The Time Lords sat on Craig's sofa, the Doctor trying to open up the cybermat with a normal screwdriver, the Stone connecting wires together while Craig walked around the sitting room, trying to get Alfie to sleep after he had no use trying to get the baby to sleep in his room. "I'm knackered," Craig admitted through a yawn. "That thing was eating up the electricity?"

"And transmitting it up to the Cybership." The Doctor added. "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."

"We can't now." The Stone replied shaking her head. "We had to wipe its brain but now we can reprogram it and use it against them."

"The Cybermat came after us?" Craig asked.

"No, after me and the Stone." The Doctor corrected.

"They sent it after us."

"After me and the Stone." The Doctor repeated. "Because of us you and Alfie nearly died." He sighed rubbing his head and setting down the screwdriver and cybermat. "Do you still feel safe with me, Craig?"

The man chuckled slightly. "You can't help who your mates are."

"No. I am a stupid, selfish man." The Doctor said glancing at the Stone. "Always have been." He murmured making the Time Lady grasp his hand. He did always blame himself, even when it wasn't his fault. "I should have made you go. I should never have come here."

"What would have happened if you hadn't come?" He asked. "Who else knows about the Cybermen and teleports?"

"I put people in danger."

"We put people in danger." The Stone corrected squeezing his hand in a reminder that he wasn't alone. It wasn't just him against the universe like when he was in his ninth regeneration and during a long part of the time war. He had the Stone right beside him.

"Stop beating yourselves up. If it weren't for you two, this whole planet would be an absolute ruin."

The Doctor sucked in a deep breath and looked at the Stone for permission. She gave a short, small nod. "Craig, very soon we won't be here. Our 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. I always knew we'd die still asking-" he shook his head not wanting to really talk about it with the Stone next to him because he had a plan on how to stop it all. A couple of days ago he found a signal that he honestly thought was too good to be true, perhaps it was? He had to find out if his theory and hope was correct, maybe the universe wasn't so cruel after all. "Ah." He smiled slightly dragging his eyes to Craig and his mind away from his thoughts. Craig was lying on the sofa with Alfie in his arms, the two humans sound asleep.

The Doctor and the Stone got up and both placed a blanket lying on the sofa over the two humans.

---------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning the Doctor and the Stone headed out of the house. "Safe mode." He smiled looking at the cybermat. "My clever wife." He beamed entwining their fingers. "Come along, Bitey, dear." They headed to the store.

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Craig woke up not too long after the Time Lords left, Alfie squirming in his arms and Sophie leaving a message on the answering machine. "So I'll be back about ten, because Melina's totally gone off on one." She said sounding a little annoyed. "She's going to kill David Jenkins. I know I'm stupid to worry. I can't wait to get home to my special boys!"

Craig jumped up carrying Alfie, suddenly remembering who else was in the house, or rather who else had been in the house. "Oh, no, no, no, no."

"Doctor?" He looked around. "Stone?"

"Love you, Alfie. Love you, Craig." Sophie finished.

Craig's eyes widened when he spotted s note on the fridge door in the Doctors handwriting. 'Dear Craig. Gone to stop Cybermen. Sorry, goodbye. The Doctor & Stone'

Craig groaned grabbing the Pampoose. "You idiots!"

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Walking through the shop the Doctor and the Stone were spotted by Val who beamed at them both. "Morning!"

"Morning." They both replied.

"Teleport's still fused." The Doctor said to Val. "They didn't repair it. So, the Cyberman last night. How did it get down here, how did it get out? And why, why, am I asking you?"

"You found the silver rat?" She asked guessing that she was correct.

"But where are the silver men?"

"Sorry Val." The Stone replied now dragging the Doctor away. "We best go."

The Doctor silently nodded and complied heading to the changing rooms. "Secondary teleport." He announced the Stone scanning the area with her sonic.

"No." The Stone replied shaking her head. "There is no other teleport."

"They must have had a back-up system." The Doctor frowned. "Something complicated, something powerful, something shielded."

"Something like a door?" The Stone guessed slowly pushing a mirror revealing a hole where mud and tree roots were poking out.

"A door!" The Doctor exclaimed. "Disillium bonded steel door disguised as a wall."

"That's just cheating." The Stone scolded as they quietly walked through the doorway."So, it didn't teleport down, it climbed up." They continued to walk before being forced to climb on their hands and knees to get to Cybership.

"Well, well, well." The Doctor stood up after they came to the exit of the tunnel, holding out a hand he helped the Stone up, the two of them staring at the Cybership that the Earth had grown around it. "You have been busy."

"Come on sweetheart." The Stone murmured the two of them heading towards the ship that was not covered in mud unlike the tunnels in the entrance. The Doctor knelt down and picked up Georges name tag on the floor.

"You have come to us." A Cyberman made them both look up.

"Took us a while. Lot on our minds." He shrugged. "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."

The Stone snorted. They reminded her a lot like how the pepper pots were with their 'cult of Skaro' baring in mind that they were quite close to winning. "What, the six of you?" The Time Lady asked.

"You know that is enough." It shot back st her. "You know us. You are the Stone. He is the Doctor.

"Correct." The Doctor nodded. "And the Doctor and the Stone always gives you a choice. Deactivate yourself, or we deactivate you." He threatened, pointing his screwdriver at it. A second Cyberman then approached from behind forcing the Time Lords to stand back to back.

The cyberman stepped forwards, both of them grabbing one Time Lord And forcing their hands behind their backs, making them both cry out in pain. "

"One of them must be the new leader." The first Cyberman holding the Doctor stated.

"No." The second replied. "They are not like us. Brain and binary vascular system incompatible. They will be discarded. Other body parts may be of use."

"Oi, Cybermen!" Craig shouted running in holding a barcode scanner. "Get off my planet, or I activate this."

"Craig!" The Time Lords shouted seeing what he was trying to do was ridiculous. "Stop this. Get out!"

"It's like you said, Doctor," Craig said. "Got to believe you can do it."

"You located us?" The first Cyberman asked Craig almost sounding shocked it if could, a human locating it was way above a Cyberman.

"Yeah," Craig replied still pointing the barcode scanner at it. "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." It said. "You are intelligent." It then zapped the barcode scanner from Craig's hand. A third one then stepped out the shadows and grabbed the human.

"No, I'm not intelligent!" He protested. "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." The Cyberman holding Craig informed. "You will lead us. We will conquer this world."

"Doctor, Stone!" Craig shouted as they forced Craig towards a control unit with large clamps.

"Craig!" They both shouted.

"Do something, please!"

"Doctor, Stone." Craig pleaded when a metal plate closed down on Craig's chest.

"Craig, don't worry. We've reprogrammed their Cybermat. It'll drain their power."

The Cyberman then stomped on the Cybermat making their eyes widen.

"You have failed, Doctor, Stone." The Cyberman stated. "Begin conversion. Phase one. Cleanse the brain of emotions."

"No. Craig, fight it!" The Stone shouted as a Cyberman helmet closed on Craig. "They can't convert you if you fight back. You're strong. Don't give in to it."

"Help me!"

"Think of Sophie." The Doctor shouted at him. "Think of Alfie. Craig, don't let them take it all away."

"Make it stop." He begged as the helmet continued to closely close. "Please, make it stop!"

"Please, listen to us." The Doctor begged. "We believe in you. We believe you can do this. We've always believed in all of you, all our lives."

"We're going die, Craig." The Stone blurted out. "I'm going to die, but I won't mind if you prove me right. Craig!" The Cyberman helmet closed over Craig.

"Begin full conversion."

The Time Lords looked up seeing the monitor above them showing the store, Alfie was crying while being looked after by Val.

"Unknown soundwave detected." The Cyberman stated.

"It is the sound of fear." Another announced. "It is irrelevant. We will remove all fear."

"Alfie, I'm so sorry!" The Doctor apologised. "Alfie, please, stop. We can't help him."

"Emotions eradicated. Conversion complete." There was a pause. "Alert. Emotional subsystems rebooting." The Doctors and the Stones eyes widened. "This is impossible."

"He can hear him." The Doctor whispered. "He can hear Alfie."

"Oh, please, just give us this." The Stone said through a laugh.

"Craig, you wanted a chance to prove you're a dad. You are never going to get better one than this."

"What is happening?"

"What's happening, you metal moron?" The Doctor said. "A baby is crying. And you'd better watch out because guess what? Ha ha! Daddy's coming home!"

The helmet flew open and Craig started to pull the chamber off of himself. The chest plate fell off the floor in a clash. "Alfie!" Craig shouted. "Alfie, I'm here! I'm coming for you! Alfie!"

The Doctor managed to slip free from th confused Cyberman as the Stone did as well. "Alfie needs you." The Doctor informed.

"Emergency. Emotional influx!" The Cyberman shouted.

"You've triggered a feedback loop into their emotional inhibitors." The Stone informed seeing them all grasp their heads. "All that stuff they cut out of themselves, now they're feeling it." She winced a little honesty feeling sorry for them. Most of them didn't understand what was going on and was forced into this. "Which means a very big explosion." She took the Doctors hand.

"Overload." The Cyberman announced. "Overload. Overload."

"Get it open!" Craig shouted when the Doctor tried to open the door. "We need to get to Alfie!"

"They've sealed the ship!"

"We've got to get out of here!"

"We know!" The Doctor shouted. The Cyberman heads started to explode. The Stone grabbed their heads and pulled them to the teleport and flashed her sonic at the controls and sighed in relief when they were teleported into the lift.

"Teleport." The Stone grinned seeing that it worked. The Doctor laughed and tightly hugged her as Craig ran out to get Alfie.

"How did you get in there?" Val asked.

"Alfie!" He shouted.

"Here's your daddy." Val handed him ove. The Time Lords headed over just as the baby gurgled.

"That was another review." The Doctor informed. "Ten out of ten."

"The Cybermen." Craig blinked. "They blew up. I blew them up with love."

"No, that's impossible. And also grossly sentimental and over-simplistic." He frowned. "You destroyed them because of the deeply ingrained hereditary human trait to protect-" the Stone gave him a pointed look. The Doctor sighed seeing her smirked. "Yeah." He gave in. "You blew them up with love."

---------------------------------------------------------------

"The building should be totally safe structurally, and of course the bonded disillium contained the explosion." The Doctor explained to Kelly. The Stone laughed walking up to him. Wondering why he was explaining it to her.

"Right." Kelly frowned wondering what the Time Lady was. "Why you telling me all this?"

"I don't know. Shush." He silenced her.

"It suits you," Val said to Craig who now had a new shirt on.

"Thanks."

"Discount applies to partners."

"Great."

"Are you two married then?"

"No, no. We talked about it, but it's just a piece of paper, isn't it?"

"Thank you for your help, Val." The Doctor nodded at the woman. "Good noticing. Keep them peeled."

"I will. I'm glad you two made up for baby's sake."

"Ah."

"How do you mean?" Craig asked frowning at the Stone who struggled not to burst out laughing.

"It's nice for baby to have two daddies who love each other."

"Wait." Craig frowned at her. The Doctor opened and closed his mouth multiple times not sure what to say.

The Stone smirked. "I told you I would get my own back." She whispered in his ear making him groan at her.

"Oh come on." He muttered quiet enough for only her to hear as they headed off.

---------------------------------------------------------------

"See." The Doctor walked through the open glass door in the garden. "We do come back, well I." He paused for a moment. The Time Lords voice sounding hurt. "The Stones waiting in the TARDIS."

"How did you?" He frowned.

"Time machine." He wiped his finger along the fridge and frowned at the dust that was still there. "But even with time travel, getting glaziers on a Sunday. Tricky."

"You went back in time?" Craig looked at him confused. "That means you used up your hours. What about Exedor?"

"What about you being in trouble with Sophie when she comes back?" He countered. "I couldn't let that happen."

"You used up your time for me?"

"It was really the Stones idea..." he faintly smiled. "You're my mate. I notice Stormageddon's very quiet and happy." He nodded at the young boy who gurgled happily. "Oh, he prefers the name Alfie now. And he's very proud of his dad."

"He calls me dad?" Craig looked at him in disbelief.

"Yes, of course, he does now." The Doctor nodded at Alfie. "Yeah, I know. He's a bit thick, isn't he?"

Craig groaned. "Oi, shut up, you two."

"Well, now it's time." The Doctors smile faded. The Stone was surely going to hate him for his. "I have to go."

"Doctor, I know that something's wrong." Craig looked at him concerned. "I can help you."

"Nobody can help her through." The Doctor shook his head. "Not even me-" he swallowed hard. "At least I think but I can try." He smiled a little." "She's not going to like it but I am going to try and stop this." The man frowned at the Doctor. "It goes against everything we have ever believed in but this is her and I promised to always look after my best friend. We said that we would always be there for each other and never give up helping one another. I'm not breaking that promise now."

"Where is the Stone going?" Craig asked frowning.

"She's going to America."

Craig shook his head at the Doctor. "Sophie'll be home any second. Are you sure-"

"If I stay too long she will come to find me and if she comes here I will never go. I have to." The Doctor forced his tears back. "Goodbye, mate, oh and when the Stone comes looking for me tell her that I'm keeping a promise."

"A promise?" Craig tilted his head slightly.

"A promise that I will always keep her as safe as I possibly can."

"I will be here if you need me Doctor." Craig nodded while the Doctor headed out the back door.

---------------------------------------------------------------

The Stone frowned standing in the TARDIS. It had been exactly twenty minutes and fifty-three seconds since the Doctor left and still hadn't returned. She checked to make sure he didn't sneak past her and into the kitchen. He wasn't under the console doing repairs and he wasn't answering her telepathic messages to him.

She was growing anxious and very worried.

"Craig?" The Stone lightly knocked on the front door and blinked slightly when it was Sophie who opened it.

"Stone?" The woman looked slightly taken back.

"Have you seen the Doctor?" She asked stepping inside of the house and walking past Sophie. She spotted Craig in the living room with Alfie.

"Stone." He said looking guilty and a little sorry.

"Do you know where the Doctor is?"

"No." He shook his head. "I don't but he said to me that he made a promise to you." The man paused. "I didn't think he would just disappear without telling you though."

The Time Lady froze. "Oh dear..." she murmured suddenly walking off back to the TARDIS, almost bumping into Sophie on her way. "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear." She repeated knowing what he had done while she shook her head. "Don't you dare Doctor." She whispered hoping that he hadn't really done what she thought he had done.

Of course, the Doctor went to do what the Doctor did best.

He went to stop those who wanted to do what was wrong.