Vincent, the Doctor, and the Professor
Amy excitedly entered the Van Gogh exhibit in the Musee D'Orsay, looking around at all the paintings as an older man in a bow tie gave a lecture.
"So this is one of the last paintings Van Gogh ever painted. Those final months of his life were probably the most astonishing artistic outpouring in history. It was like Shakespeare knocking off Othello, Macbeth, and King Lear over the summer hols. And especially astonishing because Van Gogh did it with no hope of praise or reward…"
"Thanks for bringing me," Amy turned to smile at the Doctor and Professor as they stood behind her, the Doctor's arm around the Professor's waist.
"You're welcome," the Professor returned the smile.
"You're being so nice to me. Why are you being so nice to me?"
"We're always nice to you," the Doctor countered.
"Not like this. These places you're taking me…Arcadia, the Trojan Gardens, now this. I think it's suspicious."
"Well, it's not. There's nothing to be suspicious about."
The Professor leaned over to whisper, "She was joking."
Amy nodded, "Why aren't you?"
"Each of these pictures now is worth tens of millions of pounds," the lecturer continued, "Yet in his lifetime, he was a commercial disaster. Sold only one painting, and that to the sister of a friend. We have here possibly the greatest artist of all time, but when he died, you could sold his entire body of work and got about enough money to buy a sofa and a couple of chairs. If you follow me now..."
"Who is it?" a little boy asked his friend as they looked at a portrait of an older man.
"It's the doctor!" his friend shouted. The Doctor, of course, spun around at the shout to see them looking at the 'Portrait of Dr. Gachet,' "He was the doctor who took care of Van Gogh when he started to go mad."
"I knew that."
Amy grabbed the Professor's arm suddenly and pulled her towards a painting, 'The Church at Auvers,' holding up her guidebook as the Doctor followed, "Look! There it is, the actual one."
"Yes," the Doctor smiled, "You can almost feel his hand painting it right in front of you. Carving the colors into shapes..."
"Wait a minute," the Professor frowned, her gaze narrowing down on a peculiar black shape in the corner of the window, automatically knowing it was not meant to be there.
"What?" Amy asked.
"Look at that," she pointed it out.
"What?"
"Something very not good indeed," the Doctor nodded.
"What thing very not good?"
"Look there," the Professor pointed closer, "In the window of the church."
"Is it a face?"
"Yes," the Doctor sighed, "And not a nice face at all. I know evil when I see it and I see it in that window," he turned around and made his way over to the lecturer.
"It has changed hands for something in the region of 20..." he was saying when the Doctor stepped up.
"Excuse me, if I can just interrupt for one second," he quickly flashed the psychic paper at the man, "Sorry, everyone. Routine inspection, Ministry of Art and...Artiness. So, um..."
"Dr. Black," the lecturer introduced.
"Yes, that's right. Do you know when that picture of the church was painted?"
"Ah, what an interesting question. Most people..."
"I'm going to have to hurry you. When was it?"
"Exactly?"
"As exactly as you can. Without a long speech, if poss. I'm in a hurry."
"Well, in that case, probably somewhere between the 1st and 3rd of June."
"What year?"
"1890. Less than a year before he killed himself."
"Thank you, sir. Very helpful indeed. Nice bow tie," he smirked at Amy, "Bow ties are cool."
"Yours is very..."
"Oh, thank you. Keep telling them stuff," he patted Black on the back and pulled the Professor out through the crowd, pushing Amy ahead of him, "We need to go."
"What about the other pictures?" Amy tried to look back.
"Art can wait," the Professor told her, ushering her forward as well.
"This is life and death," the Doctor agreed, shoving her out the door.
"We need to talk to Vincent Van Gogh."
They hurried down the stairs, away from the exhibit, when the Professor glanced at the Doctor, "You know I could have just told you when he painted that."
He grinned, "I know, but he was wearing a bow tie!"
She just shook her head at him, him and his bow ties...
~8~
The TARDIS materialized in a dark alley at night, the Doctor and Professor quickly stepping out and heading down it with Amy following.
"Right, so here's the plan," the Doctor began, "We find Vincent and he leads us straight to the church and our nasty friend."
"Easy peasy," Amy smirked.
"Well, no. I suspect nothing will be easy with Mr. Van Gogh. Now, he'll probably be in the local café, sort of orangey light, chairs and tables outside."
Amy pulled out her small guidebook and opened it to 'The Café Terrace on the Place du Forum, Arles, at Night,' and held it in front of the Doctor's face, "Like this?"
"That's the one."
"Or indeed like that," she dropped it to reveal the café right in front of them at the end of the alley.
"Yes, exactly like that," the Professor nodded, "Good job Amy!"
They walked over to where a few waitresses were cleaning the tables outside, a man in a suit standing in the entrance way.
"Good evening," the Doctor greeted the man, "Does the name Vincent Van Gogh ring a bell?"
"Don't mention that man to me," the man glared and stormed back inside.
The Professor frowned and turned to the waitresses, "Excuse me. Do you know Vincent Van Gogh?"
"Unfortunately," one of the women huffed.
"Unfortunately?" Amy raised an eyebrow.
"He's drunk, he's mad, and he never pays his bills."
"Good painter, though, eh?" the Doctor smiled.
The waitresses and patrons started to laugh. The Doctor pouted and sat down at one of the tables, dejected, the Professor just moving to stand beside him, her hand on his shoulder.
"Come on!" a man with a soft Holland accent shouted from inside, "Come on! One painting for one drink. That's not a bad deal."
The same man from before strode out with a canvas, a red-haired man following behind, Vincent Van Gogh in the flesh. Amy and the Doctor reacted in quiet, giddy excitement as the Professor laughed softly at them though smiled widely.
"It wouldn't be a bad deal if the painting were any good," the man replied, "I can't hang that up on my walls. It'd scare the customers half to death," he held up the painting beside the man, "It's bad enough having you in here in person, let alone looming over the customers day and night in a stupid hat. You pay money or you get out."
"We'll pay if you like," the Professor called.
"What?"
"Well, if you like," the Doctor nodded, "We'll pay for the drink. Or we'll pay for the painting and you can use the money to pay for the drink."
"Exactly who are you?" Vincent glared.
"We're...new in town."
"Well, in that case, you don't know three things. One, I pay for my own drinks, thank you…" everyone laughed at that, "Two, no one ever buys any of my paintings or they would be laughed out of town, so if you want to stay in town, I suggest you keep your cash to yourself. And three, your friend's cute," he jerked a thumb at Amy, "But you should keep your big nose out of other people's business," he turned back to the owner, "Come on, just one more drink. I'll pay tomorrow."
"No," the man glared.
"Or, on the other hand, slightly more compassionately, yes?"
"Or, on the other hand, to protect my business from madmen, no."
"Or…"
"Oh, look, just shut up the pair of you!" Amy cut in and walked over, "I would like a bottle of wine, please, which I will then share with whomever," she looked at Vincent, "I choose."
"That could be good."
"That's good by me," the man agreed.
"Good," Amy smirked and headed inside. The man followed after her and pressed the canvas into Vincent's chest. Vincent sighed, glancing down at his 'Self Portrait with Straw Hat' before following.
~8~
The Doctor and Amy sat across from Vincent and the Professor at a little table in the café, the humans sipping wine.
"That accent of yours," Vincent eyed Amy, "You from Holland like me?"
"No," Amy said at the same time as the Doctor said, "Yes."
"Born in Holland," the Professor cut in, "Raised in Scotland."
Vincent nodded.
"So," the Doctor held out a hand, "Start again. Hello, I'm the Doctor."
"I knew it!" Vincent glared.
"Sorry?"
"My brother's always sending doctors, but you won't be able to help."
"No, not that kind of doctor," he laughed.
"I'm the Professor," the Professor introduced herself as well, "She's Amy."
The Doctor nodded at the unfinished 'La Meridienne' sitting beside Vincent, "That's incredible, don't you think, Amy?"
"Absolutely," Amy grinned, "One of my favorites."
"One of my favorite whats?" Vincent frowned, "You've never seen my work before."
"Ah, yes. One of my favorite paintings that I've ever seen. Generally."
"Then you can't have seen many paintings, then. I know it's terrible. It's the best I could do. Your hair is orange."
"Yes," she leaned forward, "So's yours."
"Yes. It was more orange, but now is, of course, less."
The Professor had to wonder vaguely if this was how Amy felt when she and the Doctor tended to flirt. It was a bit nauseating. But then again, it was different when the couple flirting was married as opposed to a single man and a would-be-engaged-had-her-fiancé-not-been-erased-from-time woman.
"So, Vincent," the Doctor cut into the flirting, "Painted any churches recently? Any churchy plans? Are churches, chapels, religiousy stuff like that, something you'd like to get into? You know, fairly soon?"
"Well, there is one church I'm thinking of painting when the weather is right…" Vincent remarked.
"That is very good news."
Just then a woman screamed, "She's been murdered! Help me!"
"That, on the other hand, is not," the Professor jumped up and ran out with the Doctor.
"Come on, Amy, Vincent!" the Doctor called over his shoulder.
They ran out the door and into the same alley they'd come from to find a small group of locals gathered around the body of a young girl, lying on the cobblestone.
"She's been ripped to shreds!" a man shouted.
"Please, let me look," the Doctor pushed his way through, "I'm a doctor."
"Who is it?" another woman called.
"Oh, no, no, no," the Doctor knelt beside the girl as Vincent did as well.
"Is she dead?" another man asked.
An older woman pushed her way through, gasping at the sight, "Away, all of you vultures! This is my daughter!" she fell to her knees, caressing her daughter, "Giselle. What monster could have done this?" she glared at the Doctor, "Get away from her!"
The Doctor and Vincent quickly stood, backing away to Amy and the Professor, "Ok, ok."
"Get that madman out of here!" the mother shouted, grabbing a stone and throwing it at Vincent, only for the Professor to grab it midair and glare right back.
Unfortunately the crowd took hold of the idea and threw stones as well, all blaming Vincent. The Doctor and Professor pushed them back out of the alley, the Professor catching a stone here or there, keeping some from hitting them as they ran off.
"You bring this on us!" the mother shouted as they ran, "Your madness! You! He's to blame!"
They ran around the corner at the end of the alley, stopping to catch their breath, "Are you alright?" the Professor looked over at Vincent.
"Yes, I'm used to it," he panted.
"Has anything like this murder happened here before?"
"Only a week ago. It's a terrible time."
"As we thought, as we thought," the Doctor sighed, "Come on, we'd better get you home."
"Where are you staying tonight?"
The Doctor grinned and clapped Vincent on the shoulder, "Oh, you're very kind," before taking the Professor's hand and strolling off down the alley.
~8~
Vincent led the way, through a maze of buildings, towards his cottage, "Dark night, very starry," the Doctor commented.
"It's not much," Vincent warned, "I live on my own. But you should be ok for one night. ONE night."
"We're going to stay with him?" Amy turned to the Doctor and Professor quietly.
"Until he paints that church," the Professor nodded.
Vincent lit a lamp and pulled off his hat, "Watch out. That one's wet."
"What?" Amy looked over, only to gasp at the sight of the painting 'Bedroom in Arles' hanging there.
Vincent hung his hat on a hook and stepped into his cottage, the Doctor and Professor following. They stopped short, seeing the room full of dozens of paintings in different stages of completion, "Sorry about all the clutter," he muttered.
"Some clutter," the Doctor breathed.
"I've come to accept the only person who's going to love my paintings is me."
"Wow," Amy entered, still in awe, "I mean, really. Wow."
The Doctor and Professor looked around at 'Blossoming Almond Tree,' 'Prisoners Exercising (after Dore),' and 'Wheat Field with Cypresses.'
"Yeah, I know it's a mess. I'll have a proper clear out. I must, I really must," Amy looked over at the 'La Berceuse,' "Coffee, anyone?"
"Not for us, thanks," the Professor called, still looking around.
The Doctor popped his head into the next room to see Vincent putting his coffee down on 'Still life: Basket with Six Oranges,' "You know you should be careful with these. They're...precious."
Vincent merely wiped the coffee ring with his hand, "Precious to me. Not precious to anyone else."
"They're precious to me!" Amy called from the next room, entering with the Professor.
"Well, you're very kind. And kindness is most welcome."
"Right, so, this church, then," the Doctor clapped, "Near here, is it?"
Vincent eyed him as he moved to get wood for the fire, "What is it with you and the church?"
"Oh, just casually interested in it, you know."
"Far from casual. Seems to me you never talk about anything else," he glanced at the women, "He's a strange one."
"Tell me about it," the Professor rolled her eyes playfully before taking the Doctor's arm, "But I rather like strange," she rose on her toes and gave him a peck, "Ordinary is far too...well, ordinary."
He have a little laugh as he smiled at her, dropping a kiss onto her hair, before turning to Vincent, "Ok, so let's talk about you. What are you interested in?"
"Look around," he gestured with open arms, "Art. It seems to me there's so much more to the world than the average eye is allowed to see. I believe, if you look hard, there are more wonders in this Universe than you could ever have dreamed of."
"You don't have to tell me," the Doctor smiled, his gaze on the Professor, who blushed but beamed at him.
Vincent looked at them, having noticed their wedding rings, and smiled.
~8~
The Doctor was sitting in a chair by the fire as Vincent manically explained his views on art, "It's color. Color that holds the key. I can hear the colors. Listen to them. Every time I step outside, I feel nature is shouting at me. 'Come on. Come and get me. Come on. Come on!'" he gripped the Doctor's lapels, "'Capture my mystery!'"
"Maybe you've had enough coffee now," the Doctor slowly pried the man's hands away, "How about some nice calming tea? Let's get you a cup of chamomile or something, shall we? Professor? Amy? Where're they?"
Amy screamed.
"Doctor!" the Professor shouted from outside.
"No!" he jumped up and ran out, "No. NO!" he ran out the doors and looked around, "Professor! Amy!" they were huddled in the yard, Amy on her knees, the Professor on one knee, crouched beside her, with her blaster out, scanning the area, "What happened?" he ran over to them.
"We were having a look at the paintings out here when something hit her from behind," the Professor reported, tense, on alert.
"It's ok," he reached out and slowly lowered the Professor's arm, "Whatever it was is gone now and I'm here."
Vincent suddenly held up his hands in fright, "No!" he backed away, fearful.
"Take it easy," the Doctor turned to him, "Take it easy!"
"What's happening?" Amy asked, "What's he doing?"
Vincent grabbed a large wooden fork from the ground and held it out in front of him like a weapon.
"I don't know…" with a shout Vincent ran towards them, "Oh, dear."
The Professor pulled the Doctor back and Vincent ran past them, shouting, "Run. Run!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," the Doctor nodded, "That's not a bad idea. Amy, get back. He's having some kind of fit. I'll try to calm him down," he got up and moved to stand before Vincent as he lashed out at something, Amy running to the doorway and watching.
"Doctor, I don't think it's a fit!" the Professor called.
"Easy, Vincent, easy," he tried to calm the man, "Look, look. It's me, it's me, it's me. It's the Doctor, look…" he glanced at the Professor who had her blaster up again, "Well, what else could it be?"
"Can't you hear that?" she shouted.
"Hear what?"
She frowned, hearing a soft stomping, twigs cracking, the ground creaking as something walked over it, a faint panting as well, "There's something out there!"
"Look out!" Vincent shouted as the Doctor was thrown to the ground. There was a roar and something slashed at one of the paintings near Amy, leaving three claw marks down it.
"I can't see anything!" Amy shrieked, "What is it?"
The Professor ran to the Doctor's side, helping him up as Vincent turned to fight off whatever was attacking them, clearly able to see it.
"That is a good question," the Doctor grabbed a stick and ran to join Vincent, ushering the Professor over to Amy's side to protect her, "Let me help you."
"You can see him, too?" Vincent looked at him, but the Doctor just ran to a different area of the yard, waving the stick around.
"Yes. Ish. Well, no. Not really."
The creature roared and the Doctor was thrown back again, over a table, landing at Vincent's feet.
"You couldn't see him?"
"No. Oi!" he pushed himself up and began batting the stick around. Vincent shook his head and turned to the actual direction the creature was in when a light flew past him, striking the beast.
It let out a cry of pain and ran from the yard. Vincent whirled around to see the Professor stepping out from behind the paintings, her blaster out, watching as the trees and bushes moved as the creature ran.
"Did you see it too?" he asked her.
She lowered her blaster, "No, but you could," she responded, reaching back to help Amy stand, "I just aimed where you were looking."
He nodded and they glanced over at the Doctor, watching as he still tried to fight it off. The Professor was tempted to wait and see how long it would take before he realized the creature had left, but Vincent called out to him, "He's gone!"
"Oh, right," the Doctor spun around, "Yes, of course," he tossed down the stick and strolled over.
~8~
"Right," the Doctor sighed as they stood in Vincent's cottage, "So he's invisible? What did he look like?"
"I'll show you," he grabbed one of his paintings of irises and painted over it with white.
"Oh, no, no, no!"
"What?" he looked up to see them looking at it in horror.
"It's just...that was quite a good..." he sighed, "On you go."
Vincent quickly sketched out the creature with his charcoal, the trio watching intently. He stepped back, showing a reptilian, bird-like creature with a beak and talons.
"Ok," the Doctor nodded, taking the sketch and holding it up to the Professor, "What is it?"
"I have no idea," she replied.
He grinned a bit, lowering the painting, almost smug, "Say that again?"
She just whacked him on the arm, "If it's invisible, how would I know what it actually looks like?"
"Right," he conceded, before sighing, "Amy, make Mr. Van Gogh comfortable. Professor, don't let any invisible monsters in through the front door."
"But it could be outside, waiting!" Amy argued, seeing him heading for the door.
"Don't worry, I'll risk it," he replied, "What's the worst that can happen?"
"You could get torn into pieces by a monster you can't see," the Professor remarked dryly.
"Oh, right, yes," he nodded, "That. Don't worry," he reached out and took her hand, "I'll try my level best not to."
She sighed, "Use your senses," she told him, "Notice everything, every shadow that doesn't have a source, every item that moves with no one around it..."
He smiled at her concern and tugged her closer, kissing her deeply, pouring his promise to look after himself into it, 'I'll be fine," he whispered to her, resting his forehead against hers.
'I don't like it when I'm not there to help you,' she admitted to him softly, 'You need me to watch your back.'
'I need you to watch theirs this time,' he replied, pulling back just a bit to stroke her cheek in comfort, 'I'll come back, safe and sound.'
'You better.'
'I will. I promised I'd always come back to you didn't I?'
She smiled softly at that, 'That you did.'
"I'll be back before you can say, 'Where's he got to now?'" he told her, out loud, giving her one more peck.
She rolled her eyes but nodded, knowing he wanted her to stay with the humans so they would have some form of protection. He winked at her and turned to leave.
Amy turned to face Vincent when the Doctor jumped back into the room with a shout of, "Not that fast!" Amy jumped but the Professor seemed to be expecting it, "But pretty fast. See you around," he laughed and left again.
"Oi!" the Professor called and he turned around to face her, "Be careful."
He nodded.
~8~
The Doctor crept out of the cottage, looking around cautiously, doing as the Professor had done and listened for any odd noises in the night. He deftly made his way across the village, to the alley, and back to the TARDIS with little to no threat he could detect. He quickly glanced over his shoulder before unlocking it and entering. He ran to the back of the room, to a chest, dragging it away from the wall, "Right. You in here somewhere? I can't apologize enough. I thought you were just a useless gadget. I thought you were just an embarrassing present from a dull godmother with two heads and bad breath. Twice," he pulled out a mirror device with a harness attached to it, "How wrong can a man be?"
'Knowing you Theta?' the Professor called to him, 'And on a good day?'
'Hush Kata,' he called back.
He turned and hooked the device up to the TARDIS console for power and made a face in the mirror. The TARDIS began printing out pictures of his first two incarnations, naming his species and planet of origin.
"Good," he ripped the papers away, "Ok, you're working. Now, see what you make of this," he held up the sketch, "Who is that?" he looked down as the mirror matched a parrot, "No, I know it's not that. There are thousands of them and you can see them plain as day," and then a polar bear, "No. Definitely not. This is the problem with the impressionists, not accurate enough. This would never happen with Gainsborough or one of those proper painters. Sorry, Vincent," he chucked the sketch behind him, "You'll just have to draw something better."
~8~
The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS, wearing the harness, the mirror aimed over his shoulder. He set it to the side as he adjusted it and it beeped, "That's better, old girl. Time delay, but you always get it right in the end. Good. Let's find out who this is, then," he looked back at the device, reading the results, "Whoa, there you are, you poor thing. You brutal, murderous, abandoned thing. I hope we meet again soon so I can take you home," and then he spotted the creature behind him, now visible in the mirror, as it roared, "Maybe not that soon."
He took off, running down the alley, checking in the mirror as he ran, knocking tables over as he went to try and slow it down. He ran around a corner, pressing his back to it and listening as the creature roared before its footsteps faded. He let out a breath of relief and turned to look, nearly jumping out of his skin when he saw Amy standing there.
"Never do that! You scared the living daylights out of me."
"Sorry," Amy winced, "I got bored. As much as you admire his command of color and shape, it is hard to get fond of Vincent Van Gogh's snoring, how the Professor's managing to do it, I have no idea."
"Training," he remarked as they headed back.
She frowned, "The Time Lords trained their soldiers to ignore snoring?"
"To ignore everything," he corrected, "They were trained to block out what they didn't want to deal with, sounds, distractions, even pain to a degree…come along Pond."
~8~
"Wakey, wakey!" the Doctor shouted as he entered Vincent's bedroom, which looked exactly like his painting of it save there was now someone snoring away in the bed, "Rise and shine! Breakfast is served in the courtyard," he opened a window, letting in a bright ray of sun, "Whoa! What a morning!" he clapped, "Come on," Vincent got up, "And Amy's got a little surprise for you."
Vincent stuck his head out the window as the Doctor left the room to see Amy sitting at a table outside, sunflowers scattered around her, "I thought I'd brighten things up to thank you for saving us last night."
"Ah!" he smiled.
"I thought you might like, you know, possibly to perhaps paint them or something? Might be a thought."
The Doctor and Professor exchanged a look as they stepped out with a tray of breakfast.
"Yes. They're not my favorite flower."
"YOU don't like sunflowers?"
"No, it's not that I don't like them. I find them complex. Always somewhere between living and dying," he reached out and held one by his window, "Half human as they turn to the sun. A little disgusting. But, you know, they are a challenge."
"And one we're sure you will rise to," the Professor smiled.
"But, moving on, there's something I need to show you," the Doctor called.
~8~
The Doctor handed Vincent the printout of the creature, "That's him," Vincent breathed as he sat down, "And the eyes. Without mercy."
"This is a creature called the Krafayis," the Doctor explained.
"Makes sense," the Professor nodded, throwing away her mental list of invisible aliens and thinking of what she knew about this particular species, there weren't many visual references of them, of course, but there was information known about the species, "They travel in space, they travel as a pack. Scavenging across the Universe."
"Sometimes one of them gets left behind…"
"And because they're a brutal race, the others never come back."
"So, dotted all around the Universe are individual, utterly merciless, utterly abandoned Krafayis. And what they do is...well, kill, until they're killed."
"Which they usually aren't because other creatures can't see them."
Vincent looked between them, before glancing at Amy, "Do they…"
"Do this often?" Amy finished, "Oh yeah."
Vincent shook his head and looked back at them, "But you said others can't see them, I can."
"Yes," the Doctor nodded, moving to sit on a chair, "And that's why we are in a unique position today, my friend, to end this reign of terror. So, feeling like painting the church today?"
"What about the monster?"
"Take my word for it. If you paint it, he will come."
"Ok," he stood, "I'll get my things."
"In your own time," the Professor called.
"We promise you, we'll be out of your hair by this time tomorrow," the Doctor nodded. Vincent paused in the doorway and glanced at Amy before leaving, "This is risky."
"Riskier than normal?" Amy asked.
The Professor moved to check that Vincent had gone before nodding and turning to lean on the door, "This is the middle of Vincent Van Gogh's greatest year of painting," she explained, "And if we're not very careful, the result of our trip could be the brutal murder of the greatest artist who ever lived."
"Half the pictures on the wall of the Musee D'Orsay will disappear," the Doctor sighed, "And it will be our fault."
The Professor just pushed herself off the door, walking over to him, reaching out to run a hand through his hair till he took it, kissing her palm, thankful for her comfort.
~8~
The Doctor knocked on the door to Vincent's bedroom, "Vincent? Vincent!" he pushed it open and frowned, seeing Vincent lying face down on his bed, crying, twisting in pain. He walked over and crouched down, "Vincent, can I help?"
"It's so clear you cannot help," Vincent groaned, "And when you leave, and everyone always leaves, I will be left once more with an empty heart and no hope," he rolled over to look at him.
"My experience is that there is, you know, surprisingly, always hope."
"Then your experience is incomplete. I know how it will end, and it will not end well."
"Come on," he slapped Vincent's back cheerily, "Come out, let's go outside."
"Out! You get out. What are you doing here? What are you doing here?"
The Doctor quickly backed away towards the door, "Very well. We'll leave. I'll leave you," Vincent curled up into a fetal position and sobbed as he turned and closed the door, moving to lean against a railing outside.
"Doctor," the Professor called as she and Amy walked up the stairs towards him.
"What's happening?" Amy frowned as the Professor stepped away from her to put an arm around the Doctor, hugging him tightly, sensing his sorrow.
"We're leaving," he replied, hugging her back just as tight, "Everyone knows he's a delicate man. Just months from now he'll...he'll take his own life."
"Don't say that. Please."
The Professor could only give her a solemn look, before guiding the Doctor down the stairs.
~8~
The Doctor and Professor stood, taking one last look at the paintings as Amy stood behind them, "Come on," the Doctor sighed.
"We have to do this on our own," the Professor nodded.
"Go to the church at the right time and hope the monster still turns up."
A shadow fell across the wall of a man in a coat, wearing a hat. They turned to see Vincent standing there, ready, "I'm ready. Let's go," he picked up a brush.
~8~
The group walked down the road that would lead them to the church. Amy walking next to Vincent, her arm tucked in his as she carried his paint case and canvas, Vincent holding his easel and palette. The Doctor and Professor walked casually behind them.
"I'm sorry you're so sad," Amy told him.
"But I'm not," he smiled, "Sometimes these moods torture me for weeks, for months. But I'm good now. If Amy Pond can soldier on, then so can Vincent Van Gogh."
"I'm not soldiering on. I'm fine."
"Oh, Amy, I hear the song of your sadness. You've lost someone I think."
"I'm not sad."
"Then why are you crying?" Amy put a hand to her cheek and wiped away a tear she hadn't known was falling, "It's alright. I understand."
"I'm not sure I do."
The Doctor and Professor exchanged a glance, knowing the tears were for Rory, "Ok," the Doctor called, "Ok! So, now, we must have a plan. When the creature returns..."
Vincent stopped and turned to face them, "Then we shall fight him again."
"Well, yes. But last night we were lucky. Amy could have been killed. You could have been injured if it wasn't for the Professor's quick thinking. So this time, for a start, we have to make sure I can see him, too."
"And how are we meant to do that, suddenly?" Amy shook her head.
"The answer's in this box," he tapped the case in his hand, "I had an excellent, if smelly, godmother."
They turned to head on, only to see the funeral procession for the village girl heading up the way, sunflowers resting on top of the coffin.
"Oh, no," Vincent breathed, taking off his cap, "It's that poor girl from the village."
"You do have a plan, don't you?" Amy looked at the aliens after the procession had passed.
"No," the Doctor walked off again, "It's a thing. It's like a plan, but with more...greatness."
"Which means, he's going to leave it to me to come up with a brilliant plan on the spot," the Professor joked.
"I know, I know, because I can't think as fast as you," he rolled his eyes playfully.
"I was just going to say you were lazy," she shrugged.
"Oi!"
She just giggled and ran off down the road, him chasing after her, making her squeal in delight as he caught up to her and pulled her off the ground, spinning her around.
"They're very odd," Vicente remarked as he and Amy watched them.
"You have no idea," she agreed.
~8~
Vincent set up his easel outside the church, sitting down and getting ready to paint.
"And you'll be sure to tell us if you see any, you know, monsters," the Doctor told him as he put his hands on Vincent's shoulders, standing behind him.
"Yes," Vincent rolled his eyes, "While I may be mad, I'm not stupid."
"No, quite."
"And, to be honest..." the Professor added, "We're not sure about mad either. Depression is a very complex..."
"Shh," Vincent hushed her, "I'm working."
"Well, yes," the Doctor nodded, "Paint. Do painting!"
~8~
Vincent outlined the top of the church, painting in the sky as the trio watched.
"I remember when we got to watch Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel," the Professor remarked in thought as she watched him work.
"Wow!" the Doctor groaned, "What a whiner. I said to him, 'If you're scared of heights, you shouldn't have taken the job.'"
"Shh!" Amy hissed.
~8~
More detail had been added to the church but Vincent had returned his attention to the sky, "And Picasso," the Doctor said, "What a ghastly old goat. I kept telling him, 'Concentrate, Pablo, it's one eye, either side of the face.'"
"And then you got so smashed you thought the eyes were moving," the Professor added as she lay on the ground and looked up at the stars.
"Quiet!" Amy called.
~8~
Amy was watching intently as Vincent painted away, while the Doctor lay on the ground as well, his head resting on the Professor's stomach, her fingers lightly stroking through his hair.
"Is this how time normally passes?" he asked, playing with the fingers of her other hand, "Really slowly. In the right order?" he sighed, getting up and reaching down to help the Professor up as well, "If there's one thing I can't stand, it's an unpunctual alien attack."
"Are you ok?" Amy walked over to them, eyeing the Doctor, "You seem a bit, if I didn't know better, I'd say nervous."
"There's something not right about all this," the Professor explained, "And we're having a difficult time putting our finger on it. Which is really frustrating by the way."
"There!" Vincent shouted, "He's at the window."
They spun around and ran to his side, "Where?" the Doctor asked.
"There, on the right."
"As I thought. Come on," he turned to the Professor, "We're going in."
"Well, I'm coming, too."
"No," the Professor put a hand on the man's chest, stopping him.
"You're Vincent Van Gogh," the Doctor agreed, "No."
"But you're not armed!" he argued.
"We are."
"What with?"
"Well, I've got my blaster," the Professor pulled it out.
"And I've got overconfidence, this," the Doctor tapped his case, "And a small screwdriver. We're absolutely sorted. Just have to find the right crosactic setting and stun him with it. Sonic never fails!"
"Unless it's facing wood," the Professor added.
"Sonic almost never fails!" he amended, "Anyway, Amy, only one thought, one simple instruction…"
"Do not follow us under any circumstances."
The Doctor signaled Vincent to keep an eye on her.
"I won't," she promised, and they turned to head into the church.
They stopped just inside the doors, the Professor keeping her senses open and alert, holding her blaster ready as the Doctor opened the case and strapped on the harness, setting the controls. He gave her a smile and they entered the church.
They walked around slowly, cautiously, both hearing a low growling. The Doctor pulled out the sonic, checking the mirror periodically as they approached the window.
The Doctor frowned, not spotting the Krafayis in the mirror, "Damn."
The Professor looked at him, "He's moved?"
He nodded and she frowned, turning around at the sound of a whoosh only to get knocked in the side and thrown through the air.
"Professor!" the Doctor shouted, running to her side and helping her up, checking the mirror as he did so. He flashed the sonic around as they retreated towards the doors, the Professor's left arm gripping her right side, her ribs stinging.
"Professor!" Amy shouted as she ran in, "Doctor!"
"I thought we told you..." the Doctor started.
"Never mind that," the Professor cut in, "Talk about it later," she grabbed his arm and pulled him towards a confessional, "Quick, in here."
They piled in as Amy got in on the other side, listening as the creature moved around outside.
"Absolutely quiet," the Professor warned them.
"Can you breathe a little quieter, please?" the Doctor asked Amy quietly a moment later.
"No!" she hissed, lifting the curtain on her side to check out, "He's gone past."
"Shh…" the Professor put her finger on her lips.
The Krafayis growled and swiped at Amy's side, making her scream.
"I think he heard us!" the Doctor shouted as the Krafayis turned to swipe on their side.
"That is impressive hearing he's got," the Professor remarked, truly impressed, as another section of the confessional was ripped out.
"What's less impressive are our chances of survival."
Amy screamed again.
"Hey, are you looking for me, sonny?" Vincent shouted. They peered around the curtains to see Vincent brandishing a chair like a lion tamer, "Come on. Over here. Because I'm right here waiting for you," he jerked the chair out, forcing the creature back and motioning at them, "Come on. Quickly! Get behind me."
They ran out and behind him, the Doctor flashing the sonic, "Doing anything?" they backed away, "Where is he?"
"Where do you think he is, you idiot?" Vincent's gaze focused in one direction, "Use your head."
The Doctor turned in that direction and flashed it again, "Anything?"
"Nothing. In fact, he seemed to rather enjoy it," they backed up, the Doctor ending up more to one side, "Duck!" the Doctor ducked, "Left!" he moved left and got swatted by the creature, hitting a wall a few feet away, "Right, sorry," the Professor ran over, her blaster out as Vincent ran over with Amy, blocking them, "Your right, my left."
"This is no good at all," the Professor stated, trying to help him up while ignoring the pain in her side for now.
"Run like crazy and regroup?" the Doctor suggested.
"Oh, come on, in here!" Amy shouted, spotting a back room. They ran in, trying to push the door closed when Vincent spotted something on the ground. The Professor quickly shot at that area and there was a groan from the creature as the door slammed shut now that the foot wasn't blocking the doorway anymore.
"Right," the Doctor pushed against the door, holding it shut with the others, "Ok. Here's the plan. Professor, Amy, Rory…"
"Who?" Amy looked up.
"Sorry, um, Vincent."
"What is the plan?"
"I don't know, actually. But in future, I'm just using this screwdriver for screwing in screws," he put it away.
"Right," the Professor remarked sarcastically, "And I'll just use my blaster as a squareness gun."
"Give me a second," Vincent backed up and ran off, "I'll be back."
The Doctor looked at the Professor who shrugged, the options that didn't involve killing the alien running thin, "I suppose we could try talking to him?" she suggested.
"Talking to him?" Amy gaped.
"It's worth a shot," she shrugged, "Might be interesting to know his side of the story."
The Doctor turned, pressing his ear against the door, listening to the Krafayis growl, "Yes, though maybe he's not really in the mood for conversation right at this precise moment."
It banged against the door.
"Well, there's no harm in trying," she reasoned.
He nodded to himself, having to agree with that, "Listen!" he called out to the creature, "Listen!" the growling stopped, "I know you can understand me. Even though I know you won't understand why you can understand me. I also know that no one's talked to you for a pretty long stretch, but please...listen. We also don't belong on this planet. We also are alone. If you trust us, I'm sure we can come to some kind of, you know, understanding. And then...and then, who knows?"
The window behind them shattered and the invisible creature jumped inside, roaring, displacing things as it moved about.
"Over here, mate!" Vincent shouted, returning with his easel, holding it up so the staked ends were out like a weapon. The trio ran over to him.
"What's it doing now?" the Professor asked.
"It's moving round the room. Feeling its way around," he moved to stand behind a sarcophagus with Amy while the Doctor hid behind one column on the side of it, the Professor behind another on the other side.
"What?"
"It's like it's trapped. It's moving round the edges of the room."
"I can't see a thing," Amy frowned, squinting.
The Doctor and Professor exchanged a look, their eyes wide as they realized something, "We are really stupid," the Doctor breathed.
"Oh, get a grip! This is not a moment to reevaluate your self-esteem."
"No, we are really stupid and we're growing old," he moved to join them behind the sarcophagus.
"Why does it attack, but never eat its victims?" the Professor asked, joining them as well.
"And why was it abandoned by its pack and left here to die?"
"Why is it feeling its way helplessly around the walls of the room?"
"It can't see, it's blind. That explains why it has such perfect hearing!"
"Which unfortunately also explains why it is now turning around and heading straight for us!" Vincent shouted. He leapt forward, the ends of the easel up.
"Vincent no!" the Professor shouted.
"Vincent, what's happening?" the Doctor called.
"It's charging now," he moved them back, "Get back. Get back!" he struck forward, impaling the beast on the ends of the easel. The Krafayis bellowed in pain and anger, lifting Vincent up, suspending him above the floor, before dropping him and collapsing. They ran out from the sarcophagus to see the easel still suspended in the air, where the creature's chest was.
"He wasn't without mercy at all," Vincent breathed, standing up and looking at it, "He was without sight. I didn't mean that to happen. I only meant to wound it, I never meant to..."
The Doctor and Professor knelt beside the body, "He's trying to say something," the Professor breathed, reaching out to touch it gently.
"What is it?"
"I'm having trouble making it out," the Doctor shook his head.
"He's saying," the Professor swallowed, "'I'm afraid. I'm afraid.'"
The Doctor reached out and stroked the body as well, "There, there. It's ok. You'll be fine. Shh."
With one final breath, the Krafayis died.
"He was frightened…" Vincent nearly wept, "And he lashed out. Like humans, who lash out when they're frightened. Like the villagers who scream at me. Like the children who throw stones at me."
"Sometimes winning," the Professor frowned, "Isn't a victory at all."
~8~
The small group laid down on a field outside the church, their heads together in a circle as they looked up at the stars. Vincent reached out and took the Professor and Amy's hands while they took the Doctor's.
"Hold my hand," Vincent whispered, "Try to see what I see. We are so lucky we are still alive to see this beautiful world. Look at the sky. It's not dark and black and without character. The black is in fact deep blue," he pointed with the Professor's hand, "And over there, lighter blue," he let go of Amy's to make a sweeping motion, "And blowing through the blueness and the blackness, the wind swirling through the air and then, shining, burning, bursting through…the stars!" they smiled, seeing the stars turn into 'Starry Night' in their imaginations, "Can you see how they roar their light? Everywhere we look, the complex magic of nature blazes before our eyes."
"We've seen many things, my friend," the Doctor told him, "But you're right. Nothing quite as wonderful as the things you see."
Vincent gripped their hands tighter, looking at Amy's hand, "I will miss you terribly."
~8~
"I only wish I had something of real value to give you," Vincent lamented as he stood before the Doctor, Professor, and Amy in his home the next morning.
The Doctor giggled, holding 'Self Portrait with Straw Hat' in his hands, "Oh, no, no. We could never accept such an extraordinary gift."
"Very well," he sighed, "You are not the first to decline the offer," he held out his arms, "Amy, the blessed, the wonderful."
She hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek, "Be good to yourself and be kind to yourself."
"I'll try my best."
"And maybe give the beard a little trim before you next kiss someone," she rubbed her cheek and laughed.
"I will. I will. And if you tire of these two, return, and we will have children by the dozen."
"Eek!"
"Doctor, Professor, my friends," he took their hands, "We have fought monsters together and we have won. On my own, I fear I may not do as well."
They moved in and hugged him tightly, sad because they knew what was coming for him.
~8~
"Are you thinking what we're thinking?" the Professor asked Amy as they walked away from Vincent's cottage.
"I was thinking I may need some food before we leave," she remarked.
"Well, no, you're not thinking exactly what we're thinking," the Doctor remarked.
"Vincent!" the Professor turned to the house. Vincent stuck his head out, shirtless, with a brush in his hand.
"Got something we'd like to show you. Maybe just tidy yourself up a bit first."
~8~
Vincent followed the trio, slightly confused, as they walked through the alley towards the TARDIS.
"Now, you know we've had quite a few chats about the possibility there might be more to life than normal people imagine?" the Doctor asked, stopping short and sighing when he spotted the TARDIS covered in papers.
"Yes…" Vincent answered slowly.
"Well, brace yourself, Vinny," he used the key to slice the crack between the doors and opened them. They stood outside as Vincent stepped in, looking around. He stuck his head out and then examined the exterior, stepping in again.
"How come I'm the crazy one and you lot have stayed sane?" the Doctor laughed, stepping in and snatching off Vincent's hat, tossing it aside and walking over to the console where the Professor had gone, "What do these things all do?" Vincent walked up with Amy.
"Oh, a huge variety of things," the Doctor remarked.
"This one here," the Professor turned a knob, "For instance, plays soothing music."
"While this one makes a huge amount of noise," the Doctor pushed a button and a distorted noise sounded, "And this one makes everything go tonto!" he pulled a lever and everything started to shake, much like the TARDIS did when preparing for dematerialization.
"And this one?" Vincent pointed.
"That's a friction contrafibulator," the Professor smiled.
"And this?"
"That's ketchup," the Doctor pointed, "And that one's mustard."
"Mmm. Nice!" he clapped the Doctor's shoulder, "Come on. Back to the café and you can tell me about all the wonders of the Universe."
"Actually, there's a little something we'd like to show you first," the Professor said, pulling a lever and they were off.
~8~
The trio stepped out of the TARIDS, Amy with her arm in Vincent's as they appeared before the Musee D'Orsay.
"Where are we?" Vincent looked around.
"Paris," the Professor said, "2010 AD."
"And this is the mighty Musee D'Orsay, home to many of the greatest paintings in history," the Doctor gestured at the building.
"Oh, that's wonderful," Vincent smiled before noticing two boys walk past with portable electronics.
"Ignore that."
"We've got something more important to show you," the Professor added, taking the Doctor's hand and they headed off for the museum. They had to stop quite a few times as Vincent became overwhelmed by the grandness of it all. Amy took great pleasure in pulling him past the Monets and Rodins, until they entered the Van Gogh exhibit.
Vincent gasped, seeing his paintings in a world class museum.
"Dr. Black," the Doctor called, spotting the man, "We met a few days ago. I asked you about the 'Church at Auvers.'"
The Professor waved Amy over and she brought Vincent closer.
"Oh, yes," Black nodded, "Glad to be of help. You were nice about my tie."
"Yes. And today is another cracker if I may say so. But I just wondered, between you and me, in 100 words, where do you think Van Gogh rates in the history of art?"
"Well, big question. But, to me, Van Gogh is the finest painter of them all," Vincent's eyes widened, tearing up, "Certainly, the most popular, great painter of all time, the most beloved. His command of color, the most magnificent. He transformed the pain of his tormented life into ecstatic beauty. Pain is easy to portray, but to use your passion and pain to portray the ecstasy and joy and magnificence of our world, no one had ever done it before. Perhaps no one ever will again. To my mind, that strange, wild man who roamed the fields of Provence was not only the world's greatest artist, but also one of the greatest men who ever lived."
The Professor looked over, seeing Vincent start to cry openly and walked over, "Vincent. We're sorry. Is it too much?" she gave him a comforting hug.
"No," he grinned, "They are tears of joy!" he moved to Black and gave him a Gallic kiss, "Thank you, sir. Thank you!" and hugged him for good measure.
"You're welcome," Black awkwardly patted his back, "You're welcome."
"Sorry about the beard," he added, walking back to the Doctor, Professor, and Amy who led him back out of the exhibit.
~8~
The TARDIS appeared outside an olive garden, Vincent stepping out first, a skip in his step, "This changes everything! I'll step out tomorrow with my easel on my back a different man. I still can't believe that one of the haystacks was in the museum. How embarrassing…"
"It's been a great adventure," the Doctor shook his hand and hugged him.
"And a great honor," the Professor added, doing the same.
"You've turned out to be the first doctor ever to actually make a difference to my life," Vincent remarked.
"I'm delighted," the Doctor grinned.
"We won't ever forget you," the Professor promised as they headed to the TARDIS, waiting in the doorway for Amy.
"And you are sure marriage is out of the question?" Vincent asked her.
"This time," she hugged him, "I'm not really the marrying kind," she kissed his cheek and ran back to the TARDIS, "Come on. Let's go back to the gallery right now!"
~8~
Amy practically bolted from the TARDIS with a big smile on her face, "Time can be rewritten. I know it can. Come on!" she ran into the museum and up the stairs to the exhibit, "Oh, the long life of Vincent Van Gogh. There'll be hundreds of new paintings."
"We're not sure there will," the Doctor warned her quietly as he and the Professor walked behind her, much slower.
"Come on!" she rushed into the exhibit and looked around, only to see the same paintings.
"We have here the last work of Vincent Van Gogh, who committed suicide at only 37," Black was lecturing. Amy closed her eyes in grief, "He is now acknowledged to be one of the foremost artists of all time. If you follow me now..."
"So, you were right," she swallowed hard, turning to them, "No new paintings. We didn't make a difference at all."
"We wouldn't say that," the Professor walked over to her, putting an arm around her, "Every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don't always soften the bad things. But, vice versa, the bad things don't necessarily spoil the good things or make them unimportant."
She, of all people, knew just how true that was.
The Doctor hugged her as well, "And we definitely added to his pile of good things. And if you look carefully..." he led her over to 'Church at Auvers,' "Maybe we did indeed make a couple of little changes."
"No Krafayis," Amy smiled.
"No Krafayis," the Professor nodded, eyeing the painting with a smile.
As they looked, Amy wandered over to the 'Still Life: Vase with Twelve Sunflowers.' They walked over to her, smiling as they saw 'For Amy' just above his signature.
"If we had got married, our kids would have had very, very red hair," Amy remarked.
"The ultimate ginger," the Doctor teased.
"The ultimate ginge," she nodded, smiling, "Brighter than sunflowers."
~8~
"Ouch," the Professor winced.
"Sorry," the Doctor called, finishing up wrapping her ribs, tying a little knot on the side. She'd been lucky, not having broken any of them, but bruised them and partially sprained them a bit. He dropped a little kiss onto her side as he stepped back, "That ok?"
She sighed and smiled at him, "Yes, thanks," she reached out a hand and tugged him closer, giving him a peck, "Catch me getting caught in the way of a Krafayis attack again."
He smiled and took her hands in his, looking at her pointedly, "Now, no straining activities for a while missy," he pointed a warning finger at her.
She laughed, "I'm well aware," she pushed herself back onto their bed so he could climb onto his side after her. She laid back down and looked up at him as he just sat there, making no move to lay beside her, "What is it?"
A small blush crept up his neck, "I said no straining activities."
"Someone's got a dirty mind," she giggled, teasing him as the blush now spread to his cheeks, "I have no intentions of trying to seduce my husband tonight," she assured him jokingly, "Your virtue is safe. You can lay down without fear of me taking advantage of you."
"Oh ha ha," he rolled his eyes playfully, flopping down onto his back.
A moment later she shimmied closer to him, resting her head on his chest as he wrapped an arm around her, careful of her ribs, his hand lightly running up and down her arm as they lay there.
"You know," she began, "I feel better already."
"Oh?" he looked at her.
She nodded into his chest, closing her eyes, "I always feel better when you're with me," she told him softly, smiling a bit, "My Doctor, making me better."
He laughed lightly at that, "My Professor, making me smarter."
"Not as smart as me though."
"You're lucky your ribs are bruised or I'd be thoroughly tickling you till you took that back right now."
She opend her eyes and looked up at him challengingly, "Well then, once I'm all healed up, we'll have to see about that won't we?"
He leaned down and gave her a kiss, "Yes we will."
"I look forward to it," she nuzzled into his chest and closed her eyes once more, falling alseep to the sound of his hearts beating, a smile on her face.
A/N: Wow, this Professor is getting beaten up more than her last two incarnations isn't she? Good thing she's got a Doctor to look after her lol. Just a warning, the more suggestive scenes are probably going to slow down for now, I feel like their little moments then had a bit to do with Amy finally coming to terms with the fact the Doctor wasn't hers and the Doctor and Professor reacting to that. BUT! That will not diminish the flirting and fluff. Gotta say, I really enjoyed writing The Lodger, has a tiny little twist in it.
So this was the first time I altered the title of the chapter from the original episode. Is that ok with everyone? I'm trying to stick to the episode titles, but since the Professor is a part of the series now I felt like I should include her in the title here. (The Doctor's Daughter episode didn't because Jenny was literally the Doctor's Daughter and not the Professor's, similar to how the Next Doctor only had the one man, the next Doctor and no next Professor). This may come into play in other chapters like The Doctor's Wife or The Wedding (or is it?) of River Song, I may change those titles too, so just let me know if you're all ok with that.
And don't forget to vote for a possible Amy's Choice/Dream Lady chapter/one shot if you haven't already :) Have to admit though, I'm having a bit of trouble trying to work in the tentative ideas I have for a possible chapter/one shot with what the episode was meant to be about (Amy finally choosing between Rory and the Doctor). Would those of you who'd like such a chapter/one shot be opposed to it not being centered around Amy making a choice? Just wondering, might help me settle on some details. And I'm always open to ideas and suggestions, you guys really do inspire me :)