The Doctor stood up from his table after neatly setting his and the women's menus in a stack. Clara and Lila stood up with him and followed towards the table with the female patron who didn't notice them as she's rearranging the shot glasses once again, the Doctor sees the glowing pinprick in her eyes as she moved her head
He doesn't know what type of alien they're dealing with, he and Clara met a lot, but with so many, and some capable of masquerading as humans, he couldn't narrow it down if he tried. Obviously, they're smart enough to shrink Daleks into tiny toys, but what else they're capable of, if the reverse is a possibility
Giant Daleks, everyone and their mother would've received vicious tinnitus before the Daleks even get a whole word out as they're screeching at the top of their artificial lungs.
Perhaps perforated eardrums were better than listening to them, the more the Doctor thinks about it as he and the women slowly arrived at the table while the female patron circled the filled shot glasses with the three empty ones.
She didn't notice them, not at first, and seeing her close, Lila sees the woman's short ruffled deep ruby hair as its barely under her bowler hat, sticking out, shimmering under the light, looked off to her, but she couldn't explain why.
"Oh, you decided to join me?" Lila hears the woman say, her tone of voice, something unusual. She sees the woman look up at them and smile, her smile so wide, it took over the lower half of her pale face.
Gesturing towards them, the woman had the three sits with her, where they discussed the elephant in the room with the Doctor beginning his inquiry on who the woman is and why she's here.
"Y'know, it's funny, I can't seem to say it. I could never translate it with your garbled mess of a language," replied the woman as she told the Doctor that she couldn't remember her own name. Not even a nickname. She stated that she just went by whatever came to mind for the occasion, but nothing stuck for long, and the reason she came here's just for conventional reasons. The woman wanted to have one day to her lonesome and ended up falling in love with the surroundings. So, she stayed around, keeping herself busy, and keeping things she doesn't like on a lead.
"What do we call you if you don't have a name?" Lila asked the woman as she shifted in her spot, readjusting the sleeves of her jacket, before she responded to Lila's question.
The woman answered that she's become partial to a name she heard since she stayed here, Ferryman, and that's what she went by.
The Doctor continued, asking about the Daleks, causing her to chuckle dryly as she told him that they deserved every bit of what happened to them. They didn't deserve the glory of dying in combat, so she thought it'd be fun to watch them wallow in misery until they're inevitably destroyed by children, dogs, and time.
"H-how'd you turn an entire ship worth of Daleks small?" Clara piped up as she pulled strands of her chocolate hair behind her ear, only for Ferryman to chuckle.
Ferryman replied that she's got a mean streak and the Daleks weren't the first ones she punished for slights, oh yes, many more before got theirs for crossing the threshold. Few got back over it, however. Few deserved second chances.
As how Ferryman turned them small, she shrugs as she told Clara that it's just one of her gifts. Only, they're not gifts for those that receive them. She couldn't describe them, said that 'human' words can't describe her gifts well, that it's something she was born with.
"Where'd you come from?" the Doctor inquired Ferryman's origins and she tells him as she picked up a shot glass that she's from past Betelgeuse. A little way away past the Milky Way. Doubt someone like the Doctor knows where it is. Not a findable planet, it's concealed by the blackened appearances that blends with the darkness of space. Few know of its existence. Fewer know anything about it and what lies beneath the darkness.
The answer vague, Lila wanted to know why the Daleks picked a fight with her of all people, and Ferryman responds as she sat down the shot glass that the Daleks picked her up on the scanner. Guess she should've saw that coming, but things happen. She didn't like the tone of voice the Daleks had with her and decided to make them eat their words, made them half the Daleks they are, and turned them into packaged toys as punishment.
"I don't know why they picked on me, figured they'd pick on you, considering, oh well, serves them right. I gave them a chance to turn away, but they wouldn't take 'no' for an answer, stubborn as usual," Ferryman shook her head disappointedly as she tells them that the Daleks caused her to act out and punish them accordingly. It wasn't her fault they got angry, they always get angry about something, and she thought they'd pick on the Doctor, as they're known to do, but they picked her.
When asked why she brought them here, there's a thoughtful look on Ferryman's face as she answered that she thought it was a good idea at the time, and she made sure they couldn't hurt anyone when she turned them tiny. They can't even contact the others, so there's no harm in reinforcements coming down and ruining the fun.
"You can turn them back to full size, can't you?" The Doctor asked Ferryman if she's able to turn the Daleks back into their normal sizes, causing her to snort as she leered at the Doctor with her eyes silently barraging him with questions before she asked him.
"Why?" Ferryman dryly asked him.
She's miffed when the Doctor tells her why, he promised the Daleks he'd turn them back into their normal sizes, and she's flummoxed as to why the Doctor would give his word on such a thing.
Explaining to her, the Doctor said that it wasn't his intention to help the Daleks, but they were desperate for his help, and for the first time in a very long time, they wanted his help. There wasn't malice or betrayal in their pleas, either. They desperately wanted his help and so, the Doctor's helping them, and he'll ensure they never bother anyone again, he gave them his word he'll give them an even worse fate if they don't leave quietly.
"I don't believe this; you want to help those annoying things?" Ferryman's aghast at the thought someone cared enough to help the Daleks regain their normal size, only for Clara to elaborate that they're worried that the presence of the Daleks might've incurred unintended consequences. Even if they're disabled, someone's bound to find out they're here, and they can't list every race that has a problem with the Daleks because it's too many.
Pragmatically, they want to remove the Daleks before something with a lifelong grudge against them comes through and notices them on their scanners. There's plenty of people who aren't above nuking planets they suspect housing Daleks just to spite them.
Hearing the explanation gave Ferryman pause as she looked down at her shot glasses, pondering at what she's told, and when she glanced up, she responded with with a surprised, "Well, they weren't very nice, why wouldn't they get blown up?"
Seeing how the woman isn't taking this seriously, Lila opted to put it in layman terms for her. If they don't remove the Daleks, whoever spots them on the scanner's far likelier to destroy Earth and all of the inhabitants in the process of killing a few thousand Daleks. While deserving of their fates, the people on Earth didn't deserve getting caught in the crossfire for their trespasses. They're more forthcoming with Ferryman than anyone else coming to Earth after and they're not going to sit and talk.
Hearing this gave Ferryman enough that she saw error in her way, realizing that the Daleks' reputation, as much as it couldn't get any lower, would've attracted even worse attention than before, from grudging races hoping to settle the score with the mighty empire. Even if it's just a few thousand Daleks and their discombobulated ship.
"Oh, damn, fine, you have me there, I just wanted to have fun for a few, but I can't refute," Ferryman conceded that she's forced to undo her work or else risk her favourite restaurant's destruction. Oh, and the people who run it, where would she be without them?
Sighing, Ferryman scratched the side of her head as she tells the three what they had to do for the Daleks to return to their normal size. Go out to a specific spot out in the countryside, put them all in the fields there, and they'll turn back, but Ferryman warned that she's not responsible if they don't keep their word with the Doctor. Once they're back to their full size, they'll be taken back to their empire, complete with amnesia. A little parting gift for the annoying talking rubbish cans with plungers on their faces.
"Do that and that's that, fair enough?" Ferryman looked between them as the Doctor memorized what she instructed them.
Curious, the Doctor wanted to know how they found their way to Earth and Ferryman shrugs as she told him they probably gotten through the tried and true, rifts, found him buzzing around on Earth and decided to and find him, but found Ferryman instead, and got theirs.
Confirming the Doctor's suspicion as he grimaced at the thought the Daleks found Earth through a rift and found markings left behind showing him (or a variant) present.
"They won't remember how they found Earth, right?" Clara fearfully asked if they'll find it again and Ferryman assured her that if she wanted, she's capable of turning the Daleks into blathering idiots, but no, they can't find it again.
It's a miracle they found a rift much less have the courage going through it, but of course, when Daleks are involved, they're generally fearless for the sake of it. Hearing them pleading for mercy's just laughable in Ferryman's eyes.
Even more curious, Lila asked what Ferryman really is and she shrugs as she replied that she doesn't know how to even say it, nobody really called themselves what they are, they just know. It's strange, but she just 'knows' what she is, and they'll likely never see anything like her again. She's the first one off the planet and presumably the only one that'll ever leave.
"Even they couldn't find us, guess we're just good at hiding," Ferryman shrugged as she explained that nobody's ever seen them in their natural form, since nobody's able to find their planet, and likely won't. Daleks couldn't find them, not that it mattered, they're always thick-headed cretins that couldn't find their way out of a coat factory without blasting it to bits.
With a way to send the Daleks away, the Doctor ended their conversation on what Ferryman planned to do now and she shrugged at him as she replied that she doesn't plan on leaving Earth soon. She liked the planet, had a lot of light, something her planet never got a lot of, and that as far as her encountering him again, well, she tells him that he won't recognize her on the second meeting.
"Beautiful thing about us and our wonderful gifts, we just don't settle," Ferryman summed why the Doctor won't recognize her if they saw each other again.
She left it at that and motioned with her hand, telling them to hurry on, get the Daleks off the Earth, she wants to be at the restaurant tomorrow night for the weekly special that day.
Clara and the Doctor got out of the booth and Lila's about to follow them, but Ferryman stopped her, asking her to stay back for a moment.
Curious, Lila settled in her spot as she looked across to Ferryman.
"Listen, something else, I can see things," Ferryman tells Lila as she stared at her curiously. Confused, Lila asks what she meant and Ferryman's tone of voice shifted before she cryptically warned Lila, "There's a shadow, borne from a cruel man, following you. Watching you. Waiting."
Hearing this cryptic warning made Lila confused and she wanted an elaboration on what Ferryman said, but she refused to elaborate any further, only saying that, "I'm not sure what it is, but I don't think it's human. It only looks like one."
It's confused Lila enough that she took pause, but she's snapped back as the Doctor called for her and she hurried out of the booth to follow him and Clara out of the restaurant back to the TARDIS.
With the coordinates and the instruction, the three traveled to the spot Ferryman told them, and grabbed every Dalek they can carry out of the TARDIS, placing them everywhere in the empty fields. On the last one, Clara stumbled backwards as she sees the Dalek growing as it's become numb, unable to speak.
She joined the Doctor and Lila as they watched the Daleks growing until they reached their normal sizes before they disappeared one at a time until the final one Clara sat disappeared.
"Well, that's one way of disposing them, I guess," Lila shrugs as she doesn't have words to describe the night she's having. Clara agrees with her before saying that the Doctor kept his word, he sent them on their way, only he didn't think to add a clause that they might've lost their memories along the way.
"Can't win them all, Clara, them's the breaks. Now, since they're gone and all's well, I think we better head off. We've got to go to the North Pole, remember?" the Doctor turned to Clara with his hands in the safety of his thick coat.
It crossed Clara's mind and she remembered their original plan before they've gotten sidetracked trying to steal back the Daleks.
Nodding, Clara asks how the Doctor planned to explain to someone why they're late.
Snorting, the Doctor reminded with a blunt, "The Doctor arrives precisely when he means to, Clara. Neither snow or rain. Come on, he promised me."
It drew Lila's interest and she asked what they planned to do after this. The Doctor turns his head as he tells her that they received a request from Saint Nick. He needed help. Part of that help included the Doctor able to ride his sleigh.
Hearing this made Lila immediately ask if he's pulling her leg, but the Doctor insisted he's not. There's a nice man called Saint Nick and he needed the Doctor and Clara's help.
"Y'know, if you said this months ago, I'd tell you off. Now, I'm not even sure what the hell's going on anymore, so, you know what, have at it. Read a good book once a while. And don't just show up at my place without calling ahead, all right?" Lila didn't have any words left, she really doesn't know what's going on anymore, so she's just winging it, and hoping for the best.
They return to the TARDIS and the Doctor returned them to Lila's flat where the Doctor took the time to talk to her about a conversation earlier.
"So, I guess it's true," the Doctor looked at her as they stood near the door.
Confused, Lila asked what he meant, and he brought up an earlier conversation about her dating one of the Doctors.
"Look, one's a... I'm not sure what to classify him as other than someone who escaped a funny farm that got a haircut and dye job along the way. One's my coworker and I'll be honest, his brother scares me more than the Daleks, and that's saying a lot when I put it that way," Lila summed that, no, she's not dating either Doctors.
One's too chaotic, nice as he may be, but chaotic all the same, and one's brother scares her when he flies off the handle since he seldom ever raised his voice. Lila saw him angry when Theodore came into work with a healed wound on his hand from a bad adventure, lord knows what that tiny stoic man would do if the stars align and find out she's dating Theodore.
Not pushing her luck, Lila's already pushing her luck working as a librarian and a companion. No need to further strain it to the point that she's shocked it hadn't snapped like a high-tension rubber band.
The Doctor apologized for what he said and Lila shrugged as she told him not to worry, she heard enough lectures from her own dad. It's enough to catch the Doctor off-guard and Lila pointed at him as she said, "You're married and you have a daughter."
Recoiling, the Doctor as how she knew that and Lila explained how, by pointing at the band on his left hand. He broke a rule about not having anything identifiable and the Doctor admitted he couldn't bring himself to take it off when he took the job. Lila continued as she said that she recognized the tone of voice he took when he angrily asked her if she was dating one of the Doctors she knew. Her dad had similar tones whenever Lila had a boyfriend when she was younger.
Ancient history, Lila found dating difficult in her younger years when she moved with her family to different naval bases seasonally and sporadically, that it was better she stayed friends than try having a long-distance relationship. Much better outcome than the alternative.
Now, she's already running around doing tasks in the library and running for her life, no need to add more to her staggering itinerary.
"You read me that well, huh?" the Doctor's blue eyes widened as Lila figured out the little details, he didn't think anyone would've gotten, it's enough that Clara reacted as he did, shocked that she didn't know that about him.
Shrugging, Lila told him that it's a gift and a curse. It's a gift that she knows to duck when Hammond's in one of his moods and a curse when she knows that she's on an adventure the moment she clocked out of work.
"Well, thank you for your help and uh, happy Christmas," the Doctor opened the door as Lila stepped toward it into her flat. She turned around to face him and gave him and Clara a merry Christmas in return.
Hearing this confused the two for a moment before it caught up to them and they gave their farewell to Lila as she watched the TARDIS dematerialized from her flat.
Exhaling sharply, Lila remarked, "Man, what are the odds?!"
She noticed the time and made dinner for tonight and tomorrow, as she's breading the chicken in the flour, it crossed Lila's mind as she thought back to what Ferryman told her.
"Shadow?" Lila's baffled at the cryptic warning given to her as she's carefully putting the battered chicken into the screaming hot oil. "What shadow?"
THE END