A/N: Welcome back, y'all! Sorry I haven't posted a new chapter in a long time. I've been super busy with work. After four months, now I'm starting to get more recognized and get more calls from customers and employees. If there's one thing I hate, it's answering the phone to cranky people with IT issues (ugh). Though I do love when I finally help them with their IT problem, and they instantly calm afterwards. It's funny that when there's a major (not really) crisis, people act like it's the end of the world. That's the most annoying part of this job. Other than that, I am settling quite well, though it's become hard to find time to fanfic-write sometimes since I'm usually exhausted by the time I clock off and go home.

Speaking of which, at this point, I may have to take a bit of time off of fanfic-writing, as at this point in the story, I'm gonna have to start doing some more careful long-term planning. From here toward the end of Part 2, there's gonna be multiple things happening at once, which is going to require a lot of long-term planning. I promise, you guys are in for a real treat :)

On a side note, I have rewritten Chapter 11 of Part 2 and added an idea that I totally forgot to include for the first draft of the chapter, so go check that out as well if you haven't. Kudos to whoever finds the idea I added :)

Another thing to add, for those who don't already know, I've started writing detailed summaries for every chapter, much like the ones you see on the TARDIS Wiki site. So far, I've made detailed summaries for each chapter in my prequel story. If you haven't already checked those out, go back to the prequel and find them (which I've added at the very end of the story) and let me know what you think of them. I really love to talk about my story with fans.

I will also be writing detailed summaries for Part 1 as well, but for that one I will be splitting it into four 'episodes' (I mentioned before that each major part will be split like a legitimate TV series, just not on TV sadly, lol), so keep a lookout for those at the end of that story as well.

All that being said, I hope you enjoy this next chapter :)

WARNING: mild adult language and graphic mentions of blood.

Chapter 16: Walk in the Park

Later that night, I have a seriously hard time forcing myself to sleep, for two reasons. The first is the noises I keep hearing inside the house as well as outside. Every noise I hear, whether it's just the light rain and wind from outside or the typical 'house noises' from inside, I keep thinking them to be signs of imminent danger instead. Also, I can't seem to shake the feeling that once I do manage to properly fall asleep, the danger will appear and interrupt me from my peaceful slumber, much like how it feels for someone to wake up hours before their alarm goes off and they can't go back to sleep thinking the alarm will go off anyway.

The second is that I can't seem to stop thinking about Hazel's and my earlier argument. As ridiculous as it all was, I can't believe we'd even had that argument in the first place. The things she said to me… How could she think all those things about me? Sure, I've been gone longer than I meant to, but deep down I haven't actually changed; why does she seem to think I have all of a sudden? Even after having witnessed my previous Regeneration firsthand without having any problem with it back then, why does she suddenly have a problem with it now? Why does she seem to think that I haven't truly come home—that I'm still out there somewhere in the universe, travelling in the TARDIS without a care in the world about ever returning to her—despite having stood right in front of her that whole time we were arguing?

Why does she look at me, but she can't truly see me? Why can't she see that I have truly returned, that I truly do still care about her enough to return? Why can't she see that I'm still me, despite everything I was taught while I was away and all the things she went through in my absence? What could I possibly do to prove that I'm still me, assuming she'd even let me? When will things ever return to normal between us?

When will things ever return to normal in my own life?

More and more questions keep popping into my head, and I can't seem to stop them from flooding in. The more questions that come flooding in, the less I am able to shut my mind completely down to get some proper sleep, which seems impossible now with the mental dam keeping the onslaught of questions back now broken. Because of this, I decide to get out of bed, get dressed, and quietly sneak out of the apartment to take a short walk to clear my head, bringing Hazel's spare key with me.

Even if Hazel hears me leaving (I doubt it, since she should be completely asleep by now, seeing as it's well after midnight—close to two in the morning), hopefully she wouldn't think I'm leaving her forever. I only plan to be gone for an hour and no more; no worries, right? Then again, even if she did hear me leaving, she probably wouldn't care either way, seeing as she's still quite angry with me for leaving her all alone for so long…well, at least before she met Billy. I imagine he took great care of her and assured her that I would come back one day (which I obviously did); surely, she believed him, right? At least I kept my promise to return, even if I'd returned an entire year late, which wasn't even my fault. Surely, even while I was gone that entire year, Hazel knew I'd return at some point and never truly lost hope, despite saying that she had.

I guess 'Rule Number One' has rubbed off on her too.

Since it's still lightly raining outside, I slip on my rain jacket and flip the hood over my head to protect my giant frizz-ball of auburn curls from getting too wet, and I step out into the chilly night, locking the apartment door behind me with Hazel's spare key (yes, I brought my sonic screwdriver as well, just in case I need to use it, even when I don't plan to since I plan on being human while I'm back on Earth).

While I'm out on my walk through the quiet streets of London, other than me, I see very few people out walking as well, probably going to or getting off from a late shift at work. Normally, people would feel uncomfortable being out this late after dark, but a small part of me begs to differ, as being out in the city this late feels much cozier, quieter, and less crowded than during the day; there's even something about walking in the rain (that I can't quite put my finger on) that gives a calming effect as well. I don't have a particular set destination or route, so I just aimlessly walk, taking random turns down random streets, and when I feel like going back to the apartment, I can easily get my bearings and return, as I've gotten very familiar with the layout of the city while spending the previous semester (which was technically three semesters ago in real time) in college; I seriously doubt anything has physically changed much with the city since I've been gone.

For the first twenty minutes, everything is chill and quiet, but later strange things start happening, particularly the odd noises I keep hearing behind me, like someone creeping up to me about to jump me from behind, but when I turn to look, there's no one there. Only when I turn away and begin walking in my regular direction again do I begin hearing the noises, but every time I look back round, the noises immediately stop, but not before there's a shuffling sound like someone slipping quickly out of sight to hide. When this repeats for a third time, I start to get a sense like I'm being stalked like prey; however, every time I look back around in hopes of catching the predator in the act, there would be no one there, or really anywhere. At this point, I start to just ignore them, telling myself that it's just birds or the wind and rain or some irrational fear of danger even when there's no obvious danger present. I even begin having a hard time calming myself, as I can't help but think I'm becoming a schizophrenic by hearing things that aren't actually there, constantly feeling paranoid for absolutely no reason.

"Great," I mutter to myself in a growl, "now you've turned me into a schizophrenic. Thanks a lot, Dad." My statement makes me wonder if this is normal behavior for Time Lords, constantly feeling worried for their surroundings and the people they're with. Then again, some might think of that thought process as vigilance rather than schizophrenia; though I can't decide if my particular way of thinking is considered as vigilance or schizophrenia, what with my heightened sense of danger and awareness since my previous Regeneration as well as everything my father had taught me.

Chill out, Nova, I sigh to myself, shaking my head, there's no danger around. There's nothing or no one following you. It's probably just another late-night walker who's having as much of a stressful night as you; totally normal, nothing to worry about. You're just being paranoid for no res—

My thoughts are interrupted when I suddenly hear a shrill scream from the alleyway I'd just past.

Okay. That's not just in my head. That's real. Guess I can't ignore it now.

I immediately turn back around and rush to the side alley and peer down it from the street, and I witness a horrific sight. I see a homeless woman, who looked like she was sleeping peacefully against the wall when she was suddenly woken up by what looks like a teenage boy, literally biting the side of her neck. The woman screams in agonizing pain as the boy appears to bite harder into her flesh like some sort of bloodthirsty cannibal.

"HEY!" I yell at the boy. "LEAVE HER ALONE!" As I begin rushing to the woman's aid, the boy looks up at me and growls at me, his jaw and front—as well as extraordinarily sharp teeth, like a vampire—stained with blood, before he turns toward the opposite end of the alley, further into the darkness, and rushes away in the literal blink of an eye, leaving behind a thick trail of dust in his wake.

What the… How did he disappear so quickly? That was definitely not human…

Since I can't run after the boy, as he was way too fast for me—much faster than a normal human—I decide to stick around to help the injured woman. I gasp when I see a massive chunk of the side of her neck has been torn away, and thick blood runs out of the wound like a waterfall, staining her entire side and the ground below her. The sight makes me think of the time in Victorian London when Dad and I found the woman (I believe her name was Mary, according to her pigheaded husband who accused us of her murder) being attacked by a 'fear'-projection of Jack the Ripper.

I slowly kneel down at the woman's level, and she stares at me as if afraid that I will attack her too. "It's alright, ma'am," I say calmly as I gently lower my hood to show I'm not a threat. "I'm not gonna hurt you. I can help you." I smile warmly at her, which calms her down a bit, before I lay one hand on her shoulder and raise my other hand, prepared to use my Regeneration Energy to heal her. However, I pause at the last second, having second thoughts about using my Energy; as much as I want to use it, doing so would risk exposing me to other dangers in the area besides the mysterious cannibal-boy who'd run off. I squeeze my hands into fists to hold back the Energy, and I say instead, pulling out my phone, "I'll call an ambulance for you." I immediately call 9-1-1, but I suddenly remember that here in the UK they use a different number to call the police, which is 9-9-9, so I dial that instead.

"9-9-9, what's your emergency?" the operator answers after two tones.

"Hello?" I reply, my voice sounding frantic. "I was just walking along, and I found a woman in an alley. She's gravely injured. She's bleeding profusely from the side of her neck. When I found her, she was being attacked by…someone; I couldn't make out who, but at first it looked like a teenage boy. He had bitten a large chunk off of the woman's neck. He had very sharp teeth, like a vampire. He ran off before I could get a good look at him. Please, how fast can you send an ambulance over? She may not have much time; she's losing a lot of blood!" At this point, I can see the woman seemingly begin losing the ability to stay conscious, likely from the blood-loss.

The operator then asks where my exact location is, and after I give it, she says, "Don't worry, ma'am; an ambulance is on its way to you. Please stay and monitor the woman until they get there."

After I hang up, I assure the woman that the police and ambulance are on their way as I try keeping her calm and conscious, using the same methods my father used to keep the young woman, Mary, from Victorian London calm, at least before she died from her wounds inflicted upon her by 'Jack the Ripper.' Unlike last time, I make sure this woman survives even after the ambulance and police arrive. While I wait for them to arrive, I seriously think about using my Regeneration Energy as a way to speed up the healing process, nervous that the police wouldn't be fast enough. Thankfully, I begin hearing police sirens in the near distance a few seconds later, and I change my mind again about using my Energy as I breathe a huge sigh of relief, as does the woman; she's going to survive this, after all. After the police arrive, the paramedics tend to the woman while I talk with the police and give my statement on what I saw during the attack—at least, the end of it.

"We appreciate your assistance, ma'am," the policeman says sincerely after I finish giving my description of the attack to the best of my ability. "We'll give you a call if we require further information from you."

"No problem, Officer," I smile back proudly. "I was happy to help." In all honesty, a large part of me hopes that they don't call me back, just in case they require more than just my statement (i.e. some sort of medical record from me).

The man's partner, a policewoman, speaks up, saying, "Ma'am, you are aware of the citywide curfew going on, right?"

"Um, 'citywide curfew'?" I ask, genuinely puzzled. "What's that?" I mean, I know what 'citywide curfew' means; I just wasn't aware of there being one put in place since I got back, and apparently one that's been happening for a while. Hazel must've forgotten to tell me; that, or I didn't think to ask about it as our argument distracted me from asking. I had already planned to spend the next morning researching the latest current events that I'd missed out on over the last year and a half, and I had absolutely no idea there'd be a serious curfew going on every night since before my return.

If only I'd known about the curfew before I went on my walk…

"Yes, ma'am," the policewoman confirms. "Since about six months ago, there have been various attacks throughout the city, most happening after dark and by what witnesses describe as 'a vampire'; and some witnesses claimed to have been attacked by more than one. Since then, we asked that everyone within the city stay indoors after nightfall because of the ongoing attacks. Those who are required to be out at night are asked to travel either by public transport or with a friend so they're not alone, as the majority of the victims that are attacked are found traveling alone."

"Oh wow!" I say, shocked. "I'm so sorry, I didn't realize. I had just gotten back home late last night from a long trip out-of-country, so I had no idea. I'll make sure to pay attention next time."

"Yes, you do that," the policewoman nods, thankfully not asking any questions about my 'long trip out-of-country.' "If you live nearby, I'd suggest that you return home immediately and remain there 'til sunrise, and don't go out after dark unless absolutely necessary."

"Will do," I nod. "Thanks a lot, Officer."

"No, thank you, ma'am," the policeman speaks up. "If you hadn't found the woman and reported the situation to us when you did, she would likely not have survived. She'll make a slow but full recovery, thanks to you. In spite of the citywide curfew, you're a hero."

"That being said," his partner adds in a serious tone, "we'll let you off with a warning this one time. If you're caught out after dark without a permit again, we may not be so generous."

Wow, I frown disapprovingly at her, I'd just 'broken the law' and ignored the curfew (not that I knew about the curfew in the first place) to save a woman's life, and this is the 'thanks' I get? Seriously?! "Noted," I say out loud before turning to the friendlier policeman and saying, "Thanks again, officers. Y'all have a good night."

"You as well, miss," he says with a smile and nodding to me in a way that almost resembles a bow. "Be careful getting home now. Don't hesitate to call us again if you see any more suspicious activity."

Unless it's something alien, I think to myself, in which case, it'll be my responsibility to take care of it, not you guys.

On that note, I smile back at the police officers before rushing away back toward Hazel's apartment, using my regular GPS app on my phone to get back.

Apparently, the app puts me on a different route back, because it suggests that I take a shortcut through a shady and not so well lit park (though the park is actually a lot nicer during the day), but I decide to take it anyway, thinking it'll take me back quicker rather than take the long way around on the normal streets; the police officers warned me that I shouldn't waste too much time in getting home, anyway.

However, as I enter the park, I begin hearing strange noises again, like someone is lurking in the darkness, circling me, again like a predator to prey. My sense of danger heightens when the noises become louder and more frequent, and this time the senses are legit…at least they feel that way, though I'm not entirely sure.

"Hello?" I call out as I look around for the source of the noises. "Who's there?"

However, I find nothing and no one, despite still hearing the noises all around me that are not the typical 'wind' noises, even though the wind and rain has picked up a bit at this point. At the corners of my eyes, I keep seeing what looks like shadows lurking behind the trees, but it's tough to see even with my enhanced Time Lord night-vision. Still believing that the senses of danger are fake, I eventually shake my head, thinking my paranoia is, yet again, playing tricks on my mind, and I continue walking, yet again ignoring the noises.

It's just the wind; nothing to worry about… It's just the wind; nothing to worry about… It's just the wind; nothing to wo—

"You shouldn't have stopped me, little human," a deep voice growls from a few feet behind me.

"What?" I gasp, startled as I turn to see a tall, hooded, and extremely pale twenty-year-old boy, his clothes soaked through in both rain and blood. Based on this description, I instantly recognize him to be the boy from earlier—the one who attacked that poor homeless woman in the alley. "Oh…" I frown at the boy. "It's you. You're that kid I saw earlier. The one who attacked that poor woman in the alley…"

So, what; he's followed me here to get revenge, or something, for stopping him?

"She would've made a fine meal, had you not stopped me when you did," he growls again, confirming my theory and taking a predatory step towards me.

"Excuse me?" I say, taking a cautious step back. "Who are you?" I pause, sensing that this boy isn't human, at least entirely. "What are you?"

"Better question you should be asking is 'what are you?'" the boy chuckles back. "What are you to me?"

I frown, confused. "Um… I don't know. What am I to you? You know what I am too?"

Does he know I'm a Time Lord? I wonder. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised one bit. Seriously, am I ever gonna have a chance to be a proper human again; or if I do, it only lasts a couple hours and no more? Honestly, I don't think I could bear that.

"I do," he sniggers as he takes more menacing steps towards me. "I do know what you are."

"Um…okay," I say as I continue backing uneasily away from him as he approaches, my senses of danger now becoming more legitimate by the nanosecond. "Great. And…what would that be then?" Not a Time Lord, hopefully, I add in my head. Literally anything but that.

The boy growls once more, showing his freakishly sharp and bloody fangs. "You are the meal that will replace my previous one…the one you robbed from me! I must drink your blood instead!"

Seriously?! I scoff to myself, thinking this is some sort of joke. Who is he; some guy with some crazy fantasy that he's some sort of vampire?

"Uh, okay…" I chuckle out loud. "Not exactly what I exp—"

The unexpected thing happens in that very moment. I am suddenly shoved down hard to the wet ground and pinned by the boy, whose grip on me is incredibly strong; strong enough to break bone.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I scream at him as I struggle to fight him off of me. "What is wrong with you?! Get the hell off me!" At this point, I can see some clearer details in his facial features, which, strangely enough, seem to match Hazel's new boyfriend's.

Wait! Didn't Billy say he had a brother?

"Hold still, little human," the boy sniggers in my ear as he holds my head against the cold ground, exposing the left side of my neck. "You must pay for what you did, and you will pay in blood!" In that awful moment, with lightning-speed, he bends over and sinks his 'vampire' fangs into my neck, biting hard.

It's impossible to prevent myself from screaming in agonizing pain as I feel him ripping my flesh apart and sucking my blood out of the wound. For a brief moment, I lose consciousness, but I manage to fight the crazy psycho off of me by kneeing him in the groin. The boy yelps in pain like an injured dog, and I swing my fist at his jaw and knock him down before I get back up on my feet and begin sprinting toward the exit of the park, clutching the side of my neck where he had bit me (More like mutilated me, as he had ripped off a large chunk of skin from my neck). My hand immediately gets soaked in sickly red-orange, as does the entire left side of my body, which feels numb with pain.

Frustratingly enough, I don't run very far as the boy literally catches up with me and tackles me to the ground again, seeming much faster than the average human (and even Time Lord, apparently). I am honestly surprised at how fast and strong the boy genuinely is as he pins me down again. I scream at him again to get off, but he refuses and sniggers instead, showing his razer-sharp teeth again, which are now stained with orange.

"Don't think you'll be escaping me, little human," he sneers. "Your blood is different from the others. Much different. It's unlike any human blood I've ever tasted. It's delicious. I need more."

"Sorry…" I growl back at him, tucking my arms under him. "My blood isn't for sale. It's mine and mine only. Get off before I make you regret it! I don't want to do this!" I press my hands against his chest, not just to try to push him off of me but also in preparation to use my Regeneration Energy to blast him away, now feeling like it's the only choice I have to prevent myself from being legitimately killed.

"You won't be escaping me again, little human," he smirks and shakes his head. "I am much stronger than you. I am much faster than you. If you manage to escape again, I will catch you, and I will drain every ounce of blood from your body. You will never see the light of day again. You are weak."

'Little human'? Oh, you are so wrong on both counts, buddy!

"You're wrong…" I grunt as I begin making my hands glow gold under his weight. "I'm not weak…" I then add with a triumphant smile as the boy suddenly notices my glowing hands and gasps in fright, "And, like you…I'm not human either!"

Without thinking, I use my Energy to blast the boy back several feet across the park. To my immense surprise, apparently, my Energy does more than just blast him away. The blast literally incinerates his body, much like what a nuclear blast would do when dropped on a city, literally turning him into a roasted corpse. The blast also sends a massive shockwave through the park, shaking the trees and shuddering nearby buildings and parked cars, even setting off the cars' alarms all through the area.

Once I manage to reorient myself and get back on my feet, I gasp at what I had done, which was, apparently, the exact same thing I did in the Judoon Prison's cafeteria, except this time it was the most intense as it's ever been, and I had completely obliterated my attacker. I can't help but instantly panic and run away back to the apartment, not looking back.

The instant I return to the apartment, I end up stumbling inside, barely keeping myself conscious as I fumble with the lock on the door, the key slipping from my bloody hands. I end up waking Hazel in my ruckus, who immediately runs out of her bedroom in her PJs and barefoot, wielding a long kitchen knife.

"Whoever you are, get the fuck out of my—" She pauses, seeing that it's only me. "Oh, it's just you. I thought you were that—HOLY SHIT, NOVA; YOU'RE HURT! BADLY! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!"

"I was…" is as far as I get in my explanation before I lose all feeling in my mind, body, and soul, and everything instantly goes dark and silent before I even hit the floor.

A/N: TO BE CONTINUED!

How about that cliffhanger, lol. Who was that boy she accidentally killed? How does he link with Billy? Was killing him even an accident? How will Billy react if he finds out? Let me know what you think in the comments :)

As always, friendly reminder that kudos, comments, and favs are appreciated and will keep me motivated to post more often. I see that many of you are reading my works but not subscribing, favoriting, or commenting on them. I always encourage feedback from my readers and enjoy reading about my readers' favorite moments. I'm sure everyone has at least one favorite moment. Please, please, please share them! I would love to talk about them.

Also, friendly reminder that I tend to have a major habit of rewriting things, so be sure to check back every once in a while (maybe even reread the previous chapter or chapters) to keep up to date on any changes I may make or add.