ignite ➝ Doctor Who¹

XXVIII

"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.