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They moved to the living room, where the Doctor sat Danni in the armchair and placed his fingers on her temples. She smiled gratefully at him and promptly passed out and he rearranged her slightly so she would be more comfortable. Craig frowned as he shrugged his coat off and covered her in it.
"What did you do?" He asked as the Doctor sat on the couch, pulled out an eye piece and began working on the Cybermat with a little ordinary screwdriver.
"I've just put her to sleep for a few hours, it's the only way she can get any rest." He explained absentmindedly. Craig stood behind him as he watched her tap out the beat on her leg.
"Hang on, even now she can hear that noise?" He asked and the Doctor sighed angrily.
"Yes, it never goes away. It keeps her brain from shutting down enough for her to get any real sleep, but the only way to do that is to kill her, so this is the best I can do." He snapped before going back to the Cybermat, really not wanting to talk about it. Craig yawned as he rubbed Alfie's back.
"I'm knackered." he declared, "That thing was eating up the electricity?"
"And transmitting it up to the Cybership." The Doctor confirmed as he poked away at it's brain, "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." He pointed out.
"I had to wipe its brain." The Doctor grumbled, "Now I can reprogram it, use it as a weapon against them."
"The Cybermat came after us?" Craig asked as he sat down on the couch next to him.
"No, after me." The Doctor corrected.
"They sent it after us?" He motioned between the three of them.
"After me." He corrected again, this time more forcefully, "Because of me, you and Alfie nearly died." He took of the eyepiece and watched Danni breathing softly, "Because of me Danni is dying." Craig rolled his eyes.
"I doubt that's how she sees it." The Doctor smiled slightly; he was probably right.
"Do you still feel safe with me, Craig?" He asked suddenly.
"You can't help who your mates are." Craig replied with a laugh, rearranging Alfie as he snuggled into the couch.
"No!" The Doctor laughed hollowly, "I am a stupid and selfish man. Always have been. I should have made you go, I should never have come here." He'd just wanted to cheer Danni up, because seeing her happy made him happy. It was a simple thing, even slightly cliché if he thought about it really, but her smile could make any situation better.
"What would have happened if you hadn't come?" Craig pointed out, "Who else knows about Cybermen and teleports?" The Doctor stood up and moved to kneel in front of Danni, stroking her hair back off her face. If she had been properly asleep, she would have batted his hand away just like she used to. Instead she didn't even move.
"I put people in danger."
"Stop beating yourself up! If it wasn't for you this whole planet would be an absolute ruin."
"Oh Craig, very soon I won't be here... my time is running out. I don't mean Exedor. Silence will fall when the question is asked. Don't even know what the question is. Always knew I'd die still asking. Thing is, Craig, it's tomorrow. Can't put it off any more. Tomorrow is the day I..." He turned from watching Danni to see Craig and Alfie both asleep, Craig cuddling his son protectively. He smiled wistfully at them and stood up, grabbing a blanket and covering them up with it. He leant down and kissed Danni on the forehead, then on the Vortex Manipulator stuck to her arm.
~0~0~0~
The sun shone on Craig and Alfie, right in the man's eyes as he groaned and tried not to be drawn out of his sleep even despite his sons cries.
"'So I'll be back about ten, cause Melina's totally gone off on one, she's going to kill David Jenkins." Craig chucked the blanket off him and saw the Cybermat was not longer on the table, "'I'm stupid to worry, I can't wait to get home to my special boys! Love you. Alfie, love you, Craig!'" Sophie's voice played from the answerphone, followed by a beep.
"Oh, no, no, no!" He shook Danni, who groaned as her eyes opened, "Danni, where's the Doctor?" He asked and she frowned, looking at the coat she was covered in. Seeing that she didn't know where he was Craig began to look through the house, "Doctor?!" Danni stood up and put the coat on, holding it closed as it was too big for her as she followed him into the kitchen.
"The Cybermat's gone." He explained as he approached the fridge, seeing a blue piece of paper with silver writing on it. Danni frowned at the sight; it was the same as the invitations. She'd forgotten that as well.
"'Dear Craig and Danni, Gone to stop Cybermen. Sorry. Goodbye. The Doctor.'" He read out loud. Danni marched over and grabbed the note, reading it for herself before scrunching it up in her hands.
"You idiot!" She snarled before spinning, the coat flaring out behind her, and leaving the room, "I'm going to kill you myself! Are you coming, Craig?"
"Of course, let me just get Alfie a coa..." he trailed off as she walked back in, his and Alfie's coats in hand.
"Good." She grabbed Alfie off him and changing him into the outdoor baby grow that was his coat as Craig pulled his on and located the papoose. Danni handed him over and Craig strapped him in.
"Sorry, Alfie," He told his son, "I can't leave you here on your own and Danni has to come too. There's something up with the Doctor, and we owe him. I wouldn't have you or Mummy if it wasn't for him! He needs someone. He always needs someone and he just can't admit it, and sometimes his someone needs help too." Danni smiled gratefully at him, "I promise nothing's going to happen to you!" He kissed Alfie on the cheek.
"Ready? Come on." Danni ushered them out of the house.
~0~0~0~
They rushed as fast as they could to the department store and headed straight up to the ladies section where he had told them the teleport was coming from. Danni vaguely remembered something about the changing rooms, but Craig didn't push her as he had noticed she had trouble remembering things.
"Doctor! Doctor!" Danni called out, worried about her Time Lord. How dare he just run off into danger like that? She was going to kill him, she really was. It was like he had a death wish or something. Val approached her as she spun in a circle, trying to get her barings as Craig carried on to the toy department.
"Another row?" She asked kindly and Danni nodded.
"Something like that. Have you seen him?" Val nodded.
"He went in the changing rooms, something about silver men." Danni groaned and kissed the older woman on the cheek.
"Cheers Val. Craig! He went to the changing rooms!" She cried as she ran after him, Val smiling at them as she went.
"Young love." she murmured.
~0~0~0~
"I remember now," Danni told him, leading him by the hand into the changing rooms, "something about the last cubicle where that supervisor disappeared." They stared at the large hole in the wall, ignoring the complaints about Craig being there, where the mirror should have been.
"He's in there, isn't he?" Craig asked her and she nodded.
"That's what I remember." She replied. He groaned, of course, where else would he be? She stepped forward but Craig grabbed her arm.
"I think you should stay here with Alfie." He started, looking slightly guilty at even suggesting she shouldn't follow him, "The Doctor told me about how ill you are, and I think that I could be of more help and someone has to look after Alfie." She smiled at him.
"That's what I think too." She told him sincerely and he looked puzzled at her lack of arguing, "I know I'm ill, Craig. And I just want him safe, so you bring him back to me and I'll do all I can to protect Alfie. I promise." He shrugged the papoose off and handed Alfie to her, who gurgled but fell silent quickly. He then picked up a UPC scanner that was hanging off the wall and headed into the tunnel. Danni bounced Alfie slightly as they watched Craig climb further away.
"There goes your Daddy, the bravest stay-at-home man I know." She told him with a kiss to the top of the head, "Come on sweetheart. Let's go find Val, she might get me a cup of tea."
~0~0~0~
The Doctor cried out in pain as one of the Cybermen grabbed his arms and held them behind his back, the Cybermat falling to the ground out of his grasp.
"He must be the new leader." One declared.
"No. He is not like us. Brain and binary vascular system incompatible." Another corrected. Craig watched from the sidelines, counting the Cybermen. One, two, three, four, five, six. He could deal with six. He'd fought bigger groups of men at football games. Because that was the same thing.
"They will be discarded. Other body parts may be of use." Craig jumped out of the shadows brandishing the UPC scanner like a weapon.
"Oi, Cybermen! Get off my planet, or I activate this." He waved it slightly to emphasis his point as the Doctor stared at him, wide-eyed. What the hell was he doing?!
"Craig, stop this, get out!" He begged.
"Don't worry Doctor, Danni and Alfie are safe on Earth." He promised. The Doctor visibly relaxed and Craig felt slightly offended that he wasn't more worried about the fact he was holding a bunch of Cybermen at fake gun-point.
"Craig, just get out!" The Doctor insisted but Craig shook his head.
"It's like you said, Doctor, got to believe you can do it!" Craig continued. One Cyberman stepped towards him.
"You located us?" It asked and Craig nodded, aiming the scanner directly at it.
"Teleport in the lift, bit rubbish." He confirmed, "That little Cybermat never stood a chance. See what you're dealing with?" He tried to sound menacing but his voice broke just at the end, showing his fear.
"You are compatible. You are intelligent." It smashed his hand against it's chest panel then shot a bolt of electricity at Craig, causing him to drop the scanner. Another Cyberman grabbed him from behind and began marching him forward.
"No, I'm not intelligent, you don't want me." He told them, suddenly very scared.
"Do not fear. We will take your fear from you. You will be like us. You will be more than us." They took Craig to one of the conversion chambers and his eyes widen as he realised what they wanted to do.
"No, no, no, no."
"Your designation is Cyber Controller. You will lead us, we will conquer this world." They began forcing Craig into the chamber as he struggled against them.
"Doctor!" He begged as the Doctor renewed his efforts to get away from his own captives.
"Craig!"
"Do something! Please!" The machine began clamping him in and he found it harder to move. He didn't want to be like them, he didn't want to be converted, "DOCTOR!"
"Craig, don't worry." The Doctor told him, "I've reprogrammed the Cybermat, it'll drain their power!" He managed to pull a remote control out of his pocket and the Cybermat began to scuttle across the floor until one of the Cybermen stepped on it, crushing it.
"You have failed, Doctor. Begin conversion! Phase one. Cleanse the brain of emotions." It commanded and smoke began pouring from the machine.
"No!" The Doctor exclaimed in horror, staring at the shattered remains of his plan before focusing on his friend. He was relying on the Doctor coming up with a plan. Danni always said he worked better on the go, "Craig! Fight it! They can't convert you if you fight back! You're strong, don't give in to it!"
"Help me!" Craig sobbed as the machine began shooting energy through him.
"Think of Sophie, think of Alfie, don't let them take it all away!" The Doctor told him.
"Make it stop. Please make it stop!" A headpiece began closing around him.
"Please, listen to me! I believe in you, I believe you can do this! I've always believed in all of you, all my life! I'm going die, Craig. Tomorrow, I'm going to die, but I don't mind if you just prove me right! CRAIG!" He cried as the headpiece closed completely without a seam.
"Begin full conversion." The Cyberman declared. The machines began whirring as the Doctor watched on completely devastated.
~0~0~0~
Danni sat behind the jewellery counter, a cup of tea on the glass counter and Alfie stood up on her knees out of his papoose. Val was busy serving a lot of customers but kept glancing at the young woman with the baby worriedly. Danni had explained that Craig had gone to talk to the Doctor for her and that she had to wait until they came back, but she couldn't help but feel there was more to it than that. Danni smiled sadly as the baby gurgled happily.
"I wish I could help, Alfie, but I'm useless really. I know the Doctor gets out okay, but time is forever in flux and that might just not happen now." She told him. The baby seemed to sense her sad mood and stopped gurgling but she increased her efforts to entertain him and he perked right back up. She held him steady with one hand while the other pulled the Doctor's coat around her. She frowned as something solid hit her in the side and she sat Alfie down on the counter, holding him in place with one arm while the other rummaged inside of the pocket. She grabbed something and pulled it out, her mouth falling open in shock at the sight of the sonic screwdriver. She looked at it for a moment before laughing joyfully.
"Oh that idiot-man!" She cried before grabbing Alfie again and bouncing him happily.
"We can help, Alfie. We can help your daddy, and my Doctor and save the planet with this!" she showed him the screwdriver before leaning it against her lips as she looked for a security camera, seeing one pointing directly at the counter.
"I bet you're wondering how, aren't you angel? Well, we're going to remind them both to what is down here waiting for them." She stood up and help Alfie tightly to her side. She looked down at him, "Oh, and sorry in advance for making you cry but it is 100% totally and utterly necessary." She pointed the screwdriver up at the camera, "Think and point." She said to herself before setting it off loudly. Val span to see what she was doing as Alfie started crying at the noise but Danni didn't take her eyes off the camera.
~0~0~0~
The Doctor jumped as a monitor on the main console came to life, showing in-store footage from the jewellery department. He looked to see Danni and Alfie in the store below, Danni holding him tightly as she was pointing the screwdriver at the camera. Alfie cries rang through the room as Craig continued to be converted.
"Unknown soundwave detected." one Cyberman declared.
"It is the sound of fear. It is irrelevant. We will remove all fear." Another one told it. Doctor watched Danni, slightly ashamed at how happy he was to see her wrapped up in his jacket while Craig was dying. She was smirking triumphantly at the camera, as if she was doing something she knew would help. He grinned as he realised what she was sending up; Alfie's cries.
"Alfie! I'm so sorry! Alfie, please stop! I can't help him." He told the screen, pushing as much despair into his voice as he could. He had to convince Craig his son was in danger.
"Emotions eradicated conversion complete." The Cyberman stated. There was a grinding noise and Craig's fingers twitched in the conversion machine. An alarm started blaring out.
"Alert. Emotional subsystems rebooting. This is impossible." Energy began to crackle around the Craig's headpiece and the Doctor laughed in disbelief.
"He can hear him. He can hear Alfie! Oh, my clever Danni-Girl. My beautiful, smart, fantastic, sexy, happy, alive Danni-Girl, oh please, just give me this! Craig, you wanted a chance to prove you're a dad. You're never going to get better one than this!" He told the man in the suit as he struggled against the Cyberman holding him back. A crack began appearing down the centre of the headpiece as Craig fought back against the conversion for his son.
"What is happening?" The leader asked and the Doctor laughed harshly at it.
"What's happening, you metal moron? A baby is crying. And you better watch out, cause guess what? Ha! Daddy's coming home!" He cried out as the headpiece opened and Craig gasped.
"Alfie!" The father screamed and began to fight against the machine, ripping the arm and leg pieces off to get away. It began to spark as it overloaded, "Alfie, I'm here! I'm coming for you!" The Cybermen began to stagger around, grabbing their heads in pain.
"Yes, Craig!" The Doctor cheered as he broke free of the Cyberman holding him, rushing over to help Craig out.
"Alfie!"
"Alfie needs you!" He told Craig as he chucked the chest piece away.
"Emergency. Emotional influx!"
"You've triggered a feedback loop into their emotional inhibitors. All that stuff they cut out of themselves, now they're feeling it!" He explained, his face dropping, "Which means a very big explosion!" The pair began running out of the ship, towards the tunnel back to the shop, but the doors leading to it were closed.
"Overload, overload, overload." They chanted.
"Get this open, we need to get to Alfie!" Craig shouted.
"They've sealed the ship and I don't have my screwdriver!" The Doctor shouted back. One of the Cybermen's head exploded.
"We've got to get out of here!"
"I know!" The Doctor snapped back; as if he hadn't noticed!
"The teleport!" He declared suddenly, rushing over the monitor with Alfie and Danni on and typing away underneath it. He then pressed a button firmly.
"Danni!" He cried, "Open the teleport!"
~0~0~0~
"Danni!" The Doctor's voice came over the tannoy, "Open the teleport!" Danni cheered, span around once, kissed Alfie on the head and pointed the screwdriver at the lift, activating it again.
"They're coming, Alfie." she promised the baby, "Daddy's coming home!" The lift pinged and Craig ran out of it and over to Danni, who very happily handed the man his son. She saw the Doctor stepping out and ran over, chucking her arms around him as he lifted her up and span her around. She laughed then pulled him down by his collar for a kiss, which he returned readily. She broke away panting then slapped him hard on the arm.
"You bloody idiot, leaving your screwdriver behind, what were you thinking?" She scolded him. He chuckled then pulled her up against him, smirking suggestively down at her.
"I was thinking 'my wonderful, sexy, beautiful Danni-Girl could really need this later on, I'd better leave it'." He replied before kissing her again. They stood in the middle of the aisle, just revelling in each over until Craig called over to them.
"Doctor, Danni! We're in public!" He reminded them and the Doctor pulled back, blushing. She grinned and kissed his cheek before taking his hand and walking him over to Craig. Alfie gurgled happily, clutching at his fathers jacket.
"That was another review. Ten out of ten." The Doctor translated, wrapping his arm around Danni. Craig kissed Alfie's head.
"The Cybermen... they blew up. I blew them up with love!" He told his son before hugging him tightly.
"No, that's impossible, and also grossly sentimental and over simplistic. You destroyed them because of the deeply ingrained hereditary human trait to protect one's own genes which in turn triggered a," Danni rolled her eyes and leant up, pecking him on the lips. He looked down at her and smiled, "Yeah. Love. You blew them up with love."
~0~0~0~
Kelly stood staring at the Doctor, totally bewildered as he explained the after effects of the Cybership exploding.
"The building should be totally safe, structurally, and of course the bonded disillium contained the explosion." He told her, patting a pillar to demonstrate it's solidity.
"Right." Kelly drawled, "Why you telling me all this?" The Doctor stared at her.
"I don't know." He admitted, "Shhh." He held his finger up to his lips again and Kelly found herself unable to talk. Craig approached Val's counter where Danni was looking after Alfie, a new shirt on.
"It suits you." Val told him as he did a little twirl.
"Thanks." Craig replied.
"And it's on me." Danni added.
"Discount applies to partners." She replied and Danni grinned.
"Thanks!"
"Great." Craig concurred as the Doctor joined them, kissing Danni.
"Are you two married then?" She asked Danni, who shook her head.
"Nah." She replied with a shake of her head.
"Not yet." The Doctor pointed out and Danni blushed at the thought of him wanting to marry her. To hide her embarrassment she turned to Val.
"Thank you for your help, Val." She told her sincerely, "For everything." Val smiled.
"Good noticing. Keep 'em peeled." The Doctor told her.
"I will. I'm glad you two made up for baby's sake." Danni frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"It's nice for baby to have two parents who love each other." Danni and the Doctor's mouth dropped open.
"Hang on, you think he's ours?" Danni exclaimed as the Doctor shook his head.
"Oh no, he's not ours." The Doctor stuttered out and Danni handed Alfie over to Craig.
"He's Craig and Sophie's." She explained. She could never be a mum, but she'd loved being an aunt. Auntie Danni; She could live with that.
"Sophie's my girlfriend," Craig laughed, "we live together just up the road." He explained as he turned, "Doctor, can you..." He trailed off when he noticed both Danni and the Doctor had disappeared.
"Oh! Now where have they rushed off to?" She asked, a knowing smile on her face.
"They've gone." Craig whispered.
~0~0~0~
Craig entered his house slowly, Alfie still strapped to his front, and placed his phone and keys down by the front door. He looked around, a confused look on his face as he took in the freshly clean house and the flowers on the coffee table.
"Who's tidied all this up?" He asked out loud with a smile. He left the front room and entered the kitchen to see the Doctor and Danni enter through the newly-repaired patio door. The Doctor saw him and gestured to the room.
"See, we do come back." He announced. Craig just stared at the pair in disbelief.
"How did you...?"
"Time machine!" Danni interrupted, "We can do anything!" The Doctor wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close to place a kiss on her head.
"But even with time travel, getting glaziers on a Sunday, tricky." The Doctor told him as he ran his finger over the top of the fridge, checking for dust.
"You went back in time? That means you used up your hours. What about Exedor?" he asked them.
"What about you being in trouble with Sophie when she comes back? I couldn't let that happen." The Doctor told him.
"You used up your time for me?" Craig asked the pair, incredibly touched.
"Course we did. You're our mate." The Doctor replied before turning to Alfie, "I notice Stormageddon's very quiet and happy. He prefers the name Alfie now. And he's very proud of his dad."
"He calls me dad?"
"Yes, of course he does now!" The Doctor told him. Alfie gurgled.
"Yeah, I know, he's a bit thick, isn't he?" Danni replied before the Doctor could. The Doctor beamed at her.
"Shut up, you two!" He told the pair with a laugh.
"Well... Now it's time. I have to go." The mood suddenly turned solemn.
"Doctor, I know that something's wrong, I can help you." He told the Time Lord who shook his head.
"Nobody can help me." He looked at Danni, who knew he was aiming it at her as well, "I hope Sophie won't mind, I need these." he picked up a handful of TARDIS blue envelopes and paper.
"Where are you going to go?" The Doctor grinned, his mind drifting back to the last time he'd been there. Oh, how everything had changed.
"America." He stated slowly.
"Sophie will be home any second, are you sure?" He tried to delay and the Doctor nodded.
"I can't miss this appointment, Craig." He explained quietly.
"But he won't be alone." Danni assured him, squeezing the Doctor's hand.
"Goodbye, mate." Something occurred to Craig, who held up a finger.
"Wait there. One second." He rushed out of the room and the Doctor opened the fridge, just making sure everything was where it was supposed to be. Craig ran back in holding a stetson.
"From Sean's stag." He put it on the Doctor's head, giving it a flick. The Doctor adjusted it, a large smile on his face.
"Wow." He turned to Danni, showing it off and she nodded.
"Stetsons are very cool." She confirmed.
"You ride 'em, partner." Craig added.
"Oh, thanks." They stood there awkwardly before Danni gasped it pain, grasping at her arm.
"No. No, please. I promised." She whimpered before disappearing in a ball of light. The Doctor stared sadly at where she had been before turning to Craig, snapping his fingers and turning to leave.
"Bye." Craig whispered after him.
~0~0~0~
The Doctor walked out of the house, onto the street and towards the TARDIS. Three children were playing in the back street next to it, a boy and two girls. The Doctor stopped in front of the TARDIS door and licked his thumb, wiping off a spot.
"Well then, old girl." He whispered, "One last trip, eh?" He turned to see the children heading towards him as if they were mesmerised by him.
"Hey. I'm the Doctor." He told them, "I was here to help. And you are very, very welcome." He tilted his hat, entered the TARDIS and flew away.