{"I told you so."}

The Tardis materializes under a nice mediaeval archway, in the falling snow. Theta steps out and smiles, turning to me before holding out his hand. I step out with a laugh, it was snowing, we walk into a busy Victorian market where sellers are calling out their wares. The policeman on the beat acknowledges Theta and I. "Good afternoon." He nods at us causing me to smile and wave back.

"Hot chestnuts. Chestnuts."

"Oh, tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy. Oh, tidings"

Theta does his Ebenezer Scrooge impression to impress me to which I laugh at him. "You there, boy. What day is this?" He asked causing the boy to look at us, "Christmas Eve, sir." He answered looking towards all three of us. "What year?" Theta asked again causing the boy to scoff. "You thick or something?" He asked causing me to snort while he looks offended, "Oi. Just answer the question." He huffed looking at us with a pout, "Year of our Lord 1851, sir." The boy finally answered causing me to grunt. "Right. Nice year. Bit dull." I shrugged.

"Doctor! Doctor!" There was a shout in the distance as I pointed in the directions of the calls, "Who, me?" He smirks before he runs towards the call with me close behind.

"Doctor!" We find a dark-skinned young woman, "Don't worry, don't worry. Stand back. What have we got here?" The large double doors in the wall move and something snarls behind it. "Ooo. Okay, I've got it. Whatever's behind that door, I think you should get out of here." He pushed her away gently as I stood close to him pulling my hood down to get a better look.

"Doctor!" I jumped slightly when the women shouted again, "No, no. I'm standing right here. Hello."

"Don't be stupid. Who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor."

"Doctor who?" She looked highly irritated as I watched from the side, "Just the Doctor." She rolled her eyes at him. "Well, there can't be two of you." Another man runs up, "Where the hell have you been?" She demands angrily, she kinda reminded me of Martha. "Right then. Don't worry. Stand back. What have we got here then?"

"Hold on, hold on. Who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor. Simply, the Doctor. The one, the only and the best. Rosita, give me the sonic screwdriver." He gave a charming smile not noticing me before turning to the woman, "The what?" Theta gapped in shock, "Now quickly, get back to the Tardis." He told the woman, "Back to the what?" Theta asked again, the other 'Doctor' paying no attention to us. "If you could stand back, sir. This is a job for a Time Lord." Theta looked super confused as he leaned closer to the man. "Job for a what lord?" The doors burst open and an animal with Cyberman-style head is visible. "Oh, that's different." Theta and I muttered together, "Oh, that's new." They both point their screwdrivers at it, causing me to frown as I noticed the other man's screwdriver was just a regular one. "Allons-y."

"I've been hunting this beast for a good fortnight. Now step back, sir." The beast leaps and lands way up the opposite wall. It has a furry body and metal hands and feet. "Some sort of primitive conversion, like they took the brain of a cat or a dog." I spoke turning Theta's attention but not really gaining the other ones. "Well, talking's all very well. Rosita?" He turned to her causing her to nod back, "I'm ready."

Rosita hands over a large coil of rope,

"Now, watch and learn." The rope is a lasso, and this 'Doctor' gets it around the beast in one try after swinging it around causing Theta to dodge. "Excellent. Now then, let's pull this timorous beastie down to earth."

The beast climbs higher, pulling him up with it, while I chuckled at his wording. It was what he called Rose before, "Or not." Theta scoffed under his breath watching the man.

"I might be in a little bit of trouble."

"Nothing changes. I've got you." But the beast is strong enough to pull the pair of them off the ground. "You idiots!"

"Perhaps if you could pull?" The other man yelled down to Theta who rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I am pulling. In this position, I couldn't not pull, could I?" Theta snaps, as the beast leaps through a window into the top floor of the warehouse. "Then I suggest you let go, sir."

"I'm not letting you out of my sight, Doctor. Don't you recognise me?" Theta asked him as they were pulled along. "No, should I? Have we met? This is hardly the right time for me to go through my social calendar. Argh!" They are pulled into the building as Rosita rushed after them causing me to sigh an grab the axe next to me. "Here we go." The beast pulls them in through the window. "Whoa!" And across the dusty floor, on their bottoms, to the opposite window, "It's going to jump!"

"We're goanna fall!" The beast leaps through the window. I quickly rush over before they get flung off the side and cut the rope with the axe I grabbed. The sore men get up and the Next Doctor starts laughing. Then they hug causing me to shoot Rosita a look to which she returned, yep they were idiots.

Moving down a flight of stairs, Rosita snapped angrily at them as they continued to laugh. "Well, I'm glad you think it's so funny. You're mad. Both of you. You could've got killed." She bitched causing the other man to smile. "But evidently we did not. Oh, I should introduce Rosita. My faithful companion. Always telling me off." He paused, looking at me as Theta smiled, "Well, they do, don't they? Rosita. Hello, Rosita." The other man watched me silently causing me to frown at him, "Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked him crossing my arms causing him to clear his throat and look away. "Huh. 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 spoke changing the subject. "Funeral?" I questioned with a cock of my head, watching the man. "Oh, long story. Not my own, not yet. Oh, I'm not as young as I was."

"Well, not as young as you were when you were me."

"When I was who?"

"You really don't recognise me?"

"Not at all."

"But you're the Doctor. 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." I sigh with a shake of my head, I don't think this was his next version. It wasn't him at all, and if he was actually paying attention he too would sense that. "You're gabbling, sir. Now might I ask, who are you, exactly?" The other man asked, "No, I'm, er, I'm just. Smith. John Smith. But I've heard all about you, Doctor. Bit of a legend, if I say so myself. This is my wife, Kate Smith, the light that outshines me." I blushed as he pulled me into his side, the other man looks between us with a sad smile. "Modesty forbids me to agree with you, sir. But yes. Yes, I am." He changed the topic, "A legend with certain memories missing. Am I right?" I raised an eyebrow at the man who cocked his head in confusion. "How do you know that?"

"You've forgotten me. And Kate, especially Kate. How could you forget Kate?" Theta suddenly got mad at the man, I left out a small laugh as I grab him before he could say anything else. "Easy, my love. No worries." I muttered gently as I smiled up at him, he just hugged back with a pout upon his lips. "Great swathes of my life have been stolen away. When I turn my mind to the past, there's nothing." The man muttered sadly, "Going how far back?" We asked together watching him, "Since the Cybermen. 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."

"Really. Wow." Theta fake gapped in shock causing me to snort back a laugh, "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?" The man asked, but we didn't know. I knew this man wasn't Theta, and while he hasn't quite figured that out, he really didn't know either. "I don't think I should say. Sorry. Got to be careful with memory loss. One wrong word..." The man cocked his head at us, "It's strange, though. I talk of Cybermen from the stars and you don't blink, Mr and Mrs Smith." He looked between us with a raised eyebrow. "Ah, don't blink. Remember that? Whatever you do, don't blink? The blinking and the statues? Sally and the angels? No?" I smacked him, causing him to pout again. "You're a very odd man."

"Hmm, I still am. Something's wrong here."

"Oh, the funeral! The funeral's at two o'clock. It's been a pleasure, Mr Smith. Don't breathe a word of it." We nodded in agreement. "Oh, but can't I come with you?" Theta asked the man who shook his head. "It's far dangerous. Rest assured, I shall keep this city safe. Oh, and, er merry Christmas, Mr and Mrs Smith." I waved gently as Theta watched him with a frown. "Merry Christmas, Doctor." We end up following him at a short distance.

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It is a well attended cortege, with quite a solemn crowd following the four black horses pulling the hearse. "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." We listen to the man talk, Rosita and I rolling our eyes at the same time at him. "Oh, don't mind me saving your life. That's work for a woman, isn't it?" She snapped back with a scoff as I shot a look towards Theta who was finding it hard to believe that he wasn't a future version. "The Doctor's companion does what The Doctor says. Off you go." We watch as Rosita leaves, the other man works on a back door, which suddenly opens. "Hello." Theta waved with a fake smile as we popped up in front of him. "How did you get in?" The man asked looking between us with a confused look. "Oh, front door. I'm good at doors. Er, do you mind my asking, is that your sonic screwdriver?" Theta pointed down at his plain screwdriver. "Yes. I'd be lost without it." It's an ordinary screwdriver.

"But that's a screwdriver. How's it sonic?" Theta asked cocking his head to the side. "Well, er, it makes a noise." The man smacks it on the doorway to make the noise, "That's sonic, isn't it? Now, since we're acting like common burglars, I suggest we get out of plain view." Theta stares at the man with a gobsmacked look, I raised an eyebrow with a small smirk. "See, I told you so! He isn't you, as much as you don't like to admit it. You have your moments but not that much besides, if he was you, we would feel it. I would." He sighed before nodding, "So what's his deal then? How does he know what he knows?" I shrugged back in response, "Guess we'll just have to figure that out, my love. Let's follow him before he gets into trouble, now that's more like you."

"Oi!"

We move to follow him around the house, "This investigation of yours, what's it about?" I asked, crossing the room as I took in various things. "It started with a murder." The man started off, "Oh, good." Theta muttered, I ended throwing a pillow from one of the chairs at his back as the man looks at him in slight horror. "I mean bad, but whose?" Theta shot me a look as he pointed at me, I stuck my tongue out with a smirk. "Mr Jackson Lake, a teacher of mathematics from Sussex. He came to London three weeks ago and died a terrible death." We both paused, making eye contact with one another. "Cybermen?" We asked together, "It's hard to say. His body was never found. But then it started. More secret murders, then abductions. Children, stolen away in silence."

"So whose house is this?" Theta asked looking around, "The latest murder. The Reverend Aubrey Fairchild, found with burns to his forehead, like some advanced form of electrocution." I hummed gently as I watched Theta, "But who was he? Was he important?" I asked with a cock of my head. "You ask a lot of questions." Jackson shot me a look, I scoffed with an eye roll. Yeah, this man was Jackson Lake. It only made sense, the memories, the fact that his body was never discovered. Although I won't be telling Theta this just yet, he likes the mystery and I like to give him what he likes. "I'm your companion. Well, we are. Well, she's mine. Not yours. Don't even think about it." Jackson raised an eyebrow at Theta as I moved over with a smile. I grabbed his arm, leaning against him with a smile. "I don't think he was, my love." I really did love this man. He smiled brightly down at me with a small blush, his eyes trailing slightly further down than my face.

"The Reverend was the pillar of the community, a member of many parish boards. A keen advocate of children's charities." The man explained lowly, "Children again. But why would the Cybermen want him dead? And what's his connection to the first death, this Jackson Lake?" Theta questioned looking between me and the man, trying to us that wonderful big brain of his to figure this out. "It's funny. I seem to be telling you everything, as though you engendered some sort of trust. You seem familiar, Mr and Mrs Smith. I know your face. But how?" He looked between us with a cock of his head as Theta grabbed my hand with a small smile. "I wonder. I can't help noticing you're wearing a fob watch." I rolled my eyes, this one was just a regular watch. "Is that important?" Jackson asked with a frown. "Legend has it that the memories of a Time Lord can be contained within a watch. Do you mind?" Jackson hands him the watch, "It's said that if it's opened..." He opens it and the works fall out. I snorted lowly, quickly looking away when Theta shot me a look. "Oh. Maybe not." He sighed, knowing I was right.

"It was more for decoration."

"Yeah. Anyway, alien infiltration."

"Yes. Just look for anything different. Possibly metal. Anything that doesn't seem to belong. Perhaps a mechanical device that could fit no earthly engine." Theta surreptitiously scans with his sonic screwdriver. "It could even seem to be organic, but unlike any organism of the natural world. Shush! What's that noise?" I chuckled at the look the man shot towards Theta who blushed brightly with a small squeak. "Oh, it's just me, whistling. I wonder what's in here, though." He opens the writing desk. "Ah. Different and metal, you were right." He takes out two cylinders. "They are infostamps. I mean, at a guess. If I were you, I'd say they worked something like this." He presses one end and images are projected from the other. "See? Compressed information. 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. Unless, they're in the wrong century. They haven't got much power. They need plain old basic infostamps to update themselves. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Jackson uttered out, "No, what is it? What's wrong?" I asked moving forward, this man needed his memories back. If he remembers anything, we needed to make sure he could keep remembering. "I've seen one of these before. 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. Who are you?" He stared at us in slight shock and confusion, "A friend. I swear." Theta uttered out, he somehow managed to get slits of Theta's memories, his actions but he wasn't a regeneration. I wonder why, and the way he looked at me. It was a look of sadness, longing in a gentle but unsettling way. "Then I beg you, John. Help me." I rolled my eyes slightly as he didn't say anything to me. They way men where during this time really irritates me. "Ah. Two words I never refuse. 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. Hold on. 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 opens a door. There is a Cyberman behind it, I grip his arm. "Okay." He closes it again and turns to me with a raised eyebrow, holding out his hand. "I think we should run." I grab his hand as the Cyberman smashes the door down. "Run, Doctor! Now, Doctor!" I grunted with an eye roll as I led them out of the house. "Delete. The Doctor will be deleted." I really hated these damned aliens. "Delete." The Daleks and Cyberman can kiss my ass, why can't they just disappear already? Ugh, so much work, I miss Fay. "Stairs! Can't lead them outside!" Theta grabs something only to discover it is an umbrella. He takes a sword from the wall instead. "Delete." It stops in front of him, "I'm a dab hand with a cutlass. You don't want to come near me when I've got one of these. This is your last warning. No? Olay, this is really your last warning! Okay, I give up."

"Delete." I roll my eyes again in exasperation this time as I watch from the stairs. "Listen to me properly. Whatever you're doing stuck in 1851, I can help! I mean it. I'm the only person in the world who can help you! Listen to me!" He shouts backing up as it moves forwards. "Delete." It really doesn't recognize Theta as The Doctor. "I'm the Doctor. You need me. Check your memory banks. My name's the Doctor. Leave this man alone. The Doctor is me!" He gets a foot onto the leading Cyberman's chest and pushes them back downstairs. "Delete." It continues though, "The Doctor, remember? I'm the Doctor! You need me alive. You need the Doctor, and that's me!" Jackson is on the landing, studying the second infostamp. The Cybermen knock the Doctor down, my eyes widened before they started to glow. "John!" I shout, glaring at the Cyberman as they fall to their knees then their heads explode. Jackson looks at me in shock but I quickly rush to Theta's side to help him up. "Infostamp with a Cyclo-Steinham core. You ripped open the core and broke the safety. Zap! Only my Kate would do that." He breathed out happily as he gave me a quick kiss.

I grunted and blushed, "Glad your okay, and not mad at me." I breathed out, "Why would I be mad at you, my love?" I went to speak but was interrupted. "I did that last time." Jackson breathed out in slight shock, well he used a device. I used my mind to make them explode, two very different things. "Come here. You'll be okay. Let me just check." Theta went to check up on the man after making sure I was okay. "You told them you were the Doctor. Why did you do that?" Jackson asked cocking his head to the side. "Oh, I was just protecting Kate. And you, of course." He blushed looking back at me as I smiled at him. "You're trying to take away the only thing I've got, like they did. They stole something, something so precious, but I can't remember. What happened to me? What did they do?" Jackson seemed to almost start crying. "We'll find out. You, me and my Kate together."

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"Doctor! I thought you were dead!" Rosita hugs Jackson as we made our way to her from the house. We had walked in silence for quite a while, all of us needing to think about everything that was happening. "Now then, Rosita. A little decorum." Jackson laughed gently as she rolled her eyes, "You've been gone for so long. He's always doing this, leaving me behind. Going frantic." I shot Theta a pointed look, "He's not the only one." Theta sputtered out a few words with a small blush as I smirked at him. "What about the Tardis?" Jackson asked Rosita, "Oh, she's ready. Come on." She breathed out, leading us away. "I'm looking forward to this." I muttered lowly as I looked around the beautiful area following after them.

No horses. The stalls have been converted into Jackson's living space. "You were right though, Rosita. The Reverend Fairchild's death was the work of the Cybermen." Jackson gave her a small sad smile, "So, you live here?" I asked with a cock of my head as I looked around. "A temporary base, until we rout the enemy. The Tardis is magnificent, but it's hardly a home." Theta and I shared a look, "And where's the Tardis now?" He shrugged back in response, "In the yard." Theta moved over to a couple of crates full of stuff. "Er, what's all this luggage?" He asked gently, "Evidence. The property of Jackson Lake, the first man to be murdered. Oh, but my new friend is a fighter, Rosita, much like myself. He faced the Cybermen with a cutlass. I'm not ashamed to say, he was braver than I. He was quite brilliant."

Theta scans the luggage, "Are you whistling again?" I snorted, looking away as Rosita shoots him a look. "Yes. Yes, I am, yeah. Yeah." Theta mouths shush to Rosita as he puts the sonic screwdriver back in his pocket and takes a suitcase off the pile. "That's another man's property." She snapped in anger, "Well, a dead man's." He opens the suitcase, "How did you two meet, then?" I asked her, taking a seat on one of the boxes. "He saved my life. Late one night, by the Osterman's Wharf, this creature came out of the shadows. A man made of metal. I thought I was going to die. And then, there he was. The Doctor. Can you help him, sir? He has such terrible dreams. Wakes at night in such a state of terror." She explained gently, "Come now, Rosita. With all the things a Time Lord has seen, everything he's lost, he may surely have bad dreams." He tried to laugh it off but Thera and I knew that wasn't the reason. Of course we dream but his were meant to be for him, they aren't dreams, they're memories. "Yeah. Oh, now. Look. Jackson Lake had an infostamp."

"But how? Is that significant?"

"Doctor, the answer to all this is in your Tardis. Can I see it?"

"Mr Smith, it would be my honour."

We make our way outside, "There she is. My transport through time and space. The Tardis." An elaborately patterned, but mostly blue, Montgolfier. "You've got a balloon." I smiled again as Theta pouted in disappointment. "Tardis. T A R D I S. It stands for Tethered Aerial Release Developed In Style. Do you see?" Jackson looked between us with a small smile. "Well, I do now. I like it. Good Tardis. Brilliant. Nice one. And is it inflated by gas, yeah?" Theta grumbled, "We're adjacent to the Mutton Street Gasworks. I pay them a modest fee. Good work, Jed." He slaps a strapping young man on the shoulder and hands him a big five pound note. "Glad to be of service, sir." Jed smiled looking between us, "You've got quite a bit of money." Theta uttered out with a cock of his head. "Oh, you get nothing for nothing. How's that ripped panel, Jed?" Jackson asked him, "All repaired. Should work a treat. You never know, maybe tonight's the night, Doctor. Imagine it, seeing Christmas from above."

"Not just yet, I think. One day, I will ascend. One day soon." Jed leaves, "You've never actually been up?" We asked together with frowns in confusion. "He dreams of leaving, but never does." Rosita laughed off gently, "I can depart in the Tardis once London is safe. And finally, when I'm up there. Think of it, John. The time and the space." Jackson explained, "The perfect escape. Do you ever wonder what you're escaping from?" I asked him with a frown. "With every moment." He breathed out sadly, "Then do you want me to tell you? Because I think I've worked it out now. How you became The Doctor. What do you think? Do you want to know?" I demanded with a stern look.

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"The story begins with the Cybermen. A long time away, and not so far from here, the Cybermen were fought, and they were beaten. And they were sent into a howling wilderness called The Void, locked inside forever more. But then a greater battle rose up, so great that everything inside the Void perished. But, as the walls of the world weakened, the last of the Cybermen must have fallen through the dimensions, back in time, to land here. And they found you." Theta explained gently, "I fought them, I know that. But what happened?" He asked looking between us as Theta grabbed my hand. "At the same time, another man came to London. Mister Jackson Lake. Plenty of luggage, money in his pocket. Maybe coming to town for the winter season, I don't know. But he found the Cybermen too. And just like you, exactly like you, he took hold of an infostamp." I explained gently to the man who stares back in disbelief.

"But he's dead. Jackson Lake is dead. The Cybermen murdered him." I shook my head in response. "You said no body was ever found. And you kept all his suitcases, but you could never bring yourself to open them. I told you the answer was in the fob watch. Can I see?" Jackson hands the watch to Theta. The case is plain except for two initials, "J L. The watch is Jackson Lake's." I told him, "Jackson Lake is you, sir?" Rosita asked looking between us as I nodded in agreement.

"But I'm the Doctor." Jackson shook his head, "You became the Doctor because the infostamp you picked up was a book about one particular man. Theta projects the infostamp onto the wall. We see every past regeneration of Theta, I could vaguely find images of me within them.

"The Cybermen's database. Stolen from the Daleks inside the Void, I'd say, but it's everything you could want to know about the Doctor." The images get to number ten, "That's you." Jackson breathes out as he stares at the image looking between it and Theta. "Time Lord, Tardis, enemy of the Cybermen. The one and the only. You see, the infostamp must have backfired. Streamed all that information about me right inside your head, although I tend to keep Kate private. You still have vague memories of her, that's why you looked at her the way you did. As if you lost something." Theta breathed out gently as he tightened his grip on my hand. "I am nothing but a lie." He shook his head with tears in his eyes. "No, no, no, no, no. Infostamps are just facts and figures. All that bravery. Saving Rosita, defending London town, hmm? And the invention. Building a Tardis. That's all you."

"And what else? Tell me what else."

"There's still something missing, isn't there?"

"I demand you tell me, sir. Tell me what they took."

"Sorry. Really, I am so sorry, but that's an awful lot of luggage for one man. Because an infostamp is plain technology. It's not enough to make a man lose his mind. What you suffered is called a fugue. A fugue state, where the mind just runs away because it can't bear to look back. You wanted to become someone else, because Jackson Lake had lost so much." A church bell tolls the hours. "Midnight. Christmas Day." She breathed out with a smile, "I remember. Oh, my God. Caroline. They killed my wife. They killed her." The infostamp beeps. The button on the end is lit up. And there are more of them in a trunk. "Oh, you found a whole cache of infostamps." I raised an eyebrow, "But what is it? What's that noise?" Rosita asked with a cock of her head. "Activation. A call to arms. The Cybermen are moving!" Theta and I run outside, and see marching shadows against a wall. "The Doctor needs help. I learnt that much about him. There should be someone at his side. Now go. Go." Rosita leaves.

It is children, not Cybermen, marching past. "What is it? What's happening? That's Mister Cole. He's Master of the Hazel Street Workhouse. Maybe he's taking them to prayers." Rosita stared in horror, "Oh, nothing as holy as that." Theta catches up with Cole, "Can you hear me? Hello? No? Mister Cole, you seem to have something in your ear. Now, this might hurt a bit, but if I can just" A Cybershade growls nearby. "Ah. They're on guard. Can't risk a fight. Not with the children." I told him gently as I pulled him away. "But where are they going?" Rosita asked us, "They all need a good whipping, if you ask me. There's tons of them. I've just seen another lot coming down from the Ingleby Workhouse down Broadback Lane." I scoffed with an eye roll at the man who gave me an annoyed look. "Where's that?" Theta asked, stepping between us. "This way." She leads us towards the workhouse, where we watch the children being walked past. "There's dozens of them."

"But what for?"

"That's the door to the sluice. All the sewage runs through there, straight into the Thames."

"Yeah, that's too well guarded. We'll have to find another way in." Only we are spotted by two more Cybermen on guard. Theta quickly stands in front of me, "Whoa! That's cheating, sneaking up. Do you have your legs on silent?" I chuckled lowly from behind his back. "So, what do we have here?" A woman appeared, Theta not seeming to sense the danger she had rolling off her in waves, called her over. "Listen. Just walk towards me slowly. Don't let them touch you." I pulled him back, he looked confused for a second but then she spoke. "Oh, but they wouldn't hurt me, my fine boys. They are my knights in shining armour, quite literally." I scoffed at her, "Even if they've converted you, that's not a Cyber speech pattern. You've still got free will. I'm telling you, step away." Theta snapped in annoyance at the woman. "There's been no conversion, sir. No one's ever been able to change my mind. The Cybermen offered me the one thing I wanted. Liberation."

"Who are you?" Rosita asked her, watching the woman with a slightly scared look. "You can be quiet. I doubt he paid you to talk. More importantly, who are you, sir, with such intimate knowledge of my companions." I glared harshly at the woman, "I'm the Doctor and this is my Binded, Kate." The Cyberman didn't even seem to flinch at my name. Usually it did something, "Incorrect. You do not correspond to our image of the Doctor. We do not have records of a Kate." I raised an eyebrow in shock, "Yeah, but that's because your database got corrupted. Oh, look, look, look. Check this. The Doctor's infostamp, The Queen should be in there somewhere."He throws it to a Cyberman, "Plug it in. Go on. Download." He demanded, "The core has been damaged. This infostamp would damage Cyberunits."

"Oh, well. Nice try." Theta shrugs with a pout, "Core repaired. Download." The Cyberman plugs the infostamp into its chest. "You are the Doctor and The Queen." Finally, a reaction. It backs up slightly as it looks towards me. "Hello." We waved together, "You will be deleted." It uttered out causing me to roll my eyes. "No, no. Oh, but let me die happy. Tell me, what do you need those children for?" Theta asked with a cock of his head, doing what he usually did best. "What are children ever needed for? They're a workforce." The woman spoke up with a smirk, "But for what?" I snapped back in annoyance, why can't they ever just get to the point? "Very soon now, the whole Empire will see. And they will bow down in worship." She laughs gently, "And it's all been timed for Christmas Day. Was that your idea, Miss...?"

"Hartigan. Yes. The perfect day for a birth, with a new message for the people. Only this time, it won't be the words of a man."

"The birth of what?"

"A birth, and a death. Namely, yours. Thank you, Doctor. I'm glad to have been part of your very last conversation. Now, delete them."

"Delete."

The Cybermen stomp forward, then their heads light up and they collapse. Jackson Lake is wearing a bandolier of infostamps. "At your service, Doctor." Jackson smiles at us in greetings, "Shades! Shades!" Hartigan shouts in anger, "Run! Come on!" Theta grabs my hand and we move to take off, "Shades!" She shouts again, "One last thing." Rosita hits Hartigan, and she falls. "Can I say, I completely disapprove. Come on." I scoff a small laugh with a shake of my head as we rush off. We ended up in a small alley, not to far off but enough to not be close.

"That stronghold down by the river. We need to find a way in." I pointed, Theta nodded along in agreement. "I'm ahead of you. My wife and I were moving to London so I could take up a post at the university. And while my memory is still not intact, this was in the luggage. The deeds. Fifteen Latimer Street. And if I discovered the Cybermen there, in the cellar, then..." He paused for a second, "That might be our way in. Brilliant." Theta gave me a quick kiss with a laugh, "There's still more. I remember the cellar and my wife, but I swear there was something else in that room. If we can find that, perhaps that's the key to defeating these invaders. So, onwards!" Jackson smiled himself, "Maybe you should go back..." Thera looked between Rosita and I who raised our eyebrows in return. "Don't even try." A Cyberman stands guard at the bottom of the cellar steps at 15 Latimer Street. "Delete." Lake zaps it with an infostamp. Theta runs over to a high tech device in the middle of the room. "It must've been guarding this. A Dimension Vault. Stolen from the Daleks again. That's how the Cybermen travelled through time. Jackson, is this it? The thing you couldn't remember?" Theta turns with a smile, "I don't think so. I just can't see. It's like it's hidden." Jackson shakes his head, Theta pouts slightly before nodding his head. "Not enough power. Come on! Avanti!"

Remarkably dry and rat-free. "What do the Cybermen want?" Rosita asked, "They want us. That's what Cybermen are. Human beings with their brains put into metal shells. They want every living thing to be like them." We all look down on the child labourers from a sewer opening high in the wall. "Upon my soul." Jackson breathes out in horror, "What is it?" Rosita asked looking confused, "It's an engine. They're generating electricity, but what for?" I explained before asking softly to myself in thought. "We can set them free." Jackson insisted, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Power at ninety percent. But if we stop the engine, the power dies down, the Cybermen'll come running. Ooo. Hold on. Power fluctuation. That's not meant to happen." Theta explained in urgency to stop the man. "It's going wrong." Jackson snipped back, "No, it's weird. The software's rewriting itself. It's changing." The control panel goes bang, too.

"Whoa! What the hell's happening? It's out of control." Theta shouts in shock, his eyes wide as he stares at it. "It's accelerating. Ninety six percent, ninety seven." I explained as I moved closer to him. "When it reaches a hundred, what about the children?" Rosita asked looking between us, "They're disposable. Come on!" He grabbed my hand, and I grabbed hers as we dragged each other along.

"Delete. Delete." We rush into the giant room just as Lake zaps the Cyberman, then Rosita takes over. "Right. Now, all of you, out! Do you hear me? That's an order! Every single one of you, run!" Theta demands as he starts ushering kids out, "All of you, come on, as fast as you can. Come on!" I continued on, as I too helps young ones out. "There's a hot pie for everyone, if you leg it!" I shot him as look, he just shrugged back. "Go!" Jackson shouts too, "Rosita, get them out of sluice gate. Once you're out, keep running. Far as you can! Come on, come on, come on." Theta demands as she watches us, before she finally nods. "Turn right at the corner! Fast as you can. And don't stop! Keep running! Keep running! Come on! Come on! Keep running! Keep running!"

Theta and I chase some more of the children out, "Go! Quick, quick. It's some sort of starter motor, but starting what?" Lake watches the last boys leaving, and remembers his wife's death and the Cybermen carrying his son away. Lake sees a little boy stranded on a platform high up on the machine. "That's my son. My son. Doctor, my son!" Jackson shouts as he points towards the boy, mine and Theta's eyes widened as we too looked up at the young boy. "What?" Theta breathed out, "They took my son. No wonder my mind escaped. Those damned Cybermen, they took my child! But he's alive, Doctor. Frederick!"

"Come on!"

"No, he's too scared. Stay there! Don't move! I'm coming."

An explosion knocks him down. The drawbridge falls away and the stage containing the throne and the Cybermen begins to rise. "I can't get up there. Fred!" Theta looks towards me, I nod back. "They've finished with the motor. It's going to blow up." He breaths out, "I've got him, give me a second." I moved towards the center, my eyes began to glow. "What are we going to do, Kate? What are we going to do?" I use my forcefield to gently lift the boy, Theta grips my hand as I raise him enough before slowly and gently bringing him down to his father. "Merry Christmas." I breath out as I become lightheaded, Theta immediately grabbing me. "You ok, my love?" I nod taking in a breath as we ran out, leaving the place before it explodes.

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"Go to St Stephen's. Ask for the Warden, he'll take care of you. Now run! Quickly!" Rosita heads back to the sewage works, against the flow of panicking people. "It's under the water! There's something in the Thames!" A giant Cyberman is rising up, containing Miss Hartigan and her entourage where its mouth should be.

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Lake carries young Frederick back to their house. "Head for the street." I demanded to them, "Come on, Kate, Doctor. Hurry up!" Theta takes a long thin piece from the Dimension vault. "Gotcha!" He cheers out loud, following us out. The steampunk Cyberman towers over old London town. "Behold, I am risen. Witness me, mankind, as CyberKing of all." Theta and I stared up at it in slight awe and shock. "It's a CyberKing." We breathed out together, it's been a long time since I've seen one. "And a CyberKing is what?" Jackson asked us with a cock of his head. "It's a ship. Dreadnought class. Front line of an invasion. And inside the chest, a Cyberfactory, ready to convert millions." Theta explains just before she speaks up again. "And I will walk. I will stride across this tiny little world." The giant feet crush buildings and people. "My people. Why do they not rejoice?" It strides up St Martin Le Grand and Aldersgate, missing Saint Paul's Cathedral.

"Just head south. Take him south. Go to the parkland."

"But where are you going?!"

"To stop that thing."

"But I should be with you."

"Jackson, you've got your son. You've got a reason to live."

"And you haven't? God save you, Doctor." They part as the CyberKing keeps walking. With those big strides it should be in Islington by now. Theta soon searches the luggage, "What the hell is that thing, sir?" Jed asked as he rushed up to us out of breath. "Oh, good man. Jed, wasn't it? Jed, I need your help!" Theta pats him on the back in excitement. "I'm not going out there." Jed scoffed with a shake of his head. "I'll give you five pound notes." I told him with an eye roll, "Er. All right. What do you want me to do?" Theta has another bandolier of infostamps. "The Tardis is going to fly." He grins taking my hand and pulls me over to the balloon.

"People of the world, now hear me. Your governments will surrender. And if not, then behold my power." The CyberKing turns its arms into megacannons, and shoots indiscriminately.

Theta climbs into the air balloon's basket, he turns and holds his hand out for me. Jed watches us in shock, "You're flaming bonkers." He breathed out, as I finally managed to get into the balloon. "It's been said before. Now give me." Jed hands over the item from the Dimension vault. "Not enough power. Come on! Jed, let her loose." Theta shouts, slightly in excitement. "Ever flown one of these before?" Jed asked, looking between us. "Nope, never." We spoke together with smiles on our faces, new adventures with new experiences. "Can I have my money now?" I rolled my eyes with a scoff, "Oh, get on with it." Jed unties the last rope holding the balloon down, and up she floats. "Good luck to you, sir!" Theta throws out the sandbags and a picnic hamper before we make our way to the giant Cyberman.

"Attention. Proximity alert."

"How is that even possible? Oh, this I would see. Turn!" Theta readies his infostamps as the CyberKing swings around so that he and it are level, facing each other. "Excellent. The Doctor. Yet another man come to assert himself against me in the night." What am I, chopped liver? "Miss Hartigan? We're offering you a choice. You might have the most remarkable mind this world has ever seen. Strong enough to control the Cybermen themselves." I told her, but she just glared. "I don't need you to sanction me." She snarled back in anger, "No, but such a mind deserves to live. The Cybermen came to this world using a Dimension vault. I can use that device to find you a home, with no people to convert, but a new world where you can live out your mechanical life in peace." Theta explained to her, "I have the world below, and it is abundant with so many minds ready to become extensions of me. Why would I leave this place?" She cocked her eyebrow, "Because if you don't, He'll have to stop you." I snarled back at her with a glare of my own. "What do you make of me? An idiot?" She snipped in exasperation, "No. The question is, what do you make of me?" Theta asked darkly, "Destroy them." She demanded back with a hiss. "You make me into this." He fires his array of infostamps into Miss Hartigan.

"Then I have made you a failure. Your weapons are useless, sir."

"I wasn't trying to kill you. All I did was break the Cyber-connection, leaving your mind open. Open, I think, for the first time in far too many years. So you can see. Just look at yourself. Look at what you've done." Mercy Hartigan's eyes have returned to normal. The Cybermen are staring at her, "I'm sorry, Miss Hartigan, but look at what you've become." She screams and realises she is secured to the throne. "I'm so sorry." She continues to scream. Electricity dances around the Cybermen and they all explode. She also vanishes. The CyberKing begins to sway. Explosions go off inside the CyberKing. The Dimension vault beeps, "Ooo, now you're ready." He wraps a protective arm around me and aims it at the CyberKing. Swirls of energy surround it and it vanishes.

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"Well, I'd say he used that Dimension vault to transfer the wreckage of the CyberKing into the Time Vortex, t here to be harmlessly disintegrated. Oh, I've picked up a lot. Ah, but here. Ladies and gentlemen, I know that man, that Doctor on high. And I know that he has done this deed a thousand times. But not once. No, sir, not once, not ever, has he ever been thanked. But no more. For I say to you, on this Christmas morn, bravo, sir! Bravo! Bravo! Bravo, sir!" Up in the sky, we hear the cheers and applause, and Theta waves back, ringing the basket's bell. "Bravo, Doctor, Kate."

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"The city will recover, as London always does. Though the events of today will be history, spoken of for centuries to come." Jackson explained to us when we finally managed to meet back up with the man. "Yeah. Funny that." Theta chuckled lowly with a small smile. "And a new history begins for me. I find myself a widower, but with my son and with a good friend." He looks over to his son and Rosita, "Now, take care of that one. She's marvellous." I told him with a pointed look, "Frederick will need a nursemaid and I can think of none better. But you're welcome to join us. We thought we might all dine together at the Traveller's Halt. A Christmas feast in celebration, and in memory of those we have lost. You won't stay?" He asked looking between us with a cock of his head. "Like I said, you know me." Theta shrugged, "No I don't think anyone does, anyone but Kate." He sees the real Tardis underneath the archway. "Oh! And this is it. Oh! Oh, if I might, Doctor. One last adventure?" Jackson smiled so brightly, I knew he wouldn't be able to say no to the man. "Oh, be my guest." He rushes forwards with a smile. Theta looks back at me with a smile of his own as I stand on my tip toes to give him a kiss.

"Oh. Oh my word. Oh. Oh, goodness me. Well. But this is, but this is nonsense." He breathed out in shock and awe. "Well, that's one word for it." I chuckled with a wink, "Complete and utter, wonderful nonsense. How very, very silly. Oh, no. I can't bear it. Oh, it's causing my head to ache. No. No, no, no, no, no, no..." He makes his way back outside causing Theta and I to smile at one another. "Oh! Oh, gracious. That's quite enough. I take it this is goodbye." He spoke looking between us with a small sad smile, "Onwards and upwards." Theta uttered out, "Tell me one thing. All those facts and figures I saw of the Doctor's life, you were never alone. All those bright and shining companions, but Kate stayed by your side. No matter where or when you were she was waiting for you. But not any more?" Jackson cocked his head looking between us in sadness and wonder. I looked up at Theta who was already staring down at me with adoration. "No." We uttered out together, Theta gripping my hand. "Might I ask why not?" Jackson questioned, "They leave. Because they should. Or they find someone else. And some of them, some of them forget me. I suppose in the end, they break my heart." He looked away in sadness, thinking of Donna and Martha. His friends. Our Family.

"That offer of Christmas dinner. It's no longer a request, it's a demand." Jackson steps forward with a determined look, "In memory of those we've lost." We smiled at Jackson, a lot like Donna. "Oh, go on then." Theta gestured for him to move forward. "Really?" The man asked not fully believing him. "Just this once. You've actually gone and changed my mind. Not many people can do that. Jackson, if anyone had to be the Doctor, I'm glad it was you."

"The feast awaits. Come with me. Walk this way."

"I certainly will. Merry Christmas to you, Jackson."

"Merry Christmas indeed, Doctor and Kate.

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Oof, Merry Christmas everyone!!

This one doesn't have much of Kate's abilities in it, she's more or less taking a break from using her powers since Journeys End.

I also rushed this one a little, because I wanted to get it out for Christmas as a present for y'all so I do apologize if you don't like it.

I also do t know when the next update will be, I'm gonna take a break. I tried after Journeys End but I wanted to give y'all something so this is it. I also have two jobs now so I'll be super busy and tired. Please do forgive me for being so slow on updating.

Thank you all for the love and support!!!

8,460 Words