Two months before Torchwood, the Doctor and Willow celebrated their engagement as a face from her past unexpectedly arrived.

The song above is 'Together in Electric Dreams' originally by The Human League but I have put a cover above.

***

The trio arrived near the Powell Estate, walking out of the TARDIS at a fast pace. "So why did we need to come here?" The Doctor queried.

"I want to see my mum." Rose told him.

"Yeah but a specific time and date?" mentioned Willow.

"Well, she wanted to see me at this time and date." She excused.

As they were walking into the building, Willow grew more suspicious. "There's something you're not telling us."

"When isn't there," said Rose. "Look, I just want to see her that's all and she wanted to see you two since you are engaged now."

They climbed the stairs, Willow continuing to talk with Rose. "I don't even know when our wedding's going to be since we're always travelling. It could be years before we tie the knot."

The Doctor disagreed. "Well, I mean, I was hoping that it wouldn't be to that extent."

She stopped, turning to him. "What dates were you thinking?"

"To be honest, I was thinking of a nice wedding on an alien planet but if Jackie really wants to come..."

"Ok, how about we have two weddings then." Willow stated. "One can be a summer wedding here then we can be officiated on a different planet if it will make you happy."

"Look," He took her hands. "I want you to be happy, ok? I don't mind whether we have one in a church or by the ocean on Woman Wept. I care about where you want the moment to be special."

Willow softly smiled. She had hoped that this would be the start of a beautiful union that would span the years. Perhaps she could truly move on from the past without the need to be reminded. For over twenty years of her life, she has been Willow Hughes and that is who she shall be for the rest of her life if needed to be.

"Come on, lovebirds!" Rose called out from higher up the stairs.

The two quickly shared a smile with each other as they caught up to Rose, eventually arriving on their correct floor. They walked over to the flat but they found the door unlocked, slightly open. It didn't seemed forced open but the Doctor did reach inside his jacket pocket, retrieving his sonic screwdriver just in case.

They walked in but the room was pitch black, nothing could be seen except the faint light protruding from the curtains. The Doctor, now holding the sonic up to his face, stepped further in until the lights flashed on, blinding them.

"SURPRISE!" A whole group of people, including Jackie, shouted, startling both the Doctor and Willow.

Rose, on the other hand, wasn't affected. Her cousin turned to her, whispering. "Did you know about this?"

She exaggeratingly shrugged with a smug smile as Jackie waltzed over. "Here's the happy couple!"

Willow was given a hug by her aunt, confused. "What is- is this an engagement party?"

"A SUPRISE engagement party!" She exclaimed. "I had to have one since my favourite niece decided to get married. Start up the music, Bev!"

"You really didn't have to do this, the Doctor isn't exactly used to the company of humans yet." Willow informed her.

"Well it's just a party! He'll be fine!" Jackie assured her. "Drinks are on the table!"

Willow pulled the Doctor aside as Rose and Jackie went to grab some drinks for themselves. "You going to be ok?"

"Yeah... I mean, it's like confronting a whole horde of aliens... well technically they are the aliens to us..." He hesitated.

"Look, just try and have fun or just sit on the sofa and watch time fly by." She advised.

"I'm not really good at being patient..." He muttered.

"Then just try for me!" Willow said. "Just for one night, ok?" The Doctor nodded, understandably. If he was going to dedicate the rest of his life to being with Willow then he had to support her. That would mean also supporting her adoptive family for some time. As they ended their conversation, the song 'Together in Electric Dreams came on. "Oh, I love this song! Come on let's dance!"

"Are you sure?" He asked, unsure.

"Come on, if you can dance during the Blitz or in the royal court of Versailles then you can dance in an ordinary London flat." Willow encouraged him, taking his hand and pulling him into the main room. They moved to the music as did the others in the room. Willow giggled as the Doctor awkwardly swung about. "Feel the beat!"

She yanked him closer, trying to make him move a little more. Eventually, he felt comfortable and started to dance a little more. They were the strangest couple in the room.

***

Willow and the Doctor cuddled on the sofa, watching as Rose danced along to Britney Spears whilst a little tipsy. She laughed as they admired her making a fool out of herself for fun. Jackie was putting more drinks on the table when they heard a knock at the door. "Ooh, late arrivals!" She expected, thinking it was more guests.

"I told you it wasn't going to be too bad." She told him.

He sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. It really isn't a bad party."

Abruptly, they heard Jackie yell at someone before the front door was slammed on the wall. Walking in unannounced was James, a face Willow had not seen in ages. He looked angry, staring right at her and the Doctor. The music stopped as she stood up from the sofa. "James? What the hell are you doing here?"

"I needed to see you." He admitted, his speech sounding slightly slurred.

"You're drunk, aren't you?" Willow guessed.

"Look, I came here to say that I'm sorry for doing... those things to you. I was in the wrong... and... I love you... so much!" He exclaimed, edging closer.

"James, you need to leave. How did you find out about this?" She questioned, not wanting him to ruin their nice evening.

He shrugged. "I hear things."

"Look it's been months since we broke up, over a year in fact. There is no reason to be here. I thought you moved on."

"I could never move on from a girl like you." James tried to place his hand on her cheek but she brushed him away. Then, he noticed the Doctor glaring at them with worry in his eyes. "Is this him? My replacement." He turned back to face Willow. "You really replaced me with this guy?"

"Leave him alone," She said. "Unlike you, he's a good man that would never hurt me. You hurt me, James. But I was too goddamn naive to see it. It's over between us. There is never going to be an us again, do you understand?"

He shook his head, drunkenly. "I disagree, you're my girl..."

James caressed his hand along her shoulder, causing the Doctor to become defensive. He stood up and knocked him away from her. "Don't touch her!" He spat.

"Whatcha going to do, mate?" He sarcastically queried. "I can't believe you're going to marry him!"

The Doctor pushed his hand away from her again. "I told you not to touch her!"

He backed up, putting his hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright." At first, they had thought he had given up until he turned his right hand into a fist and swung it at the Doctor, punching him right in the face and throwing him to the ground. Willow rushed into action, tending to him as the guests attempted to subdue him. "I'm better than him, Willow! I love you!" He shouted.

Willow had enough, it felt like Koschei all over again. "Get out of here or we'll call the police! And if you're that stupid to think you love me then you're wrong. All you have is guilt that you weren't able to play me like you've probably done to many other girls, I'm just the exception. I fell in love with someone else, so deal with it because I am never getting back together with you!"

The guests dragged him over to the open front door. "Fine. Fine! I'm going!" They let him go, allowing him to leave the premises.

Jackie shut the door as Willow retreated back to the Doctor. "You ok?"

He groaned, getting up. "Damn, that was some smack."

"He hasn't broken anything has he?"

"I don't think so." The Doctor replied. "At least you scared him off."

"He deserves whatever's coming to him."

***

Outside, James wandered back downstairs and out of the building, furious he could not win back Willow so easily. He huffed, gazing back up at the flat, noticing the party was still going on. "Maybe that wasn't the best decision."

Soon enough, he started to walk back to his house when suddenly, men in black leapt out at him and put a bag over his head, taking him away. "Hey! Let me go! Let me go! What the hell is this?!"

The men did not reply as they threw him in the back of the van, locking him in. They jumped into the driver's seat and began to drive away, kidnapping James. In the back, another man tied James' hands together, binding him so he could not escape. They drove for what seemed like forever until they finally stopped.

Upon reaching their destination, the men forcibly removed James from the van, still bagged, and placed him on a chair, tying him down. They took off the bag, revealing himself to be under a bright spotlight in a large space that was shrouded in darkness. "Hey! Hey! Let me go! Listen I have nothing you want! I'm just a normal guy living in London, I'm not the son of some... billionaire! You'll get nothing from me!"

"Oh, we know." A male voice spoke from the darkness. "We know you're worthless, a nobody, a single person in a world where over a billion people live. We know no one cares about you, even Willow."

Upon hearing her name, James piped up again. "How do you know Willow? Did she put you up to this? Is this a prank?"

"No, this is revenge." He answered.

"Revenge... on whom?"

"Why, you of course. Who else?" He explained.

James stuttered. "But, but what did I do?"

"What did you do? What did YOU do?" The man sounded shocked. "You broke her heart!"

"Willow, but-"

"She put her trust into you, she cared about you yet you discarded her with the waste. Men like you make me sick..." He paused. "Which is why I'm taking matters into my own hands."

"What are you going to do to me?" He questioned, nervously.

The man laughed, cheerily. "I'm going to make you bleed because you hurt my girl, my Raven, and now you're going to pay."

"Who the hell are you? And who's Raven?"

"That need not concern you." He replied. "What may be concerning is the amount of torture I'm going to give you until you're dead."

"Please, I won't go anywhere near her again. I swear! I promise, please let me go!" James pleaded.

"That's not a promise." The man stated. "You know what is a promise. A promise is an oath you make to someone special in your life. For example, I made an oath since I was small that I would love Raven until we were both gone. I love her so much and that will never change."

"Ok, if you're talking about Willow but using a different name then you should know that she's engaged to someone else." He confessed to him."

The man stopped, pausing as if he did not expect this answer. "What?"

"She's engaged to some... guy-"

Abruptly, a man came into the light, grabbing ahold of his shirt. "What's his name?"

For a moment, the light blinded James until he could focus on the face staring him down. "Hey, aren't you that guy from the TV? That Saxon guy?"

"Answer my question! What is his NAME?"

"I don't know, honest." James informed him, close to tears. "Someone said that she was engaged to some... Doctor or something? Never caught his name."

The man let go, stumbling back and turning away in anger. He had taken her from him. She had chosen him. However, he assured himself that, in time, she would come running back to him. He didn't care how long it would take, Raven would return to him.

"Now, can you go after him and not me, Harry?" He asked nervously.

He faced James again. "That's not my name, James. And besides, we're going to have lots of fun."

***

Willow wandered into the bathroom, creeping in as Rose threw up in the toilet upon drinking too much. "You doing ok?"

She whipped her head up, trying to smile. "Yeah, you know... I'm fine..."

"Why are you drinking so much?" She asked. "You never usually have this much."

"Well, I don't know, I was trying something..."

Willow sighed, kneeling on the ground next to her. "Are you really ok?" Rose nodded but she still didn't believe her. "You can talk to me about anything. I may be your adoptive cousin, and also an alien, but I'm still your friend-"

"No, you're still my family." Rose corrected her. "It's just... I'm a little depressed, alright."

"Why?"

"Well, you and the Doctor are getting married and that, that... that means you won't need me anymore. It's the end of an era." She thought.

Her smile faded, contorting into a concerned frown. "What? Why would you think that?"

"Well, you're probably going to be making a family with him, you won't need a stupid human like me hanging around." She explained.

She took her hand. "You are NOT a stupid human. No way in hell. Besides, I already have a family with you and Jackie. Since I was a child, I only had my father looking after me all the time. I had hardly any friends, but then the Time War came and he sent me here. I spent over twenty years watching you grow up, I was there on the day you were born. The day you were named. You are one of the most important people in my life and I wouldn't exchange you for anything."

Then, she noticed Rose had tears in her eyes, emotional over her speech about her. "You really have been like a big sister to me over the years."

"I made a promise to protect you and I'm not giving up anytime soon." Willow pulled her in for a comforting hug as the girls cried in joy. "I'm with you until the end of the line."

Rose straightened up, holding up her hand. "Pinkie promise?"

She put her other fingers down, leaving only her pinkie. Willow happily took it, folding her own finger over hers and grinned. "Promise."

***

Well, a lots happened here hasn't it? We've got plenty of foreshadowing and a touching moment between Rose and Willow.

I hope that I've successfully built up a good relationship between the girls because I am determined to make at least one of you readers cry next chapter.

*does evil laugh but fails because she realises no one can hear her*

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this interlude because you better be ready for 'Doomsday'.

- Alice ❤