A car pulls up at night outside what appears to be an Elf Storage business. The S is missing. The reception area has Christmas decorations up.
A woman, Sarah, walks in, talking on her phone. "Every year, every New Year's Eve, Jeff, you promise me that you'll work, and then you play me for the fool that I clearly am, and then just at the last minute, when you know, you know I have plans, you leave me high and dry, on my own, on New Year's Eve working in a business that you know I hate. But not as much I hate you, Jeff, and I do hate you. I wish I'd never employed you. So, yeah, can you call me back when you get a chance? Thank you." She ended the call…before her phone had many new messages on 'Happy New Year' showing up. "Oh! No! Stop it! Go away!"
"Well, that was rude, and I thought nobody can beat my father," a voice remarked.
The young woman looks uo to see two people. One she knows as Nick, her only customer. The other…she had no idea who he is, with that weird green hoodie he wears. "Who the hell are you?"
"Your new customer," Arthur responded, rolling his eyes as he looked around.
Ignoring him, Sarah glances at Nick. "Oh, er, hiya, Nick."
"Happy nearly New Year, Sarah," Nick greeted. "Here we are again."
"Yeah, yeah. Here we are again."
"No Jeff?" He asked as she stepped downstairs and into the receptionist desk.
"No. Astonishingly, no. No Jeff. It's become a little bit of a tradition now."
"By any chance," Arthur kindly cut in. "Is Jeff's surname Angelo?"
Sarah's forehead creased. "How do you know? Are you a stalker?"
"Good God, no! I just knew him back when I lived in Leadworth. Also, another message is gonna popped out."
"What?" She blinks before another new message arrives. "Oh, my God!"
"Sorry, are you busy on your phone?" Nick asked while Arthur just sniggers at her dramatic reaction.
"Sorry, no, just my phone's broken, the button, and I can't put it on silent. And so obviously everyone's sending me messages and texts and pictures from their night, and unsurprisingly…I don't really want to see them."
"Buy a new phone," Arthur suggested. It's easy to buy a new mobile phone these days. "Easy peasy."
"Not everyone can be rich like you," Sarah huffed.
"Much better being here! You know, instead of all of those parties…and people…and drinks," Nick commented, trying to distract Sarah from any negativity.
"Yeah, I mean, it's not though, is it?"
"I'm not really one for New Years."
"Yeah. No, I-I-I know that, yes. So, you want to access your unit?"
"Yes."
Sarah gets the key from a cabinet. "Yeah. So…"
"Can you remind me of the list of things that can't be stored?" Nick asked her.
"Yes. Stolen or illegal goods. Tyres. Animals, humans, dead or alive in any cases. Cash, plant, food, cars, guns or ammunition, or any material that is in any way toxic, hazardous or radioactive, and a shop."
"You're very specific about it," Arthur chimed in, shoving his hands in his pockets.
Sarah blinks at the brunette man. "You're not carrying any of that, right?"
"Nope."
"Very good," she nods and gives the keys to Nick. "Here's the keys."
Nick takes it. "And when you say hazardous?"
"When I say hazardous? Well, I suppose I'd ask myself, if I set fire to this item, will it have potentially explosive or, er, devastating consequences?"
"So, this," Nick shows a monopoly set he had carried. "Would be okay?
"Well, that's a board game."
"Yes."
"Is it a toxic, hazardous or radioactive board game?"
"It can, if you play with some Zygons around," Arthur muttered.
Sarah didn't want to ask what on earth this weird man meant by that, decided to put the keys to the monopoly. "There's your key."
"I hear loads of storage places have access codes now," Nick recalled.
"Yes, Nick, they do, and they also have the money to upgrade their systems, whereas I have no money, just a dilapidated building, my rival straight across the road, and you as my only customer. As…valued a customer as you are, Nick, since this weirdo might be my second customer."
"Platinum loyalty card member, that's me," he chuckles, which earns Sarah and Arthur a weird look. "I'll be off to my unit."
"Yeah."
As Sarah looks at the notifications with frustration, Nick turns around again. "Won't be long. See you next year."
"Stop that," Arthur cringed, shook his head. Nick simply sighs as he gets into the lift and goes up. "So…" he raises his eyebrow. "Do you have any room for me to sleep?"
Sarah looks at him carefully. This man is really weird. "Are you travelling?"
"Eh, sort of."
Her phone suddenly rang up. "Wait," she told Arthur before receiving a video call. "Mammy, it's four minutes to midnight. Every year. Why are you calling me now?"
"The lines will all be busy at midnight."
"No, they won't, because it's not 1973."
"Are you still at work? New Year's Eve is the best time to meet a man."
"I'm not trying to meet a—"
"I met your father on New Year's Eve."
"You did not."
"January 9th," Arthur mumbled.
"Who is that?" Mary, Sarah's mom, asked with a hint of excitement.
"Potential customer," Sarah quickly responded, not wanting to give her mom some ideas. "Anyway, who says I even want to meet a man? And the only reason I'm working tonight is because I had to keep on stupid Jeff at the stupid place that I inherited from your stupid uncle, obviously no offence, God rest his soul."
"Your uncle Barry was a saint."
"He's not," Arthur added as they both turned around, hearing some noises.
Sarah blinks, then refocus back with her mother. "Listen, Mam, I have to go. I've got a customer. So, yeah, just call me at the bongs, will you?"
"The lines will all be busy."
"No, they won't."
"I don't like calling on the—"
She ended the call and more notifications appeared. "Go away with your stupid having fun," she sighs. "Stupid party, stupid drink, stupid everyone pairing up. Just die, everyone."
"You might want to take it back," Arthur pointed out, noticing the lift coming down and the doors opening.
"Why?" She barked.
"Because you're going to die in 30 seconds."
On a cue, a Dalek slowly emerges into the reception. "This area is now under Dalek control."
"What's going on?" Sarah asked, not understanding the danger. Arthur quickly stands in front of her as they both face it.
"Too late," Arthur muttered as they both got shot.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"But that's a board game."
"Yes."
"Dejavu?" Arthur asked, watching Nick and Sarah look up. "Yes, you both are real. Yes, this isn't a dream. I mean, my father once said that usually nobody remembers being born and nobody remembers dying. But this case is an exception. That…and being a Time Lord."
"Are you…?"
"Okay? No, we died in the previous loop. Now, we need to find a way out of it."
"Hang on!" Sarah gestures to him to stop. "We died?!"
"Holy crap, you are annoying as hell."
"What?!"
"Yes, you died. I died. Nick died. We ALL died! Yet somehow, we managed to return back 8 minutes before our death," he huffed, panting. He knows they will loop again, but he cannot be sure how much before they died permanently. Plus, being stuck in a time loop is very suck for having a Time Vortex, considering the slow damage it can do to his body. Not to mention, the emotions. Time loop and Time Vortex are incompatible with each other. Like cats and dogs who like to fight with each other, time loop and Time Vortex will only make Arthur easily carried away by emotions.
"You're crazy!"
"Am I? Shall I repeat what you two had said before? You," Arthur pointed at Sarah, her mouth open, "will ask, 'Is it a toxic, hazardous or radioactive board game?' I made a comment, 'It can, if you play with some Zygons around.' Then, you gave the keys to Nick," he pointed at Nick, who looked baffled, "before he recalled, 'I hear loads of storage places have access codes now.' Hearing this, you blabber, 'Yes, Nick, they do, and they also have the money to upgrade their systems, whereas I have no money, just a dilapidated building, my rival straight across the road, and you as my only customer. As valued a customer as you are, Nick, since this weirdo might be my second customer.' And Nick said, 'Platinum loyalty card member—'"
"Okay, okay! I think you made it clear," she gestures outside. "Let's get out of here."
"I don't think we can."
"Why?" Nick demanded.
Arthur simply walks to the exit doors, where the forcefield wobbles over the doors. Fast too, those damn Daleks. "This."
Sarah and Nick slowly approach the forcefield. "What the...?" Sarah muttered and touched it. "Ow! God!" She hissed. "We're going to need a weapon."
"You said no guns or ammunition," Nick reminded her.
"And I don't think it matters," Arthur added, receiving some small visions from the past. "Jeff had put some…unnecessary stuff in the storage. Some stuffed animals, holiday goods, and many cans of beef and beans."
"How do you know about this?"
"Let me guess," Sarah rolled her eyes. "You're a psychic."
Arthur shrugs. "Kinda." Sarah's phone rings. "Your mum."
"Mam, now is really not a good moment!" Sarah explained after she picks up.
"The lines will all be busy at midnight."
"No, they won't, Mammy."
"Are you still at work? New Year's Eve is the best time to meet a man."
"Both of you, behind me," Arthur insisted as a Dalek slowly emerged.
"Mam, I'm going to have to call you back at the bongs, okay?" She ends the call and looks at the Dalek. "Look. No. Just no, okay? Cos this is my premises and you, sir, are trespassing, okay? So, just... just... just shoo."
Arthur glances at her. His ears must have misheard. "Shoo?"
"Just go. Just... just... just... just get—!"
"Increased fear levels detected," it stated.
The Doctor, Yaz, and Dan are running upstairs in a hurry.
Arthur tries not to cry in the public, since it wouldn't make sense. But still...the Doctor's alive! She's alive and well! "And apparently, you and your tin friends anticipated your change."
"Correct. Exterminate!"
Arthur hears Nick and Sarah's scream as he loses his consciousness.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"What time is it?" Sarah hears Arthur asking.
"What?"
"What time?"
She looks at her phone, frowns. "23:53."
"One minute faster," Arthur muttered as he and Sarah took a look at the CCTV, which showed a Dalek appearing out of thin air. Considering Nick is not here, Arthur will guess that the loop reset to each place they were before the loop began.
"Oh no, you don't," Sarah grumbled as they went up with stairs, to level 1.
Just a few metres later, they collide with Nick.
"Sorry! Sorry!" Sarah apologised. "Oh, my God, Nick, we have to get out of here."
"That's what I was coming to say to you," Nick stated.
"What? No, no. We're stuck in a time loop with killer robots."
"Okay, yeah, that makes sense."
"Does it? Cos I actually thought I was losing my mind."
"No, you're not," Arthur assured her, rubbing his neck. He knows the time loop can make him feel dizzy or in pain (like what happened when River stopped killing the Doctor in Utah). But still, he needs to focus. "Just wait here."
"But—!" Nick protested.
"They'll be back up."
Sarah frowns. "Who?"
"Them," he gestures behind him, sensing the Doctor getting close.
The Doctor holds out her psychic paper. "Hi. I'm the Doctor, this is Yaz and Dan." She looks at Arthur. "Can you hold up?"
He nods. "I'll manage." Then, he gives a big hug. "I thought I lost you."
The Doctor frowns before she remembers something. The last time Arthur saw this version of her…she was taken by the Division by turned into a Weeping Angel. "I always back," she whispered, rubbing his back before reluctantly letting go, knowing there's a pressing matter. "I'm so sorry I made you worried."
"Don't do that ever again," Arthur pleaded, eyes going glossy. "At least, try not to be. I don't wanna lose you."
"How did you get in here?" Sarah asked, wanting to know why three of these people barge in this place. "Wait, are you from building control? Are you from the council?"
"Yes. We're here to control your building."
"All three of you? On New Year's Eve? You make me sick."
"Building control never sleeps. We're the rapid response unit and we really need to get you to safety, like right now!"
"Wait now…Have you got something to do with that robot?"
"No, they don't know anything about the Dalek," Arthur answered. "And before you make some accusation, Sarah…No, the Dalek is NOT their robot. Yes, they died twice like us. And yes, we know you're alive, we ALL have. And trust me Nick, experiencing a time loop with Daleks and three people from the council working on New Years is entirely possible. You just don't know."
"We're also stuck in the time loop," the Doctor clarified. Part of her was relieved that her son still had some vision to speed up time. But part of her was worried about how long his son could see those visions. As far as she knew, time loop was able to jam Arthur's vision. "The robot isn't a robot, it's a Dalek. It's a living mutant creature inside weaponised battle transport. It will kill everything not within its own image."
"So…what does it want with us? Why is it here?" Sarah demanded.
"No clue, I don't get any visions," Arthur confessed. "Time loops interfere with my visions. All I got is just…" he got cut by a dalek weapon fire. "Sensation."
"Halt!" It commanded.
"Get behind me, Sarah," Nick suggested.
"What are you doing?" Sarah smacks his hands away.
"I'm being chivalrous."
"It's just patronising!"
"Get inside Nick's storage!" Arthur shouted, dragging everyone inside before closing it. He sighs. "I know. Not a great plan. We'll figure it out."
"Surrender. There is no escape," the Dalek ordered. "Daleks are patient. I will wait."
The Doctor grabs Sarah's arm. "Show me your phone."
"What do you want with my phone?" Sarah asked.
"Oh, that's what I was worried about. Sunny?"
"I'm afraid you figured it out," he simply confirmed.
Sarah looks between them. "What were you two talking about?"
"Shh, I'm working," the Doctor hushes.
"How did you three even get in this building?"
"If we told you, you'd never believe us," Dan shrugs.
Sarah takes a notice on each label on the storage. "Nick, why have you got all those names on the shelves?"
Nick looks awkward. "They're just ex-girlfriends."
Arthur repeated. "I'm sorry?"
"Oh, this is where I keep stuff for women I've split up with. You know…just in case they ever ask for it back. I don't want it in my eyeline, you know, at home. I have a very small flat. They said it's a flat, but it's more of a box room with a door and a toilet, with like a kitchenette on top of a toilet."
"You have a lot of ex-girlfriends," Yasmin noticed. "They're alive still, aren't they?"
"Of course…" Nick's eyes went wide. "Oh, God! Of course! Yeah. Not all of them were serious. Some were just like a few days."
"Man, you are weird," Sarah responded.
"Wow," Arthur murmured.
"What?"
"Bit harsh," Dan beckoned.
Sarah gaped. "Bit har...? He comes here, here, every New Year's Eve, which is weird enough in itself, and for what? To do all of this…blah? Which is...That is…That is weird."
"You do know he's in here, right?" Arthur reminded her. This woman seems to enjoy making noise.
"It's fine," Nick said.
"No, it's not fine!" Sarah snapped. "It's not fine! You're the reason that I'm here. You're the reason that I'm trapped in a time loop with a…a robot…"
"Dalek!" Arthur, Yasmin, and Dan corrected.
"Oh my, with stupidly named robots, with people I don't even know, all so what? Why? So, you can catalogue your Monopoly? Just throw stuff away!"
The brunette press his lips together. "Are you done?" He glowered, start to get exasperated and fumed at this women. Sure, he understands that she's scared and confused. But she really didn't need to lash out to Nick like that, even if his hobby is super weird.
Arthur's ready to talk some sense to Sarah...when his eyes find Nick's heading out. "Nick, don't!" Arthur exclaimed, which Nick didn't bother as he opened the storage and walked out. Everyone else follows, but stays in the storage, while Arthur and the Doctor stand behind Nick. "Damn it, Nick! Get back here!"
"Take me," Nick offered. "You can take me, just...but just let them go."
"They won't listen!"
Nick looks back at Sarah. "You're right, this is all my fault."
"What?" Sarah blinks.
"You wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me."
"No."
"So, you can let them—"
Arthur quickly drags Nick back into the storage before he gets hit from behind, causing him to fall onto the fall, dead.
"SUNNY!" the Doctor's voice echoing before everything went dark.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
Sarah checks her phone, glancing at Arthur. "23:54."
A Dalek appears beside them. They both run. "Do not move!"
"As if!" Arthur shouted.
"I am very much going to move!" Sarah agreed before they both ran up the stairs, missing the weapon fire, running back into Nick. "Oh! You're here. I was worried you wouldn't be here. Look, sorry you got killed, you know? But you should not have done that, though. Especially not because of anything that I may or may not have said, or made you feel, or whatever. Anyways, I've got a plan. We're gonna get out of here."
"What about the others?" Nick asked.
"Oh, literally not our problem. They'll be fine. Honestly. It's probably their fault that the robots are here in the first place—"
"AHEM," Arthur pretends to cough, giving Sarah a very stern glare.
"What?"
"You just insulted my mother and her friends, fiend." He hears a faint Dalek's movement. Focus, Arthur. Don't get carried away with your emotions! "We'll discuss it later. We need to hide first."
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"What the hell is that?" Sarah asked as they stopped running into the basement. Arthur winces, holding his ears as he hears a loud ringing noise from the Tardis.
"It's the Tardis," Arthur replied.
"I don't even want to know. And what's all this stuff?" she gestures to some stuff that has a yellow line around it. "Do you know no one's paying for anything on this floor? If Jeff is sub-letting this place, honestly, I'll actually... This is crazy. And he knows I never come down here. This is unbelievable. Please don't tell anyone from the council about this."
"They're not from the council," Nick and Arthur commented.
Her phone rings again. "Oh yeah. Hard to keep track." Sarah answers it. "Oh, Mammy. Please don't call before midnight. How many times? No, the lines won't be busy."
"What do you mean? I haven't spoken to you since August."
"Yeah, I know."
"Hide there!" Arthur whispered, gesturing to Nick and Sarah to hide.
"I'll call you back," Sarah said before ending it.
"Where's the exit?"
"The escape is over that way, through that corridor," Sarah looks at Nick and Arthur. "Listen, I er...I really appreciate you trying to save know, not many people would have done that. Some close friends and family included, actually."
Nick nods. "We should get going."
"Yeah, don't want to get killed," she agreed, giving them both a route to the exit, which turns out, also had more Daleks. "It's blocking our exit."
"I kinda wish they didn't," Arthur hoped as they hide behind two empty water tanks.
Sarah turns to Nick. "Why do you always put your stuff into storage, just before midnight on New Years Eve? Feels a little…over-organised."
"That's the time I'll know you'll be here. Jeff, always lets you down. I have an embarrassing crush on you. No, I don't mean the crush is embarrassing, I mean...the time. This is an embarrassing time to let you know...now," Nick confessed.
"And so why are you saying it to me like this, now?"
"Cos I'm going to be killed by aliens in a minute. Again. I guess...I'm just…just worried that one of these times I won't make it back."
"We'll make it out," Arthur vowed.
"How long has this been going on for?" Sarah asked.
Nick thinks for a moment. "Three years."
"Oh my...! What? Three years? That is so stalkery."
"I'd prefer unrequited. Or shy. Stalkery would be if I was menacing you, or said anything about this at all. Which I haven't."
"No."
"And I wouldn't…"
"No."
"If I wasn't going to be…"
"Exterminate!" A Dalek yelled and shot Nick.
"No!" Sarah cried while Arthur shielded her away from it. "You're going to be sorry for that."
"Daleks are never sorry."
Grabbing his hand, Sarah runs through a door and across to big loading bay doors. They both forced the door to get open. "No! Come on, door! I know I haven't opened you in years, but just work with me!" Shehissed.
"Exterminate!"
Arthur shields her as the Dalek fires.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"23:55?" Arthur guessed as Sarah looked at her phone, pinching his nose.
"Yeah," she nods.
"Er, where were you?" The Doctor asked as he, Yasmin, and Dan arrived in the reception room.
"Well, I can explain—"
"We had a deal. Meet on the fifth floor and bring my son."
"Yes, yes, fair. Fair. But, er...Yeah, okay, so I did desert you, I did, but to be fair to me, I was trying to not get killed again, so...and we almost got out. Well...I almost did. I got to the door, but then it zapped me. Well, actually, it zapped...it zapped us," she jittery claimed before realiisng something. "Oh, my God, Nick. Oh, I have to go get him."
"No, you're not," Arthur grabs her. "You have to stay here. There's more than one of them."
"I'm not just gonna wait for him to get killed. I don't care if he's a weirdo. And he is. He is a weirdo, you know, but…but he's decent. And he's got a good heart. My friend Lauren actually says that good-hearted weirdos are actually the keepers, so…"
"What?" the Doctor asked Yasmin.
"No, nothing."
Arthur frowns. Did Yasmin just look…smithen?
"I agree with Sunny," the Doctor denoted. "We need to stay here and come up with a plan. We can fix this."
"But then why haven't you?" Sarah asked back, glaring at the Doctor and Arthur. "You two haven't done a very good job so far, have you?"
"Oi. I don't see you coming up with solutions," Yasmin imparted.
"Yeah, cos it's not my fault, is it? It's these two. And there's no point us all, sticking together if we keep on dying multiple times."
"Including the time you followed your own plan. Didn't go well, did it?" The Doctor enraged, not happy that Sarah had the guts to blame others. "In fact, my son died last time because of your selfishness, which I do not approve of at all."
"You don't understand! Nick doesn't survive past five too. So if he doesn't survive this time, then...then there's not going to be another five too. It'll be four minutes too. And then he'll be dead. Properly. That's right, isn't it?"
"But if you died, then what?" Arthur retorted, let out a harsh breath. "Do you think Nick would be happy if he found you dead?"
Sarah looks very angry and ready to spit back. But her expression gradually went into shock before going reluctant, as if his words got her.
"Stay here. Together," the Doctor insisted and run.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
Some time later, the Doctor and Nick return to the reception.
"You saved him," Sarah realised.
"He saved himself, letting two Daleks fire at each other," Arthur clarified.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Nick nods. "Two top level ones as well."
"They were the same as the others. Don't milk it," the Doctor stated.
"But if there's two there now, that could mean there's more on their way, right?" Yasmin pointed out. "Knowing Daleks."
"Exactly," Arthur remarked, taking a slow breath as his chest felt suffocated. "The Daleks have learned and applied it across the loops. We need to do the same, or we all die permanently."
"Yeah, but if we get rid of them, then we can get out," Sarah mentioned. "There's a door downstairs in the basement without that force fieldy thingy on it."
"We have to think longer term," the Doctor insisted.
"As in four minutes longer term?" Dan guessed.
"Exactly. We don't get out this time, but we formulate a plan which guarantees we make it out before the loop closes. How would you feel about destroying this place?"
Sarah blinks at the question. "I mean, I'd have to talk to my insurance providers."
"I don't think you'll be covered for an Act of Dalek."
"I mean, this place is all I have."
"But if you don't get out, you won't have anything," Dan added.
Sarah frowns. "Who is he? Why's he talking?"
"Oi, you. No dissing my mate. That's my job," Yasmin objected.
Dan smiles. "Thanks, Sheffield."
"Shh, shh, shh."
"How would the plan work?" Nick asked.
"Next loop, we have four minutes," Arthur informed. "Use the time wisely."
"And we know there's a stash of toxic and combustive materials on the fifth floor," Yasmin added.
"Ah, fifth floor's too far up to lure all the Daleks in, be sure they're destroyed, get back down here and out the rear exit," the Doctor suggested.
"Yeah, there could be more of them in the basement, and Jeff has all of this stuff down there even though I explicitly said to him not to have any more stuff in there," Sarah shared before grumbling. "Honestly—"
"Look, if we're going to divide up, some of us could go upstairs to the fifth floor, get Jeff's stuff, bring it down then wrap it round his other stuff downstairs," Dan reckoned.
Nick frowns. "But won't the Dalek things just find us?"
"I can make the Daleks think we're somewhere else," the Doctor proposed. "I can use my sonic to bounce our life signals off the walls, sort of sonic ventriloquism. It's my party trick! If I can do it long enough to confuse the Daleks, we can lure them to wherever we want them to be. Ah, but I'm going to need an ignition trigger."
Sarah's phone rings. "Oh, my God, are you serious?"
"Ah! Two birds, one stone. Or…two Daleks, one phone."
"Terrible," Arthur commented. "Sarah, can you get your mum to call at exactly ten seconds to midnight?"
"Absolutely not. She's not doing that," she disagreed.
"Not even if her daughter's life depended on it?" the Doctor asked.
"If our lives depend on my mother ringing me at a time I actually ask her to, honestly, we're all dead…I'll try, I'll try."
"So we're good, we make this work next time round."
"But we failed to do this the last five times. And this time we have even less time. What makes you think that this is going to work?"
"Because if we don't try, then the Daleks win," Arthur responded. "If we give up, we give them a chance to make us lose. And yeah, maybe next time won't work. And maybe…maybe there's nothing we can do. God knows how often I felt like that, the Doctor even more so. But at least we try."
Sarah looks at them all. "Okay."
"Okay," Nick nods.
"Okay," Dan agreed.
"Okay," Yasmin said.
Three Daleks beam in. "Exterminate!"
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"I'm so tired," Sarah muttered.
"Me too," Arthur agreed as they ran into the lift the moment a Dalek appeared. The Dalek shoots out the power.
"What?" Sarah looks around.
"Quickly, stairs!" Arthur gestures to Sarah to run upstairs. "Just keep running. I'll buy you some time. Just go!"
"Exterminate!" It shouted, hitting Arthur as the boy saw Sarah running upstairs without looking.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"Sorry you're going to be losing this place," Nick said as they entered level 5 in the next loop.
"Oh, God, I'm not. It was er...you know, a family obligation," Sarah shrugs while Arthur starts taking stuff they needed. "Everyone was grieving, and then I sort of stepped in to help. It just sort of became my life, really, when I wasn't looking."
"Right."
"In that way that life does, you know?"
"So, who named it Elf Storage?"
"I'm pretty sure it's supposed to say Self Storage," Arthur guessed. "The S fell off."
"Right," Nick smirks.
"But if this place blows upon me, you're going to lose all your stuff," Sarah pointed out.
"Yeah, I feel like I'm done with it. They're never asking for their stuff back, are they? All my exes?"
Sarah chuckles. "No, they're really not."
"And what are you going to do without this place?"
"God, I don't know. I always sort of wanted to travel. Like this one," she nudges at Arthur. "Yeah, I had this romantic notion, I suppose, that I would go travelling the world with someone. But, um, yeah, never really…never really had someone to do it with."
Yasmin enters, taking a breath. "You three. Come on. Out of time."
Nick frowns. "But this is the plan—"
"She's right," Arthur noted, throwing all the stuff he carried before getting Nick and Sarah to run downstairs, to the basement.
"So wait, am I getting my mother to ring now or what?" Sarah asked.
"Sunny?" Yasmin called.
"Phone her," he answered before they entered the basement.
As she waits to get replied, Sarah asks, "Why has the plan changed?"
"The plan hasn't changed," the Doctor clarified.
"Are those fireworks in those boxes? Jeff!"
"If we're to stand the best chance, we need to be one loop smarter than them. The Daleks will learn based on the information we give them in the whole of the next loop. That last-but-one loop…becomes a decoy loop."
"So, give them false information to change what they predict," Dan concluded.
"Bingo. Decoy plan. You know the plan, do the opposite soon as it resets. Then when it resets for the final minute, we will have the narrowest of narrow precious advantages."
Once again, the three Daleks return. "Surrender, Doctor, Explorer."
"As if!" Arthur huffed.
"The time loop is almost closed. You cannot escape us. Not even with your power, Explorer!"
"We can, 'cos we've got a brilliant plan," the Doctor announced, holding out her hands. "Haven't we got a brilliant plan?"
"Yep," they all said, while Dan said, "Yeah."
"See? Worried now."
"Daleks are not worried," one of them stated.
"You should be," both mother and son proclaimed.
"Exterminate!"
▪︎▪︎▪︎
The moment time reset, Arthur and Sarah ran as fast as they could into the lift.
"Exit the ascension device!" the Dalek demanded.
"Sorry, important stuff to do. Really important stuff!" Sarah insisted as Arthur got the door closed and they went up.
"Call your mum," Arthur implored.
"What?"
"Call her. Tell her how you really feel."
"Why?"
"No second chance."
Sarah sighs, nods, taking her phone and calling her mother. "Oh, hiya, Mam."
"Hello?"
"Er... yeah. Just rang to say Happy New Year, really. Er... and I miss you. And I love you. Yeah, cos I'm not really sure I say that enough."
"Are you drunk?"
"No, I'm not drunk, Mammy."
"Oh, God, are you ill?"
"No, I'm not...Do you know what? Happy New Year. I love you but I have to go."
Arthur smiles. "Your mum's funny."
"Yeah, she can be. Irritating and funny," Sarah agreed, looking down. "I'm sorry for the accusation before. I know I don't deserve forgiveness. I did say hurtful things to you and your mother."
"You're stressed and panicked, people always say nasty stuff. Bound to happen. And it won't be the first time either."
"Still not an excuse."
"True," Arthur nods as they arrive at level 8, where a Dalek has arrived.
"Top floor. Electricals, womenswear, fish tanks," Sarah shared, extending her arms as they both get exterminated again.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"Mam, don't speak," Sarah insisted as Arthur held her arm, taking them into the lift, where Yasmin and the Doctor inside. "I need you to call me ten seconds before midnight, okay?"
"But the lines will be busy."
"Just do it. Bye!"
"Thanks," the Doctor said, taking her phone and sonicks it. A Dalek appears at the same time as Nick. "Run!"
Arthur leads Nick and Sarah to level 5, where they bump into Dan and others.
"We're running out of time, Doc," Dan reminded her.
"I'm really aware of that, Dan," the Doctor huffed.
"Come on!" Arthur yelled.
"Go, I'll be right behind you," she said as she set the trap. But neither Yasmin nor Arthur make a move. "Go!"
"You better come back, or I'll be very cross with you!"
"I know you will. Quickly, go!"
He nods, taking Yasmin and join the others.
"Door's just through here," Sarah pointed out.
"Let me," Arthur volunteered and opened it, letting the others come out first.
"This way!"
"Mum!"
"Get out, Sunny!" She shouted, grabbing him and telling others. "Everybody get clear! Get down!"
A minute later, a large explosion happens, destroying all the inside of the storage, while also making fireworks on display.
"Good fireworks, though. Fair play to Jeff," Nick mused, then paused. "Wait. We're alive."
Sarah gasped. "You did it. Time didn't reset."
"We did it," the Doctor clarified.
"Good," Arthur sighs in relief. "I think I'm gonna pass out from exhaustion. My body doesn't suit the time loop."
He didn't hear their response as he fainted.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
The next day
"Morning, sleepyhead," the Doctor teased, smiling to see Arthur wake up, his hairstyle messy. "Good sleep?"
"Great one," he remarked. "Time loops are draining me out! And I didn't have a big vision either!"
"That's the risk," she shrugs. "Dan and Yaz are outside, we're in Greece for a while. Wanna join?"
"After all that?" He smirks. "Tell them I'm in."
The Doctor whispered 'yes!' and led Arthur out of the Tardis, where the brunette saw a bright blue sea and sparkling white sand. There was no one else but Yasmin and Dan, who were busy making sandcastles.
"Mum," Arthur called out to the Doctor, clutching the hem of his grey jacket tightly. "About Yasmin, do you know about her feelings...for you?"
The doctor was silent, looking out at the ocean. "I was hope I'm wrong," she admitted.
"You know I have no problem with you having a relationship with someone else. Mama wouldn't have protested either. Especially with her record of marrying many men and women."
"She only married that cyborg for the diamond."
"That one doesn't count," Arthur pointed out, which makes the Doctor chuckles.
"That counts, okay," the doctor replied and stroked Arthur's bed hair. "I'll think about how to answer Yaz's feelings. I admit, I like her too." She nodded downstairs. "Come on. They're waiting. We'd better get downstairs."