[EDITED NOVEMBER 2018]

Part Five – The Next Doctor

Soundtrack:

"Wonder & Snowflakes" - Miss Olive Rosemary Loaf by Kerry Muzzey

"Fractured Memories" - Intro (End of Silence) by Red

"Searching for Answers" - Mystic Baltic by Corner Stone Cues

"Tethered Aerial Release Developed In Style" - Labrynth by Position Music

"Something Lost" - Anodynia Tranquillo by Break of Reality


It was odd traveling in the TARDIS with just the Doctor. Quieter. It was still incredible, of course, and she loved traveling with the Doctor, but she missed Donna terribly.

A lot of her spare time was spent researching the Vodivost and the Obetovat Stone. The legends talked of sacrifice and consequences and soul-baring. It gave Viera a fairly good theoretical idea of how to use the pendant, should she ever be desperate enough to try. The shards held the life-force or soul in the body for something near forty-eight hours. As long as the pendant holder got to them before that time ran out, the body could be healed and the spirit held by the shard reawakened, given enough power. That was the real problem, power. She didn't have nearly enough, no living species did. It was possible, however, very faintly possible thanks to the Bolest that she might be able to channel enough power from elsewhere to make it work. There was even an infinitesimal chance she might manage it and survive.

Of course, it was far more likely she'd die trying and not manage to do anything except make the pendant melt down, so she wouldn't be trying it any time soon. She'd have to be pretty desperate to even consider messing around with life and death in the first place. Still, it was nice to know the options. There were a handful of people Viera could imagine risking everything to bring back or keep from dying.

It was too bad that she couldn't have figured out a way to use that to save Donna's memories.

The TARDIS was drifting in the time stream, parked in the emptiness while they rested between adventures. Viera was leaning against the railing, cradling a mug of hot chocolate while she watched the Doctor adjust some of the controls in preparation for their next trip.

"You know," Viera mused aloud. "I don't know anything about you." The Doctor turned with raised eyebrows and she tried to explain what she meant. "I mean I know you, but I don't really know anything about you. You know?" That made more sense in my head.

The Doctor seemed to follow her reasoning anyways. "What do you want to know?" He asked it easily enough, but his cheerful expression had become just a little more guarded.

"It's not important, really," Viera said in case he didn't want to answer. "I was just curious." It didn't matter. He was the Doctor, he'd become her dearest friend, and if that's all he ever wanted to tell her, that was enough. The past was past. It just felt odd to know next to nothing about his people or where he'd come from or even what made him different from human beings.

"Go ahead then," he prompted, leaning back against the console to give her his full attention.

"How old are you?" was the first question that came to mind. The Doctor grinned at that, anticipating her reaction.

"904."

Viera blinked then narrowed her eyes at him. "Seriously?"

"Seriously," he said. It was hard to tell when he was grinning like that, but Viera thought he might be telling the truth.

"Huh. Alright." That was… a very long time, but she'd known he aged differently when he mentioned being a kid at ninety. "Do you just age really slowly then? Is that the biggest difference between you and humans?"

"Not exactly. Whenever I'm near death I regenerate."

"Like you did when the Dalek shot you?" Viera asked, nearly flinching at getting too close to the subject of Rose, something she usually avoided avidly.

"Not quite," the Doctor said. "I don't usually have a handy spare hand to redirect the power into," he trailed off, lost in thought for a moment. Then he shook himself. "It's a Time Lord trick. Unless I'm killed quite suddenly I can regenerate. My body heals but it changes in the process. Everything changes; brand new face, brand new body. It's a bit iffy; you never really know what you're going to get. I could look like anything."

"Does it hurt?" Viera asked quietly.

"A bit," he admitted in a way that made her think he was greatly under-exaggerating. He moved on quickly. "As far as differences from humans go, let's see... There's the two hearts. Some of the rest is a little hard to explain, slightly different physiology, telepathic tendencies… And you know the way you hear the TARDIS when no other human can?" Viera nodded. "I can too, but it's more than that. I can feel the Earth spinning in orbit around the sun when we're standing there. I can sense which points in time are fixed and which are in flux. Jack with his impossible immortality is a fixed point in time and space. A fact. I can feel that and I could hardly bear being around him before I got used to it." The Doctor shook his head before Viera could ask. "Long story."

"That's a lot to have rattling around in your head," she said, trying to imagine it. She wondered if it was anything like having the whole of Nenavist in her head.

"I suppose," he mused. "Made for it though. My mind's wired to process far more and do it faster than any human." It wasn't arrogance, just a fact. Mostly.

"Are there… other's like you?" Viera asked cautiously. He'd never mentioned others of his race, and Davros had called him something… The last child of Gallifrey?

He brushed it off. "Only one like me," the Doctor pointed out with cheery pride.

Viera smiled her agreement. "True, but not quite what I meant." His grin faded and she began to wish she hadn't asked. She wanted to know him better, longed to understand, but she hated to cause him any sort of pain. If he'd brushed it off again she wouldn't have pushed.

But he answered. "No," he said quietly. He took a deep breath, deciding to get the explanation out of the way. It was brief. "There was a war with the Daleks… Everyone lost. My planet. My people. They're gone. All of them. I'm the last of the Time Lords."

"I'm sorry," Viera murmured softly, knowing the words were terribly inadequate. He met her eyes for only a moment before shaking himself and moving on.

"That answer your questions?" he asked.

Viera swallowed and tried to shake off the fierce pangs of sympathy. "I dunno. Haven't even gotten to the 'normal' questions." She tried to let her tone fall into the easy teasing she was used to with him. "Favorite color. Favorite food. Birthday." She furrowed her eyebrows, getting into the new path of conversation. "Do you keep track of your birthdays?" Viera had lost track of how long she'd been traveling on the TARDIS. All that time travel made it confusing. She never knew what day it was. Or rather what day it would have been if they were on a linear timeline.

The Doctor smiled appreciatively and tapped his temple. "It's all up here. I suppose using the calendar you're used to…" his gaze grew distant as he calculated in his head. He'd never bothered to figure it out before. Dates didn't really matter when you lived in a time machine. "It was sometime in November originally."

"904," Viera mused as she studied him. "You really are old."

"Hey now," he protested, straightening his jacket. "Look at me. I'm in the prime of my life." She matched his grin.

"Alright, my ancient friend," she teased. "Where are we off to?"

"I've got just the place!" the Doctor declared. He spun around and started flipping switches. Viera stepped up to the console and held down levers when he directed her to. The TARDIS took off and soon enough they were landing.

The Doctor nearly skipped to the door. He bounded out of the TARDIS first, then stuck his head back in. "Best grab a coat!" he hollered. "And hurry! You've got to see this!"

Viera grabbed the dark brown coat she'd grabbed out of the wardrobe just in case and wrapped it around her shoulders. The dark coat set off the dark emerald of her dress nicely and brought out the flecks of green in her eyes. Her caramel-brown hair was pulled up into an elegant bun, with help of a nifty little hair-contraption they'd picked up on Obchody. It looked like a simple gilded comb, but it pulled her hair into elegant styles with very little effort on Viera's part- which was the only reason she didn't constantly walk around with a ponytail or loose hair the way she had back on Earth in her time.

"Look!" the Doctor exclaimed, motioning to the world around them as she joined him. "Snow! Real snow!"

"As opposed to fake snow?" Viera asked, amused at the Doctor's enthusiasm. He locked the door behind her then offered his hand. She took it gladly, holding onto his arm with her other hand as well.

"Well, you know… ash… ballast… " the Doctor said. At her raised eyebrows he shrugged. "I've a bit of a history… But we've got the real thing, this time!"

Then they rounded the corner and Viera found herself standing in an old London market. The street was busy, full vendors with their stands, families shopping, children playing, friends talking. A man was selling roasted chestnuts. Music filled the air.

"There are carolers," Viera whispered, tugging on the Doctor's arm like an excited child. She barely stopped herself from squealing as they turned in place to get a look at it all. Maybe it was silly to be so excited about that after having seen such grand alien worlds, but it looked like something out of The Christmas Carol. It felt like Christmas, as homey as it was exotic to be out of her time.

The Doctor's enthusiasm seemed to feed off her joy and visa-versa; soon they were both grinning like fools and loving it. He turned to a messy-haired young boy as they passed.

"You there, boy. What day is this?"

"Christmas Eve, sir," the boy answered pleasantly.

"What year?" the Doctor pressed.

The boy gave him an odd look. "You thick or something?"

"Oi!" the Doctor protested as Viera snickered quietly. "Just answer the question."

"Year of our Lord 1851, sir."

"Right." He turned back to Viera, contemplating. "Nice year. A bit dull."

She thumped his shoulder with a gloved fist. "I think it's lovely."

The pleasant hum of noise around them was suddenly overtaken by a distant yell, a woman's voice. "Doctor!"

They turned together, understandably startled. "Who, me?" the Doctor asked aloud.

"Do you know someone here? Now, I mean?" Viera asked.

"Doctor!" the voice called again. The Doctor grinned at Viera and she shook her head, smiling as well. Life with him was never boring. Then they took off running towards the voice, her hand still in his.

Moments later they skidded to a stop in front of a dark-skinned young woman backing away from a door. There was growling behind it and something throwing itself against the door. It sounded like some sort of wild animal, but of course things were rarely that simple.

"Don't worry. Don't worry! Stand back," the Doctor said, stepping in front of the woman and taking control of the situation. "What have we got here?"

Viera eyed the door warily and looked around the alley for something to use as a defense if need be. There were snow-covered wheels and carts and clothes lines but Viera couldn't see anything that looked particularly useful. She turned her gaze back to the rattling door.

"Okay, I've got it," the Doctor assured. "And whatever's behind that door, I think you should get out of here-"

The stranger looked at him like he was crazy but otherwise ignored him. "Doctor!" She bellowed. Viera was reminded quite suddenly of Donna. She bit her lip and tried to let the Doctor's antics distract her.

"No, I'm standing right here," he pointed out, waving at the woman with raised eyebrows. "Hello!"

She definitely thought he was mad. "Don't be so stupid. Who are you?"

"You were calling for the Doctor," Viera said, puzzled. The woman gave her an odd work as well.

"I'm the Doctor," the Doctor explained.

"Doctor who?" the woman asked, confusing them both. Viera and the Doctor shared a look, feeling as though they'd missed part of the conversation.

"Just… the Doctor."

"Well there can't be two of you!" the woman protested. Her gaze shifted behind them and her voice turned demanding. "Where the hell have you been?"

Viera and the Doctor turned to see a man in a waistcoat and frock coat run up.

"Right then! Don't worry! Stand back!" the stranger shouted, moving in front of the Doctor. "What have we got here then?"

Heavens, he looked excited at the prospect of something dangerous behind the door. Viera blinked at the familiarity of his attitude. The Doctor looked befuddled at the way he'd just been shunted aside.

"Hold on," he protested. "Who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor," the stranger stated with utmost confidence. "Simply, the Doctor. The one, the only, and the best."

A little too much confidence perhaps. He wasn't quite cheeky enough to pull that off, taking himself a bit too seriously, or so Viera thought. But perhaps she was just offended that the stranger was trying claim the Doctor's identity.

"Hold on. You're who?" Viera asked, looking from him to the real Doctor and back again. She was ignored as a loud bang threatened to make the door give way.

"Rosita! Give me the sonic screwdriver!" the stranger demanded. The sense of surreality swelled as Viera watched the woman hand him a tool.

"The what?!" the Doctor, her Doctor asked.

The stranger was still talking to Rosita. "Now quickly, get back to the Tardis!"

"Back to the what?" her Doctor asked, completely wrong-footed.

"If you could stand back, sir. This is a job for a Time Lord!" the stranger declared dramatically, motioning the Doctor away from the door.

"Job for a what Lord?!" the Doctor practically yelped. It would have been terribly amusing if Viera hadn't been so completely baffled herself. Who would declare themselves a Time Lord? And to the real Doctor himself? Even the most dedicated imitator should know better than to try to fool the real thing.

'Everything changes; brand new face, brand new body', she remembered. Was it possible, even remotely possible that the stranger was telling the truth? That he was the Doctor? But shouldn't he know her? Know himself? There was no recognition in either of the Doctors' eyes.

The puzzle was set abruptly on the back burner as the door burst open. Viera took a step back at the sight of the black creature.

"Well that's different," the Doctor commented precisely as the stranger spoke as well.

"Oh, that's new!"

It had a metal face the color of bronze and round empty holes for eyes. What looked like two handles were fixed at the top of its head. Its body was pitch black, made of thick cloth that gave the impression of fur. Garbled growls poured from its throat as it charged.

As one, both men drew their screwdrivers and faced down the beast with steady determination.

"Allons-y!" they said together, the odd echo sending a shiver of déjà vu down Viera's spine. The two men eyed each other briefly before focusing their attention on the beast.

"It's some sort of cyber-conversion, but what's it doing here?" the Doctor asked aloud.

"It's fallen into my trap! Oh, I've been hunting this beast for a good fortnight. Now step back, sir…" the stranger ordered, trying to push the Doctor back with one arm. The ragged creature chose that moment to lunge. The Doctor ducked, pulling Viera down with him, but the beast wasn't aiming for them. It leaped over their head, latching onto the brick wall of the building behind them.

They straightened and the Doctor moved to get a better look at it. "Some sort of primitive conversion," he mused aloud. "Like they took the brain of a cat or a dog…"

"What do you mean 'conversion'?" Viera asked, keeping an eye on black creature. It was at the perfect height to turn back and leap down on top of one of them.

"Talking's all very well," the stranger interrupted, his tone scolding. "Rosita!"

His companion had a long length of rope in hand. "I'm ready!"

"Now watch and learn," the stranger exclaimed, taking the rope and swinging it like a lasso. The Doctor had to duck out of the way; Viera stepped back. A flick of his wrist and the loop went flying, settling firmly around the beast scaling the wall. "Excellent! Now then, let's pull this timorous beastie down to earth…" The stranger's enthusiasm was cut short as the creature took off up the wall, pulling his would-be captor along effortlessly.

"Or not," the Doctor muttered.

"Anyone for plan B?" Viera asked.

"I think I might be in a little bit of trouble," the stranger admitted, dangling helplessly higher and higher.

"Nothing changes," the Doctor said dryly. He darted forward and grabbed the loose end of the rope. "I've got you!"

Viera grabbed on behind him, but the beast didn't seem to feel their weight at all. The Doctor was pulled up the side of the building as well. She let go before she'd gotten more than a couple inches off the snow.

"You idiots!" Rosita yelled as the men were pulled further away.

"Oh fantastic," Viera muttered sarcastically, worry in her hazel eyes. The Doctor's legs kicked instinctively. They were too high up to safely drop to the ground. The beast scrabbled up the side of the building then crawled in through an open window, still dragging the men behind it.

"Come on!" Rosita snapped. Viera barely had time to register the ax in her hand before the other woman took off running around the side of the building. Viera gave one last glance at the Doctor several stories up then followed, glad that someone had a plan. They raced up the stairs built into the building. The door of the top level was unlocked, but jammed. Both women shoved their shoulders against it and the door gave way, spilling them into a big open room. It was grungy, with laundry hanging on clothes lines strung between support columns, and crates and barrels scattered around the room. The black creature didn't look so out of place there.

It looked at them and for a moment all three of them froze. Then the beast gave another garbled growl and took off. It sprinted towards the window in the opposite wall. The man who claimed to be the Doctor was pulled in through the first window, landing on the ground with a thump and a grunt.

"Let go!" Viera yelled. She ran towards the window, but they were all the way across the room and the beast was faster.

"Can't!" he called back, tugging at the rope tightly coiled around his arm. Then her Doctor was pulled in behind him and they were both dragged through the room, the stranger shouting all the way.

"It's gonna jump!" the Doctor yelped, seeing the window.

"We're gonna fall!" the other man cried. He struggled harder with the rope, but his wrist was too tangled in it to get free. The creature dove out the open window. The men were dragged towards the light, trying to brace their feet against the ground to no avail.

Rosita got there just in time. She swung the ax with all her might, severing the rope before the two Doctors could be yanked to their potential deaths. Their momentum suddenly gone, the men tumbled backwards onto the floor, sore and dusty but safe. Viera reached the window a moment later, heaving a sigh of relief and giving Rosita a properly grateful look. She peered outside, but she couldn't see any sign of the creature.

"Are you alright?" Viera asked, turning back to watch the Doctor climb to his feet. They men grunted and groaned their complaints as they stretched and staggered upright. They exchanged a look and suddenly began laughing. "Suppose you're fine then," Viera muttered. She shook her head but couldn't stop a smile from spreading across her face as the two men laughed off their most recent brush with death.

They hugged and patted each other on the back, still laughing. Rosita walked closer, dropping the ax to put her hands on her hips. "Can we get out of here?" she asked snappishly. Without waiting for an answer, Rosita spun around and marched towards the door. The men shared another look and followed, still chortling. The stranger went first; the Doctor paused a moment to sling his arm around Viera's shoulders.

They were still laughing when they filed outside and made their way down the stairs.

"Well I'm glad you think it's so funny!" Rosita snapped. "You're mad! Both of you! You could've got killed!" Goosebumps ran down Viera's arms, but that was hardly the closest brush with death they'd had. They paused in the alleyway near brightly blazing fire drum.

"But evidently we did not," the other man chuckled. "I should introduce Rosita, my faithful companion," he said, moving closer to her. "Always telling me off."

"Yeah, they do, don't they?" the Doctor said. Viera elbowed him in the side on principle, which only prompted an innocent look and raised eyebrows. "Rosita," he mused, turning back to the other companion. "Good name. Hello, Rosita."

Rosita wasn't impressed. She gave the Doctor a sarcastic sneer and turned on her 'Doctor', who was still prodding bruised muscles. "Now I'll have to go and dismantle the traps! All of that for nothing!" she yelled at the other man before storming off. "And we've only got twenty minutes till the funeral! Don't forget! Then back to the TARDIS, alright?"

She really does remind me of Donna.

"Funeral?" the Doctor asked curiously.

"Long story," the other man replied. "Not my own. Not yet." He groaned as he bent to brace himself on his knees. "Oh dear. Not as young as I was."

"Well. Not as young as you were when you were me," the Doctor quipped.

The stranger looked puzzled. "When I was who?"

"You really don't recognize me?"

He doesn't recognize me either, Viera thought silently, letting the Doctors have their discussion. She tucked her arms around her middle and watched their expressions. He's hardly noticed me at all. If that is the future Doctor… then what happened to me? She couldn't ask the stranger, even if she'd felt inclined to interrupt. Viera wasn't sure she wanted to know, and it was probably against some time law or another.

"But you're the Doctor! The next Doctor! No, don't tell me how it happened!" the Doctor stopped him from speaking with an upheld hand. "Although… I hope I didn't just trip over a brick. That would be embarrassing. Then again, painless. Worse ways to go. Depends on the brick," he rambled. He spoke of his own end so easily, but recalling their discussion earlier, Viera had to wonder how much of that casual attitude was sincere.

"You're gabbling, sir. And might I ask, who are you exactly?" the other man asked, narrowing his eyes.

That's a complicated question, Viera thought.

The Doctor faltered only a moment. "No, I'm, uh, I'm just… Smith! John Smith. And this is Viera," he added, watching the so-called-Doctor carefully for any signs of recognition. There were none. "We've heard all about you, Doctor. Bit of a legend, if I say so myself."

Viera barely kept from rolling her eyes, though she smiled. He had such an ego sometimes, even if he was a legend.

"Modesty forbids me to agree with you, sir," the other Doctor said. "But yes! Yes I am."

Maybe he is the Doctor after all.

"A legend with… certain memories missing. Am I right?" the Doctor asked.

"How do you know that?"

"You've forgotten me," he said quietly.

And me, Viera wanted to add. The Doctor, her Doctor glanced at her but didn't add her name. She supposed it complicated things enough to tell the other man that he should know him, let alone both of them.

The other Doctor looked a little lost; his voice was quieter. "Great swathes of my life have been stolen away. When I turn my mind to the past… there's nothing."

"Going how far back?"

"Since the Cybermen. Masters of that hellish wall-scuttler and old enemies of mine. Now at work in London town. You won't believe this, but they are creatures from other world."

"Really," the Doctor drawled, pretending surprise rather badly. "Wow."

"Imagine that," Viera said in as neutral a tone as she could manage.

"It's said they fell onto London. Out of the sky, in a blaze of light. Then they… found me…" the other man trailed off, staring into the fire with an expression that stirred pity in Viera. "Something was taken… and something was lost." He looked up, pinning the Doctor with painfully hopeful eyes. "What was I like? In the past."

"I… don't think I should say," the Doctor apologized. "Sorry. Got to be careful with memory loss. One wrong word…"

"It's strange though. I talk of Cybermen, from the stars. And neither of you so much as blink."

The Doctor lit up. "Ah, don't blink, remember that? Whatever you do, don't blink! The blinking and the statues, and Sally and the angels… No?" Viera was looking at him with the same confusion as the other Doctor. She made a mental note to ask about it later.

"You're a very odd man," the stranger said. Viera snorted, then covered her mouth to keep from laughing louder.

"I still am," the Doctor muttered, studying the other man. "Something's wrong here, d'you mind if I just…?" He started pulling his stethoscope out but their new acquaintance was already distracted.

"The funeral! The funeral at two o'clock! It's been a pleasure, Mr. Smith, Miss Viera," he said, bowing. "Don't breathe a word of it!"

"Oh wait, can't we come with you?" the Doctor asked, disappointed.

"It's far too dangerous! Rest assured, I'll keep this city safe!" He started to run off, but he remembered something and jogged back a couple steps. "Oh, and Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas," Viera said.

"Merry Christmas, Doctor," her Doctor said. Then the other man darted around the corner and they lost sight of him.

"Do you really think that's you?" Viera asked as soon as it was just the two of them.

"Oh, could be," the Doctor said easily. He glanced over and caught sight of her apprehension. He turned fully towards her and took her shoulders gently. "Hey now, no worries. We'll help him get his memories back."

"He doesn't…" see me, "act like you. Not quite. He's different."

The Doctor shrugged, looking mostly unconcerned though she wasn't sure how honest that was. "Missing chunks of memories can do that do a person."

"Yeah, but…" Viera bit her lip, not entirely sure she should bring it up. "If he's the Doctor… where am I?"

The Doctor flinched so minutely she almost missed it and then his grin was back. "Is that what you're worried about? Who knows how many years in the future this is for him. I bet you've settled down somewhere, made a home and a family for yourself."

Or it could be centuries in the future and I'll have died, Viera read between the lines. Or… he said something was lost. Maybe the Cybermen killed me. The possibility frightened her- she didn't want to know how she'd die- but it sounded more likely than her settling down somewhere unknown. It would take an awful lot to make her even consider leaving the TARDIS. She didn't expect to be one of the companions who left by choice.

"So what now?" Viera asked, changing the subject. "Find the funeral? Stop the Cyberman? Return his memories? Save the day?"

"Oh yes," the Doctor replied, grinning widely. He offered his arm. "Care to join me?"

Always. Viera took his arm with a fond smile and they set off down the street, asking people they passed for information about the whereabouts of the funeral. The recent death seemed to be common knowledge around the town. They found the funeral procession easily, following the directions of a friendly street vendor.

Great black horses with black plumes on their heads pulled a hearse down the street. Another carriage and mourners followed, all in pure black finery. Viera watched the grim parade with mild curiosity, the rest of her attention focused on the voices of Rosita and the other Doctor. The pair hadn't noticed Viera and her Doctor sneak up on the other side of the road.

"Now, with the house empty, I'll effect an entrance at the rear while you go back to the TARDIS," the other man was telling Rosita. "This is hardly work for a woman."

Viera's eyebrows raised and her gaze swung to the arguing pair. Rosita looked outraged.

"Oh don't mind me saving your life. That's work for a woman, isn't it?" she grumbled, scowling fiercely at the other Doctor.

"The Doctor's companion does what the Doctor says. Now off you go!" the other man ordered.

"Oh really?" Viera muttered, narrowing her eyes at her Doctor. He attempted an innocent expression but amusement brightened his brown eyes. He knew better than anyone how strong-willed his companions could be. Viera was something of an exception, being a follower at heart, but Donna would have slapped him for even making such a remark.

The thought provoked a familiar pang of grief, and Viera hastily turned her attention back to the man they were following. The mourners in the street were wandering out of sight and the man with missing memories chose that moment to dart across the road towards the house. The Doctor followed, but while the other man snuck around the back, the Doctor strolled up to the front door. He pulled out the sonic screwdriver and soon the two of them were inside.

They headed straight towards the back door, hearing the quiet sounds of someone fiddling with the lock. Why isn't he using the sonic screwdriver? Viera wondered. She stood back as the Doctor threw open the door, in the perfect position to see the astonished look on the other man's face.

"Hello!" the Doctor greeted.

"But… how did you get in?" the other man asked.

"Oh, front door. I'm good at doors," the Doctor said, brushing aside his own explanation. "D'you mind my asking… is that your sonic screwdriver?"

The other man held the tool in his hand. It looked like an ordinary, old-fashioned screwdriver. "I'd be lost without it," he said proudly.

The Doctor wasn't so impressed. "But… that's a screwdriver. How is it sonic?"

What is going on? Viera thought, watching confusion take over the other man's expression.

"Well. It makes a noise," the other man said, tapping the handle of the screwdriver against the door frame. "That's sonic isn't it? Now, since we're acting like common burglars, I suggest we get out of plain view." The Doctor moved out of the way to let him in, then shut the door behind him.

"You brought your… friend along?" the other man asked, only then noticing Viera. Feeling defensive at the incredulousness in his voice, she crossed her arms over her chest and frowned at him.

"Course I did," the Doctor answered easily, watching the other man's reaction. "Why wouldn't I?"

"She's a woman," he protested.

"Exactly!" the Doctor replied, grinning. He left it at that and abruptly turned to wonder deeper into the house.

He really does enjoy that, Viera thought, amused at the befuddlement on the other man's face. She raised an eyebrow at him, then flounced away, following the Doctor. A few moments later the other man caught up.

As they got deeper into the house, the Doctor let the other man take the lead. The man with missing memories searched the room thoroughly, opening drawers, digging through papers. The Doctor seemed more interested in watching him than searching.

"What are we looking for?" Viera asked.

"Signs of alien infiltration," the other man answered.

"Right. Of course." She wandered the room, looking around curiously but not touching much.

"This investigation of yours… what's it all about?" the Doctor asked.

"It started with a murder."

"Oh good," the Doctor said. It took him a moment to notice the incredulous look he was getting from the other man. "I mean bad," he amended. "But whose?"

The other man continued rummaging through the desk drawers. "Mr. Jackson Lake. A teacher of mathematics from Sussex. He came to London three weeks ago… and died a terrible death."

"Cybermen?" the Doctor asked, leaning forward.

The other man stilled a moment, his expression grim. "Hard to say. His body was never found. But then it started: more secret murders, then abductions." His voice grew quieter, haunted beneath the calm. "Children… stolen away in silence."

"By the Cybermen?" Viera asked, giving the Doctor a worried glance. "What would they want with kids?"

The Doctor looked grave but shook his head. One mystery at a time, but he'd figure it out. "Whose house is this?"

"The latest murder: the Reverend Aubrey Fairchild. Found with burns to his forehead, like some advanced form of electrocution."

"But who was he? Was he important?" the Doctor asked.

The other man narrowed his eyes at him. "You ask a lot of questions."

"I'm your companion!"

A faint smile pulled at the other man's lips, and he answered without further suspicion. "The Reverend was a pillar of the community, a member of many Parish Boards, a keen advocate of children's charity."

"Children again…" the Doctor murmured.

"Do you think that's why he was killed?" Viera asked. "Because he might have protected the kids they're taking?"

"He was famously good to them," the other man said. "He'd discipline them, birch them, send them to the workhouse…"

Viera grimaced. "Not a protector then," she said, appalled.

The Doctor didn't look impressed either, but he pressed on with his questioning. "What's his connection to the first death, Mr. Jackson Lake?"

"It's funny," the other man said slowly, staring at the Doctor. "I seem to be telling you everything. As though you engender some sort of… trust."

"Yeah, he does that," Viera said. The Doctor grinned at her.

"Perhaps, but… you do seem familiar, Mr. Smith. I know your face… but how?"

"I wonder…" the Doctor pondered. "Can't help noticing, you're wearing a fob watch."

The other man followed his gaze down. "Is that important?"

"Legend has it that the memories of a Time Lord can be contained within a watch. D'you mind?" the Doctor asked quietly, holding out his hand.

Viera didn't want to interrupt, but her mind was swimming with questions. How would that happen? Why would anyone…? More questions to ask later. The other man handed over a pocket watch, it's chain still attached to his waistcoat. The Doctor handled it with great care, his gaze locked on his potential-future-self.

He spoke slowly, dramatically. "It's said, if it's opened…" Then he popped open the back of the watch and a couple gears fell out. The intensity of the moment was broken as everyone's gaze fell to the cogs on the floor. "Oh. Maybe not."

"It's more for decoration," the other man said, embarrassed.

"Yup," the Doctor agreed. He took a deep breath and moved on. "Anyway! Alien infiltration!"

The other man went back to searching through the desk. "Just look for anything different, possibly metal. Anything that doesn't seem to belong. Perhaps a mechanical device that would fit no earthly engine. It could even seem to be organic, though unlike any organism of the natural world…" As he rambled the Doctor turned his back and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. He winked at Viera who was watching him curiously. It hummed quietly as he scanned their side of the room then changed pitch as it hovered over the desk in front of him. A moment longer and the lock clicked open quietly.

"Shh!" the other man ordered, straightening abruptly and turning towards them. The Doctor tucked the screwdriver back into his jacket pocket. "What's that noise?"

"Oh just… me," the Doctor said awkwardly, "whistling." He whistled a high-pitched fluctuating tone in a credible imitation of the screwdriver's hum.

"Has anyone checked that bureau?" Viera suggested. Her tone was dry but a smile tugged at her lips, thoroughly amused by the attempted subterfuge.

"Ah yes, wonder what's in here," the Doctor said innocently, as though that hadn't been his aim all along. He opened the bureau, Viera and the other man moving close enough to peer over his shoulders. Three silver cylinders lay inside. The Doctor picked one up and waved it at the other man. "Different and metal. You were right."

"What are they?" Viera asked as they both picked up one of the devices to look it over. The Doctor didn't protest so they couldn't be too dangerous. …Probably. Viera set her cylinder down again carefully.

"They're infostamps!" the Doctor blurted, then tried to backtrack as he remembered that he was supposed to be letting the other man lead. "I mean, at a guess. If I were you, I'd say they worked something like this…" He held up the cylinder and pressed a button on the end. The infostamp flared to life, sending a projection streaming from the other end. The pictures flickered across the mirror behind him and they all turned to watch them.

"D'you see? Compressed information," the Doctor explained. Photos, charts and writing blinked from one to another too quickly for Viera to make much sense of it. The Doctor had no such trouble. "Tons of it! That's the history of London, 1066 to the present day. This thing's like a disk, a Cyberdisk! But why would the Cybermen need something so simple?" he asked rhetorically, talking himself through the problem. "They've gotta be wireless… Unless! They're in the wrong century. They haven't got much power. They need plain old basic infostamps to update themselves…"

The other man was beginning to look pained. He sat down shakily, his mind obviously not on the conversation. "Doctor," Viera said, drawing his attention.

"You alright?" he asked, his rambling done immediately.

"I'm fine." The other man grimaced and tried to wave them away as the Doctor moved closer.

"No, what is it? What's wrong?" he asked. The Doctor knelt in front of their new friend, giving him his whole attention.

"I've seen one of these before." The supposed-Doctor was beginning to truly look sick, pale and shaky. The memories drew words from him in quiet gasps. "I was holding… this device. It was the night I lost my mind. The night I… regenerated." He sounded so hurt, scared. Lost. Viera's heart twisted, and she knelt next to him, putting a hand on his arm in a feeble attempt to offer comfort. Maybe he was the Doctor, maybe he wasn't, but she hated seeing anyone in pain. "The Cybermen. They made me change. My face. My mind. My whole self… And you were there." He reached forward suddenly to touch the Doctor's face. "Who are you?"

"I'm a friend," the Doctor said with deeply-rooted sincerity and concern. "I swear."

The other man was desperate, almost crying in his distress. "Then I beg of you, John. Help me."

"Ah, two words I never refuse," the Doctor said quietly.

"It's going to be all right," Viera said, patting his shoulder gently. Slowly calming, he glanced at her as the Doctor stood up and paced.

"This isn't a conversation for a dead man's house," the Doctor said. "It'll make more sense if we go back to the Tardis. Your Tardis," he amended. He jogged off, darting around the room, opening doors. "I just need to do a little final check, won't take a tick. Cause there's one more thing… I can't help thinking, if this room's got infostamps, then maybe, just maybe, it's got something that needs infostamping..." The other man was hardly listening, still sitting where he was staring off into space with that lost look on his face. Viera stayed by his side, but her gaze followed the Doctor around the room. She saw him freeze as he opened the last door, his brown eyes widening just a little.

"Okay." He slammed the door closed again. "I think we should run."

Viera tugged the other man to his feet. The Doctor leaped away from the door just in time; it came crashing down behind him. A large metal man strode into the room, his blank eyes reminiscent of the beast they'd seen earlier.

"Delete!" the Cyberman declared in a loud monotone. Viera pulled on their new friend's arm, but he was frozen, stark fear on his face.

"Run, Doctor! Now, Doctor!" Viera's Doctor yelled, running towards them. He snatched the other man's arm as he passed, and between them Viera and the Doctor pulled him into the hall. The Doctor pulled the door shut behind them and a quick twist of his screwdriver locked it. The three of them hurried down the hallway, only to skid to a stop as another Cyberman stepped out from around the corner in front of them.

"Wrong way," Viera yelped, scrambling back the other way.

"The Doctor will be deleted," said the Cyberman. It stomped after them steadily as they darted through the house. They'd reached a more open room when the nearby door was knocked down and the first Cyberman clumped towards them. "Delete," it bleated.

"Stairs!" the Doctor ordered. "Can't lead it outside!" He dug through a nearby umbrella stand, pulling out walking stick and discarding it, then an umbrella, which opened uselessly. Viera pushed the other man ahead of her up the stairs, turning to watch with wide eyes as the two Cybermen closed in. Then the Doctor spotted a sword mounted on the wall. He snatched it up and turned on the mechanical men with a fierce expression.

"I'm a dab hand with a cutlass," he warned, brandishing the sword. "You don't want to come near me when I've got one of these! This is your last warning!" The Cybermen didn't even slow down. The Doctor stepped back towards the stairs. "No? Okay, this is your last warning!" Still no reaction from the relentless robots. "Okay, this is really your last warning."

"Get out of there!" Viera shouted. They Cybermen were nearly upon him.

"Okay, I give up," the Doctor said. He turned and darted half way up the first set of stairs, Viera and the other man clambering ahead of him. Then he turned and tried to reason with their relentless pursuers.

Come on. Why can't we just run? Viera thought desperately. She knew why they couldn't, of course; it was the same reason they'd gone for the stairs rather than the door. They had to find some way of stopping those creatures before they could go after anyone else. She still couldn't help wishing that the Doctor would just focus on keeping himself safe for once.

"Listen to me properly," the Doctor said, talking fast and solemnly, doing his utmost to persuade the Cybermen. Viera wasn't sure they even heard him. "Whatever you're doing stuck in 1851, I can help!" He used the cutlass to parry the silver hand that reached for him. And again, backing up the stairs as the machine pressed onward. "I mean it! I'm the only person in the world who can help you! Listen to me!"

God, please, Viera prayed, just barely managing to stay out of the Doctor's way. Don't let him die here. Not like this. There has to be something… The other man's words from earlier came back to her then. He'd said the Reverend had died from electrocution. Energy.

The Cyberman swung an arm towards the Doctor again, and again he stopped it, holding it away from his head with the sword.

"I'm the Doctor," he declared, gritting his teeth. "You need me. Check your memory banks. My name's the Doctor! Leave them alone!" he ordered, glancing very briefly up the stairs to Viera and the other man. The strength of the metal monster slowly forced him down and back. "The Doctor is me!" He was practically laying on the stairs by then, but he managed to bring his leg up. He planted his trainer against the metal chest and shoved backwards. The front Cyberman stumbled back into the other one, giving the Doctor enough time to scramble to his feet.

I have to try. They're going to kill him! Hope and fear and adrenaline washed through her body, leaving her feeling cold, strong, and sick with the turmoil. Please let this work. There were probably at least a dozen ways things could go wrong, but she forced herself to stop thinking about it and act.

The Doctor managed to dart a few feet up the stairs before the Cybermen regained their balance and resumed their approach. Viera took advantage of the brief moment when the Doctor was off balance on the stairs to push past him. He grabbed for her but missed.

"Viera, no!" the Doctor shouted.

It was already too late. She froze within reach of the first Cyberman, hazel eyes wide with fright. Please, was all she had time to think before the metal hand grasped her shoulder and a sharp burst of electricity jolted into her body.

Relief poured through her fast on its heels as the energy easily diverted into power channels carved into her body without hurting her. The Cyberman stilled, and Viera imagined confusion. She spared a brief moment to wonder whether it was properly alive, then the stolen electricity was at her fingertips and she pressed her hand against the handle-like antenna on the head of the metal man.

The Cyberman gave a mechanical cry as the energy surged through it, then it went silent and collapsed. Viera had to throw herself backwards to keep from being pinned by the body.

The Doctor caught her shoulders and immediately began tugging her back up the stairs. "Come on," he ordered fiercely, pushing her ahead of him. "The other one won't try that again with you."

Viera swallowed as she wondered how easily those metal hands could break her neck. The other man was staring at them with a vague sort of horror, twisting the infostamp in his hands. The sound of stomping feet turned both her and the Doctor around.

The remaining Cyberman walked over its fallen comrade without hesitation, reaching for the nearest obstacle in its way, which happened to be the Doctor. He deflected another blow, but the mechanical man took hold of the sword with both hands and the Doctor couldn't get it free. A hard shove from the Cyberman sent the Doctor sprawling.

"Run!" he shouted. Viera ignored the order and clambered to his side, trying to help him to his feet.

A sudden beam of fierce blue light from behind them saved their lives. The stream of electricity hit the Cyberman square in the face. It gave a garbled cry and convulsed as the blue light surged around its head. Then Viera and the Doctor scrambled out of the way as it dropped to its knees and its head exploded with a bang.

"Oh, thank God," Viera sighed, leaning again the banister as she tried to catch her breath and stop shaking.

The Doctor gave a relieved laugh, but when Viera looked over the other man, despite having just saved them all, was looking very ill indeed.

"Infostamp," the Doctor said, delighted. His attention remained on the headless robots. "With a cyclo-Steinham core. You ripped open the core, broke the safety, zap!"

"Doc- John," Viera interrupted. The Doctor glanced at her, then followed her gaze to the man leaning against the door frame. Confusion and anguish contorted the other man's expression, and the Doctor's grin faded away.

"I did that," the other man mumbled, sounding dazed. "Last time."

Is he going into shock? Viera worried, biting her lip.

"Come here, let me look at you," the Doctor said. He pulled out a stethoscope from one of his numerous pockets and stepped closer. "Let me just check…"

"You told them you were the Doctor. Why did you do that?" the other man demanded.

"Oh just… protecting you," he answered, listening to one side of the man's chest, then the other.

Two hearts? Viera wondered. He wasn't acting like the Doctor, this man who'd wedged himself into the corner, but he had been through a lot. Trauma did odd things to people. Still, it was hard to reconcile the other man with the Doctor she knew.

"You're taking away the only thing I've got," the man accused in a shaking voice. "Just like they did."

"It wasn't like that," Viera protested quietly. She finally stepped forward and laid a hand on his arm, though she tried to give him enough space that he wouldn't feel cornered. His fevered gaze turned to her for a moment and her heart ached for the pain she saw there.

"They stole something… something so precious…" The man's voice broke and he shook his head, closing his eyes. "I can't remember," he gasped. He turned his helpless, pleading expression on the Doctor. "What happened to me? What did they do?"

"We'll find out," the Doctor promised solemnly. "Together." The other man's gaze fell again to the infostamp he was twisting in his hands. Viera caught the Doctor's eyes and questioningly glanced at the stethoscope. He gave a very slight shake of his head.

One heart. Not the Doctor. Viera wondered if it was bad to feel relieved, but it had hurt, trying to imagine her Doctor becoming this stranger. Focus, Viera, she chided herself.

"Maybe should go find Rosita," she suggested.

"Yes," the Doctor said, patting the other man on the shoulder bracingly. "Best we're not here if someone comes to check on the missing Cybermen. Come on, then." He gently pried the open infostamp from the man's hands and tucked it away in a jacket pocket. Then he led the way outside, his companions following quietly.

The other man took the lead once they were out, showing them the way to his TARDIS and the meeting place with Rosita. He seemed to feel better as they got further from the house and the broken Cybermen. Viera wanted to know more about the Cybermen, but she wasn't sure asking about that was wise.

"How'd you meet Rosita?" she asked instead.

The man blinked at her a moment, wrong-footed by the question when he'd been so lost in thought. He straightened slightly as he considered the answer; he lost some of that hopelessness and regained a bit of what Viera was beginning to think of as his Doctor-persona.

"I was tracking down one of the dark shades created by the Cybermen. Then I heard a scream, down by the wharf. I rushed to help, and found Rosita there being attacked by a Cyberman." The man shrugged modestly. "I managed to tip some crates onto him, took Rosita by the hand and we ran."

"That's very brave," the Doctor said approvingly.

"All in day's work," the other man said, his tone somehow managing an odd mix humility and smugness. Whoever he was, he had a pretty good grasp on the Doctor's personality.

The sun began to set as they walked, giving depth to the shadows cast by the walls that hemmed them in on all sides. They made their way through narrow streets, past factories and run-down buildings. Finally they turned a corner and spotted Rosita near the end of the street. She looked up and saw them, and her whole face lit up.

"Doctor!" she exclaimed, lifting up the hem of her skirt to run towards the other man. The true Doctor and Viera held back, smiling at the reunion. "I thought you were dead!" Rosita threw her arms around the other man, who patted her back awkwardly.

"Now then, Rosita," the man chided gently. "A little decorum."

"You've been gone for so long!" Rosita protested. She turned to the Doctor and Viera. "He's always doin' this! Leaving me behind! Going frantic!"

"What about the TARDIS?" the man asked, sidestepping the subject.

"Oh, she's ready," Rosita assured him excitedly. "Come on." She grabbed the man's arm and pulled him along behind her.

Viera waited until they were far enough down the street before leaning towards the Doctor. "If he's not really you, how does he have a TARDIS?" she asked very quietly.

The Doctor just grinned at her. "Dunno, but I'm looking forward to this." Then they trailed after the other pair, the Doctor almost prancing in his enthusiasm. They were led into what must have been an abandoned building. Crates and barrels were scattered about the room, many of them supporting trunks and luggage. A few pieces of furniture had been added, a table, chairs, blankets. It looked homey, if a bit ragtag.

"You were right, Rosita," the other man said, rubbing his arms to rid himself of a chill as they walked into the warmth of candlelight. "The Reverend Fairchild's death was the work of the Cybermen!" He walked to a wash basin and splashed some water on his face.

The Doctor looked around, fascination and curiosity playing across his expression. "So… you live here?"

"A temporary base, till we rout the enemy," the other man said. "The TARDIS is magnificent, but it's hardly a home."

Home is exactly what the TARDIS is. Viera's expression twisted in bemusement. She gave the Doctor a slightly incredulous look, to which he merely shrugged.

"Where is this… TARDIS of yours?" Viera asked, working to make the skepticism in her voice sound more like curiosity.

"Out in the yard," the man answered absently, wringing out a wet cloth to finish washing up. The Doctor moved towards the door, but was waylaid by curiosity.

"What's with all this luggage?"

"Evidence," the other man said. He dug through a pile of clothes for his coat while Rosita put a tea kettle on a small stove. "Property of Jackson Lake, the first man to be murdered. Oh, but my new friend is a fighter, Rosita!" He seemed to turn the conversation away from Jackson without thinking. "He faced the Cybermen with a cutlass! And Viera! That young woman took the Cyberman's attack and turned it right back on him. How did you do that?" he asked, enthusiasm shifting into confused inquisitiveness.

"That's… kind of complicated," Viera said, faltering a little. She hadn't expected him to ask about that.. She heard the faint humming of a sonic screwdriver behind her and tried to talk over it without being obvious. "I'm… sort of specially made to handle certain levels of… electricity."

"You were born that way?" the man asked, mildly fascinated. Rosita gave her a skeptical look.

Viera hesitated. She couldn't exactly say she'd had the 'gift' forced on her by an alien race, millennia in the future. Behind her there was a faint click of something unlocking. "That's… Yes, something like that," she said. The Doctor did think she'd been born with some sort of predisposition for empathy or an open mind or something.

The Doctor and Rosita were having a hushed conversation behind them. When she stopped talking Viera could hear Rosita's low words.

"Can you help him, sir? He has such terrible dreams. Wakes at night in such a state of terror."

The other man heard as well, but he didn't seem angry that she was sharing a secret like that; Rosita was doing it out of concern after all. He gathered up his coat and walked past Viera. She turned to watch, leaning against a stack of luggage behind her.

"Come now, Rosita," the man chided quietly, sounding tired instead of embarrassed. "Is it any wonder? With all the things a Time Lord has seen, everything he's lost... He must surely have bad dreams."

Viera's eyes darted to the real Time Lord. For just a moment he held her gaze and she could see such grief there that it took her breath away. "Yeah," he agreed, barely more than a whisper. Then the moment was gone and the Doctor glanced away, back towards the trunk he'd been digging through. The sorrow vanished from his face as though it'd never been there.

"Oh now, look!" he exclaimed, pulling an infostamp out of one of the jackets in the trunk. "Jackson Lake had an infostamp!"

"But how?" the other man asked. "Is that significant?"

The Doctor didn't look as excited as Viera thought he would once he'd figured everything out. His voice was serious when he spoke. "Doctor. The answer to all this is in your Tardis. Can we see it?"

"Mr Smith. It would be my honor!" the other man replied sincerely. Viera bit her lip; she didn't think he'd be smiling anymore once they'd turned his world inside out again. He let them out into a courtyard, excitement in his step. Viera's eyes widened as she saw that what sat in the large open space was not a phone box, but a beautiful blue hot air balloon.

"There she is!" the man exclaimed, extending his arms dramatically. "My transport through time and space. The TARDIS!"

"You've got a… balloon," the Doctor said, completely stunned. The look on his face was priceless.

"It's incredible," Viera told the other man, earning a proud grin. It was incredible; she'd never seen a hot air balloon up close before. Old-fashioned gold designs decorated the blue surface. At least as far as she could tell, it looked very well-designed.

"Tardis!" the man corrected the Doctor. Rosita stood behind his shoulder, grinning up at the balloon. "T-A-R-D-I-S, it stands for Tethered Aerial Release Developed In Style! D'you see?"

The Doctor's mouth worked as he struggled to find the right words. Viera grinned to see that. "I do now," he managed, tugging absently on one ear. He quickly warmed to the idea and nodded to himself. "I like it! Good… TARDIS!" He finally started walking around the balloon, his enthusiasm growing. "Brilliant! Nice one. And it's inflated by gas, yeah?"

The other man was standing by a stranger Viera had only just noticed. "We're adjacent the Mutton Street Gasworks, I pay them a modest fee," he explained. He pulled out a stack of pound notes and gave one to the stranger. Viera wasn't sure whether he was someone from the Gasworks or just someone paid to watch out for the balloon. "Good work, Jed!"

"Glad to be of service, sir!" Jed said.

"You've got quite a bit of money," the Doctor observed.

"Oh, you get nothing for nothing!" the other man said.

Unless you have psychic paper or an actual sonic screwdriver and an ATM, Viera mused, glancing at the Doctor.

"And how's that rip panel, Jed?"

"All repaired, should work a treat. You never know, maybe tonight's the night, Doctor!" Jed said. "Imagine it, seeing Christmas from above."

"Not yet, I think. But one day I shall ascend. One day soon," the other man said. He didn't seem quite comfortable with the prospect.

"You haven't gone up yet?" Viera asked.

Rosita answered for him. "He dreams of leaving. But never does."

"I can depart, in the Tardis, only once London is safe," the man protested. "And finally, when I'm up there..." His voice grew wistful. "Just think of it. The time and the space."

"The perfect escape," the Doctor murmured.

Is that what it is for you? Viera wondered, watching them both. Neither were currently paying her any mind. She couldn't really tell whether the Doctor was just talking about the other man or not. Are you running, Doctor? From the past? From loss? It was easier to move on to new adventures than to stop and think about what was left behind. Viera knew that well enough. Her family, Donna, her old life… What would it be like to leave behind even more than that? To lose a planet, an entire race, and companion after companion? How else could you cope with loss like that?

She hadn't considered it before really, the reasons why the Doctor might have adopted the lifestyle he had. It seemed to suit his nature though, always meeting new people, seeing new things, saving worlds and experiencing wonder, living to the fullest. It wasn't just running, if it was running at all; the Doctor loved his life, most of the time. Anyone could see that. But Viera wondered what would happen if he ever had to stop, if he no longer had all of space and time as an escape.

It was a silly idea; Viera was willing to bet adventure and life-threatening situations would manage to find him anyways.

"D'you ever wonder what you're escaping from?" the Doctor's voice drew her attention back the conversation.

The question was gentle and the other man didn't flinch, though his smile faded slowly. "With every moment."

"Then d'you want me to tell you?" the Doctor asked. The other man, who had been staring at the balloon, snapped his gaze to the Doctor. "Cos I think I've worked it out, now. How you became the Doctor. What d'you think? D'you want to know?"

There was a long pause. The other man just looked at the Doctor, hope and fear building into indecision on his face.

He can't refuse the offer, Viera thought, her expression pinched with sympathy. The truth might be awful, but not knowing would drive him mad.

Finally he dropped his gaze and nodded once, sharply.

"Come, Rosita!" he beckoned. "We'd best be inside for this." The Doctor gave him a look of mingled pity and pride and clasped him on the shoulder. Rosita led the way, and they all trailed inside.

They were all quiet as they went back inside. The Doctor found a seat on the edge of a table and propped his feet up on a desk. The other man and Rosita sat on proper chairs in front of him, as attentive as children at story time. There was another chair in the corner, but Viera nudged the Doctor over and perched on the table beside him.

When they were all settled in, the Doctor began to tell the story. His gentle, steady voice made Viera think of safety and home, despite the seriousness of the tale. "The story begins with the Cybermen. Creatures from a universe hidden beneath our own, just out of sight. But then a long time away, and not so far from here... the Cybermen were fought, and they were beaten, and they were sent into a howling wilderness, called the Void. Locked inside forevermore. But then a greater battle rose up, so great that everything inside the Void perished. But as the walls of the world weakened, the last of the Cybermen must have fallen through the dimensions. Back in time. To land here. And they found you."

"I fought them. I know that. But what happened..?" the other man asked.

"At the same time... Another man came to London. Mr Jackson Lake! Plenty of luggage. Money in his pocket."

It was then that Viera finally realized how the story was going to end. The money in his pocket, the infostamp in the trunk… Jackson Lake wasn't dead; he'd forgotten himself.

"Maybe coming to town for the Winter season, I don't know," the Doctor continued. "But he found the Cybermen, too. And just like you, exactly like you, he took hold of an infostamp... "

"But he's dead," the other man interrupted, voice made insistent by fear more than belief. "Jackson Lake is dead. The Cybermen murdered him."

"There was no body," Viera murmured, her own mind still processing the realization.

"You kept all his suitcases, but you could never bring yourself to open them," the Doctor pointed out gently. "I told you the answer was in the fob watch. Can I see..?" The other man stared at him a moment, looking lost, but eventually he reached for a thin gold chain and drew out the watch. He handed it to the Doctor, who propped it up on his palm and turned it over. Two initials were carved on the back. "J.L. The watch is Jackson Lake's."'

Surprise then confusion washed over Jackson's expression; he looked pained the way he had in the Reverend's house when the memories had overwhelmed him.

"Jackson Lake is you, sir?" Astonishment coated Rosita's words.

"...but I'm the Doctor," Jackson said, trying to find even ground again.

The Doctor looked at him a moment then gently corrected him. "You became the Doctor. Because the infostamp you picked up was a book about one, particular man." He picked up the infostamp he'd found in the trunk and turned it on, aiming the projection at the wall. Viera watched the pictures curiously, far more interested than she'd been when the other infostamp showed a brief history of London. Face after face flickered over the wall. Viera counted them and wondered if they were all really the Doctor or just faces from his past.

"The Cybermen's database. Stolen from the Daleks inside the Void, I'd say. But it's everything you could want to know about the Doctor."

Viera had counted to ten when the face of the Doctor she knew entered the projection.

"And that's you," Jackson breathed, stunned.

"Time Lord. Tardis. Enemy of the Cybermen. The one, and the only." A smile played across the Doctor's lips, but it was subdued, a mere shadow of his usual enthusiasm. Compassion kept his voice quiet. He turned off the infostamp. Jackson covered his face with his hands. "D'you see? The Infostamp must have backfired. Streamed all of that information, about me, right inside your head."

As acceptance came, so did pained defeat. "I'm nothing but a lie," Jackson murmured.

"No, no, no, no, no," the Doctor rushed to correct him. "Infostamps are just facts and figures. All that bravery – saving Rosita, defending London town! Hm?" He leaned forward to peer into Jackson's face, a hopeful smile on his own. Jackson was shaking and pale in the candlelight, still struggling with his identity.

"And us," Viera added. "You saved us in that house."

The Doctor nodded earnestly. "And the invention! Building a TARDIS! That's all you."

"And what else?" Jackson demanded, suddenly angry. The Doctor's smile vanished, but he didn't speak right away. "Tell me. What else?"

"...there's still something missing, isn't there?" the Doctor said quietly.

Something lost… something stolen, Viera remembered how broken even the fragments of memory had left Jackson and shivered. She pulled her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs, heart heavy with foreboding.

"I demand you tell me, sir! Tell me what they took!" Jackson ordered desperately.

"I'm sorry. Really, I'm so sorry," the Doctor said, tired and worn with hard-earned empathy. "But that's an awful lot of luggage for one man. 'Cause an Infostamp is plain technology. It's not enough to make a man lose his mind. What you suffered, is called a fugue. A fugue state. Where the mind just runs away, because it can't bear to look back. You wanted to become someone else, because Jackson Lake had lost so much."

The bells of a clock tolled outside, their rich tones barely disrupting the grim mood. "Midnight. Christmas Day," Rosita said absently.

Jackson didn't seem to hear her or the bells, lost in the tangle his own memories. "I remember... Oh my God..." he whispered. "Caroline. They killed my wife. They killed her." He broke down with a sob, covering his mouth as his words became whimpers. Rosita rubbed his back, concern and helpless sorrow on her face. The Doctor and Viera could only watch miserably as he mourned.

The infostamp in the Doctor's hand began beeping like an alarm clock, the end glowing a bright blue. The sound was echoed by the other infostamp from the Reverend's house. The Doctor dug it out but they heard yet another quiet echo of the beeping.

"What is that?" Viera asked, feeling guilty at how relieved she felt to have a distraction to latch onto. The Doctor turned this way and that, trying to pinpoint the noise.

"There's more of them," he muttered, making his way to the luggage. He popped open one of the trunks and his eyebrows rose. Nestled in the clothes lay what looked like a sash or belt, leather straps holding more than a dozen infostamps in place.

"Oh, you found a whole cache of Infostamps!" the Doctor said, pulling them out.

"But what's that noise?" Rosita demanded.

"Activation. A call to arms." Urgency raised the Doctor's voice into a cry as he dropped the infostamps and bolted towards the door. "The Cybermen are moving!"

Viera was taken aback by his sudden departure, but instinct had her racing after him without needing to think about it. She paused only to yell back over her shoulder. "Sorry!" she apologized, feeling awful for abandoning Jackson while he was bowed with grief. It couldn't be helped, though. The world, or perhaps just London was in need of saving again, and there was no way in hell she was letting the Doctor do it alone. "We'll be back!" Assuming we survive. Then Viera slipped out the door and ran after the Time Lord, praying she wouldn't get lost.

Wouldn't that just figure, Viera thought as she paused outside to get her bearings. The Doctor was nowhere to be seen. Worry clawed at her nerves, but she made herself take a deep breath and think. Which way would he have gone? There's no obvious trail of chaos to follow… Viera bit her lip and looked around, bouncing on her toes as she felt she was running out of time. The longer she took, the farther away he got. Then her gaze fell on the snow and she nearly smacked herself in the forehead.

Viera took off running again, following the very distinct tracks of the Doctor's sneakers among the other footprints in the snow.

She found him standing with a few other onlookers, watching a grim parade of children trudging by. They looked miserable, downcast and cold.

"Where are they going?" Viera asked, looking up at the Doctor. He shook his head slowly to indicate he didn't know. "Who are they?"

"Orphans," he said quietly. A man in a black coat and top hat strode behind the children and immediately the Doctor was distracted. He jogged up beside the man, eyeing the strange earpieces he was wearing.

"Those don't belong in this time," Viera observed worriedly. "Are those from the Cybermen?"

"Yes, I do believe so. Can you hear me?" the Doctor asked the man in the top hat. There was no reaction. "Hello? No? Mr. Cole, you seem to have something in your ear. Now this might hurt a bit, but if I can just…" He reached for his sonic screwdriver, but a rumbling growl from the shadows made him pause. A dark masked creature like the one that had taken the Doctor and Jackson up the building peered out from the shadows.

"They're on guard. Can't risk a fight. Not with the children," the Doctor said.

"But what do they want from them?" Viera asked.

The young man who'd helped Jackson with the balloon wandered over. "All need a good whipping, if you ask me."

"They what?!" Viera snapped, turning on him with a scowl twisting into her expression. She couldn't help it. They were just kids, tired and alone. What they needed was to be looked after.

Jed seemed startled by her sudden vehemence. He raised his hands slightly in a gesture of surrender. "Was just sayin'," he protested. "There's tons of 'em. I've just seen another lot coming from the Ingleby Workhouse, down Broadback Lane-"

The Doctor interrupted him urgently. "Where's that?"

"Just down that street there," Jed replied, pointing. "Fifth on the right, few streets down, then left."

"Come on," the Doctor said. Viera followed as he raced down the street, following Jed's directions easily. They staggered to a stop at the sight of two more men with top hats, each with their own silent processions of children.

I don't understand. "What are they going to do with them?" Viera asked the Doctor, frightened for the children and the one who had been taken before. "And why children?" Why not target adults? It wasn't like the average grownup had any more defense against the Cybermen than the children did.

The Doctor glanced at her, expression solemn in the flickering shadows of firelight. "They're orphans," he reminded her gently. "With the owners of the workhouses in their control… there's no one to miss them. No one to make a fuss."

No one to protect them. "There's us," she said, quiet and fierce as she watched the children pass with watering eyes. Viera felt her heart twist with a physical ache, because the truth was, even if they saved the children from the Cybermen, they couldn't save them from their loneliness. They couldn't bring back their parents or take them all on the TARDIS or promise they'd never be unwanted, unprotected again. They might be able to save the children's lives, but they'd have to survive the rest on their own.

Her unguarded expression was all too easy to interpret. Empathizing with her thoughts, the Doctor squeezed her shoulder and let his hand linger.

"There's us," he agreed.

They hid behind an archway and stacked barrels, watching from a distance as the children were escorted past a large, foreboding doorway. The two Cybermen standing guard turned and marched after them when the last child was through.

"Where do you think that goes?" Viera asked.

"Where ever it is, we're going to have to find another way in," said the Doctor. "There's got to be another door… or a window… a ventilation shaft… Haven't climbed through one of those lately," he mused, a flicker of his usual grin on his face. They skirted the edge of the building, but when they turned the corner they skidded to a stop. Two Cybermen too in the next archway, looking right at them.

"Oh! That's cheating!" the Doctor protested. "Sneaking up. Did you have your legs on silent?"

An elegant woman dressed all in red walked out of the shadows, calm as could be, and stepped right into reach of the Cybermen. "So, what do we have here?" she asked, her gentle accent lending sophistication to her tone.

Viera held her breath, waiting for the Cybermen to attack her. They were too far away to stop it.

The Doctor's bearing was suddenly completely serious as he tried to coax the woman away from the danger. His arms reached for her though his feet didn't move. "Listen, just walk towards me, slowly. Don't let them touch you..."

"Oh, but they wouldn't hurt me, my fine boys," the woman said fondly. "They are my knights in shining armor. Quite literally."

"You're working with them?" Viera asked, confused.

The Doctor was still reaching for her, though his arms had dropped a little. The worry in his voice had faded into something Viera thought might be a prelude to resignation, but the coaxing tone didn't leave. He'd do everything he could for that woman, but Viera knew even he couldn't save someone who didn't want to be saved.

"Even if they've converted you, that's not a Cyber speech patter. You've still got free will. I'm telling you, just step away…"

Conversion? Viera wondered, suddenly wishing she'd made time to question the Doctor more on the nature of the Cybermen.

"There's been no conversion, sir," the woman corrected him. "No one's ever been able to change my mind. The Cybermen offered me the one thing I wanted. Liberation."

"What are they doing with the children?" Viera asked the moment there was a break in the conversation.

Cool disdain dripped from the woman's voice as she answered. "That is none of your concern."

"I beg to differ," said the Doctor, his own tone growing colder though a smile stretched across his face. He didn't like them targeting kids any more than Viera did.

"And who are you?" the woman asked with narrowed eyes.

He rocked back on his heels, all confidence and swagger. "I'm the Doctor."

"Incorrect," one of the Cybermen bleated. "You do not correspond to our image of the Doctor."

"Yeah, but that's 'cause your database got corrupted," said the Doctor. "Oh, look, look, look! Check this! The Doctor's infostamp." He pulled out an infostamp from his pocket and tossed it to the Cyberman. Viera had to admit, she was a little curious about how much information was on that thing herself.

The Cyberman popped open the top of the cylinder and studied it.

"Plug it in. Go on. Download," the Doctor urged.

The Cyberman looked up sharply. "The core has been damaged. This infostamp would damage Cyberunits."

"Oh well. Had to try," the Doctor said with slight grimace and a one-shouldered shrug.

With a snap the metal man closed the cylinder. "Core repaired. Download." The symbol on the Cyberman's chest opened up, leaving a hole just large enough to plug in the infostamp. A moment later he pulled it out again. "You are the Doctor," he stated.

"Hello," the Doctor greeted with a wave, unsmiling but calm.

"You will be deleted."

The hell he will, Viera thought, taking a step forward without thinking. The Doctor grabbed her arm to halt her, suddenly animated.

"No, no, but just… let me die happy," he stammered, motioning wildly for the Cybermen to halt. "Tell me one thing. What do you need those children for?"

The woman eyed him a moment then finally deigned to answer. "What are children ever needed for? They're a workforce."

They're just kids. Viera's eyes narrowed in dislike and anger, but she kept quiet and stayed where she was.

"But for what?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh, you'll see," the woman said smugly. "Very soon now, the whole Empire will see. And they will bow down in worship."

"And it's all in time for Christmas Day. Was that your idea, Miss…?"

"Hartigan," the woman replied. "And yes, it's the perfect day for a birth, with a new message for the people. Only this time, it won't be the words of a man."

"The birth of what?" the Doctor asked warily.

"A birth," was all she'd say. "And a death. Namely yours. Thank you, Doctor. Glad to have been part of your very last conversation," the woman said cheekily before turning to the Cybermen. "Now, delete them."

"Delete," the Cybermen echoed in sync. The stepped forward, their steps loud against the stone road with the weight of their metal bodies. It sounded awfully ominous.

Viera wondered if she could get them both to reach for her at once, and whether there was any chance they knew what she had done at the Reverend's house and might skip electrocution to go straight to strangling her or some such thing. The Doctor's grip on Viera's arm tightened. She met his gaze, listening to the Cybermen march closer, and for a moment she wondered if she was going to have to struggle to get him to let go. Then he dropped her arm, the set of his mouth grim.

The Cybermen got to them at the same time, but only one reach towards Viera while the other reached for the Doctor. He ducked out of the way, scrambling backwards. Viera stepped forward instead. She grabbed the Cyberman's buzzing hand, felt the electricity surge up the pathways in her arm and balanced on the tips of her toes to reach the robot's handle-shaped antenna. As she pushed the power through her other arm and into the Cyberman's head it gave a garbled cry and convulsed. Viera didn't let go until it stopped creating electricity, then she stepped out of the way as it collapsed with a clang.

She didn't see the other Cyberman come up behind her. The Doctor called a warning, but Viera's reflexes were too slow. She'd barely started to turn around when she felt the cold metal hands close around her neck.

"Don't!" the Doctor shouted. He sounded as commanding as Viera had ever heard him, but it was the quieter order from behind that stilled the Cyberman.

"Wait," Miss Hartigan said. Viera clutched at the Cyberman's grip with both hands, trying to pull him away far enough to take more than shallow gasping breaths. He wouldn't budge. She stretched up on the tips of her toes trying to find a better position, but that didn't do much good either. She could feel her skin bruising under the pressure of metal hands; it wouldn't take more than a twitch from the Cyberman to snap her neck.

At least it'd be a quick death, Viera mused, fear tangling with stunned numbness until she didn't know what she was feeling. God, quick or not, I don't want to die here. I know I ask this a lot, but… please, help me.

"Don't you move," Miss Hartigan ordered coldly. Viera couldn't see her, though she watched the Doctor freeze. Helpless anger ruled his expression, but something in his eyes told her his mind was going a thousand miles a minute, looking for a way out.

"Let her go," the Doctor demanded. His voice was low and dangerous, but the Cyberman paid him no mind.

Viera heard Miss Hartigan's heels click against stone as she stalked closer. The edges of Viera's vision were obscured by growing spots of darkness, but she managed a vague glare in Miss Hartigan's direction as she strode into sight.

"What did you do?" Miss Hartigan demanded. Viera couldn't have answered if she wanted to; she didn't have the breath to make a sound.

Please…

"Let her go," the Doctor repeated, ignoring the question. "There are better ways to get what you want." Even the coaxing tenor didn't quite erase the dangerous undertones in his voice. Viera thought they'd be wiser to listen. She wished they would; she needed so badly to breathe. Tears pricked at Viera's eyes, prompting pleading in the Doctor's voice. "We can work something out. Just let her go."

Miss Hartigan wasn't interesting in negotiating. After a brief pause of consideration she turned towards the shadows. "Shades!" she hollered. Two of the shaggy black creatures galloped into sight, garbled growls in their throats.

They were last things Viera saw before her vision went dark. She clung to her other senses just long enough to hear Miss Hartigan's orders.

"Take her. And be rid of the Doctor!"

No. No! Run. Please run.

The Cyberman's obedient "Delete!" would echo in her nightmares.