ya," he said in farewell to the two he was leaving in the alley, before he closed the door and swept swiftly towards the console, deftly sending her up into the vortex, before he turned to face Buffy mouth opening… only to still. Hearts aching in his chest in empathy at the heartbroken look on her face. Lower lip pale from the abuse it was coping from her teeth.

He hesitated, turning his gaze up to the rota. He should talk to her, get some details about how she'd got here… but. He glanced at her again and let out a low sigh. He couldn't not do something, not when there was one last thing he could try. If it didn't work well. There was all of time and space to cheer her up.

He deftly turning a nob and flicking a switch sending his ship exactly back to the spot they'd just left, if only a second later. He walked to the doors, feeling Buffy's curious eyes on his back the whole time. He pushed one of the doors open and peered out at the pair that had barely shifted since he'd left, "By the way, did I mention it also travels in time?"

Buffy stilled, her eyes widening. She hadn't expected that. But if it could travel in time… did that mean… he could get her back to the moment she'd left? To the moment Dawn had screamed her name. Her heartbeat wildly in her chest as that hope rose. She always hoped that she could somehow if she found her way home. But now it seemed a very real possibility.

She looked up at the sound of heavy footsteps running towards the Tardis. Rose appearing the doorway briefly before she was across the short distance separating them and throwing her arms around her, "Wha..? I thought…" she stumbled over her words as she returned Rose hug, being more mindful of her strength this time.

"Changed me mind," Rose stated firmly. She wasn't sure what was going on exactly with her older sister, but she'd be damned if she let her go on her own after that hug that had left her feeling like she was losing her sister. Not when she could be back in a blink with no time passing at all.

Unobtrusively the Doctor stepped back to the console, sending them back into the vortex, eyeing the siblings from the corner of his eye. A bit of a smile touching his lips. He only hoped that he didn't regret letting the younger onboard.

He lifted his eyes to the rota. Please no domestics.