"And that includes the Zeppelins?"
— The Doctor, Rise of the Cybermen

"How the actual hell did you talk me into this." The Doctor grinned madly at her, and maintained direct eye contact the entire time, afraid of her seeing his eyes wander. Alien or not, he was a man, and she was, well, everything.

The parallel world did not have a Rose Tyler, but it did have a Pete Tyler, her dad. Rose ran off to see him and Mickey went the other way. Penelope went after Rose and the Doctor went after Penelope. She now wished that she had gone with Mickey as the stupid waitressing dress she had picked up was the most revealing piece of clothing she had ever worn.

She looked away from the Doctor to watch the crowd, she saw Rose chatting with other servers and smiled softly. She hadn't known the girl long but they got on well, saving the world would do that to a group.

Looking back to the Doctor, there was a split second when she swore he was checking her out, but she waved it off. There were more important things at hand. "Alright Doctor, go talk with the other staff, I will as well." He gives her a playful look and it makes her nervous for whatever he will say next.

"Try not to talk to any men Penelope, who knows what they'd be thinking in a dress like that." His eyes flick down again and she blushed heavily, ignoring him and picking up a tray of drinks.

"I suppose it's about the same thing you're thinking, Doctor." She goes to walk off, but not before turning back to him and smiling. "It's a good thing I'm not married to the rest of them." She walks away, unaware of the dopey smile that overtook his face.

She wanders around, talking a little to the other staff and serving drinks where she could. She was handing a drink to a party member when a laugh cut through everything else. It made her shoulders tense. She knew the loudness in that laugh, she recognised it so deeply that every single nerve in her body tingled and told her to run. She turned violently, searching desperately for the owner of the loud voice.

Her knees buckled a little and her free hand found a chair to help herself stand. Penelope knows very little about her father, no face, no name. She only knows a voice, one she would carry with her for the rest of her existence. And now that man's face has her fathers voice and she wouldn't be entirely sure if it was him, if it wasn't for the fact her mother was standing in his arms.

They look happy. They look so damn happy. And it aches. She never saw that kind of smile on her mothers face. That kind of happiness was snubbed because of him.

She didn't know what she was doing, but her legs did, and she was being carried across the room. Luckily the Doctor caught her arm, he was so panicked after he and Rose couldn't find her that he didn't catch the absent look on her face.

"We have to get out of here now." She tried to shake herself out of her stupor, placing down the tray of empty glasses and resisting the urge to look over at her - far too happy - parents.

"Doctor? What's wrong?"

"It's happening again."

"Again? What- What do you mean?"

"I've seen them before."

"Seen who before? Rose what is going on?" The Doctor glared at the windows taking hold of Penelope's left hand and pulling her close.

"Cybermen." The 'Cybermen' crashed through several windows, scaring the guests and preventing them from escaping. Everyone was herded into the main room, blocked by rows of metal encased machines. Penelope was held close to the Doctor, and Rose stayed by their side. He wasn't letting her out of his sight for a moment now that he knew they were here. A man's phone started to ring, everyone was silent.

"Mister Lumic."

"Mister President. I suppose a remark about crashing the party would be appropriate at this point."

"I forbade this."

"These are my children, sir. Would you deny my family?" Penelope whispered to the Doctor about the guy being insane and he could hear the slight tremor in her voice. Perhaps it was the way he worried for her that scared her so much, perhaps not. But now all he did was hold her closer to his chest, as close to his hearts as he can. Rose leaned over.

"What are they, robots?" He scowled, anger burning deep within him.

"Worse than that." The President frowned.

"Who were these people?"

"Doesn't matter." Penelope felt her jaw drop, her own anger rising.

"Doctor? They're people?"

"They were, until they had all their humanity taken away. That's a living brain jammed inside a cybernetic body, with a heart of steel. All emotions removed." His grip tightened around her, not wanting them to see her at all.

"God it must hurt them so much." Once again, the Doctor was stumped by her empathy, and all he could do was hold her.

"I demand to know, Lumic. These people, who were they?"

"They were homeless and wretched and useless. Until I saved them, and elevated them, and gave them life eternal. And now I leave you in their capable hands. Goodnight, sir. Goodnight, Mister President." A Cybermen stepped forward to the President.

"We have been upgraded." The metallic hum in the voice caused panic to stem from right within the guests. The Doctor spoke up, hoping to understand how Cybermen got to this world.

"Into what?"

The next level of mankind. We are Human point two. Every citizen will receive a free upgrade. You will become like us." The President stepped forward, not liking the way this was going.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for what's been done to you, but listen to me. This experiment ends tonight."

"Upgrading is compulsory."

"And if I refuse?" The Doctor started to panic now, it would be a bloodbath.

"Don't."

"What if I refuse?" The President ignored him, he was dressed as wait staff after all, what could he know.

"I'm telling you, don't."

"What happens if I refuse?" Penelope groaned, unhappy at the man for continually ignoring the very sound advice to just shut up and listen.

"For God's sake, can't you listen to him?" The Cyberman continued, also ignoring the two in the crowd. All the focus on the President.

"Then you are not compatible."

"What happens then?"

"You will be deleted." The Cyberman's hand gripped the neck of the President, electrocuting him instantly. Chaos ensued, but Penelope was kept close to the Doctor at all times.

They jumped through a window, the Doctor and Rose bickered about something for a moment before sprinting away. There was a row of Cybermen across the lawn, forcing them to stop. Rose beckoned over Pete Tyler and two other people that she didn't recognise. The Doctor grinned, talking to the man that might be able to get them out, not noticing Penelope's face drop.

"Pete, is there a way out?" She couldn't hear anything, she just watched in awe as the man carefully looked over her mother, checking her for injuries. She was aware of movement and the Doctor taking her hand again, but she was numb. How was she supposed to react? The guilt began to creep up on her as she realised her first thought was that it would be easier if they had died in the house.

"Put the guns down. Bullets won't stop them." She was shaken out of it by the second barrage of bullets being stopped and the Doctor letting go of her.

The shooting starts again and Penelope rips the gun from his hands, the Doctor sighing in relief before turning to the Cybermen.

"We surrender! Hands up. There's no need to damage us. We're good stock. We volunteer for the upgrade program. Take us to be processed." He gestured for everyone else to put their hands up, which they all did slowly, except for Penelope, whose hands were already matching the Doctor's. There was a spark of hope in the Doctor's plan.

"You are rogue elements." And the spark had been crushed. The Doctor started to panic, aware of the lives he had in his hands.

"But we surrender."

"You are incompatible."

"But this is a surrender.

"You will be deleted.

"But we're surrendering! Listen to me, we surrender!" Penelope leaned over to the Doctor, placing a comforting hand on his raised arm.

"I somehow don't think they care much, Doctor." He looked to her, acceptance in her eyes. But this can't be it, he only just got her back, he promised her the stars.

"You are inferior. Man will be reborn as Cyberman, but you will perish under maximum deletion." They held up their arms and chanted relentlessly, letting the group prepare for how they are going to die.

"Delete! Delete! Delete!"