***

She found her way back to the gallery, granting her some peace. The staff had moved the TARDIS by force, preparing to park it somewhere in the corridor. It's not like she could fly it home, and she didn't feel like stealing a time machine anyway. It was better to quell the temptation than encourage it.

She sat on the edge of a large step, the one nearest the door as the tannoy announced. "Earth Death in twenty-five minutes."

"Gee, thanks for the reminder." She grumbled with a slight huff. Willow put her gifts aside, focusing her gaze on the planet below. The humidity made her hair fray and frizz, unprepared for this sort of temperature.

This survivable heat must have been nothing compared to the scalding warmth devastating the Earth. She could picture the sea boiling, the land scorched by the heat. It was a decaying world -- it was her world, and she was watching it burn for fun. This wasn't fun in the slightest.

"Willow, you in there?" The Doctor's voice sounded from behind the door. She heard it open, her head snapping towards the entrance. He strolled in and sat on the other side of the stairs. "Aye, aye. What do you think, then?"

Wasn't it obvious from the way she walked out? Perhaps he didn't notice her discontent. "This is normal for you, isn't it?"

The Doctor nodded, nonchalantly. "Yeah."

"You really threw me in the deep end with this one." She told him.

"It's always best." He commented, crossing his arms. "You know, it gets you prepared for the worst."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, this lot are the friendly ones." The Doctor stated. "I'm just trying to prepare you," he expressed to her, "because the universe isn't always this pretty."

She shouldn't have expected it to be welcoming all the time, but damn -- the Doctor made this sound like a traumatic experience. Is this really what she was signing up for? 

A further bewilderment overcame her. "You think this is pretty?"

"Well, you must admit there is some beauty here." He commented.

Her eyes returned to the window, but she could not see past the destruction. "So, where are you from then? You never said."

"All over the place." He answered.

A typical lie, and a stupid one at that. But Willow decided to play into it, chuckling. "What, are you some sort of Starman?" She turned her head, meeting his gaze. "Did David Bowie write that song about you?"

The Doctor smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Is there actually life on Mars?" she wondered with a brief chuckle. "Like before we colonised?"

He nodded again. "Yep, and there will be for many years to come."

"Wow." She couldn't say she was too shocked about that. "How come they all speak English, though? I didn't imagine it to be a universal language."

"It's not. You're just hearing English." He informed her. "It's a gift of the TARDIS. The telepathic field gets inside your brain and translates."

Willow's face dropped. "You mean it can read my mind?"

"In a way, yes." The Doctor didn't seem too apprehensive about it as she was.

Her lips pulled back in disgust. "That's an invasion of privacy."

"Well, you're lucky I can't read minds." The Doctor tapped his fingers against the wooden panelling, glancing off to the side. "Not directly anyway." He heard a sharp intake of breath from Willow, sparking his concern. "You okay?"

"Not really. I mean-" She hopped onto her feet. "- This is so overwhelming." Willow strolled down the stairs, wringing her fingers together. "And now I'm beginning to wonder if this was a good idea in the first place. I didn't even think what this would mean. I just left Rose and Mickey on the street because I..."

The words melted away, drawing her into silence. She stood in front of the observational window, her chest rising as she breathed through her mouth. Leaving was an act of selfishness -- what the hell was she thinking? How could she just leave everything behind with little to no hesitation?

The Doctor joined her on the lower level. "Can I borrow your phone?" When he didn't say anything more, she gave in, retrieving her phone and handing it to him. He glanced back at her hands. "It's pretty warm in here, you know. You don't need to wear gloves."

"Oh, um..." Willow tugged on the hem of her gloves. "... I get really cold hands. It's a medical thing." She folded her arms and edged closer, leaning towards him. "What are you doing?"

"A bit of jiggery pokery." He answered, removing the back casing of the phone.

She snorted. "Oh, is that a scientific term then?"

He smirked. "Yeah, I came first in jiggery pokery. What about you?"

"I threw up  singing Hickory Dickory Dock." Her expression matched his. "True story, by the way."

The Doctor retrieved an SD card-like object from his pocket. He fitted it over the battery, a soft beeping followed suit. "Why?"

"Stage fright." It was a core memory of hers from nursery. Projectile vomit was everywhere. On the walls. On the kids. On herself. Her performance rivalled the pea soup scene from The Exorcist. "Would you like a dozen brainless toddlers staring up at you with bulging eyes?"

With a brief tilt of his head, he remarked. "Well, there's already the human race, so-"

Willow opened her palm, glaring at him. "You done?"

"Yep." He slipped the casing back onto the phone and returned it to her.

Her lips pursed. "You take a lot of cheap shots at our expense, you know."

The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck, nodding. "Yeah, I do." At least he had the strength to admit it.

She took a few steps forward, her eyes glued to the phone. Willow couldn't tell what had changed. As far as she could tell, it was the same as before. "So, what did you do to it then?"

"Call your sister." He responded.

Willow peered over her shoulder, her brows furrowed. "What?"

"Call her." The Doctor insisted.

Bewildered, she looked back at her device and began to type Rose's number. Once filled out, she pressed the call button. Slowly, she raised the phone to her ear. Her other hand balled into a fist. She placed it against her chest, waiting. The agonising dial tone did little to comfort her nerves. Willow didn't know what to expect when it ceased, the static emanating from the speaker.

"Will?" She froze. "Is that you?"

Her jaw went slack. Her clasped hand broke, her fingers spreading across her chest. "Rose?"

"Oh, my God. You're okay. Where are you calling from?"

She peered through the window, her eyes narrowing. "It's kinda hard to explain." Willow glanced back at the Doctor, who grinned in response. "What day is it?"

"Wednesday," Rose told her. It had barely been an hour here, but a whole day had passed there. "Are you in a different time zone?"

Willow scratched the bridge of her nose, her lips pursing. "You could say that."

"Is that Willow?" She heard Jackie ask in the background. The whir of the washing machine stood out to her, reminding her of the normality of her home.

"Uh, yeah, it is."

"Ask when she's coming home."

"When are you-?"

"I don't know." She squeezed her eyes shut and scratched the back of her thumb against her forehead. "Um, look, just tell her I'll be late home. It'll make sense." Willow hoped. "I promise I'll be back soon."

Rose grew quiet on the other end. "But are you okay, though? Are you safe?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm..." A smile grew on her face. "... You could say I'm on top of the world." She remarked, hearing the Doctor's light chuckle behind her. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"All right. Just be careful and try not to be too late home."

"Isn't it usually me who tells you that?" The women shared a brief laugh over the phone, though Willow's giggle was more in disbelief at her situation.

And just like that, she hung up. A strange warmth grew from her heart. She'd suffer from heat stroke soon enough. Willow faced him with parted lips. "How's that even possible?"

"Time's never been a straight line." He could say that again. 

"But that was five billion years ago." She looked back at the Earth, her eyes softening, "And they're dead now." Their bodies were more than six feet underground -- they were practically fossilised. And their skeletons were about to be blown to smithereens.

"Bundle of laughs, you are." An abrupt shake shortly followed his remark in the room. It was audible in nature, though it only lasted a few seconds. His lips curved upwards. "That's not supposed to happen."

She faced him, her brows drawing together. "Why are you smirking?"

"Because something interesting finally happened." He commented before rushing back up the stairs.

Her arms fell to her sides, her eyes trailing his movement. "Oh, was the Earth burning not enough for you then?"

The Doctor activated the door's sensor, opening it again. He gestured with his head. "You coming?"

Willow threw her arms up. "Why not?" 

She had nothing better to do, after all. Spending her time contemplating mortality and the consequences of making split decisions wasn't going to do her any good.

They travelled back down the corridor. "That wasn't a gravity pocket. I know gravity pockets and they don't feel like that." 

"Is there supposed to be a difference then?" she asked him as they entered the hall again.

Jabe's immediate approach stole his focus. "What do you think, Jabe? Listen to the engines. They've pitched up about thirty Hertz. That dodgy or what?"

She pursed her bark lips and shrugged. "It's the sound of metal. It doesn't make any sense to me."

"Hear, hear." Willow chimed in, briefly raising her hand.

"Where's the engine room?" he queried.

Jabe shook her head. "I don't know, but the maintenance duct is just behind our guest suite, I could show you," she hesitated momentarily, her gaze shifting to Willow, "and your wife.

"She's not my wife." The Doctor corrected her.

Before Willow could say anything, the alien tree added. "Partner?"

"No."

"Concubine?"

"Nope."

"Prostitute?"

Willow's eyes widened in shock. "Okay, we can stop there." Assuming she was his wife was one thing, but continuing to list things as if she were an object was something entirely different. If Jabe had simply asked, Willow would have said. "I am just his friend, that's all. Friends still exist, right?" She slightly raised her voice, alarming the two. "You know what? I think I could do with some human company, so I'll leave you both to your own devices."

She had her own interests in mind. One of which included the so-called Last Human.

"Don't start a fight." The Doctor warned her as she walked off.

She spun back over her shoulder, glaring at him. "Jesus Christ, you're not my dad."

He offered Jabe his arm, smiling. "I'm all yours."

As they exited the gallery, Willow exclaimed. "Just know I won't be there if you need saving!" She made her way over to Cassandra, displaying a more positive demeanour. Willow could tell there was something superficial about this bizarre woman -- and it wasn't just the plastic surgery. Her silent attendants perked up upon seeing her approach. "Hi, Cassandra, right? Can I call you "Cassie"?"

The stretched piece of living flesh eyed her with a firm intensity. "Lady Cassandra O'Brien, at your service."

"Okay." She didn't like that nickname, then. "So you're really the "Last Human"?"

"Indeed." Cassandra answered.

"How come?" she questioned.

Cassandra looked her up and down, squinting once her gaze settled on the young woman's face. "What's your name, darling?"

"Willow." She said. "Willow Hughes."

"Well, then, Willow Hughes," the frame moved as she spoke, "if you would accompany me to take a glimpse of my dying planet." Willow blinked a few times before taking a step to catch up with her. The two women loomed towards the tall observation window. "Is it not beautiful?" 

"In its own special way, I guess?" Apparently, she was the only guest detested by the sight. Willow assumed Cassandra would share her perspective, but it appeared she was incorrect.

"Soon, the sun will blossom into a red giant, and my home will die." Cassandra stopped by the edge of the window. "That's where I used to live, when I was a little boy, down there." Willow couldn't see where she was pointing to -- not that she could point. "Mummy and Daddy had a little house built into the side of the Los Angeles Crevice. I'd have such fun."

"But you never answered my question." She pivoted her body towards her. "What happened to the rest of the human race if you're claiming to be the last one?"

The veins under her thin skin pulsed with vibrancy. She'd touched a nerve, so to speak. "They say mankind has touched every star in the sky."

"Okay, so they're still alive?" That filled her with some hope.

"I wouldn't say that." She retorted.

"But if there are humans still out there, that means you're not the last human." It wasn't a suggestion -- it was a biological fact. Humanity did escape its own extinction; that couldn't be denied.

"I am the last pure human." She added to her title, pursing her thin, red lips. "The others mingled." Cassandra raised a hairless brow. "Oh, they call themselves New humans and Proto-humans and Digi-humans, even 'Humanish, but you know what I call them?" She lowered her voice. "Mongrels."

Thoughts began to slot into place, fitting like puzzle pieces in a jigsaw. "So you made yourself like this because...?"

"I kept myself pure." Her look said otherwise.

"And essentially immortal." Willow angled her head to the side, scratching her temple. "So, how many operations have you had?"

She lowered her voice. "Seven hundred and eight. Next week, it's seven hundred and nine. I'm having my blood bleached." 

Her forehead creased, unable to contain her stunned expression. "Is that a good idea?"

"Oh, it's a tremendous one, my dear." She glanced at Willow's face again. "Is that why you wanted a word?" questioned Cassandra. "You could be flatter, Willow. You've got a little bit of a chin poking out."

She grimaced, her lips tightly pressing together. "Well, no offence, but I like my bones. I'm one for physical movement."

Cassandra rolled her eyes. "That's what everyone else says." She glared through the window, sneering with a curved upper lip. "Those mongrels are not human. They are filthy, impure abominations. I am the last pure human in the entire universe, and no one shall take that away from me."

Surprisingly, Willow wasn't too shocked by her bigoted remarks. If there were still people like Cassandra out there in the world, then maybe they deserved to burn.

She broke. Not into tears, but laughter. Sheer, unapologetic laughter. In the corner of her eye, Willow could see Cassandra judging her. "What is it? Why do you laugh? You know it's not good for your complexion."

"No, it's just amusing." She replied, turning her head towards her. "I wanted to believe that, in the future, we were past all that judgemental bullshit and treated everyone like equals, but no, there are still people like you spreading hatred because you think you're superior." Her smile tightened into a scowl, her tone of voice twisting into anger. "You can call yourself human, but what you are is a bitchy trampoline." Willow spat. "You know, I bet the only human thing left is that brain of yours because everything else is artificial."

"How dare you!" she cried.

She scoffed. "How dare me? You're the one going against natural evolution to keep yourself pretty, when at the end of the day, you're just skin with a mouth that won't stop." Speaking of Cassandra's mouth, it dropped in shock. "You're not the "Last Human" -- that's bullshit." "If anything, I am because I actually embrace the parts that make me human. You chucked everything else in the bin." God, being a bitch felt good sometimes. "Nice meeting you, Cassie."

Willow stormed off without another word, intending to find the Doctor or locate the TARDIS so she could wait this whole thing out. The aliens in the hall regarded her with stunned silence, but they let her go without needing to address the problem.

She returned to the corridor with her head held high. Sticking it to Cassandra made the trip somewhat worth it despite her grievances. The Doctor wouldn't be happy, of course, but Willow didn't care for his opinion on the matter.

The Adherents of the Repeated Meme appeared from around a corner, startling her a little. She wasn't going to let them stop her, though. Willow hid her unsurety with a small grin. "Hiya."

Her attempt to pass was soon blocked, the clocked figures swiftly surrounding her before their leader raised his arm and struck her in the face. Nothing could be done as her body fell to the ground, unconscious.

***

Her nose twitched, the warm air grazing the hairs on her face. Willow's eyelashes fluttered against her skin, coming to. The floor beneath her body was cool and hard. She drew a hand to her face, rubbing the corner of her eye. A harsh throbbing against her temple attracted her attention, the memory flooding back to her. "Ah, shit..." 

She sat up, the speaker announcing. "Sun filter descending." Her gaze adjusted, recognising she was back in the gallery they arrived in. Then she turned to the window, watching pure sunlight pierce through the glass. "Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending."

The view of the burning world began to vanish, the steady stream of light melting it away. Willow could already feel the temperature rising. "... Oh, shit." She raced up the stairs, trying to open the door to no avail. Her hands curled into fists, banging on the metal. "Let me out of here! Let me out!"

A faint set of footsteps made themselves known, and a familiar voice spoke to her on the other side. "Anyone in there?"

"Doctor?!" she cried out.

"Oh, well, it would be you." He responded, clearly annoyed.

She grunted, her lip curling. "I'm about to be roasted -- don't take cheap shots!"

The light stream was inching ever closer, the smell of burning metal gaining on her. "Hold on. Give us two ticks."

"I don't have two ticks!" she yelled back, frantically slamming her hands on the door. Willow's knees started to bend, crouching as the stream closed in on her scalp.

"Sun filter rising." The voice chirped, reversing the computer's decision. "Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising." The stream moved upwards, though it could not erase the damage already down to the walls. Willow took a moment to catch her breath before the tannoy said. "Sun filter descending."

Her eyes bulged. "What?!" She banged on the door again as the stream shifted downwards. "Doctor!"

"Just what we need. The computer's getting clever." The Doctor stated.

"Just open the door!" The lock mechanisms must have been melted away by now, all he had to do was let her out.

"I'm trying!" The burning stream crackled and popped as it singed everything in its path.

It got too low for her to continue standing by the door, nearing her head and forcing Willow to take cover on one of the lower levels. "Doctor, please!"

"Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending." She stayed close to the ground, giving the Doctor time to save her. Willow closed her eyes, gripping the floor. "Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising."

A heavy exhale fled her lips, her gaze observing the filter return to its original position. Willow waited a little bit before standing up. But as she jogged over to the entrance, the smoking, scorched door prevented her from leaving. Its heat radiated from the metal like it had been through the oven. "Are we good? Can you get me out?"

She heard him struggle on the other side. "The whole thing's jammed. I can't open the doors."

Her jaw dropped. "What?"

"Stay there! Don't move!" The Doctor warned her before swiftly departing.

"Oh, yeah, like I can go anywhere!" she retorted. The room had become a sauna, her own personal Hell. If the Doctor didn't get her out soon, she would overheat.

"Earth Death in five minutes." The tannoy announced to her dismay.

Since there was nothing she could do to aid her escape, Willow backed away from the door. She resigned herself to sitting on the stairs, awaiting rescue. The Doctor wouldn't just leave her here to die.

Her hands felt clammy beneath her gloves, though Willow couldn't bring herself to take them off. She was almost tempted to take a glimpse at the outcome of the situation. But from the looks of it, it wouldn't end pretty.

Willow ripped her jacket from her shoulders. With a curled lip, she tossed it to the ground. She rubbed her fingers over her forehead, wiping the sweat away. Her phone peeked out from her jacket pocket, catching her gaze. She tilted her head, a thought coming to mind. With time travel in the back of her pocket, she could do a lot in five minutes.

She retrieved the device, her thumbs tapping against the small keypad. Once she was finished, Willow drew the phone to her ear, listening to the tone that followed. She took a deep breath, tapping her foot against the floor.

The Doctor was coming back for her. He was coming back.

The dial tone cut off, prompting her to speak. "James?"

"Hey, you okay?" he asked, his tone concerned. "I heard about what happened with those mannequin things. I was gonna call you."

She brushed an eyelash off her cheek. "Yeah, I'm fine. I wasn't out then."

"Ah, good. Good." His voice melted into relief. James didn't sound too worried, though. In fact, Willow was a little offended he didn't call her immediately after the event.

Then again, he could have tried when she didn't have service. That was kinda her fault for rushing off as soon as the invasion was over. She barely gave herself time to breathe, let alone think about calling her boyfriend. No, her fiancé.

"It was so freaky though, wasn't it?"

"Yeah." Willow flicked the hair off her thumb before leaning back. "Yeah, it was."

"Hey, I've got a day off tomorrow. Do you want to meet up for lunch?"

Her gaze met the window, blinking in the blinding light. "I'll have to see if I'm free."

"Jobhunting, are you?" It's what she should have been doing with her time. Right now, she was living out of it.

"Not quite." Willow sniffed, the warm air making her nose tingle. "I just needed to get away from London for a few days. I'm staying with a friend."

"Oh, who?" James knew all her friends, so Willow could sense her comment might have set off a few alarm bells.

"Raffalo." A huff fell from her mouth, her lungs struggling in the humidity. "You haven't met her. She lives out of town. Hence, why I'm out of town..." Willow hung her head back with her mouth wide, releasing shallow exhales.

Her response didn't shift his anxious tone. "You sure you're all right? You sound out of breath."

"No, it's just a bit stuffy in here." She couldn't exactly tell him she was calling from the future -- he wouldn't believe that either. "The heat's got me panting like a dog."

"It's freezing outside." God, she wished it was the same where she was.

"Yeah, well, the heating's on full blast in here." A full searing blast that could kill her at any given moment. Willow ground her teeth, glaring at the ceiling. "They need to fix it, I think."

"Sounds like it." James chuckled. "Well, just update me if anything changes."

"Yeah, I will." Willow slouched. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine." Or she hoped she'd be, at the very least.

"Cool." She could almost hear him smile on the other end. "I'll see you later then."

"Yeah, I'll see you later." James hung up first, leaving her in silence once more. She lowered her arm, settling it on her lap. Willow bit the inside of her cheek. "If I make it."

"Earth Death in three minutes." The tannoy interrupted the silence, which was soon followed by a series of explosions, growing louder by the second. The vessel trembled, unable to handle the magnitude. "Safety systems failing."

Her phone flew from her hands, her knees giving in as she tried to stand. She crawled towards the door, managing to get back on her feet before quickly realising she still couldn't touch it. "Doctor?!" Another explosion echoed through Platform One, Willow covering her ears to contain the noise. "Anyone?!"

"Heat levels rising. Heat rising." That emotionless voice was mocking her. "Earth Death in two minutes. Earth Death in two minutes. Heat levels critical. Heat levels critical."

"You don't have to tell me twice!" she shouted at the tannoy.

"Heat levels hazardous." 

Her ire didn't last for long, her attention drawn to a loud snap. Willow turned her head, watching the observation window begin to crack. Her chest rose and fell, her eyes bulging at the sight. The vessel shook again, causing Willow to lose her footing.

As she fell, a stream of light broke through a crack over her head, hitting the wall and burning right through it. Another followed suit, then a third. One hit the step below her feet. Willow scurried back, her spine slamming against the wall.

"Shields malfunction. Shields malfunction. Shields malfunction."

A shot of deadly glare narrowly missed her arm. Willow threw herself away, drawing her knees to her chest. With the sun's fury hot on their tail, she knew it wouldn't be long until the whole station would be nothing but ash.

This was it. No one was coming to save her. Of all the things she'd seen in her visions, her death was not one of them. It was always the one thing she couldn't prevent.

"Planet explodes in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four..." Willow squeezed her eyes closed, leaving her in total darkness; a momentary peace for her sight. "... One."

Burning alive was some way to die. To her surprise, it didn't seem to hurt. Her torment must have been over already. It almost pleased her to be met with darkness. There would be no more visions now. What was the point? She couldn't prevent tragedy from the afterlife now.

Rose, Jackie, and James would never see them again. They would never know she was dead.

Then came a voice, and a mocking one at that. "Exoglass repair. Exoglass repair. Exoglass repair."

One eyelid twitched, the other barely squinted. The light surrounding her faded back into the glass. Willow blinked a couple of times. By some miracle, the cracks in the window vanished within seconds.

She was okay. She was alive. But the Earth...

Fractured remains floated past the rebuilt glass. The sun was nothing more than a dying star on its way out, and it took her planet with it.

Willow stumbled back onto her feet, just as the door finally opened. A waft of fresh oxygen embraced her. She let her skin soak in the momentary coolness before fleeing the room, fearing this was her sole chance to escape.

Her sole aim was to find the Doctor. He must have solved the issue if she was still alive. She made her way back to the observational gallery. But as she stepped inside, Willow discovered the room to be in complete disarray.

She lingered by the entrance, staring from afar. The attendants gathered around the chair once belonging to the Moxx of Balhoon. Smoke was all that was left of him. Others aided the Face of Boe, the organiser of the event, his glass jar blackened from the intense sunlight. She met his gaze, momentarily, their shared shock forming a bond of sorts.

Their eye contact was broken when Willow heard the door open behind her. The Doctor stormed inside, his piercing blue eyes sharp with anger. She shuddered, suffering a chill for the first time in ages. "Doc..."

She barely got a word out. It didn't matter, though; the Doctor marched straight past her. He met with the Trees, a realisation dawning -- Jabe was gone. Willow could only assume the glare had taken her too.

A forest must weep for a lost tree and, as she expected, they did grieve for their fallen sister. The Doctor comforted them the best he could before turning his attention elsewhere. His focus sharpened, searching the room for something.

"What happened? Are you okay?" she questioned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm full of ideas, I'm bristling with them." The sarcasm rolled off his tongue. "Idea number one, teleportation through five thousand degrees needs some kind of feed. Idea number two, this feed must be hidden nearby." 

His gaze caught sight of the ostrich egg Cassandra had brought onboard. He marched over, proceeding to grab the egg and smash it against its mantle. Willow flinched, her eyes following his every move.

Inside, as he suspected, the Doctor discovered a small device nestled within. He began to play with its wires. "Idea number three, if you're as clever as me, then a teleportation feed can be reversed."

The Doctor twisted a mechanism, summoning a vertical beam of blue. Mid-conversation, Lady Cassandra O'Brien was transported back to Platform One. It didn't surprise Willow that she might have been behind all this. "Oh, you should have seen their little alien faces..." Her eyes scanned the room; it was one of the only parts left of her that moved. Then, they widened. "Oh."

"The last human." He enunciated.

Her lips quivered, somewhat fearing for her life. "So, you passed my little test. Bravo." She simpered. "This makes you eligible to join, er, the Human Club."

"People have died, Cassandra. You murdered them." The Doctor spat.

"It depends on your definition of people, and that's enough of a technicality to keep your lawyers dizzy for centuries." Willow released a heavy sigh, her chin dropping to her chest. No amount of words could change Cassandra's perspective on alien life. "Take me to court, then, Doctor, and watch me smile and cry and flutter-"

"And creak?"

"And what?"

"Creak." The Doctor's tone twisted into faux excitement. "You're creaking."

"What?" Willow's focus snapped back to the bitchy trampoline. The smooth, stretched skin Cassandra prided herself on began to turn on her. Her red lips faded from the swift dehydration, her bloodshot eyes practically bursting from her cracking flesh. " Ah! I'm drying out! Oh, sweet heavens. Moisturise me, moisturise me! Where are my surgeons? My lovely boys! It's too hot!"

The Doctor retained his composure, yet the pleasure in his voice soon shifted again. "You raised the temperature."

"Have pity!" she cried, her skin now a wrinkled, rosy mess. Willow approached the Doctor's side, taking shaky breaths. "Moisturise me! Oh, oh, Doctor. I'm sorry. I'll do anything."

"Help her." Her dry throat croaked. She thought it was in his code to grant a chance at redemption. He did the same with the Nestene Consciousness -- why couldn't he do the same here?

"Everything has its time, and everything dies." He didn't even look at her, his words rich with malice.

She stammered. "But-"

He didn't let her finish. "It's too late, anyway."

"I'm... too... young!" With a swift pop, Cassandra came apart. Her flesh tore from the centre with bits flying over their head. 

The Doctor, on the other hand, remained unfazed. He walked away, his nostrils flaring like a bull. She thought it best not to follow.

***

Rescue came in the form of many ships of all shapes and sizes, but Willow and the Doctor were the last to go. Since they had no place out there, they remained. Willow stared at her broken planet, watching chunks of molten rock float past. Their victory against Cassandra left a bitter taste in her mouth.

The Doctor approached her side, his anger simmering to a calmer level. "Everyone's gone home. What about you?"

"I'm looking at it, aren't I?" she remarked. A large dirt mass glided past the window, their eyes following it. Willow sighed. "Maybe this was a bad idea." His head turned towards her, his brows pinching together. "I mean, taking me to see the Earth burn." 

The Doctor's gaze fell, wandering back to the window. He wouldn't admit it there, but he did not want to part ways with her. Not on the first trip, at least.

"So much history and..." Saliva built in her mouth, nearly making her choke.  "... No one even saw it." Her heart ached for her dead planet. "Not even I saw it." Her head grew heavy, her eyes watering. She picked at a hanging thread on one of her gloves. "It's a bit meaningless now, isn't it?"

The Doctor turned to her again and extended his hand, his fingers outstretched. "Come with me."

She expected words of comfort, but a hand to hold wasn't bad either. Then again, she didn't enjoy the sense of physical touch.

Even so, her gloves were still on her hands, protecting her from unwanted visions. Hesitantly, Willow slipped her fingers into his and the man began to guide her away from the window. They continued through the abandoned Platform One, returning to the TARDIS. 

The Doctor didn't say a word as he strolled over to the console and pulled the lever. The time machine tumbled and shook through the vortex. Willow gripped the handlebars, though her expression remained slack.

Then, it stopped. As before, he gestured to the doors. This time with less enthusiasm. Willow matched his discontent, turning over her shoulder. She emerged from the blue box, sunlight pouring onto her face. The scratched concrete beneath her feet was the same as it ever was. This was the London she knew; unlike the world she had seen before, it wasn't dead.

Willow stood in the middle of the street, standing amongst a crowd of strangers walking to and fro. To them, she was invisible. But she didn't care. They were alive. There would come a time when they wouldn't be, but for now, they were all still here.

"You think it'll last forever, people and cars and concrete, but it won't. One day it's all gone. Even the sky." Humanity was just a scratch on the Earth's surface. Though the mark would fade over time, it wouldn't truly be gone.

They hung their heads towards the blanket of blue. Willow never realised how beautiful it was until she saw the eternal night and found herself missing it. "It's not fair."

It's the way life goes. It begins, then it ends, but it never just stops. Nothing's ever just sunshine and rainbows.

The Doctor lowered his head. "My planet's gone." Willow's eyes widened, her head veering in his direction. "It's dead. It burned like the Earth. It's just rocks and dust before its time."

"I'm sorry." She uttered. Her eyes glanced downward, wetting her lips. "You mentioned a war before." She glimpsed at his face again. "Did that have something to do with it?"

"Yes," he held a vacant expression and uttered, "and we lost."

"What about your people? What happened to them?" he wondered.

"I'm a Time Lord." He met her despondent gaze. "I'm the last of the Time Lords." 

She shook her head. "That can't be true." If humans were able to expand beyond Earth, surely his people could as well.

"I wish it wasn't." He expressed with an emotion-choked voice. "But they're all gone. I'm the only survivor. I'm left travelling on my own 'cos there's no one else."

She understood now. It may have been a subconscious choice before, but the reality stood true. The Doctor needed someone to know what it was like to feel alone. 

Willow turned away, biting the inside of her cheek. "I guess I don't really match up to your people."

"No, you're..." he paused, attracting her attention again. The Doctor softly exhaled through his nose, his mouth forming a small yet fond smile. "... You're good company."

The corner of her lip twitched, almost smirking. "Really?"

"I know I take a lot of cheap shots," he admitted with a brief chuckle, "and it may not seem like it, but I hold a lot of appreciation for humanity." The Doctor told her as he looked around at the various faces walking past. What followed wasn't as complimentary. "You're stupid, of course." Willow laughed, shaking her head at him. "But you're all so wonderful, too. And somehow, you lot keep moving. I don't know how you do it half the time, but it's kinda impressive." He went silent before facing his companion again. "Do you want to go home?"

"I don't know." She confessed. "It wasn't fun almost burning to death, but..." This could have been her chance to back out. To call it quits. Sure, she feared the future possibilities and the consequences they might bring, but it had to be worth something. "... I survived, didn't I?" Her statement took him by surprise. "I know it's dangerous, but I'm willing to take risks."

"You sure?" he asked.

No, of course, she wasn't. But none of that mattered right now. Willow made her choice, and she wasn't backing down now.

"Are you hungry?" she watched his brows shoot up. "It's just that there's a chip shop over there and I'm starving." Willow nodded in its general direction. "I guess that's what near-death experiences do to you, huh?"

He chuckled. "It happens, yeah."

"So you want some chips?" A trip to the fish and chip shop always made her feel a little better, and she could tell it would be the same for him.

Her change of attitude amused him, and the Doctor soon embraced her sudden warmth. "Yeah, I do."

"All right, then it's settled." She patted his arm. "You got some cash on you?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Nope."

Her mouth fell open. "You've got nothing on you? At all?"

He shrugged, wearing a smug expression. "Nope."

"Okay, I'll pay. But you owe me." She took his arm with one hand and pointed a finger at him with the other. "Not money. Just in general. If I get into any more near-death experiences, I'm expecting you to be a little courteous towards me."

Travelling with her was going to be quite the wild ride. "If you say so."

They strolled onwards, arm-in-arm. Willow felt like she could focus on the present for once, unmoved by the possibility of a dark future.

A girl around Rose's age wandered past the couple, her messy curls trailing down her back. They didn't see her. They barely took notice of her pausing in the crowded street. The girl looked back, her lips curving into a warm smile as she watched them go.

It wouldn't have mattered if they had looked back. The couple were too blissfully unaware to consider that their future was within reach. But that's a story for another time.

***

Once again, sorry for the long wait. As of now, I've just finished the first term of my third year at uni and I have been insanely busy. I've directed a play, written a short film that's getting made in February, and been involved with uni events. I've never been this busy and this year has been my busiest yet. Anyway, I've been getting back into writing Doctor Who so I'm hoping to get a couple more chapters out before I head into second term when all hell breaks loose.

Originally, this was going to be a shorter chapter since I'm cutting out all the scenes Willow isn't in, but I just keep adding words, don't I?

I'm already foreshadowing the Doctor and Willow's future if you haven't noticed. They're gonna go through such a whirlwind together.

Anyway, thank you so much for reading. I would be so grateful if you left a vote or a comment as your support means everything to me. Thank you for 7k reads xx

- Alice.