MEMORIES | {1st - Stars Themselves Series}

Partners in Crime (3)

he trio run down to where The Doctor was hiding previously.

"Well, that's one solution. Hide in a cupboard. I like it," The Doctor starts throwing stuff out of it as Poppy rolls her eyes and helps him.

"I've been hacking into this thing all day, because the Matron's got a computer core running through the centre of the building," The Doctor slides the wall and a green piece of alien tech is behind it "Triple deadlocked. But now Poppy's got her pen," he gestures for her to take it out, "I can get into it,"

"She's wired up the whole building. We need a bit of privacy," He puts two wires together and sparks fly out "Just enough to stop them. Why's she wired up the tower block? What's it all for?" As Poppy watches The Doctor work, she can't help notice his eyes, they look like they've seen more than before.

"You look older,

"Thanks," Poppy smiles and sighs before sitting down on a bucket.

"Still on your own?" Donna asks, still holding random wires.

"Yup. Well, no. I had this friend. Martha she was called. Martha Jones. She was brilliant. And I destroyed half her life. But she's fine, she's good. She's gone,"

"And Rose?" Poppy looks up, she can see the regret circling him

"Still lost. Donna, I thought you were going to travel the world?"

"Easier said than done. It's like I had that one day with you, and I was going to change. I was going to do so much. Then I woke up the next morning, same old life. It's like you were never there. And I tried. I did try. I went to Egypt. I was going to go barefoot and everything. And then it's all bus trips and guidebooks and don't drink the water, and two weeks later your back home. It's nothing like being with you. I must have been mad turning down that offer," Donna explained.

"What offer?"

"To come with you," she clarified

"Come with me?" The Doctor was still processing the words.

"Oh yes, please,"

"Right," Poppy tried her best not to laugh.

"Inducer activated, "Poppy jumped up and looked at it between the two's shoulders.

"What's it doing?"

"She's started the programe!" The Doctor shouts in realization.

"So far, they're just losing weight, but the Matron's gone up to emergency pathogenesis!" The Doctor fiddles with the machine with a sudden found urgency.

"And that's when they convert,"

"Skeletons, organs, everything?" Poppy continues

"A million people are going to die. Got to cancel the signal!" The Doctor takes out one of the pendants

"This contains a primary signal. If I can switch it off, the fat goes back to being just fat,"

He wires it up but the computer speaks again "Inducer increasing,"

"No, no, no, no, no. She's doubled it. I need. Haven't got time. It's too far. I can't override it,"

"They're all gonna die..." Poppy whispers in horror.

"Can I help?"

"Sorry, Donna, this is way beyond you. Got to double the base pulse, I can't..." He starts randomly pressing things and Poppy starts pacing.

"Doctor, tell me. What do you need?"

"I need a second capsule to boost the override, but I've only got the one. I can't save them!" Donna slowly holds up her pendant, Poppy's loud laugh of relief grabs The Doctor's attention. He smiles as he grabs it and quickly inserts it.

The program shuts down. The relief doesn't last long, because then a load noise causes the trio to look upwards "What the hell was that?"

"When you say nursery, you don't mean...." Poppy trails off

"Nursery ship," The Doctor nods. The computer lights up and their eyes are draw to it.

"Incoming signal," it starts speaking in a language the two humans in the room can't understand. Before Poppy can get her question out The Doctor interrupts "Hang on. Instructions from the Adipolin First Family.,"

" She's wired up the tower block to convert it into a levitation post. Oh. Oh. We're not the ones in trouble now. She is!" The Doctor speeds out of the cubored and Poppy's straight behind him, Donna falling back slightly.

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"What you going to do then? Blow them up?" Donna asks, referring to last time she saw him

"They're just children. They can't help where they come from," Poppy smiles up at him.

"Oh, that makes a change from last time," Donna notes "That Martha must've done you good,"

"She did, yeah. Yeah. She did," He paused and sniffed "She fancied me,"

"Mad Martha, that one," Poppy smiled

"Blind Martha," Donna continued from Poppy, they then both looked at each other "Charity Martha," they chorused. The Adipose start waving and the trio wave back

"I'm waving at fat," Donna realises

"They're actually quite cute," Poppy muttered staring up at them.

"Actually, as a diet plan, it sorts of works. There she is!" they run over to the edge of the roof where Matron was being teleported up.

"Matron Coeliac, listen to me,"

"Oh, I don't think so, Doctor. And if I never see you again, it'll be too soon,"

"Oh, why does no one ever listen," The Doctor looks down at Poppy, who was realising her standing between The Doctor and Donna was a command occurrence." I'm trying to help. Just get across to the roof. Can you shift the levitation beam?"

"What, so that you can arrest me?"

"Just listen. I saw the Adipolin instructions. They know it's a crime, breeding on Earth. So, what's the one thing they want to get rid of? Their accomplice,"

"I'm far more than that. I'm nanny to all these children," she puts her hands out

"Bit creepy if I'm honest," Poppy mutters

"Exactly! Mum and Dad have got the kids now. They don't need the nanny anymore,"

Poppy catches sight of her start to fall and buries her face in The Doctor's chest, Donna coving her eyes with Poppy's shoulder. The Doctor wraps his arms around them.

-----------&----------

The Doctor throws the sonic pen in the bin just as Poppy's phone starts ringing.

"Got to take this," she answers it and tunes out The Doctor and Donna's conversation "Hello," she sings slightly.

"Are those papers marked?" Poppy sighs

"Not yet,"

"Well, get your arse on it. Do remember your place!" Poppy hangs up.

"Who was that?" The Doctor catches sight of her gloomy face.

"No-one important," she smiles slightly "I've got to get home," And with that she speeds down the street. Donna and The Doctor calling after her. She loved her job, she did. But her boss was a prick. When she finds a suitable alleyway to cry in, she lets the tears fall.

"Hey," Poppy looked up at the woman who spoke "are you okay?" Poppy sniffs

"Yeah, it's just been a long day,"

"I get that," Poppy looked at the blonde woman properly "look, I've got to go," she turned around "Good luck," she starts to walk away but Poppy catches the words she says next "you'll need it with The Doctor,"

"Wait what?!" Poppy shouted after the woman who was walking of "Who are you?!" The woman spun around.

"Rose Tyler," after a mock salute she disappears.