"Its alive!" The Doctor shouted, as I followed Mickey into the console room. The Doctor had removed one of the grate's from the floor, and was currently inside of it, pulling out wires and panels by the handful.
"What is it?" Mickey asked.
"Doctor, is this it? Have you fully lost it now?" I asked, putting my hands on my knees and bending down to address him.
"Nothing," He answered, ignoring me, "Its tiny. Its one of those insignificant little power cells that no one ever bothers about and its clinging on to life! Its got one little ounce of reality tucked away inside!"
I sat down on the edge of the grate, hanging my legs inside of it and putting my feet on the steps. I leaned y arms on my legs.
"So, you can charge it up? Reroute it through the console and use it to restore power to the TARDIS?" I asked.
"Precisely, Mary!" He said, popping up and leaning his arm across my lap as he cradled the small green light in his hands.
"We could go outside and lash it up to the national grid." Mickey suggested as I reached out a hand, lightly running my finger over it.
"Wrong sort of energy," The Doctor told him, "Its got to come from our universe."
"But we don't have anything." Mickey pointed out.
"There's me." The Doctor looked at the little light, pursing his lips and blowing on it. His breath shifted my hair, triggering an image to slide painfully into my head. I saw a flash of bright golden light, followed by my locket slamming shut. Soon, my mind whispered. I winced, my hand flying subconciously to the locket hidden beneath my shirt.
"I just gave away ten years of my life," I opened my eyes at this to see the Doctor and I were now both bathed in the green light, "Worth every second."
He giggled and I smiled, combing a hand through my hair.
"Mary, are you alright?" Mickey asked, causing the Doctor to look at me. I nodded.
"Fine. Just fine. Headache is all." I answered, looking back at the light just as it began to dim.
"Its going out, is that ok?" Mickey questioned.
"It'll be on a...a recharging cycle," I said, attempting to collect my thoughts, "It'll come back around, power up again. Right Doctor?"
"Right, and when it does, which should be in about 24 hours, it'll be ready to take us home." He continued, pressing the bulb to his lips.
"So that gives us 24 hours in a parallel world?" Mickey asked.
"Shore leave,' The Doctor said, throwing the light up and catching it, "So long as we keep our heads down, easy, no problem. Let's go and tell her."
I stood up, offering the Doctor my hand. He took it, allowing me to pull him up the steps and out of the hole. As he appeared in front of me, I was met with a wave of lightheadedness, causing my knees to buckle slightly.
You must open it soon. The time is approaching.
I shook my head, attempting to get rid of the voice.
"Whoa Nellie! Are you sure you're alright?" The Doctor asked, wrapping his arms around my waist in order to keep my from falling. I braced myself with my hands on his shoulders, attempting to blink the colored dots out of my eyes.
"Soon...something's happening..." I whispered.
"Mary?" The Doctor repeated, drawing my eyes to his. "What's wrong? What's soon?"
And then, just like that, the thought was gone from my mind. I shook my head again, blinking hard.
"What?" I asked. "What, why are you looking at me like that?"
"You were stumbling around, talking to yourself," Mickey said, "Its been five seconds, don't you remember?"
"Right...yeah, I don't know." I said, rubbing the back of my head. "Maybe I am concussed."
"Best keep an eye on it." The Doctor said. "Come on, let's go."
He led me out of the TARDIS, keeping a hand on my back.
"There you are!" He called as we approached Rose's bench. "Its alright, no applause. I fixed it. 24 hours and then we're back to reality."
He lowered me onto the bench, sitting down beside me while Mickey sat on the other side of Rose's legs. She was sitting on the back of it, her phone in her lap as the Doctor held up the little light cell.
She stared straight ahead and the Doctor's smile fell, shifting to one of vauge annoyance and frustration.
"What is it?" He asked, looking forward himself.
"My phone connected," She said, "There's this Cybus network, it finds your phone. It gave me internet access."
"Rose, whatever it says, this is the wrong world." The Doctor told her seriously, leaning over me so he could look at her.
"I don't exist." She replied.
"What do you mean?"
"There's no Rose Tyler, I was never born." She clarified. "There's Pete, my dad, and Jackie. He still married Mum but they never had kids."
"Give me that phone-" The Doctor reached for it but she pulled it away before he could.
"They're rich," She laughed, "They've got a house and cars and everything they want...but they haven't got me."
She got up, moving away from us. I stood up, rubbing a hand down her arm.
"Rose-" I started.
"I've got to see them." She said, turning to face the boys.
"You can't."
"I just want to see 'em."
"I can't let you." The Doctor urged.
"You just said 24 hours!" She shouted, frustrated.
"You can't just become their daughter, that's not the way it works," He replied, "Mickey, tell her."
"24 hours, yeah?" Mickey asked, pointing a finger at the Doctor before getting up. Rose began walking in the opposite direction.
"Where are you going?!"
"Well, I can do what I want." Mickey told him.
"I've got the address and everything." Rose called. Both of them began walking backwards in opposite directions with the Doctor and I caught in the middle.
"Stay where you are! Both of you, Rose, come back, Mickey, Come back here! Right now!"
"I just want to see them." She begged.
"Yeah, I've got things to see, and all." Mickey added.
"Like what?!"
"You don't know anything about me, do you?" He questioned. "Its always about Rose, I'm just a spare part."
"I'm sorry, I've got to go." Rose said, not really listening to their conversation.
"Go on then," Mickey said, gesturing after us, "There's no choice, is there? You can only chase after one of us and its never gonna be me, is it?"
The Doctor looked at me helplessly.
"Go," I said, nodding toward Rose, "I've got him."
"You might have a concussion. You can hardly walk-"
"He'll look after me too," I explained, moving towards Mickey's side, "He's right, you know. You don't give him nearly enough credit."
He looked between Rose and Mickey for a long moment before pointing at us.
"Back here, 24 hours!" He turned, running in Rose's direction. Mickey sighed, and I put a hand on his back.
"Sorry," I said honestly," She's a pretty girl, who makes him feel like he's not alone. Its no contest, unfortunately."
"Thanks for stickin' up for me." He said, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets. I shrugged.
"You're not a spare part, Mickey," I told him, "Sometimes people are just caught in their own little world while the rest of us sit on the sidelines."
"You don't," He pointed out, beginning to walk again, "You're practically the female version of him. You're always important, always interesting-"
"Always a mystery," I interrupted, falling into step beside him, "Trust me Mickey, if I wasn't such an anomaly, I guarantee I'd be just as invisible to him as you are."
"Don't patronize me," He scoffed, "I thought for sure he only had eyes for Rose before you came 'round. So did she, for that matter. Then you did, and its like...you and the Doctor are a different species than the rest of us."
Soon.
I chuckled uncomfortably, looping my arm through his as we continued down the sidewalk.
"So...where are we headed, Mr. Smith?"
"I thought you were supposed to try and stop me." He pointed out. I shrugged.
"I'm not right in the head at the moment. I can't be held responsible for my actions." I smiled and he laughed. "So...what's her name?"
"Gran," He said, causing me to smile wider, "She uh...she raised me, basically. I lost my mum when I was pretty young, and my dad just sort of...wandered off, so she took care of me. She was an incredible woman, used to get after me, slap me all over when she was cross." I laughed.
"What happened to her?" I asked.
"She uh...tripped. Fell down the stairs five years back," He said sadly, "I kept telling her to get that carpet fixed...should of fixed it myself, but...parallel world, I figure, if Rose's dad is alive then maybe my Gran's out here somewhere too."
"I hope so. I'd love to meet her."
"She'd love you," He clarified, "You're firecrackers, the both of you. So what about your family. You got any memory of them?"
Instantly, my reoccurring dream filtered into my mind.
"I'm not certain," I said "I have this...I idon't know, this dream? Its always kind of fuzzy, but that night you all came to stay at mine it sort of changed...I never really considered that it might be about my parents."
"What do you see? In the dream." He pressed.
"I saw...a woman," I recalled, "Beautiful woman with the most insane head of hair, this red curly mop."
"That tracks." He said, reaching over and flipping my ponytail over my shoulder.
"And then the man, his hair was dark. Short," I said, "But his eyes...he had these bright green eyes and they would crinkle around the edges when he smiled. Every time, no matter the face-"
"Sorry, the what?" Mickey asked. I paused, looking at him with furrowed eyebrows.
"What?" I asked. "What did I say?"
"You said, his eyes always crinkled around the edges, no matter the face," He said, "What, did your Dad just smile, no matter what facial expression he had? What do you mean 'no matter the face'."
"I...I don't know." I realized. "I don't remember what I was saying." He shook his head.
"When we get out of here, we best remind the Doctor to take a look at your head." He said, leading me around the corner.
~~~
When we reached his grandmother's neighborhood, we were instantly met with a toll booth operated by military personnel.
"What on earth?" I whispered as we approached the barricade.
"Are we alright to get past?" Mickey asked as one of the soldiers came up to us.
"Yeah. No bother. Curfew doesn't start till 10:00."
"There's a curfew?"
"Course there is," The soldier said, "Where you been livin', mate? Up there with the toffs?"
He nodded towards the sky, and we followed his movements to see the Zeplin-filled skyline.
"He wishes." I said, putting a hand on his shoulder as if I were a doting girlfriend. The soldier smiled at this, moving back to the toll and lifting it so that we could duck underneath and continue into the neighborhood.
"Something is seriously wrong with this reality," I said, smiling politely over my shoulder, "Be careful what you say, and whatever you do, pretend you're from here. Everything makes sense, you totally understand what everyone is talking about. If you must ask questions, word them very specifically.
"You even sound like him." Mickey muttered.
"Are you ready for this?" I asked, ignoring his comment. "Whatever we find, whether she's there or she isn't?" He nodded.
"Either way...I'm ready." He answered. I nodded, rearranging my grip so that I was holding his hand instead.
We came around the corner, and Mickey paused on the sidewalk, his eyes locked on one particular door. He looked at me and I nodded encouragingly, miming a deep breath. He took one before leading me across the road and lifting the knocker before letting it drop loudly against the wood.
"Who's that there?!" A woman's voice called. The door swung open to reveal an elderly black woman with dark glasses over her eyes. She had a white cane, and what looked like silver Bluetooth earpieces in both of her ears. "I know you're there. Shame on you, tricking an old lady. I've got nothing worth stealing. And don't think I'm gonna disappear! You're not gonna take me!"
'Disappear' I mouthed to myself.
"Hi." Mickey said finally. Her aggressive face softened, and she stepped out the door.
"Is that you?" She asked, causing me to raise my eyebrows.
"Its me," He said, "I came home."
"Ricky!" She exclaimed, putting a hand on his face.
"Its M-" I lightly elbowed him in the arm as he went to correct her.
"Ok, I'm Ricky," He agreed as she pulled him into a hug. "Of course I am, Ricky, that's me."
I smiled as he took a step back and she slapped him on the shoulder.
"Ow!"
"You stupid boy! Where have you been?!"
"Ow, stop hitting me!"
"Its been days and days!" She scolded. "I keep hearing all these stories, people disappearing off the street. There's nothing official on the download, but there are all these rumors and whispers-"
"What kind of stories?" I asked, causing her to jump.
"Ricky...have you got a girl with you?" She asked.
"I'm Mary, I'm a friend of Ricky's," I said, "Sorry, what kind of stories? How are people disappearing?"
"They bring these big trucks, promising food to the homeless," She explained, "But then once inside, they lock you up and take you away! No one knows where."
"Gran..." Mickey said suddenly, looking behind her, "That carpet on the stairs, I told you to get that fixed, you're gonna...you're gonna fall and break your neck."
"Well, you get it fixed for me."
"I should've done way back," He replied, "I guess I'm just kind of useless."
"Now, I never said that."
"I am though," He said, his voice breaking, "And I'm sorry, Gran, I'm so sorry."
"Don't talk like that," She said sweetly, "Do you know what you need? A nice sit down, and a cup of tea, and then you can tell me all about this young lady of yours. You got time?"
"For you, I've got all the time in the world." He said.
"Oh, you say that, but its all talk." She waved him off. "Its those new friends of yours. I don't trust them."
"What friends are they?"
"Don't pretend you don't know. You've been seen, Mrs. Chan told me. Driving about, all helter-skelter, in that van."
"What van's that, then?" Mickey asked. I elbowed him again.
"By that he means, what van did Mrs. Chan say she saw him in? It might not have been him." I corrected.
Before our conversation could progress any further, a large blue van screeched to a stop behind us. A guy jumped out, grabbing Mickey's jacket.
"I've been looking for you everywhere!" He shouted, shoving Mickey into the back of the van. He looked at me. "Are you with him?"
"Yeah." I agreed, prompting him to shove me in as well before climbing inside and shutting the door behind him.
"Ricky, you were the one who told us! You don't contact your family 'cause it puts them in danger." The boy scolded. "And who's this you're runnin' around with? You haven't mentioned nothin' about a girl."
"My name is Mary Perdita," I introduced, "And I'm kind of new to this whole thing, so can someone please explain to me what the heck is going on?"
"All in good time, Mary Perdita," He said, "I saw them, Rickey. I taped them. They went round Blackfriars gathering up homeless like the Child Catcher. They must've took four dozen."
"In the trucks?" I asked. "The trucks that they say are full of food?"
"Exactly." He told me. I nodded.
"But why are they taking people off of the street? What do they want them for?" I inquired.
"Experiments." He said.
"The vans were hired out to a company called International Electromatics." The blonde woman behind the wheel called. "But I did a protocol search. Turns out that's a dummy company established by guess who?"
"Cybus industries." I guessed.
"Well now we've got evidence!"
"Bad news is, they've arrested Thin Jimmy," The woman continued, "So that just leaves you."
"Leaves me what?" Mickey wondered.
"Number one," The boy explained, "Top of the list. London's most wanted."
My eyes widened and Mickey and I shared a look.
Oh dear, what have we gotten ourselves into.