Night Terrors (Part 2)

"You hear that?" Amy asked as they followed the laughter.

"Yeah," Rory replied.

"Wait!" Evy pulled Amy back as she moved forward.

Amy looked up, hearing the laughter get louder, "They're getting closer!"

"They?" Rory shook his head, just great.

Amy pulled her arm away from Evy and nodded to the woman, cautiously walking to the door. Evy stepped up beside her, holding up the wooden pan, ready, as Amy threw open the door, only to see a large wooden doll standing there with a rather bulbous head.

"It's just…it's a dummy," Amy sighed in relief, "Oh, it's a dummy."

Evy frowned as she stared at it, something wasn't quite right about it.

"This is...weird," Rory remarked.

"Says the time travelling nurse," Amy grinned at her husband.

Rory reached forward about to tap the head of the doll when Evy grabbed his arm, "Better not," she said quietly, frowning at the doll. The worst thing was, she couldn't scan it with the sonic, it was wood.

Rory nodded and pulled his arm away as Amy tugged him, "Let's just...leave that for now. Come on," she nodded back and they turned, walking off, looking for a way out, as the doll turned its head to watch them go.

~8~

The Doctor sat on a sofa in the sitting room, looking at the photos once more, eyeing Claire critically in a pre-Christmas party image, "What is it with these photos?" he muttered, putting the album down and rubbing his head.

He was getting frustrated. He didn't like that it was taking him so long to figure out what was wrong, the sooner he did, the sooner he could get Evy back. He didn't like being separated from her. Sure, being apart when he knew she was safe was one thing, but to be apart knowing she may be in danger…Alex was lucky he hadn't reached the point he had when the Angel had been trapped in Evy's mind. He knew she was relatively safe, that Amy and Rory would look after her, but he wasn't sure how long he'd be able to hold off. Not knowing where she was exactly, what was lurking in that house, put him on edge.

'It's alright Theta,' he heard her whisper, sending him reassurance once again, 'We're both fine, still fine, Amy and Rory are taking very good care of us. Just focus on what's wrong with George and we'll see each other again soon.'

He took a breath, nodding to himself, getting worked up wouldn't help him, "Anyway!" he clapped his hands and looked at Alex, "Good. Nice tea. Nothing like a cuppa, but decision. Should we open the cupboard?"

Alex spit out his tea, nearly choking, "What?"

"Should we?"

"Well..."

"Got to open the cupboard, haven't we? Course we have! Come on, Alex! Alex! Come on! How else will we ever find out what's going on here?"

Alex stood, "Right. But you said..."

"Monsters! Yeah, well, that's what I do! Breakfast, dinner, and tea. Fight the monsters. So this...this is just an average day at the office."

"Ok. Yeah. You're right."

'Don't rush into this Theta,' Evy warned him softly.

He nodded, "Or maybe we shouldn't open the cupboard. We have no idea what might be in there! How powerful, how evil it might be! And trust me, we can't open it without Evy, everything is much safer when she's here…"

"Who?" Alex asked, before shaking his head to return to the more important statement, "We don't know?"

"Come on, Alex! Alex! Come on! Are you crazy? We can't open the cupboard!"

"God, no. No, we mustn't!"

'But…' the Doctor straightened, hearing a conceding note in Evy's voice, 'I am slightly anxious to get back to you as well. And…we won't really know what's wrong if we can't see behind the cupboard…' he heard her sigh, 'Oh go on.'

He grinned widely and beamed at Alex, "Right. That settles it."

"Settles what?"

The Doctor drained his cup of tea, "Going to open the cupboard," and headed out of the room.

~8~

The Doctor and Alex stood before the cupboard, the Doctor slowly reaching out for it while George watched from behind his father. He yanked the door open, only to see clothes and old toys inside it, including an old dollhouse. He scanned it quickly, recalling what Evy had guessed and found her energy signature and a trace of her sonic, very small, possibly miniaturized, like with the Teselecta if he had to guess. But how did she get in there?

He turned around though, thoroughly confused as to why there was nothing typically out of the ordinary in a cupboard exuding such odd readings, "I don't understand it," he shook his head, "It has to be the cupboard. The readings from the sonic screwdriver, they were..." his eyes widened, his mind racing. Sonic, Evy, pregnant, belly...Claire! And he ran out of the room. Alex and George exchanged a glance, when he ran back in with the photo album, "How old is George, Alex?"

"What?" he frowned, not sure what that had to do with anything, "How old?"

"Yes. How old is George?"

"Well, I told you. Just turned eight."

"So you remember when he was born then?"

"Of course!"

"'Course you do! How could you not?" he held up the album, pointing to Claire on Christmas, flat belly and all, "You and Claire. Christmas Eve. 2002, right?"

"What? Er...yeah."

"Couple of weeks before George was born. Tell me about the day he arrived. Must've been wonderful."

"Best day of my..." Alex paused, before blinking and shaking his head, "Life."

"Sure?"

"Yes."

"You don't sound sure."

"What are you trying to say? Look, I don't like this. I've told you before, I want you to go!" he pointed to the door. But his eyes said different, he was scared and confused.

"What's the matter, Alex?"

"I can't...don't! Oh, this is scary!"

"No, Alex. This is scary. Claire with baby George," he showed him the next photo of just that, "Newborn, yes?"

"Yes."

"Less than a month after Christmas."

"So?"

"So look. Look!" he pointed at Claire's flat belly once more, "Claire's not pregnant."

"What?"

"Not pregnant."

"Well, of course not. Claire can't have kids!" Alex's mouth fell open as he realized what he said.

The Doctor closed the album gently, "Say that again."

"We tried everything. She was desperate. As much IVF as we could afford, but...Claire can't have kids. How...how can I have forgotten that?"

Slowly, they turned to look at George, sitting on the bed, "Who are you, George?"

"It's not possible! This isn't..."

"George?" the Doctor frowned, seeing George start to breathe heavily. The room began to shake and a light flashed through the cracks of the cupboard. George looked at the bedside lamp which switched on brightly before the cupboard door swung open and a vortex of bright white light appeared, pulling the Doctor and Alex towards it, "George! George, what's going on? Are you doing this?"

"What's happening?"

George pulled his legs to his chin and wrapped his arms around them, closing his eyes, "Please save me from the monsters! Please save me from the monsters! Please save me from the monsters! Please save me from the monsters!"

Alex and the Doctor tried to fight the cupboard, "George!"

"Doctor!" Alex strained.

"George!" he was pulled in.

Followed by Alex, "George!"

'Doctor!' he heard Evy shout as the cupboard door shut behind them.

~8~

"Why aren't there any lights?" Rory wondered as they walked down the hallway, "I miss lights."

Evy smiled at that, "You don't really miss things till they're gone, do you?"

Rory laughed, "That's what my Nan used to say, 'You'll never miss the water till the well runs dry.'"

"Guys," Amy started.

"Except light I mean, not water. Lights are great, aren't they? I mean if this place was all lit up, we wouldn't even be worried at all."

"Rory!" Amy cut in again, "Panicking? A bit?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry."

Suddenly Evy pulled them back as the landlord of the complex ran through the hallway towards them, "Help me! Please! Keep them away from me! Keep them away!"

They watched in horror as one of the life sized dolls grabbed him around the neck with one arm and forced him down to the floor, before slowly turning him into a Napoleon-like doll himself.

"I take it all back," Amy gasped, "Panic, now."

Rory nodded.

"This way!" Evy shouted, pulling them back, and they ran off down the halls, the dolls stiffly chasing after them.

"Don't run away," they called, "We want to play!"

Evy led them into a library, Amy and Rory slamming the door shut behind them and leaning against it as the laughter of the dolls filtered through the door. Rory looked at Evy who held a hand up, staring at the floor before teh door, watching as the shadows of the dolls moved away.

~8~

'Doctor!' Evy's voice echoed in his head, 'Theta!'

The Doctor jolted up with a start and ran to the door of the dining room of the dollhouse, "George! Don't do this! We want to help you, George!"

Alex groaned behind him as he struggled to pull himself up to his feet, "We went…we went into the cupboard! We went into the cupboard! How can it be bigger in here?"

The Doctor turned around and walked to the table, seeing the turkey Evy had mentioned, sniffing it, "More common than you'd think, actually. You're ok."

"Where are we?"

"Obvious, isn't it?"

"No!"

"Dollhouse! We're inside the dollhouse."

'Told you,' Evy remarked, though he could feel her relief that he was ok and sent her reassurance, he was there now, he'd find her and they'd both work out a way out together.

"The dollhouse?"

"In the cupboard. In your flat. The dollhouse!"

"No, no, just slow down, would you?"

"Look! Wooden chicken!" he tossed it to Alex who caught it, "Cups, saucers, plates," he tossed them as well, "Knives, forks, fruit, chickens! Wood! So...we're either inside the dollhouse or this a refuge for dirty posh people who eat wooden food. Or termites! Giant termites trying to get on the property ladder," he picked up a melon and thrust it at Alex, "But it's a dollhouse, Evy's been exploring it, dollhouse yes. Termite refuge isn't possible, is that possible?" he didn't wait for a reply as he turned and left the room.

Alex dropped the items in his arms before following him into the hallway, "Look, will you stop?" he grabbed the Doctor's lapels and pulled him around, "What is he? What is George? And how could I forget that Claire can't have kids? How?"

'Perception Filter,' Evy remarked.

He nodded, it was how he'd been able to notice the pictures in the first place. Alex couldn't see that Claire was pregnant, but he could. He knew something was off about them, could just sense it, and was able to focus and see past it. It seemed all that time around Evy and her own Perception Filter had allowed them both to be more sensitive to their affects, notice those things which were protected by one sooner.

"Perception Filter," he repeated, clapping Alex on the arms and walking off again, "Some kind of hugely powerful Perception Filter. Convinced you and Claire. Everyone else. Made you change your memories," he stopped in front of a mirror and made a face, "Now, what could do that?"

He walked off as Alex looked at the mirror, shaking his head, "Just a mirror," he sighed and moved to follow the Doctor as a doll appeared in the mirror's reflection.

~8~

Rory and Amy pressed themselves against the door with Evy as the dolls returned and banged against it, "Lock it!" Amy shouted.

"There isn't a lock!" Rory replied.

Amy groaned as they continued to push on the door. The dolls shoved it open a crack but they managed to push it closed again.

"Rory," Evy grunted, he looked over and she nodded at a giant spool of thread just to their right. He ran over and shoved it in front of the door.

~8~

"So, Claire can't have kids and something responded to that," the Doctor muttered as they walked on, he was trying to find the library, knowing from Evy that she and the others were trapped there, "Responded to that need. What could do that?"

"I thought you were the expert, fighting monsters all day long," Alex remarked, "You tell me!"

"Oi, listen, mush. Old eyes, remember? I've been around the block a few times. More than a few. They've knocked down the blocks I've been round and rebuilt them as bigger blocks. Super-blocks! I've been round them as well. I can't remember everything. And Evy isn't exactly here right now to help me focus…not to mention she's in a bit of a bind herself and I don't want to distract her at the moment. I'm sure I can figure it out on my own…"

"Doctor..."

"But it's like trying to remember the name of someone you met at a party when you were two."

"Doctor, the lift."

"And I can't just plump for 'Brian' like I normally do."

"Doctor, listen!"

"Shh," the Doctor hissed, hearing a breathing noise, "What's that?"

"It's the lift. It's the sound that the lift makes. George is scared stiff of it…" he looked over, spotting five electric candles that were switching off, one by one.

~8~

"We can't stay in here," Amy said as she looked around the room for another door but could find none, "We've got to get out!"

"Er, how?" Rory asked from where he was leaning by the door, Evy sitting on the spool.

Amy grabbed Rory by the lapels and pulled him close, "Take control, Rory. Take control of the only thing we can. Letting them in!"

"Letting them in?" Rory frowned.

"And then we surprise them."

Evy started to nod, "We open the door, push past them."

Amy grinned, "Kick them. Punch them. Anything. Ok?"

"Time to play!" the dolls cried, their voices muffled.

"Ok," Rory pulled away from Amy and looked around for a weapon, finding a mop.

"Right," Evy got up as Amy readied to move the spool, "So, I'll go first and…"

"No!" Rory and Amy shouted at her.

"Why not?" she frowned.

"Uh, the Doctor will kill us?" Rory tried.

Evy rolled her eyes, "I'll go first so I can throw them back with my powers. Anything I miss, Rory can take out, Amy," she tossed her the pot, "And anything HE misses you can handle."

Amy and Rory exchanged a look, "What if your powers make you faint?" Amy asked her, concerned.

"Then it's a good thing I've got a nurse around eh?" she smiled.

The duo sighed, they really should have figured that arguing with Evy would get them nowhere. Not even the Doctor could win an argument against her. They nodded reluctantly and got in formation. Amy moved the spool and threw open the door. Evy threw out her hands and the dolls fell back, thankfully, since they were, in fact, dolls at that point, they were rather light and didn't cause her to exert herself too much, barely even a trickle of blood dropping from her nose.

"Amy, come on!" Rory shouted as Evy ran out, smacking one with the mop as he went when it started to get up.

Amy ran out as well, when something grabbed her ankle, "Rory!" she screamed.

They looked back but the dolls had already gotten up and blocked their path, allowing their fellow doll ample time to turn Amy into a doll herself.

"Go!" Evy shouted, shoving Rory up the stairs again as the dolls turned on them. They were too late. But if they could stop whatever brought the dolls to life there might be a chance to save Amy.

~8~

Alex crouched down, watching the lights turn on and off, one at a time, "Five times."

"What?" the Doctor looked over, concerned. He'd felt Evy panic, something had happened to Amy.

"The lights. It's happening five times. It's like one of George's habits," the Doctor knelt beside him, "We have to switch the light on and off five times."

"Now you're getting it!"

"What d'you mean?"

"What do you tell George to do, Alex, with everything that scares him?"

"Well, put it in the...cupboard..."

"George isn't just an ordinary little boy. So, anything scary he puts in here. Scary toys, like the dollhouse. Scary noises, like…" he swallowed hard, "Like the lift," he was on the verge of feeling guilty for Evy's current predicament, he had been the one to leave her with Amy and Rory, but forced himself not to…Evy would send him a mental smack if he did, "Even his little rituals have become part of it. A psychic repository for all his fears, but what is he?"

'What is he?' he wondered to Evy.

'Bit busy right now love,' she called back, her thoughts just a tad strained.

'What's wrong?' he stood up, stiff.

'Oh I'm sure you'll see in a moment. They're closing in on you too.'

'Who?'

Before she could answer the door flew open and a life sized doll entered the room with a laugh. They spun around and gaped at it, "Oh, my God!" Alex's eyes widened. The Doctor pulled out the sonic and flashed the doll but it did nothing to stop it advancing, "A gun? You've got a gun?"

"It's not a gun. Wood! I've got to invent a setting for wood. It's embarrassing."

'I'll work on an app later!' Evy shouted and then he could tell she was running.

He turned and ran for the door on the opposite end of the room, grabbing a large pair of purple children's safety scissors off the ground, "Come on!" he yelled to Alex, shoving the doll away as they ran out.

"Don't run away," the doll called in a child-like voice, "We just want to play."

The Doctor slammed the door behind them to see they were in the main foyer, the staircase behind him. He strode over, sensing Evy near, "Massive psychic field," he muttered both thinking aloud and to Evy, "Perfect Perception Filter. And that need," he tossed the scissors to Alex, who turned and pushed the doll that followed them back, "That need of Claire's to…to..."

'To have a child,' Evy finished, 'Any child.'

His eyes widened, "Stupid Doctor!" he slapped his forehead, realizing what she had, "Ow…" he rubbed his forehead, so that was why Evy always grabbed his hands when he thought too hard, that really did hurt and probably wasn't too good for his brain cells…

'Focus,' she called.

"George is a Tenza!" he shouted to Alex, "Of course he is."

"He's a what?" Alex looked over.

"A cuckoo. A cuckoo in the nest. A Tenza. He's a Tenza," he opened a door and quickly shut it as another doll was behind it, "Millions of them hatch in space and then whoomph! Off they drift, looking for a nest. The Tenza young can sense exactly what their foster parents want and then they assimilate. Perfectly."

"George is an...alien?" he shoved back the two dolls.

"Yup."

"But he's...he's our child!"

"Of course he is," the Doctor headed up the stairs, "The child you always wanted. He sensed that instinctively and sought you out, but something scared him. Started this cycle of fear…" Alex moved to block the dolls from following him up the stairs after the Doctor, "It's all completely instinctive. Subconscious. George isn't even aware that he's controlling it…"

'So make him aware then!' Evy called.

He turned and ran up the next flight, "George! GEORGE! You're the only one who can stop this, but you have to believe! You have to believe, you have to know you're safe! I can't save you from the monsters. Only you can! George, listen to me! George! Listen to me!" he turned suddenly, seeing Rory and Evy working their way down the stairs, Rory keeping Evy behind him as he fended two more dolls off with a mop, "Evy!" he shouted, relieved to see her alright, "Rory!"

"Doctor!" Rory called.

"Where's Amy?"

Evy pointed at the red haired doll, "George!" she tried shouting, "We really need you to face your fears...now would be great!"

The Doctor stepped up and pulled Evy more to him as he too started yelling again, "You have to open the cupboard or we'll all be trapped here forever in a living death! George! George, listen to me! George! George listen to me! George!" the Doctor looked around, alarmed, as they were cornered by the dolls, pressing Evy into the back corner as much as he could to protect her, "Please! George, you have to end this! End this end this. End this now!"

Suddenly, the dolls stopped.

The Doctor and the men looked around, confused, when Evy shoved him aside just a bit, spotting something, "George!" she called, seeing the little boy standing in the center of the foyer below them.

The Doctor grinned, "George! You did it! You did it!"

"It's alright George," Evy tried to reassure him, seeing the fear still on the boy's face, "You're safe now. Everything will be just fine."

The dolls started moving again, but this time down the stairs, towards George.

"No," the Doctor's eyes widened, "No. No, no, no, no, no!" he ran forward to lean over the banister, "George, you created this whole world. This whole thing, you can smash it! You can destroy it!"

George shook his head.

"Something's holding him back," the Doctor muttered, "Something's holding him back. Something..."

Evy frowned, looking into the Doctor's memories and gasped, "That's what did it," she turned to Alex, "That's the trigger. Alex, he thought you and Claire didn't want him anymore, that you wanted him gone, that you were rejecting him. Remember? When the Doctor introduced himself, George thought he'd come to take him away..."

Alex glanced between her and the dolls moving closer to a shaking George, "Well, we...we talked about it…"

"He heard you. And that's devastating to a Tenze, their sole function is to fit in, to be wanted and loved, and you were rejecting him."

"We just couldn't cope. We needed help!"

"Yes, but George didn't know that," the Doctor explained, "He thought you were rejecting him. He still thinks it."

"But how can we keep him? How can we? He's not..."

"Not what?"

Alex looked at George as the dolls closed in on the boy, "He's not...human.

"Maybe not," Evy agreed, "But he is your son."

"DAD!" George shouted.

And that was all it took.

Alex turned and pushed the scissors into the Doctor's arms, running down the stairs, shoving the dolls aside as he knelt before his son, pulling him into a giant hug, "Whatever you are," he whispered to George as the boy cried into his shoulder, "Whatever you do, you're my son. And I will never, ever send you away. Oh, George. Oh, my little boy."

"Dad," George sobbed as bright light started to filter through the windows.

Evy smiled gently, watching them, as she took the Doctor's hand, 'So…' he looked at her when he heard her speak in his mind, 'Boy or girl?'

He smiled softly at her, 'I don't care as long as it's happy and healthy,' he dropped a little kiss on her forehead as Alex hugged George tighter.

"My little boy," he breathed.

"Dad," George sniffled.

The light filled the room…

~8~

The lift doors opened and Amy, Rory, and Evy stepped out.

Amy paused, "Was I..."

"Yeah," Rory nodded.

"Well," Evy remarked, leading the way to the courtyard, "This solves one thing," they looked at her, "If it's a girl," she put a hand on her stomach, "Never EVER getting her wooden dollies."

~8~

The Doctor smiled to himself as he felt Evy return, waiting outside for him with Amy and Rory. He turned, hearing the door open and a woman call out, "Hi!" he looked up to see Claire in the doorway of the kitchen, looking shocked as George sat on the counter, playing with a toy and laughing while he and Alex pottered around.

"Hello!" he greeted, "You're Claire, I expect. Claire..." he gave her two Gallic kisses, "How'd you feel about kippers?" he moved to the stove.

"Er...who..."

"They sent someone," Alex explained with a glance to the Doctor, "About George. It's all sorted."

Claire moved to George and rubbed his back as he munched on a piece of bread, "Yeah, we had a great time, didn't we?" the Doctor grinned.

"Yeah!" George beamed.

"See, he's fine."

"What?" Claire lifted an eyebrow, "Just like that?"

"Yes. Trust me."

Claire smiled and Alex kissed her on the cheek, George just smiling as he watched his parents. The Doctor nodded to himself and headed for the door as Claire moved to take over the cooking, he had a rather beautiful woman to get back to as well.

"Doctor, wait!" Alex called, stepping out of the flat after him.

"Sorry, yes," he turned, shaking his hand, "Bye."

"You can't just...I mean..."

"It's sorted. You sorted it. Good man, Alex. Proud of you," he turned away.

"What, that's it?"

He stopped, "Well, apart from making sure he eats his greens and getting him into a good school, yes."

"But is he going to...I don't know, sprout another head or three eyes or something?"

"He's one of the Tenza remember? He'll adapt perfectly now," he pointed at George as he stepped out, "Hey! Be whatever you want him to be," he walked off but stopped, "I might pop back around puberty with Evy, mind you. Always a funny time and we'll probably need her opinion on things…I'm rubbish with girls. Well, girls who aren't Evy."

He turned and left, hearing Claire calling, "Kippers are getting cold!" before he reached the stairs.

He half jogged down them, eager to get to the courtyard and check for himself that Evy and the baby were fine. He grinned, seeing her sitting there on a low wall, between Amy and Rory, waiting for him. She stood up as he reached them and he kissed her gently, the Link reassuring him both she and their child were, in fact, just fine. He pulled away with a sigh, resting his forehead against hers for a moment before looking at Amy and Rory, still sitting there, "Come on, you two. Things to do, people to see, whole civilizations to save," Amy shook her head and got up as he eyed her, "You feeling ok?"

"Er, I think so," she replied.

"Well, it's good to be all back together again. In the flesh. Come on," he wound an arm around Evy's waist and they headed off, back to the TARDIS. The Doctor bound up the steps to the console as soon as the door was open, Evy shaking her head at him as she followed, Amy and Rory behind her, "Now did someone mention something about planets and history and stuff? Where do you want to go?"

"Um..."

"Mind's gone blank," the Doctor whispered to Evy as she came beside him.

"Well, she has just been turned into a wooden dolly," Evy defended lightly.

"Excuses, excuses."

Amy laughed as Rory shrugged, "It's tough though. It's like being given three wishes."

"The whole Universe? Or Universes. Ooh, three wishes, like Ali Baba. How about that?"

~8~

"Tick tock goes the clock
And what now shall we play?
Tick tock goes the clock
Now summer's gone away?

Tick tock goes the clock
And what then shall we see?
Tick tock until the day
That thou shalt marry me

Tick tock goes the clock
And all the years they fly
Tick tock and all too soon
You and I must die.

Tick tock goes the clock
He cradled her and rocked her
Tick tock goes the clock
Even for the Doctor..."

A/N: Woo! Yay! Lots to celebrate, we've reached 100 reviews (THANKS!), Merlin started yesterday :), and...I got the job! Which will kind of suck because now I've only got weekends to really write because I'll have to do my stupid grad-classes and homework during the week (but don't worry, I will update daily!)...and I'm not the biggest fan of accounting...which is the job...but now at least I'll be getting experience and I'll have just a bit of money and won't have to mooch off my parents! And my dad finally calmed down enough to actually listen to me when I told him I wasn't planning on staying in this job for the rest of my life but just for about 6 months, maybe a year, and just for the experience only so we're speaking again :)

Lol, I loved the whole 'never getting wooden dollies' bit, sort of like how their child won't be getting a 'child-sonic' till they're 50 :) I have to say though, of the second half of Series 6, this wasn't my favorite episode. But I loved everything after this one. I seriously can't wait till The Wedding(?) of River Song though. It is my favorite episode of the second half of the series.

And we've reached the second of three days to vote for the male Time Lord name. Vote/review if you haven't yet :) And don't forget to drop suggestions for a pairing name if you've got any :)

Next chapter...the Doctor's very...mature...right. The Time Lords get quite the scare. What's this, Evy's made a terrible mistake?