Parallel: From Another World [1] (The Parallel Series) ✓

Fear Her - Two

"When she has nightmares, what do you do?" He gritted his teeth.

She began to stutter panicking more and more. "I, I"

"What do you do?" He repeated.

"She sings" Rita spoke up not wanted it to last another second.

"Then start singing." He gestured her to come over and he moved out the way standing behind Rita and Rose.

"Chloe, I'm coming." The father said again.

Trish knelt beside her daughter and began to sing stroking her head to try and calm her. Tears formed in her eyes as she sang the realism of what happened t her daughter hitting her.

"Chloe. Chloe. Chloe. Chloe." The voice mocked in whispers.

Trish continued singing until the wardrobe fell silent and Chloe slept. She clung on to her daughter holding her tight and began to sob. "He came to her because she was lonely. Chloe, I'm sorry."

They left her there for a few moments and then she got up. "The pencils pens, anything she can use to draw with, she cannot go taking any more children," the Doctor told her. Trish nodded and began to collect up all the pens and pencils, Rose began to help and Rita noticed the doll from the episode. Without Trish noticing she picked it up and pulled the head off taking the pencils from inside. They then headed downstairs in the living room.

"Chloe usually got the brunt of his temper when he'd had a drink. The day he crashed the car, I thought we were free. I thought it was over." Trish explained collecting the pens and pencils from downstairs.

"Did you talk to her about it?" Rose asked.

"I didn't want to." She admitted.

"Maybe she did," Rita sadly replied.

"But maybe that's why Chloe feels so alone, because she has all these terrible dreams about her dad, but she can't talk to you about them."

"Her and the Isolus. Two lonely kids who need each other." The Doctor throught aloud.

"And it won't stop, will it, Doctor? It'll just keep pulling kids in."

"It's desperate to be loved. It's used to a pretty big family." He explained.

"How big?" Rose asked.

"Say around four billion?" He guessed.

"Best get looking for that pod then." Rita muttered. The Doctor nodded and headed out. Rita slowed down a little and waited.

"I'll catch up, something I need to do." she told them, the Doctor frowned a little then nodded understanding it was probably one of her 'secrets'

After they left Rita stood beside the front door leaning on the wall she noticed Chloe looking out her window but not noticing her. The girl quietly headed down the stairs and opened the front door and went to head out.

"No way" Rita shook her head moving from beside the door to block the exit. "You are going no where." she pointed to inside the house whispering so Trish didn't hear. "You will be back with your family soon, go inside and wait, the Doctor will help. Chloe turned around without a word quietly shutting the door. Rita nodded to herself then ran down the street heading to the TARDIS.

"Sorry I'm back" Rita walked in to the TARDIS walking round the console to the Doctor and Rose.

"You took your time" he looked up from what he was making.

"Things to change" she grinned. "Everythings fine now though."

"You knew the Isolus was lonely before it told you. How?" Rose asked the Doctor.

"I know what it's like to travel a long way on your own. Give me the styner-magnetic." Rose looked at him as if to say 'what?'

"Left hand" Rita informed.

Rose handed him what she was holding placing it where he told her. Rose then muttered. "Sounds like you're on its side."

"I sympathise, that's all."

"The Isolus has caused a lot of pain for these people." Rose protested.

"It's a child." He looked at her. "That's why it went to Chloe. Two lonely mixed up kids."

"Feels to me like a temper tantrum because it can't get its own way." She muttered back.

"It's scared. Come on, you were a kid once." He said in a higher pitch than normal. "Binary dot." He asked and she handed it to him.

"Yes, and I know what kids can be like. Right little," she paused. "terrors."

"Just because one of them is like that doesn't mean they're all" Rita pipped up.

"Gum." The Doctor held out his hand, both the girls shrivelled up theres faces before Rose spat out her chewing gum.

"I've got cousins." She began again. "Kids can't have it all their own way. That's part of being a family."

"What about trying to understand them?" He asked.

"Easy for you to say. You don't have kids."

"Neither do you" Rita countered.

"I was a dad once." The Doctor mumbled quietly.

Rose paused. "What did you say?" Rita just scrached the back of her neck not wanting to say anything knowing how hard it was on the Doctor.

The Doctor didn't reply placing the gum inside what he had made sticking the top on with Rose's gum. "I think we're there." He changed the subject. "Fear, loneliness. They're the big ones. Some of the most terrible acts ever committed have been inspired by them. We're not dealing with something that wants to conquer or destroy. There's a lot of things you need to get across this universe. Warp drive, wormhole refractors. You know the thing you need most of all? You need a hand to hold." He smiled. Rose held out her hand pointing to the monitor he took her hand and she began to laugh.

"No, Look, I'm pointing, what about Rita?" She asked noticing the brunette just standing there"

"Oh she can hold hands as well if she wants" he laughed then saw the scanner showing a flashing light. "It's the pod! It is in the street. Everything's coming up Doctor." He ran to get his long brow coat. Rita and Rose followed exiting the TARDIS. Rose still trying to understand what he had said earlier.

Rose and Rita walked ahead of the Doctor, Rita wanting to get back to the house and keep an eye on the girl more than anything while the Doctor would be finding the pod. "Okay. It's about two inches across. Dull grey, like a gull's egg. Very light." He described the pod to them fixing his coat.
"So these pods they travel from sun to sun using heat, yeah? So it's not all about love and stuff. Doesn't the pod just need heat?" She asked. There was no reply and a smash on the ground. The two spun around and saw the TARDIS and the Doctor was no longer there.
"Doctor!" Rose shouted staring at the broken glass.