They had collected their coffees or more 2 coffees and a hot chocolate and were on their way back to Clara, a couple of weeks later. The Doctor wanted to spend a little more time with just the two of them since he had spent so long alone. The TARDIS picked up a distress signal from a ship under attack from the Daleks. They had picked up two people on the small ship until one of the lifes blinked out, dead.

So they materialised around the other pilot just seconds before the ship exploded.

"You might feel a bit sick," the Doctor remarked as the woman awoke, "please don't be."

"Where's my brother?" the woman demanded, jumping to her feet with a start.

"Hello. I'm the Doctor. This is my daughter, Star," he nodded to her as she waved, holding her hot chocolate in the other hand.

"He was right beside me, where's Kai? How did I get here?"

"We materialised a time capsule exactly round you and saved your life one second before your ship exploded, but do please keep crying." he set the coffees in the console.

"My brother just died!" the woman cried, her eyes prickling with tears.

"Im sorry," Star murmured, solemnly, "We were too late to save him."

"But please, put the gun down." the Doctor eyed it.

"Or what?"

"Or you might shoot us," the Doctor said, "and then where will you be?" he refused to let anyone harm Star even if it was just a threat, he outright refused, she may be able to defend herself, always had, but he didn't care he spent so long away from her on Trenzalore he refused to be away any longer.

"In charge of your vessel," the woman replied.

Star giggled, "You wouldn't even find the light switch before starving to death."

"Who are you?" the Doctor inquired.

"I'm Lieutenant Journey Blue of the Combined Galactic Resistance." she told them, "I demand you take me back to my command ship, the Aristotle, which is currently located..."

"No," the Doctor cut her off, "not like that."

"You will return me to my command ship which is currently positioned..."

"No, not, come, not like that, not like that, get it right!"

She hesitated, putting her weapon in her holster, "could you take me back to my ship. Please?"

"The Aristotle's the big fella parked in the asteroid belt, yeah?" he called as he and Star got to work at the controls.

"It's shielded."

"More or less." The Doctor mumbled.

~.~

They landed with a thump; they stepped out, the Doctor looking at Journey in half-amusement as she looked astonished they had gotten her there.

"Dry your eyes, Journey Blue," he told her, "crying is for civilians. It's how we communicate with you lot."

He strode out the TARDIS with Star and Journey following, looking back at the TARDIS to see it was just a police box, "it's smaller on the outside."

"No, she's bigger on the inside," Star corrected.

The Doctor looked around, "this isn't a battleship. Medical insignia, it's a hospital."

"We don't need hospitals now," a voice called from behind them. The turned to see a man in his 50's flanked with soldiers, "the Daleks don't leave any wounded. And we don't take any prisoners." the soldiers aimed at the Doctor and Star.

"We saved your friend," Star stated bluntly, eying the guns.

"That's true, sir," Journey nodded, "they did."

"Thank you," he looked at them coldly.

"You're welcome," the Doctor replied, "I wish we could've done more."

"Then you should have."

"Ok..."

"But...you did save Journey and for that I am personally grateful."

"Well..."

"However, the security on this base is absolute, do we're still going to kill you."

"Oh, it's a roller coaster with you, isn't it?" he rolled his eyes.

"Shoot them, bag them and throw them outside," the man ordered, stepping back as the soldiers raised the guns, aiming.

"No, stop..." Journey cut them off.

"I'm sorry, they could be duplicates."

"He's a doctor." the men lowered their guns as the Doctor and Star glanced at each other, bemused, "and we have a patient. Don't we, uncle?"

The man sighed but led them off.

"Why does a hospital need a doctor?" the Doctor wondered.

"The Aristotle wasn't always hidden," the man replied, "The Daleks got here before us."

"You don't like soldiers much, do you?" Journey guessed.

"You don't need to be liked," the Doctor said, "you've got all the guns."

They led them through a door marked 078 and into the lab. The Doctor noticed a large clear tube with two benches inside, "a moleculon nanoscaler."

"You know what is does then?" Journey looked at him.

"It miniaturises living matter," Star answered instead, "doesn't it?" she glanced at the Doctor, "it does, doesn't it? Im right, tell me im right. Of course im right im your daughter. I'm always right."

"You're right." He nodded, chuckling at how she could ramble at such little things. "You're always right."

She beamed, "What's the medical application, though? Do you shrink the surgeons so they can get inside the patients?"

"Exactly," the man, Journeys uncle, nodded.

"Fantastic idea for a movie," the Doctor had to admit, "terrible idea for a proctologist. Are you going to miniaturise us?"

"That would be…an experience." Star added.

"You're a doctor aren't you?" he led them further into the room and opened a pair of secured steel doors, opening them to reveal a battered Dalek chained up inside.

"No..." Star breathed, "You really can't put us in there."

"Doctor?" the Dalek called. "Doctor."

"How do you know who I am?" the Doctor demanded of the Dalek.

"It doesn't," Journeys uncle assured him, "we promised him medical assistance."

"Are you my doctor?" the Dalek asked.

"We found it floating in space," Journey explained.

"We thought it was deactivated," her uncle added, "so we tried to disassemble it."

Star kept her eyes on the Dalek, "you didn't realise it was a living creature."

"Not until it started screaming," Journey sighed.

"Help me," The Dalek begged.

"Why would I do that?" the Doctor frowned, "why would any living creature help you?"

"Daleks will die."

"Go and die then," Star snapped, "not our problem. We don't care."

"Daleks must be destroyed."

"Daleks must be destroyed," the Doctor turned away before he realised what the Dalek had said, "what did you say?"

"All Daleks must die. I will destroy all Daleks. Destroy the Daleks. Destroy the Daleks."

~.~

They'd quickly gone back to the TARDIS to get Clara, telling Journey's uncle that it was important that she came with them it had taken a while to get the man to just let them go, the man was sure that was just an excuse for them to run away and leave.

They materialised in a small cupboard in the school when Clara entered with a smile.

"Where the hell of you been?" Clara demanded as she turned to see them there, the Doctor holding out the coffees, her smile quickly fading.

"You sent us for coffee." the Doctor reminded her.

"3 weeks ago. In Glasgow."

"3 weeks. That's a long time."

"In Glasgow. That's dead in a ditch." She had carried on her life as a teacher, not bothered if they did ever come back. Of course, she was hoping they did but wasn't getting her hopes up. She wasn't going to live her life waiting for them to come back, they weren't her life, they were her family and sometimes you have to wait years until you see family again.

"Not our fault," Star defended, "we got distracted."

"By what?" Clara asked.

"I wanted to spend time with my daughter," the Doctor defended, "I went 800 years without her."

"Ok," Clara nodded, that was a pretty good excuse. This time.

"Now, come on." Star led them back into the TARDIS

"Why were you smiling?" the Doctor asked as they walked to the console.

"Was I? No, I wasn't," Clara denied.

"You were smiling at nothing. I'd almost say you were in love, but to be honest..."

"Honest?"

"You're not a young woman anymore."

"Yes, I am."

"Well, you don't look it," he argued.

"I do look it."

"She's only 27." Star informed him.

"Clara, Clara, Clara," the Doctor sighed, "Clara, Clara, Clara. I need something from you. I need the truth."

"Ok, right," Clara blinked, "what is it?" they both sat in the steps, "you're scared." she noticed.

"I'm terrified," he admitted.

"Of what?"

"The answer to my next question, which must be honest and cold and considered, without kindness or restraint, Clara, be my pal, and tell me, am I a good man?"

This took Clara by surprise, "I don't know."

He did leave her in an underground slaughter house surrounded by droids that could kill her, but then he still came back with help. Then he left her in Glasgow 3 weeks ago saying he went to get coffee, but she wasn't sure if he came back by choice or if Star dragged him back. She just…didn't know him well enough to say yes just yet.

"Neither do I," the Doctor sighed, getting up and joining Star at the console.

"To me your best man in the universe," Star told him, sincerely, "you're my role model."

Yeah, he has made mistakes and bad decisions in the past but so as everyone. But those mistakes can make you better. You can learn from those mistakes to make the universe a better place and that is exactly what he was doing.

"Hey," Clara called back, "no offence but I've got plans."

"We'll have you back in time for 'plans.'" Star reassured her, "your man won't even know you're gone."

"He's not my man. He's just a new co-worker I'm having a drink with. Get to know him more. That is all."

"I hope that is all. I don't like him."

"You don't even know him. Hold on" she blinked, "How did you know, anyway?"

Star spun the monitor around to show the four different parts of the schools, the cupboard they were parked in, the corridor outside, a classroom and the staffroom.

"You've been spying on me?" she gasped.

"No, no, no," she shook her head, "keeping an eye on you. Making sure you're free before we come and visit. You know, we don't need any of the kids seeing us appear."

"Oh…I suppose that's alright then. But my life is still my life and private."

"Yes boss," she mock-saluted making Clara shake her head.

"And...I need you," the Doctor looked at her.

"Right," she nodded, joining them at the console, "where are we going?"

"Into darkness," he pulled a lever sending them off.

~.~

"A good Dalek?" Clara asked in disbelieve as they had just told her everything that had happened on the Aristotle.

"There is no such thing." Star stated.

"That's a bit inflexible. Not like you. I'd almost say prejudiced."

"Do I pay you?" the Doctor sighed, looking at Clara, "I should give you a raise."

"You're not my boss, you're my family," Clara smiled at them.

"Come on," the Doctor set the TARDIS down and led them back to where the Dalek was.

"That was quick," Journey remarked.

"This is gun girl," the Doctor explained to Clara, "she's got a gun and she's a girl. This is a sort of boss one. Are you the same one as before?"

"Yes," the man said sternly.

"I think he's her uncle," Star added, "but I may have made that up to pass the time while we were talking. Although im sure she called him her uncle. You should call dad uncle as well, now I think about it."

"This is Clara," the Doctor nodded to her, "not our assistant, she's, some other word."

"Cousin," Star supplied as Clara replied with, "carer."

"Yeah," Star agreed, "that works too, she cares so we don't have too. Well, more dad doesn't have too. I care about those important to me, but no one else."

"Doctor," the Dalek called as they're entered its room again.

"Hello again," the Doctor greeted.

"Will you help me?"

"Will you?" Clara looked between them.

"A Dalek so damaged, it's turned good," the Doctor pondered, "morality as malfunction. How do we resist?"

"Daleks must die," the Dalek stated, "Daleks must die."

"So what do we do with a moral Dalek, then?" Clara wondered.

"We get inside its head," Star commented.

"How do you get inside a Daleks head?"

"You're a teacher; you should know what a metaphor is and what isn't. That isn't."

~.~

The Doctor, Star and Journey's uncle walked into the lab with the moleculon nanoscaler as Journey put on Clara's nanocontroller band on her wrist.

"What are those for?" the Doctor walked past the two extra soldiers who were coming with them into the Dalek, "I don't need armed babysitters."

"We're not your baby sitters," the woman said.

"We're here to shoot you dead if you turn out to be a Dalek spy," the man warned.

"Good, I hate babysitters." The Doctor grumbled.

"Ok, listen up," Journey called, "now, remember, do not hold your breath when the nanoscaler engages. You fell like you want to, but you must keep breathing normally during the miniaturisation process."

"Why?" Clara asked.

"Ever microwaved a lasagne without pricking the film on top?" the Doctor answered with a question of his own.

"It explodes."

"Don't be lasagne."

"Are you ok?" Star tilted her head at Clara. She knew the woman could still remember parts of her echo lifes, going inside a Dalek would bring back memories of Oswin.

She sucked in a breath, exhaling deeply, "We're going inside a Dalek." she slid into the nanoscaler sitting between the Doctor and Star as the other three sat opposite.

"Nanoscaler engaging," Journeys uncle called over the microphone, "in 5...4...3...2...nanoscaler engaging...now."

A pulsing noise filled the lab as a beam of light pulsed through the tank. And the group within slowly shrunk as the noise got louder. All breathing normally when the pod stopped shrinking.

"Nanoscaling in progress," the computer announced, "Nanoscaling complete."

"Nanoscaling successful." Morgan called, "everyone ok in there?"

"We all made it," Journey replied as one if the technicians picked up the pod with a pair of tweezers, "nobody popped."

"I can't believe this," Clara breathed, looking around the large room.

"No," the Doctor stared straight ahead, as they approached the Dalek, "neither can I."

"This is brilliant!" Star beamed. No one ever got to go inside a Dalek and to be miniaturised as well, it was just brilliant and a new experience and it was completely mad. "Well, no, it's bad; I mean it's a Dalek. We're actually going inside a Dalek, where no ones gone before. Amazing!"

"Only you would get excited about this." Clara shook her head at her.

"I get excited about everything."

The pod was entered into the Dalek's eyestalk and the Doctor reached out, the surface rippled.

"We'll be following you all the way," Journeys uncle called, "rescue one. Good luck all of you."

They walked through the Dalek's lens, the images distorting and bending as they went through.

"That was weird," Clara remarked as they entered the cortex tunnel.

"You've seen nothing yet," the Doctor murmured.

The Doctor and Star led the others down the corridor

"What are the lights?" Clara frowned seeing them along the sides.

"Visual impulses travelling towards the brain." Star answered her.

"Welcome to the most dangerous place in the universe," the Doctor introduced.

"Entering the cranial ledge now," Journey called into the comm. she walked around the corner, gun at the ready.

"Oh, my god," Clara looked over the ledge at the sight. Light and cables and circuits and mechanics built in the walls of a cylindrical chasm that falls away and far down.

"Behold, the belly of the beast," the Doctor muttered.

"It's..." she trailed, unsure what to make of it. It was a Dalek after all.

"It's different." Star offered.

"It's huge," the man joined them.

"No, Ross. We're tiny," the woman corrected.

"So how big is it?" Clara squinted a she looked into the darkness, "the living part, compared to us, right now?"

"You see those cables?" Star pointed to the huge cable, falling into the dark, "they're not all cables." some of the cables twitched, like tentacles.

"Does it know we're here?" the male soldier inquired.

"It invited us in," Journey reasoned.

"Now this is the cortex vault," the Doctor looked at the lights, "a supplementary electronic brain. Memory banks, but more than that. This is what keeps the Dalek pure."

"How are Daleks pure?" the woman soldier scoffed.

"Dalek mutants are born hating," Star shrugged, "this is what stokes the fire. Extinguished even the tiniest glimmer of kindness or compassion. Imagine the worse thing in the universe. This is it. You're looking at it. Evil refined as engineering."

"Doctor?" the Dalek called.

"Oh, hello, Rusty," he called up to the Dalek, "you don't mind if I call you Rusty? We're going to need to come down there with you. Medical examination, and all that."

"What are those tentacles and things?" the woman frowned at them.

"How close do we have to get in?" Journey wondered.

"Well, you know, we're never going to insert a thermometer from up here," the Doctor told them.

Ross looked at Journey who nodded and he fired a harpoon into the ledge.

"No!" the Doctor shouted, "no, no, no! Stop!"

"You idiot!" Star cried.

"We need a way down, only way." Journey countered.

"This is Dalek for god's sake, not a machine." The Doctor glared at her, "It's a living creature and you just hurt it. And you know what's coming."

"Oh, god," Clara's eyes widened as she realised.

"What?" the woman looked at her, "what is it?"

"Antibodies."

"Dalek antibodies." the Doctor nodded. Little round antibodies flew down the corridor towards them. "Nobody move. Any attempt to help him or attack those thing, will identify you as a secondary source of infection. Stay still!"

The antibodies opened to reveal large blue eyes, they surrounded Ross.

"But the Dalek wants us here," Clara frowned, "why is it attacking?"

"Can you control your antibodies?" Star countered.

"Ross, stay calm," Journey ordered him lightly, "we're going to get you out of this."

"Can you?" Clara glanced at the Doctor.

"Ross, swallow this," the Doctor throw him a small battery, he caught it.

"What is it?" he eyed it.

"Trust me."

Ross swallowed it, "now what?"

The antibodies aimed a bright light at him.

"Ross!" Journey yelled as the antibodies disintegrated the man.

"Oh, my god," Clara stared in horror, "what's it doing?"

The antibodies blue light turned red as they sucked up the remains of Ross.

"The hovering," the Doctor raised his sonic as the antibodies flew way, "gotcha."

"What did you give him?" Clara asked.

"Oh, just a spare power cell, but I can track down the radiation signature. I need to know where they dump the bodies."

"I thought you were saving him," Journey glared.

"It was him or us all," Star resorted, "which would you prefer? His sacrifice saved us all."

"Follow me and run," the Doctor called as the antibodies followed them. They stopped at a hole in the ledge, "they've dumped him in here. Organic refuse disposal. We need to get in there."

"Why?" Clara asked as Journey and the woman soldier shot at the antibodies.

"The antibodies won't give up until we're inside there. I'd rather go in alive than dead."

"You don't know where it goes."

"Yes I do. Away from here. Now in. In! In!" Clara jumped down in the hole. "Star! Down, now!" she jumped in after Clara, sliding down into a green splodgy liquid. Journey, the woman soldier and the Doctor quickly came down after her.

"Urg, what is this stuff!" Clara grimaced.

"People," Star stated, getting up onto the side and out of the liquid, "sometimes I regret wearing a skirt."

"The Daleks need protein," the Doctor extended, "occasionally, they harvest from their victims. This is a feeding tube."

"Is Ross here?" Journey asked.

"Yeah. Top layer, if you want to say a few words."

Journey shoved him against the wall, "a man has just died. You will not talk like that."

"A lot of people have died. Everything in here is dead and do you know why that's good?"

"There is nothing good about that."

"Nothing is alive in here," Star said calmly, her dagger against the woman's back, "this is the weakest point in Dalek security. Nobody guards the dead. And I'd thank you if you let go of your grip on my dad."

Journey let go of her grip on the Doctor who gave a short nod in thanks, "mortuaries and larders, always the easiest to break out of. Oh? I've lived a life tell Uncle Stupid that we're in. Ah ha! A bolt hole." the Doctor walked past Star as he unscrewed a large bolt with the sonic.

"He'll get us out of here," Clara told the other two, "they both will. The difficult part is not killing them before they can."

"Bolt hole. Actually, a hole for a bolt. Does nobody get that?"

"Keep that up and I will stab you," Star threatened lightly.

"Also there's the puns." Clara added.

"Watch it," the Doctor warned, "decontamination tubes are hot."

"Rescue one to mission control," Journey called into the comm. as they crawled through the tube.

"This is Blue; rescue one," Journeys uncle responded, "report."

"The Dalek has an internal defence mechanism. We've lost Ross."

"What kind of defence mechanism? That thing knows you're in there to help it."

"Yeah, well, who knows? It's a Dalek. We're going to continue the mission."

"Are you alright back there?" the Doctor called back, "it's a bit narrow, isn't it?"

"Any remarks about my hips will not be appreciated." Clara muttered.

"Your hips are fine. You're built like a man."

"Thanks." Clara grumbled, sarcastically.

"Ignore him." Star called back, "you're beautiful."

"Thank you, Star."

"Are you wearing a Geiger counter?" Star looked at the woman soldier as they left the tube.

"Standard battle equipment," she replied, "that's just low enough radiation."

"But stronger down here, for some reason." the Doctor mused, "gimme."

"Was that him?" Journeys uncle came in the comm. "how are they working out?"

"It's hard to say," Journey remarked, slightly bitterly, still mad that they had calmly killed Ross.

The Doctor swiped the large printed circuit boards in the walls with the Geiger counter, "I've got it. I know what's wrong with Rusty."

"Ok, that's good;" Clara nodded, "is that good?"

"Well, you know how I said this was the most dangerous place in the universe? I was wrong. It's way more dangerous than that."

"Colonel," Journey called, "We have radiation indicators red-lining in here. Could be that the Dalek is badly damaged than we thought."

"Copy that." He responded.

"Old Rusty here is suffering a trionic radiation leak," the Doctor remarked.

"It's poisoning the Dalek and us." Star added.

"Just as well we're here."

"Really?" Journey looked over at them, "Perhaps we should get out while we can. Why should we trust a Dalek? Why would it change?"

"Good question," the Doctor nodded, "Rusty? What changed you?"

"I saw beauty." Rusty stated.

"You saw what?"

"In the silence and the cold, I saw world burning."

"That's not beauty," Journey argued, "that's destruction."

"I saw...more."

"What did you see?" Star asked.

"The birth of a star." Rusty said.

"Stars are born everyday," the Doctor waved it off; "You've seen a million stars born. So what?"

"Daleks have destroyed a million stars." Rusty remarked.

"Oh, millions and million." the Doctor agreed, "trust me, I keep count."

"And yet, new stars are born."

"Every time."

"Resistance is futile."

"Resistance to what?" Star frowned.

"Life returns. Life prevails. Resistance is futile."

"So you saw a star bring born," the Doctor scoffed, "and you learned something. Oh, Dalek, do not be lying to me. Come on."

"Heading for the Trionic power cells, Colonel," Journey told her uncle on the comm.

"Radiation approving 200 rads," He responded. "Danger levels."

~.~

They entered the Trionic power cell, looking at a large circular area, pipes and cables spread out upwards.

"The heart of the Dalek," Star breathed.

"It's incredible," Clara looked around in amazement.

"Geiger counters of the scale," Journey noted, "looks like it's about to blow." bolts of lightning burst from the top of the cone.

"Good," the Doctor nodded.

"How is that good?"

"We work better under pressure," Star explained.

"Rusty, can you hear me?" the Doctor called to him.

"Doctor?"

"Rusty, we've found the damage, I'm sealing up the breach...in your power cell, he used the sonic to fix the crack on the cone, "no more radiation poisoning, good as new!" electricity cracked as the crack closed, "there. Job done."

"Is that that?" Clara blinked, "just like that?" she was excepting it to be harder than that. There is always something else to it than just simply using the sonic.

"An anti-climax once in a while is good for my hearts. Rusty? How do you feel, Rusty?" there was no answer, "Rusty?"

"The malfunction is corrected," Rusty stated.

"What happened?" Journey asked.

"I'm not entirely sure," the Doctor admitted.

Above, throughout Rusty, new lights lit up.

"He's waking up..." Star noted.

"Rusty? Come in. Talk to me! What's going on? Come on."

"The malfunction is corrected," Rusty stated, "all systems are functioning. Weapons charged."

"What? No! No!" the Doctor groaned, realising what had happened.

"Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!" Rusty cried and they all knew he was firing at Morgan and the others on the Aristotle.

"No, no, no!" Star moaned.

"The Daleks will be victorious! The rebels will be exterminated!"

"Colonel!" Journey yelled into her comm., "What's happening out there?"

"Exterminate! Exterminate! Dalek fleet! Communications open!"

"Doctor! What happened?" Clara turned to him.

"You see?" he replied, grim.

"See what?"

"Daleks don't turn good; it was the radiation affecting its brain. No good Dalek! No miracle."

"Let me get this straight," Journey gave up trying to contact the Aristotle, "we had a good Dalek and we made it bad again? That's all we've done?"

"There was never a good Dalek," the Doctor argued, "there was a broken Dalek and we repaired it."

"You were supposed to help us..."

"We gave it a shot, it didn't work out. It's a Dalek, what did you expect?"

"No more talking, you are done," she turned to Gretchen and pulling her to the aide, "ok, new objective. We are taking this Dalek down."

The Doctor looked at Clara to see her glaring at him, "what's that look for?"

"That's the look you get when I'm about to slap you!" she slapped him hard on the cheek.

"We're going to die in here and there's a tiny piece of you that's please. The Daleks are evil after all, everything makes sense, the Doctor is right!"

"Daleks are evil, irreversibly, that's what we just learned!"

"No! That is not what we just learned!" she turned her back on them.

He glanced at Star to see her rubbing her temples, eyes closed. "What's wrong?"

"Headache." She murmured.

"We need to position the charges for maximum effect," Journey instructed, "I'm scanning the architecture for..."

"One question." Clara cut in.

"No time."

"Why did we come here today? What was the point?" she turned to the Doctor, "you thought there was a good Dalek. What different would one good Dalek make?"

"All the difference in the universe," he shouted, "it is impossible!"

"Is that a fact?" Clara asked, "Is that really what we learned today? Think about it, is that what we learned?"

"Exterminate!" Rusty cried, "Exterminate!"

"Journey, what the hells happened?" Journeys uncle shouted over the comm. "that thing has set the Daleks on us...and it's locked us out of our defences. Journey, you're the Aristotle's only hope. I need you to destroy that Dalek."

"The rebels will be exterminated!" Rusty cried.

"Whatever it takes."

"Understood, colonel," Journey nodded.

"...I'm sorry."

"Yeah. Me too."

And then the Doctor realised what Clara meant, what they had learned, "Clara Oswald do I really not pay you?"

"You couldn't afford me." she smiled.

"Whatever your doing to do, don't," he turned to Journey, "We can do better than destroy the Dalek."

"Are you out of your mind?" she shouted as she held a small bomb in her hands, ready to set it off.

"Well, I'm insane," Star offered, "so...yes. I suppose I am."

"But we're inside a Dalek," the Doctor said, "standing where we've never been, we cannot waste this chance, and it won't come again."

"What chance?" she shook her head, "I have my orders."

"Soldiers take orders."

"I'm a soldier."

"A Dalek is a better soldier than you will ever be, you can't win this way."

"Ah! So what do we do?"

"Something better."

~.~

The Doctor followed Star before helping Clara onto the ledge as Journey and Gretchen followed using giant screws as a ladder.

"The Dalek isn't just some angry blob in a Dalekanium tank," the Doctor explained, "if it was, the radiation would have turned it into a raging lunatic."

"It is a raging lunatic," Journey countered, "it's a Dalek."

"But for a moment it wasn't. The radiation allowed it to expand its consciousness, to consider things beyond its natural terms of reference. It became good. That's means a good Dalek is possible, that's what we learned to day, am I right, teacher?"

"Top of the class." Clara cheered.

"But now it's back to what it was," Journey reminded them.

"But what it saw, what it felt, is still there," Star pointed out.

"Yeah, not exactly seeing that."

"Not here. There!" the Doctor pointed up to the cortex vault.

"You mean in the cortex vault?" Journey frowned.

"The evil engineering?" Clara asked.

"Every memory recorded. Some of the suppress but all still intact." Star said. "If we show the Dalek the star being born again we can create that moment."

The Doctor turned to Clara, "you need to get up there, find that moment and reawaken it."

"Me?" Clara blinked as he stared at her.

"Us." Star corrected.

"No, Clara," the Doctor frowned.

"How?" the woman shook her head.

"I know," Star sang.

"How?"

"Not saying."

"Star…" the Doctor began, really not happy for them to be split up inside a Dalek.

"Don't you trust me?" she looked at him, pouting.

He sighed, knowing if he tried to keep her with him she would send it back on him, saying that he wanted her with him because he didn't trust her but he did, he trusted her more than he trusted himself.

He pointed a Clara, "Look after her."

"Of course," Clara promised, though it would more likely be Star looking after her.

"This is crazy." Journey looked at them in disbelieve, "There's no way we can get back to the top in time!"

"Yes there is," the woman aimed her gun, casting a look at the Doctor and Star.

"No, Gretchen," Journey shook her head, "it'll bring the anti-bodies down on us."

The woman looked at Clara, "tell me the truth. Are they mad or are they right?" Clara hesitated, "I've come this far, probably going to die anyway. Wouldn't mind something to do for the rest of my life. Are they mad or are they right?"

"...hand on my heart," Clara held a hand on her heart, "Star is completely insane but most days they're both."

She turned to the Time Lords, "one question then. Is this worth it?"

"If we can turn one Dalek, we can turn all of them," the Doctor replied, "we can save the future."

She made up her mind, "Gretchen Alison Carlisle. Do something good and name something after me."

The Doctor took her hand in his, "I will do something amazing, I promise."

"Damn well better." she fired upwards, the grabber hitting the Dalek.

"Gretchen no!" Journey yelled.

"They're coming!" Clara gasped, seeing the antibodies approaching, "they're coming!"

"Go!" Gretchen urged them on.

Journey looked at Gretchen one last time before turning to the girls, "grab hold of rope!" the three females held into the rope Gretchen fired to the ledge.

"Good luck," Gretchen told them as they whisked upwards on the rope.

The Doctor watched as they were whisked upwards, before hurrying off to talk to Rusty, ignoring Gretchen's screams as the antibodies approached her.

~.~

"So what do we do?" Journey asked as they walked down the Cranial Ledge.

"A thing!" Star cheered.

"So do you or do you not know what you are doing?"

"I know what im doing. Those lights are suppressed memories, one would be the star. Just need to turn it back on."

"What? Are you just going to change the bulbs?" Clara joked, gesturing to the switched off lights on the wall.

"More or less," Star nodded, pulling the section apart, "keep an eye out for antibodies." She crawled into the small compartment, wiggling through to get those lights turned back on.

"Star?" Clara called.

"Im in the cortex," she reported, banging on the dark lights, turning them back on.

"The lights back on."

"It's a brain. Brains work with electrical pathways linking up memories. The memories are turning back on."

"So there's no spare light bulbs then?" Journey asked relief in her voice as she spoke before panicking, "You'd better get a move on, there's company coming."

"If its antibodies. DO NOT FIRE!" Star yelled back, shuffling to the next dark lights, "Keep still."

"Please don't be too long, Star," Clara called.

"Im trying," she huffed, illuminating some more lights, "One more panel," she shuffled on some more to the next set of darken lights.

"Hurry up!" Journey yelled.

"Come on, you stupid pepper pot, show me a star." Star slammed her hand on the lights.

"You did it, Star!" Clara cheered, "The antibodies are going away!"

"I am good!" Star grinned, beginning to shuffle backwards, "Im coming back now."

~.~

The group stood next to Rusty, back in normal size and back on the Aristotle, the resizing process was a lot more simple and enjoyable than shrinking still wasn't completely comfortable.

"Journey."

"Uncle Morgan," she ran to hug him.

"I have transmitter a retreat signal," Rusty called, "the Daleks will believe the humans have initiated the ship's self destruct."

"What about you, Rusty?" Clara asked.

"I must go with them."

"Course you must," Star nodded, "you've unfinished work."

"Victory is yours, but it does not please you."

"You looked inside me and your saw hatred," the Doctor murmured, "that's not victory. Victory would have been a good Dalek."

"I am not a good Dalek. You two," he looked at the Doctor and Star, "are good Daleks." it turned to leave.

"Till the next time." he and Star headed through the door to Med Sec 07, heading back to the TARDIS, Clara quickly catching up with them and Journey running over as they reached the old girl.

"Doctor," Journey called, "take me with you."

"I think you're probably nice," the Doctor turned to her, "underneath it all, I think you're kind and you're definitely brave. I just wish you hadn't been a soldier." he turned and entered the TARDIS.

"Besides, we only take the best," Star added, "we have Clara." she turned and followed the Doctor.

Clara smiled sheepishly at Journey before entering the TARDIS.

Star rummaged through the drawers in the console, "where is it?" he mumbled to herself.

"What are you looking for?" Clara asked.

"Rory's first aid box. He left it here after we dealt with Solomon on the Silurian ship."

"Ok…well, im going to change." She headed off down to the wardrobe.

"Why do you need it?" the Doctor frowned.

"Headache."

"Still?"

"It's just a little one." She assured him, knowing how concerned he can get over the smallest thing. "Did we give it to River?" she paused in thought, "or Brian?"

"I think it's in the med bay." The Doctor told her, pulling the sonic out, scanning her.

"Don't scan me!" she called, running to the med bay. That first aid kit was very important to Rory and to her. He would be counting on her to keep it safe, knowing he would never get it back.

~.~

Clara ran back up the stairs, after changing her clothes, "how do I look?" she gestured to her outfit.

The Doctor didn't look up, "sort of short and roundish, but with a good personality which is the main thing."

"...I mean my clothes. I just changed."

"You look lovely," Star smiled, she had found Rory's kit in the med bay and had taken a small capsule to help with her headache. It was still there, like a small nagging small enough not to hurt but still annoying.

"Thank you, Star."

"Ok, right," the Doctor set them down was a soft thump, "we're back in your cupboard. 30 seconds after you left."

"When will I see you again?" she asked.

"Oh, soon, I expect. Or later. One of those."

Clara walked to the doors but turned around, "I don't know."

"I'm sorry?" the Doctor frowned at her.

"You asked me if you were a good man. And the answer is; I don't know. But I think you try to be. And I think that's probably the point."

The Doctor smiled at that, "I think you're probably an amazing teacher."

"I think I'd better be." she walked out.

"Do you think im a good girl?" Star asked as soon as Clara wouldn't hear.

"Of course you are," he frowned, not sure why she would even think that, "the best, the smartest, the most adorable. My shining star. Why do you say that?"

"I destroyed the most powerful object in existence; surely that shows im not such a good girl."

"You saved the planet." He reminded her.

"WE saved the planet." She corrected.

"If it wasn't for you, I would have Time Locked it."

Star didn't believe him when he called her a good girl. Good girls don't just destroy powerful weapons like the Moment and are not named the Predator of the Daleks.

TheGirlWithHerHeadInABook1: He's your update :) I'm glad you like the story.