Time Stands Still

by azaadin

Two fanfiction authors find themselves living the same nightmare as their characters. What will they do to find a way home against a Doctor who is determined to keep them with him forever?

11. Rags to Riches

Note: We are very sorry for the delay but life and its many intricacies has been a pivotal factor in our lives. Thank you all for your patience.

azaadin & emptyvoices

Chapter 11: Rags to Riches

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Rose and the Doctor followed Mickey out of the time ship. But Bec was simply looking at Cathryn, noticing the lack of the TARDIS in her mind, already missing the warmth of its presence. She briefly frowned at her friend wondering if despite the circumstances, whether she felt the same way. Cathryn nodded, feeling the ship's absence acutely, reminded of how she felt in France. A part of her was empty; simply alone. It felt wrong. Bec reached out, instinctively taking her friend's hand.

The Doctor turned back to look at his children, sensing how they comforted each other. As hard as the transition was on them, he was grateful he could feel the compassion they shared. It gave him hope. Maybe he'd lost his ship, his oldest friend, but he still had his family. They were alive, and if he had anything to say about it, that was how they'd remain.

The Time Lord looked up at the sky, noticing the problem. Not only was the color slightly skewed, something he could tell by his strengthened vision, the other differences were startling. He winced, feeling how even time felt wrong here. A various degree faster. The blimps only confirmed what his senses told him. They were in grave danger. This was another universe. And they weren't supposed to be here. It was one more sensation added to the loss of his ship.

The Doctor hoped the accelerated temporal movement of this universe wouldn't play havoc with his children's development. Thank Rassilon he'd given them intravenous implants before the TARDIS lost power. He might still have a few syringes in his pocket. But even if he'd managed to find everything he needed to make more, he had no idea if the organic components of this universe would react the right way. He knew there was no way home. They were stuck here. There was no way for him to get access to what he needed to help his children. If his girls hadn't warned him ahead of time, he never would have come up with the idea of using intravenous solutions. Chances were they'd be dead within days. The Time Lord shuddered at the thought.

He glanced back at Bec and Cathryn, remembering what they'd told him. How did they know? How had they so accurately predicted what would happen to his TARDIS? How could they be such powerful visionaries when they were still so underdeveloped? The Doctor turned his attention back to his companions. Whatever the reasons, they were here now, and he needed to start focusing on their survival.

"So, this is London?" The Doctor had interrupted Mickey's monologue who was chatting while looking at a discarded newspaper. So much for being stuck in the void, Mickey thought.He remembered Bec and Cathryn mentioning it in the kitchen. He smirked internally to himself. It appeared as though they travelled only a few days ahead in the future. So much for being a Time Lord, He thought.

"Yep," he confirmed, still flicking through the paper. Bec and Cathryn stepped out of the TARDIS while Mickey was speaking.

"Your city?" continued the alien.

"That's the one," answered Mickey, finally happy to prove the Doctor wrong.

"Just as you left it?"

"Bang on."

The ancient Gallifreyan wondered how long it was going to take for Mickey, the Idiot to realize the obvious. "And that includes the zeppelins?" He wondered if the boy would finally get it.

Rose and Mickey looked up.

"What the hell?" Mickey called out, wondering if this was what Bec and Cathryn had been talking about.

"Parallel reality," Bec muttered. "It's not yours," She managed to tell Mickey. "And not ours." Her last few words were faint, but Cathryn heard her and squeezed her hand knowingly.

The Doctor merely squinted and he exhaled briefly. Were his girls' senses so acute that they were able to discern such distinctions between realities this early in their transition? Still, it did alleviate him greatly. He wouldn't have to worry about them running off under the misconception they had been returned to their own universe to find their loved ones since they knew already this wasn't their home. It was one less thing he had to worry about from the burdens weighing heavily on his conscience.

"It's beautiful," Rose stated.

But the Doctor and Mickey weren't listening. They were looking back at the girls. Mickey was staring at them, already deciding he'd do whatever it took to help them get away, while the Doctor was looking at them because of the strong shift in their emotions, powerful enough to echo clearly through the fledgling Bond to him. Both girls were looking up at the sky, staring at the zeppelins, sending relief flooding through the family link. The joy he was picking up was almost as strong as their anger had been. The Doctor glanced at Rose before looking up at the blimps himself. What was it that the women in his life that they found so appealing about zeppelins? Although, he considered, if his girls were happy here, if this was an environment that were pleased to be in, were he could work on building their relationships, their family, then maybe being stuck in this dimension wouldn't be so bad. He just wished it wasn't so dangerous.

"We should find shelter," the Doctor spoke up. "Then we'll need to begin creating identifications and histories if we're going to incorporate ourselves into this world's society. We'll need to be careful not to affect their time lines, but..."

Bec's stomach plunged and her heart leapt into her throat at the Doctor's wrong words. She didn't know what she and Cathryn had done to make the Doctor's reaction to this universe so different from the show, but she wasn't going to stand there and watch their plans fall apart. If they were going to get away from the Time Lord, he needed to go home. Besides, he was needed there, "The TARDIS isn't dead," she said quickly, speaking through the lump in her throat.

"How do you mean?" The Doctor glanced back and forth between Bec and his faithful ship.

"There's a little piece of her, a little light that's still there," Cathryn explained, agreeing with Bec's understanding of the situation. From her perspective, he already thought they had precognition. It was better than the alternative. Better than him knowing there was a dimension where his life was a television show. Although, she'd prefer not to let him continue in a belief that was ultimately false, one thought process was better than the other. They'd tried to tell him their knowledge was nothing but a few stories before in the dimension of their origin but that explanation didn't seem to hold any weight, based on the way he'd responded to them in France. Semantics, she thought. Besides, they were in Pete's World now. If all went well, and with Mickey on their side, their time with the Doctor would soon be drawing to a close.

"You can sense that?!" The Time Lord raced back into his TARDIS before either girl could answer. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver, and began searching. If his girls were right, they might be able to go home. And if they were sharing that information, it was a good sign they were starting to warm up to him. They wanted to go home too.

Rose followed behind wanting to assist him despite her curiosity of this 'other' London with its sky full of zeppelins. Besides, the Doctor could better explain what had happened while they attempted to fix the TARDIS, even if he ended up doing most of the work.

The two girls lingered just outside with Mickey but the Doctor wasn't too concerned, not after seeing their desire to return home by their helping him. Also, with the implants installed, he had a constant signal regularly transmitted to his screwdriver updating him of their location in relation to him and, if the situation require it, he could deliver a dose of sedative at just a press of the button. He would know if they wandered too far partially through the bond and the status of the implants.

"Nice view of the Thames right over there, isn't it?" Mickey said to them with a gesture and a subtle though the Doctor had returned to his ship, he decided discretion was still essential, and the three of them needed to talk. He might not be Time Lord but, given what they told him, he knew they had seen this coming. Why they had finally now chosen to confide in him.

"It's lovely." Cathryn started to follow Mickey to the railing with Bec just behind her. She always did love looking at the water. It delivered a sort of tranquility despite life's discordant danger and its series of ups and downs. Yes, life was treacherous but the sea was often so steady barring any storms. It brought a singular contrast of flowing calm as the current continued to shift down the Thames to the open ocean.

"Not too far, you three," the Doctor called out from the console room. Now, he had his granddaughters and two companions to care for. "While I'm looking at the TARDIS, no wandering off." He was at the door. "It's very dangerous. We have no idea what's out there."

"We're just looking at the water." Cathryn's tone became emotionless. "That against some high and mighty Time Lord rule?"

The Doctor frowned and sighed, rubbing his temples at Cathryn's sarcasm. The water, he thought as he rocked back on his heels, feeling the underlying sense of bitterness coursing through Cathryn. He remembered how he told himself that he needed to fix things between himself and his granddaughters. The dire nature considering how things had fallen due to their outright fear. "The water is fine," he said finally. Relief became prominent between his girls through the bond, surprising him slightly that such a small dispensation elicited such a strong response. Maybe that was it. Freedom as Rose had mentioned before. His granddaughters needed little freedoms to stretch their legs and, certainly, having some distance to look at the parallel world's Thames could do little harm. Besides, he had a tedious task ahead of him. He turned back to the console room and began the process of lifting up floor panels to access the circuitous layers of cables underneath.

A whole lot of work to do. He exhaled briefly as he, with a bit of Rose's help started to look for the spark his granddaughters had mentioned had thankfully pointed him towards.

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The crowds of pedestrians near the railing and the many barges passing gave Cathryn a sense of nostalgia. Possibly a faint reminder of those pleasures in life when she had taken a luxury cruise. Even a barge sailing past, marked a sensation of longing. The need to be onboard and freed from the circumstances surrounding her. She gripped the bar so tightly, her hand hurt while leaning far overhead, smelling the water as it churned just beneath her.

"What are you thinking about?" Mickey asked.

"Just….well, this parallel world I guess….and…." she said softly. The noise in the proximity should cover their words and the Doctor deeply buried in his work in the TARDIS, there was no way he could hear them now. Yes, we're safe. Enough time to tell him this. "Seeing my family." She knew this wasn't her universe but symbolically it almost represented a gateway back to her reality considering the accomplishment they would make in dimensional jumpers. She held tightly on to the iron railing in dear hope. "It looks different from when I was in London before." She paused. "Our London." She bit her lip, never thinking that one version of reality could vary so much from the other but… she hesitated seeing the newspaper in Mickey's hand. He had been looking at it with interest.

"We're really in another universe," he clarified. "But…" He grimaced in terms of sympathy. "It isn't yours, is it?" He didn't need them to answer, the truth was evident on their faces. "Dates about the same as when we left London after… the medbay..." He cleared his throat. It wasn't too long ago when Mickey asked to come onboard the TARDIS and the girls were dragged along as unwilling participants. "I mean, around the same time, that's all."

"Yeah," Cathryn said thoughtfully. "Visited here sometime back…." She was still grappling the differences but shrugged it aside. "That's when I visited here in our world…that month and year but….."She frowned, looking at the buildings with the House of Parliament just across the water. It looked ever so slightly skewed and the color a shade or two distant. "Weird. It even smells…I don't know. Does it smell off to you?" she asked Bec and Mickey.

"Not really," Mickey admitted. "Sorry." He was disappointed. Once he heard that this wasn't his original reality, he had hoped fate would have seen the girls back to theirs. But, then strangely from their expressions, they seemed to have anticipated this misadventure, almost relished it. He wondered if it was also a part of the show they had been talking to him about especially with the book Cathryn had shown him.

Bec swallowed, nodding, knowing precisely what her friend was feeling. The lingering scent was slightly odd but she couldn't put her finger on it. Still, she tried to concentrate to the task at hand. "This has to work." She paused. "No, it will work and when the Doctor goes back to his universe…."

"So, that was your plan." Mickey smirked, grasping onto the notion the girls were formulating. He wasn't the idiot after all. In fact, he had insider knowledge. He knew something the Doctor didn't. The girls had pointed out the fact the TARDIS wasn't fully dead for a reason and the only reason why they hadn't told him about ending up here…. he placed his hands into the pockets of his jacket. They were going to. We were interrupted when we landed here. He glanced around this new version of London, thinking of the concept of parallel worlds. It's brilliant. Perfect place for them to hide.

"Yes," Cathryn agreed. "Yes, this was our entire plan. If we get away, he won't feel us through that Bond he made and when he returns to his dimension, the Bond will sever." She decided to leave out that it could be a fate worse than death. Considering the Bond was new, she didn't know if such consequences were necessarily factual.

"What about me?" the young man asked in confusion. "How do I fit in? Can't I help?"

"You're the most important person in our entire strategy." The brunette clasped his arm. "You have the device to deactivate our implants and…" She breathed deeply. "Well, Mickey, about your Gran…"

"What?" Mickey was guarded. Maybe he wouldn't like this newest revelation. His Gran had died after all in a preventable accident he should have fixed. He had berated himself ever since he had lost her.

"A version of your grandmother still lives here. She's not the same Gran that you knew…. Mickey, no one can replace her, but the gran here, she's very much the same." Cathryn pursed her lips. She hoped she wasn't adjusting with the timeline too severely in telling Mickey this. Still, his Gran was going to see him regardless of their advice.

Bec spoke quietly. "We may be asking a lot. What we want to ask you to do is to stop travelling on the TARDIS. Settle down here. We know it's not fully your home but with your Gran here, it will help. And then there's the three of us. We can make a go of it here."

He suddenly swept them in an embrace. "Are you kidding? You're telling me my Gran is here and you both are going to stay. Course, I'll stay and help." He nodded. "We still need a plan."

Bec glanced at all the zeppelins flying overhead. "You need to go see your Gran. You'll meet your counterpart and his friends. Don't worry. They're good people once you get to know them. Then if you can, you need to help locate a ride for us out of the city. We'll contact you as soon as the Doctor is gone. We'll-"

"Bec, your phone." Cathryn muttered. She had used her sonic to adjust it into super phone under the Doctor's instruction back when he'd first given them their own screwdrivers. Bec slowly nodded and understood while handing it to Mickey. "Text us only on that or call when you are absolutely assured you are not being overheard."

"I'll turn mine on silent, just in case," Cathryn said to him.

"What do you mean 'counterpart'?" Mickey interrupted, thinking hard.

"Well," Bec began nervously. She didn't know how much they could safely tell him without risking the events that were to come. Mickey was very critical. 'Mickey the Idiot', who hacks the Cybus Industries computer for the code to the emotional inhibitor. We can't risk changing it. Too many people's lives were at risk. She glance at Cathryn. "I don't know how much we should say. Every little thing, even us-" she gestured between herself and her American friend "-being here changes things. Something is coming, and..." she broke off.

"Something bad," Mickey completed, taking in their serious demeanors.

"Something very bad," Bec agreed softly, her heart suddenly turning towards all the people who would suffer. Those who would walk like lambs to the slaughterhouse to be converted into monsters, those who lost loved ones to the factory. She suddenly remembered the bride that the Doctor and Mrs Moore would speak to, after her emotional inhibitor chip had been disabled, as she asked after her fiancé, Garath. So many people and families would suffer, so much pain. And yet, she couldn't quite bring the scene to memory properly, couldn't remember the bride's name, like it had never happened.

She shook her head, trying to pull out of her grief. There wasn't any way to stop it. Everything was already in place, and no one would listen to them if they told them to take their ear buds out. And if they changed things too much, the Doctor might not be able to save everyone anymore. No, they couldn't change events and risk something worse happening. In fact, the had to make sure they got away from the Doctor to protect all those he would one day save.

"If it's so bad, and you know it's coming, can't you stop it from happening?" the young man asked. "We could tell the Doctor. If anyone can think of a way out..." He slowly broke off as the two women sadly shook their heads at him.

Bec glanced nervously at Cathryn. "I already might have said too much," she admitted nervously, thinking of what she had said in France about him just being a story. She doubted he would believe them, but still worried at her words. She kept thinking about what Nine had thought after Lilly had told him he was only a story, a character on a TV show. She couldn't help but hope with some certainty that this Doctor would be the same, that he couldn't believe that they weren't precognitive in favour of the truth. "We can't risk saying anymore." She considered Living Fiction, where the Doctor had believed that in Laura and Honor's reality his life was just entertainment. He had explained, as he destroyed any evidence of their origin, that if anyone learned the truth about their universe, that it was peopled by humans with such a powerful ability, many might try to break across the void to enslave the humans of their home, selling them off to the highest bidder, not to mention risking both universes as they punctured holes between them. No, they couldn't risk saying more, and Bec hoped her angry words hadn't been too much.

"We can't change it," Cathryn clarified to Micky. "We can't. We might make it worse. But if things go as they should, you'll be happy here, Mickey."

"So, it can't be avoided." Mickey looked at the two nervously. They hadn't deceived him before and often spoke up for him. His mind strayed to that Kindle book that Cathryn had showed him. A sketch of him was displayed next to Rose's picture as part of the Doctor's retinue of companions. And this is where I leave…He thought to himself. The two talked about staying on a specific predisposed plan of him going to his grandmother. His stomach clenched considering the importance they laid upon him, what if he failed? His anxiety was evident. The girls were confident he wouldn't fail but he felt uneasy at the prospect knowing very well that he still might let everyone down.

Cathryn glanced at Bec. "It's like tossing a pebble into a still pond. There are ripples. Toss more stones, those ripples becomes waves."

"Or perhaps like lighting a match right next to a kerosene tank." Bec shook her head. "We can't risk it. Even trying to save a life…." She swallowed thinking of Jackie's dimensional duplicate here. She knew on the show she was converted to a Cyberman and, distantly, she could recall the off screen screaming as the procedure was done. None of that matched the agony when Jackie realised that her brain had been transplanted into a metal suit. When she realised what she was. A machine that tried to cry, that wanted to cry only to beg for death. Could I… She thought of how Rose might react, knowing she would be in the proximity but unable to intervene.

Cathryn squeezed her hand and looked at her meaningfully in the eyes. The word was clear in the brunette's gaze. No. Of course it was no. It was too risky. Trying to save one life might mean ten others could perish. The thread they were tip toeing along was difficult as it was.

"Mickey, we would save them if we could but…" Her voice trailed. "It's….yes, people will die. Maybe hundreds. But if we changed anything critical, thousands or millions could die." Cathryn swallowed. "You'll be fine as long as you go to her house. Then, you'll know what to do. But just head there. The rest will be clear."

"Alright," he finally acknowledged. "Fine. But I'll be checking in so don't forget about me." Pulling the medical device he had seen the Doctor use to activate their implants from his jacket, he held it out to Bec who quickly took it, secreting it inside her own coat while chortling at Mickey's statement.

Cathryn too gave a small laugh. "Yeah, that'll happen." Bec ducked her head down. "And when this is over…"

"Already planning our next visit?" The Doctor had only overheard their last two remarks and was encouraged by it. Maybe now, they were starting to find some excitement in travelling after the shock they endured in the 18th Century. He knew he could do with a bit of actual holiday especially after losing Reinette. Her letters to the girls….he inhaled through his nose. No. He decided. Best to wait for the TARDIS to fully recharge and now that he secured their way back in just under twenty three hours and forty two minutes, they might try to enjoy themselves.

"Where's Rose?" he asked. "Thought you three would be keeping an eye out for her."

It's already wrong, Bec thought. She knew the Doctor had asked Mickey to keep an eye on Rose while he was working in the TARDIS but Mickey stayed with Cathryn and Bec. She tensed at this slight deviation.

"Oh, it's Rose. She's all right," Mickey replied.

"She goes wandering off." The Doctor sounded particularly annoyed. "Parallel world, it's like a gingerbread house. All those temptations calling out."

"But nothing to tempt the rest of us?" He momentarily froze as Cathryn and Bec gave him meaningful glances. "I mean, kind of interesting. Don't you think? Traffic lights could be blue. Tony Blair never got elected. What else could change?"

Cathryn pondered how a parallel world could act as the 'gingerbread house' out of the Hansel and Gretel' story in Grimm's fairy tales. Then she considered it. The gingerbread house. A sugary, delicious confection that composed the entire home. The Doctor's idea of heaven. She thought wryly but grimaced. It wouldn't be a gingerbread house without a wicked witch inside.

The Doctor gave a calculated nod, giving a careful glance at his girl's arms where the syringes were implanted while checking his sonic discreetly. Still well within tolerance despite the additional stress of travelling to another reality. "A lot to think about but I can't worry about everything." He had plenty on his plate already. He wrestled one hand through his hair. "So…" He glanced over, an expression filled with relief as both Bec and Cathryn turned with him.

"There you are." He was making swift strides toward the blonde. "You alright?" His voice was filled with concern but for the moment Rose was silent. Her face downcast. "What, no applause? I fixed it. Twenty four hours, then we'll be flying back to reality? What is it?' Another step closer to Rose.

As those two huddled together, Cathryn, Bec and Mickey took a step back. Rose was holding out her phone, explaining the Cybus Network, which gave her direct internet access along with information telling her that her own counterpart didn't exist in this reality. This Pete and Jackie were rich and seemed to want for nothing. Not even children. Still Rose was caught in a sudden fervor. Cathryn recognized the look in the blonde's eyes. It was the same her actress counterpart tried to display for the television show back at home during the episode Father's Day. She wanted so badly to say good-bye to her father and the ninth Doctor permitted it while warning her that his death was a fixed event. But she was impetuous and the last second, pushed her father out of the way of the speeding car causing reapers to surge into their reality. Potentially sanitize the world, killing every living thing on it. Oh, how Rose did argue even when she was wrong. She had a stubborn streak and now…. Cathryn glanced at the sidewalk beneath her feet…. well, this discussion was considerably domestic. The two arguing like a newly involved couple having a small spat. If the situation wasn't so precarious, she might almost enjoy it.

"I just want to see him!" Rose said adamantly.

"I can't let you," the Doctor said, his voice firm.

Oh, of course. That will surely work, Bec thought, humming briefly to herself, her thoughts absently turning to her guitar back in the TARDIS as she tuned the quarrel out.

"You just said twenty four hours!"

"You can't become their daughter in less than twenty four hours. That's not the way it works." The Doctor looked at his companion in frustration. "Cathryn, Bec-"

"Rebecca." The other blond corrected, unwilling to budge on his use of her nickname.

He sighed. This was starting out so well. Pressing his lips together, the Doctor continued, rocking back on his heels. "Rebecca, tell her. Tell Rose that she can't become their child in the space of a day."

"Why not?" Cathryn asked as the Doctor turned on her with a look of shock.

Rose looked at her, eyes wide, a small smile playing on her lips. She understands where I'm comin' from, she realized. Sometimes the Doctor doesn't get it but Cathryn and Bec…

" 'Why not?' " the Time Lord repeated with exasperation, abruptly cutting into Rose's thoughts. He made the phrase sound utterly foreign on his tongue.

"Yeah, I mean you initiated that Bond in less than a day. So why can't Rose become their daughter in less than a day?" Cathryn's voice was caustic. She was pointing out the Doctor's dreadful hypocrisy. One she thought in every inch he readily deserved.

"No, he's right," Bec pointed out, seemingly taking the Doctor's side to which he nodded in agreement. "Alternate universe. A gingerbread house, he said," she pointed out bitterly. "We're from an alternate universe and, look, the witch got us." She vaguely waved her hand in the Doctor direction, making her indictment clear.

He closed his eyes momentarily, pausing in himself, seeking the patience he needed with them. When he opened his eyes again, having deliberately set aside his girl's contributions to the argument in his mind, it was to see Rose slowly backing away. But before he could call out to her again, Mickey's voice piped up.

"Twenty four hours, yeah?" he asked, thinking over what Bec and Cathryn had told him. His Gran... If she was truly alive here, if he could see her again... He too began walking away from the Doctor, deliberately walking the other way, forcing the alien to make a choice, even though he knew what it would be.

"Where're you going?" the Time Lord called impatiently, frustrated at losing control of the situation more and more.

"Well, I can do what I want," Mickey called back defiantly. "You wanna come with?" he invited, glancing at his two newest friends.

Immediately Bec felt a surge of negative within her, as strong and unpleasant as the taste of bile surging at the back of her throat. She shook her head, absently noticing Cathryn do the same. The Doctor continued to argue with his companions as the two girls turned to each other, their fearful eyes admitting that they had both felt it, whatever it was. They had never had any intention of going with Mickey anyway. They knew he had to do this on his own, and knew they wouldn't have the opportunity to escape unless they stayed with the Doctor for now, but that surge of negative, that compulsion to turn down Mickey's innocent but kind request... It felt unnatural.

They instinctively reached out and took each other's hand, needing the support of the other, but having no other way to offer it with the Doctor so near.

"Back here, twenty four hours!" the ancient alien was saying to Mickey once Bec properly tuned in again. "Come on," he directed in a softer tone to his girls, though his voice was adamant, brokering no room for argument, as he gestured after Rose.

The two numbly acquiesced, still feeling somehow shaken. It didn't take long for the three of them to catch up with the young blonde, as she had slowed down once she saw they were following after her.

"Rose, this isn't a good idea," he began softly when they reached her, his very words betraying his concession.

"No, I know they're not my mum and dad," Rose admitted. "I've already got a mum, another mum. I just want to see him."

The Doctor sighed to himself, trying to consider ways to convince Rose to listen to him. He briefly glanced back at his girls, whom were following very docilely, their eyes heavy and burdened. He regretted his use of the Bond. With Rose and Mickey pulling in different directions, each intent on chasing after the deliciously juicy poisoned apple, the thought of his granddaughters wandering out of his sight had caused him a moment of sheer panic which echoed through the Bond. He had gritted his teeth, bottling the emotion beneath the surface, forcing himself to think rationally, to find a logical way to convince his companions to heed him rather than being driven by their own emotional instincts, but his panic had spilled through the Bond, overpowering the peace, warmth and belonging that he unceasingly sent, comforting the dear little children of his family, and flooding them with his panicked refusal of Mickey's offer. He had kept his denial hidden from the sight as much as possible, only a hint of its depth splashing across his features, but his two children, still so young and naïve of the Bond, silently gave voice to his refusal for them to go with the young man.

He couldn't bear to think of the consequences if he lost track of them in this parallel universe, especially with them already reluctant to be in his company. The only consolation he could give himself if they were separated from him, was that the implants would keep them alive, maintaining their tenuous physiology, until he could find them once more, ever transmitting updates to him on the state of their health.

"Where do you think he's off to anyway?" he asked his companion, deliberately trying to steer to safer, less contentious, topics.

"His grandmother," Cathryn said, deliberately cutting off Rose as the Doctor paused merely to stare at her. Rose too gazed at the brunette at this impromptu revelation.

"What?" Cathryn shrugged. "He told us about her and… his Gran. He said she was amazing…." Her voice trailed. It wouldn't be long. Neither she nor Bec would have to defend themselves from adamant accusations of their visionary ability or any claims to ancestral knowledge. She took a deep breath, glancing at Bec. The lingering sensation of negative energy seemed to languish at the back of her mind. Lately, she had adopted a rather numbed and apathetic approach as a means to get her through each day and every hour so even the strong emotional surge was….unsettling. She glanced at Bec pondering whether she felt the same since she too had been taken from her own reality.

Rose gave a brief nod, the other girl's statement making sense. Lately the three had almost been as thick as thieves. "She's right. First place he would have gone. Mickey's mum couldn't cope with 'im and his dad only hung around a while but then, he just sorta wandered off." She swallowed, thinking about Mickey. How difficult it had been. It was one of the things they had in common. The absence of a parent. "He was brought up by his Gran." She looked at Cathryn and Bec. "And she was a great woman." A hint of tragedy echoed in Rose's voice. "But then she died. Jus' tripped and fell down the stairs. It was about five years ago now. I was still in school…." Her voice broke off. It was before she had to quit. To help her mum and certainly that took precedence. Pressing her tongue against her teeth, she starting blinking rapidly. Bec and Cathryn remained silent, consumed by their own separation. Their tragedies. The bleak pang of loss resonated in them all as they simply stood on a busy London sidewalk taking a moment to observe what their lives had become.

"I never knew." The Doctor seemed to have spent so much time arguing with the young man that he didn't attempt to pick apart Mickey's past. He only remembered distinctly, however, when Cathryn accused him of taking the young man for granted.

"Well, you never asked," Rose replied, shaking her head.

"And if you admit it, you just weren't that interested," Cathryn said under her breath. Bec was tempted to nudge her with her elbow. The Time Lord looked back at her. Clearly, he had heard her remark. His expression was filled with both indignation and just a bit of remorse.

"Neither one of you said," he offered. "If I knew-"

"If you knew…" Cathryn looked at him meaningfully. "What? You would stop calling him an idiot?" She and Bec exchanged glances. "Because we both know that is exactly what you think of him. You take him for granted. You always have."

Any defence the Doctor may have offered cooled on his lips as all the people walking on the street around them suddenly paused.

Bec had been intently listening out for the alarm that had played on the show, heralding the impending update, but it had never come, the people simply paused in their tracks as if by their own accord. Lambs for the slaughter, she thought again, dropping her gaze away as she fought the sudden urge to cry. How many of these people would be dead or converted by this time tomorrow? She tried to push back the mental image that superimposed itself over the world around her that they were walking in the middle of a living graveyard with the dead standing around them. She instinctively reached for Cathryn's hand once more as the Doctor stepped closer to the living dead to inspect their earpieces.

Cathryn found the reality of the situation exceptionally chilling. She never once found any of the assortment of zombie movies appealing but in a sense that was what this was. A variation of zombies plugged into and dependent on a streaming media source, now frozen in their tracks. Some in mid pace with one foot still in the air. The wind soared through London giving them a reminder of the natural temperate climate, rustling their hair, and disturbing any illusion that they were merely statues rendered immobile to time.

"What're they all doing?" Rose asked in a hushed whisper.

"They stopped." The Doctor was simply observing their flashing earpods nestled quite firmly around their heads.

Cathryn turned from the frozen crowd to look at the Doctor, askance. "Well, thank you, Captain Obvious." She wrapped her hands around her arms wishing that Bec and herself could have simply gone with Mickey. It would have been far better than having to watch this horrid display. She released a brief shudder at the motionless people around her. "They stopped. Well, there you go. Never would have picked that up with out you." Sarcasm was dripping from her tone. Yes, they were here but neither had to be happy about it and she had a feeling. The pulse of negative energy that seemed to force an automated response in their minds….could that really be….? Or…no. Perhaps it was randomly generated by their own anxiety and nerves, which made it to appear so unnatural but the timing…she was worried and when she worried, her dismal attitude became a now necessary defense.

"Cathryn," Bec murmured softly, trying to calm the other. Unlike the brunette, the situation had her lowering her voice instead of raising it. The silence around them was unnatural and eerie. No voices pierced the air but their own. No footsteps echoed on the pavement. All sounds of the living bodies around them had disappeared. Even the distant sound of traffic had faded to the idle of engines.

"Sorry," she muttered to Bec, glancing at her friend. The Doctor was looking at her while taking a discreet glance down at his sonic. The implants….Cathryn thought, pressing her lips together, meeting Bec's gaze. Her friend hadn't missed the Doctor's action despite the frozen people around them. Inside her pocket, Bec held onto the device, clutching it as a promise. That was their refuge. Once they were turned off….

The Time Lord sighed. The implants were functioning at peak efficiency regulating their hormones at optimal levels. Cathryn's attitude wasn't some malfunction or defect in his equipment. This was simply how she regarded him. He remembered Bec's terror when she faced him in the medbay. Cathryn too felt fear but at almost equal match to the sheer spite she radiated through the Bond. He winced briefly and tried to focus with the task at hand. It was a little obvious, he admitted to himself. Perhaps, he had been around humans far too long. Rose was the one that told him to keep things simple but perhaps he had taken her comment too much too heart. They were his kin after all and by human standards, they didn't think themselves as children no matter the fact they were a mere fraction of his age.

"Right." The Doctor cleared his throat, pulling himself back on task as he stepped towards the nearest pedestrian. A woman with a newspaper in hand. He took a closer examination. "It's the earpieces. Bit like Bluetooth attachments but everyone's connected together…"

"'S on my phone." Rose was looking at her mobile. "It's automatic, look." To Cathryn's surprise, the blonde showed it to her as the Doctor continued to examine the woman on the street. "You went to school for media, yeah? Have you seen this? 'S downloadin'. Think they're all getting' this. News, international news, sports, weather…"

Cathryn glanced at the blonde's device, noticing that while a flip phone, it wasn't originally a smart phone until the Doctor had performed the upgrade. "May I….?" She asked Rose, taking the phone to peer at it. "Hmm, interdimensional mobile hotspot," she muttered.

"Wha..?" Rose asked.

"Phones operate on SIM cards depending on the country you're in. Each region is sort of unique. But he made it universal, I guess and gave it it's own hotspot. Its own wireless signal, which is connecting to the wireless cloud here…" Cathryn glanced above at the Zeppelins.

"You had this back at home?" Rose asked. "This wireless cloud?"

"Well, kind of." Cathryn struggled to explain. "No earbuds like these, but…well…" She grimaced remembering how people were at school, often with their iPod headphones always in their ears unless they were in class. But in that capacity, if the wireless network went down, it would be semi sheer calamity. "Well, not like this anyway. We had a limited data cloud to stream content and store information. We didn't download stuff like this and…" Her voice trailed, looking at the people about them, dependent on this variation of media streaming each day, as they suddenly broken out in laughter before continuing on with their day. Was our reality really that different? She gave a repressed shudder.

"You lot," the Doctor muttered, having listened in, shaking his head. "You're obsessed. You'd do anything for the latest upgrade." He tried to keep his voice jovial and at the same time calm but Rose now appeared indignant.

"Oi! Not my lot. Different worlds remember?" This certainly wasn't Rose's reality nor was she a part of Bec's and Cathryn's.

"It's not so far off your world. This place is only parallel." He stepped back and took a swift glance over Cathryn's shoulder, seeing the source of the information stream. His eyes narrowed as he suddenly pulled the phone from her hand.

"Hey!" Cathryn yelped. "You couldn't even be bothered to ask? Oh, I forgot." She exhaled through her nose. "Rude. Rude but not ginger." Bec groaned softly in amused disappoint, wishing she'd been the one to say it first.

He gave Cathryn a swift glance. That was part of his conversation he had when he initially regenerated. How his girls were able to glean such knowledge was…. he closed his eyes briefly, stilling himself. Thinking momentarily, only to feel a meaningful jab in his arm. Rose. His eyes flew open. She was frowning at him in disapproval while giving him a pointed look at Cathryn and Bec. She disapproved of what he did too.

"Okay. Right. I'm sorry about that," he said swiftly. He would address Cathryn's remark at another time. Perhaps when he started a formal training regimen. Yes, that would be the most appropriate. The alien returned his gaze to the phone. "Oh, look at that. Cybus Industries, owners of just about every company in Britain, including Vitex. Mister Pete Tyler's very well connected." He looked down at his Rose and suddenly grinned. Perhaps meeting this world's Pete Tyler was a good idea after all. He held up his hands in a seeming placating gesture and extended the phone back to the girls to take. "So, okay. I give up. Let's get going and see him, shall we?" and he began walking it the random direction they had originally been moving, Rose falling into step beside him.

"Wait," Bec began nervously, as she and Cathryn followed after. "He's that rich, we can't just walk up to him in our daggy baggies, can we?" she asked, waving her hands down at her mismatched casual attire.

"It's never stopped me before," the Doctor commented, turning around and walking backwards momentarily to meet their eye before spinning on the spot again. He frowned to himself slightly once his face was turned away. He was learning to recognise that expression. It was they one they wore when they were debating what to say to him, when they were speaking based on knowledge they had somehow gleaned from the infinite vortex. Once they were safely back in their own universe, he would have to do some intensive training with them, lay down rules that they must not break. Until they more fully matured and understood their own time senses better, recognising what was and wasn't safe, they needed to err on the side of silence.

However, he had to admit to himself proudly, they innately were aware of the dangers their knowledge possessed. He had seen and could sense their reticence of him, but they had safely shared about his TARDIS being alive, when he hadn't been able to feel her presence at all. Perhaps their precognition made them more in tune with the laws of time than he had originally suspected, given their still developing Time Lord senses. He still needed to be careful, though, and their training would have to be a top priority once they got home.

"I just think, maybe we should stop at the shops or something, buy some better clothes," she finished, glancing at Cathryn. During their brief whispered conversations, they had decided it would be best for them to try to attend as guests rather than staff. Cathryn had been convincing, but she was a media student and used to relating with others on the level that would be required at Jackie's party. Bec wasn't sure she could pull it off.

"Okay," the Doctor agreed lightly, as though he hadn't thoroughly considered her timid request in the two seconds before answering. Rose had encouraged he give them patience and freedom, give them choices, and he could see no harm in their request. In fact, he considered, their desire to be involved in this adventure with him was a good thing. Despite how rocky things were, he still had chance to rebuild that trust with them, to have a proper relationship with his granddaughters, and, so long as they were safe, he would take whatever chance they gave him. "There are plenty of boutiques around here. Anything catch your eye?" he asked, gesturing expansively at the shops around them.

"February first," Rose murmured to the Doctor when she saw the sorts of stores the girls were interested in. "Mum's birthday. She did always like a party. I suppose, being rich here, she would throw the biggest one she could."

"Extravagance," the Doctor agreed lightly. "I wouldn't have thought her the type," he teased, causing Rose to playfully knock his shoulder.

"But, you don't think-" she began, but he gently cut her off again.

"Rose, they're not your parents. They're just total strangers who look like them."

"I know, I know that," she admitted, slightly lost in her thoughts. "I just... I wonder what might have been, you know?"

"Suppose," he said almost absently. "Suppose you had grown up in a rich family like theirs. You wouldn't be the Rose Tyler I know. You wouldn't have had to leave school to help your mum. You wouldn't have been working at Hendricks that night. You and I, we likely wouldn't have met."

They walked in silence for a few steps while that possibility sank in.

"How about you?" Rose asked softly. "I've got... people who look like family here. Maybe there are Time Lords out there too."

"No," he corrected, keeping his tone light. "Time Lords are said to be singularly transdimensional beings, meaning there aren't copies of us anywhere in other realities. One, uno, només. Of course, the Time Lords have been wrong before, but this world is only parallel. If there were parallel Time Lords this close to our universe, my people would have found them. I'd be able to sense them."

"But, Bec and Cathryn came from another universe," the girl from London argued.

The ghost of a grin brushed his lips as his eyes fixed on his children whom had wandered ahead and were glancing in the shop windows. "Their family, my children, fled the war. So many did. Some made it, but others wouldn't have. But, like us, their TARDIS' would have died. They would have had to adapt or die out. That's what their grandparents did. They would have had to become more human. Otherwise, any subsequent generations would simply have died, their Time Lord biology taking over the human part, but having no way to care for them. That's what's happening now," he added, nodding towards the girls. They glanced back towards him in front of a store window, the very picture of little children checking a grownup was in sight, ensuring they knew where their parent was, before slipping out of sight into the store. "I suppose this is the place," he told his companion, grinning widely.

Cathryn and Bec had checked the Doctor was nearby, but not out of a need to be reassured that they were being watched over, but to make sure he saw them ducking into the shop. With their intention to run away later in the evening, they didn't want to raise his concerns sooner, for him to tighten the leash he held them on.

"I'll need your help," Bec told her American friend as she led the way into a shop that seemed to have appropriate clothing. "I don't dress up very often, especially not 'professional party'."

"I can do that," Cathryn agreed. "Just start by looking for something you feel comfortable in and we'll go from there," she suggested. "But remember, flats," she added, thinking of all the running they would have to do later.

"Don't worry, I haven't worn heels in years," Bec agreed with a soft chuckle. "I don't think I'd know how to anymore."

She had tried to get away with a stylish suit pants combo, but her media friend had argued persuasively, explaining that they had to meet the dress code to gain entry as guests and that, at an event such as the one they were intending to crash, an evening gown would be required. Still, she helped Bec to find a suitable dress that would be appropriate for the party but still functional when the moment came for them to run. In the end she had settled on a dark green number with wide black leaves and flowers embroidered on it, almost giving the effect of the outer layer of the dress being lace only without as great a risk of the fabric catching. The loose sleeves stopped just above her elbows, and the skirt stopped just above the floor. She didn't think she had a hope of running in it, despite the skirt being loose enough to allow her legs plenty of movement, but Cathryn had already devised a solution with Bec adhered to.

"Look, I'm a tree!" she announced when she came out of the change room. She felt self-conscious in her chosen outfit, and had long ago learned from entertaining children that if she acted the clown she would feel less embarrassed when on the spot, because if people laughed at her, that was the intention rather than an unfortunate result. Cathryn was off choosing her own outfit, but Rose was there to appreciate her antics.

"Oh, this is gorgeous," the girl in question commented about another gown she found as she looked through the racks.

"Why don't you try it on?" Bec suggested with a small grin. She was feeling anxious, trying to account for the events taking place in the city around them, while also mentally preparing herself for their own flight, but that didn't mean she couldn't be kind to Rose during the few hours they had left to know her.

"Yeah, you think?" the Londoner asked with her cheeky grin before glancing back down at the dress in her hands. "I couldn't wear this, not with our life, all the running and fighting and eating chips, but just this once, eh?"

She swooped into the dressing room then came out a moment later wearing the gown she had found, looking like a waterfall of shimmering gold had washed over her and having somehow twisted her hair up as well for effect. "Well, how do I look?" she asked, posing stylishly before a lock of hair fell over her face and spoiled the effect. Bec, grinned at her, again seeing one of the reasons why she had so totally stolen the Time Lord's hearts, but before she spoke up, another voice cut in.

"Rose," the Doctor breathed. "You look..."

Bec grimaced and shied away from the pair, suddenly feeling like she was intruding and out of place.

"You look lovely," he said, stepping closer as Bec glanced around awkwardly looking for Cathryn, soon spotting her stepping from her own change cubicle.

The brunette kept it simple wearing a long, black A-line dress that only cinched in at her waist. With mid length sleeves, it only stooped slightly off the shoulder. Simple black flats with a recognized label as 'Easy Spirit' blended with her dress choice and allowed her a free range of movement. She couldn't risk being confined or tripped at a critical moment by a shoe. In addition, it concealed the leggings she hid underneath the dress quite nicely as Bec's dress had done for hers.

"Aren't we going to freeze?" Bec asked meaningfully, referring to the designated time when they both would choose to run.

"That is why we will both need nice wool coats." Cathryn replied. Wool insulated and did well for formal events. When they unzipped their dressed, they would wear their coats for sufficient protection from the elements. She knew Bec might still find it a bit chilly but it was the best they could do. They had to be quick. Although, there were some uncertainties. The show had Rose and the Doctor working as caterers in the kitchen. Then the conversation was focused primarily on Rose. The conversation she had with this dimension's version of Pete and Jackie Tyler. They didn't know precisely what the Doctor was doing while Rose would be chatting with her family except that at some point he would take advantage of an unguarded computer.

"You both ready, yeah?" Rose had entered the dressing room area likely at the Doctor's request and then briefly frowned analyzing her chosen attire. They were both wearing dark colors. Was yellow-gold correct if she was behaving the part of the media. "You sure what I'm wearing is right? If I'm the only one…" The blonde pressed her lips together, looking at herself in the mirror.

Bec and Cathryn glanced at each other. The reason they had chosen dark colors was for camouflage. They would tend to be less distinctive and therefore less memorable if there whereabouts were inquired about by any survivors. The thought alone made Cathryn's stomach churn. The last message they had from Mickey communicated briefly he was with the Preachers, the group that mistook him for his Ricky counterpart. She hoped he was convincing. They had to intercede in order to rescue the Doctor and Rose. But so many others….

"You look perfect, Rose." Cathryn managed. "It's just…call me morbid. Between my niece and myself, black has been one of our favorite colors." Well, that was sort of true. She was often taken to wear black and before she had found herself in this reality, Anna had just announced her new favorite color was black. However, that in itself was an ever changing litany. Two months prior, it was purple.

"Yes," Bec agreed. "It's good to stand out and make an impression." She looked at Cathryn for approval who gave a brief smile.

"And I do recall. Last party like this I was at, I wore burgundy." The media student sighed. "I just wasn't up to wearing a color tonight and felt like playing it safe."

Playing it safe, Cathryn thought. Black almost did radiate her emotions. She often felt that it took everything she had to keep herself from sinking. That she was in a state of perpetual grief. Perhaps she wasn't playing it safe as much as she was putting her state of mourning on display. She would play her part but all the while she was here, her grief and apathy would be her constant companion.

It was only when Rose turned to leave the dressing room did Cathryn speak quietly to her friend. "What about the psychic paper?" She was concerned. With the Doctor having it on his person from the minute they got to the door, how would they pry it away from him?

Bec gave her a subtle smile, trying to summon confidence she didn't necessarily feel. But she had thought this over and practiced for a reason. "Don't worry," the blonde assured Cathryn. "I have an idea. Bit of an idea," she quoted. Don't dis the 'thing', she added humorously in her head, thinking of the eleventh Doctor and the 'things' he had instead of 'plans'.

She adjusted the green folds of her dress to conceal the leggings she wore just underneath the long evening gown. Both girls wore sleeveless shirts underneath the bodice of their dress. Of course, it wasn't ideal but once they unzipped their dresses and donned their wool coats, it would give them semi adequate protection from the February chill while allowing them maneuverability their dresses denied them. The flats they chose were perfect for running. Cathryn advised Bec on the very styling of the shoe while looking professional was also highly versatile. She had worn the same shoes going to and fro from the Financial District back at home and often had run in the very same shoes. In the brunette's mind, she could leave nothing to chance.

Once again, she felt for the sonic in her purse as their dresses were paid for, the Doctor using sleight of hand and his own sonic to accomplish the task. Bec had refused to request hers back and Cathryn well understood standing on one's principle. They could share one. The psychic paper just needed to be their ultimate goal but what was Bec's idea to pry that precious device out of the Doctor's hands?

She was apt to find out when they left the hop and headed to Pete Tyler's glamorous home, far larger than what Rose was accustomed to back at the Powell Estates. Beautiful by all accounts. Rose had said all his little inventions had worked. He was an exceedingly wealthy man and Cathryn and Bec could tell the blonde took a certain pride even though this was a Pete and not directly her father.

Still, Cathryn wondered how she might feel if she ran into the duplicate of her father, healthy and whole. Whether she would exercise constraint. What if Bec spotted her husband or children, especially the ones that passed away? Could they be in a place to be so judgmental? No, we couldn't. And Rose was young. Sometimes, Cathryn forgot how young Rose was. Not even twenty. When one got into their twenties, even in those years, you become more desensitized of jaded and in the midst of the struggle, you lost more of your innocence. Innocence. Is that why Cathryn was so hard on Rose? Did she want Rose to lose hers just as they had lost theirs? The various quandaries or possibilities lay heavily on her mind as the group finally made their departure from the store in search of transportation to take them the rest of their journey.

A taxi took the Doctor, Rose and the girls the rest of the journey to the party where muddled by their own thoughts. Bec and Cathryn chose to remain quiet.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Rose asked.

"Just a penny?" Bec responded, her reply between a joke and sarcasm.

"Well, what about a pound, yeah?" Rose smiled. "You two look very nice. Very professional." She glanced at Cathryn. "You said we'll be doing media something or other. I'll need advice."

"Rose," Cathryn took a deep breath. "You get along with people. You're kind and have a way with words. You can improvise however we were thinking of having you go in as a popular runway model."

"Really?" Rose flashed a tongue and cheek grin. "Me, a runway model. Who would have thought?"

"I would." The Doctor said. He glanced at Rose. "No one could take their eyes off of you."

No one could miss the distinct blush on Rose's cheeks and Cathryn squeezed her hand. "Just be careful. Always discreet in what you say. Keep it light."

"But if they don't recognize me…?"

"You're up and coming with the BMA modeling agency. Working with magazines but next year, you might participate in the Paris runway modeling event. That's a big deal with fashion designers from all over the world that take pictures. Lead to more jobs." Cathryn nodded. "You'll be fine. Plus, at the party, models are undefined. They won't know exactly who you are although they might pretend they do. I went to an Emmy's party. It was superficial. People faking they know you. So fake back in return. Any more in depth questions about upcoming photo shoots, say it would go against your contract to reveal."

Rose exhaled deeply. "Thank you." She said to them. "No, I mean it. So, what will my name me? Can't exactly use Rose Tyler."

"I have it!" Bec exclaimed with an excited but sly grin. "What about Billie Piper. I always liked the name and it sounds unusual. Mysterious. It's uh…." She paused. "A favorite name of mine."

Cathryn could barely suppress her own giggles. "Yes, it suits you. Strength through adversity. The willingness to try new things."

Finally, they arrived. The three donned their coats as they approached the spectacular mansion while a smartly dressed man asked for invitations from all those in line.

"Wait, can I do it?" Bec said, a faint glimmer of hope. "I was practicing before. I would like to see if I really have gotten the hang of it."

The Doctor was pulling out the psychic paper as he glanced at Bec. Inwardly he was pleased. Bec was definitely showing the aptitude to learning and he knew about the practice session, the girls had with Rose in the kitchen. It was another step, even if a small once to accept their heritage.

"You sure you don't mind, Cathryn?" he asked. Humans could be a bit petty and unwilling to share.

"Oh, not at all. I think I need more practice than she does. So, not risking it here." Cathryn replied. "And Bec really had it down very quickly."

The Doctor nodded, glad there were no domestics. No arguing from either party. Perhaps when they returned to the TARDIS, he would give them psychic paper of their very own. He was earnest in seeing what his granddaughter could do.

The door already opened with only two in line in front of him, he handed the paper to Bec. "Well, Rebecca, by all means, announce us."

If something went wrong, he could snatch the paper just as quickly or use telepathy to get inside however…Bec demonstrated the paper with remarkable ease as she showed it to the staff at the door.

And for Bec, it went smoothly despite her moment of hesitation. She focused just as she had practiced, introducing all four as representatives on behalf of the head BMA Public Relations campaign for Rose's supposed modeling company. They were ushered in with all apparent friendliness. It had Bec wishing she had one back at home.

"Impressive", the Doctor said as Bec folded up the pouch. He started to hold out his hand but Bec demurred.

"Do you mind if I keep it for a bit? Just for practice, and in case anyone asks us for our media ID or something…" Cathryn had already told her that, once they got in the door, additional ID wouldn't be required, but that didn't stop her from using the reason.

"Not at all. Just remember to share it with Cathryn. She could use the skill too."

He was proud. Since Bec had tossed back the sonic, maybe the psychic paper could be his proverbial olive branch. He certainly hoped so. She certainly seemed more inclined towards it where, while she had seemed to enjoy the theory of the sonic, she had been frequently distracted as he had had his girls run through a number of introductory exercises with the tool.

Both walked in, handing their coats in at the coat check as Bec still kept her psychic paper outside her coat and in the small purse she carried. However, she had warily left the device Mickey had given them to switch off the implants in her coat pocket, having no way to conceal it otherwise.

Pictures from photographers dispensed with upon entry, Cathryn guided their way to the hosted bar, taking a glass of Claret for herself with a club soda for Bec. One glass, she told herself. It wouldn't be enough to impair her judgment. Then she joined Bec at the appetizer table to try the various hor'dourves. Cathryn followed her slowly sipping a glass of wine. They watched Rose depart sharing words with the Pete Tyler of this universe. The Doctor was at the other end of the buffet table, delighting himself on the variety of 'nibbles'.

"Oh!" he exclaimed. "They even have fairy cakes." One bite and frosting dotted his face. Bec frowned at him for the little mess he was making, and at his propensity to double dip.

After filling a plate with scotch eggs, roast and Yorkshire pudding with two desserts of Sticky Toffee pudding and Treacle tart, he proceeded to consume his sugary temptations with a healthy share of ice cream. Or maybe Crème Fraiche. He had intended for the majority of the evening on staying in the room to observe them, although, he had silently determined the door, which led to Pete Tyler's office. He took another mouthful from his plate while he watched as a woman in a silver gown approached his granddaughters, beginning a highly animated discussion with them.

Cathryn was navigating the choppy waters of the position of pretense engineered for the three. Although to be more specific, it was only two. They decided that with Rose's vibrant dress and her coloring, it was a good decision to fit her in the role of an up and coming model. As a singular joke, using the actress variation of her name, felt natural. Rose had worked in retail clothing previously and was adept at wearing heels. She was naturally social to the party-goers and took on the post of model of the BMA agency in London quite well. No one recognized her since a familiar model was often few and far between.

Both watched from a distance as Rose spoke simply to this version of the duplicate of her father who seemed to enjoy her company.

At the appetizer table, Cathryn felt too nervous even to take a bite.

"With what's happening, we need all the energy we can get." Bec's gentle statement was ambiguous although Cathryn understood her meaning as she spread a bit of pate on small slices of freshly baked bread.

"Ah, our new arrivals. It's any wonder I haven't met you before." A woman's voice.

Cathryn turned and swallowed hard, nearly choking. The actress that portrayed Mary Crawley in Downton Abbey. Bec was silent, briefly glancing at Cathryn for help.

"I'm flattered," Cathryn started. "But, I work in media relations. One of the attendees I accompanied is a model. Her first social gathering of this kind." She paused. "I always admired your work." She hoped this was the right thing to say.

But Michelle Dockery seemed pleased. "How fortuitous. I've only done a few films for the telly but managed to obtain a role on 'Walking the Dead'."

"Congratulations." Bec offered sincerely, despite having never seen the show.

"I hope so. Good luck to you both as well."

She strode away and Cathryn glanced at Bec. "You see, it only needs to remain that simple. Just talk to them and listen. Ask questions."

"I'm not really a people person, not for things like this," Bec admitted, flipping through the sonic paper. Testing various identities as they displayed themselves on the insert.

But whether they were picking up a drink or just watching the guests, they were still approached. Bec's nervousness had her difficulty in finding words. Cathryn finally 'admitted' Bec was an intern and wasn't versed in public affairs, having striven so hard in academics. But… Cathryn was certain this attitude would change since she approached events with the same amount of trepidation.

It created a conversation piece when the actors and actresses, writers and producers admitted that their first public encounter was often fraught with mishaps due to badly concealed nerves. In fact, one person after another insisted on relating their own embarrassing tale. For a moment, Bec was laughing at these accounts, marginally relaxed.

"But you're achieving an original idea," said another actor. His voice was smooth. Cathryn let out a gasp, feeling her cheeks warm. Stephen Fry. Oh, she loved him in V for Vendetta. His wit alone in his performance was wonderfully executed. "So often, those are hard to come by, don't you agree?"

Bec took a deep breath, fidgeting with the sleeve of her forest green dress. "Perhaps all the ideas have been spoken for," she finally suggested. "Besides, I've lost a taste for anything new."

"I heartily disagree." Stephen Fry said. "Have you tasted everything new in life? Can you safely say, there are no surprises, things left unchecked?" He took a step closer. "Take my advice. Taste every fruit of every tree in the garden at least once."

"Even the forbidden fruit? The one we were never supposed to touch?" Bec considered the story of the Garden of Eden. The rule God had given Adam and Eve. Only they broke his rule and were forced to leave paradise forever. "You think the price they paid for knowledge of good and evil was worth it?"

"Indeed," he mused. "Perhaps I am one of the singular view but I am of the mind that fruit was never meant to be untouched. Therefore the tree was present already and it's an insult to our Creator or creation to not experience it fully." He gave a smooth grin. "Even temperance can be seen as a form of wickedness."

"I never thought of it that way," Cathryn admitted.

"It is cliché to regret our departure from paradise while also a cliché that most clichés are true. But then, like the forbidden fruit we were told to deny, like most clichés are, tend to be untrue."

Bec grinned slightly, amused as she heartily disagreed with his assessment on forbidden fruit. Travelling with the Doctor any longer was one experience she could happily do without.

He sighed sipping at his whiskey before glancing around the room. "Well, I must take my leave and wish my hosts a charming party and a good night."

Cathryn sighed as he moved on but she smiled at Bec. "Oh, well done. Perfectly engaged."

"You mean it?" Bec asked, glancing at the actor's back.

"I do. Your questions gave me a bit to think about." The brunette glanced at the blonde. She was still turning the psychic paper in her hands. As a safety measure, she practiced on the staff that was serving glasses of champagne and appetizers. So far, her results were promising.

The Doctor was still ensuring his girls were secure in one relative position. They were in the midst of an animated discussion with a group of celebrities and the Doctor smiled, before heading to Pete's office. The task he needed where he had to pull off the inevitable.

It's now or never. Three to five minutes was all he needed to investigate. Seeing that both his girls were asked to dance for which Cathryn accepted and Bec only agreed with trepidation, he breathed, quickly stepping inside the office. His girls wouldn't even know that he was missing.

xxxxxxxxxx

A furtive glance between the two was all they needed. The sign of their window of opportunity. Cathryn immediately excused herself from her dance partner saying she was suffering a bout of nausea. Bec on the other hand tried to put on a convincing frown, pardoning herself, saying she had to assist her friend. The cloak room wasn't being observed since the party was still within its initial hour. Seizing their coats, they took turns unzipping their dresses to only show their leggings and a t-shirt underneath. The chill crept through them both as they slipped on their respective coats.

"Where do we put the dresses?" Cathryn asked quietly.

Bec paused before having an idea. "Rose's room."

"Rose's room?" the brunette repeated in confusion. Rose was still chatting with the dimensional duplicates of her parents. "I don't…." She paused. "The Rose here is a…"

"Dog. I know. But look at this place," Bec said as she waved her arm widely to include the whole mansion. "That dog must have her own little room. The Doctor wouldn't really think to look there."

Suddenly the novelty of the idea struck Cathryn. Dropping their dresses in the coat room would be suspicious. The Doctor would be certain to see them but if in a room that was out of the way of the main events….

"Let's go," Cathryn said, eagerly captivated by this new plan. They walked down the hallway just to hear the faint barking behind a closed door. One that was also locked. Pulling out her screwdriver, she disengaged the lock, slowly opening the door, to keep the dog inside. She began yapping excitedly while the girls opened a small closet, tossing the dresses at the bottom of the floor, closing it behind them.

Now they could leave but just as they were exiting the main door, they noticed Stephen Fry waiting for his car.

"You two done in already or is your work demanding your presence?"

"Neither," Bec replied. "I've never been one for huge parties. I find them a little taxing."

"Between us, so do I," he said conspiratorially. "But allow me to do the gentlemanly thing and offer you ladies a lift back to your hotel."

"We would hate to be an imposition," Cathryn demurred.

"Oh, now there's a bit of nonsense. Without you, you would leave me with only myself for company, alone in a car."

Finally, they relented, climbing into the backseat. It was an opportunity. An even better one than they had expected. When he asked where to drop them, Cathryn answered.

"Corus Hotel Hyde Park." It did have an advantages and Cathryn knew the location. A smaller building. If they chose to stay, they could exit out of the window should the need arise. She settled back in her seat taking out the device that would deactivate the implants. It was almost over.

She checked her phone. 'On our way to the Tyler mansion.' A pause. 'What should I tell the Doctor about you and Bec?'

The two girls glanced at each other and nodded. 'Once you find the Doctor and Rose, tell him that you were too late for us. You saw us get taken. That it's probably already too late.'

'Too late. Copy that. We'll send him home packing.'

Cathryn swallowed. They left the car, thanking Stephen Fry for the drive, staring at the hotel while pulling out the activation device with trembling fingers. It seemed similar in function to the sonic screwdrivers he had already given them a crash course in. Using the strange metal device, she pressed the button. It flashed once and then the power completely went off. A simple action. No more dosages or sedation could be given. This was a victory. The first of many, so they hoped.

"So what now?" Bec asked.

"We need a way out of the country. Quickly too. Away from where he can sense us with the bond. The airports might already be out of the question but…." she glanced out the window of the lobby. The lights of the zeppelins were shining brightly in the sky. Cathryn felt uneasy. She hated flying and grimaced in reflection, looking at Bec. "Well, it is an option."

"A zeppelin," Bec agreed with an amused grin. "Maybe. If we find one. Not as fast but if we bribe a driver… If there is a driver to bribe." She wondered if they would still be operational or under the firm hand of Lumic control. "A car might be better. Slower, we couldn't get as far as flying, but we should have enough time to get far enough away. Gives us more options. Quick getaway and then find a way across the channel when we have more time."

"Any ticket out of this nightmare, I'll take it…" Cathryn's words froze in her throat. She could see them all two clearly. Hear them on the street. The metal clang of their steps. The mechanical voices. The Cybermen. Submerging into London. Heading in their very direction.

Panic flooded through her. What are we going to do? She thought. They're too close. We should have gotten out sooner. We should have….

Bec had seen them too, feeling her body riddled with anxiety. "So what…." The word stuck as she struggled to breathe, to think past the rushing sound like a waterfall in her ears. Cathryn broke free of her paralysis first and grabbed Bec by the arm, forcibly dragging her into action as the two began their necessary sprint. She could only hope they made it in time. Make it away in time and find a car.

They managed to drift into the back street below as Cathryn reached for her sonic, hoping she remembered the setting to unlock and start a car. She had been practicing but her mind wasn't working properly with her heart racing. Fear consuming her as her hand slipped over the settings, causing her to fall back on the tried and true 'point and think'. The loud echo of metal feet resonated all around them. Her hands still sweaty on the device. God help me. She thought, hearing the Cybermen near their very spot. Would they even make it out of this alive?

"Please, please, please…" Was Cathryn's repeated soft chant as this nightmare in silver encroached ever closer. She was likewise vaguely away of Bec murmuring her own mantra, but she couldn't discern her words through her own cloud of fear. To come all this way only to be cyberdized or killed…

And everywhere around them the streets were full of the sound of the invading army of robots that seemed to leave no corner unsearched.

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At the same time, the Doctor was in panic. Cathryn and Bec had disappeared without a trace and no one seemed to know where. Five minutes, he fumed. I was only gone for five minutes and…. but thoughts pervaded his mind. Cyberspace. The ultimate upgrade.

That could only mean….

Barreling out the front door, he looked frantically around for his girls and Rose. The blonde was caught transfixed at the window. Quickly, he joined her, only to stare in horror as to the sight of the machines approaching the door.

"It's happening again," he managed, his voice thick with dread of the impending deaths, before glancing around. Where was Bec and Cathryn? Were they in the loo or….

"Wha' d'you mean?" Rose asked.

"I've seen them before." The Doctor was grim. Both hearts were pounding. His mind was contemplating many possible scenarios. If his girls had just stepped outside to take in the night air... he began to feel the sickening consternation of everything it meant to be a parent.

"What are they?" Rose was focused entirely on the machines. They were a considerable army and she was very much intimidated by the odds. Of all the things she had experienced, such intimidating robots had yet to become part of her travels. Well, unless you count the Daleks.

"Cybermen."

Then he heard the screams and the sounds of broken glass. His eyes widened at the encroaching force. He snagged Rose's hand, pulling her to the rest of the group who was panicking in the midst of the chaos, like a fish hiding from predators in a school of its own kind, even as his eyes continues his frantic search for any sign of his children.

The Cybermen surrounded the terrified group of party guests as the President struggled for some semblance of control, while speaking to Mr. Lumic over the attached earpods.

"What are they? Robots?" Rose asked.

"Worse than that," the Doctor muttered.

The chatter continued as Rose felt a sense of shock radiate through her at the epiphany she had then made overhearing the Presidents words. A gruesome one to be certain. "They were people."

"They were." The Doctor's voice was flat. "Until they had all their humanity taken away." He paused. "There is a living brain jammed inside a cybernetic suit with a heart of steel. All emotions removed."

"But why no emotions?" Rose asked.

The Doctor simply looked at her sadly. "Because it hurts."

The President at that point stood his ground, despite the Doctor's warning, when the Cybermen proclaimed they were all to be upgraded. He refused to budge, telling them he preferred the secondary option despite that one wasn't offered. That option only too quickly demonstrated itself when the Cybermen electrocuted him. Chaos ensued as another young woman was electrocuted in her attempt to run. Rose could smell the burning flesh, the adrenaline and the panic as everyone raced to the doors.

She was paralyzed by this horrific display of death when the Doctor seized her hand, dragging her out a window before she could even start to think.

"There's nothing we can do," he shouted.

"My mum's in there!" Rose didn't care whether she technically wasn't her mum. She still looked and smelled just like her. On some level, she was still Jackie Tyler and was like the woman that raised her. How could she just leave her behind?

The Doctor brushed her protest aside. "She's not your mother. C'mon!"

They were outside running around the perimeter of the house as the Cybermen closed in their ranks on the pair, which now became a third as Pete Tyler had just jumped out of a window to join them.

But all points of the exterior of the house had been surrounded even as Pete tried to find an avenue of escape through the side gates. In this frenzy, the Doctor inhaled briefly unable to help but worry about his girls. Had they been taken too? While he wasn't looking? How could he be so thoughtless? The crushing anxiety weighed heavily on his hearts. He could hardly sense them. What if they were going through the worst? What if….

No. He couldn't think that way. At least not yet. Not during a crisis and trying to evade the Cybermen…. At the worst, if they were taken, he could hope they would be allocated for further observation due to the slight differences in their physiological make up, which would give him the time he needed to rescue them.

Another group of Cybermen was attempting to flank them until he heard a voice from an unexpected quarter.

"Get behind me!" Mickey yelled authoritatively. Lights from the background barely made them distinguishable but no one questioned the order.

Guns fired and the Cybermen simply stood in place, pausing momentarily before their advance. Rose gleefully embraced the young man. "I was so worried…."

"No offense but who the hell are you?" the young man asked.

"That's not me!" Mickey again. "That's the other me."

"Oh, if things weren't bad enough already, there are now two Mickey's," the Doctor said sarcastically.

"Better not let Cathryn or Bec hear you say that." Rose managed to chide, before glancing around, suddenly noticing the obvious absence of the two women.

But the Cybermen were surrounding them, forming a nearly impassable barrier as the men attempted to continue to shoot. The Doctor pushed the guns down. "It won't work. Guns won't stop them." He looked at the Cybermen. "We surrender." He held up his hands in a placating manner. "No need to damage us, we're good stock. We volunteer for the upgrade program."

If his girls had been taken, surrendering themselves might be the perfect strategy to reach them to stage a rescue.

"We surrender," he repeated as one of the Cybermen neared him to speak.

"You are incompatible," the robot announced mechanically.

"But this is a surrender," the Time Lord insisted.

"You will be deleted," was the cold voice of authority.

"But we surrender. Listen to me. We surrender." The Doctor raised his voice in desperation. Much counted on finding the upgrade facilities as well as his girls but if not even that was going to occur….

"You are inferior. Man will be reborn as Cybermen but you will perish at maximum deletion." It was said. A final order. A decree in repetition. "Delete, delete, delete…."

Inhaling through his nose, he grimaced as his eyes carried the haunted expression. The downtrodden. The one he was accustomed to for being the last of his kind. Breathing in sharply he closed his eyes.

Not my girls. He prayed desperately. Please just not my girls. Where had they gone?

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Authors' note:

Thank you all for your reviews, words of encouragement and letters. We are sorry we might not have been responsive to some of them since life events have been hectic. We're both in school and dealing with tumultuous things at home. Thank you to AmberLovelyLight for her constructive feedback, which we well regard and to Fan Fictional Authoress for the inspiration of her stories. Also, thank you to Almaydnis Rayne for her technical expertise. Reviews are helpful and constructive for future work, and, don't worry, we're not giving up on this. Thanks again.

azaadin & emptyvoices