Midnight ⋆ Doctor Who²

39. The Photo Album

THEY'RE ALL AWKWARDLY PRESSED TOGETHER, FACING THE CLOSET. Aurora is in front, the Doctor right behind her, brandishing his sonic. Alex is behind him, George peering out from behind his Dad as Aurora approaches the cupboard. They're all pretty on board — for once, regarding the Doctor — that Aurora is protecting them. It may be the Mom energy radiating off of her.

The lift starts up and makes them jump. Aurora mutters under her breath, reaching blindly behind her. The Doctor interlaces their fingers together, and she takes a deep, deep breath. If they're dying, she'd like for the last thing she felt to be him.

Slowly, she creeps closer to the closet. Her hand rests on the key for a sec, before she twists, and opens the closet. The Doctor instinctively makes her leap backwards.

There are clothes on hangers and toys at the bottom including a lovely dolls' house that gives Aurora the creeps, but nothing. No monsters.

"I don't understand it," the Doctor lets out, frustrated. "It has to be the cupboard. The readings from the sonic screwdriver, they were..." Aurora is about to pat him on the back, out of breath from the fear she had. He runs out the room, Alex and Aurora awkwardly staring at each other. He comes back with the photo album, opened. "How old is George, Alex?"

Aurora frowns at him. "Doctor?"

He nods. "Staring at us right in the face."

"What?" Alex breathes out, confused. "How old?"

"Yes. How old is George?" he asks again.

Alex isn't following. "Well, I told you. Just turned eight."

"So you remember when he was born, then?" he presses.

"Of course," he chuckles, shocked that he would even ask.

"'Course you do. How could you not?" the Doctor suddenly shows him the album, almost shoving it under his nose. "You and Claire. Christmas Eve, 2002, right?"

"What?" He looks at it. "Er yeah."

"Couple of weeks before George was born," the Doctor clarifies, making sure that Aurora follows. She isn't. "Tell me about the day he arrived. Must have been wonderful."

Aurora is about to cut in, demanding some explanations and asking the Doctor to stop tormenting a more than confused Alex, when Alex speaks up. "Well, it was the best day of my..." He makes a big pause, and Aurora knows that something's up. "...life."

"Sure?" the Doctor pushes.

He scoffs a bit, half-heartedly. "Yes."

Aurora slowly gets closer, peering behind the Doctor. "You don't sound sure."

"What are you trying to say?" he snaps. "Look, I don't like this." He walks away, to the door. "I've told you before, I want you to go."

The Doctor slowly turns to him. "What's the matter, Alex?"

"I can't...!" He stops. "Oh, no. Oh, this is scary."

The Doctor silently points to a picture, showing it to Aurora. She frowns at it, not understanding. Then she does, and her eyes widen. "Oh." The dates don't match. Christmas Eve, Claire was nowhere near pregnant. A few weeks later, and she gives birth.

"Yes, oh." He shoves the album in Alex's face. "Claire with baby George. Newborn, yes?"

"Yes," he has to agree.

"Less than a month after Christmas."

"So?"

"So look." Aurora flips the pages, to Christmas time. "Look. Claire's not pregnant."