"...yeah, that's right, stick it on a low loader and take it to the props warehouse, we'll figure out how to dismantle it later...cheers mate" Tom clicked off his mobile, satisfied that the space ship would be safely dealt with, and cast his eyes around the room. Hours earlier, the most stunning gig that Muse had yet performed had come to a storming end and sent the audience reeling away bedazzled. He could almost hear the keyboards clattering as enthusiastic music journos babbled the praise that would adorn the next big issues - it felt amazing.

He could almost feel like he'd had a hand in it, rather than being tied up in a cupboard while his robot twin had attempted to sabotage things, but as he viewed the hard core of people still celebrating he had to admit that without those mad women and their madder friends it might have been a disaster to end it all. And it had hit them hard - one member presumed dead, one about to leave and find the truth, those remaining suddenly discovering new truths about themselves. And by the look of the little interactions going on in the dimly lit backstage area, still more was becoming apparent.

Stef, Matt and Megan slouched on the sofa, half watching the re-run of the gig from Tom's rough video shots on the plasma screen. Stef was quiet, but the latent power she had unleashed twice earlier still simmered as if she still couldn't quite control it yet, possibly because she was impatiently awaiting the return of Jamieson and Ellen from their private farewell meeting. Tom smirked to himself when he remembered the clone innocently asking The Doctor if there was any chance of a look around the TARDIS before Ellen left, assuring him that there would be no need to accompany them. Glancing at the impassive blue box now, Tom was sure he could see it trembling with the effort of containing something volcanic.

Catching Stef's eye, he winked and raised his glass of vodka martini to her in tribute, she favoured him with a flash of her fiery eyes and returned to her brooding. She had a lot to think about as she idly stroked the heavy chromed weapon at her side, mostly she was trying to resist the invisible cord pulling her back to the newly re-leashed clone in the blue phone box. Ellen deserved just one more special time. But fuck, it was hard to let go, even Tom could see that.

On Stef's other side, Matt seemed to be going into a sort of delighted trance as Megan stroked her fingers through his shaggy dark hair. His head lay on her shoulder as she whispered to him...Tom's smirk grew wider as he remembered Matt's emotional reunion with his stolen Mansons, kissing each one in turn and finally grabbing Megan as she stood smiling at the end of the line, treating her to the snog of a lifetime which even Jamieson who was following close on his brother's tail couldn't match. Her expert escape from Jamie's grasp so that she could treat Matt to one of her best hugs had left the clone wearing a faint frown of jealousy which was only wiped off when Brett had ambled by looking handsomely dishevelled in torn spandex and shouting at Alice over his sparkly mobile phone.

"What? You were on your way? Well it's a bit late now....golf festival? More important than fighting intergalactic baddies? Shit, I can see we're going to have to have a big talk about this...'course it's sorted NOW, but that's beside the point man...look, I'll see you in time for dinner service...oh hi Jamieson, allrigh...mmfflee..." Remembering how the wiry but determined body of the clone had taken control of the surprised superhero still made Tom's stomach churn. He made another mental note to keep an eye on Jamie at all times, or at least to always keep his mouth and legs clamped shut just in case. The awkward way Brett had been walking as he struggled free and beat a hasty retreat back to Arizona spoke volumes.

In the kitchen corner, Jill and Chris sat facing each other across the small dining table, Colin and Annabelle snoozing in the fruitbowl beside them. Brown eyes and blue/green stared into each other, from his close vantage point Tom could see the desire and determination written there. He didn't mean to eavesdrop. But he couldn't help overhearing.

"You're sure you want it?"

"Dead sure"

"Well I want it too"

"Right. Well that only means one thing then"

"I know"

"You're ready? You might be sorry"

"No, YOU might be sorry"

"I don't think so. I've had a lot of experience. You can still change your mind"

"No. Never"

"Me neither"

"Let's do it then"

Their right hands stole across the table and clasped together firmly, bodies shuffling closer to increase the power of the contact. Neither could resist casting a look towards the glass door of the beer fridge, where the last ice cold can of Special Brew sat waiting for the winning mouth to claim it.

"Mine"

"No, mine"

Elbows hit the table in unison and a fierce bout of arm wrestling began, punctuated by little squeals and huffs of effort. Shaking his head, Tom turned his attention to the last occupied couch, where Dom lay at full stretch with his head pillowed on Jo's lap. Either he had had too many cocktails, or he was going to be sick just seeing the disgustingly smug look on the blond's face.

Jo's left hand wandered distractingly under the drummer's horrible leopard print shirt and he clasped onto her right, occasionally giving it a small happy kiss as he listened to her chatter to the brown-coated man sitting on the floor at her feet. Once Dom had stopped himself punching The Doctor on the nose for shutting himself away with Jo during the gig, he'd made himself look properly at the way they acted together and realised who it was they reminded him of. His sister and her best friend. It had struck him as strange at first, but slowly it became clear that they felt a kinship due to their lost ancestry - Jamie had become about as close to the Muse family as it was possible to be and wanted no other, but Jo and The Doctor still felt like they were hovering just outside it, shyness and the need to belong to their own bloodlines holding them back. Except that Jo now had Dom to begin again with. And of course he had her. Their eyes met briefly and the comfort of it warmed them both before she returned to her conversation.

"Where will you go next?" she asked. The Doctor's fingers raked his fringe, making it stick up perkily. He shrugged.

"Thought I might offer Ellen a lift...actually I already did" he confessed. Jo eyed him carefully. Was he blushing?

"And she said yes?"

"Well...who could say no to a journey at the speed of light across a billion galaxies, to visit the best libraries in the cosmos, to consult the sentient machines that keep half the universe alive, to search for answers, to find the solutions, to meet new beings, to see the beginning and the end of time, to feast upon knowledge and wonder?"

Jo blinked. "You fancy her, don't you?" she said. Dom began to giggle so she pinched him and made him squirm delightedly.

"I only want to help her research" insisted The Doctor "You want to find out what happened to Helen, don't you?"

"Reseach...first time I've heard it called that" sniggered Dom, getting a prod from Jo and a raised eyebrow over twinkling eyes from The Doctor. The door of the TARDIS suddenly slammed open; Jamieson and Ellen stood framed, sharing a common glow that of course was just to do with the lack of air conditioning in there.

"I think it's time to go" announced Ellen "If you're ready, Doctor?" She pecked Jamieson on the cheek, he smiled upon her but was already halfway back to Stef in his mind and shortly afterwards with his body.

"Aren't you going to pack or anything?" asked Megan concernedly as she and Matt struggled up from the couch's soft embrace.

"No need, the TARDIS has everything you could want, she's brilliant" The Doctor was on his feet and smoothing his long brown coat over his hips, impatient to be off as his eyes roved Ellen's confident figure. She looked so....right standing there, her lips curving into an inviting smile. Research, he told himself sternly, trying not to catch Dom's beady look.

Minutes later they were all gathered round the open blue doors.  One by one they embraced Ellen and The Doctor, except Jamieson who went round everyone twice. While Tom was fighting him off, Jo and The Doctor swapped mobile numbers and promised to keep in touch till next they met. Was their farewell hug just a bit too long? Dom thought of his sister and her best friend hugging like that and was temporarily distracted, but no...when they parted there was only the understanding that passes between siblings, even he could see that. Jo was back at his side instantly, claiming him with a hand in his back pocket and a cheeky squeeze.

"Urgh, gimme that can, I need to get the taste of clone out of my mouth" grimaced Chris, groping blindly with his good left hand

"Do you agree that I won then?" demanded Jill, waggling the icy can just out of reach. Chris frowned.

"But we never finished" he complained "You just reached into the fridge and grabbed it while I was....."

"Staring at my boobs, yes I know" snorted Jill, zipping the front of her leathers up ever so slightly. But not that much. Chris snatched the can and slurped gratefully

"Women" he muttered echoingly into the metal depths, cleverly keeping the cleavage in view over the top.

"We'll miss you both loads" Megan was saying "When will you be back? Can we call on you if we need to?"

"Not sure, suck it and see" said the Doctor "'course, we...I mean I'll try my best, if I'm in range....and Matt is still a bit accident prone"

"Hey, it's not my fault" protested Matt sulkily "Trouble just finds me...in fact I wouldn't be surprised if half of it came following you lot, not me"

"Cheek!"

"After all we've done for you!"

"Where are Stef and Jamieson anyway?"

"Judging by those noises, I'd say behind the sofa - get out of there you maniacs and say goodbye to Ellen and The Doc"

"Yeah, watch it Stef, you don't want to end up with two pairs of wings, one lot nearly wiped us all out as well as that bastard Engines, hot stuff baby"

"If you see that metal knickered bastard, take him out for us, ay Doc?"

"No worries" beamed The Doctor. Farewells over, he and Ellen took a last look around the group and stepped back to allow the doors to shut, waving madly back to their send off committee. The familiar grinding noise began and the blue box flickered in and out of sight, until finally it was gone and the silence was deafening.

************************************************************************************

Six months later, Muse were up for Best Live Band at the British Music Awards, mostly due to the triumphant Wembley gig which was the only live show they'd done that year.. Matt was even up for Sexiest Person, and had endured weeks of teasing from his brother about how it was only since Jamieson had stood in for him sometimes that such an acolade had come his way.

Now it was the night of the awards, the band and the ABRSS/BBCC/HRB, Tom and Jamieson had arrived in their blacked out tour bus at the Grand Hotel in London and parked outside. The clone had been whining all night about having to stay in the bus and watch on TV, but Matt had promised to swap places and let him collect the Sexiest Person award if he won; this had shut him up a bit but it was not in his nature to keep quiet for long. Stef had thoughtfully offered to keep him company but he'd haughtily sniffed that he was quite capable of entertaining himself thank you, so she'd put on her best outfit and swept off with the others to their reserved table, leaving him alone with only the Swedish porn channel for company until the live TV coverage began.

"I hope they come back soon" grumbled Jo as they sipped red wine "I can feel loads of jealous girls staring at me"

"And me" agreed Megan "That bastard NME photographer, getting our pictures with Matt and Dom last week, it was so much simpler before"

"They have to pretend to arrive on the red carpet, and do interviews" explained Tom for the millionth time "Look, there they are now" They all smiled indulgently to see Muse larking about for the interviewer on the screen set above the stage to entertain the pre-show audience. Then they were gone, on their way to join their group at the round table. As the girls and Tom waited, a new interview from the red carpet was showing.

"Who the fuck is that?" demanded Stef, staring at the imposing black woman being questioned. She was dressed in shades of grey, tall and rangy, of indeterminate age due to the shiny black mask she wore over one side of her angular face, just like the Phantom of the Opera.

"That's Gargamadua James" said Tom "She's presenting the award for Best Live Band" Four pairs of female eyes glared up at her.

"I don't like the look of her"

"She'd better keep her hands off Dom"

"What did she just say?"

"She said, she's seen Muse and thinks they're really cute"

"No, not that...something else"

"Shh, I can't hear....

"Cheeky bitch!"

"What? WHAT?"

"Shrink them and put them on her piano? Oh for fu..."

"Calm down, calm down" soothed Tom. He would never get used to the fiercely territorial and loyal band of women "She's all right, just a bit kooky that's all"

"Kooky my arse, if she touches Matt...."

By the time Chris,Matt and Dom had pushed their way to the table, still laughing from their interview, the mood had simmered down slightly. But as the house lights dimmed, Stef, Megan, Jill and Jo needed no futher communication. Something told them to be on their guard, and the light-hearted way that Muse were taking things just made them even more vigilant. In the darkened bus outside, Jamieson snored lightly as four Scandinavians did unreasonable things to each other on TV - it did take something a bit more unusual than this to keep his attention. And surely nothing bad was going to happen tonight?