text: the droids can't get in. "Doctor," you gasp. "What do they want with me?"
  
  He doesn't respond.
  
  "Doctor," you say more insistently. "What do they want with me?"
  
  He sighs, still facing the door. "Are you afraid, Jessica?" Silence fills the room as you stare at the Doctor. "Are you afraid?"
  
  "I...I am properly frightened. You won't tell me anything, those things want to kill me, and you just locked me in a room with Napoleon. I am terrified," you say. You can see him laugh a little, his shoulders rising slightly.
  
  "You're braver than you think, Jess. So," he says, turning to face you. His eyes twinkle as he stares at you. "I need you to be brave. Just for a little while."
  
  "Tell me what they are, then we'll see about being brave, Chin-Boy."
  
  "Clockwork droids." he says, beginning. "I've seen them, once, a long time ago. They....they take parts of humans that they need....to make their ship or, anything, really, to function properly. They will cut you up like a turkey on Christmas, just to have a single kidney, your heart, your brain."
  
  You stare at him, suddenly cold. Napoleon is staring at the two of you, like he can't believe what he is seeing. "You know," you say in a quiet voice, "I don't think that's going to happen."
  
  "Of course it isn't going to happen!" the Doctor says loudly. "Not while I'm still around!" He smiles, and begins to pace the room. "Right, let's see. Second story, one door, at least six or seven murderers on the hunt for you."
  
  "Not really helping, that," you say as you stare around the room. "What do we got to work with? One psychopath with horrible fashion sense and a screwdriver, one girl from the future, and one Army General from the Reign of Terror. Oh, yes," you say, turning to face the Doctor. "I am loving our chances!"
  
  "Madame," Napoleon says suddenly. "I will give my life to protect you and your husband, no matter what crimes he has comitted."
  
  "We're not married!" both you and the Doctor yelp at the same time.
  
  Napoleon eyes the two of you, smirking. "Ah. I beg to differ, Doctor."
  
  "I, you...shut up!" the Doctor says, clearly embarrassed. You can feel heat rising to your cheeks. Why does Napoleon have to say things like that at this time?!
  
  The ticking of the clockwork droids alerts you that you are running out of time. The Doctor is fiddling with the sonic, explaining, "If I can just get to the right frequency..."
  
  The wood begins to splinter and crack, making you take a step back. Napoleon steps forward, drawing a sword. "Stay behind me, My Lady!" he shouts over the banging. Pieces of the door are flying outwards, towards your face. You want to do something, but what? What can you possibly do against a clock? You don't even have a weapon!
  
  > History and Time-Lord, Side by Side
  You stare in shock as the door suddenly falls down on the ground, the hinges melted into coppery pools. The corridor is filled with clockwork droids. Counting quickly, you realize that there are at least eight, maybe nine.
  
  "Doctor!" you shout as they enter the room. Finally, he stops messing with the sonic, apparently finding the right frequency or whatever. Napoleon suddenly takes his sword and runs a droid through. It twitches, sparks flying from it, until it just stops. It freezes, apparently decommissioned.
  
  The others don't acknowledge that one of their friends just got murdered right in front of their eyes. They continue to walk towards me, their arms outstretched. "Doctor!" you scream shrilly as you back up against the table, frozen by fear.
  
  Suddenly, the droids freeze, their heads tilted to one side. The sound of my heart's frantic beating fills my ears the longer I stare. The Doctor just stares at the droids, the sonic at his side. Napoleon still has his blade pointed at them, waiting for them to attack.
  
  A sudden flash fills the room as they vanish into thin air. You let out a quick sigh of relief, shutting my eyes momentarily. "Are you all right?" the Doctor asks, rushing over. His concern for you is shining in his eyes as he takes you hand.
  
  "I...I think so," you say, a little shaken. "Why did they leave?"
  
  The Doctor looks as puzzled as you. "I don't know," he mutters. "And I hate not knowing."
  
  "Madame," Napoleon finally says, sheathing his blade. "If you are uninjured, then we must get you to safety as quickly as possible."
  
  The Doctor suddenly tightens his grip on your hand. "Jessica will be safe with me," he says stoutly. "Whoever was directing those droids obviously doesn't want her dead at the moment. For now, though, she'll be safest with me."
  
  He begins to lead you out fo the room, ignoring Napoleon's stuttering protests. "Doctor," you say, slipping your hand out from his. "I can walk. You don't need to be so worried."
  
  He doesn't say a word as the pair of you walk out of the estate.
  
  > The Art of Writing
  The groaning sound of the TARDIS fills the room as the Doctor begins to set coordinates into the console. You lean against the railing, staring at the wall. Today has been mad, completely mad, and you aren't sure how you are feeling about all of this yet.
  
  The Doctor notices how quiet you are. "Jess," he says, walking over to you. "Are you all right?"
  
  You look behind you, only to see him gazing at you with that look of his. "I...Well, a lot happened today. It's mad, what we went through. And I still have so many questions."
  
  Crossing your arms, you look at him sadly. "What did those droids want with me? They were about to k-kill me. And...they just stopped. Who wants, who needs me alive?"
  
  The Doctor takes your hand, making you frown. "Jess, I swear," he says quietly. "I swear that I will make sure that nothing will happen to you."
  
  You shake your head, yanking your hand back. "You can't promise me that," you say, walking past him. "Not with these adventures we have."
  
  "But I can try," he attempts. "Jess, please-"
  
  "I'm going to bed," you say sharply. "I'll see you in the morning, Doctor."
  
  You aren't sure where the bedroom is. The corridors seem to go on forever, and for all you know, they do. You take a left, then a right, then another left, and find yourself in front of a door. You open it, only to see a very beautiful room.
  
  The floors are covered by a thick, fuzzy white rug. A mahogany dresser stands by one wall, while a pair of bunk-beds stands at the other. A chair rests in the corner, along with a desk and a bookshelf. The light from the lamp on the nightstand provides a pleasant warm glow, adding to the coziness of the room.
  
  You sit down in the chair, sighing. Placing your purse on the desk, you begin to rummage through the contents, finally finding the notebook. Taking a pen from the desk, you begin to write.
  
  You aren't sure what time you finished. There are no clocks here; you don't need to know the time in a time machine, you guess. Hand cramping, you put the pen down on the page that you had just wrote. You felt better after you had written down your adventures so far. as if all of your tension and fears had left with the ink.
  
  You rise from the chair, cross the room, and climb into the lower bunk. Pulling the covers up over the clothes you wore that day, you shut your eyes and go to sleep.
  
  > A New Planet
  "I'm sorry about last night," you say as you walk into the control room. The Doctor looks around the monitor, a small grin on his face. "It was...mad, what we went through. And, I guess I wasn't thinking. So, I'm sorry," you say quickly.
  
  "Don't worry about it," he tells you, leading you up the steps. "Now, Jess," he says seriously. "I need to ask you: do you want to see something amazing?"
  
  "Amazing?" you repeat. "Like...what? We're in a time machine; there's a thousand different places we can go. You'll have to be a little more specific than 'amazing', Doctor."
  
  "A new planet." he says calmly. It takes all of your willpower not to let your jaw drop at his words.
  
  "Another planet? Where?" The Doctor nearly drags you to the monitor, which is flashing a thousand different colors and numbers. The Doctor pulls down on a lever, making you smile as you fly off into the unknown.
  
  A sudden sound makes you look up, startled. The Doctor suddenly grabs the monitor, his face showing his alarm. Fiddling with the buttons, he stares at the screen as an image slowly starts to take place.
  
  "Doctor," you say as the same sound fills the TARDIS, this time forming into words. "The Daleks will find the Doctor! The Daleks will dominate!"
  
  The TARDIS suddenly makes you fall to the floor. Your head smacks against the floor, making you see stars. The Doctor helps you up, wrapping an arm around your shoulders for support. You look at the screen, shaking your head to clear it. On it, lights on its head flashing, is a creature. There is no other word for it, since you can't tell what it is.
  
  A long eye-stalk is staring at you, its blue light slightly menacing. Whenever it speaks, the two lights on its dome-head flash. You can see nothing else past this, so you know nothing else about what it looks like.
  
  "Doctor," you ask, your head now clear. "What...what is that?"
  
  The TARDIS suddenly throws you both to the floor. A small shriek of panic jumps from your throat as you both are yanked towards whatever has control of the time machine.
  
  "Jess," the Doctor says, shaking your shoulder. "Jess, wake up."
  
  Your eyes flutter open; you wince with pain as you blearily raise your head. "Wh-what happened?" you ask the Doctor. You look around, noticing something. "Wh-where's the TARDIS?"
  
  "Jess," the Doctor says quietly. "Jess, look at me."
  
  You stare at the Doctor, very confused and very scared.
  
  "Jess," he repeats. "I need you to be brave. I need you to be very, very brave now."
  
  "What do you mean?" you ask, your head pounding. You must have hit it again when you fell to the floor. You aren't seeing double, which is a good sign. It still hurts, but that can't be helped. You draw your gaze away from the Doctor, trying to get a better glimpse at your surroundings. "Where are we, Doctor?"
  
  A sudden thunderclap makes you jump. The Doctor looks at you, his eyes betraying how much trouble you are in. "Skaro. This is the home of the Daleks."
  
  > Running for your Lives
  The Doctor helps you get up from the ground, squeezing your hand in a comforting gesture. "I don't understand," you say. "What's Skaro? And what's a Dalek?"
  
  "The Daleks are an alien race," the Doctor explains to you. "They are creatures full of anger, and hate, and the one thing that they all have in common is that they all want to destroy anything and everything that isn't a Dalek."
  
  You shiver at his words. He leads you over to a small round opening in the rock wall, allowing you a view of the earth far below. A city lies in ruins before you; buildings are crumbled down into stone, massive archways and pillars now lie in the streets, remains of houses now are just charred squares of ash.
  
  Rain is falling from the sky, making the air taste sharp and metallic. The Doctor stares out at the city, his hate for it clear. "This planet once was full of life. And after the Daleks were created...nothing is left here but an empty shell."
  
  "Doctor," you say quietly. "What happened?" An alarming thought makes you turn to face him, your eyes wide. "Where's the TARDIS?" you ask him. "If this place is as bad as you say, shouldn't we be flying away as fast as possible?"
  
  The Doctor pauses, not wanting to say anything. "Doctor," you insist.
  
  He sighs. "The Daleks took control of the TARDIS. They dragged it off course, and they brought us here. Jess," he mutters. "They have the TARDIS. They want us dead, me in particular."
  
  You yank your hand out of his. "No," you say sharply. "No, that's not going to happen."
  
  "Jess," he begins, but you cut him off.
  
  "You always have a plan! I should have died a long time ago if you weren't there to help me. You, Doctor," you say to him, "are bloody brilliant when it comes to cheating death. Even though I haven't known you for long, I trust you with my life. So, come on. What can we do to get out of here alive?"
  
  The Doctor looks at you, a small light twinkling in his eyes. "Jess," he says quietly. A sudden whirring sound makes him stop. You look behind you, only to see a shadow moving against the wall, one that looks strangely similar to the creature you saw on the monitor before the TARDIS crashed.
  
  You are suddenly dragged behind a pillar; the Doctor makes you hide right beside him. You try to get a glimpse at what it is, but he holds you tight, silently telling you not to make a sound.
  
  The whirring sound gets louder as the owner of the shadow enters your field of vision. You were right; it is exactly the same as the face you saw. This time, however, you can see what the screen didn't show.
  
  A black plunger-like object is sticking out from where its right arm should be, a strange looking gun on its left. Instead of legs, the creature has a large metal body expanding at the base. Large copper spheres are spread out in lines on the body, looking strangely intimidating.
  
  'Is that a Dalek?' you mouth at the Doctor. He nods, remaining absolutely quiet.
  
  The Dalek examines the room with its large eyestalk, making no signs that it noticed you yet. It starts to approach your hiding place; you hold your breath, fearing to make any sound. As it passes the pair of you, the Doctor's grip on your arm tightens.
  
  As the Dalek leaves the room, you wait a few seconds before whispering, "What do we do now?"
  
  "We run," the Doctor says simply.
  
  "That's it?" you ask incredulously. "Just, run?"
  
  "Have you got a better plan?" he asks you as you both venture out from behind the pillar. "If we go now, then we have a chance that they won't see us."
  
  You hesitate, then nod your head. "Might as well."
  
  > Execution
  The ruins of Skaro are a perfect place to hide. The large ruins provide thousands of hiding places, along with the pillars and remains of statues.
  
  "Where do we hide?" you ask the Doctor as you both hurry past the remains of what looked like a factory. "There's plenty of places we can go. Why don't we just stop someplace?"
  
  "The Daleks would easily find us," the Doctor explains, a little impatient. "They aren't stupid, Jess. They know where to look."
  
  "I didn't say the alien pepper-pots were stupid," you grumble. "It was a perfectly good question."
  
  He chooses to ignore you, which is to be expected. Neither of you make a sound as you hurry down the streets, trying to avoid anything that resembles a Dalek: statues, shadows, remains of old models. The sky overhead is tainted red, the clouds crimson. Thunder rumbles in the distance, warning of the oncoming storm.
  
  The Doctor glances at the sky, slightly worried. "We need to leave before the storm hits," he mutters to you.
  
  "It's just rain, we won't melt."
  
  "Rain on Skaro is sulfur rain."
  
  "On second thought, we had better get inside."
  
  The Doctor stops at your words. You stare at him, confused. "What's the matter?" you ask. "Doctor, what-"
  
  "The Doctor has been found!" a robotic voice screams. You look around, seeing nothing in the streets. A sudden blast from the sky makes you dive to the right for cover. The beam of light blew up the remains of a building, making the rubble into even small rubble. You head whips up, only to see a Dalek hovering a few yards away, gun aimed at the two of you.
  
  "YOU DIDN'T TELL ME THE PEPPER-POTS COULD FLY, DOCTOR!" you scream as the Dalek fires again, missing you by a hair.
  
  "Exterminate! Exterminate!" the Dalek shouts, re-aiming at the Doctor. Instead of hiding, or running, or doing the logical thing, that bloody idiot steps forward, hands above his head.
  
  "Don't shoot!" he shouts, taking something from his pocket. "In the hour I've been here, I've managed to place several high-explosives at various places in Skaro. Once I press this, bye-bye Daleks!"
  
  You stare at your mobile in the Doctor's hand.
  
  "Ah, ah!" he shouts, drawing the phone back as the Dalek comes a bit closer. "No scanning! Its set on automatic detonation if anything tries to scan it."
  
  "Doctor, what the hell are you doing?!" you whisper furiously.
  
  "Jess, do me a favour. Keep quiet." The Doctor grips your phone tighter as more Daleks slowly approach from both ends of the street. "You heard me!" he shouts at the group of murderous aliens. "If you want to kill us, then all of you will have to die first!"
  
  "The Doctor will surrender!" a Dalek screams from nearby.
  
  "The Doctor will not!" he counters. "Not until I get to talk first!" He turns around, his jacket snapping in the dry wind. "If you don't give me back my TARDIS and let us go, then Skaro will just be a hunk of burning rock."
  
  "Doctor," you try again, but he ignores you.
  
  "What's it going to be?" he shouts at the Daleks.
  
  "Doctor!" you shout, starring at all of the Daleks. All of their guns are pointed at you. He finally notices, and he shuts up.
  
  "You will disarm the explosives, or she will die!" the Dalek in front of you commands.
  
  "Don't you dare," the Doctor says in a quiet voice. "If you touch her, then you will have me to answer to!"
  
  "Obey! Obey! You will, obey, or she will die!"
  
  "Doctor!" you scream as one of the Dalek's advances. You press up against the ruins of a wall, the hard stone digging into your back. "Doctor, DO SOMETHING!"
  
  "Exterminate! Exterminate!"
  
  You shut your eyes, waiting to die-
  
  And you wait.
  
  And wait.
  
  Hesitantly, you open your eyes. All of the Daleks are staring at you, not moving. "Wh-wh-what the-?!" you whisper, still backed up against the wall. "Why aren't you killing me, yet?"
  
  "The Human is Jessica Rowell!" a Dalek says, swiveling its eyestalk to the one in front of you.
  
  "Okay, how did you know that?!" you splutter, terrified now.
  
  Then something even stranger happens: they all back away from you, like their afraid. Your eyes wide, you stare as they point their guns away from you.
  
  The Doctor suddenly grabs you hand, the sonic screwdriver pointed in the air like a beacon. The familiar groaning and wheezing sound of the TARDIS rings in your ears as the console room materializes around you both.
  
  > A Glimpse in the Future
  The Doctor immediately launches himself over to the controls, his fingers flying as the TARDIS rapidly flies away from Skaro. You stand there, shocked. What just happened? Weren't the two of you about to die?
  
  "How...how did they know my name?" you ask the Doctor, your voice cracking slightly.
  
  He doesn't look up from the controls, but you can see him scowl slightly. "Doctor, please," you beg.
  
  "What are you?" he says loudly, his head snapping up suddenly. HIs eyes are burning with anger and hate as he storms over to you, his fists clenched. "What are you?"
  
  "What are you going about?" you say, backing up against the metal railing.
  
  "Three times you should have died, and three times you didn't. The Weeping Angels, the Clockwork Droids, and now this!" He gets up in your face, shouting. "What the hell are you, Jessica?! What the hell are you doing here?!"
  
  You stare at him, terrified. You have never seen him get angry like this. The way his eyes smolder with rage, the way his voice rises and falls, the way he looks at you with contempt makes you want to run and hide.
  
  "Doctor, what are you talking about?" you squeak, leaning backwards. "I don't know what your saying! What do you mean, what am I?"
  
  At your words, his face suddenly smoothens. All traces of rage and hate vanish instantly, and are replaced with surprise and a little bit of sadness.
  
  "You," he breathes, staring at you. "It's...you."
  
  "Of course, it's me!" you say, your voice choked. "Wh-what are you going on about?"
  
  The Doctor has you in a hug before you can say anything else. You shut your eyes, burring your head in his shoulder. The events over the past few days have been mad; you haven't realized that you needed comforting over what has happened.
  
  "Oh, Jess," he says into your ear. "My Jessica...oh, I'm sorry that I doubted you."
  
  You don't say anything, still trying to compose yourself. Taking a deep breath, you say quietly, "I think I'm going to go to bed."
  
  The Doctor lets go of you. "Of course. Right." Giving you a small smile, he says, "Good night, Jess."
  
  The Doctor stared after Jess as she left the console room. As soon as she was gone, he ran over to the monitor, determined to find what he was looking for. Typing in the letters, he looked up as the monitor showed him what he wanted to know.
  
  Jessica Louise Rowell.
  
  "The Woman who Destroys the Universe."
  
  11/05/12
  
  > Tick Tock Goes the Clock
  "I want to go home," you tell the Doctor the next morning. Last night, you found the bedroom where you slept the night before, but the drawers were filled with clothes. This morning, you decided to wear a pale-green jumper, a pair of black pants, and converse sneakers. It's better than the clothes you have been wearing for the past few days, which are torn and muddy. "Just for a bit. I mean, I want to see my mum and dad again."
  
  The Doctor doesn't look up from the controls. "All right," he replies, setting the coordinates into the TARDIS. You aren't sure what to say, so the trip rapidly becomes awkward and silent.
  
  As you turn to leave, the Doctor calls out, "Jessica."
  
  You turn around, waiting for him to continue. He is staring at you, a funny look in his eyes. He pauses, before asking, "Do you feel safe?"
  
  Frowning, you ask him, "Safe?"
  
  "Pick a number between one and ten," he rambles, clasping his hands together. "Ten, woo-hoo, one...ugh."
  
  You shake your head at him. "God, Doctor, what's the matter with you? What changed overnight to make you think that I'm not safe?"
  
  He doesn't answer, adverting your gaze. He knows something, all right, but he won't tell you. Turning back to the doors, you shout over your shoulder, "I'll be back in a few hours. Try not to get yourself killed, Chin-Boy!"
  
  You close the TARDIS doors on him, not bothering to listen to his protests. Smirking, you walk down the street, dialing in your mum's phone number.
  
  On the third ring, she picks up. "Jess?" she asks, her voice indicating her surprise.
  
  "Hey, Mum. Listen, I was just near your house, and I was wondering if I could stop by for tea," you say, walking down the streets. Everything seems slightly surreal after your travels: the shops lining the road, the people walking, the taxis and the cars.
  
  "Sure!" your mum says, a little shakily. "Yes, yes that will be splendid."
  
  "Great!" you laugh. "I'll be over in a mo'. Love you!" you chirp, ending the call. As you look up from your purse, you freeze.
  
  What is that?! you think as you gaze upon the creature staring at you from across the street.
  
  It is dressed in a suit, which doesn't make much sense since it looks like one of those old Martians from the cartoons. Instead of green skin, this one has a pale white complexion. The creepy thing is, you have the awful feeling that you've seen it before.
  
  You take a step back, turning around to go back to the TARDIS-
  
  You blink, frowning. Weren't you going to your mum's place? Shrugging, you turn around, and hurry on your way.
  
  "Mum?" you call as you unlock the door. "Mum, I'm home!"
  
  "Jess!" your mother shouts from the stairs. Walking down them rapidly, she says to you, "Oh, it's good to see you again!" Mary Rowell is a slightly portly woman, with short dirty-blonde hair and green eyes. At the age of fifty-three, she still stubbornly refuses to have a single gray hair. She is a wonderful woman in your opinion, and a great mother.
  
  Wrapping your arms around her in a hug, you say, "I know. I've just been so busy lately!"
  
  "Isn't that the truth," she mumbles, ending the hug. "Come on, you look dead on your feet. I was just making tea." Shooing you into the kitchen, she calls behind you, "Your father will be here in a moment. He just has some loose ends to tie up."
  
  "How is Dad?" you ask as you sit down at the kitchen table. Your mother starts setting up the tea, taking mugs from the cabinet. "I haven't heard from him in awhile. Didn't he get a new job, or something?"
  
  "Oh, yes, that's right." She doesn't turn her back as she pours the tea into the mugs.
  
  You frown at her. "Mum...Is everything all right?"
  
  "Why wouldn't it be?" she asks, laughing slightly. Bearing the tray over to the table, she says, "Now, this is nice. My daughter's home, her father's coming, and we'll all have tea toghether."
  
  "Mm, ta'," you say, taking the mug from her. The flavor of your mum's special brew explodes across your tongue, leaving a very sweet aftertaste. "God, it feels good to sit down again," you sigh.
  
  "I suppose it would," your mother contemplates, fingering her mug. "After all, time-travel does take it out of you."
  
  The mug falls out of your grip, shattering against the wooden floor.
  
  "How...how did you..." you stutter, trying to form a complete sentence. Instead of saying anything, your mother grins at you.
  
  "Oh, I do believe your father is here!" she exclaims as the front door bangs open. You turn in your seat as a large group of people enter the kitchen. Leading them is a woman, her curly hair piled on top of her head, black leather clinging to her skin, and an eye-patch over her right eye. You see your father straggling behind, a mad light in his eyes.
  
  "Wh-who are you?" you ask the woman, now terrified.
  
  "It's so nice to finally meet you, Miss Jessica," she says, ignoring your question. "I have heard so much about you from your parents."
  
  "What?" you ask, turning to face your mother. "Mum, what is going on?!"
  
  She smirks, and gets up from the table. "I'm afraid that your mummy has been dead for a long time, sweetie," she sneers. "Along with your father. It's been fun, though, pretending to be a loving parent."
  
  Your blink, then blink again. "I don't understand..." you say, staring at them all.
  
  "No, I suppose you wouldn't," the lady with the eye-patch snarls. "I thought the Doctor took only the clever girls. Perhaps you simply wandered into his TARDIS by mistake."
  
  "I...I don't know what you're talking about," you lie.
  
  "Oh, there's no need to lie, Jessica. We've known about you for a very long time. After all, we were the ones to raise you." Your father suddenly steps out from between the a line of soldiers, his brown eyes showing his hate for you.
  
  You stare at them all, blinking stupidly. What is happening?! What do they mean, your parents are dead? Did these people kill them?
  
  "I think this is too much for the poor girl to take in," the woman in charge sighs. Noticing the shards of the mug at your feet, she smiles.
  
  A wave of dizziness passes over you, making you gasp and grab your head. I have to get out of here, you think as you blearily stand up. You try to bolt to the door, only to have your arms grasped by two of the soldiers. You struggle weakly, the world around you slowly fading away.
  
  "Tick tock goes the clock," the woman sings softly as you try to get away, your eyes closing. "The sun shines so bright. Tick tock goes the clock...now day turns into night."
  
  The last thing you remember is screaming for the Doctor.