The Lost Time Lord (A Doctor Who/Tenth Doctor Fanfiction)

Chapter Nineteen: Ordinary

The Doctor used his screwdriver to open the hatch leading down into the cooling tunnels. Mrs. Moore climbed down the ladder first, followed by me, with the Doctor leading up the back.

I shivered as I stepped down onto the floor, pulling my jacket tighter around me.

"Its freezing." Mrs. Moore pointed out as the Doctor skipped half the ladder and jumped down to land between us. 

"They weren't kidding about cooling tunnels I guess." I stated, glancing around the dark corridor. 

"Any sign of a light switch?" The Doctor asked.

"Can't see a thing. But, I've got these." Mrs. Moore reached into her messenger bag, pulling out a trio of headlamps. "A device for every occasion."

"A woman after my own heart." I said, adjusting my own bag as I slid the lamp strap over my head, taking down y ponytail in order to do so.

"You haven't got a hot dog in there, have you? I'm starving." The Doctor asked.

"Of all the things to wish for. That's mechanically recovered meat." Mrs. Moore pointed out. I reached into my bag, pulling out a granola bar and tossing it up for him to catch. 

"Ah, perfect. You and your magic bag, M.P. initials. I'm gonna have to start calling you Mary Poppins." The Doctor quipped. I smiled, clicking on the headlamp.

"Spoon full of sugar, that's me." I said dryly, pulling out a series of flashlights. "I've got handhelds as well."

I passed them out, clicking my own on and pointing it at the floor.

"Let's see where we are." The Doctor turned his torch at the wall, and I froze as it illuminated the fact that one of the very close-together tunnel walls was lined with Cybermen. My hand shot out, grabbing the fabric of his blazer on his arm. "Already converted, just put on ice. Come on."

He slipped his hand into mine, leading us both down the tunnel while Mrs. Moore followed behind, all of us keeping our torches trained on the Cybermen around us. He paused in front of one of them, knocking on the helmet. I winced, but luckily nothing happened.

"I've had dreams about the Cybermen," I recounted, "But this...this is my nightmare."

"Let's go slowly," The Doctor warned, "Keep an eye out for trip systems."

"While we've got a moment, may I ask the two of you a personal question?" Mrs. Moore said quietly. 

"Sure, don't see why not." The Doctor answered. 

"You two are very similar. To hear her talk when she first arrived, its like there's two of you," She observed, "So what's the story there? What is your relationship, because you get on and go at each other like a married couple."

"We're...associates." I tried, unsure of how I would categorize us.

"Friends, I should say?" The Doctor guessed.

"Most of the time, yeah." I agreed. 

"And that's...all you are?" She questioned. 

"Well yes, I would say so," I stated, "Wouldn't you, Doctor?"

"Course," He added, "Mates. Just mates, that's all we are."

"Mates who hold hands?" She leaned forward, pointing her torch at our still-combined hands. We shared a look before letting go.

"How did you get into this then?" The Doctor asked, changing the subject, "Rattling along with the Preachers?"

"Oh, I used to be ordinary," She said, "Worked at Cybus Industries, 9-to-5...until one day, I find something I'm not supposed to. A file on the mainframe. All I did was read it. Then suddenly I've got men with guns knocking in the middle of the night. A life on the run. Then I found the Preachers. They needed a techie, so I just say don and taught myself everything."