The TARDIS materialized outside Powell Estate, the place that Rose Tyler and Clara Tyler had called home. The Doctor, Rose, and Clara stepped out of the blue time machine and the Doctor leaned against the door and folded his arms across his chest.
"How long have we been gone?" Rose asked.
"About 12 hours," the Doctor answered and they all laughed.
"Feels like days to me," Clara said.
"Oooh! Right, we won't be long, we're just gonna see my mum," Rose said.
"What're you two going to tell her?" the Doctor asked.
"Not sure," Clara said, frowning.
"I don't know! We've been to the year 5 billion...and only been gone, what, 12 hours?" Rose said.
The Doctor gave something that sounded like a cross between a laugh and a snort.
"What was that?" Clara asked, laughing at the Doctor. He just gave her a look as Rose said, "No, I'll just tell her we've spent the night at Shareens. See you later!"
She grabbed Clara's arm and turned around, pulling her along.
"Oh," Rose said, turning back around. "Don't you disappear."
The Doctor gave the girls a look that said, 'as if I would' and the girls ran off in the direction of Jackie's flat. Rose and Clara ran up the stairs to the flat, grinning.
"This is brilliant, isn't it?" Clara said, also grinning.
"Yeah," Rose said.
Meanwhile, the Doctor was wondering around outside with his arms folded and kicked an empty bottle across the yard. He spotted a poster taped to a lamppost. He walked over to it and read the writing on it. It read, 'CAN YOU HELP?' with pictures of both Rose and Clara.
The girls opened the door to the flat and Rose called out, "We're back! It was Shareen. She was all upset again. Are you in?"
Jackie walked out of the kitchen holding a mug of tea.
"So, what's been going on? How've you been?" Rose asked.
Jackie just continued staring at them as if she had seen a ghost.
"What? What's that face for? It's not the first time we've stayed out all night," Rose said.
Jackie just dropped her mug of tea and it smashed on the floor.
"Aunt Jackie? Mum?" Clara said.
"It's you. It's both of you," Jackie said.
"Of course it's us!" Rose said.
"Oh, my gosh. It's you. Oh, my gosh," Jackie said. She threw her arms around both of the girls, who looked alarmed. Over Jackie's shoulder, Clara noticed 'Where are Rose and Clara?' posters. At that moment, the Doctor came crashing in.
"It's not 12 hours, it's er...12 months. You've both been gone a whole year," the Doctor said, laughing, while all three women looked at him, stunned.
"Sorry," the Doctor said.
Jackie looked back at Rose and Clara stroking both of their hair.
Outside, while Jackie, Rose, and Clara are having a reunion, a small boy was spraying the words 'Bad Wolf' onto the side of the TARDIS. He picked up his bike and rode away.
"The house I've sat here. Days and weeks and months all on my own. I thought you both were dead. And where were you? Traveling. What the hell does that mean? Traveling? That's not sort of answer," Jackie furiously said.
Rose was sitting in an armchair and Clara on the sofa. A policeman was sitting in the other armchair.
"You ask them. They won't tell me! That's all they say. Traveling," Jackie said to the policeman.
"That's all we were doing," Rose said.
"We promise, Mum," Clara said.
"When both of your passports are still in the drawer? It's just one lie after another!" Jackie said.
"I meant to phone, I really did, I just...I forgot," Rose said.
"What, for a year? You forgot for a year? And I am left sitting here? I just don't believe the two of you. Why won't you tell me where you've both been?" Jackie said.
"Actually, it's my fault," the Doctor said. "I sort of er, employed Rose and Clara as my companions."
"When you say 'companions', is this a sexual relationship?" the policeman asked.
"No!" Rose, Clara, and the Doctor all yelled.
"The what is it?" Jackie asked, advancing on the Doctor. "Because you, you waltz in here all charms and smiles, and the next thing I know, they vanish off the face of the earth! How old are you then? 40? 45? What, you find them on the Internet? Did you go online and pretend you're a doctor?"
"I AM a Doctor!" the Doctor said.
"Prove it! Stitch this, mate," Jackie said. She slapped him hard, right across the face. The Doctor groaned and Rose rolled her eyes. Clara smirked and flinched at the same time.
Jackie went into the kitchen and Rose and Clara followed. Jackie hugged Rose and then her niece.
"Did either of you think about me at all?" Jackie asked.
All three women were crying and Rose said, "I did! All the time! But..."
"One phone call. Just to know that you were both alive!" Jackie said.
"I'm sorry. I really am," Rose said.
"I am, too, Auntie Jackie, honestly," Clara said, fingering her tightly curled red hair nervously.
"Do you know what terrifies me, is that you both still can't say. What happened to you, Rose, Clara? What could be so bad that you both can't tell me, sweethearts? Where were you?" Jackie said.
Both Clara and Rose can't answer her, because if they did, she would've thought they were crazy or lying.
At their first chance, Rose, Clara and the Doctor fled to the roof. Rose and Clara both sat on the wall and the Doctor leaned against it.
"We can't tell her. I can't even begin...she's never gonna forgive us. And we missed a year? Was it good?" Rose said.
"Middling," the Doctor said.
"You're so useless," Rose said.
"Well, if it's this much trouble, are you both gonna stay here now?" the Doctor asked.
"I don't really want to. I can't imagine life without traveling with you now," Clara said.
"I dunno. I can't do that to her again, though," Rose said.
"Absolutely," Clara said.
"Well, she's not coming with us," the Doctor said.
Rose and Clara both burst out laughing and the Doctor joined in.
"No chance," Clara said.
"I don't do families," the Doctor said.
"But we're both here," Clara said.
"That's different," the Doctor said.
"She slapped you!" Rose exclaimed.
"900 years of time and space, and I've never been slapped by someone's mother," the Doctor said.
"Your face," Rose said.
"It hurt!" the Doctor said.
"You're so gay!" Rose said.
"I thought it was hilarious!" Clara said.
The Doctor rubbed his cheek, offended.
"When you say 900 years..." Rose said.
"That's my age," the Doctor said.
"Seriously?" Clara said in an unbelieving tone.
"You're nine hundred years old," Rose said.
"Yeah," the Doctor said.
"My mum was right—that is one hell of an age gap," Rose said. She jumped off the wall and Clara followed suite.
"Every conversation with you just goes mental. There's no one else I can talk to, beside Clara. I've seen all that stuff up there, the size of it, and I can't say a word. Aliens and spaceships and things, and we're the only people on planet earth who knows they exist."
As if on cue, a spaceship flew right over their heads, narrowly missing them. It was falling from the sky and heading straight for Central London. It smashed into Big Ben, then landed with a splash in the Thames. The Doctor, Rose, and Clara were all staring at it with their mouths gaping.
"Oh, that's just not fair," Rose said.
The Doctor laughed gleefully, grabbed both the girls' hands and pulled them towards the direction of the crash.
When they arrived, it was complete chaos in the streets.
"It's blocked off," the Doctor said.
"We're miles from the centre. The scene must be grid locked. The whole of London must be closing down," Rose said.
"I know, I can't BELIEVE I'm here to see this! This is fantastic!" the Doctor said.
"It's pretty awesome," Clara said.
"Did you know this was going to happen?" Rose asked.
"Nope!" the Doctor said.
"Do you recognize the ship?" Rose asked.
"Nope!"
"Do you know why it crashed?" Rose asked.
"Nope!" the Doctor answered yet again.
"Oh, I'm so glad we've got you," Rose said.
"I bet you are! This is what I travel for, Rose, Clara! To see history happening right in front of us," the Doctor said.
"Well, let's go and see it! Never mind the traffic, we've got the TARDIS!" Rose said.
"Better not. They've already got one spaceship in the middle of London, don't want to shove another one on top," the Doctor said.
"Yeah, but yours looks like a big blue box. No one's going to notice," Rose said.
"You'll be surprised, an emergency like this—there'll be all kinds of people watching. Trust me, the TARDIS stays where it is," the Doctor said.
"So, history's happening and we're stuck here," Rose said.
"Yes, we are," the Doctor said.
"We could always do what everybody else does," Rose said.
Clara and the Doctor both looked at her, wondering what she was thinking.
"We could watch it on TV," Rose said.
The Doctor and Clara both looked as if they had never thought of that before.
In the Tylers' flat, the Doctor, Rose, and Clara were sitting around, watching the news.
"Big Ben destroyed as a UFO crash lands in Central London. Police reinforcements are drafted in from across the country to control widespread panic, looting and civil disturbance. A state of national emergency has been declared. Tom Hitchinson is at the scene," the news reader said.
"The police urge the public not to panic. There's a help line number on screen right now if you're worried about friends or family," the reporter said.
Clara had the remote and switched the TV over to an American news channel.
"The military are on the lookout for more spaceships. Until then, all flights in North American air space have been grounded," the news reporter said.
Clara switched it back to News 24.
"The army are sending divers into the wreak of the spaceship. No one knows what they're going to find," the news reader said.
Clara flipped back to the American channel.
"The President will address the nation live from the White House. But the Secretary General has asked that people watch the skies," the American news reader said.
Jackie walked in and handed Rose and Clara a cup of tea. Clara sipped at her Earl Grey tea as Jackie said, "I've got no choice! Either I make him welcome, or I run the risk of never seeing the two of you again!"
Jackie's friend Marianna was over and they were both babbling angrily.
"Oi! I'm trying to listen!" the Doctor said.
"...his current whereabouts. News is just coming in, we can go to Tom at the embankments," the News 24 reader said.
"They've found a body," the reporter announced.
The Doctor raised his eyebrows.
"It's unconfirmed but I'm being told a body has been found in the wreckage. A body of non-terrestrial origins. It's being brought ashore," the reporter continued.
There was a crowd gathered in the living room now and Jackie came back into the room and handed a bottle of wine to a couple of people.
"Oh, guess who asked me out—Billy Crewe," Jackie said.
The Doctor shook his head and Clara rolled her eyes.
"Unconfirmed reports say that the body is of extra-terrestrial origin. An extraordinary event unfolding here live here in Central London. They body is being transferred to a secure unit mortuary. The whereabouts is yet unknown," the reporter said.
Clara flipped through a few more channels, until the remote was snatched from her hands from a toddler that was seated on the Doctor's lap next to her. The toddler pressed buttons on the remote, effectively flipping through channels, coming to rest on Blue Peter.
"And when you've stuck your things on, you can cover the whole lot..." the Blue Peter presenter said.
The Doctor tried to wrestle the remote from the toddler, but wasn't successful.
"Ooo, look at that. Then, ice it, any colour you want—here's one I made a little earlier—look at that. Your very own spaceship ready to eat. And there's something a little extra special-"
Clara played with the toddler and had gotten the remote back and switched it back to News 24.
"...in hospital," the news reader finished saying.
"We still don't know whether it's alive or dead. Whitehall is denying everything. But the body has been brought here, Albian Hospital, the roads closed off—it's the closest to the river," the reporter said.
The little boy hopped off the Doctor's lap and stood right in front of the TV screen.
"Go on!" the Doctor said.
"Come here, sweetheart," Clara said to the toddler. He toddled over to her and Clara smirked at the Doctor. Clara pulled the little boy up in her lap.
"I'm being told that...General Asquith is now entering the hospital. The building's evacuated. The patients have been moved out onto the streets. The police still won't confirm the presence of an alien body. Contained inside those walls is a complete mystery. On another subject, mystery still surrounds the whereabouts of the prime minister. He's not been seen since the emergency began. The opposition are criticizing his lack of leadership. Hold on-" the reporter said.
A man got out of a car on Downing Street, where the reporter is, and entered number 10 Downing Street.
"Oh—that's Joseph Green, MP for Hartley Dale. He's chairman of the parliamentary commission on the monitoring of sugar standards in exported confectionary. With respect, hardly the most important person right now," the reporter said.
It was dark when the Doctor slipped out the back door, with Rose and Clara right behind him.
"And where do you think you're going?" Rose asked.
"Nowhere! It's just a bit human in there for me. History just happened and they're talking about where you can buy dodgy top up cards for half price. I'm off on a wander, that's all," the Doctor said, defending himself.
"Right—there's a spaceship on the Thames and you're just 'wandering,'" Rose said.
"How is it I don't believe you?" Clara asked.
"Nothing to do with me!" the Doctor said. "It's not an invasion! That was a genuine crash landing. Angle of descent, colour of smoke, everything! It's perfect!"
"So..." Rose and Clara said at the same time.
"So maybe this is it! First contact! The day mankind officially comes into contact with an alien race. I'm not interfering because you've GOT to handle this on your own. That's when the human race finally grows up. Just this morning you were all tiny and small and made of clay! Now you can expand!" the Doctor said, and laughed in delight. Both Rose and Clara smile at him.
"You both don't need me—go and celebrate history. Spend some time with your mum," the Doctor said, and walked away.
"Promise you won't disappear?" Rose said for the second time that day.
The Doctor stopped and turned around. He started patting around his jacket pockets.
"Tell you what—TARDIS key," the Doctor said. He pulled two out of his jacket and handed one to each of them. "About time you both had one. See you later!" he said, grinning. He turned around and left. Rose turned around and went back inside, but Clara watched the Doctor until he was no longer visible, before following after her cousin.
Rose was sitting in the sitting room when Clara walked in. There was no more sitting room, so Clara pulled up a spot of carpet right by Rose's chair. Jackie was raising her glass of wine and toasted, "Here's to the Martians!"
"The Martians!" everyone echoed.
Mickey appeared in the door and the laughter died away as he started at Rose and Clara. The girls looked around to see why everyone was suddenly quiet, and Rose sat up quickly when she saw Mickey.
"Mickey!" Clara exclaimed jumping up and hugged him.
"I was gonna come and see you," Rose said. Clara released Mickey and stepped back. He just started at the girls.
"Someone owes Mickey an apology," a woman called out.
"I'm sorry," Rose said.
"Sorry, Mickey," Clara said.
"Not you two," the woman said, looking at Jackie.
"It's not my fault. Be fair. What was I supposed to think?" Jackie said. She gave Mickey a look and walked into the kitchen. Clara, Rose, and Mickey followed her.
"What does she mean?" Clara asked.
"You two disappear—who do they turn to? Your boyfriend," he said to Rose. "Five times, I was taken in for questioning. Five times. No evidence, of course there couldn't be, could there. And then I get her—your mother. Whispering around the estate—pointing the finger—stuff through my letterbox—and all 'cos of you two," Mickey said.
"We didn't think we'd be gone so long," Rose said.
"And I waited for you, Rose! Twelve months. Waiting for you, Clara, and the Doctor to come back," Mickey said.
"Hold on, you knew about the Doctor? Why didn't you tell me?" Jackie said.
Mickey noticed someone trying to listen through the little window in the kitchen. He slammed the door to the window shut and closed the kitchen door.
"Yeah, yeah. Why not, Rose? Huh? How could I tell her where you went?" Mickey said.
"Tell me now," Jackie said.
"I might as well, 'cos you're stuck here. The Doctor's gone. Just now, that box thing just faded away," Mickey said.
Clara gasped and Rose said, "What do you mean?"
"He's left you. Some boyfriend HE turned out to be," Mickey said.
Rose ran from the kitchen and Clara turned on Mickey.
"He is not her boyfriend," she said, feeling jealous at that. "You should just leave her alone. You don't know what we've been through."
"Oh, and what is that?" Jackie asked.
"Oooh, never mind!" Clara said, throwing her hands in the air, fed up.
"And you, Clara, you're supposed to be my friend. How could you just drag Rose with you? You could've left her here and gone yourself," Mickey said.
"Oh, so now you're saying that I should've been missing for a year and Rose here, safe and sound? That this is all my fault?" Clara exploded.
"Yeah, I am!" Mickey yelled back.
"That's it, I'm through. Can I borrow your mobile, Aunt Jackie, so I can find Rose?" Clara asked.
"Sure, sweetheart, just be sure to bring her back home for good," Jackie said, handing over her phone.
"No promise, but I'll see what I can do," Clara said, and she marched out of the kitchen.
She pulled a jacket off the hook by the back door and wandered off into the night. She heard a sound behind her and found Mickey following her.
"What do you want?" she asked, never breaking stride to where the TARDIS had been waiting.
"I'm coming with you. I want to find Rose," Mickey said.
They both found Rose where the TARDIS had been. Now, there was an empty spot.
"He wouldn't just go, he promised us," Rose said when they approached.
"He probably just had to do something," Clara said. "You know him."
"Oh, don't listen to her. He's dumped you, Rose. The both of you. Sailed off into space. How does it feel, huh? Now you both are left behind with the rest of us Earthlings. Get used to it," Mickey said.
"Is that why you came along? To taunt us and insult us?" Clara demanded.
"But he would have said," Rose said, off hand.
Jackie walked up to the three of them and said, "What're you three chimps going on about? What's going on? What's this Doctor done now?"
"He's vamoosed!" Mickey said.
"Shut up, Mickey!" Clara yelled at him.
"He's not! 'Cos he gave us this!" Rose said and held up the TARDIS key. Mickey gave a 'so what' shrug.
"He's not my boyfriend, Mickey, he's better than that. He's much more important than-"
She broke off as the TARDIS key started to glow in time with the TARDIS engines. Clara pulled her key out of her jeans pocket and it, too, was glowing.
"I said so," Rose said.
The engines were getting louder and Rose turned to Jackie.
"Mum! Mum, go inside. Mum, don't stand there, just go inside. Just—mum, go-" Rose tried to urge Jackie, but Jackie wasn't listening to her. She was too transfixed on the spot over Rose's shoulder where the TARDIS was materializing out of thin air.
"Uh?" Mickey said, pointing at the TARDIS.
"How'd you do that, then?" Jackie said, staring at the TARDIS in amazement. Rose and Clara both looked at each other and then at Jackie warily.
Rose and Clara entered the TARDIS to see the Doctor looking at the computer screen.
"Alright, so I lied! I went and had a look, but the whole crash landing's a fake—I thought so, it's just too perfect. I mean, 'hitting Big Ben' come on, so I thought let's go and have a look-" the Doctor said.
"My mum's here," Rose said. The door creaked open and Jackie and Mickey entered. The Doctor looked around.
"Oh, that JUST what I need. Don't you dare make this place domestic!" the Doctor said.
"You ruined my life, Doctor," Mickey said.
The Doctor spun around to face him.
"They thought they were dead. I was a murder suspect because of you," Mickey said.
"See what I mean? Domestic," the Doctor said to Rose and Clara. The Doctor spun back around to face the computer screen. Mickey took a few steps towards him.
"I bet you don't even remember my name!" Mickey said.
"Ricky," the Doctor said.
"It's Mickey," Mickey said.
"No, it's Ricky," the Doctor argued.
"I think I know my own name," Mickey said.
"You THINK you know your own name?" the Doctor said. Clara snorted. "How stupid are you?"
Jackie, who had been looking around the TARDIS in shock, turned around and ran back outside.
"Mum, don't!" Rose said. "Don't go anywhere," she told the Doctor and to Mickey, she said, "Don't start a fight!"
"Don't worry, I'll straight them out!" Clara called after her. She whirled on Mickey, who backed up upon seeing the fury on her face. "Now listen to me, Mickey Smith! If you so much as talk to Rose rudely again, I'll punch you square in the nose, you got that?" she said.
Mickey swallowed and nodded. "Yeah, I think I do," he said back.
"Good," Clara said, folding her arms over her chest and turned to the Doctor, who was staring at her.
"What?" she asked. He didn't answer. There was a look of amazement on his face.
Right then, Rose ran back into the TARDIS and went straight to the Doctor's side. He had turned his attention back to the monitor.
"That was a REAL spaceship?" Rose asked.
"Yep!" the Doctor said.
"So, it's all a pack of lies? What is it then, are they invading?" Rose asked.
Clara walked over to the other side of the Doctor and looked at the monitor. Mickey came up behind her and peered over her shoulder at the screen.
"Funny way to invade, putting the world on red alert," Mickey said.
"Good point!" the Doctor said, looking a bit impressed at what Mickey had said. "So, what're they up to?"
The Doctor wedged himself underneath the console, and Mickey peered down at him.
"So, what're you doing down there?" Mickey asked.
"Ricky," the Doctor said, slightly muffled due to the fact that he had his sonic screwdriver between his teeth.
"Mickey," Mickey said.
"Ricky," the Doctor said, taking the sonic screwdriver out from his mouth.
Mickey just rolled his eyes.
"If I was to tell you what I was doing to the controls of my frankly magnificent time ship, would you even begin to understand?" the Doctor asked.
"I suppose not..." Mickey said.
"Shut it, then," the Doctor said.
The Doctor stuck the sonic screwdriver back between his teeth. Clara smirked at Mickey as he went to where Rose was standing by the console.
Clara crouched down to the Doctor's level and asked, "Do you need any help?"
The Doctor pulled the screwdriver back out of his mouth and said, "I won't tell you to shut it, but the same thing I told Ricky. I don't thing you'd even begin to understand." Then he grinned. "At least, not yet anyways."
Clara went and sat down on the ground and leaned against the railing. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, hoping to at least doze, but it was ruined when there were sparks from underneath the console and the Doctor yelled, "Got it! Haha!"
Clara stood up and went to the other side of the console, where Rose was already standing.
"Patched in the radar, looped it back twelve hours so we can follow the flight of the spaceship, here we go...hold on..." He whacked the computer screen. "Come on!" He showed Rose and Clara the graphics on the screen. "That's the spaceship on it's way to Earth...see? Except...hold on...see, the spaceship did a sling shot round the Earth before it landed."
"What does that mean?" Rose asked.
"It means it came from Earth in the first place—it went up and came back down. Whoever those aliens are, they haven't just arrived. They've been here for a while. The question is, what have they been doing?" the Doctor said.
"So, what was the whole point of the spaceship crash?" Clara asked. "It just doesn't make sense to me."
"I don't know yet," the Doctor said, while switching the television from channel to channel.
"How many channels to do you get?" Mickey asked.
"All the basic packages," the Doctor said.
"You get sports channels?" Mickey asked.
"Boys," Clara said, rolling her eyes at Rose, who grinned.
"Yes, I get the football," the Doctor said, and looked back at the screen. "Hold on, I know that bloke."
"It is looking likely that the government is bringing an alien specialists—those people who have devoted their lives to studying outer space," the reporter said.
"UNIT!" the Doctor said. "United Nations Intelligence Task force—good people."
"How do you know them?" Rose asked.
"'Cos he's worked for them. Yeah, don't think I sat on my backside for twelve months, Doctor. I read up on you. You look deep enough on the Internet...and in the history books, and there's his name. Followed by a list of the dead," Mickey said.
"That's nice. Good boy, Ricky," the Doctor said.
Clara let out a chuckle.
"If you know them, why don't you go and help?" Rose asked.
"They wouldn't recognize me. I've changed a lot since the old days. Besides, the world's on a knife-edge. There's aliens out there and fake aliens. We want to keep this undercover...and eh, better keep the TARDIS out of site. Ricky! You've got a car—you can do some driving," the Doctor said.
The Doctor started walking to the TARDIS door.
"Where to?" Mickey said.
"The roads are clearing. Let's go and have a look at that spaceship" the Doctor said.
They all stepped out of the TARDIS to the sound of helicopters. They were immediately caught by a searchlight and a voice that yelled out, "Do not move!"
Police cars and soldiers surrounded them, pointing their guns at them that prevented them from doing anything. Mickey made a run for it and Jackie ran out of the flat and tried to get Rose and Clara out, but two soldiers restrain her.
"No!" Jackie yelled.
"Leave her alone!" Clara yelled, but was restrained by soldiers.
"Raise you hands above your head! You are under arrest!" the voice said on a loudspeaker.
The Doctor and Rose obey, but Clara can't really raise her hands, because she was being held by the soldiers with her hands secured behind her back.
"Take me to your leader!" the Doctor demanded.
Clara was forced into the back of a police car and the Doctor followed with Rose right behind him. The door was shut and the policeman driving the car took off.
"This is a bit posh," Rose said. "If I knew it was gonna be like this—being arrested—I'd have done it years ago."
Clara snorted and said, "Yeah, right, Rose."
"We're not being arrested, we're being escorted!" the Doctor said.
"Where to?" Rose asked.
"Where'd you think? Downing Street!" the Doctor said, and laughed. Rose and Clara joined in.
"You're kidding," Rose said.
"I'm not!" the Doctor said.
"10 Downing Street?" Rose asked.
"That's the one!" the Doctor said, reminding Clara of a child.
Rose laughed gleefully.
"Oh, my gosh! I'm going to 10 Downing Street?" Rose asked.
The Doctor nodded, grinning.
"Oh, my gosh, I'm going to 10 Downing Street, too!" Clara exclaimed.
"How come?" Rose asked.
"I hate to say it, but Mickey was right. Over the years I've visited this planet a lot of times, and I've been, us—noticed," the Doctor said.
"Now they need you?" Rose asked.
"Like it said on the news—they're gathering experts in alien knowledge. And who's the biggest expert on the lot?" the Doctor said, grinning at the girls.
"Patrick Moore?" Rose said.
"Apart from him!" the Doctor said.
"You!" Clara exclaimed, and the Doctor beamed at her.
"Ah, don't you just love it..." Rose said.
"I'm telling you, Lloyd George—he used to drink me under the table. Who's Prime Minister now?" the Doctor asked the girls.
"How should we know? We missed a year," Rose said.
The car pulled up outside 10 Downing Street. There were paparazzi and policemen everywhere there. Clara got out of the car first, followed by the Doctor, who was waving and grinning at everyone. Clara hid behind the Doctor as Rose got out of the car and smiled nervously.
"Oh, my gosh!" Rose said. She followed the Doctor, with Clara hiding behind his back, inside. Inside a room, there were a bunch of people gathered. A woman, named Indra entered and announced, "Ladies and Gentlemen, could we convene? Quickly as we can, please. It's this way on the right and can I remind you, ID cards are to be worn at all times."
He approached the Doctor and handed him an ID card. "Here's your ID card. I'm sorry, but your companions don't have clearance," she said.
"I don't go anywhere without them," the Doctor said, putting the ID card around his neck.
"You're the code nine, not them," Indra said.
A woman walked up to them.
"I'm sorry, Doctor...it is the Doctor, isn't it? They'll have to stay outside," Indra said.
"They're staying with me," the Doctor said.
"Look, even I don't have clearance to go in there. I can't let them in and that's a fact," Indra said.
"It's alright, you go," Rose told the Doctor.
"We'll be fine waiting outside," Clara added.
The woman, Harriet Jones, appeared behind Indra's shoulder.
"Excuse me? Are you the Doctor?" Harriet asked.
Indra looked exasperated.
"Not now, we're busy—can't you go home?" Indra asked Harriet.
"Are you sure?" the Doctor asked Rose and Clara.
"Yeah, they're the experts, you should hear what they've got to say," Rose said.
"I s'pose so. Don't get into any trouble," the Doctor said.
"We'll try not to," Clara said with a laugh as the Doctor followed the other experts into the room.
"I just need a word in private," Harriet said to Indra.
"You haven't got clearance, now leave it!" Indra grabbed Rose's and Clara's arms. "I'm going to have to leave you two with security." He started to lead the girls away.
"It's alright. I'll look after them. Let me be of some use," Harriet said. To Rose and Clara she said, "Walk with me. Just keep walking..." The three of them walked past the guard at the door.
"That's right...don't look round! Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North," Harriet said, showing Rose and Clara her ID card.
Harriet took the girls down a corridor and started talking to Rose and Clara.
"This friend of yours...he's an expert, is that right? He knows about aliens?" Harriet asked.
"Why do you wanna know?" Rose asked.
Harriet broke down into tears and Clara gave her a hug, patting her back now and then, while Rose stood there, looking awkward.
After Harriet had calmed down a bit, she took Rose and Clara to the cabinet room and showed the girls the body suit of a man named Oliver.
"They turned the body into a suit! A disguise for the thing inside!" Harriet exclaimed and burst into tears again. Clara put her arms around the woman again, trying to comfort her.
"It's alright! We believe you. It's...it's alien. They must have some SERIOUS technology behind this...if we could find it...we could use it," Rose said, rummaging around the room. She opened a cupboard and the Prime Minister's body fell out of it. Rose, Harriet, and Clara hurried to examine it.
"Oh, my gosh! Is that-?" Rose said.
Indra entered the room then.
"Harriet! This has gone beyond a joke—you cannot just wander-" The man broke off as he spotted the body of the Prime Minister. "Oh, my gosh. That's the Prime Minster!"
"Ohhh!" a voice sounded behind them. Indra, Rose, Harriet, and Clara all turned around to see a large woman named Margaret enter the room.
"Has someone been naughty?" Margaret asked.
All the women, and Indra, looked at each other and Margaret shut the door behind her.
"That's impossible. He left this afternoon. The Prime Minister left Downing Street, he was driven away!" Indra said, indicating to the body.
"And who told you that? Hmm? Me?" Margaret said, walking up to poor Indra. She stroked the hair back from her forehead. It was like she unzipped her forehead, revealing a bright blue light. She pulled off the body skin suit, to reveal a very ugly, large, green alien, that looked very fat. Rose, Clara, Indra, and Harriet were all in shock.
The skin suit fell to the floor and Margaret stood before the women and Indra, who where stunned. Margaret roared in delight and grabbed Indra with her claws and pinned him against the wall. He started shouting as she was strangling him. Harriet, Rose, and Clara winced as Margaret strangled the man. They all looked on in fear as Margaret was advancing on them...
TO BE CONTINUED...