I learned things this past week. First and foremost, I am NEVER delaying cleaning out my shower again. What I found down the drain . . . *shudders*
Second of all, I was soft on the Doctor. That was a miss. Hopefully, what happens in this chapter is believable. I was definitely excited to get back to Craig, and how Jessie would handle this being the final adventure before she dies. Also, it's been 200 years, so hopefully that helps . . . a bit.
Thirdly, I've decided that I want to finish this book so I can start into Series 7. This is the only book so far this year I have not finished, and I want it done. Plus, I just want to see reactions as to how the finale plays out. ;)
Anyway, enjoy "Closing Time!"
***
One thing the Doctor learned about Jessie Nightshade in the past two hundred years was that she knew how to hold a grudge.
She had been getting better, over two hundred years, but as those years passed, she started avoiding him more and more. He didn't know what it was, but she spent more time awake than she did asleep. There were times when she wouldn't sleep for weeks, and when she did sleep, she only caught an hour or so, and then she was back up and rolling. He kept a close eye on her, but there were times when she gave him a stink eye for who knew what reason, but he knew that as two hundred years went on, she was starting to feel the weight of him forcing his mind on hers. He certainly hadn't forgotten, and he could feel the weight, too. Not only that, but he was watching her for any signs of her going to Lake Silencio. So far, she hadn't shown any signs of leaving, but he had caught her on the phone a few times, talking in hushed tones to someone. He couldn't tell who, and as if she knew what he was up to, Jessie always cleared her phone history when she was done.
The Doctor was getting tired of it, but he knew he deserved it. Truthfully, he'd been expecting Jessie to find a dampening bracelet from nowhere and stick it on him to torture him that way. At least she was speaking to him . . .
But the light bantering was gone. The flirting, the innuendo, that was gone, too. In a way, it was just like Manhattan: they spoke to each other, but eventually, their conversations ended up dead or cold. And he hated it.
He would have preferred Pietro trying to kill him.
But in two hundred years, they were nearly done spreading thank yous to all who had helped with Demons Run. There was only one more stop left, with a convenient problem they thought needed to be fixed, and as they stood in front of the house, they exchanged small smirks, hearing the man inside shouting. "This seems familiar," Jessie snickered.
Sure enough, Craig Owens flew open the door and shouted at them, not realizing who they were, "I'm coping on my own!"
"Hello, Craig!" the Doctor grinned as Jessie waved at him. "We're back!"
Craig stared at them, then looked at the phone he was holding. "She didn't . . . how could she phone you?"
"How could who phone us?" the Doctor tilted his head. "Nobody phoned us. We're just here."
"Nice house," Jessie looked around.
"Oh, you've redecorated," the Doctor looked inside, then said bluntly, "I don't like it."
"It's a different house, Doctor," Jessie rolled her eyes. "They moved."
"Yes, that's it," he winced.
"What are you doing here?" Craig scowled.
"Social call," the Doctor shrugged. "Thought it was about time we tried one."
"Also, a thank you for Demons Run," Jessie smiled, but it was . . . tense. "Really, you and Sophie coming was nice to see."
"Of course," Craig nodded, frowning and looking between the two. Was something wrong? "Any time."
"How are you?" the Doctor finally asked awkwardly.
"I'm fine," Craig frowned.
"This is where I say I'm fine, too, isn't it?" the Doctor asked Jessie. The girl just raised an eyebrow at him, and the Doctor cringed. "I'm fine, too," he nodded. "Good. Love to Sophie. Bye!"
They went to go, Craig still frowning at their backs, when the lights flickered. Jessie paused, looking up and around, before frowning. "Something's wrong." The Doctor pushed past Craig and ran up the stairs, and Jessie groaned. "Doctor!"
"On your own, you said," the Doctor told Craig. "But you're not. You're not on your own."
"Just shush!" Craig held up a finger.
"Increased sulphur emissions," the Doctor frowned at his sonic screwdriver. "And look at the state of this place! What are you not telling us?"
Jessie looked around, and her eyes widened. "Craig - "
"Doctor, please!" Craig insisted.
"Shush," the Doctor held up a finger.
"No, you shush!"
"Shush!"
"Shush!"
"No, you shush!"
Jessie opened the door to one of the rooms and she gasped, eyes wide. "Doctor, you shush!"
He obeyed immediately, poking his head around her. "What?"
"Craig," Jessie looked at the man. "When did you get a baby?"
***
"So," the Doctor sat flipping through magazines as Craig walked around the kitchen, Jessie leaning against the wall. "When you say on your own - "
"Yes, I meant on my own with the baby," Craig nodded. "Yes, because no one thinks I can cope on my own. Which is so unfair, because - "
"You can't cope on your own with the baby," Jessie guessed.
"I can't!" Craig groaned, and the Doctor grinned at Jessie for her guess, but she just rolled her eyes fondly. "He just cries all the time. I mean, do they have off switches?"
"Human beings," the Doctor sighed. "No. Believe me, I've checked."
"No, babies!"
"Same difference," he shrugged.
"Hey," Jessie tapped the baby on the shoulder, then held up a finger. "Shush."
The baby stared at her before going silent. "Can you teach me to do that?" Craig stared.
"Probably not," she shook her head, straightening up.
"Oh, please! Come on, I need something! I'm rubbish at this!"
"At what?" she folded her arms.
"Being a dad! You read all the books, and they tell you you'll know what to do if you follow your instincts. I have no instinct! That's what this weekend's all about, trying to prove to people I can do this one thing well!"
The Doctor suddenly laughed, but Jessie sighed, taking the magazine from his hands. "What are you reading?"
"So what did you call him?" the Doctor turned to Craig, and Jessie sighed, flinging the magazine over her shoulder and into the discard pile. "Will I blush?"
"No, we didn't call him the Doctor!" Craig glared.
"No, I didn't think you would," the Time Lord admitted.
"He's called Alfie," Craig answered, and the Doctor leaned forward as Alfie began babbling. "What are you doing here anyway? I don't think it's just to say thanks."
"Yes, he likes that, Alfie," the Doctor nodded. "Though personally, he prefers to be called Stormageddon, Dark Lord of All."
Craig stared, and Jessie just started sniggering. "Sorry, what?"
"That's what he calls himself."
"And how do you know that?"
"We speak Baby," the Doctor shrugged.
Craig groaned. "Of course you do! I don't even know when his nappy needs changing, and I'm supposed to be his dad! Oh . . . "
"Yeah, he's wondering where his mum is," the Doctor nodded. "Where is Sophie?"
"She's gone away with Melina for the weekend. She needs a rest."
Jessie blinked. "No, Craig is your dad. You can't just call him Not Mum."
Craig stared. "Not Mum?!"
"That's you," Jessie nodded. "Also Not Mum, that's us. And everybody else is - " She blinked. "Well, that's rude."
"Well, he's not ginger," the Doctor hoped to get something from her when he said that. She just gave him a stinkeye, and he sighed. Better keep working on that, then. "But, everybody else is peasants. That's a bit unfortunate."
"What are you doing here?" Craig frowned. "What's happening?"
"We just popped in to say hello," the Doctor smiled, but it was clearly fake.
"You don't do that," Craig shook his head. "I checked upstairs when we moved. It's real. And next door, both sides, they're humans. Is it the fridge? Are there aliens in my fridge?"
"Depends," Jessie said with a straight face. "Anything moldy in there?"
"We just wanted to see you, Craig," the Doctor said. "Cross my hearts."
"We've been on our own for . . . a bit," Jessie looked over at the Doctor. "You were the last ones we needed to thank, then we're off to the Alignment of Exedor."
"The Alignment of Exedor?" Craig repeated dubiously.
"Seventeen galaxies in perfect unison!" the Doctor explained excitedly, Jessie not able to help giving a fond smile. Two hundred years was a long time to hold a grudge, but she would still not forget that he had raped her mind that easily. Maybe there was no other way to get him to misplace her faith, but ultimately, that was what he had ended up doing. At least since Wanda knew, she could talk to the Avenger about her issues. "Meant to be spectacular. We can't miss it, literally can't. It's locked in a time stasis field. We get one crack at flying our TARDIS straight into it, if we get our dates right."
"You mean if I get the dates right," Jessie corrected.
"Which I know you have," he smirked.
Jessie gave a small smile. "You're such a child."
Craig frowned, still looking between them. "Sounds nice," he said cautiously. These were not the two happy go lucky aliens that had popped in last time.
"So, this is us, popping in and popping out again," the Doctor flipped through the paper. "Just being social. Just having a laugh." He tilted his head, then shook it. "Never mind that."
"Never mind what?" Craig frowned.
"Nothing," the Doctor said quickly.
"No, you've noticed something. You've got your noticing face on. I have nightmares about that face."
"I used to," Jessie muttered.
That got a cringe out of the Doctor. "Ooo, nope, given up all that. Done noticing things. I didn't even notice that, for example."
"Liar."
Another cringe. "Well, got to go. Good seeing you, Craig." He waved at Alfie. "Goodbye, Stormageddon."
"No, no, wait, wait," Craig leaped forward as they headed for the door. "Can you do the shushing thing?"
"No," the Doctor shook his head. "It only works once, and only on life forms with underdeveloped brains."
The Doctor was out the door in a flash, and Jessie sighed. "This was my idea, Craig," she said. "Sorry about him. Bit of a farewell tour."
"What?" Craig blinked. "What do you mean, farewell?"
"Farewell," she smiled sadly before leaving.
"Just go," the Doctor was muttering to himself, using his sonic. "Stop noticing. Just go. Stop noticing. Just go. Stop noticing. Just go. Stop it! Am I noticing?" he asked Jessie.
"Yes."
"No. No, I am not. And what I am not doing is scanning for electrical fluctuations."
"Yes, you are."
"No, we're just dropping in on a friend. The last thing we need right now is a patina of teleport energy."
"Then we're going, right?"
"Yes, going," he stepped into the TARDIS. "Not staying, going. We are going away now." He sighed, banging his head on the wall as Jessie stepped inside, a look of pure amusement on her face. "We're staying."
"Yes, we are."
***
That was why, when Jessie took a break from patrolling around the shopping center, she found the Doctor gleefully flying a remote control helicopter for a group of children in the toy department. "It goes up tiddly up, it goes down tiddly down for only forty nine ninety nine, which I personally think is a bit steep," he was babbling as she watched. "But, then again, it's your parents' cash, and they'll only waste it on boring stuff like lamps and vegetables. Yawn!"
Jessie snorted, then clapped a hand over her mouth. That was the first time she'd nearly laughed in . . . she checked her watch. Was it about sixty years? It was about time, she supposed, but she was still getting over what the Doctor had done. Did she understand why he did it? Yes, she did. Did she forgive him yet? Absolutely not.
"Yeah, Soph, just enjoy your holiday," a familiar voice said, and Jessie straightened as Craig entered the toy store, pushing Alfie's buggy. "Yeah, coping!"
"Nobody panic, but I appear to be losing control!" the Doctor squeaked, the helicopter going off track.
"Yeah, love you," Craig said, then the helicopter crashed near him.
"Oops," the Doctor's eyes widened. "Guys, guys, ladies and gentlemen, while I deal with this awkward moment, you go and find your parents slash guardians. Try in lamps." The kids groaned, but left, and the Doctor grinned at Craig as he retrieved the helicopter, Jessie walking over. "Craig!"
"What the hell are you doing here?" Craig looked between them.
"I'm the Doctor," the Doctor answered. "I work in a shop now. Here to help! Look, they gave me a badge with my name on, in case I forget who I am."
"Thoughtful of them, that does happen," Jessie nodded.
"You were leaving," Craig reminded them. "The Alignment of Exeter, what about that?"
"Exedor," Jessie corrected.
"Well, we were on our way, you know," the Doctor said. "Saw a shop, got a job. You got to live in the moment."
"I'm just keeping an eye on him," Jessie shrugged.
"Craig, mind Yappy," the Doctor added, picking up the little robot dog.
"What?"
"Yappy," the Doctor held up the robot. "The robot dog. Not so much fun as I remember. You look awful."
"I haven't slept, have I?" Craig sighed. "I still can't stop him crying. I even tried singing to him last night."
Jessie frowned. "Yeah, he did mention that he thought you were crying, too. He didn't sleep a wink, either."
"Yappy, say goodbye to Craig and Stormageddon," the Doctor said, then pretended to be the dog. "Goodbye, Craig! Goodbye, Stormageddon!"
The Doctor put Yappy down, then Jessie looked past him when she saw something whiz by. "Oh, now we're getting somewhere," she grinned.
"You're here for a reason, aren't you?" Craig frowned. "You noticed something, and you're investigating it . . . and because it's you, it's going to be dangerous and alien."
"Might not be," the Doctor shook his head.
"Doctor, I live here. I need to know."
"No, you don't."
"My baby lives here, my son."
"Sheila Clark, went missing Tuesday," Jessie supplied before the Doctor could argue. "Atif Ghosh, last seen Friday. Tom Luker, last seen Sunday."
"Why's none of this on the front page?"
"I checked the newsstand, the only thing on the front page is Nina, a local girl who got kicked off Britain's Got Talent. The people I just named are on pages seven, nineteen, and twenty two. No one seems to notice them. Thought to be fair, Nina's worth the front page, quite an inspiring emotional journey."
"And what else?" Craig frowned as Jessie walked off, the Doctor wheeling Alfie's buggy after her.
"These funny old power fluctuations, which just happen to coincide with the disappearances," the Doctor answered as they entered the children's clothing department.
"That's just the council putting in new cables, isn't it?" Craig frowned.
"Yes, that's definitely it," Jessie rolled her eyes, halting in front of a broken lift. "Mystery solved. Sorry, we're here for nothing. Nah. Sorry bout your luck, Craig. Wanna go for a ride?"
Craig blinked as she used her sonic screwdriver on the lift. "It says it's out of order!"
"Not any more," Jessie winked. "The Doctor isn't the only one who's here to help."
"It says danger."
"And when do I ever listen when it says danger?" Jessie grinned as it opened.
"Do I look like I'm stupid?"
Alfie made a comment, and the Doctor laughed. "Quiet, Stormy. Oh, all right. There's more." They all got into the lift, and he continued. "Just between you, me, Jez, and Stormy, don't want to frighten me punters. Someone's been using a teleport relay right here in this shop. Missing people last seen in this area. Before you ask, CCTV's been wiped."
"A teleport?" Craig blinked. "A teleport? A teleport, like a beam me up teleport like you see in Star Trek?"
"Exactly," the Doctor nodded. "Someone's been using a beam me up Stark Trek teleport. Could be disguised as anything."
"But a teleport in a shop?" Craig asked, and Jessie opted not to tell them about the six circles in a circle up on the ceiling. "That's ridiculous." The lift suddenly shuddered, and Jessie's eyes widened when she saw the scene behind them. "What was that? Was that the lights again?"
"Yes, that's it," the Doctor nodded, speaking in a strangled voice. "That's all. It's the light."
Craig frowned. "Why did you say that like that?"
"Like what?" he asked in the same voice.
"Like that, in that high pitched voice."
"Just keep looking at me, Craig," the Doctor ordered as Jessie slowly backed away, fingering for her blaster. "Right at me. Just keep looking."
"Why?"
"Well, because . . . because . . . "
"Lie to him," Jessie suggested telepathically.
The Doctor thought up the most ridiculous lie he could and hoped it worked. "Because I love you," he told Craig, putting his hands on his shoulders.
Even Jessie seemed startled by that. "You love me?" Craig asked dubiously, knowing for sure that it was a lie.
Jessie, meanwhile, just stood in the corner trying hard not to laugh and give away the game as the Doctor nodded vigorously. "Yes, Craig, it's you. It's always been you."
"Me?" Craig repeated.
"Is that so surprising?" the Doctor asked, putting his arms around Craig's neck to distract him as Jessie sonicked the area, the girl trying extremely hard not to laugh now.
"Doctor, are you going to kiss me?"
"Yes, Craig, yes, I am," he nodded. "Would you like that? I've had some wonderful feedback, just ask Jez."
"She's your wife, and I'm taken," Craig shook his head, turning around, then shrieked when he saw where they were. "Oh, my God!"
"Bit of a lie, sorry," the Doctor grinned awkwardly. He seemed to be doing a lot of that, the awkwardness. "Or we could hold hands if that does make you feel better."
"What is happening?" Craig asked as Jessie punched the button to make them go back.
"Well, first of all, I don't really love you, except as a friend."
"I certainly hope not," Jessie grumbled.
"But I got you to laugh," the Doctor smirked.
"Yes, you did," she admitted.
"What is that?" Craig pointed as the doors closed.
"Quick reverse," Jessie checked.
"What the hell just happened?"
"They must have linked the teleport relay to the lift, but I've fused it," Jessie explained as they got out. "They can't use that again. They're stuck up on their spaceship."
"What were those things?"
"Cybermen."
"Ship . . . a spaceship. We were in space?!"
***
"It's got to be up there somewhere," the Doctor looked up in the sky as they stood outside after sunset. "Can't get a fix. It must be shielded."
"But you fused the teleport," Craig frowned. "You sorted it. They can't come back."
"No, no, no, Jez just bought us a little time," the Doctor shook his head. "Still got to work out what they're doing before we can stop it."
"But if they've got the teleport and they're that evil, why haven't they invaded already?"
"Take Alfie and go," Jessie advised.
"No," Craig said bluntly.
Jessie raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"No," Craig held firm. "I remember from last time, people got killed, people that didn't know you. I know where it's safest for me and Alfie, and that's right next to you two."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. You always win. You always survive."
The Doctor nodded, accepting the fact, but Jessie just mumbled, "Those were the days."
The Doctor frowned, about to ask a question, but Craig interrupted. "I'm helping you. I'm staying."
"Craig, Craig," the Doctor sighed. "All right, all right. Maybe those days aren't quite over yet. Let's go and investigate. I mean, there's no immediate danger now."
"Let's hope," Jessie sighed, walking inside.
***
"Good afternoon, Val," the Doctor greeted as they entered the jewelry section.
"Hello," the older woman nodded.
"Where am I investigating?" Craig looked around.
"Well, look round," the Doctor gestured. "Ask questions. People like it when you're with a baby. Babies are sweet. People talk to you. That's why we usually take humans with us."
"So . . . I'm your baby?" Craig frowned.
"Your our baby," the Doctor nodded.
"Just go with it," Jessie patted his shoulder and walked off into another department, more than likely just going to snoop instead of ask questions.
Craig walked off, and the Doctor turned to Val as she started talking. "Hope you don't mind me saying, Doctor, but that wife of yours is an interesting woman."
"Tell me about it," he nodded. "You've not noticed anything unusual around here lately, Val?"
"Well . . . " She thought.
"Yes?"
"Mary Warnock saw Don Petheridge snogging Andrea Groom outside the Conservative Club on his so-called day off golfing."
"Yeah," he turned to leave. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all . . . "
"And then there's that silver rat thing."
The Doctor spun back, frowning. "What?"
***
"A silver rat, glowing red eyes," the Doctor repeated after Val explained, scanning under a table.
"Yes, then it zizzed off," Val nodded. "I wanted to get one for my nephew, but stockroom says there's no such item."
"I bet they do."
"Well, what was it, then? Answer me that."
***
Jessie was looking around, finding something on her sonic in the ladies underwear section, when she heard Craig's startled voice, then a crash. She hurriedly ran over to see Craig had knocked over one of the racks. "Make a habit of hanging round in women's wear, sir?" George, the security guard, asked.
"I'm sorry," Craig apologized, then fussed over Alfie as he started squealing. "Oh, shush! Alfie, come on!"
"He's a pervert, look at him!" Kelly, the woman on duty, accused. "Look at him!"
"Something wrong?" Jessie walked up, raising an eyebrow at Craig's predicament. "Only you, Craig."
"Hello, everyone," the Doctor arrived at the same time. "Here to help!"
"Hello, Doctor," both employees said at the same time.
"Hello," the Doctor nodded. "Has anyone seen a silver rat?" No reply. "No? OK. Long shot."
"Guess you've met Craig, then," Jessie helped him up. "By the way, nice uniform, George."
"Thank you, Bad Wolf," George nodded. "If he's with you two, that's all right, then."
"Sorry," Kelly began to babble. "I thought he was hassling me, because that's the last thing I need to day, because Shona's not turned up, right, so I'm doing twice the work for the same money, if you don't mind - "
"Shush," Jessie held up a finger, and Kelly's mouth closed with an audible clop.
Craig gawked at her. "Please teach me how to do that."
"No."
"Hold on, un-shush," the Doctor ordered. "Shona?"
"My supervisor," Kelly answered. "She's meant to be in today, but never showed up."
"When did you last see her?" Jessie tilted her head.
***
"How do you do that?" Craig asked after they were directed to the changing rooms. "It's a power, isn't it? Some sort of weird alien hypnotic power. I bet you excrete some sort of gas that makes people love you."
"No," Jessie shook her head, pulling the Doctor away before he could look through a curtain. "Shadow on the floor, dearie. Someone's inside."
"Right," the Doctor nodded before grinning smugly when she started looking on ahead. She'd called him a pet name again!
"I thought I was right," Craig frowned.
"Well, you love us, we've never excreted any weird alien gases at you," the Doctor shrugged.
"I don't love you," Craig huffed. "Don't start that again."
Alfie gurgled, making the Doctor snigger. "Yes, I know. 'Course he does."
"Well, I did exactly what you would have done, and I nearly got arrested."
The Doctor listened to Alfie, nodding along with what he said. "Stormy thinks you should believe in yourself more."
"Great," Craig rolled his eyes. "So now my baby's reviewing me."
"Not the weirdest thing that could happen, Craig," Jessie's voice rang from the end of the changing rooms. "It's right here." They went to the room to see her scanning around, looking up at the ceiling. "Last night. One of the Cybermen took Shona."
"A Cyberman?" Craig asked. "I thought it was a little silver rat."
"No, those are Cybermats. They're not rats."
"All right," Craig rolled his eyes as they left. "Don't have a go at me just because I don't know the names."
Jessie didn't retort. She just went on explaining. "Cybermats are infiltrators. Very small, very deadly. They collect power like bees collect pollen. One of them's been sucking the electrical energy from this area. Why a shop, though? Why not a nuclear power station?"
"OK, why?" Craig asked.
"Let's ask it," the Doctor suggested as Jessie walked through the clothes, trying to see if she could find the Cybermat. "We wait for the shop to shut, we stake the place out, and grab ourselves a Cybermat."
"And this is just a coincidence, is it?"
"What is?"
"Aliens in Colchester. Aliens, twice in my life, happening to me, just when you turn up."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," the Doctor held up his hands, losing track of Jessie. "This is not my fault, Craig."
"Oh, shush!" Craig complained as Alfie started whining. "Look what you've done now!"
"It's his nappy," the Doctor shrugged, not seeing Jessie take out her cell phone and close one of the changing rooms. "He's mentioned it twice."
"Well, sorry," Craig glared. "I don't speak Baby, do I?"
"There's a changing station over by Electrical Goods," the Doctor pointed.
Alfie fussed some more, and Craig groaned. "And of course you'd know that. Come on, Alfie."
"Craig, it's just a coincidence!" the Doctor tried to convince him. "It happens. It's what the universe does for - "
He paused, ducking behind a rack, seeing Amy and Jemma walking through the store, bags already in their hands, and a little girl skipped up to Amy, talking excitedly. Amy just smiled and nodded, putting her bags down to sign something. Rory and Fitz came over to check on them, and they left, the girl pointing to something past the Doctor. He looked back and smiled to see Amy's face with an ad for a perfume smelling like Petrichor, dubbed "For The Girl Who's Tired Of Waiting." "Amelia Pond," he chuckled, shaking his head.
***
Jessie checked to make sure no one had followed her in before dialing a number on her phone, her other hand clenching one of the hooks on the wall tight enough to turn her knuckles white. Just like every other time, Wanda answered on the first ring. "Bad Wolf?" she asked.
"Two hundred years," Jessie answered, closing her eyes. "Two hundred years, Wanda. It has to be tomorrow."
"You're certain?" Wanda asked, surprised.
"Positive."
"All right. We will be ready. Will you be coming to the complex?"
"More than likely. The Doctor knows something's up." Jessie jumped when she heard a crack, then winced when she realized she had been squeezing hard enough to snap the hook. "Oops."
"What did you do?"
"Just broke a changing room hook."
"Ah. Be careful, Bad Wolf."
"Two hundred years, he hasn't noticed yet," Jessie nodded, leaving the changing room and heading after the Doctor, seeing he was leaving. "See you soon, Wanda."
"And you."
***
The group of four, the baby included, hid behind the makeup and perfume counters as George finished making his rounds. When he was done, the Time Lords started scanning for the Cybermat. "Right," the Doctor said. "Let's be having you, then, Cybermen."
"Shush," Jessie told Alfie as the baby began to cry.
As Alfie quieted, Craig frowned at their sonics. "Can't you put those on quiet?"
"No, they're sonic screwdrivers," the Doctor shook his head. "Sonic equals sound. Take this," he handed something to Craig. "I got it on my discount, ten percent off. It's a papoose."
"Why do I need a papoose?" Craig scowled.
"Alfie wants you attached to him. You are far too slow when he summons you."
Jessie snickered as Craig groaned. "When's he going to stop giving me marks?"
"Never," the Doctor smirked. "that's parenthood. Couldn't you have just got a babysitter? No, any babysitter. Doesn't have to be a hot one."
"I told everyone I know I didn't need their help this weekend," Craig shook his head.
The Doctor snorted. "Well . . . "
"They won't even answer my calls! I didn't know there was going to be an invasion of Cybermen!"
Alfie started crying again, and Jessie put a hand on his head. "Shush," she soothed as Craig reluctantly put the papoose on. "It's OK."
She helped put Alfie in the papoose, then the Cybermat scuttled by. The Doctor sprang forward with a butterfly net and caught it. "Aha!" he grinned triumphantly before frowning. "That's very odd. It must be low on power. Or I'm better at that than I remember."
"Oh, is that it?" Craig frowned.
"Yeah."
"Oh, that's quite cute," Craig grinned, seeing the Cybermat. "Look at that. Look, Alfie, look - " The Cybermat bared its teeth, and Craig screamed. "Argh! Metal rat, real mouth! Metal rat, real mouth!"
"Yes, we know that," Jessie sonicked it, and the rat powered down.
"Metal rat, real mouth!"
"Stop screaming," Jessie pointed at him. "Shush."
Craig stopped, but somewhere else, someone else screamed. "George!" the Doctor took off, Jessie staying behind with Craig. He entered the basement, still calling the man's name, when he found an abandoned flashlight on the ground. A few feet later, he found the man lying dead. "George," he sighed, when he was clobbered on the back of the head.
***
Jessie jumped, feeling the Doctor lose consciousness, then took off, pulling Craig with her. "Hey!" he complained. "Where are we going?"
"Doctor!" Jessie ran over, seeing him lying on the ground, starting to wake up. "Doctor, what happened?"
"Oh, I've been," the Doctor shook his head, trying to figure himself out. "I've been chipped chapped chopped. The Cyberman, it killed George, took him back to the ship."
"The Cybermen are here?" Craig squeaked. "But you said - !"
"Yeah, I know what we said," the Doctor waved a hand. "We say a lot of things, but we fused the teleport. It should have taken them days to repair."
"Are you OK?"
"Oh, I should be dead, but the arm it chopped me with, it was damaged," the Doctor nodded. "Old spare parts. Must have changed those missing people."
"They've changed the missing into Cybermen?" Craig frowned. "Why didn't they change you?"
"We're not compatible," Jessie rolled her eyes. "Why use spare parts, though?"
"Everything we find out makes less sense," the Doctor complained.
"Listen to me, if the Cybermen are here, then we're not safe," Craig insisted. "We've got to go. We've got to go back to base."
"We've got a base?" the Doctor asked, surprised. "When did we get a base?"
***
"I'm going down the shop," Craig said, taking his keys and phone. "We've run out of milk. You know what to do if he cries."
Jessie held up her phone. "Yes."
"No," the Doctor admitted.
"Me neither," Craig nodded as he left.
As if on cue, Alfie started crying from upstairs, and Jessie nodded to the Doctor. "I'll get him," she volunteered.
"Good luck," the Doctor said, going to flick through a few magazines on the coffee table, dropping to sit on the sofa.
Jessie smiled sadly as she climbed the stairs and went into Alfie's room. She smiled when she saw the baby crying. "Hello, Stormageddon," she humored the baby, walking over and picking him up. "I'm the Bad Wolf. Remember me? Shush." She walked around the room, quietly calming the baby down. "I used to be like you, you know. Normal human, normal human life on Earth. Used to have those awful mortgage payments. SHIELD took care of that most of the time, but sometimes . . . " She shuddered. "You'll get past it. Oh, I'm getting old."
***
The Doctor frowned, feeling Jessie's sorrow in his mind, and was about to go check on her when he heard a whirring. Frowning again, he checked his pockets. That wasn't his sonic screwdriver . . .
***
"You, Alfie Owens, are so young compared to me," Jessie sat down in a rocking chair, still holding him. "Right now, everything's ahead of you. You could be anything." Alfie made a noise, and she chuckled. "Yes, I know. You could walk among the stars. They don't actually look like that, you know," she nodded at the stars on the ceiling. "They're much more impressive." She used her sonic screwdriver and made a holographic map of the galaxy appear. "Yeah," she nodded when Alfie made another noise. "I always dreamt of the stars, like when I was little. In the language of your age, I lived my dream. I got my freedom, I got the stars. I got a man who loves me more than anything else." Her smile slid from her face. "I just hope you're that lucky one day, Alfie." He made a noise, and she laughed. "Find a man if that's what you want. I was thinking more along the lines of living your dream."
"Jez!" the Doctor's voice shouted. "It's awake again!"
"What?" Jessie bolted out of the room, Alfie still in her arms, and ran into the kitchen to see the Doctor was struggling with the Cybermat.
"Get outside!" the Doctor waved her off, trying to hold onto the Cybermat.
Jessie didn't argue. She ran out onto the patio and took her cell phone, dialing the number Craig had given her. "Craig?" she said when she got answerphone. "Alfie's fine, but don't enter the house - "
"What the hell?" Craig's startled voice asked from inside.
"Craig?" she turned to see the Doctor had somehow lost his sonic screwdriver and was trying to get the Cybermat off his throat. "Gods, I never get a break saving him," she rolled her eyes, putting Alfie in his bouncer before running through the doors. "You idiot!"
"Where's Alfie?" Craig looked around.
"He's outside," Jessie answered impatiently, grabbing the Doctor's screwdriver. "What the hell were you thinking?"
"It went for Craig!" the Doctor protested.
"All right, all right," Jessie abandoned the screwdriver and found the next best thing. "Might not be as sorry as I want to be."
"What?"
Jessie swung the saucepan with all her might, knocking the Cybermat to the floor, its electronics sparking with the force she used. The Doctor got the recoil, banging his head on the cabinets behind him. "Ow!" he shouted.
"Call it payback," Jessie shook her head, taking the screwdriver and zapping the Cybermat. "Shielded from metastatic energy. Good thing you've got an app for that."
"Is it definitely dead?" Craig asked nervously.
"Inactive," Jessie corrected. "It was never alive. I'll give it credit, though, it's a good actor."
"Phew," Craig sighed before jumping. "Alfie!"
***
"I'm knackered," Craig yawned later as the Doctor worked on taking the Cybermat apart, Jessie flipping through a few magazines. "That thing was eating up the electricity?"
"And transmitting it up to the Cybership," the Doctor nodded. "But why? Why do they need power? Why are those conversions not complete yet, and what are they doing up there?"
"You said you were going to look at its brain."
"No, I had to wipe its brain," the Doctor shook his head. "Now I can reprogram it and use it as a weapon against them."
"The Cybermat came after us?" Craig asked.
"No, after us," the Doctor gestured between himself and Jessie.
"They sent it after us."
"After us," the Doctor emphasized himself and Jessie. "Because of us, you and Alfie nearly died. Do you still feel safe with us, Craig?"
"You can't help who your mates are," Craig shrugged.
Jessie was about to say something, but the Doctor plowed through her. "No. I, at least, am a stupid, selfish man. Always have been. I should have made you go. I should never have come here."
"I'm the one who got us to stay," Jessie reminded him.
"What would have happened if you hadn't come?" Craig asked. "Who else knows about the Cybermen and teleports?"
"I put people in danger," the Doctor mumbled.
"You're exhausted, too," Jessie leaned forward. "Go upstairs, get the guest room."
"You're probably worse than me," the Doctor looked at her.
"I slept last night," Jessie retorted. "Go."
The Doctor sighed, then jumped to his feet. "Only forty-five minutes," he felt the need to say, but went upstairs anyway.
"Forty-five minutes?" Craig stared at her.
"I don't need much sleep," Jessie lied through her teeth. Adrenaline was enough to keep her going, but that didn't mean she wasn't tired.
"Why's he beating himself up?" Craig asked. "If it weren't for you both, this whole planet would be an absolute ruin."
"It'll be just him soon," Jessie closed her eyes, checking to make sure the Doctor really was gone. "Very soon, I won't be here. My time is running out, and I don't mean Exedor. Silence will fall when the question is asked, and I've got a pretty good idea on what that question is. I think a part of me always knew. I just didn't know I'd die protecting the answer. Thing is, Craig, it's tomorrow. Can't put it off any more. Tomorrow's the day I - " She paused, seeing Craig had fallen asleep while she was talking, and she chuckled. "Night night," she said before leaning back on the couch to sleep as well.
Just a few minutes would be enough.
***
"You look tense," the Doctor noted as they left early the next morning.
"Could be worse," Jessie shook her head. "The Cybermat?"
"Safe mode," the Doctor answered. "Clever me. Come along, Bitey!"
"That just doesn't work," Jessie shook her head, but followed anyway, looking at her phone as a text from Pietro came in.
We're ready when you are.
She took a deep breath, then ran to catch up.
***
"Morning!" Val greeted when they walked into the store.
"Morning," the Doctor nodded, checking the lift. "Teleport's still fused. They didn't repair it. So, the Cyberman last night, how did it get down here. How did it get out?"
"Why are you asking Val?" Jessie raised an eyebrow.
"I . . . don't know," he grinned sheepishly.
"You found the silver rat?" Val looked at it.
"But where are the silver men?" the Doctor looked around, heading for the changing rooms. "Secondary teleport. No, there is no other teleport," he frowned. "They must have had a back-up system, something complicated, something powerful, something shielded."
"Like a door?" Jessie asked, heading for the back wall. "Maybe disguised as a wall?" She leaned against the side wall, kicking the back wall and sonicking it.
The Doctor blinked as the hidden door opened. "That is cheating," he decided. "It didn't teleport down."
"It climbed up," Jessie nodded. "Shall we?"
"Ladies first," the Doctor gestured.
Jessie smirked and jumped down, followed by the Doctor. When they emerged from the tunnel, they found a large cavern with the Cybership, not the usual clean and shiny interior. "They've been busy," Jessie remarked.
The Doctor looked down and picked up George's name tag from the floor, then the voice of a Cyberman made him look up. "You have come to us."
"Took us a while," the Doctor straightened. "Lot on our minds. Let's see, this ship crashed here centuries ago. No survivors, but the systems are dormant, waiting for power, and then the council stick a load of new cables right on top of you. Bitey wakes up and channels the power, you start crewing up from the shop as best you can. Not enough power, not enough parts."
"When we are ready, we will emerge. We will convert this planet to Cyberform."
"What, the six of you?" Jessie snorted.
"You know that is enough. You know us. You are the Doctor and the Bad Wolf."
"Correct," the Doctor nodded. "And the Doctor and the Bad Wolf always give you a choice. Deactivate yourself, or I deactivate you."
Jessie suddenly made a startled noise, and the Doctor turned to see another Cyberman had snuck up behind them and snatched her, holding her tight. "Jez!" he called, eyes wide, then he was seized by another Cyberman. "Argh!"
"One of them must be the new leader," one of the Cybermen said.
"No," another said. "They are not like us. Brain and binary vascular systems are incompatible. They will be discarded. Other body parts may be of use."
"Oi! Cybermen!" Craig called, and the Time Lords looked to see him run up, aiming . . . was that a bar code scanner? "Get off my planet, or I activate this!"
"Craig, stop this," the Doctor pleaded. "Get out!"
"It's like you said, Doctor," Craig looked at him. "Got to believe you can do it."
"You located us?" a Cyberman asked.
"Yeah," Craig nodded. "Teleport in the lift, bit rubbish, and that little Cybermat never stood a chance. So you see what you're dealing with?"
"You are compatible. You are intelligent." It zapped the bar code reader from Craig's hand, and another grabbed him.
Craig tried to shake free to no avail. "No, I'm not intelligent! You don't want me!"
"Do not fear. We will take your fear from you. You will be like us. You will be more than us."
"No, no, no!"
"Your designation is CyberController. You will lead us. We will conquer this world."
"No!" Jessie attempted to yank free, knowing if she made the wrong move, Craig was more than likely dead.
"Doctor! Bad Wolf!" Craig looked at them as he was clamped into a conversion chamber. "Do something, please! Doctor! Bad Wolf!"
"Craig, don't worry," the Doctor said. "I've reprogrammed their Cybermat. It'll drain their power."
One of the Cybermen simply stomped on the Cybermat, stopping it. "You have failed, Doctor," one said. "Begin conversion. Phase one: cleanse the brain of emotions."
"Craig, fight it!" Jessie called. "They can't convert you if you fight back. You're strong. Don't you dare give into it!"
"Help me!" Craig tried to flail around.
"Think of Sophie!" the Doctor pitched in. "Think of Alfie. Craig, don't let them take it all away!"
"Make it stop! Please, make it stop!"
"Craig, listen to me," Jessie told him. "I believe in you. So does the Doctor. We could die tomorrow, for all you know, but just prove us right! We believe in you!"
"What about dying tomorrow?" the Doctor blinked.
"Begin full conversion," the Cyberman said as a helmet closed over Craig's face.
A wail came over the monitors, and they all turned to see Alfie squirming in Val's arms. "Unknown subwave detected," a second Cyberman said.
"It is the sound of fear," the first Cyberman answered. "It is irrelevant. We will remove all fear."
"Alfie, I'm so sorry!" the Doctor called, trying to talk to the baby. "Alfie, please stop! I . . . we can't help him."
"Emotions eradicated," the first Cyberman announced. "Conversion complete." A second later, an alarm went off. "Alert. Emotional subsystems rebooting. This is impossible."
"He can hear him!" Jessie realized. "He can hear Alfie!"
"Oh, please, just give us this," the Doctor begged. "Craig, you wanted a chance to prove you're a dad. You're never going to get one better than this!"
"What is happening?" the Cyberman asked.
"What's happening, you metal moron?" Jessie snorted. "A baby is crying, and you'd better watch out, because guess what? Daddy's coming home!"
The Cyberman helmet opened up, and Craig wrestled to break out of his restraints. "Alfie!" he called. "Alfie, I'm here! I'm coming for you!"
"Yes, Craig!" the Doctor whooped.
"Alfie!"
"Yes, Alfie needs you!" Jessie nodded, phasing out of the Cybermen's grip, the Doctor doing the same, both of them getting their sonics.
"Emergency," the Cyberman said. "Emotional influx!"
"You've triggered a feedback loop into their emotional inhibitors," the Doctor checked his sonic's readings. "All that stuff they cut out of themselves, now they're feeling it . . . which means a very big explosion."
"Overload. Overload. Overload."
"Get it open!" Craig shouted as Jessie ran to the opening to the changing rooms. "We need to get to Alfie!"
"They've sealed the ship!" Jessie called.
"We've got to get out of here!"
"We know!" the Doctor barked.
Craig looked around as Cybermen heads began exploding, then pointed to the lift. "The teleport!"
The Doctor quickly sonicked the controls, and they beamed away just before the Cybership exploded. They stumbled out of the lift to see Val standing there, startled, with Alfie in her arms. "How did you get in there?"
"Alfie!" Craig cheered, the baby almost grinning.
"Here's your daddy," Val told Alfie with a smile, handing Alfie over.
The Doctor listened as Alfie gurgled, then nodded. "That was another review. Ten out of ten."
"The Cybermen, they blew up," Craig gave a goofy grin. "I blew them up with love."
"No, that's impossible, and also grossly sentimental and over simplistic," the Doctor shook his head. "You destroyed them because of the deeply ingrained hereditary human trait to protect one's own genes, which in turn triggered a - "
"He blew them up with love," Jessie smiled, a real smile.
The Doctor sighed and gave up. "Yeah. He blew them up with love."
When he held out his hand to her, she didn't hesitate to take it and squeeze.
***
While they waited for Craig, the Doctor was rambling, and Kelly just happened to be right next to him. "The building should be totally safe structurally, and of course, the bonded disillium contained the explosion."
"Right," Kelly looked confused. "Why you telling me all this?"
"I don't know," the Doctor frowned. "Shush."
Kelly obeyed, and Val eyed Craig as he walked up, wearing a new shirt. "It suits you."
"Thanks," Craig nodded.
"Discount applies to partners."
"Great."
"So . . . you two aren't in a relationship?" Val looked between the Doctor and Craig.
"What?!" Craig's eyes widened, and he didn't notice the two Time Lords slip away. "Ha ha ha! Me and the Doctor?" He turned to see them gone.
"Oh, now where've they rushed off to?" Val frowned.
"They're gone," Craig frowned.
***
Jessie was finishing adjusting the vase on a table when she heard Craig's voice. "Who tidied up all this?"
"See?" the Doctor grinned as Craig entered the kitchen. "We do come back."
"This time, I didn't have to persuade him," Jessie winked.
"How did you?" Craig looked around.
"Time travel," the Doctor answered. "But even with time travel, getting glaziers on a Sunday. Tricky."
"You went back in time?" Craig's eyes widened. "That means you used up your hours! What about Exedor?"
"And you risking your life with Sophie when she comes back?" Jessie snorted. "Come on, Craig. We're not that mean."
"You used up your time for me?" Craig smiled, touched.
"'Course we did," the Doctor smiled. "You're our mate."
"I see Stormageddon's very quiet and happy," Jessie smiled at the baby.
"Oh, he prefers the name Alfie now," the Doctor added. "And he's very proud of his dad."
"He calls me dad?" Craig looked down at his son.
"Yes, of course he does now."
Jessie giggled at something Alfie said in Baby. "Yeah, he's a bit thick sometimes, isn't he?"
"Oi, shut up," Craig complained.
"Well, now it's time," the Doctor brushed his hands off. "We've got to go."
"Go get the TARDIS ready," Jessie advised. "Last minute advice for Craig, yeah?"
The Doctor paused. Jessie had gotten better since this adventure. She'd started opening up more, little by little, but she hadn't lost that tenseness she'd had that morning. "All right," he nodded. "Call me in when you're ready to go, then."
"Bye," Jessie smiled and watched him go.
Craig watched it slide right off her face the moment the Doctor was gone. "Bad Wolf, I know something's wrong, and it's been ruining your marriage," he told her. "I can help you."
"Nobody can help me except those I've told," she shook her head when something caught her eye. "Do you think Sophie will mind?" she asked, walking to a filing cabinet and taking out a few TARDIS blue envelopes. "I need these."
"Go on ahead," Craig shook his head. "Where are you going to go?"
"Back home to America," Jessie answered.
"Sophie'll be home any second," Craig reminded her. "Are you sure - ?"
"I can't miss this," Jessie shook her head. "Bye."
"Wait there," Craig held up a finger, and she stopped, willing to see what he would do. "One second." He left, and Jessie laughed when he came back with a tan stetson. "From Sean's stag."
"Wow," Jessie laughed, taking the hat and sliding the envelopes into her coat. "You can come back now, Kasterborous!"
"You ride 'em, partner," Craig winked.
"Thanks," she said, truly appreciating it.
"Hello!" the Doctor bounded in, looking between them. "What did I miss?"
"Nothing," Jessie answered quickly before Craig could get anything in. "Did get a new hat, though."
The Doctor considered it, way too long for her to think it was normal, before he smiled. "Suits you."
"Right, I've had my say," Jessie smiled, giving Craig a hug and kissing Alfie on the head. "If you've got anything to say, I'll be in the TARDIS."
"Bye!" Craig waved as she left.
The moment she was out the door, the Doctor spun to Craig. "What did she tell you?" he asked.
"I'm sorry?" Craig blinked.
"Something's about to happen to her, and I've got to know," the Doctor swallowed. "There's only one chance I've got to stop it from happening. Did she say anything about going somewhere?"
Craig swallowed as well, thinking back to how miserable the Bad Wolf had been the entire time. "All she said was that she's going to America, and it's something she can't miss. She took a few envelopes, those over there," he pointed to where there were a few envelopes still sticking out of the filing cabinet. "You didn't know?"
"I knew," the Doctor whispered, panic in his eyes. "I just didn't know when."
"Oh," Craig said meekly. "Well . . . whatever it is, I hope you can help her."
"So do I," the Doctor admitted, then took a shaky breath. "Bye, Craig."
"Bye," Craig smiled, and the Doctor left through the back door.
***
"Hey," Jessie smiled at the Doctor as he exited, she leaning against the TARDIS and wearing her stetson. "I was wondering if we could drop by the Avengers complex for a little bit before we head off again."
"Great," the Doctor nodded, inwardly relieved he didn't have to suggest it. Then he could get Saleen to help him try and convince Jessie not to leave. "I think it's about time we stopped by again."
Jessie nodded, then looked over at the kids stopping what they were doing and staring. "Hey, you lot," she waved.
"We're here to help," the Doctor nodded, and they piled into the TARDIS, heading for the console, ready to head to the Avengers complex . . . both of them with very different goals in mind.
***
And it's all about to hit the fan.
I just sort of feel like I'm in a funk now or something. This didn't feel 100% either. Oh, well.
I guess the interlude will break it or make it. I can definitely promise one thing: you guys will more than likely need feels-proof vests.