Author note: Hey, guys! I am so sorry I haven't update in months. I feel so awful about that. I had some really bad writer's block for Jessa then some of my other characters decided that it was their turn to be written. I just want you guys to know that I will never abandon my stories, I just have so many characters that sometimes I might not work on the ones that are published. I also work full time mostly so I'm pretty busy and I'm just so tired at the end of the day that I just can't write. So I hope you forgive me and enjoy this new chap!
JPDW
The Idiot's Lantern
I sighed as sat back at my desk inside the TARDIS, my sketch book sitting in front of me open to a blank page. I stare at it blankly as my hands tighten into fist on top of the desk lying on either side of the book. I had just come back from cleaning and packing Mickey's flat a few hours ago. Mum had come over to help out an hour in because I kept picking things up and would either start crying or tell a story about that particular object. I leaned my head onto my fist and picked up my pencil then began to sketch. I slam the book close as Mickey's smiling face began to appear on the page. I groan as I let my head fall into my hands.
"Jessamine?" I turned to the door where the Doctor was standing. He gave me a small smile as he walks towards me.
"What did you put in your hair?" I asked him once he was next to me. He lightly touches his teddy-boy style hair.
"A lot of gel. Do you like it?" I stood up and took his hand in mine giving it a squeeze.
"It's very nice but not really this century though." I told him as we walked out of my room
"We're going to the 50's to see Elvis." He replied as he lead me into the wardrobe.
"Really? How exciting." I try to say as cheerfully as I could. The Doctor's smile faltered slightly.
"Yeah, it was Rose's idea." I just nodded my head as I picked out a blue skirt and white shirt.
"I'll just get dress and meet you guys out there." I told him and went back to my room to change. I quickly got dress and put my hair into a high ponytail. Once everything was in it's place, I headed to the TARDIS's front doors. When I walked outside my jaw dropped in shock at the sight before me.
"Where in the world did you keep that thing?" I asked the Doctor as I walked towards the powder blue moped. The Doctor hands me a blue helmet.
"You know, I actually have no clue on how it got into the TARDIS." He told me as I put the helmet on. I gave him a small smile and chuckle as I hop onto the back of the moped. "You goin' my way, doll?" The Doctor pulled an Elvis-style expression and voice causing me to laugh even more.
"Is there any other way to go, daddy-o?" I asked him with an American accent causing Rose to chuckle as she walked towards us and sat down in the sidecar.
"Straight from the fridge, man!" She replied in her own accent.
"Hey, you speak the lingo!" The Doctor said with delighted as he hands her a pink helmet.
"Mum's a Cliff Richard fan. We'd watch his movies every Bank Holiday Monday." I told him and he pulled an 'I knew it!' face.
"Ah, Cliff! I knew your mother'd be a Cliff fan." He starts the moped and we drive down the street.
"Where we off to?" Rose asked 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." He explained. I narrowed my brow as I looked around at our surroundings, it seemed a bit Londony to me.
"Isn't that studio in New York?" I questioned.
"Yep!" He replied happily as a red London bus drives past the end of the street causing the Doctor to stop. Next, we spotted a red post box and Union flag bunting hanging from rooftop to rooftop. The Doctor looks at it bemused while Rose and I laugh.
"Digging that New York vibe!" She exclaimed between bouts of chuckles.
"Well. . .this COULD still be New York, I mean this looks very New York to me. . .sort of. . . Londony New York, mind. . ." The Doctor trailed off.
"What are all the flags for?" I asked at the noticeable amount of Union flag hanging around.
"I don't know." The Doctor answered as he pulls the moped over and parks it. "Let's go find out." He holds a hand out to me and we walked down the street.
"There you go, sir, all wired up for the great occasion." We paused at the man's voice. The Doctor turns back to the man.
"The great occasion? What d'you mean?" He asked the man.
"Where've you been living, out in the Colonies? Coronation, of course." The man answered.
"What Coronation's that, then?" The Doctor questioned next, still confused.
"What d'you mean? THE Coronation." The man replied bemused. The Doctor looks at him blank then turns to me for help.
"The Queen's." I told him but he still looked at me, blankly. "Queen Elizabeth?"
"Oh!" It finally clicks. "Oh is this 1953?"
"Last time I looked. Time for a lovely bit of pomp and circumstance, what we do best." The man said. I look up at the chimneys along with Rose.
"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." Rose said perplexed.
"Not round here, love. Magpie's Marvellous Tellies, only five quid a box." The man told us before leaving.
"That's pretty cheap for this time." I said to Rose as we follow after the Doctor as he wanders down the street. He suddenly cuts in, all smiles and energy.
"Oh but this is a BRILLIANT year! Classic! Technicolour, Everest climbed, everything off the ration -" He puts on a typically BBC English accent. "The Nation throwing off the shadows of war and looking forward to a happier, brighter future!" We laughed when suddenly a woman began to shout.
"Someone help me, please! Ted!" A man with a blanket over his head is being bundled into a black police car by two suited men. "Leave him alone, it's my husband!" We ran over to the distraught woman.
"What's going on?" The Doctor asked as the blanketed man is pushed into the back seat as a young boy runs out of his house.
"Oi, what are you doing?!" The boy shouted. One of the suited men turned to us.
"Police business, now get out of the way, sir!" I turned to the boy.
"Who did they take, do you know him?" I inquired.
"Must be Mr. Gallagher. . ." The car drives off, leaving the now obvious Mrs. Gallagher in despair. "It's happening all over the place. They're turning into monsters. . ." I stare at the boy in shock.
"Tommy! Not one word!" We looked to the man yelling at the boy. "Get inside now!"
"Sorry, I'd better do as he says. . ." I narrow my eyes as the boy runs back to his father but with slight fear in his movements. The Doctor puts on his sunglasses again and runs over to the moped and kicks it into life.
"All aboard!" We quickly hop on and we raced after the police car. Rose and I hold on for dear life as the Doctor drives recklessly to catch up with them. We turn around the corner and stop short of a market stall. "Lost 'em! How'd they get away from us?" He asked bemused.
"Surprised they didn't turn back and arrest you for reckless driving, have you actually PASSED your test?!" Rose exclaimed as she unclenches her hands from the tight grip of the seat.
"Men in black? Vanishing police cars? This is Churchill's England, not Stalin's Russia!" The Doctor said not listening.
"Monsters," I tilted my head thoughtfully, "that boy said. . ." The Doctor turned to me. "Maybe we should go and ask the neighbours."
"That's what I like about you. The domestic approach." He said sweetly which I glared at.
"Was that an insult, Doctor?" But he starts the moped and we're off again, the Doctor ignoring my questioned. I sent my glare towards Rose when I heard her snickering and she quickly quieted. We soon stop in front of Tommy's house and we walk up the stair. The Doctor rings the bell. The angry man from before opens the door and he was greeted by us, as well as, the Doctor's and Rose's identical cheesy grins.
"Hiiiiii!" They said in a quite frankly adorable and annoying chorus while I simply give the man a blank look. This man reminded me too much of Vernon. He regards us with suspiciously while Tommy lurks in the background.
"Who are you, then?" He asked.
"Let's see then, judging by the look of you - family man, nice house, decent wage, fought in the war - therefore, I represent Queen and country!" The Doctor pulls out the psychic paper and holds it up with a flourish. "Just doing a little check of Her Majesty's forthcoming subjects 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 before he could protest with Rose and I quickly following after him. We all filed into the living room.
"Not bad, very nice! Very well kept! I'd like to congratulate you, Mrs . . .?" The Doctor asked the woman.
"Connolly." She answered timidly.
"Now then Rita, I can handle this. This gentleman's a proper representative!" I look towards the terrified woman and so wanted to reach out and comfort her. "Don't mind the wife, she rattles on a bit."
"Well, maybe she should rattle on a bit more." Both father and son looked at the Doctor in shock. "I'm not convinced you're doing your patriotic duty." He glances briefly at the flags around the room, waiting to be put up. "Nice flags. Why are they not flying?"
"There we are Rita, I told you - get them up, Queen and country!" Mr. Connolly told his wife after a nervous paused. I slowly begin to glare at the man, he was much worse than Vernon.
"I'm sorry -" Rita started a bit shakily. The Doctor moves over to Mr. Connolly.
"Get it done! Do it now." He ordered his wife.
"Hold on a minute -" The Doctor tries to grab Mr. Connolly's attention.
"Like the gentleman says -"
"Hold on a minute." The Doctor finally interrupted him. "You've got hands, Mr. Connolly. Two big hands! Why is that your wife's job?"
"It's housework, innit?" He questioned. I move to stand but the Doctor stopped me quickly.
"And that's a woman's job?" The Doctor asked, his eyes narrowed.
"Course it is!" Mr. Connolly exclaimed which caused me to spring from my seat.
"Mr. Connolly, what gender is the Queen?" I asked him with a calm voice as I came to stand in front of the man.
"She's a female." Mr. Connolly started to grow increasingly defensive. I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes at him.
"And are you suggesting the Queen does the housework?" I noticed a small smile grow on Tommy's face and the Doctor's as I win the confrontation. Mr. Connolly gives into logic after a moment of hesitation. I even noticed that Rita looked a little hearted at her husband's humiliation.
"No! Not at all!" I look over to the flags still laying about and pick up a string of them. I hand them over to him with an insistent stare.
"Then get busy." I commanded.
"Right, yes ma'am." He sets about hanging the flags, feigning enthusiasm. I give a satisfied nod and sat back down next to the Doctor, who gave me a proud smile. "You'll be proud of us, ma'am! We'll have Union Jacks left, right, and centre!" Rose suddenly rises, hands on her hips.
"'Scuse me, Mr. Connolly, hang on a minute! Union Jacks?" Mr. Connolly pauses in his work to look at her.
"Yes, that's right, isn't it?" He questioned. I watch on with a small smirk as Rose corrects the man.
"That's the Union Flag. It's the Union Jack only when it's flown at sea." Tommy's smile grows into a grin, as Mr. Connolly tries to humble himself.
"Oh. . .oh, I'm sorry, I do apologise!" Rose smiles widely.
"Well, don't get it wrong again, there's a good man." She said then with force. "Now get to it!" Mr. Connolly hastily gets back to work and I raised my hand for a high five which she accepted. We both grin as the Doctor looks at us slightly bewildered.
"Right then! Nice and comfy, at Her Majesty's leisure!" The Doctor exclaimed. "Union Flag?" He asked us quietly.
"Mum went out with a sailor." Rose told him.
"Oohohohoo! I bet she did!" He chuckled quietly then turn back to Rita and Tommy. "Anyway, I'm the Doctor, this is Jessa, and her sister Rose, and you are?" He looks at Tommy, who seems surprised to be noticed.
"Tommy." The Doctor and I shift aside, making a space for Tommy to sit between us.
"Come sit down, Tommy." I patted the empty spot while the Doctor motions for Rita to take the other chair. We all look at the television.
"Have a look at this. I love telly, don't you?" The Doctor asked them.
"Yeah, I think it's brilliant!" Tommy cheered.
"Good man!" We watch the programme, apparently about fossils, silently for a few moments before the Doctor turns around to check on Mr. Connolly. "Keep working Mr. C!" He turns back to Rita, dropping the cheerful act and speaks quietly, so that Mr. Connolly doesn't hear. "Now, why don't you tell us what's wrong?"
"Did you say you were a doctor?" Rita asked somewhat reluctantly.
"Yes I am." He answered.
"Can you help her? Oh please, can you help her, Doctor?" She begged him.
"Now then Rita, I don't think the gentleman needs to know. . ."
"No, the gentleman does!" The Doctor cuts Mr. Connolly off. Rita begins to cry and I rush to her side. I gently take her hands in mine and kneel in front of her.
"Tell us what's wrong. We can help." I tell her in a soft voice. Rita's sobs grow louder and she just shakes her head, helplessly. I give her hands a strong squeeze to get her attention. "Rita, you have to calm down. If you don't tell us what's wrong, we can't help. Come on, come on. . ." But she keeps crying. I look over to the Doctor to see him watching us in concern, a frown on his lips.
"Hold on a minute! Queen and country's one thing, but this is my house!" My eyes widen as I snapped my head towards Mr. Connolly. He's looking down at the flags in his hands then chucks them away. The Doctor props his head on his forearm and balled fist, appearing calm but I knew he was restraining himself. Rose was tense, along with Tommy.
"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!" I wrapped my arms around Rita, trying to quiet her crying and give her reassurance.
"All the people are being bundled into -" The Doctor started scathingly.
"I am talking!" Mr. Connolly shouted. The Doctor jumps from his seat and enters Mr. Connolly's space.
"And I'm not listening!" He raises his voice even louder than Mr. Connolly's. "Now you, Mr. Connolly, are staring into a deep, dark PIT of trouble if you don't let me help." The Doctor is literally spitting in Mr. Connolly's face as he looms over him. Mr. Connolly was clearly shaken as he takes a step back while Tommy and Rita looked scared of him.
"So I'm ordering you - SIR! - to tell me what's going on!" Mr. Connolly went to something to say but was stopped by the sound of something banging coming directly above them. I watch as Tommy looks around nervously and Rita sighs and shakes her head.
"She won't stop." Mr. Connolly said with a degree of fear. The banging continues, getting louder.
"We started hearing stories, all round the place. People who've. . .changed. 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 explained in a slightly shaky voice. The Doctor turns to regard him.
"Show me." The Doctor told him. Tommy leads us up the stairs and opens the door that the banging sound was coming from. The door creaks open and Tommy peeks around it cautiously.
"Gran? It's Tommy." He opens the door wider, allowing the rest of us to see inside the darkened room. "'S all right Gran, I've brought help." A silhouette moves slowly towards us. Tommy steps a little further inside the room. He turns on the light and the woman turned to us. My eyes widen in shock as I take in the featureless face, it was smoothed over like nothing was ever there. The Doctor moves to the older woman and peers at her blank face.
"Her face is completely gone." The Doctor mutters with an air of fascination. He takes out his sonic screwdriver and scan it. I moved to stand next to him, uneasy. "Scarcely an electrical impulse left. Almost complete neural shutdown, she's ticking over, like her brain has been. . .wiped clean." He puts the sonic screwdriver away, but continues to examine her face.
"What're we gonna do, Doctor? We can't even feed her!" I snap my head to the door at the sound of doors being slammed.
"Jessamine?" I heard the Doctor whisper. The front door is suddenly busted in and people start to rush into the house.
"We've got company. . ." Rose trailed off as she looked towards the stairway.
"It's them, they've come for her!" Rita cries.
"What was she doing before this happened? Where was she?" I hurriedly asked her. Rita hesitates as the policemen clamber up the stairs. "Tell us, quickly, think!"
"I can't think! She doesn't leave the house! She was just -" Tommy was cut off as a big, burly man and some supporting officers enter the room. The Doctor tries to buy us some time.
"Hold on a minute!" He steps in front of me to speak to the police. "There are three important, brilliant, and complicated reasons why you should listen to me. One, -" Much to my horror and slight amusement, the burly man punches the Doctor in the face, hard.
"Doctor!" I gasped as he collapses to the ground, unconscious. The men take the opportunity to throw a blanket over the woman and usher her to the stairs.
"Hey, wait a minute!" I tried to stopped them, only to be thrown aside.
"Jessa!" Rose shouts as Tommy catches me from falling to the ground.
"Thank you, Tommy. Now, go after them." Tommy nods his head and quickly follows after his parents and the policemen. I kneel over the Doctor and start to slap him on his cheeks. "Doctor! Doctor, wake up!" I continue to slap him then he suddenly sits up as if nothing happened.
"Ah, hell of a right hook! Have to watch out for that!" He quickly stands and belts down the stairs. Rose and I share an exasperated look then rushed after the Doctor. Just as we're about to leave the house, I pause at the entrance of the living room, noticing a red, buzzing tendrils of electricity coming out of the television.
"Rose, look." I pointed to the telly before heading towards it.
"Jessa! Rose! We're gonna lose them again!" The tendrils absorbed back into the television and I pause to look back at the entrance, torn on going to the Doctor or checking the television. Rose quickly follows after me and helps me turn the telly around to see the red electricity still buzzing along the aerial.
"Magpie Electricals." I read the large label then turned to Rose, who looked at me confused.
"What does it me?" She asked. I stand back up as the Connolly's come back into their living room.
"You!" Mr. Connolly pointed towards us. "Get the hell out of my house!"
"We're going, we're done!" Rose exclaimed as we walked towards them.
"It was lovely to meet you, Tommy, Rita." I shake their hands with a soft smile then glared at Mr. Connolly. "But not you." I smirked at his face turned pruce, a color I thought only Vernon could turn to. Rose chuckled as she wrapped an arm around mine.
"And only an idiot hands the Union Flag upside-down. Shame on you!" Rose told Mr. Connolly cheerfully and we race out of the house, laughing. I grab Rose's hand and pulled her down the street in the direction of Magpie's shop.
"Come on, Rose. We need to have a talk with that telly seller." I told her as we run down the street.
"I'm gonna break a heel if we keep running!" I chuckled but stopped running. Once we reached the store, I opened the door and let Rose enter first. Magpie looked at us nervously as we come in.
"Oh, I, I'm sorry miss, I'm afraid you're too late. I was just about to lock the door." I shut the door, signaling that we're staying.
"Yeah? Well, we wanna buy a telly." Rose told him.
"Come back tomorrow. Please." Magpie pleads.
"You'll be closed, won't you?" I questioned as I looked around at the tellys.
"What?" Magpie asked, genuinely confused.
"For the big day? The coronation . . ." Rose prompted.
"Yes, yes, of course. The big day." He tries to make us go away as we walk closer to him. "I'm sure you'll find somewhere to watch it. Please go."
"Seems like half of London's got a television, since you're practically giving them away." I said as I leaned against the counter.
"I have my reasons." I raised an eyebrow.
"And what are they?" I asked. I cocked my head to the side as one of the televisions turns on and a woman's face appears.
"Hungry! Hungry!" My eyes narrow with unease at the woman.
"What's that?" Rose asked as she moved towards the telly.
"It's just a television. One of these modern programmes. Now, I really do think you should leave! Right now!" Magpie exclaimed. I moved next to Rose.
"Not until you've answered our questions. How comes your televisions are so cheap?"
"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!" Rose and I smiled, 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?" I tilted my head to the side, pretending to think.
"Nope! We're not leaving 'til we've seen everything." I replied.
"I need to close." I crossed my arms and leaned into his personal space.
"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 asked him once more.
"I knew this would happen. I knew I'd be found out." I looked at him confused at his sudden turn of mood. He walks over to the door and locks it. Dread drops into my stomach like a heavy stone as I move in front of Rose.
"All right, then. So, what's this all about? What do you get out of this?" I questioned.
"For me? Perhaps some peace."
"From what?" Rose asked from around me.
"From HER." He glances over at the television screen. We follow his gaze.
"That's just a woman on the telly, that's just a programme." Rose told him.
"What a pretty little girl." Rose and I stare at the woman in shock.
"Oh, my God - are you talking to me?" Rose asked her.
"Yes, I'm talking to you, little girl. Unseasonably chilly for the time of year, don't you think?" I moved closer to the screen while pushing Rose to the door, my uneasy feeling growing stronger.
"What are you?" I asked her.
"I'm the Wire. And I'm hungrrrrrrrrryyyyyy. . . .!" She bares her teeth and a pinkish purplish bolts of electricity shoot out of the screen and encompass's my face.
"Jessa!" I heard Rose scream. I groan in pain as the electricity starts to suck at my face.
"Go, Rose! Find the Doctor!" I moaned out.
"Just think of that audience tomorrow, my dear. . ." I hear Magpie grunt and the doorbell ring as the door opens and slams shut. "All sitting down to watch the coronation. Twenty million people. Things will never be the same again."
"You won't win." I told him with one last whimper before my world goes dark.
JPDW
Doctor's pov
Bishop and I stand by the large map near his desk, looking at the pins tracing out where they picked up a faceless person.
"We started finding them about a month ago. Persons left sans visage. Heads just . . . blank." Bishop said.
"Is there any sort of pattern?" I asked while examining a file from the desk.
"Yes, spreading out from North London. All over the City. Men, women, kids. . .grannies. . .the only REAL lead is there's been quite a large number in-"
"Florizel Street." I finished for him. We both look up when someone knocks at the door.
"Found another one, sir. Along with this one." A policeman said as he drags in Rose with him.
"Let me go! I have to find the Doctor." She looks behind her. "Leave her alone!" She struggles in the man's grip.
"Rose?" I questioned confused. "What's wrong? What happened?" Rose looked at me with wide eyes and tears pouring down her cheeks.
"She told me to run . . . to find you. . ." She cries and rushes towards me once the man let her go.
"What do you mean? What's going on, Rose?" I asked again then looked up to look for Jessamine but she wasn't there. Dread began to spread through my veins and my heart starts to race. "Where's Jessamine, Rose?" Another police officer walks in leading a covered woman in. I noticed the familiar TARDIS blue skirt and white shoes.
"Oh, er, good man, Crabtree." Bishop said, "Here we are, Doctor. . ." I dropped the file on the table and walks pass Rose as I slowly move towards the covered figure. I didn't want to believe it, couldn't believe it. "Take a good look. See what you can deduce."
Crabtree takes the blanket off the blanket off to reveal Jessamine standing there, her face gone. My eyes widen with horror as I approach her.
"Jessamine." I breath and I cupped her face, my eyes racing back and forth. Everything was gone, her bright smile, her breathtaking green eyes, her laugh, her mind . . . everything that made her just gone. All that was left was an empty shell.
This couldn't be happening. I couldn't lose her. Not again.
"Do you know her?" Bishop asked.
"Know her? She's. . ." I trailed off, what exactly was Jessamine to me. A companion, a friend, or was she something more? Everyone voices faded into the background, they were meaningless to me. Everything was meaningless. I stared at the blank face in front of me. A few strands of her russet brown hair fell into her face and I brushed them back behind her ear. She would've blushed at the gesture, would've gave a shy smile and her eyes would shine a brighter green filled with love and fondness. I adored those actions and now, they were snatched away and it hurt. She was everything to me, a luminous light that shined through the endless darkness that surrounded me. It felt like I couldn't breathe, I needed her back. She was slowly but surely becoming my life, my entire world.
"They found her in the street, apparently," Crabtree's voice managed to cut through the haze I was in, "over at Master Square, with this one leading her. Cause a bloody riot about not leaving her."
"That's unusual," Bishop agreed, "that's the first one out in the open. Heaven help us if something happens in public tomorrow for the big day, we'll have Torchwood on our back, make no mistake." I blink out of my heartbroken gaze as Crabtree's words hits me.
"They did what?" I asked coldly, interrupting them. I could feel Rose start to become tense next to me as my anger grew. I was going to save her and I was going to make whatever that did this, suffer.
"I'm sorry?"
"They left her where?" I said with forced calm as I turn to Rose. Rose watched me warily.
"Just. . .in the street." She said in a small voice. "She told me to run, to find you. Pushed me out of the way. But. . ." She looks towards her sister. "I hid in the alley, they tossed her out and. . ."
"In the street." I breathe heavily. "They left her in the street. They took her face and just chucked her out and left her in the street. And as a result, that makes things. . .simple. Very, very simple. Do you know why?" I take off my glasses and turn to the two men.
"No. . ." Bishop said slowly.
"Because NOW," I shouted furious, "Detective Inspector Bishop, there is no power on this Earth that can stop me. Rose, take care of Jessamine. Come on!" Without a moment's hesitation, I make for the door. We burst out of the gates into the dawn sunlight.
"The big day dawns. . ." I don't reply. I move on immediately going to the one person that knows what's going on. I ring the doorbell to the Connolly's house once we arrived. Tommy opens the door.
"Tommy, talk to me." Tommy steps outside the door, closing it behind him. "I need to know exactly what happened inside your house." Mr. Connolly pulls the door open violently and rounds on Tommy.
"What the blazes do you think you're doing?" Mr. Connolly asked him roughly causing the boy to jerk back.
"I wanna help, dad." Tommy told him.
"Mr. Connolly. . ." I said warningly. Nothing and no one was going to get in my way to save Jessamine. Mr. Connolly turns on me.
"Shut your face, you. Whoever you are. We can handle this ourselves." He turns back to Tommy. I glared at the man, so wishing to punch him in the face. "Listen you, little twerp. You're hardly out of the bloomin' cradle, so I don't expect you to understand. But I've got a position to maintain. People round here respect me. It MATTERS what people THINK."
"Is that why you did it, dad?" Tommy questioned him.
"What d'you mean? Did what?" Mr. Connolly asked taken back.
"You ratted on gran. How else would the police know where to look? Unless some coward told them. . ."
"How DARE you? You think I fought a war just so a mouthy little scum like you could call me a coward?"
"You don't get it, do you? You fought AGAINST fascism, remember? People telling you how to live, who you could be friends with, who you could fall in love with, who could live and who had to die. Don't you get it? You were fighting so that little twerps like me could DO what we want. SAY what we want. Now you've become just like them. You've been informing on everyone, haven't you? Even gran. ALL to protect your precious reputation."
"Eddie. . .is that true?" I held back the frustrated sigh that wanted to escape when Rita came out and joined the conversation.
"I did it for US, Rita!" He defended himself, " She was FILTHY. A filthy, disgusting THING."
"She's my mother." Rita answered shocked. "All the others, you informed on all the people in our street, our friends."
"I had to." Mr. Connolly flails slightly. "I did the right thing. . .!"
"The right thing for us. . .or for you, Eddie?" Rita turns to Tommy. "You go, Tommy. You go with the Doctor and do some good. Get away from this house. It's poison. We had a ruddy monster under this roof, all right, but it weren't my mother!" She goes back inside, slamming the door on Mr. Connolly face. I turn to Tommy.
"Tommy?" I said softly. Tommy joins us and we walk away down the street, leaving Mr. Connolly alone, locked outside his house. The streets were busy as people for a street party. "Tommy, tell me about that night. The night she changed."
"She was just watching the telly." He told me. I stopped as it hits me. I look up at the TV aerials.
"Rose said it and Jessamine . . ." I run a hand through my hair. "She KNEW something was going on, of COURSe she did. The price . . . all these aerials in one little street," I turned to Tommy and point at the aerials, "how come?"
"Bloke up the road, Mr. Magpie, he's selling them cheap. . ." Tomy had barely finished his sentence when I booked it down the road. I look back to see Tommy and Bishop in the same spot I left them.
"Come on!" I shouted back. I smashed the glass in Magpie's door with my fist to gain entry to the shop.
"Hey, you can't do that-" Bishop protested but I ignore him. I open the door and stride to the counter.
"Shops?" I yelled while pressing the bell on the counter repeatedly. "If you're here, come out and talk to me! MAGPIE!" I shout to the back of the shop.
"Maybe he's out." Tommy suggested.
"Looks like it. . ." I ground out then start to rifle through the drawers behind the counter. I find a device that looks like a cross between a portable radio and TV. "Oh, hello. . .this isn't right. This is very much not right." I pick it up and lick it, much to the surprise of Tommy and Bishop. Jessamine would of made a face and laugh at my reaction then would tell me to stop tasting things.
"Tastes like iron. Bakelite." I place it down on the counter. "Put together with human hands, yes, but the design itself. . ." I scan it with the sonic screwdriver. "Oh, beautiful work. That is so simple."
"That's incredible. It's like a television, but portable. A portable television!" I raise the sonic screwdriver and point it around the room. All of the televisions turn on to static.
"It's not the only power source in this room. . ." As the screwdriver whirrs, the static gradually fades away and on each screen is a different face, they all looked terrified, mouthing pleas for help.
"Gran?" Tommy looks horrified as he stares at the television with his grandmother's face on it.
I look at all of the televisions then finally found the one that had Jessamine's face. She was looking up, almost like she was looking up at me and I down at her. I squinted to read her lips as she said something. 'Doctor! Be careful!' She mouthed over and over again. I kneel before the screen, feeling both sad and intense. This trip was to help cheer her up after losing Mickey to the other world. I was finally going to tell her how I felt but now she would never know if I don't save her.
"I'm on my way." I whispered to her, running a finger over the screen along her cheek.
"What do you think you're doing?" Magpie called, entering from the back of the shop. I rounded on his, thunderous.
"I want my love restored and I think that's beyond a little backstreet electrician so tell me, who's really in charge here?" Magpie flinches back from my anger.
"Yoohoo! I think that must be me." A woman appears on one of the screens. I turned to her, surprised. "Ooh, this one's smart as paint." I slowly approach the television.
"Is she talking to us?" Bishop asked.
"Sorry gentlemen, I'm . . . I'm afraid you've brought this on yourselves. May I introduce you to my new. . .friend."
"Jolly nice to meet you."
"Oh my God, it's her, that woman off the telly."
"No, it's just using her image." I told him.
"What. . .what are you?" Tommy asked her.
"I'm the Wire, and I will gobble you up, pretty boy. Every last morsel. And when I have feasted, I shall regain the corporeal body, which my fellow-kind denied me." The screen gradually colorizes.
"Good Lord, colour television!" Bishop exclaimed.
"So you own people tried to stop you?" I questioned her.
"They executed me. But I escaped in this form and fled across the stars." She explained with a smirk.
"And now you're trapped in the television." The smirk fades from the Wire's face, and with it, the colour from the television.
"Not for much longer."
"Is this what got my gran?" Tommy asked me.
"Yes, Tommy. It feeds off the electrical activity of the brain, but it gorges itself like a great overfed pig. Taking people's faces, their essences, it stuffs itself." I replied.
"And you let her do it, Magpie." Bishop turns to him.
"I had to! She allowed me my face! She's promised to release me at the time of manifestation." Magpie cried.
"What does that mean?"
"The appointed time, my crowning glory." The Wire hints at the meaning.
"Doctorm the coronation!"
"For the first time in history, millions gathered around a television set," I walk closer to her, gloating. "But you're not strong enough yet, are you? You can't do it all from here. That's why you need this!" I produce the portable television. "You need something more powerful! This will turn a big transmitter into a big receiver."
"What a clever thing you are! But why fret about it? Why not just relax? Kick off your shoes and enjoy the coronation. Believe me, you'll be glues to the screen." Lines of red sparking light suddenly shoots out and pulls at Tommy's, Bishop's, and mine faces.
"Doctor!" Tommy and Bishop yell in distress.
"Hungry! Hungry! The Wire is hungry! Ah! This one is tasty. Oh! I'll have lashings of him! Delicious! Ah!" I slowly pull out the sonic screwdriver, pulling it up towards my face with effort. "Armed! He's armed and clever! Withdraw! Withdraw!" She severs the connection between herself and us, the three of us fall to the floor, unconscious. I groan as I come to and jerk back in shock when I came face to face with the faceless Inspector.
"Tommy, wake up! Tommy! Come on!" I shaked the boy's shoulder.
"What happened?" He asked. I look around the shop.
"Where's Magpie?" We both run outside the shop but Magpie is nowhere in sight.
"We don't even know where to start looking, it's too late." Tommy said.
"It's never too late, as a wise person once said, Kylie I think . . . But the Wire's got a big plan. . .so it'll need. . .yes, yes, yes, it's got to harness half the population. . .millions and millions of people. . .and where are we?" I rambled as I turn back to Tommy.
"Muswell Hill." He told me.
"Muswell Hill, Muswell Hill! Which means. . ." I look around until I spot a large building on the horizon and gestured to it with both hands. "Alexandra place, biggest TV transmitter in North London! Ohh! That's why they chose this place! Tommy?"
"What are you going to do?" He asked.
"We're going shopping." I dashed back inside the shop. Tommy and I start gathering equipment. Tommy holds up a device.
"Is this what you want?" He questioned.
"Perfect! Right, I need one more thing." I give the equipment to Tommy. We run out to the streets, our arms loaded with equipment as we head to the TARDIS. Tommy stays outside as I got the item I needed from the TARDIS. "Got it, let's go."
We run down the street while I plug in a device into the huge equipment bank that Tommy is carrying. We're just outside Alexandra Place when Tommy points up to the pylon.
"There!" I look up and saw Magpie slowly climbing up the pylon.
"Come on!" We run down an alleyway going pass a officer.
"Woah, woah, woah! Where do you think-" I hold up the psychic paper quickly as we run pass. "Oh! I'm sorry sir! Shouldn't you be at the coronation?"
"They're saving me a seat." I shouted back to the man.
"Who did he think you were?" Tommy asked as we rounded a corner. I look at the psychic paper.
"King of Belgium, apparently." We quickly entered the control room and I began to build a machine that would help us defeat the wire. "Keep it switched on. Don't let anyone stop you, Tommy. Everything depends on it. You understand?" Tommy nods. I sprint out of the room and back around the corner, pasting the confused official again. A trailing stream of magnetic recording tape behind me from a reel around my waist. I run up the metal stairs and begin to climb up the transmitter, following Magpie.
"You'll get yourself killed up there! Your Majesty!" I quickly climb up the transmitter to catch up with Magpie.
"I shall consume you. . .Doctor." I cry out as I'm blasted in the face with a red light.
"I won't let you do this, Magpie!" I shouted up to him.
"Help me Doctor! It burns! It took my face, my soul!" Magpie cries.
"You cannot stop the Wire. Soon I shall become manifest." I'm blasted with another beam of light.
"No more of this! You promised me peace!" Magpie begged the Wire.
"And peace you shall have." Magpie yells in pain as he's blown into thousands of particles with the red light. The Wire laughs as Magpie disappears. I try to touch the portable TV but was zapped by the red sparks.
"Been burning the candle at both ends? You've overextended yourself missus. You shouldn't have had a crack at poor old Magpie there." I pick up the TV as I'm zapped in the foot. "Rubber souls! Swear by them!" I inserts a switch into the TV, but nothing happens.
"Oh dear! Has our little plan gone horribly wrong, Doctor?" The Wire laughs at I stare down at the box, horrified. This wasn't supposed to happen, it was supposed to work. 'I failed.' I thought before the light beams began to retreat from the pylons and into the portable television. She writhes and wails with pain.
"It's closed down, I'm afraid and no epilogue." I told the Wire. With one last piercing shriek from the Wire, the television switches off.
JPDW
Jessa's pov
I let out a loud gasp of breath and took a deep breath in before raising my hands to touch my face.
"Jessa?" I turned to the voice and found Rose staring at me with wide eyes, her bottom lip trembling.
"Rose." I shot out of the chair I was sitting in and brought my little sister into my arms. I held onto her tight as she cried into my shoulder. "It's okay, I'm okay. I'm here, Rosie. I'm here." I buried my face into her hair and took a deep breath, her shampoo and perfume calming me.
"Jessie, I-I thought. . ." She hiccups as she pulls back, her eyes red and swollen. I give her a soft chuckle and wiped her tears away. "I thought I lost you."
"You will never lose me, Rose. Never." I told her as we hug again. We look up as a group of people walked through the office. We followed them outside and watched as they greeted loved ones. I looked around the crowd for the Doctor when someone taps my shoulder. I spunned around to come face to face with him.
"Doctor!" I exclaimed with joy and throw my arms around his next.
"Jessamine!" He twirls us around in a big circle. I cling to him, grinning widely and bury my face into his shoulder. "It's good to have you back." He whispered in my ear.
"It's good to be back." I whispered back and tighten my grip. We held onto each other for a few more minutes before letting each other go. "Let's go celebrate." The Doctor chuckles as he takes my hand and we walk down the road. People were dancing and talking as they passed out drinks and snacks.
"We could go down the mall, join in with the crowd." Rose offered. The Doctor leans towards the table and grabs a Victoria sponge.
"Nah, that's just pomp and circumstance. This is history right here." He takes a bite out of the cake before offering it to me.
"The domestic approach?" I asked with a raised eyebrow before taking a bite from the cake.
"Exactly." He replied, his cheeks slightly flushed causing Rose to laugh.
"Will it. . .that thing. . .is it trapped for good, on video?" She asked.
"Hope so. Just to be on the safe side though, I'll use my unrivaled knowledge of trans temporal extirpation methods to neutralise the residual electronic pattern." I snorted in laughter as Rose looked at him confused.
"You what?"
"He's going to tape over it." I told her.
"Just leave it to me, I'm always doing that." She laughed. I nudge the Doctor's side and point over to Tommy once I had his attention. We walk over to him and sit on either side of him.
"Tell you what Tommy, you can have the scooter. Little present." I raised an eyebrow and cross my arms at the Doctor. "Uh, best. . .um. . .keep it in the garage for a few years though, eh?" The Doctor quickly corrected himself.
"Good riddance." Tommy said as he stares over the Doctor's shoulder. We all look behind us to see Mr. Connolly walking down the street with a small case.
"Is that it then, Tommy? New monarch, new age, new world, no room for a man like Eddie Connelly." The Doctor asked him with a serious expression.
"That's right. He deserves it." I glanced at Tommy then towards the retreating back of his father, sensing the hint of unconditional love underneath his harsh words.
"Tommy," He turns to me and I gave his a soft smile, "go after him."
"What for?" He asked confused.
"He's your dad." Tommy frowns and looks back towards him.
"He's an idiot." I chuckled at that and placed a hand under his chin to make him face me again.
"That he is, Tommy." I brush his hair to the side. "But you're clever. Clever enough to save the world. Don't you think he could use a little saving too?" I smile and gave him a nudge. Tommy wraps his arms around my waist, shocking me.
"Thank you." He whispered then let's go to run after his dad. The Doctor stood up and wrapped an arm around my waist as we watched them walk side by side. Tommy takes his dad's bag as they continue to walk down the street. I watch them fondly, thinking about John and Harry before glass of orange juice appears in front of my face. I take the glass and turned to the Doctor. He holds out his glass and we clinked our glasses together, smiling.
JPDW
"Is something wrong?" I asked the Doctor once we were back in the TARDIS. Rose had gone straight to her room to change and rest. The Doctor stood by console with his hands in his pockets. I moved over to him and placed a hand on his arm. "Doctor?" He turned to me and took a hold of my hand.
"I thought I was going to lose you today and that. . .I couldn't live with myself if I never got to tell you." He said softly. I furrow my brow in confusion.
"Tell me what, Doctor?" He stares at me for a moment before cupping my cheek.
"I love you." My eyes widen in shock as he leans in and places a soft kiss to my lips. I let out a sigh as my eyes flutter close and enjoyed the sweet kiss. When he pulled back, he pressed his forehead against mine and I opened my eyes to look at him, a light blush on my cheeks. I gave him a shy smile as we gaze into each other eyes.
"I love you too." I whispered back. The Doctor eyes shined bright with joy and pulled me into his arms. I laughed as he pressed a few kiss to my face before snuggling his face into my neck and holds me tight. I just smiled and press a kiss to his temple, so happy that he reciprocated my love for him.
