The Heart Within

Save the World

"We're far from home, it's for the better. What we dream, it's all that matters. We're on our way, united." - Swedish House Mafia: 'Save the World' (Save the World [2011])

~**~

The Powell Estate
South London
United Kingdom

As fun and exhilarating as it was travelling around with the Doctor and seeing the wonders of what time and space could bring; it was time for a quick pit stop at home to see Jackie and visit Mickey for a bit before going on the next adventure.

In the middle of the adventures the Doctor was taking her and Rose; Katy, ever the dutiful student, was keeping up with her studies, so her university didn't think she had [literally] dropped off the face of the Earth, despite her course being 100% online and learning was at her own pace.

The TARDIS materialised back at the Powell Estate, early in the morning. About 10:00 in the morning, according to the Doctor as he, Katy and Rose stepped from the TARDIS and glanced around at the mostly deserted Powell Estate courtyard.

"So? How long have we been gone?" Rose questioned the Doctor, who leant casually against the side of the TARDIS with his usual friendly, unassuming smile on his face. He checks his wristwatch.

"About twelve hours." He responded.

"Is that all?" Katy was surprised, while Rose seemed to sag with relief and turned in the direction of the staircase leading to their flat.

"Oh. Right, we won't be long. Just want to see mum." Rose tells the Doctor, who nods, then frowns curiously.

"What're you going to tell her?" He asked, and both Katy and Rose look at each other before shrugging, not worried.

"I don't know. I've been to the year five billion and only been gone, what, twelve hours? Nah, I'll just tell her I spent the night at Shareen's." Rose explained a little flippantly.

"And I sometimes do overnighters at the library when I study. Mum doesn't mind as long as I come home for breakfast and have a few hours of sleep." Katy reassures him. The Doctor nodded, accepting this.

"We'll see you later." Rose jogs off, then pauses and turns around to look at the Doctor with a playful stern look. "Oh, don't you disappear." She warns, and the Doctor raises his hands into the air in an 'I surrender' move, before crossing both his hearts.

Katy grins at him and waves before turning and following Rose up the stairs to the flat. The Doctor decides to go for a short walk for a bit, until the girls come back, and spots an old poster half-stuck to a concrete pillar. Curious, he wonders over, hands in pockets of his black leather jacket, to read it. He scans it for a brief moment, before all the blood drains from his face in alarm, and he quickly turns and runs after the girls; slightly panicked.

The poster the Doctor had been studying read:

POLICE APPEAL FOR ASSISTANCE.
CAN YOU HELP?

And underneath were two pictures of Katy and Rose, followed by how old they were, where they lived, and the last place they had been seen...

~**~

The Tylers' Flat

Rose and Katy let themselves into the flat, completely oblivious to the fact that they had been presumed missing for some time. Jackie walks into the room from the kitchen, and stops dead, staring at them like she was seeing a couple of ghosts.