Thanks to yinyang28, hpandthemaraudersrock, HappyBunny234, BriaDelAngel, SerenityMoonlight, sbrown642 for following/faving my story.
CrystalVixen93: thanks!
NicoleR85: thanks! You'll have to read and see how Melanie reacts when Rose confronts her.
time-twilight: thank you!
"Delete! Delete!" the Cybermen chanted as they closed in on the group. The Doctor points the recharging power cell at the metal men which expels a stream of golden light. It hit one cyberman and bounced off, hitting all the others. The Cybermen bend backwards before disintegrating.
"What the hell was that?" Ricky demanded.
"We'll have that instead, Run!" the Doctor shouted grabbing Melanie's hand. The group made a run for it as Mrs Moore drove up in her van.
"Everybody, in!" she shouted at them.
The Doctor ushered Melanie into the van before running over to Pete, quickly grabbing him as he tried to head back into the house. "You can't go back in", the Time Lord said.
"My wife's in there!" Pete said trying to get out of his grip.
"Anyone inside that house is dead", the Doctor said "If you want to help, then don't let her die for nothing. You've got to come with us right now". Pete nodded and hurried back to the van. The Doctor went over to Rose, who was staring at the house.
"Rose, she's not your mother", he said gently.
"I know", Rose said quietly.
"Come on", the Doctor said taking her hand and leading her to the van. The pair got in and quickly drove off.
"What was that thing?" Ricky asked from up the front of van looking at the power cell in the Doctor's hands.
"Little bit of technology from my home", the Doctor replied.
"It's stopped glowing. Has it run out?" Mickey questioned.
"It's on a revitalising loop. It'll charge back up in about four hours", the Doctor told him.
"Right. So, we don't have a weapon anymore", Ricky grumbled.
"Yeah, we've got weapons. Might not be one of those metal things, but they're good enough for men like him", Jake said looking at Pete.
"Leave him alone. What's he done wrong?" Rose asked immediately coming to the defence of her parallel-father.
"Oh, you know, just laid a trap that's wiped out the Government and left Lumic in charge", Jake said glaring at Pete.
"If I was part of all that, do you think I'd leave my wife inside?" Pete asked.
"Maybe your plan went wrong" Ricky argued "Still gives us the right to execute you, though".
"Talk about executions, you'll make me your enemy. And take some really good advice. You don't want to do that", the Doctor said firmly.
"All the same…we have evidence that says Pete Tyler's been working for Lumic since twenty point five", Ricky said. Rose stares at Pete, taken aback.
"Is that true?" she asked.
"Tell them, Mrs M", Ricky said.
"We've got a government mole who feeds us information. Lumic's private files, his South American operations, the lot. Secret broadcasts twice a week", Mrs Moore explained.
"Broadcast from Gemini?" Pete asked.
"And how do you know that?" Ricky asked.
"I'm Gemini. That's me", Pete said.
"Yeah, well you would say that", Ricky said not believing him.
"Encrypted wavelength six five seven using binary nine" Ricky and Jake glanced at each other wondering how he could know that "That's the only reason I was working for Lumic. To get information. I thought I was broadcasting to the Security Services. What do I get? Scooby Doo and his gang. They've even got the van!"
"Who's the dog?" Melanie piped up earning a smile from the Doctor.
"No, no, no. But the Preachers know what they're doing", Mickey said confused "Ricky said he's London's Most Wanted".
"Yeah, that's not exactly…" Ricky started.
"Not exactly what?" Mickey asked.
"I'm London's Most Wanted for… parking tickets", Ricky admitted sheepishly. The Doctor grinned at the man while Melanie let out a laugh at that. Rose just simply raised her eyebrows thinking it was rather ridiculous.
"Great", Pete muttered.
"They were deliberate! I was fighting the system! Park anywhere, that's me", Ricky said defensively.
"Mum told me you do a fair bit of that yourself", Melanie remarked glancing at the Doctor.
"Well…it is a good policy", the Doctor admitted.
"It's also a sure fire way to get into trouble too", Melanie continued.
"Doesn't hurt to have a little trouble every now and again", the Doctor said "keeps life from becoming boring".
"Says the guy who's literally a walking trouble magnet", Melanie lightly retorted. Rose watched this interaction with a slight glare. Her glare deepened when she saw the Doctor take Melanie's hand and say something in her ear. The brunette looked at him with a mock offended look on her face.
"I am not! I am thoroughly offended good sir", she said theatrically placing a hand over her heart. The Doctor chuckled at her theatrics while Rose just simply rolled her eyes. For god sake. It wasn't that funny she internally grumbled.
The Doctor turned to the rest of the people in the van "I'm the Doctor, by the way", he said introducing himself "and this is Ellie".
"And I'm Rose. Hello!" Rose piped up introducing herself as the Doctor hadn't which made her even more annoyed than she already was.
"Even better. That's the name of my dog. Still, at least I've got the catering staff on my side", Pete said not feeling any better about the situation.
"I knew you weren't a traitor", Rose informed Pete.
"Why is that, then?" he asked. Rose glanced at the Doctor who was watching her. Melanie was as well but she chose to ignore the brunette.
"I just did", Rose replied. She knew that she couldn't tell him that she was his daughter in a parallel world.
"They took my wife", Pete stated.
"She might still be alive", Rose said attempting to be optimistic.
"That's even worse. Because that's what Lumic does. He takes the living and he turns them into those machines", Pete said sadly.
"Cybermen. They're called Cybermen", the Doctor informed Pete "And I'd take those ear pods off, if I were you" Pete took them off and gave them to the Doctor "You never know. Lumic could be listening". The Time Lord zapped them with his sonic "But he's overreached himself. He's still just a businessman. He's assassinated the President. All we need to do is get to the city and inform the authorities. Because I promise you, this ends tonight".
~Street~
The Preachers along with the Doctor, Melanie, Rose, Mickey and Pete walked along the street watching the people march off in one direction. "What the hell?" Jake asked looking at them all.
"What's going on?" Rose piped up.
"It's the ear-pods. Lumic's taken control", the Doctor explained.
"Can't we just, I don't know, take them off?" Rose asked reaching up to one man to take his ear pods out. The Doctor stops her from doing that.
"Don't! It will cause a brainstorm", the Doctor said warningly "Human race. For such an intelligent lot, you aren't half susceptible. Give anyone a chance to take control and you submit. Sometimes I think you like it. Easy life".
"Not everyone submits", Melanie said quietly "some people refuse and get punished for it". She turned and walked away, hugging herself. The Doctor went after her.
"Ellie I'm sorry", he said, his hearts aching at the sight of tears in her eyes. He knew what he'd said was something her uncle must've tried to do to her.
"It's ok, you didn't know", Melanie said with a sniffle "why does he still affect my life? I thought..." she swallowed "I thought I'd moved on!"
The Doctor gently pulled her into a hug as she started to cry. "Whatever you've been through, you'll never have to go through it again, not while I'm around", he promised "and I'll help you move on from that part of your life".
"I don't think you can", Melanie cried "If I can't then you won't be able to! Its hopeless!"
"Hey", the Doctor said softly lifting her head so he could look her in the eyes "it's not hopeless. And I will help you. No matter what it takes".
"You promise?" Melanie asked quietly.
"I swear on our Bond", the Doctor said seriously.
"Thank you", Melanie said managing to crack a small smile through her tears.
"You're welcome", the Doctor said lifting his hands to her face, wiping away the tears. He then kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger there for a fraction longer than necessary before he pulled away. Unbeknownst to either of them, Rose had been watching this, fists clenched.
"Hey!" Jake called getting everyone's attention. Rose turned to him, grateful that he spoke up "Come and see". The others join them in looking around the corner. A row of Cybermen march alongside the people under the control of the ear pods, still heading in the same direction.
"Where are they all going?" Rose asked.
"I don't know", the Doctor replied "Lumic must have a base of operations".
"Battersea. That's where he was building his prototypes", Pete said answering the Doctor's question.
"Why's he doing it?" Rose questioned.
"He's dying. This all started out as a way of prolonging life, of keeping the brain alive at any cost", Pete explained.
"The thing is, I've seen Cybermen before, haven't I?" Rose asked remembering the strange head she'd seen in Van Statten's museum "that head, those handle shapes in Van Statten's Museum".
"There are Cybermen in our universe. They started on an ordinary world just like this, then swarmed across the galaxy", the Doctor explained "this lot are a parallel version, and they're starting from scratch right here on Earth.
"What the hell are two on about?" Pete asked confused by their conversation.
"Never mind that" Ricky cut in "Come on, we need to get out of the city" they looked over to see the Cybermen quickly approaching their location from down the street. "Okay, split up. Mrs Moore, you look after that bloke" Ricky pointed at Pete "Jake, distract them. Go right, I'll go left. We'll meet back at Bridge Street. Move".
They watched Ricky run off in one direction and Jake in another. "I'm going with him", Mickey said kissing Rose before running after his parallel counterpart.
~Alley~
The Cybermen march down the street whilst the Doctor, Melanie, Rose, Pete and Mrs Moore crouch hidden behind a pile of rubbish and dustbins. Rose grabbed Pete's hand as the Cybermen stopped right by the dustbins they were hiding behind. The Doctor put a hand on the small of Melanie's back when he saw her tense up. With his other hand, he took out his sonic. He pointed it at the Cybermen, pressing it once. The instrument sounded out a single beep. The Cybermen turned and continued marching on. The group stood up warily watching the Cybermen march off into the distance. Rose let go of Pete's hand, the man slightly bewildered as to why she was behaving this way towards him.
"Go", the Doctor whispered moving his hand from Melanie's back so he could take hold of her own hand. The group crept out from behind the dustbins and run in the opposite direction.
~Street~
Jake runs back to where the Doctor, Rose, Melanie and Pete were waiting. "I ran past the river. You should have seen it. The whole city's on the march. Hundreds of Cybermen all down the Thames", he explained breathing heavily from the run. His face lights up when he sees Mickey running towards them. "Here he is!" Mickey doesn't reply when he come to a sudden halt. Jake frowned seeing the expression on Mickey's face. "Which one are you?"
"I'm sorry", Mickey said quietly "The Cybermen. He couldn't…"
"Are you Ricky? ARE YOU RICKY?" Jake demanded.
"Mickey, that's you, isn't it?" Rose asked quietly.
"Yeah" Rose runs to him and gives him a big hug.
"He tried. He was running…." Jake turns away "There was too many of them", Mickey said going after the man. He had to explain why Rick didn't make it.
"Shut it", Jake snapped, his face contorting with pain.
"There was nothing I could do", Mickey said.
Jake spun around "I said just shut it", he said angrily "Don't even talk about him. You're nothing, you are. Nothing".
"He's not nothing", Melanie spoke up walking over to the pair "Mickey would never have intentionally let Ricky die. If there was nothing he could do, then there was nothing he could do".
"What you know?" Jake snapped at her. The Doctor started forward, not liking the way the man had lashed out at her. Melanie glanced at him and shook her head.
'trust me' she mouthed. The Doctor briefly looked at Jake and then back at her before he nodded. If she didn't want him to intervene then he won't.
"I know how much it hurts to lose someone", Melanie said "I lost my parents in a car accident. And when I found out…I was so angry…so hurt. I lashed out, just like you. But believe me that's not you want to do. Anger is the shortest distance to a mistake" she took a breath, blinking back a fresh round of tears "so don't have a go at Mickey, he did all he could. And I know this is difficult but you're going to have to put your mourning on hold until we stop the Cybermen. Do you think you can do that?"
Jake nods, once.