Well, it's been a crazy few months, to say the least. A month before I turned 18, Mickey left us and then a later, I turned 18 and the Doctor took us all to Barcelona, the planet, not the city. And then after going to Barcelona, the Doctor and I stayed cuddled up on the sofa in the library for a few hours and I ended up falling asleep and then by the time I had woken up, I was back in my bed and ever since then, the Doctor and I had been closer than ever. We've been on a few more adventures and it's resulted in either Rose being hurt or injured or captured or it's me, which the Doctor wasn't very happy about. Now, it's Rose's birthday so the Doctor is taking us to see Elvis perform live for Rose's birthday present.
Rose and I step out from the TARDIS. Rose wearing pink heels, a bright pink skirt, a sparkly pink top with a denim jacket over the top of it. I am wearing a black and yellow striped skirt with a white top. My hair is down straight with a flower headband on the side of my hair along with black heels. "I thought we'd be going for the Vegas era, you know, the white flares and the... chest hair." I yell at the Doctor, who is still in the TARDIS getting something to see him poke his head around the TARDIS door, his head gelled back, teddy-boy style. "You are kidding, aren't you? You wanna see Elvis, you go in the late '50s! The time before burgers." he says, disappearing back inside. "When they called him the Pelvis and he still had a waist."
Rose and I laugh at this. "What's more, you see him in style!" he yells from inside the TARDIS. Rose and I look round at the TARDIS as we hear the sound of an engine... as the Doctor rides out of the TARDIS on a blue late-50's moped with a side cart! Rose and I both laugh in amusement as the Doctor stops, big sunglasses and a white helmet on his head. "You goin' my way, doll?" the Doctor asks, in a slightly sexy tone.
"Is there any other way to go, daddy-o?" I ask the Doctor, putting on a pair of white sunglasses, in an American accent and walking towards the moped. "Straight from the fridge, man!"
"Hey, you speak the lingo!" the Doctor smiles at me whilst Rose walks towards us and I nod my head, kissing him slightly before he hands me a yellow version of his helmet and then throwing Rose a pink version of the helmet before we both put them on. "Yeah well... me, mum and Galaxy, Cliff Richard movies every Bank Holiday Monday." Rose says as she gets into the side cart and I sit behind the Doctor on the moped as he pulls an I knew it faces. "Ah, Cliff! I knew your mother would be a Cliff fan." he says before starting the moped and we drive off down the street. "Where we off to?" Rose asks, yelling over the noise of the engine.
"Ed Sullivan TV Studios, Elvis did 'Hound Dog' on one of the shows, there were loads of complaints. Bit of luck, we'll just catch it." the Doctor yells to us.
"And that'll be TV studios on, what, New York?" Rose asks.
"That's the one!" the Doctor says, happily.
Suddenly, a red London bus drives past the end of the street, causing the Doctor to stop. I turn my head to see a red post box and Union flag bunting hanging from rooftop to rooftop. I stare at them as Rose laughs it off and I end up just shaking my head before burying my head into the Doctor's back. "Digging that New York vibe!" Rose laughs.
"Well... this could still be New York, I mean this looks very New York to me... sort of... London New York, mind..." the Doctor trails off.
"What are all the flags for?" Rose asks, slightly confused before the Doctor drives off.
**********
The Doctor, Rose and I walk past a man near a van and two errand boys who take out television and carry it inside of a house. "There you go, sir, all wired up for the great occasion." the man says.
"The great occasion? What d'you mean?" the Doctor asks the man, causing me to nearly fall over as I try to walk on and the Doctor stops as he wants to know what the man is talking about. "Where've you been living, out in the Colonies? Coronation, of course." the man says.
"What Coronation's that, then?" the Doctor asks slightly confused.
"What d'you mean? The Coronation." he says. The Doctor turns to both Rose and me for help with a blank expression. "The Queen's." I say like it's obvious. "Queen Elizabeth!"
"Oh! Oh, is this 1953?" the Doctor asks.
"Last time I looked. Time for a lovely bit of pomp and circumstance, what we do best." the man says.
"Look at all the TV aerials... looks like everyone's got one. That's weird, our nan said tellies were so rare they all had to pile into one house." I tell the Doctor, looking at the chimneys.
"Not round here, love. Magpie's Marvellous Tellies, only five quid a box." the man says, causing us to nod our heads before walking off down the streets. "Oh but this is a brilliant year! Classic! Technicolour, Everest climbed, everything off the ration." the Doctor says smiling. "The Nation throwing off the shadows of war and looking forward to a happier, brighter future!" he says with his best BBC English accent which causes both Rose and me to laugh. Suddenly, a woman's shouts are heard. "Someone help me, please! TED!" she yells. A man with a blanket over his head is being bundled into a black police car by two suited men causing the Doctor, Rose and I to run over. "Leave him alone, it's my husband!"
"What's going on?" the Doctor asks as the blanketed man is pushed into the back seat as a boy runs out of his house. "Oi, what are you doing?" asks the boy before one of the suited men turns to the Doctor. "Police business, now get out of the way, sir!" the suited man says. "Who did they take, do you know him?" I ask the boy.
"Must be Mr Gallagher..." the boy says before the car drives off, leaving the woman standing in despair. Someone comes running out of another house. "It's happening all over the place. They're turning into monsters..." the boy says before angry-looking man storms out of the house that another woman had just exited. "Tommy! Not one word!" the man yells before Rose, the Doctor and I look at the man. "Get inside now!"
"Sorry. I'd better do as he says..." the boy tells us before we get on the back on the moped and Rose gets in the side cart as the Doctor kicks it into life. "All aboard!" the Doctor exclaims before we drive off.
**********
The Doctor, Rose and I come around the corner on the moped and we stop short of the market stall. "Lost 'em! How'd they get away from us?" the Doctor asks, slightly unamused. "Surprised they didn't turn back and arrest you for your reckless driving, have you passed your test?" Rose asks, slightly annoyed.
"Men in black? Vanishing police cars? This is Churchill's England, not Stalin's Russia!" the Doctor says, not listening to what Rose said.
"Monsters, that boy said..." I say, thinking out loud and the Doctor turns to me. "Maybe we should go and ask the neighbours." I suggest.
"That's what I like about you. The domestic approach." the Doctor says sweetly, and I look at him confused and shocked. "Is that everything you like about me or is there more?" I ask slightly shocked.
"Nope. Not everything. I like all of you." the Doctor says sweetly before kissing me on the lips before turning back around as my face heats up and I bury my head in the Doctor's neck as he kicks the moped into life before we're off again.
**********
The Doctor, Rose and I walk up to the front door of one of the houses and I ring on the doorbell with my right hand as the Doctor has ahold of my left hand because he's holding it. The door swings open and a man stands in the doorway. "Hiiiii!" the Doctor, Rose and I all say at the same time before the man looks at us suspiciously. "Who are you, then?" the man asks us, annoyed.
"Let's see then, judging by the look of you, family man, nice house, decent wage, fought in the war, therefore, represent Queen and country!" the Doctor says before holding up the psychic paper with a flourish. "Just doing a little check of Her Majesty's forthcoming subject for the great day. Don't mind if I come in? Nah, didn't think you did, thank you!"
The Doctor barges past the man whilst dragging me with him and before the man can protest, Rose follows suit and we all go into the living room. "Not bad, very nice! Very well kept! I'd like to congratulate you, Mrs...?" the Doctor asks the woman, letting go of my hand as I begin looking around the living room. "Connolly." the woman answers timidly.
"Now then Rita, I can handle this. This gentleman's a proper representative!" the man, who I think is Mr Connolly, says. The Doctor gives Rita, who is terrified, a wink before Rose perches herself on the arm of the chair and I stop looking around the room to stand next to Rose. "Don't mind my wife, she rattles on a bit."
"Well, maybe she should rattle on a bit more." the Doctor says which causes Mr Connolly and the boy to look at the Doctor in shock. "I'm not convinced you're doing your patriotic duty." the Doctor continues, unfazed before briefly glancing at the flags around the room, waiting to be put up. "Nice flags. Why are they not flying?" the Doctor asks.
"... There we are Rita, I told you, get them up, Queen and country!" Eddie says after a nervous pause. I see the Doctor look sceptical before moving over to Mr Connolly. "I'm sorry..." Mrs Connolly mutters.
"Get it done! Do it now." Mr Connolly says.
"Hold on a minute..." the Doctor says.
"Lie the gentleman says." he says.
"Hold on a minute. You've got hands, Mr Connolly. Two big hands! Why is that your wife's job?" the Doctor asks.
"It's housework, innit?" Mr Connolly asks.
"And that's a woman's job?" the Doctor asks, slightly disgusted.
"Course it is!" Mr Connolly exclaims.
"Mr Connolly, what gender is the Queen?" the Doctor asks.
"She's a female." Mr Connolly says.
"And are you suggesting the Queen does the housework?"
"No! Not at all!"
"Then get busy." the Doctor says, handing Mr Connolly a string of flags, giving him an insistent stare. "Right, yes sir." Mr Connolly says before setting about hanging the flags. "You'll be proud of us, sir! We'll have Union Jacks left, right and centre!"
I place a hand on my hip as I turn to look at Mr Connolly. "'Scuse me, Mr Connolly, hang on a minute! Union Jacks?" I ask him before he pauses his work to look at me. "Yes, that's right, isn't it?" he asks me.
"That's the Union Flag. It's the Union Jack only when it's flown at sea." I tell him before Mr Connolly tries to humble himself. "Oh... oh, I'm sorry, I do apologise!"
"Well, don't get it wrong again, there's a good man." I say, smiling. "Now get to it!" I order him and before I can turn back around, Mr Connolly hastily gets back to work and I smile at the Doctor as he looks at me in bewilderment. The Doctor and Rose sit down on the sofa, making themselves comfortable before the Doctor pulls me down onto his lap, making me squeal slightly. "Right then! Nice and comfy, at Her Majesty's leisure!" he smiles before turning to me. "Union Flag?" he asks me.
"Mum went out with a sailor." I tell him, making the Doctor nod his head.
"OohOhOhoo! I bet she did!" the Doctor says before speaking to everyone in the room. "Anyway, I'm the Doctor, this is Rose and this is Galaxy, and you are?" the Doctor asks before looking at Tommy. "Tommy." the boy introduces himself. Rose and the Doctor shift slightly, causing me to grab onto the Doctor so that I don't fall off of him so that we can make space for Tommy to sit in between us. "Well, sit yourself down, Tommy." the Doctor says before motioning for Rita to sit down before we all look at the tv. "Have a look at this. I love telly, don't you?" the Doctor asks.
"Yeah, I think it's brilliant!" Tommy says.
"Good man!" the Doctor says as we watch the programmer silently for a few moments before the Doctor turns around to check on Mr Connolly who is still hanging the flags. "Keep working Mr C!" he says before turning to Mrs Collenny. "Now, why don't you tell me what's wrong?" the Doctor asks in a hushed tone so that Mr Collenny can't hear.
"Did you say you were a doctor?" she asks.
"Yes I am." the Doctor nods.
"Can you help her? Oh please, can you help her, Doctor?" she asks.
"Now then Rita, I don't think the gentleman needs to know..." Mr Collenny interrupts.
"No, the gentleman does!" the Doctor cuts Mr Connolly off. Rita begins to cry and I get off the Doctor to move forward on her seat to address her. "Tell us what's wrong, and we can help." I tell her. Rita's sobs grow louder and she just shakes her head helplessly. "I'm sorry, come on, come on..."
"Hold on a minute! Queen and country are one thing, but this is my house!" Mr Collenny exclaims. He looks down at the flags in his hands, chucking them down. The Doctor props his head on his forearm and balled fist, appearing calm but giving the distinct impression that he's restraining himself from hitting something, well, someone. "What the... what the hell am I doing? Now you listen here, Doctor! You may have fancy qualifications, but what goes on under my roof is my business!" Mr Collenny yells.
"All the people are being bundled into..." the Doctor begins.
"I am talking!" Mr Connolly yells over the Doctor, cutting the Doctor off but the Doctor stands. "AND I'M NOT LISTENING!" the Doctor yells, raising his voice even louder than Eddie's and spitting in his face as he looms over him. "Now you, Mr Connolly, are staring into a deep, dark PIT of trouble if you don't let me help."
I hold onto Rita to give her reassurance as both Rose, Rita and Tommy look scared again. "So I'm ordering you, sir, to tell me what's going on!" the Doctor orders but before Mr Connolly can say anything, a banging sound is heard from upstairs causing Rita to sigh and shake her head from beside me. "She won't stop." Mr Connolly says with a slight hint of fear in his voice. The banging continues, louder this time. "She never stops."
"We started hearing stories, all around the place. People who've... change. Families keeping it secret 'cause they were scared. The police started finding out. We don't know-how, no one does. They just... turn up, come to the door and take 'em. Any time of the day or night." Tommy says, his voice slightly shaking.
"Show me." the Doctor orders.
**********
"Gran? It's Tommy." Tommy says, peeking around the now open bedroom down cautiously. He opens the door wider, allowing the Doctor and the rest of us behind him to see inside the darkened room. "'S all right Gran, I've brought help."
His Gran is standing by the window, a silhouette moving slowly towards us. Tommy steps a little further inside the room before turning on the light and we see that Tommy's gran has no face, all her features are gone and it's smoothed over. I gulp as the Doctor just stares at her with furrowed brows. "Her face is completely gone." the Doctor says, astonished. He takes out his sonic before scanning her and I look at the old woman, slightly scared, mainly for the Doctor. "Scarcely an electrical impulse left. Almost complete neural shut down, she's ticking over, like her brain has been... wiped clean."
He puts the sonic away, but still examines her face. "What're we gonna do, Doctor? We can't even feed her!" Tommy says. We are interrupted by a crash coming from downstairs.
"We've got company..." I say, peering over the bannister to see Policemen crashing into the house. "It's them, they've come for her!" Rita says and Mr Connolly appears to be the only one pleased by this. "What was she doing before this happened? Where was she?" the Doctor asks, in a slight hurry. Rita hesitates as the policemen clamber up the stairs. "Tell me, quickly, think!"
"I can't think! She doesn't leave the house! She was just..." Tommy says but is cut off by the entrance of a big, burly man and some supporting officers. "Hold on a minute! There are three important, brilliant and complicated reasons why you should listen to me. One..." the Doctor begins but I gasp as soon as the burly man punches the Doctor in the face, hard. He collapses, unconscious. "Doctor!" I yell, running towards him. The men take the opportunity to throw a blanket over Tommy's gran and ushers to the stairs as I slap the Doctor's cheek in an attempt to wake him up. "Leave her alone!" Rita exclaims. The men barge Rita aside, leaving Tommy to catch her. Eddie just pushes the men away, encouraging them to leave quicker. Rose follows them out as I'm left here to wake the Doctor. I sigh in frustration because I know that nothing else will take him up. I press my lips to him in an attempt to wake him up, and luckily it does because the next thing I know is that the Doctor is kissing back, making me smile. I pull away from the Doctor to look at him to see him smiling at me. "Hi." I whisper.
"Hi. Ah, a hell of a right hook! Have to watch out for that!" the Doctor says before I help him stand up and he belts it down the stairs. I begin walking out of the stairs and down the stairs as fast as I can in my heeled shoes. "Galaxy, come on!" I hear the Doctor yelling to me from outside as I hear the bike engine rev. I get to the bottom of the stairs and head towards the front door but I pause at the entrance to the living room, noticing red, buzzing tendrils of electricity coming out of the television. "Galaxy, we're gonna lose them again!" the Doctor yells at me but the tendrils are absorbed back into the television, prompting me to move closer. I grab onto the television set, turning it around to see red electricity still buzzing along with the aerial, and a large label saying Magpie Electricals. "How did they find her? Who told 'em?" Tommy asks as the three of the Connolly's come back into the living room.
"You! Get the hell out of my house!" Mr Connolly yells at me, making me get up to leave.
"I'm going, I'm done! Nice to meet you Tommy, Mrs Connolly. And as for you, Mr Connolly, only an idiot hangs the Union Flag upside-down. Shame on you!" I tell him, grinning cheerfully before running out of the house.
**********
I enter Magpie's shop, where Magpie is adjusting a TV set on the counter. He looks up nervously as I come in. "Oh, I, I'm sorry miss, I'm afraid you're too late. I was just about to lock the door." Magpie says as I shut the door and stay anyway.
"Yeah? Well, I wanna buy a telly." I tell him.
"Come back tomorrow. Please." he tells me making me look at him confused.
"You'll be closed, won't ya?" I ask him, slightly confused.
"What?" he asks, confused.
"For the big day? The coronation..." I begin.
"Yes, yes, of course. The big day." Magpie realises, cutting me off. He tries to make me go away as I walk over to him. "I'm sure you'll find somewhere to watch it. Please go."
"Seems to me half of London's got a television since you're practically giving them away." I tell him.
"I have my reasons."
"And what are they?"
Before he can answer, one of the televisions on display tunes itself and something appears on the screen. "Hungry! Hungry!" it screams. I turn my head to look at it confused.
"What's that?" I ask Magpie confused.
"It's just television. One of these modern programmes. Now, I do think you should leave! Right now!" Magpie says, trying to rush me out of his shop.
"Not until you've answered my questions. How come your televisions are so cheap?" I ask. "It's my patriotic duty. Seems only right that as many folks as possible get to watch the coronation. We may be losing the Empire but we can still be proud! Twenty million people they reckon'll be watching! Imagine that!" he says pleased as I smile but I am not convinced. "And twenty million people can't be wrong, eh? So why don't you get yourself back home and get up, bright and early, for the big day?"
"Nah, I'm not leaving 'til I've seen everything." I tell him.
"I need to close."
"Mr Magpie, something's happening out there. Ordinary people are being struck down and changed, and the only new thing in the house is a television. Your television. What's going on?" I ask, urging him to tell me.
"I knew this would happen. I knew I'd be found out." he says, finally giving up before locking the door and I look at him uneasily. "All right, then, it's just you and me... you gonna come clean, then? What's really in it for you?" I ask cautiously.
"For me? Perhaps some peace." Magpie tells me.
"From what?" I ask him slightly confused.
"From Her." Magpie says, glancing over at the person on the television screen causing me to follow his gaze.
"That's just a woman on the telly, that's just a programme." I tell him.
"What a pretty little girl." the person on the telly says causing me to stare at her.
"Oh, my God, are you talking to me?" I ask her.
"Yes, I'm talking to you, little one. Unseasonably chilly for the time of year, don't you think?" she asks me.
"What are you?" I ask her breathlessly.
"I'm the Wire. And I'm hungrrrrrrrrryyyyy...!" the Wire exclaims as she bares her teeth.
3rd Person P.O.V:
Pinkish purplish bolts of electricity shoot out of the screen and encompass Galaxy's face, sucking. "Magpie, help me!" Galaxy yells.
"Just think of that audience tomorrow, my dear..." Magpie says, sadly as I moan. "All sitting down to watch the coronation. Twenty million people. Things will never be the same again." he says, sounding close to tears. "I'm sorry. So sorry."
"Help me." Galaxy breathes helplessly. Magpie averts his eyes as Galaxy's face is sucked into the screen. Galaxy whimpers and groans. "Goodnight, children. Everywhere." the Wire says serenely.