Continuing from 'Aliens of London - Part II'

✧

WHEN ROSE TOLD LILY SHE'D HANDLE MUM, after leaving for the roof, she never expected the result of it to be a party. Saying that it was 'packed' when the Doctor and Lily returned was an understatement. They could hardly move about the cramped flat- filled to the roof with all of Jackie's friends and their families and their families' families. Foods and drinks were being passed around as they celebrated Lily's return. The moment she stepped in the door she was dragged away from the Doctor and brought into conversations she never asked to be in. She should never underestimate how quickly her mum can get a party underway.

Rose, who was eating some chocolate biscuits off a paper plate, noticed the Doctor alone in the armchair watching the telly intensely- the news on but the sound barely audible from the noisy guests. She decided on joining him and giggled when he shooed away one of Gertie's kids who was blocking the screen with his toy helicopter.

"I'm guessing you know nothing that's going on?" Were the greeting words she chose when she sat near him on the sofa.

"That's what I'm trying to find out." He pointed a finger at the telly and looked at Rose who was munching on another biscuit. "How've ya been?"

"Since you ran off with my sister?" She spoke, trying not to let crumbs spill out of her mouth. "Not so good."

"Sorry." He said in a way Rose knew he was being genuine.

"It's not your fault- you couldn't have known." Rose swallowed her biscuit and held the next one in her hand. "What was a year for us was only two seconds for you and Lils. Mum went ballistic." She twirled the treat in her hand as she recalled the past year. "Wouldn't listen to me at all. And when I tried to tell her the truth, that's when she went after Lily's journals and manuscripts. Made that ridiculous board. And having to sleep in that room." The depressed thoughts that started seeping through made her put the entire biscuit in her mouth. "It's my fault all her work was ruined."

"I'm sure Lily does not think that."

She noticed the way he said Lily's name. "You've gotten close, haven't you?"

"She is incredible." He said in a soft tone while looking over her shoulder. Rose turned to see him looking at Lily herself who was busy looking very tense as she chatted with three of their mum's friends at the same time. All Rose could think when she watched her sister was how much she missed her. The Doctor continued to speak. "We didn't just come back for a visit. We came for you."

Just hearing that was enough to bring her attention back to the Doctor. "Me?"

He snatched the last biscuit from her plate and popped it in his mouth. "Lily brought up the idea and I agreed."

She could hardly believe what she was hearing. "You want me to come with you two?"

He chewed and spoke- not caring for crumbs like Rose had. "I'd love it." He gestured to the telly screen after swallowing. "Right after I get this figured and sorted." With a start and only two seconds later the Doctor exclaimed and quickly stood up to his feet. "I can't think!" Was all he said before hurrying out of the room and through the front door.

✧

Lily had noticed the Doctor hurrying out and gave Mr. Jeffries an excuse to leave- thankful to end his ever-long conversation about his produce garden. Kind man but he could chat about just tomatoes for hours. She knew her sister was following behind- both exiting the flat onto the outside corridor. When she saw the Doctor walking off she called out. "Hey!" He stopped and turned to face her. She walked closer to him. "Where are you going?

He glanced over Lily and she guessed it was at Rose. "Nowhere." He shrugged. "History just happened and they're talking about where you can buy dodgy top-up cards for half price. I'm off on a wander, that's all."

"Right." She folded her arms over her chest and gave him a look. "Spaceship in the Thames and you're just taking an evening stroll?"

"Nothing to do with me. It's not an invasion." He pointed a finger out to the horizon at the smoke that still lingered in the air. "That was a genuine crash landing. Angle of descent, color of smoke, everything. It's perfect."

"So?" Rose questioned, moving to stand next to Lily with her plate this time.

"So maybe this is it. First contact." The Doctor continued. "The day mankind officially comes into contact with an alien race. I'm not interfering," He looked from Rose to Lily. "because you've got to handle this on your own. That's when the human race finally grows up. Just this morning you were all tiny and small and made of clay. Now you can expand. You don't need me." He gave the ginger a small smile. "Take a break, Red. Go and celebrate history. Spend some time with your mum and Rose."

Lily stared up and searched in his eyes. "Promise me you won't disappear." She tried to see if anything changed to give way to what he was thinking or feeling but his eyes stayed the same. "Promise me you'll come back."

He was quick to dig through his jacket pocket. "Tell you want," He produced a pair of silver keys- both hanging on chains as long as the one Lily's locket had. "TARDIS keys. It's about time you had one," He handed one to Lily and the other to Rose. "You can keep them in your pockets and not be worried of them falling out. TARDIS technology." He turned to leave. "See you both later."

Both girls stood there, watching him disappear down the staircase. "Well," Rose was the first to speak, tucking her key in her jeans pocket. "You gonna be okay back there?" The younger of the two watched Lily put her key in her dress pocket- all while still looking at where the Doctor vanished from. "Lils?"

Lily looked back to Rose and shook her head like she was trying to bring herself back to reality. She smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, I will be." She pointed a warning finger at her. "But only if you stick by my side."

Rose laughed and took Lily's hand, holding it tight- pulling her down the corridor back towards their noisy flat. "As long as you do the same."

✧

It was more noisy when they got back inside and Lily didn't think that was possible. She needed a breather. Needed a moment alone to survey what her mum had down to her side of her and Rose's bedroom. She told Rose where she was going so she didn't think she had run off. Closing the door quietly behind her she could still hear the cheers from the living area.

It took everything in her to take the three steps forward towards her bookcase. All her books were still intact on those top two shelves. But it was the bottom four, the ones that once held her beloved journals, that stole her breath away. She hadn't noticed before but no journal was left untouched. The shelves were empty.

Lily made herself, through shaky hands and shallow breaths, start flicking through the open and ripped-up journals on her bed to assess what could be saved. It just took a few minutes for all the journals to be stuffed in the rubbish bag she brought in with her. Every last one of them was trash now and utterly unsavable. She was stupid to have hope.

She then moved to that ridiculous board and wasn't delicate at all in ripping them off their thumbtacks. She was finished when a knock sounded on the door and Rose peeked her head inside. "Hey." She quietly greeted Lily and took a step inside, shutting the door closed. "You didn't have to do this by yourself."

She gave her sister a disgusted laugh. "And let you see me like this?"

Rose lingered behind as Lily tied up the rubbish bag. "I couldn't stop her," Rose admitted.

Lily held up a hand to stop Rose from continuing. "I don't blame you, Rose. I don't even blame Mum. I just-" Her throat suddenly felt tight. "I can't breathe. I can't think." She didn't know she was crying until Rose fell to her knees and pulled Lily into a tight, bear-like hug. "It's all gone." She clutched onto her and sobbed into her shoulder- hoping she wasn't ruining Rose's pink shirt. "All those dreams that I can't remember."

She ran a hand down the back of Lily's hair. Fingers threading through her red locks. "You'll make new memories."

Lily leaned back to hold Rose's face between her hands- grinning through the tears as she took in her face. "God, I missed you." Rose laughed and answered by hugging Lily again, this time tighter than before. Lily heard her open her mouth to answer but that was inferred by their door swinging open. Lily pulled away and looked, thinking it would be the Doctor returning. Instead, she saw Mickey standing there with the most shocked look she had ever seen on him.

✧

They had now moved to the kitchen, where Lily left her now full rubbish bag leaning against the kitchen bin. "Did you know when you disappeared they looked into every possible person. And who do you think they turned to the most, hmm?" Mickey was nearly shouting as he spoke to Lily- Jackie and Rose watching it all nearby. "Me!" Lily flinched and leaned further on the sink as he didn't hold back his anger. Rose was about to step in but Lily gave her a look that made her stay put.

"Five times I was taken in for questioning. Five times!" His face scrunched up and started pacing about the kitchen, almost stomping. "No evidence. Course, there couldn't be, could there? And then I get her, your mother," He pointed an accusing finger at Jackie who only scoffed and looked away. "Whispering around the estate, pointing the finger. Stuff through my letterbox. Rose hardly talked to me all year!" Rose frowned. "and all 'cos of you!"

Mickey was always like a little brother to her- hearing this all hurt just about as much as if Rose was the one talking. "Mickey, I didn't think I'd be gone for so long. I swear."

"And I waited for you, Lily. Rose waited." He gestured to Rose. "For twelve months, waiting for you and the Doctor to come back."

"Hold on," Jackie spoke up and raised her brows at Mickey. "You knew about this Doctor? Why didn't you tell me?"

Mickey started shutting the serving hatch and kitchen door when their guests decided to become noisy and tried to listen in. "Yeah, yeah. Why not, Lily? Huh?"

"Tell me now," Jackie ordered her eldest.

"I've tried to tell you."

"The truth, Lily!"

She screeched out. "It is the truth!"

Jackie stood from the stool she was sitting on. "I knew I should have put you on medication- '' She tried to say it low enough for them not to overhear but they all did.

Rose stepped in at that. "Stop it, Mum!" She started begging. "Just listen to her for once!"

"You might as well, 'cos you're stuck here." Lily looked from her family to Mickey- not quite believing his words. "The Doctor's gone. Just now. That box thing just faded away."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"He's left you. Some boyfriend he turned out to be." He laughed and continued taunting her but Lily was already out of the kitchen and racing to the front door.

✧

She wasn't alone when she got to the area the Doctor had parked the TARDIS. Her mum, Rose, and Mickey had all joined her as she looked about the large alleyway. "He wouldn't just go, he promised me," Lily told them as she traversed the area- looking for any possible sign of where he'd gone.

"Oh, this is perfect! He's dumped you, Lily." Lily and Rose's angry look that was directed at Mickey matched as he laughed. "Sailed off into space. How does it feel, huh? Now you are left behind with the rest of us Earthlings. Get used to it." He ended with a sneer.

"That's not true." Rose defended her sister. "He would have told her!"

Jackie stepped closer into Lily's line of sight. "What're you three chimps going on about? What's this Doctor done now?"

Mickey placed his hands on his hips. "He's vamoosed!"

"He's not, because he gave me this." Lily retorted, taking out her key and showing it to them. She didn't bother saying Rose had one too as she was sure that would bring up more disagreements. "He's not my boyfriend, Mickey. He's better than that. He's much more important than-" The key grew hot and she looked down to see it start to glow.

Seconds after she heard that beautiful sound of the TARDIS starting to materialize. Lily beamed as the blue box began phasing in and out of existence. "I told yah so." When it fully formed, and the wind it created died down, she looked at her mum.

Jackie was the furthest back and looked ashy white- like a ghost had appeared instead of the TARDIS. Though, for Jackie Tyler, it was basically the same thing. "No," Her voice was shaky and her lips trembled. "It can't be."

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Please leave your wonderful comments below and don't forget to vote :)

- Kayleigh