A/N: The quote at the very top is from Queen Victoria's personal diaries about the first night she spent with Prince Albert. I thought it was kinda perfect for them so I included it. Most of Queen Victoria's diary entries about major moments can be found online for free, you can read most of them here: .
However, if you want to read all her diary entries you'll have to go to the official site the Queen put up and subscribe. You can do that here if you have money unlike me: .org It starts you off with a free trial but you also have to fill in a bunch of information about yourself.
"I never ever spent such an evening! My dearest dearest dear Albert… his excessive love and affection gave me feelings of heavenly love and happiness I never could have hoped to have felt before! He clasped me in his arms and we kissed each other again and again! His beauty, his sweetness and gentleness—really how can I ever be thankful enough..."
Ariel rolled over in the Doctor's arms with a sigh and smiled softly at him. She placed her hand on his cheek delicately, desperate to memorize every second of this moment.
With the white sheets over them and the light shining through, the Doctor thought Ariel somehow managed to look far more stunning than she usually did.
He grinned and pulled her closer. He traced her cheekbone softly, transfixed by her stormy grey eyes.
"Is it selfish to never want to get up?" Ariel whispered as though they were being spied on by a cruel thief that would pull them out of bed and force them into a day that may set them apart.
"If it's selfish then I've gotta be the most egocentric one out there," the Doctor smirked.
Ariel giggled and kissed him sweetly. "I love you so much," she sighed, brushing his cheekbone with her thumb.
The Doctor smiled softly and delicately pushed her soft brown hair behind her ear. He glanced down at her. Her beautiful pink lips and stunning grey eyes were sheer perfection. "I love you too," the Doctor mumbled.
Try as they might, they knew they couldn't stay in bed for a whole day and wound up getting up to the displeasure of the pair.
"I don't know where we could go," Ariel sighed. "I'm not feeling drawn to any option right now if I'm honest," she said.
"Well, how about we stick around in Victorian times but switch it up a bit?" The Doctor suggested.
"How do you mean?" Ariel asked.
"Well, rather than Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's wedding, we go there for Christmas?" the Doctor suggested with a raised eyebrow and a small smirk.
Ariel's eyes widened. "Are you serious?" She breathed. "Christmas is my favorite holiday," she beamed and the Doctor grinned at her.
"Well then, I'd suggest you get changed cause I don't think the people of the nineteenth century will take very kindly to a woman in nothing but a bed sheet. Plus, it's winter," the Doctor winced.
Ariel just giggled. "Fair point," she nodded. She leant up and gave him a quick kiss. "When I come back this time, the least you could do is change your tie," she smirked.
The Doctor grinned at her. After the first Time War, he never thought it was possible that he could find anyone who would care about him and love him regardless of what he did. He had traveled so angry and bitter at the world, thinking he would have to be alone forever.
That was until he met Rose. She helped him recover and loved him when he didn't think it was possible. After he lost her, he had always assumed that she was one in a million. It couldn't be possible that a woman with wounds in her past like him could ever exist and love him even after he killed his entire species, then Ariel walked into his life.
She brought light where he thought the last of it had dimmed when Rose got trapped in the parallel world. She understood the weight of taking a life that fell on a person and she had felt tragedies in her life. They both had countless wounds, but when they were together it felt like all of them were healed. He had ruined her, and she him. Neither could bear the thought that one day it might all end, but as horrible as it seemed, it pushed them into making every single second with each other count because they never knew when it could all be over.
When Ariel walked out again, the Doctor had landed the Tardis and was grinning at her.
"You changed your tie!" Ariel exclaimed with a giggle.
"Ah, I thought I'd change it up a bit," the Doctor smirked with a small shrug.
"Such a drastic change," Ariel said sarcastically. "How will you ever cope?"
The Doctor laughed and shook his head. "It'll be tough," he sighed, grinning as he looked down, pretending to be shaken.
Ariel giggled and grabbed his hand, turning him to face her. "I love you," she sighed.
"I love you too," the Doctor nodded, smiling softly at her.
Ariel cupped his cheeks and slowly pulled him down to her lips for a sweet kiss.
When they pulled away, the Doctor took a deep breath and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Well then, are you ready for Christmas in the nineteenth century?"
"More than ready," Ariel smiled. "I'm pretty sure the only way this could get more Christmassy is if you met Charles Dickens again and three ghosts dropped by."
The Doctor chuckled. "Ah, shame that can only happen once," he nodded.
"Seriously," Ariel grinned.
They walked out of the Tardis arm in arm and Ariel beamed at her surroundings. It was snowing around them and everyone seemed to be in the most cheerful mood. A policeman acknowledged the couple with a small wave.
"Good afternoon," the policeman nodded.
Around them, various sellers were calling out their wares.
"Hot chestnuts!" One of the sellers called. "Chestnuts!"
"Oh, tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy. Oh, tidings," A choir sang and Ariel giggled.
"Could we get anymore Christmas?" Ariel whispered to the Doctor.
"Oh, you just watch Miss Parsons," the Doctor hummed. He straightened his tie and walked over to a young boy. "You there, boy. What day is this?" the Doctor asked.
Ariel covered her laughter and spun around in joy as the Doctor smirked at her.
"Christmas Eve, sir," the young boy nodded.
The Doctor raised and eyebrow and leant forward, still curious as to whether or not he got the year right.
"What year?" the Doctor asked.
"You thick or something?" The boy frowned.
Ariel snorted. "Yes, yes, he is," Ariel nodded, giggling as she walked up to the Doctor and took his arm.
"Oi!" the Doctor exclaimed, glancing at the boy and Ariel. "Just answer the question," he sighed.
"Year of our Lord, 1851, sir," the boy said.
"Right," the Doctor nodded. "Nice year. Bit dull," he shrugged.
"Oh, I dunno," Ariel sighed. "Year after Prince Arthur was born. Mary Shelley died," she said.
"Ah, I suppose you're right," the Doctor nodded. "Even still. Could've been a year back. I always love a good baby being born."
"Well, if you wanted excitement we should've stayed in 1840. Marriage and baby born in the same year," Ariel smirked.
"Blimey, Victoria and Albert didn't waste much time," the Doctor laughed.
They continued to trudge through the snow laughing until a distant cry ceased their laughter almost immediately.
"Doctor! Doctor!" A voice called.
Ariel and the Doctor spun towards it with wide eyes.
"And here I thought it was going to be a quiet Christmas," Ariel smirked.
"Doctor!"
"Who, me?" the Doctor grinned and grabbed Ariel's hand before running towards the call.
They found a woman with large dark curly hair and dark-skin desperately crying out for the Doctor.
"Don't worry, don't worry," the Doctor assured her. "Stand back. What have we got here?"
Just then, the large double doors that the woman was staring at rattled and behind it something snarled.
"Just a guess, but whatever's behind that door isn't the nice neighbourhood dog," Ariel sighed.
"Ooo. Okay, we've got it," the Doctor nodded to the woman. "Whatever's behind that door, I think you should get out of here," the Doctor said and the woman frowned at him.
"Doctor!" She called once again and the Doctor seemed wildly confused.
Ariel turned to them with a small frown.
"No, no. I'm standing right here. Hello," the Doctor smiled, waving politely.
"Don't be stupid," the woman scoffed. "Who are you?"
"He's the Doctor," Ariel giggled.
"Doctor who?" The woman asked.
The Doctor looked back at Ariel with a small frown and she couldn't do much other than simply shrug, as lost as he was.
"Just the Doctor," the Doctor said.
"Well, there can't be two of you," the woman sighed and Ariel's eyes widened.
"Two of who?" Ariel prompted.
Before she could get a response, a man in Victorian clothing appearing just a bit older than the Doctor's current face ran up gasping for air.
"Where the hell have you been?!" The woman snapped.
"Right then," the man sighed. "Don't worry. Stand back. What have we got here then?"
"I'm sorry, what?!" Ariel exclaimed, completely blindsided by what they had walked into.
"Hold on, hold on," the Doctor frowned, holding up a hand to stop the man for a moment. "Who are you?"
"I'm the Doctor. Simply, the Doctor," the man beamed. "The one, the only and the best," he nodded.
"Sorry, what?!" Ariel said with wide eyes.
"Rosita, give me the sonic screwdriver," the other Doctor instructed.
"The what?!" the Doctor exclaimed.
"Now quickly, get back to the Tardis," the other Doctor nodded to the woman.
"Excuse me?" Ariel prompted.
"Back to the what?" the Doctor asked.
"If you could stand back, ma'am," the other Doctor said, gently pushing Ariel back. "This is a job for a Time Lord."
Ariel chuckled almost in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?" Ariel scoffed.
"Job for a what lord?" the Doctor frowned.
"Did you just miss that bit with him pushing me away?!" Ariel snapped. "Blimey, whoever you are you're not subtle are you?"
Before any of them could respond to her, the doors burst open and some strange animal with dark fur and a metal face jumped out towards them.
"Oh, that's different," the Doctor breathed.
"Oh, that's new," the other Doctor smirked.
"Definitely never seen that one before," Ariel nodded.
Both of the Doctors pulled out their sonic screwdrivers and pointed them at the creature.
"Allons-y!" Both men shouted.
Ariel just stared at them with wide eyes, unable to speak a single word in pure shock.
"I've been hunting this beast for a good fortnight," the other Doctor said. "Now step back, sir," he instructed, pushing the Doctor back.
The Doctor just stared at him with wide eyes and Ariel snickered.
"Doesn't feel so good when it happens to you, does it?" Ariel prompted.
The beast with the metal face leapt up to a wall opposite of them. Getting a better look at it, Ariel saw that it not only had a metal face but also metal hands and feet. Whatever it was, it didn't look like an ordinary animal with metal forced onto it. It appeared to be something new.
"Some sort of primitive conversion, like they took the brain of a cat or a dog," the Doctor frowned.
"You think somebody created that thing with a cat or dog brain?" Ariel muttered, pointing up at the creature with wide eyes.
"Must be," the Doctor sighed.
"Well, talking's all very well," the other Doctor said. "Rosita?" He prompted.
"I'm ready," Rosita nodded and handed him a large coil of rope and he pulled it apart to reveal a lasso, presumably for the creature.
"Now, watch and learn," the other Doctor smirked.
The other Doctor tossed the lasso up into the air and got it around the beast in one try.
"Excellent," the other Doctor smiled. "Now then, let's pull this timorous beastie down to earth."
Before he could actually do that, the creature ran further up the wall and pulled the other Doctor up with him.
"Or not," the Doctor mumbled and Ariel snickered.
"I might be in a little trouble!" The other Doctor called.
"When aren't you?" Ariel sighed and the Doctor laughed.
"Nothing changes," the Doctor chuckled, running forward to grab the bottom of the rope. "I've got you!"
Instead of pulling the other Doctor back down, the creature pulled the pair of them up off the ground and Ariel rolled her eyes.
"We've barely been here five minutes, Doctor!" Ariel snapped.
"Yeah, a bit of help would be appreciated!" The Doctor called.
"You idiots!" Rosita exclaimed.
"Yeah, you get used to it," Ariel mumbled. She glanced around the area and spotted an axe in a tree stump. Ariel tapped Rosita's shoulder and gestured to it. "Come on, we have to save the idiots being pulled by the thing with the cat brain," she sighed.
Rosita chuckled as Ariel pulled the axe out of the tree stump and ran to the entrance of the warehouse her boyfriend was currently being pulled into.
"Oh, I'll never stop having to save your life, will I?" Ariel grumbled as she used the axe to cut the lock on the door. She kicked them open the way Donna had taught her and waved to Rosita to follow her.
They ran up the steps to the sound of wild screams from the Doctors.
The creature hopped up to a windowsill and Ariel ran forward, cutting the rope quickly before the other Doctor could be pulled through. She dropped the axe on the ground and stared at the men with her hands on her hips.
"You're quite possibly the dumbest geniuses I have ever met," Ariel huffed.
The men got up and just started laughing, hugging each other happily as they continued to laugh.
Rosita just rolled her eyes and Ariel scoffed as they all headed out of the warehouse. The two Doctors continued to laugh all the way down the steps and Rosita seemed to grow agitated with the pair of them.
"Well, I'm glad you think it's so funny. You're mad. Both of you. You could've got killed!" Rosita exclaimed.
"Oh, isn't that always the case?" Ariel moaned.
"But evidently we did not," the other Doctor nodded. "Oh, I should introduce Rosita. My faithful companion. Always telling me off," he laughed.
"Well, they do, don't they?" the Doctor smirked, wrapping his arm around Ariel. "Rosita. Good name. Hello, Rosita," he waved.
"Huh," Rosita sneered at the pair of them. "Now I'll have to go and dismantle the traps. All that for nothing. And we've only got twenty minutes till the funeral, don't forget. Then back to the Tardis, right?" Rosita said before marching away in the snow.
"Funeral?" the Doctor prompted with a small frown.
"Oh, long story," the other Doctor sighed, kneeling over and trying to catch his breath. "Not my own," he mumbled. "Not yet," he chuckled.
"Well, I would introduce Ariel here but you probably recognize her, or probably even me," the Doctor smirked.
The other Doctor frowned at the pair of them. "No, not at all," he shook his head.
Ariel frowned. "Sorry?" She prompted.
"But you're the Doctor," the Doctor said. "The next Doctor. Or the next but one. A future Doctor anyway. No, no, don't tell me how it happened. Although, I hope I don't just trip over a brick. That'd be embarrassing. Then again, painless. Worse ways to go. Depends on the brick."
"Depends on the trip," Ariel smirked and the Doctor's eyes widened as he nodded.
"Very true," the Doctor said.
"The pair of you are gabbling," the other Doctor remarked.
"Yeah, we get that a lot," Ariel sighed.
"Quite a bit actually," the Doctor nodded with a small frown. "But you've gotta remember those days, huh?"
"Should I, sir? Who are you, exactly?" The other Doctor asked.
The Doctor and Ariel shared a small frown. If this man was in the Doctor's future, then why didn't he recognize either of them?
The Doctor took a deep breath and held out his hand. "No, I'm, er, I'm just. Smith. John Smith," he introduced himself and the other Doctor smiled and shook his hand. "But I've heard all about you, Doctor. Bit of a legend, if I say so myself," he smirked.
Ariel rolled her eyes with a small smile. He just had to go on and compliment himself.
"Modesty forbids me to agree with you, sir. But yes. Yes, I am," the other Doctor chuckled.
"Ah, the arrogance hasn't changed," Ariel remarked with a grin.
"Oi," the Doctor scolded, chuckling softly at the observation. "A legend with certain memories missing. Am I right?" He prompted.
"How do you know that?" The other Doctor frowned.
"You've forgotten me," the Doctor mumbled.
"And me," Ariel added with a nod.
"Great swathes of my life have been stolen away," the other Doctor sighed. "When I turn my mind to the past, there's nothing."
"Going how far back?" the Doctor asked.
"Since the Cybermen," the other Doctor shrugged. "Masters of that hellish wall-scuttler and old enemies of mine, now at work in London town. You won't believe this, Mister Smith, but they are creatures from another world," he said, looking up at the pair with wide eyes.
They did their best to feign shock but failed beautifully.
"Really?" the Doctor gasped, completely monotone as he spoke.
"Unbelievable," Ariel shook her head, her tone the same as the Doctor's as she spoke.
"Wow," the Doctor mumbled.
The other Doctor frowned at their obvious fake surprise but didn't say a word. "It's said they fell onto London, out of the sky in a blaze of light. And they found me. Something was taken. And something was lost. What was I like, in the past?" He asked, glancing at the pair.
"I don't think I should say," the Doctor shrugged. "Sorry. Got to be careful with memory loss. One wrong word."
"It's strange, though. I talk of Cybermen from the stars and you don't blink, Mister Smith. Nor you, Miss Ariel," the other Doctor remarked with a small frown.
"Ah, don't blink," the Doctor grinned. "Remember that? Whatever you do, don't blink? The blinking and the statues? Sally and the angels? No?" His smile slowly falling into a frown.
Ariel giggled and grabbed his hand. "Probably not best just yet," she whispered and the Doctor frowned but nodded, disappointed that he couldn't laugh about his exploits with a future version of himself.
"You're a very odd pairing," the other Doctor remarked.
"Again, get that one a lot," Ariel nodded.
"Though it was best when Agatha Christie said it," the Doctor sighed.
"Ah, I prefer Winston Churchill. He told me I was a lovely lady after. Nothing beats a compliment from Winston Churchill," Ariel grinned.
"Oi, there's always a compliment from the Prince," the Doctor smirked.
"You wouldn't," Ariel gasped.
"Well, we'll have to survive the next trip but of course," the Doctor laughed.
"Oh, my God, yes!" Ariel giggled.
The other Doctor stared at them with wide eyes. "You are certainly very strange," he nodded. "The pair of you, but no matter. I must get going. The funeral's at two o'clock. It's been a pleasure, Mister Smith, Miss Ariel. Don't breathe a word of it," he instructed.
"Oh, but can't we come with you?" the Doctor asked, pouting like a small child.
"It's far too dangerous," the other Doctor shook his head. "Rest assured, I shall keep this city safe. Oh, and, er merry Christmas, Mister Smith, Miss Ariel," he nodded.
"Merry Christmas, Doctor," the Doctor grinned as the other Doctor left.
The Doctor turned to Ariel with a sigh, grabbing her hands and brushing her hair out of her face.
"Doctor, something's off about him," Ariel sighed. "I mean I get that you used to treat your companions like that, and if he didn't remember post Time War he might not know otherwise, but he doesn't act like you at all. And it's not just a different personality. He just seems like somebody's old dad. Not the Doctor."
"Oi, I am an old dad," the Doctor frowned.
"Oh, you know what I mean," Ariel moaned.
"Yeah," the Doctor frowned, glancing at the spot the other Doctor had left. "But if you're right and he's not the Doctor, we've gotta figure out why he thinks he is."
"Agreed," Ariel nodded.
"You alright chasing the next Doctor for Christmas?" the Doctor asked.
"Are you kidding?" Ariel said. "I get to spend Christmas with you in one of my favorite eras and the promise of meeting Prince Albert. I couldn't be better," she smiled.
The Doctor grinned and leant down, kissing her sweetly. However, when his lips lingered, Ariel pulled away with a smile. "Gotta chase the other Doctor remember?" She prompted.
"Right," the Doctor sighed. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her as close as possible. "Let's see where this investigation of there's is leading them."
"Speaking of which, what the hell are the Cybermen and what the hell was that thing back there?" Ariel asked.
"Cybermen are a race of cybernetically augmented humanoids. They use human brains in armoured metal bodies to make a greater army. That creature back there must have been something they created. It had the same face as them anyway," the Doctor shrugged.
"But could it be possible that the creature was just a mistake? Something they were experimenting with and failed?" Ariel guessed. "You told me when you went to Manhattan with Martha there were a bunch of failed experiments from the Daleks in order to stay alive," she reminded him. "Maybe, this could be it," she shrugged.
"Maybe," the Doctor breathed. "But that doesn't explain why that man thinks he's the Doctor."
"Yeah, I can't get my head round that bit," Ariel mumbled.
"Oh!" the Doctor exclaimed as he spotted the other Doctor and Rosita watching as a solemn crowd followed four black horses pulling a hearse. The Doctor moved back so they wouldn't see him or Ariel and the couple peered around the corner of the house as they listened in.
"The late Reverend Fairchild, leaving his place of residence for the last time. God rest his soul. Now, with the house empty, I shall effect an entrance at the rear while you go back to the Tardis. This is hardly work for a woman," the other Doctor instructed.
"Not exactly subtle in your early days were you?" Ariel frowned.
"You can yell at me for it later, hush," the Doctor said.
Ariel snorted. "Alright then," she mumbled.
"Oh, don't mind me and that Ariel woman saving your life. That's work for a woman, isn't it?" Rosita prompted.
"The Doctor's companion does what The Doctor says," the other Doctor instructed. "Off you go," he said, waving her off.
Rosita huffed at him and marched away while the other Doctor, blatantly unaware of her anger, turned around with a grin.
"Come on," the Doctor nodded. He hopped over the fence to the house and caught Ariel as she did the same.
They ran up to the front door and the Doctor quickly sonicked them inside.
"If he really is you, he should be able to get in here with no hassle," Ariel said, picking up some items off a table and looking through them.
"Fair point, but I don't want to leave him out there all day if he can't. That's a bit embarrassing, don't you think?" the Doctor said.
"You're being extremely nice to a man that might be impersonating you," Ariel remarked.
"Well, I don't think he can help it," the Doctor frowned.
"Which begs the question, why can't he?" Ariel sighed. "What made him do this and if it's the Cybermen, why would they want another version of you running around? I mean if anything that's supposed to be something I wish for," she smirked.
"Damn!" The other Doctor exclaimed from outside and Ariel snorted as she rolled her eyes.
"Oh, we've gotta help him don't we?" Ariel moaned.
The Doctor laughed and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Come on," he sighed. He grabbed her hand and walked her to the back door,
The Doctor swung the door open, nearly hitting the other Doctor as he did so.
"Hello," the Doctor smiled.
"Nice to see you again," Ariel grinned.
The other Doctor frowned at the pair of them. The couple were turning out to be far more strange than he could have ever imagined. "How did you get in?" The other Doctor asked.
"Oh, front door," the Doctor shrugged. "I'm good at doors," he smiled and Ariel tapped his shoulder, gesturing to the small item the man was trying to open the door with. The Doctor took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "Er, do you mind my asking, is that your sonic screwdriver?" He asked, gesturing to the item that looked like nothing more than an ordinary screwdriver.
"Yes," the other Doctor nodded with a small smile. "I'd be lost without it," he said, holding the item up for the pair to see.
The Doctor and Ariel shared a look.
"But that's a screwdriver. How's it sonic?" the Doctor wondered.
"Well, er, it makes a noise," the other Doctor mumbled awkwardly. He tapped his screwdriver on the wood of the doorframe and it made the same sound any metal knocking on wood would make. "That's sonic, isn't it? Now, since we're acting like common burglars, I suggest we get out of plain view," he advised.
The Doctor cast one wary glance at Ariel, silently deciding that she could be right as the other Doctor stepped inside and they closed the door behind him.
"So, what brought you to the house of the late Reverend Fairchild?" Ariel asked.
The Doctor raised an eyebrow at her.
"What?" Ariel smirked. "I read the letters on the table," she shrugged.
The Doctor was impressed, but didn't say a word. She was learning to be a better detective than even him. The Doctor grinned and turned to the other Doctor with a sigh.
"Yeah, this investigation of yours, what's it about?" the Doctor asked.
"It started with a murder," the other Doctor said ominously.
"Oh, good," the Doctor nodded.
Ariel glanced up at him with wide eyes and cleared her throat. "Mister Smith?" She prompted, silently telling him where he had gone wrong.
The Doctor eyes widened and he hurried to amend his mistake. "I mean bad," he corrected. "Er, whose?" He wondered.
"Surely not Reverend Fairchild," Ariel frowned. "He looks like he's just passed and you said you've been investigating this for a fortnight."
"No," the other Doctor shook his head. "You're right, it was Mr Jackson Lake, a teacher of mathematics from Sussex. He came to London three weeks ago and died a terrible death," he sighed.
"Cybermen?" the Doctor guessed.
"It's hard to say," the other Doctor shrugged. "His body was never found. But then it started. More secret murders, then abductions. Children, stolen away in silence," he said.
"So, Reverend Fairchild?" Ariel prompted, wondering what the Reverend had to do with Mr Jackson Lake.
"The latest murder," the other Doctor nodded. "The Reverend Aubrey Fairchild, found with burns to his forehead, like some advanced form of electrocution."
"But why burn his head? Why not convert him?" Ariel mumbled.
"Who was he?" the Doctor asked. "Was he important?"
"You both ask a lot of questions," the other Doctor remarked, narrowing his eyes at them.
"We're your companions," the Doctor shrugged.
Ariel chuckled and nodded. "That's sort of in the job description," she said.
The other Doctor seemed wary of them but sighed softly and nodded. "The Reverend was the pillar of the community, a member of many parish boards. A keen advocate of children's charities."
"Children again," the Doctor muttered. "But why would the Cybermen want him dead? And what's his connection to the first death, this Jackson Lake?" He wondered.
"And how does Jackson Lake connect to children?" Ariel added with a nod.
"It's funny. I seem to be telling the pair of you everything, as though you engendered some sort of trust," the other Doctor chuckled. "You seem familiar, Mister Smith. I know your face. But how?" He wondered.
The Doctor inhaled sharply and nudged Ariel, gesturing down to the other Doctor's fob watch. Her eyes widened and she almost immediately understood what the Doctor was thinking. He had told her what fob watches could be to Time Lords. She was never certain if he told her because he wanted to make sure she knew if he had to store his identity in one or if he just wanted her to know about when he had experienced that with Martha, but nevertheless, she understood. She nodded and the Doctor met the other Doctor's eyes.
"I wonder," the Doctor hummed. "I can't help noticing you're wearing a fob watch," he remarked.
"Is that important?" The other Doctor frowned, holding up the watch for the couple to see.
"Legend has it that the memories of a Time Lord can be contained within a watch," the Doctor mumbled and Ariel raised an eyebrow. Legend? The Doctor simply shrugged and gestured to the watch. "Do you mind?" He asked.
The other Doctor shrugged and handed him the watch. The Doctor took a deep breath and held the watch delicately in the palm of his hand.
"It's said that if it's opened," the Doctor began, sighing softly as he opened the contents of the fob watch.
Instead of the energy of a Time Lord shining through, the works just fell out onto the ground and Ariel snickered.
"Oh," the Doctor sighed. "Maybe not."
"I'm guessing those aren't the memories of a Time Lord, then?" Ariel giggled, pointing to the works on the floor.
"Oh, you hush up," the Doctor moaned, wrapping an arm around her and laughing as he kissed the crown of her head.
"It was more for decoration," the other Doctor shrugged.
"Yeah," the Doctor sighed.
"Anyway," Ariel smiled. "Back to the investigation," she nodded.
"Yeah, alien infiltration," the Doctor said as they spun around and scanned the place.
"Yes," the other Doctor nodded. "Just look for anything different. Possibly metal. Anything that doesn't seem to belong. Perhaps a mechanical device that could fit no earthly engine," he instructed and Ariel smirked as the Doctor winked at her and pulled out his sonic screwdriver.
The Doctor started scanning the area with his sonic screwdriver and the other Doctor continued telling them what they needed to look out for, not knowing the couple had investigated together dozens of times.
"It could even seem to be organic, but unlike any organism of the natural world," the other Doctor told them. The Doctor nodded to a writing desk just in front of them, continuing to scan for any more items, and Ariel was about to open it when the other Doctor heard the sound of the screwdriver. "Shush!" He exclaimed. "What's that noise?"
Ariel leapt forward and put her hand on the sonic screwdriver, masking the noise as the Doctor turned to the other Doctor with wide eyes.
"It's nothing," Ariel assured him with a sheepish grin.
"Oh, it's just me, whistling," the Doctor shrugged and whistled the same way the sonic screwdriver sounded. "I wonder what's in here, though," he muttered, grabbing Ariel's hand and opening up the writing desk.
Inside there were two strange metal tubes that the Doctor picked up and frowned at. "Ah. Different and metal, you were right," the Doctor nodded to the other Doctor.
"What are they?" Ariel mumbled, frowning at the tube as the Doctor handed it to her.
"They are infostamps," the Doctor replied. At the other Doctor's raised brow the Doctor simply shrugged. "I mean, at a guess. If I were you, I'd say they worked something like this. 'Scuse me, love," the Doctor mumbled and moved to the side.
He pressed a button on one side of the infostamp and images that had the quality of an old film were projected against the wall behind him and started playing rapidly.
"Oi, that's Shakespeare!" Ariel exclaimed.
"Compressed information," the Doctor nodded. "Tons of it. That is the history of London, 1066 to the present day. This is like a disc, a Cyberdisc. But why would the Cybermen need something so simple? They've got to be wireless," he sighed.
"But that still doesn't explain why the would need the information, because this has all the major events in London up till 1851," Ariel said
The Doctor frowned as he thought on Ariel's words. "Unless," the Doctor mumbled, unsure if his theory could be right.
"What is it?" Ariel asked.
"They're in the wrong century," the Doctor realized with wide eyes. "They haven't got much power," he nodded. "They need plain old basic infostamps to update themselves," he smiled.
Ariel grinned. "Of course!" She exclaimed and spun around only to notice the other Doctor pinching his nose and squeezing his eyes shut. "What's wrong?" Ariel breathed.
The Doctor frowned and followed her line of sight with wide eyes. He knelt down in front of the other Doctor with a sigh. "Are you alright?" He asked, his tone soft and gentle.
Ariel smiled softly at him. That was one of the many reasons she loved him. He was willing to be kind to anybody no matter what their intentions may be. He had wanted to save Davros from the Crucible despite how long he'd kept him imprisoned on that ship. She hoped one day she could gain that trait as well.
"I'm fine," the other Doctor nodded.
"No, what is it?" the Doctor insisted. "What's wrong?" He asked.
"I've seen one of these before," the other Doctor breathed, holding onto the infostamp tightly. "I was holding this device the night I lost my mind. The night I regenerated. The Cybermen, they made me change. My mind, my face, my whole self. And you were there," he muttered, cupping the Doctor's cheek with wide eyes. "Who are you?"
"A friend," the Doctor nodded. "I swear."
"Then I beg you, John. Help me," the other Doctor pleaded, his voice cracking as he spoke.
The Doctor grinned at him. "Ah," he sighed, jumpin up and wrapping his arm around Ariel. "Two words I never refuse," he beamed, kissing Ariel softly on her temple while she giggled, entirely elated.
The Doctor smiled and seemed to bounce into his usual childish demeanor, never letting go of Ariel's hand as he spun around the house. "But it's not a conversation for a dead man's house. It'll make more sense if we go back to the Tardis. Your Tardis," he nodded.
The other Doctor nodded and began to gesture, the offer to guide the pair to his Tardis on the tip of his tongue when the Doctor interrupted him before the words could even leave his mouth.
"Hold on," the Doctor said, holding up a hand to stop the man in his tracks. "I just need to do a little final check. Won't take a tick. There's one more thing I cannot figure. If this room's got infostamps, then maybe, just maybe, it's got something that needs infostamping," he mumbled.
"You think the could be keeping one here?" Ariel frowned and her eyes widened as she realized. "Of course!" She exclaimed. "It could've killed the Reverend!"
"Exactly," the Doctor grinned. "Now, let's-," he began, but froze when he opened a door and there was a metal man standing on the other side.
Ariel and the Doctor stared at it with wide eyes.
"Okay," the Doctor sighed and swung the door closed.
"Just a thought-," Ariel began.
"I think we should run," the Doctor finished with a nod.
Before the other Doctor could even ask them what was going on. The Cyberman smashed the door down in front of them.
"Run!" the Doctor yelled. "Now!"
"Delete. The Doctor will be deleted," the Cyberman said.
They ran through one of the rooms and the Doctor sonicked the door closed behind them. The ran down the corridor only to run into another Cyberman.
"Delete!" The Cyberman cried.
They spun around and started running the other way.
"So, those are Cybermen, yeah?!" Ariel exclaimed.
"Yep, pretty much!" The Doctor yelled.
They reached the stairs just as the second Cyberman broke down the door and started marching toward them.
"Stairs!" the Doctor shouted and shoved the other Doctor up the steps. "Can't lead them outside!" He tried to move Ariel up the stairs as well and she gave him a look that said if you try to get rid of me I will kill you.
The Doctor laughed and grabbed her hand as he grabbed one of the many items by his side. He figured he could keep the Cybermen away with it, only to discover it was just an umbrella. He sighed and dropped it and Ariel spun around and pulled a sword from the wall.
"Here!" Ariel exclaimed and tossed it to him.
"Thanks!" the Doctor said, pointing the sword out at the two Cybermen, glaring at them.
"Delete."
"I'm a dab hand with a cutlass and a victress. You don't want to come near me," the Doctor warned. "This is your last warning," he said as the Cybermen continued to march forward. "No? Okay, this is really your last warning!" the Doctor exclaimed. As the Cyberman continued to march, the Doctor sighed and pulled Ariel up the steps. "Okay, I give up," he shrugged.
"Delete," the Cybermen said.
"Listen to me properly," the Doctor insisted, fighting the metal men with his sword. Ariel grabbed the bannister and kicked another one in the chest, knocking it back a few steps. "Whatever you're doing stuck in 1851, I can help!" He exclaimed. "I mean it. I'm the only person in the world who can help you! Listen to me!" He begged.
"Delete."
"Oh, that word is starting to get really dull!" Ariel snapped, pushing the Cyberman back down the steps again.
"Delete."
"I'm the Doctor. You need me," the Doctor sighed. "Check your memory banks. My name's the Doctor. Leave this man alone. The Doctor is me!" He exclaimed, following after Ariel's lead and pushing the Cyberman he was fighting down the stairs.
The Doctor held out his hand for Ariel and the pair ran up to the second floor as the Cybermen followed them.
"Delete."
"The Doctor, remember? I'm the Doctor! You need me alive. You need the Doctor, and that's me!" the Doctor exclaimed as the Cybermen knocked the Doctor down.
"Doctor!" Ariel shrieked and ran in front of him, but before the Cyberman could kill either of them, the other Doctor opened the seal on the infostamp and blasted the Cybermen with the beam, blowing up their heads.
Ariel fell to her knees and gasped for air as she stared up at the Cybermen, her racing heart slowly drifting back down to a normal speed.
"What the hell did you think you were doing?!" the Doctor exclaimed, turning her to face him with wide eyes. "You can't seriously think you were going to die for me."
"I acted on instinct," Ariel sighed, shaking her head. "You're all I have left. I can't live without you."
The Doctor smiled softly and wrapped her in a tight hug, pulling away and pressing a long kiss on her forehead. "I still have one more face," the Doctor whispered in her ear. "You don't have to worry."
"I didn't think," Ariel smiled. "I just didn't wanna risk losing you."
"I can't lose you," the Doctor insisted. "You would die. I wouldn't. Don't do something like that to me."
"I can't exactly that," Ariel grinned. She kissed him sweetly. "You're just gonna have to put up with me not wanting you to die."
The Doctor sighed softly and genuinely wanted to be upset, but couldn't even figure out what to argue in that moment. He was sure he would find the chance to be upset later.
Ariel kissed him one more time, wishing she could just stay there and kiss him, wrapped in his arms. When she kissed him she didn't feel like either of them could die at any moment. She didn't think about all the pain they would have to face and what could be waiting around the corner to tear them apart. It was just the pair of them together, as it should be.
Eventually, the Doctor stood up and held out his hand to Ariel, helping her to her feet as he went to inspect the blasted heads of the two Cybermen.
"Infostamp with a Cyclo-Steinham core," the Doctor chuckled. "You ripped open the core and broke the safety. Zap! Only the Doctor would think of that," he remarked.
"Wait," Ariel breathed. "If he is the Doctor then that means I'm not with you when you regenerate," Ariel mumbled.
The Doctor's face fell as he realized.
"I did that last time," the other Doctor mumbled.
"Come here," the Doctor sighed and pulled out his stethoscope as Ariel took a shaky breath and watched with wide eyes. "You'll be okay. Let me just check," he said, checking if the man had two hearts.
"You told them you were the Doctor," the other Doctor frowned. "Why did you do that?" He wondered.
"Oh, I was just protecting you," the Doctor shrugged.
"And you," the other Doctor said, pointing a shaky finger at Ariel. "You called him Doctor."
"I was just helping him protect you,"Ariel nodded, lying to conceal the fact that in her split second of fear, she had slipped up.
"You're trying to take away the only thing I've got, like they did," the other Doctor breathed. "They stole something, something so precious, but I can't remember. What happened to me? What did they do?" He begged.
"We'll find out," the Doctor nodded. "The three of us together," he said, smiling back at Ariel. "If you could just take us to your Tardis," the Doctor prompted.
"Right," the other Doctor sighed. "Of course," he nodded. "Follow me."
The other Doctor lead them out of the house and Ariel and the Doctor fell behind him so they could talk.
"So?" Ariel prompted.
"He doesn't have two hearts," the Doctor shook his head.
"So, he can't be you right? I mean his fob watch didn't have who he was in it and he has no memory past being here. If he doesn't have two hearts that means his mind wasn't wiped by the Cybermen," Ariel said.
"No, his memories weren't in that fob watch, but I think something else was," the Doctor mumbled.
"What is it?" Ariel asked. "Doctor?" She implored, raising a brow at him when he didn't respond at first.
"There was a name," the Doctor sighed. "Jackson Lake."
Ariel's eyes widened. "Oh, my God, so-."
"He's Jackson Lake," the Doctor nodded. "He said he had the infostamps on the day the Cybermen attacked him. Maybe, they had an infostamp about me and it just went into his mind, but I'll have to see the Tardis to know for sure."
"To know for sure he's not a Time Lord?" Ariel prompted.
"Not exactly," the Doctor sighed. "If they beamed the information about the Tardis into his mind, then I need to see what he has in place of a proper Tardis and how he sees it. These infostamps, they can present the facts about me but they can't make him lose his mind. I need to see why he clung to that life so desperately."
Ariel nodded. "Right, but he for sure isn't you?"
"No," the Doctor shook his head. "Why?"
"It's just," Ariel sighed. "I was kinda hoping I would be there for you when you regenerate out of this face. I know I can't be here forever and there's no telling how long you'll have this one, but I just wanted to be there for you if I could. Everytime he kept saying he recognized you but didn't recognize me," Ariel shook her head. "It freaked me out. I didn't want him to be the Doctor because I didn't want to face the fact that you'll probably forget me."
"Oh," the Doctor sighed, wrapping his arm around her and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I could never forget you," he assured her.
Ariel grinned up at him and kissed him sweetly, extremely grateful that she had fallen for one of the most beautiful men in the universe.