𝔏𝔬𝔫𝔡𝔬𝔫, 𝔈𝔫𝔤𝔩𝔞𝔫𝔡, 𝔈𝔞𝔯𝔱𝔥
𝔍𝔲𝔩𝔶 2012
The Doctor ran back to the Tardis after opening the door and swiftly closing it again. A confused expression adorned his face, and EJ had his concerns, purely because he'd started to press buttons on the console already.
"What is it?" The Thompson asked, curiously.
The Doctor just thinned his lips, obviously embarrassed. "We're facing the wrong way... got to turn her around."
He nodded, understanding. "Oh."
When the Doctor ran to open the doors again, he met it with a content sigh. His hands were dug firmly into his pockets, stepping into the cold English air. EJ almost had to spring to follow him because he was so enticed by what was to come. However, he only wore a boring black sweatshirt this time. It didn't even coverup his tattoos.
That wasn't to say he didn't love his ink marked skin, because he did, more than anything. He was, however, hyper aware of people staring at him. EJ didn't usually give them a reason to, in case they saw something they weren't ready for. It was just a bad day
Rose had wandered off to the side, because she was facing a wall of Shayne Ward posters when she spoke up. "So, near future, yeah?"
"I had a passing fancy." The Doctor mused, smile on his face. "Only, it didn't pass. It stopped."
"It's something fun then?" EJ jumped up and down on his toes, high on sugar and time travel. "I want to do something fun!"
"Oi, this is fun." The Doctor scolded as they turned into the opening of a modern looking street, the most average place that EJ had ever set eyes upon. It was an achievement which sent discomfort through his body. "But, if you must know, the thirtieth Olympiad."
"No way!" Rose giggled loudly as she clung to his arm. "Why didn't I think of this? That's great!"
"Because I did! And I'm obviously better than you." EJ exclaimed at an even greater volume, jumping so high with excitement that he could have been a rabbit. "You actually brought us? Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
"Oi!" The blonde scoffed as EJ wrapped his arms around the Doctor so tightly it looked like he might break in two. "No need for that."
He quipped. "Yeah, but it was fun."
"Only seems like yesterday a few naked Greek blokes were tossing a discus about, wrestling with each other in the sand as the crowds stood around baying..." The Doctor reminisced, and EJ raised his hand shyly. "No, wait, that was Club Med."
"I've changed my mind." He didn't sound embarrassed at all. "I want to go there instead."
"Nah, you don't want to do that." He grabbed onto the Thompson boy, dragging him along as he grinned. "This is where you want to be! Just in time for the opening do-da ceremony tonight. The last one they had in London was dynamite. Wembley 1948. I loved it so much that I went back and watched it all over again. Fella carrying the torch, lovely chap, what was his...? John, Mark? Legs like pipe cleaners but strong as a whippet..."
Somehow, Rose managed to get through to EJ through his daydreams, calling as she edged away. "Doctor!"
"And in those days, everyone had a tea party to go to."
"Doctor!" She tried again, but he was in another world completely.
"You ever had those little cakes with crunchy ball bearings on top?"
"Yes, love, everyone has." EJ half-smiled, turning back to share a look with him, gesturing for him to follow.
She sounded desperate now. "Look at this!"
"You know... those things?" Sometimes it was like speaking directly at a brick wall. "Nobody else in the entire galaxy has ever bothered to make edible ball-bearings. Genius!"
"We'll find some for you after we've sorted this, then, yeah?" EJ smiled as he pulled the Doctor over to the lamppost. There were three missing posters, all about local children; two boys and a girl. Danny Edwards, Dale Hicks and Jane McKillen. "Now, come on."
As his eyes set upon the writing, he turned serious. "What's taking them, do you think?"
"A monster." Said the Thompson boy without another thought. "Human or not, this is a monster."
"Snatching children from a thoroughly ordinary street like this... and why's it so cold? Something's reducing the temperature."
"Says they all went missing this week." Rose sighed, and EJ shook his head, his heart wrenching.
"Their poor parents." He gulped. "They must be in pieces."
The blonde didn't understand. How could she? She wasn't the victim of any twisted tragedy, and she certainly didn't have children. "Why would a person do something like this?"
"Because people can be bastards sometimes."
The Doctor looked at them both skeptically. "What makes you think it's a person?"
"Whatever it is," Rose folded her arms to cross her chest. "It's got the whole street scared to death. Doctor, what..."
She turned to talk to the man, but he was already running up the road as fast as he could. EJ had gone after him as soon as he'd noticed, and it didn't take him long to catch up. However, he refrained from asking any questions. Whatever it was, he didn't need to know yet.
If there was one thing EJ had learnt from his time in the Tardis, it was that the Doctor would tell him when he needed to know something. He could deal with a little silence if it lead him to the right place eventually. He just had to trust that the Doctor had the right thing in mind. He'd not been wrong to trust him yet, but it was hard sometimes. Especially in moments like these.
When they stopped, the Doctor had made himself at home within someone's front garden. It had been set out like a mini football pitch with a child's goal at one edge. At first, he was less interested in that, as he stared at the back of his fairly large hand. EJ stared at it too. They obviously weren't seeing the same thing.
Still, staring at his hand, the Doctor crouched. Despite his many questions, EJ stayed silent. He was afraid to break his train of thought. However, he did make sure he was undisturbed, for the most part. There was only so much he could do.
"Hmm, tickles." He smiled as he flexed his fingers.
EJ turned around and crouched beside him, looking at his little movements, and then looking at his face with a small smile. "What tickles?"
Then, a shadow was cast upon them, and a booming voice bellowed. "What's your game?"
It startled them both, and the Doctor turned first, to find the middle aged man who wore a rugby shirt. He stood, dragging EJ up with him, just thinking for a moment before speaking, though that was unsure.
"My, um... Snakes and Ladders? Quite good at squash... reasonable." The Doctor pulled a face apologetically. "I'm being facetious, aren't I? There's no call for it."
"Who are you?"
The Doctor tried to smile. "I'm here to help."
"Help with what?" He spat, almost grinding his teeth like some sort of bull. "We don't need help! Are you lying to me?"
"No, I'm not a liar." The Doctor held his hands up as he backed away, EJ following suite. "I'm a police officer, that's what I am. I've got a badge and a police car. You don't have to get... I can prove it!"
"We've had coppers poking around here and you don't look or sound like any of 'em!"
"See? Look! I've got colleagues!" He pointed at his two friends, taking advantage of their presence, a finger lingering in Rose's direction. "Lewis!"
The man just retorted. "She looks like less of a copper than you do!"
"Training!" He blurted, clearly intimidated by the prospect of conflicts. "New recruit. It was either that or hairdressing, so... voila! This is Thompson!"
EJ wasn't expecting the attention to be flung onto him, so he froze, and spoke the first words to come to mind, in a deadpan. "I'm not a policeman." No one would believe that, anyway. "I'm a detective."
The Doctor held up the psychic paper which seemed to only subdue him for a short time, until a woman joined him. She seemed frightened, dressed in a turquoise top, and short dreadlocked hair. "What are you going to do?"
"The police have knocked on every door," An old woman wandered over. "No clues, no leads, nothing!"
"Kids run off sometimes, alright?" The man in the rugby top defended. "That's what they do."
"I saw it with my own eyes! Dale Hicks in your garden playing with your Tommy and then... right in front of me. Like he was never there. There's no need to look any further than this street. It's right here amongst us!"
The Doctor nodded as all of the voices of adults began to converge around them. "Why don't we..."
EJ had to hold back a laugh as he was cut off by another woman, who was pointing at a council worker. "Why don't we stay with him? There's been all sorts in the street, day and night."
"Fixing things up for the Olympics!"
"Yeah, and taking an awful long time about it!"
"I'm of the opinion..." The Doctor began again, somehow conserving his patience. "That all we've got to do..."
"I don't care what it is!" The man from the council retorted. "That's slander!"
The woman mimicked his voice. "I don't care what it is!"
"I think we just..."
"Oh, wow." EJ sniggered, covering his mouth. "They really don't want to listen to you."
"I want an apology out of her!"
The old woman agreed. "Stop picking on him!"
"Yeah, stop picking on me!" He repeated, like it was his idea all along.
"And stop pretending to be blind!" She continued, making sure that all of the adults heard her. "It's evil!"
"I don't believe in evil."
"You'd believe in evil if you saw the things we have." EJ scrunched his eyebrows, confused. "I mean, the literal devil... that's evil... my father?"
"Oh, no, you just believe in Tarmackers with sack loads of kidnapping kiddies in their vans!"
The man in the rugby shirt didn't want to hear it. "That's not what she's saying!"
"Will you stop ganging up on me?"
"Feeling guilty are we?" One of the women tutted, it was clear the Doctor had enough of it all.
At the top of his voice, he shouted at them all, in the most commanding tone. "FINGERS ON LIPS!"
Everyone seemed quite confused and reluctant, but followed his lead anyway. However, EJ copied almost immediately, holding his index finger to his lips like the Doctor demonstrated without a second thought. Who was he to deny the Doctor when he spoke in that voice... if he was honest, there was something rather sexy about it.
When they had all complied, the Doctor finally spoke, having added up all of the little pieces of information that had been left for him. He was quite good at that. EJ had to learn his technique, because it would come in handy.
"In the last six days, three of your children have been stolen, snatched out of thin air. Right?"
"Er, can I...?" The old woman raised her hand, and the Doctor nodded, so she removed the finger from her lips. "Look around you. This was a safe street till it came. It's not a person. I'll say it if no one else will. Maybe your coppers, and maybe you're not. I don't care who you are, can you please help us?"
The Doctor had probably agreed, as he always did, but EJ was more interested in the woman in the turquoise shirt. She was running back towards her house, and in the window upstairs, was the shadow of a girl just staring at them. They knew more than anyone was letting on, maybe not the whole street, but that family.
When the others backed away, the Doctor finally went back to the garden. That was where one of the boys, Dale Hicks, had disappeared. It was odd that he'd been able to sense it even before he'd been told. He was like magic, and EJ was in awe of it.
As he sniffed the air, Rose raised an eyebrow. "You want a hanky?"
"Can you smell it?" He asked, absently, not caring for her opinions. "What does it remind you of?"
EJ, as always, was following in his footsteps and inhaled heavily, so much so he was expecting his nostrils to start bleeding. "It hurts my nose."
"Sort of..." Rose paused. "Metal?"
The Doctor nodded. "Mm-hmm!"
She was clearly proud of herself as a grin spread across her face. "Oh!"
"Why does it smell like metal?" EJ eyed the Doctor as he dragged them away and down an alley. "Hello? Why metal?"
It was the sort of alley with allotments on one side and houses on the other; an impossible place to go missing, and yet someone had. "Danny Edwards: cycled in one end but never came out the other."
"How does that even happen?" The Thompson boy asked, but he knew it wasn't going to be answered when they were all thinking. "Don't say anything... it's fine. I've got it."
"Whoa! There it goes again!" The Doctor's eyes widened at the back of his hand, holding it out in front of them all to see. "Look at the hairs on the back of my manly hairy hand!"
EJ was trying not to look at the Doctor's hands on purpose. That was, he had a slight obsession with the way they looked. This was like teasing a kleptomaniac by placing them in a low security museum.
"And there's that smell." Rose scrunched her nose. "It's like a... a burnt fuse plug or something."
"There's a residual energy in the spots where the kids vanished." The Doctor hummed as the carried along walking through the alley. "Whatever it was, it used an awful lot of power to do this."
As they stepped cross the alley, Rose moved ahead of them slightly, so EJ grabbed onto the Doctor's arm. There had been a nagging in the back of his mind for a while now, and even if now wasn't the time to say it, now was the time he had the courage.
"I know you said the Beast was wrong..." He trailed, gulping. "But it said I was going to live forever."
"I know." The Doctor said, inhaling a deep breath. "I know... I've put a code into the Tardis. She's doing a full body scan, making sure you're all safe."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously." He said like it was obvious that he would do whatever was necessary. "Think I was gonna let something like that slip?"
"Then what about Rose?" He asked. "It said she was going to die."
The Doctor shook his head; that was something he didn't want for talk about. Perhaps he didn't have an answer yet. "Now, how was Josh, did you get to see him?"
"Nah," EJ shook his head as they escaped the alleyway, stepping into the opposite end of the street. "But I did have an idea for his birthday, if you're open to it."
"Yeah, yeah, just tell me what, and I'll-"
"Aren't you a beautiful boy?" Rose's cooing seemed to be quite a stark contrast which captured the Doctor's attention.
"Thanks. I'm experimenting with back combing." He grinned like a child before grimacing at the sight of a ginger cat purring around them. "Oh."
Seeing his disappointment, EJ nudged into his side, and took his hand within his own. "You're a beautiful boy too, Doctor." At least, that made him smile.
"I used to have one like you." Rose cooed at the animal before realising that neither the Doctor nor EJ were mildly impressed. "What?"
"No, I'm not really a cat person." He pulled a face. "Once you've been threatened by one in a nun's wimple, it kind of takes the joy out of it."
"It was kind of cool for a while..." The Thompson boy offered, but it didn't translate bad the Doctor shot him a look. "Or not... because the nuns without guns were shit? Always more of a dog person myself anyway, and I'm gonna shut up now, sorry..."
The cat began to meow and Rose followed it, despite it preferring the cardboard box. "Come here, puss. What d'you wanna go in there for?"
"Have you ever had a pet?" EJ asked, and the Doctor shrugged.
"I had K9."
"Doctor!" Rose called for him, and they ran over, only to stop heavily in their tracks before the box. "Ooh!"
"Jesus." The black haired boy blinked. "That stinks."
"Whoa! Hoo-hoo!" He seemed excited by the prospect, so he picked up the cardboard. "Ion residue. Blimey! That takes some doing. Just to snatch a living organism out of space-time. This baby's like I'm having some of that! I'm impressed."
"So the cats been transported?"
"It can harness huge reserves of ionic power." The Doctor relayed. "We need to find the source of that power. Find the source and you will find... whatever has taken to stealing children and fluffy animals. See what you can see, keep 'em peeled, Lewis."
Then, he walked off, and EJ was unsure whether he was supposed to follow or not. "What about me?"
"Stay with Rose." He replied, not even turning back to match his gaze. "I'll find you both later!"
Rose guided them around to a sort of cul-de-sac area of the street that EJ hadn't even noticed. He was frightful with directions, especially when he was thinking through things.
"I hate it when he does that." EJ grumbled, dragging his feet behind Rose.
Her ears pricked as she turned to face him. "Does what?"
"Forgets about me."
At first, it looked like she was going to laugh before shaking her head. "He never forgets about you."
"No, but you don't know what it's like. He always says your name. He trusts you to go places alone." It was like something had caught in his throat; preventing him from saying more. "If it wasn't the Doctor, I'd say he's in love with you."
Rose almost choked on air, and stopped completely in her tracks. "What? No, he's not."
"Sure... whatever..." EJ stepped on, ignoring how startled she was.
It took her a moment to catch up with him, but before she could say anything more, there was a clattering in a garage. Naturally, they gravitated towards it. "Is that you, puss cat? You trapped?"
There was a loud metal banging behind the doors, and EJ tapped against it lightly. "There's something in there." He had little evidence; but a nagging feeling.
"Not gonna open it." Rose mumbled beneath her breath. "Not gonna open it. Not gonna open it..."
The Thompson boy shrugged as he unlocked the latch. "I'm gonna open it."
Both of them were aware that it wasn't the best idea, but it was what the Doctor would have done. And, as soon as EJ opened it, he regretted it, because a huge ball of blackness flew at them. Firstly, it knocked Rose to the ground, but then it came back for him.
He didn't know what it felt like. Just this... mass on top of him, consuming him, like he was trapped beneath it. EJ thrashed as he tried to push it away, but it didn't work. He was more than thankful to hear the Doctor's voice beads closer.
"Stay still!"
He froze at the command. The sonic began to buzz, and the mass stopped moving altogether. Slowly, it retracted into a small ball size, and Rose caught it in her hands.
"Are you alright?" The Doctor offered him a hand up as he nodded, before wrapping an arm around his shoulder; a sort of side hug. They made sure Rose was on her feet too. "Okey dokey?"
"Yeah, cheers." She replied, breathless.
"No probs." Replied the Doctor.
"How are you tired?" EJ scoffed. "It attacked me, not you."
"Now," The man paused, taking the ball from her. "I'll give you a fiver if you can tell me what the hell it is, cos I haven't got the foggiest."
"Well, I can tell you you've just killed it."
"It was never living." He disagreed with her. "It's animated by energy. The same energy that's snatching people. That is so dinky! The go-anywhere creature. Fits in your pocket. Makes friends. Impresses your boss. Breaks the ice at parties."
The Doctor almost seemed smug as he pocketed the ball. There was something he adored about the prospect of something he didn't understand. Perhaps he'd soon learn what the Beast was saying about him. The Tardis must have been working like crazy to find something. She would be working overtime too, especially as the Doctor needed her now.
There was something energetic about him today, something a little more than the day before. As they ran into the Tardis, he was almost completely all over the place.
"Oh, hi-ho, here we go." He grinned, attaching the ball to the centre console. "Let's have a look. Get out of here!"
He'd pulled the screen round to face him, and Rose was crowding him just to see. "What does it say?"
EJ leant on the console as the Doctor picked the ball up again, and removed a pencil from his pocket. It was endearing to see him use the rubber, and wipe away the structure of it.
"It is!" He exclaimed without explaining anything. "It's graphite! Basically the same material as an HB pencil."
"I was attacked by a pencil scribble?"
"I don't know what you saw, but you weren't the one being attacked as far as I remember." EJ raised his eyebrows skeptically.
"A scribble creature, brought into being with ionic energy." The Doctor began to sniff it, passing it around for the others to try. "Whatever we're dealing with, it can create things as well as take them. But why make a scribble creature?"
"Maybe it was a mistake." Rose shrugged, the idea coming to her easily. "I mean, you scribble over something when you want to get rid of it, like a drawing. Like a..."
"A child's drawing." EJ nodded in agreement. "Josh does it all the time. I mean, I love the kid, but his art is shocking. It's really not great."
"You said it was in the street!"
The Doctor shrugged. "Probably."
Rose looked at him like he was an idiot for not realising it first. "The girl."
"Oh, yeah." EJ rolled his eyes; he should have realised it sooner.
"Of course!" He jumped enthusiastically, before dramatically pausing. "What girl?"
"Something about her gave me the creeps. Even her own mum looked scared of her."
The Doctor looked proud. "Are you deducting?"
"I think I am."
"Copper's hunch?"
Rose played along. "Permission to follow it up, Sarge?"
"No." EJ pouted like a toddler as they ran from the Tardis. "I hate house calls. They always go wrong."
Despite his petulance, they were making a house call. No one ever believed who they were, no matter how hard they tried, because they were an unlikely crew. A loud, intelligent, yet fashionable young woman; a tall and gangly tattooed hyperactive man; and a skinny man in a suit.
The Doctor knocked at the door. Nothing happened, and EJ grew impatient. He grabbed a hold of the knocker, and hit it against the door. He received a few unimpressed looks. However, as soon as the door opened, they put on their automatic smiles.
"Hello, I'm the Doctor, and this is EJ and Rose. Can we see your daughter?"
The woman with dreadlocks just stared at them, and frowned. "No, you can't."
"Okay," The Doctor said, turning away. "Bye."
The trio managed only to reach the end of the drive before she called out. "Why? Why do you want to see Chloe?" EJ could see that the Doctor was smiling smugly, though he wiped it away when he faced her.
"Well, there's some interesting stuff going on in this street. And I just thought... Well, we thought that she might like to give us a hand."
Rose thinned her lips. "Sorry to bother you."
"Yeah." The Doctor agreed. "Sorry."
EJ said, hurrying it along. "We'll just be off."
"We'll let you get on with things. On your own. Bye, again." The man nodded, turning away.
"Wait." They only made it a few steps further away before she halted them completely with her voice. "Can you help her?"
Without a moments hesitation, the Doctor had already promised with a smile. "Yes, I can."
When they walked inside the house, very little felt different to usual, which was a good enough sign. The tv was playing in the background as the Olympic coverage was all anyone really wanted to see. The torchbearers had been running up and down the country, ever-nearing this street.
The Doctor removed his coat and threw it onto the sofa's arm. EJ averted his eyes; it was hard for him not to look, but did so with the sole purpose of not staring at him. It wasn't fair on the Doctor, even if the suit did draw attention.
"She stays in her room most of the time." The woman, Trish, told them. "I try talking to her, but it's like trying to speak to a brick wall. She gives me nothing, just asks to be left alone."
Innocently, Rose asked. "What about Chloe's dad?"
"Chloe's dad died a year ago."
"I'm sorry." She replied instantly as EJ shuffled uncomfortably. It seemed that death wasn't one of his best conversational topics still.
Trish practically scoffed. "You wouldn't be if you'd known him."
"Well, the Doctor cut in, brightly. "Let's go and say hi."
"I should check on her first." She tensed. "She might be asleep."
"Why are you afraid of her, Trish?" The Doctor raised an eyebrow at her.
"I want you to know, before you see her, that she's a really great kid."
"I'm sure she is."
EJ offered her a smiled; he didn't know how comforting it would be. "They always are."
"She's never been in trouble at school." There was a vague grin on her lips, like this was some distant past. "You should see her report from last year. A's and B's."
Suddenly, Rose stood. "Can I use your loo?" Trish nodded, and she left.
When she was gone, she continued. "She's in the choir. She sings in old folks' homes. Any mum would be proud, you know? I want you to know these things before you see her, Doctor, because right now she's not herself."
It was sad, really, to see a parent in such a way. EJ felt bad. He really did. If that were him, and if that were his son in trouble, then he might be more conservative about the whole situation. But he could see that she needed help. That was all he wanted to do.
He wanted to help.
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Happy Wednesday!
I've been having a hard week so here's an early update.
And... just because, I've uploaded the first chapter of the Torchwood book: Human Nature. It's up now, so you should go and read it! I promise it's good.
Love you all,
Emma <3
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Disclaimer!!!
I do not own Doctor Who, it's characters and original storylines. The only things I do own are my own characters, my addition to the series and my own storylines. Any similarities to real life are purely coincidental.