~DW~
We spend a week or so in the flat with Mum. I take a trip with her to clean out Mickey's flat and tell his parents what happened. It was a huge sob fest, and I wanted to just disappear. The rest of the time was spent with Angel, Total, Mum, and the Doctor – to the movies, or out shopping, or staying in and relaxing. But after a while I can tell the Doctor is getting antsy, and decide it's time to go.
"Can I Mum? Please, can I? Just one trip!" Angel begs. I look down at her puppy dog face with a sigh, then turn to the Doctor, who shrugs.
"I don't mind," he grins. I smile.
"Well, I guess…just one!"
"Yay! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she cries happily, hugging me quickly. Then she throws her arms around the Doctor, who looks slightly surprised. He laughs.
"Do you want to come too, Total?" I ask. He shakes his head.
"I'll sit this one out. But you guys have fun," he says.
"I just hope Jackie doesn't kill me for taking you along," the Doctor mutters. I bite my lip in an attempt to hide my smile.
"Where can we go? Where can we go?" Angel asks excitedly, jumping up and down.
"I was thinking we went to see Elvis, actually."
"No way!" Angel says. "Really? Elvis Presley?"
"Sounds good to me," I shrug with a grin. "Let me get my stuff."
The Doctor grins, nodding, holding out a hand to Angel. She takes it with a bright smile and skips along next to him out the front door to the TARDIS (Mum wouldn't let him keep her in the living room – "Get this alien nonsense out of here!").
"Mum, we're headed back off," I call into her room as I walk past to my own. She rushes to the door, dressed in a bathrobe and her makeup half done.
"What, not even going to hug your mother before you leave?"
"Of course I am! I need to get my things, first," I laugh, rolling my eyes. "By the way, we're taking Angel for a trip. Going to see Elvis."
"What?" Mum shrieks. "Rose, you had better not get into any trouble while she's with you – you and the Doctor can do whatever you want on your own, but keep Angel out of it! She's too young!"
"Mum, I'm not an idiot," I reassure her. "Really, I was in charge of six people, including Angel, for at least three years, if not four. We made it through that, now didn't we? I don't think an Elvis concert is exactly dangerous."
"I know. But still, be careful."
"I will, I promise." I hug her goodbye and she heads back into her room to finish her makeup. Then I continue into my room, stripping the hangers clean in the closet and shoving everything unfolded into a duffel bag. I cleared out my drawers this morning. When I reach into my closet again, I see Max's brown jacket and boots. I pull my hand back hesitantly. Wearing that jacket was like a glimpse back into my old life, and I still haven't decided whether it was good or bad.
With a sigh, I pull the jacket off the hanger and shrug it on, reaching into the pockets. Her (my) pocket knife is still there, and I take it out and stare at it for a moment. Glancing into the boots, so are the guns.
"Rose?" Total asks, trotting through the door. He hops up on my bed and I look down at him. His eyes fall on the pocket knife in my hands.
"Do you intend on carrying that with you?"
"I'm thinking about it," I admit. He nods.
"I would too, if I were you. From what you've told me, your trips with the Doctor are even more dangerous than you let on. But something is bothering you. What is it?"
"Listen, Total…" I sigh. "You know how Mickey is gone?" He nods.
"Yeah."
"He's in a parallel universe. We crashed there by accident. In parallel universes, everything is basically the same, but a little bit different. There was a parallel Mickey, called Ricky. There was a parallel Jackie Tyler, and Pete was still alive. But they didn't have a daughter – Rose Tyler didn't exist," I explain slowly.
"Let me guess, Maximum Ride did?"
"Wha…?"
"And now, after being reminded of what your old life was like, you realize that you kind of miss it. There were a lot of bad things, but there were good things too," he says.
"Yeah. I just…I sit here and wonder how the hell I went from that to this, and whether it's a good thing or a bad thing. I mean, this," I hold up the pocket knife in my hands, "this was hers. And inside those boots, there're guns. She was ready to protect herself, and I need to be too…right?"
"Right," Total agrees. "And there's something else, isn't there?"
"There's nothing to do about that…"
"Talk about it. I'm listening," Total insists.
"She died," I say. "Parallel me. It's just…I dunno. I died, Total. And it made me realize…I'm not invincible. And I think the Doctor realized that too. As much as I want to stay, and keep travelling forever…I can't."
"Make the most of the time you have, though, and it'll all be worth it," he advises. I smile softly.
"I'll try. Thank you, Total."
"Have fun at your concert. Stay safe – I want Angel back in one piece!"
"I promise," I laugh, watching him walk off.
Max's words echo in my head:
"And I know your Doctor has a thing against guns – but do yourself a favor and grab one or two. A little extra protection won't hurt…"
I think for a moment, knowing she was right. The Doctor can talk his way out of almost every situation, and when he can't use words, he uses the sonic screwdriver. He hates using weapons. He hates violence.
But I'm not the Doctor, I'm me. I don't have a way with words. I can't talk my way out of every situation. I can try, but it doesn't always work. As much as I want to make the Doctor proud, I need to be alive in order to do that. And a day is sure to come along where I get myself into a mess where I won't be able to sweet talk my way to safety – I need a way to defend myself when that happens. The same goes for the people I'm with.
If we're taking Angel along, even for only one trip, I've got to have a way to protect her if something goes wrong. I can trust the Doctor, and believe in him, and know that he's going to try his best to save me. But when the time comes and I'm on my own, I need to be able to fend for myself, and do the best thing for everyone else, even if it means using a knife or a gun.
With that in mind, I shove the pocket knife back in my jacket and zip it up. Then I grab the boots and tuck them safely into my duffel bag, yanking the zipper shut. I look about my room one last time as I sling it over my shoulder. Then I walk out the front door to the TARDIS, not looking back.
~DW~
"This is so cool," Angel shrieks, jumping up and down. Her long pink poodle skirt swishes around and her sunglasses sit on top of her head.
"Where did the Doctor get off to?" I ask, grabbing my own sunglasses. Angel did manage to get me in a poodle skirt that matched hers, but only on the terms that it would be red and not pink. I snuck on a light blue jacket to stick my pocket knife in, keeping in mind Max's words of advice and Mum's orders to keep Angel safe, Then I slid on a red headband that matched my skirt and pulled back my hair.
"He said he was coming back with a surprise. Can I look outside? Can I?"
"It won't hurt to take a peek," I say, opening the TARDIS doors. Angel bounds through them into the street.
"We're really in the fifties?" she asks. "Oh, this is so awesome!"
"I thought we'd be shooting for more of the Vegas era," I say, stepping out with her. The Doctor pokes his head out the TARDIS doors.
"You're joking, right? You wanna see Elvis, you need to go in the fifties! Back when they called him 'the Pelvis' and he still had a waist."I laugh as he disappears back inside. Then he comes speeding through the doors on a moped, wearing a white helmet and a pair of sunglasses. I slide on my own pair, laughing.
"You going my way, doll?" he asks in his best Elvis voice.
"Is there any other way to go, daddy-o?" I reply. Angel giggles. The Doctor hands her a pink helmet and tosses me a red one. We pull them on. Angel slides on the moped behind the Doctor and I get on the back.
"Where are we going?" she asks the Doctor once he starts driving.
"Ed Sullivan TV Studios. Elvis did 'Hound Dog' on one of the shows, there were loads of complaints. Bit of luck, we'll catch it!"
"Where are we though?"
"New York," the Doctor tells her. I watch a red London bus drive across the street, and note the Union flags that hang from the doors of nearly everyhouse on the street. The Doctor stops when he notices.
"Totally digging the New York vibe," I laugh.
"Well, it could still be New York…bit of a Londony New Work, mind…" he defends.
"Okay," I say, rolling my eyes. I hop off the moped, helping Angel off after me. The Doctor puts it into park and slides off. We all take off our helmets and balance them on the seat before walking off. I slide my arm through the Doctor's and Angel takes my right hand with a smile. She skips along. I grin at how excited she is.
The Doctor's attention is caught by a man in the back of a delivery truck. I follow his gaze to the two boys who lift a television set out of the back and carry it into a house. The owner watches Doctor starts leading us over.
"There you go, sir, all wired up for the great occasion!" the business man says cheerily.
"What great occasion would that be?" the Doctor inquires. The man raises his eyebrows and stares at the Doctor like he's the biggest idiot in the world once he realizes it's not a joke.
"Have you been living under a rock, then?" he asks good-humoredly. "The Coronation, of course!"
"What Coronation would that be?" the Doctor asks. I roll my eyes.
"Even I learned this at school, Doctor, and I hardly paid any attention at all in class," I murmur in his ear, trying not to laugh.
"What do you mean? The Coronation," the man states.
"The Queen," I tell him. "Queen Elizabeth."
"Oh! Oh, is this 1953?" the Doctor realizes.
"I can't believe I put that together before you did."
"Well, yeah, 1953 last I checked," the man nods with a smile. I look around at the roofs of all the houses, noting that there are quite a few aerials.
"That's quite a lot of TV aerials," I comment. "Does everyone have one? Mum says Nana Prentice were so rare that everyone had to pile into one house."
"Not around here, love. Magpie's Marvellous Tellies, only five quid a box," says the man who I assume is Magpie.
"This is a brilliant year!" the Doctor exclaims, letting go of my arm and wandering around the street with a huge grin. "Classic! Technicolor, Everest climbed, everything off the ration…" Angel starts to giggle at him, and I can't help but smile as well. He puts on an expression of mock outrage. "Angel, are you laughing at me? How could you?"
Angel's laughter is cut short by a woman's yelling.
"Someone help me, please! Ted! Leave him alone, that's my husband!"
The Doctor immediately races off toward the sound of the problem down the street.
"Come on, Angel," I say, and we run off after him. A man with a blanket over his head his getting shoved into a black police car by two men in suits.
"What's going on?" the Doctor demands. A young boy runs out of the house after the woman.
"What are you doing?" he shouts. "Where are you taking him?"
"This is police business, sir," says one of the men. "Get out of the way."
I walk up to the boy. "Do you know him? Who are they taking?"
"It must be Mr. Gallagher…" he trails off. "It's been happening everywhere, they're turning into monsters…"
"What do you mean, they're turning into monsters?" Angel asks, her eyes wide.
"Not another word, Tommy!" shouts a man from the doorway. Tommy glares at his father, frowning. He turns back to me.
"Sorry, I'd better do what he says," he apologizes. He turns and kogs back into the house. Suddenly I feel a hand on my shoulder, jumping as I realize the Doctor is right behind me. Angel lets go of my hand and runs over to the sobbing woman whose husband was taken away.
"Don't worry," she says comfortingly. She points at us, continuing. "That's my Mum and the Doctor. They're the smartest, bravest people I know. We're going to figure out what happened to him, and we're going to get him back, I promise."
"Come on, Angel," the Doctor calls with a soft smile. "Let's get after them." He slides on his sunglasses, running to get the moped down the street. He pulls up next to us, tossing us our helmets, and we hop on before he speeds off after the black van.
If I thought the Doctor couldn't drive the TARDIS, it's nothing compared to the moped. I keep a tight hold on him in front of me, and Angel squeezes my waist so tightly I can hardly breathe.
It turns right in front of us, but when we round the corner it has vanished. It's a dead end street. The Doctor comes to an immediate stop, slamming on the brakes, and we're jerked forward. I slap him on the arm, feeling slightly motion sick.
"How did we lose it? Where could it have gone?" he cries.
"You are going to get yourself bloody arrested for reckless driving," I tell him, annoyed. "Did you even pass the test?"
"Men in black? Vanishing police cars?" the Doctor muses, rambling off.
"I like that movie," Angel says offhandedly.
"Monsters, that boy said…" I mutter to myself.
"We could ask the neighbors," Angel suggests. The Doctor and I turn and stare at her.
"Thank you, Angel, for having common sense. I'm glad a raised you right. If only this daft alien here could take a few lessons from you…"
"See?" the Doctor says. "That's what I like about you humans. The domestic approach!"
"Thank you," I sigh, but after a moment's thought, I add, "Wait? Was that an insult?" Angel giggles behind me and the Doctor takes off again without warning. Almost losing my balance, I grab him around the waist again.
"I'm going to kill you," I say loudly over the sound of the motor.
~DW~
The Doctor is bounding up the steps to the front door of Tommy's house and ringing the doorbell before I've even helped Angel off the moped. She takes off her helmet quickly, hanging it on the bike before skipping up to meet him at the door and slipping her small hand into his bigger one. I smile at the sight, remembering how lucky I am. Then I join them at the door, which swings open. The man who I assume is Tommy's father that scolded him before stands in front of us. Tommy lingers a foot or two behind him.
"Hi," we chorus happily, with identical grins on our faces. He raises an eyebrow.
"Who are you, then?" he asks.
"Well, judging by the look of you – family man, nice house, decent wage, fought in the war – therefore, I represent Queen and country! Just doing a little check up on everyone before the big day! Mind if I come in? No, didn't think you did," the Doctor rambles, stepping past him into the house and smiling at Tommy. Angel is right behind him, dragging me through the door. The man at the door looks slightly confused, barely hearing a word the Doctor says because he's talking so fast.
"This is a nice place, not bad at all," the Doctor continues. "Well kept, too. I'd like to congratulate you, Mrs…?" He turns to the woman that stands near the couch of the living room. One of Magpie's television sets sits a few feet in front of it.
"Connolly," the woman says slowly, clearly confused. Honestly, I don't blame her. If I didn't know the Doctor as well as I do, I'd think he was absolutely mental…well, I still do. But it would be even more so.
"Don't worry, Rita," says Mr. Connolly. "I can handle this, he's a proper representative! Don't mind the wife, she rattles on a bit…" Mrs. Connolly takes a small step back, barely noticeable, looking a bit terrified. I eye her carefully, sitting on the arm of the couch. Angel sits on the cushion next to me, and I put my arm around her shoulder.
Angel, what are you getting from her? I ask mentally. She raises her eyebrows.
So, I'm allowed to read minds now?
When I tell you to, yes, now just do what I say, I reply, rolling my eyes.
She's…scared. I can't see what she's so afraid of, but Mr. Connolly is hiding something.
"Maybe she should rattle on a bit more," the Doctor comments. Mr. Connolly's jaw hit's the floor, and Tommy's eyes widen. I frown slightly when I remember that women were considered less than men at some point. The Doctor continues. "I'm not convinced you're doing your patriotic duty. Those are nice flags you've got there. Why are they not flying?"
I hide I smile when I realize the Doctor is trying to intimidate Mr. Connolly. He pauses for a moment, trying to formulate a response. I glare at him when he blames his wife.
"There we are, Rita, I told you to put them up! Queen and country!"
"I'm sorry," Mrs. Connolly stutters, scared. She rushes to pick up the flags on the floor.
"Get it done, do it now!"
"Hold on just a moment, Mr. Connolly," I interrupt, standing up. He and his wife both freeze. "You've got hands, don't you? You're nice and strong. Why can't you do it?"
"That's housework!"
"And that's a woman's job?"
"Course it is!"
"Mr. Connolly, what gender is the Queen?" I ask, raising my eyebrows.
"She's a female…" he answers defensively.
"Do you think the Queen does housework?" I ask, arms crossed. Tommy tries to hide a smile behind his father, who is completely put off by the question. Even Mrs. Connolly can't hide her tiny smile at her husband's discomfort.
"No," he stutters, "not at all!"
"Then get on with it!" the Doctor says, shoving a string of flags at him.
"Right, yes sir," he agrees far too quickly, flashing an incredibly fake smile. "You'll be proud of us, sir! We'll have Union Jacks left, right, and center!"
"Excuse me, Mr. Connolly, hang on a minute!" Angel interrupts, coming to stand next to me with her hands on her hips. "Union Jacks?"
He pauses to look at her. "Yes, that's right."
"That's the Union Flag," Angel corrects. "It's only the Union Jack when it's flown at sea."
I smile proudly at her. Tommy doesn't bother hiding his smile anymore, outright grinning at Angel. Mr. Connolly looks thrown off.
"Oh…oh, I'm sorry, I do apologize!"
"Well, don't get it wrong again, there's a good man. Get back to it!" she tells him sweetly, with that smile of hers that can terrify me sometimes. I don't know how she balances perfectly angelic and totally evil at the same time.
"Right then! Nice and comfy, at Her Majesty's leisure!" the Doctor proclaims, plopping himself down on the couch. I take a seat next to his right, and Angel decides to squeeze between us. I move over slightly to make room.
"Union Flag?" the Doctor asks her quietly. I nod in agreement, wondering the same thing.
"How did you know that?" I add.
"Grandmum went out with a sailor," she answers with a coy smile.
"Oh, I bet she did," the Doctor mutters. I reach around behind Angel and slap him in the arm. Then he straightens himself up and looks at Tommy.
"Who might you be, then?"
Tommy jumps slightly, surprised the Doctor is talking to him. I pat the couch to my left.
"Come on and take a seat," I offer. "You should too, Mrs. Connolly, relax a bit!" I motion to another chair nearby. Tommy grins, sitting next to me. Mrs. Connolly takes a seat in the chair.
"Have a look at this," the Doctor says, pointing at the television. "I love telly, don't you?"
"Yeah, I think it's brilliant!" Tommy agrees. We silently watch the program (something about fossils or whatnot…reminder: ask the Doctor to show me some dinosaurs one of these days) as the Doctor turns to Mr. Connolly.
"Keep working, Mr. C!" Then he turns to Mrs. Connolly, dropping the cheerful act and speaking much more quietly. "Why don't you tell me what's wrong?"
"Did you say you were a doctor?" she asks softly.
"Yes, I am," he confirms.
"Can you help her? Oh, please, can you help her, Doctor?" she begs.
"Now then, Rita, the gentleman doesn't need to know…"
"No, the gentleman does," the Doctor says, cutting him off. Mrs. Connolly begins to cry. I stand up and walk over to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.
"Tell us what's wrong, and we can help," I prod.
"Hold on just a minute!" Mr. Connolly shouts angrily. "This is my house! What the hell are you doing? Listen here, Doctor, you may have fancy qualifications, but this is my business!"
"All the people are being bundled into…" the Doctor starts.
"I am talking!" Mr. Connolly yells. The Doctor stands to face him, his eyes dark and furious.
"And I'm not listening! Now you, Mr. Connolly, are staring into a deep, dark pit of trouble if you don't let me help. So I'm ordering you, sir, to tell me what is going on!"
The room is silent while Mr. Connolly tries to think of something to say. Tommy stares at the scene with wide eyes and his mother continues to cry. I comfort her the best I can.
The silence is shattered by a loud banging sound from upstairs. My eyes dart to the ceiling, and I listen intently to the noise.
"She won't stop," Mr. Connolly says. "She never stops."
"We started hearing stories," Tommy explains, fear lacing his tone, "all round the place, people who've…changed. Families keeping it secret cause they're scared. The police starting finding out, but we don't know how. They just turn up and take them away, any time of day or night."
"Show me," the Doctor says. Tommy nods, racing into the other room to grab a set of keys. He leads us up the staircase and down a hallway to a closed door which he unlocks. Angel grasps at my hand, and I look down at her, concerned. She looks slightly scared as the banging continues.
"Gran?" Tommy calls, poking his head in the door. There are no lights on in the room. "It's Tommy. It's alright, Gran, I've brought help." He opens the door fully, stepping inside. The Doctor follows while I stand in the doorway with Angel. The light flicks on.
"Her face!" Angel gasps. "It's…it's…"
"Gone," I fill in, unable to tear my eyes away from the faceless old woman. Where her eyes, nose, and mouth should be, there is nothing – only a blank canvas.
The Doctor pulls out the sonic screwdriver, peering at the woman. I tug on Angel's arm gently, urging her further into the room.
"Her face is completely gone," the Doctor says, slightly fascinated. "Scarcely an electrical impulse left. Almost complete neural shutdown, she's ticking over, like her brain has been…wiped clean."
"Mum," Angel says, trembling. "It's not…it couldn't be them, could it? The School?"
"Sweetie, it's going to be okay," I tell her, grabbing her shoulders and looking her in the eye. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt you."
"What're we going to do, Doctor?" Tommy asks desperately. "We can't even feed her!"
Suddenly, there's the sound of a door breaking downstairs. I straighten up quickly. Angel jumps, stepping back.
"It's them!" Mrs. Connolly cries. "They've come for her!"
"What was she doing before this happened?" the Doctor asks hurriedly. "Where was she?"
"I don't know! I can't remember! She was just in the house!"
A big, tough-looking guy walks into the room. The Doctor approaches them, rambling at a mile a minute.
"Hold on! There are three important, brilliant, and complicated reasons why you should listen to me…"
I cringe at the sick cracking sound when the man's fist meets the Doctor's face. He collapses, unconscious. Angel drops to her knees next to him, trying to wake him up.
The men throw a blanket over Tommy's grandmother and carry her down the stairs in a rush before I could do anything. Tommy and Mrs. Connolly race down after the men, calling for the woman. Mr. Connolly does nothing – then I see him urging the officers on, pushing them down the stairs to get out quickly. I glare at him. I look at the Doctor unconscious on the floor.
I kneel down on the side opposite of Angel, slapping him inn the face. He blinks, sitting up quickly.
"See, Ange? Lesson one, the best way to wake uop the Doctor is by slapping him."
The Doctor ignores my comment, hopping to his feet quickly and dragging us along down the steps and out to the street. He hops on the moped, Angel following, calling m yname. But I freeze where I am, turning back to the television in the loiving room. The antennae buzz with red electricity. I rush over to the set, kneeling in front of it and fiddling with switches. I notice the label – one of Magpie's televisions.
"How did they find her?" Tommy asks as he and his parents make their way back into the house.
"You!" Mr. Connolly shrieks. I turn my head to look at him. "Get the hell out of my house!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm done, I'm going," I mutter, rolling my eyes. I wave goodbye to Tommy and Mrs. Connolly. At the door, I can't resist one last jab at Mr. Connolly's pride.
"As for you, Mr. Connolly, only a true idiot hangs a Union Flag upside down!" I grin cheerfully and he slams the door in my face.
~DW~
The door to Magpie's shop opens with a small ringing bell. He stands behind the counter, which is covered with tools and television pieces. At the shound of the bell, he looks up at me. I note the nervous air about him.
"Oh, I'm sorry, miss, I was just about to lcose up shop for the day, you're too late," he says.
"Yeah, well, I want to buy a telly," I inform him, shutting the door behind me anyway.
"Come back tomorrow, please."
"You'll be closed tomorrow, won't you? For the big day?"
"What?"
"The coronation?"
"Ah, yes, of course, the big day…I'm sure you'll find somewhere to watch it. Please go."
"Seems to me more than half the city's got a telly. You're practically giving them away. Why?"
"I have my reasons.'
"And what are they?" I push, trying to get answers. I stare him down and he shrinks away from my gaze.
"Hungry! Hungry!"
I spin around at the sound of the woman's voice. One of the televisions has come on.
"What's that?" I ask him.
"Just one of those modern programs," he insists. He chews at the inside of his cheek nervously – lying. "Now I really think you should leave!"
"Not until you tell me why your televisions are so cheap," I demand.
"It's my patriotic duty!" he lies. "Seems only right that as many people as possible get to watch the coronation. Twenty million people they reckon will be watching! Imagine that! And twenty million people can't be wrong, eh? So why don't you get on home and get up bright and early for the big day?"
"You see, Magpie, I've never been one to flow with the rest of the crowd. If there's a stampede of people running one way, you can bet that I'm the one who's fighting to go the other direction. So, I'm ot going anywhere until I've seen everything."
"I neeed to close," he says, frustrated, not bothering to reason with me anymore.
"Listen up," I say forcefully, walking up to the counter and slamming my hands down on it. "Something is happening, something bad. Ordinary people are being robbed of their faces. The only new thing in the house is a television, and everyone is buying from you. Now tell me – what the bloody hell is going on?"
"I knew this would happen," he mutters to himself, slightly scared. "I knew I'd be found out."
"Coming clean now, then? Tell me, whaat's in it for you?"
"Maybe some peace."
"Peace from what?"
"From her," he says, glancing at the woman on the television. I follow his gaze.
Maybe this guy really isn't behind everything…maybe he's insane.
"That's just a television program," I tell him.
"What a pretty little girl," the woman smiles, but it's insincere. Her eyes stare right through me.
"Hold on, are you talking to me?" I ask, my eyes widening.
"Yes, I'm talking to you, little one. And I'm hungryyyy!"
~DW~ ANGEL'S POV
The Doctor and I follow the police car on the moped, finally seeing where they had gotten to earlier. A gate opens up, leading to a secret headquarters, kind of. We follow them inside silently…until we get caught. Two men lead us to the head of the operation. The man sits behind a desk, and we sit in front of him in spinning chairs.
"Tell me everything you know," he orders.
"Well, for starters," the Doctor says, "I know you can't wrap your hand around your elbow and make your fingers meet."
"Don't get clever with me. You were there today at Florisel Street, and now breaking into this establishment. Now, you're connected with this. Make no mistake. And her, she's just a little girl! How did she get involved in all of this?" the man exclaims.
"Well, the thing is, Detective Inspector Bishop…"
"How do you know my name?"
"It's written inside your collar," the Doctor informs him. DI Bishop looks slightly uncomfortable, fumbling with his collar. I smirk as the Doctor continues. "Bless you mum. Anyway, Detective Inspector, I can't help noticing that you aren't doing much detective inspecting. All you're doing in grabbing those poor faceless people. Don't tell me, orders from above? No one wants the negative attention around coronation day, is that right?" The Doctor spins in his chair as he talks, extremely casual. Di Bishop looks slightly put off.
"The nation has an image to maintain."
"And that's more important than the suffering people?" I scoff. "You've got to be a DI for a reason. Don't you want to do something about all this?"
"Of course I do!" he insists. He sighs. "But with all the crowds expected, we haven't got the man power. Even if we did, this is beyond anything we've ever seen. Twenty years on the police force, and I haven't the faintest idea where to start."
"That could change," the Doctor says.
"How?"
"Tell me everything you know."
DI Bishop stands up, pointing at a large map of London hanging on the wall.
"We started finding them about a month ago," he explains. "People left without eyes, noses, mouths – just blank faces."
"Is there any sort of pattern?" the Doctor asks.
"Yes," DI Bishop says, "spreading oyut from North London. Men, women, kids, grannies…the only real lead is that there's been a large number from…"
"Florisel Street," I finish for him, flipping through the files on his desk. He nods. There's a knock on the door.
"Found another one, sir," says a policeman, leading in a blanketed figure. My heart skips a beat when I see the poofy red skirt I forced Mum into this morning.
"Good man, Crabtree," DI Bishop tells the officer. "Go on, Doctor, take a look. See what you can deduce."
"No," I whimper. "No, not her…please, not her…" I turn to the Doctor, tears gathering in my eyes. He stares at the red skirt, eyes wide, not wanting to believe it. But the officer pulls the blanket off over her head and there's no denying it.
"Rose," the Doctor breathes. I rush over to her figure, throwing my arms around her waist and tugging at her skirt, praying for an annoyed response.
"No, no, please, Mum, no," I beg, tears streaming down my cheeks. "Not when I finally found you again, you've got to be okay…"
I feel the Doctor's hands on my shoulders, pulling me away from her and turning me to face his. He hugs me tightly while I cry into his jacket.
"You know her?" DI Bishop asks, concerned.
"They found her in the street," the officer explains. "Abandoned in a square, apparently. First one out in the open."
"God forbid something happens on the big day in public tomorrow, we'll have Torchwood on our backs," DI Bishop says.
"They did what?" the Doctor interrupts coldly, but dangerously calm. I sniffle, pulling away from him and turning to look at Mum again. A dark picture of her wandering the streets alone with no face creeps into my mind. I start trembling.
"I'm sorry?" DI Bishop asks.
"They left her where?"
"Just…in the street."
"In the street," the Doctor repeats. "They left her in the street. They took away 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?"
"No…" DI Bishop says carefully.
"Because NOW, Detective Inspector Bishop," the Doctor shouts, "there is no power on this Earth that can stop me!" He kneels down next to me and grabs me by the shoulders.
"Don't cry Angel. I swear, if it's the last thing I ever do, I am going to get her back, I am going to save her. I promise you."
"I know," I say. "You always save her. That's why she loves you. But she saves you, too. And that's why you love her."
The Doctor's eyes widen slightly. I offer him a small, wet smile.
"It's so obvious," I tell him. "But neither of you know. That's why when we get her back, you should tell her. Mum deserves someone like you. She's spent her whole life taking care of other people, but you can take care of her."
He nods, kissing my forehead and grabbing my hand, leading me straight to the door. DI Bishop follows right behind us. We burst through the gates without a word. The Doctor just keeps walking, taking the occasional turn down a street. I recognize where we're heading – the Connolly's house.
We turn onto the street. The Doctor stalks right up to the front door, pounding on it. Tommy comes to open the door, poking his head through.
"Tommy, talk to me," the Doctor orders. The boy stepps outside and closes the door behind him. "I need to know exactly what happened inside your house."
Tommy opens his mouth to speak, but Mr. Connolly yanks the door open angrily.
"What the blazes do you think you're doing?" he demands, rounding on Tommy. Tommy stares right back up at his father defiantly.
"I want to help, dad!"
"Listen, you little twerp, you're hardly out of the blooming 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 they think!"
"Is that why you did it?" Tommy asks angrily.
"What?"
"You ratted out gran! That's the only way the police could have ever found out! The coward told them!"
"Do you think I fought in the war so a mouthy scum like you could call me a coward?" Mr. Connolly rages.
"You don't get it!" Tommy shouts. "You fought against facism! You fought so that people wouldn't tell you how to live, who to be friends with, who to fall in love with! You were fighting so little twerps like me could do what we wanted! Now you've become just like them. You've been informing on everyone, haven't you?"
"Is that true?" asks Mrs. Connolly, appearing at the doorway.
Mr. Connolly looks to her, his eyes widening.
"I did it for us, Rita! She was a filthy, disgusting thing!"
"She was my mother! And all those people, all our friends!"
"I had to! I did the right thing!"
"The right thing for us, or the right thing for you, Eddie?" Mrs. Connolly retorts, disgusted. She turns to Tommy. "Go, Tommy, get out of this house. Go with the Doctor. Do some good."
She slams the door, locking it, leaving Mr. Connolly trapped outside.
"Tommy?" the Doctor nudges, nodding his head toward DI Bishop waiting at the curb with raised eyebrows. He nods, racing down the stairs with the Doctor. I rush after them, but stop for a moment.
"Wait a second!" I call, running back over to Mr. Connolly.
"What do you want?" he sneers. I stick my tongue out at him and stomp hard on his foot. He howls with pain, calling me a bunch of names that I file away for later use (not around Mum, of course). With one last glare, I skip back down the stairs and take the Doctor's hand while we walk.
"You really are your mother's daughter, you know that?" the Doctor laughs. I grin at him, then it gets serious again.
"So, Tommy, tell me about that night, when she changed," the Doctor says. Tommy shoves his hands in his pockets, staring at the ground while he replies.
"She was just watching the telly."
"Of ocurse" the Doctor realizes. I look up at him, confused. "Rose said it when we first got here, she knew all along – all the aerials on the street, how come?"
"Bloke up the road, Mr. Magpie sells them cheap," Tommy explains. Then the Doctor is off and running, dragging me along with him. I point to the shop with the sign in the window that says 'Magpie's'. The Doctor runs to it, smashing through the glass door.
"You can't do that!" DI Bishop protests, catching up, but the Doctor ignores him, set on finding Mum. He strides over to the counter and rings the bell repeatedly.
"MAGPIE!" he shouts.
"Maybe he isn't in," Tommy says.
"Looks like it," the Doctor agrees. He goes behind the counter and starts rummaging through drawers. He pulls out a box that looks like a cross between a portable TV and radio.
"This isn't right," he mutters, examining it. "This is very much not right…" He pauses for a moment, considering, then licking the box. I make a face.
"Yuck."
"Tastes like iron. Bakelite…"
"That's brilliant!" DI Bishop exclaims. "A portable te;evison!"
"Put together by human hands, but the design…" the Doctor murmurs to himself, not even acknowledging the rest of us. He scans the device with the sonic screwdriver, then points it at another television in the room. Suddenly, static fills every screen in the room. Then faces pop up on the screens.
I locate Mum's immediately, watching her call out.
Doctor! Doctor!
"She's calling for you," I say, looking at him. He kneels in front of the screen, looking sad, but determined.
"I'm on my way," he says quietly, running a hand down her face.
"She already knows," I tell him.
A door swings open from behind the counter. Magpie walks into the door.
"What do you think you're doing?" he demands.
"I want my friend restored!" the Doctor thunders. Magpie flinches away from him. "Now, I think that's beyond a little backstreet technician, so who is really in charge here?"
"That would be me," says a woman's voice. We all turn to one of the television screens.
"Is she talking to us?" DI Bishop asks, disbelieving.
"Sorry, but you brought this on yourself," Magpie says. "May I introduce my new friend…"
"God, it's her, that woman off the telly," Tommy breathes.
"No, it's just using her image," the Doctor says, staring at the screen.
"I'm the Wire," the woman says. "And I will gobble you up, every last morsel. And when I have feasted, I shall regain the corpeal body, which my fellow kind have denied me." Slowly, color blooms on the screen.
"Oh my god, colored television!" DI Bishop exclaims.
"Your own people tried to stop you?" the Doctor asks.
"They executed me," she scowls. "But I took this form, and I fled across the stars."
"Now you're trapped in the television," I say, understanding.
"Not for long."
"It feeds on the electrical activity of the brain, but it overstuffs itself, it takes the person's essence," the Doctor explains.
"You let her do it!" I cry, turning to Magpie.
"I had to! She let me keep my face!"
"For the first time, millions of people are going to be gathered around a television set," the Doctor says. "But you aren't strong enough. That's why you need that." He grabs the portable television off the counter. "You need something to turn a big transmitter into a big receiver."
"What a clever thing you are," the Wire smiles humourlessly. "But why fret about it? Why not just kick off your shoes, put up your feet, and watch the coronation? I guarantee – you'll be glued to the screen!"
Sparks of red electricity reach out of the television screens, surrounding me. My head starts to hurt.
"Doctor!" I cry. "Doctor, help me!"
Everything goes black.
~DW~
"Come on, Angel, ocme on, sweetheart," someone mutters. "Wake up." They're grabbing my shoulders, shaking me roughly. I moan at the pain in my head.
"Doctor?"
"That would be me," he says, and I make out his grin as I open my eyes. "We need to get going." I nod, pulling myself into a sitting position. He reaches out a hand to help me stand up. Tommy stands a few feet away, looking about as groggy as I feel. Then I turn to DI Bishop.
"Oh no!" I gasp, seeing that his face is gone.
"What happened?" Tommy asks, rubbing his forehead.
"Where's Magpie?" the Doctor asks aloud, more talking to himself than anyone else.
"We don't even know where to start, he's got to be long gone by now," I say. "How long were we out for?"
"The Wire's got a big plan," the Doctor rambles, pacing back and forth. "So it'll need... yes, yes, yes, it's got to harness half the population... millions and millions of people... and where are we?"
"Muswell Hill," Tommy tells him.
"Muswell Hill…which means…Alexandra Palace!" the Doctor exclaims. He runs outside and checks, just to be sure. "The biggest TV transmitter in North London! That's why they chose this place!"
"What are we going to do?" I ask.
"We're going shopping," the Doctor grins, racing back into the shop. He starts gathering equipment, handing things off to me and Tommy.
"Right, that's all we need," he says, grabbing his own load of equipment to carry. "Come on!" He races out the door, Tommy and I close on his heels.
"Look!" Tommy cries once the transmitter tower is in close enough view. "Magpie is up there!"
"Come on!" the Doctor shouts.
"Whoa, there, what do you think you're doing?" a police officer says, holding up a hand. The Doctor merely flashes the psychic paper in his face and keeps running.
"Oh, I'm sorry sir!" the officer calls after us. "Shouldn't you be at the coronation?"
The Doctor turns back hishead to reply. "They're saving me a seat!"
"Who did he think we were?" I ask. The Doctor glances at the psychic paper.
"I'm the King of Belgium, apparently."
We round another corner, finally coming to the bottom of the tower. The Doctor tells us to drop our bundles of equipment. He sonics the door to the control room, unlocking it and ushering us inside.
"I need the two of you to make sure this stays switched on. Don't let anyone stop you. Do you understand?" the Doctor orders. We nod.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm climbing the transmitter."
"Are you crazy?" Tommy exclaims.
"I can do it," I declare, grabbing the equipment out of the Doctor's hands. "I'll be faster."
"What?" he says, horrified, taking the equipment back from me. "No! Your mother would kill me if something happened to you!"
"Nothing is going to happen to me! I'm going to be fine!" I argue, pulling the equipment back, but he holds his grip on it.
"Angel! I said no!"
"Shut up!" I shout. He silences immediately, his eyes wide. "How much has Mum told you? Do you know what we've been through in our lives? From the minute I was born, I was being tortured and experimented on. I've been running from evil scientists and their vile experiments for my entire life! I'm not just a weak little twelve year old girl! I know how to fight. I can take a little pain. I can do this! Mum saved my life so many times – now it's my chance to save her!"
"I'm sorry," the Doctor sighs. "I know. You can do this. But I don't want you to get hurt. Even if Rose were here, I would tell her the same thing. She could do it too. But I wouldn't want to put her in harm's way."
"Please," I beg. "Please, Doctor." He looks at me carefully and nods.
"Okay. But be careful, Angel. If anything happens, just scream for me. I'll come, I promise," he says, tucking my hair behind my ear and kissing my forehead. I take the device out of his hands and he explains to me what it is and what to do with it. Then he walks outside with me.
I spread my wings, flexing them to stretch them out. I take off, flying right up to meet Magpie in moments.
"It's too late!" he cries. "It's too late for all of us!"
"I'm not going to let you do this," I shout.
"Help me! It burns! It took my face – my soul!"
"You cannot stop the Wire!" the Wire cackles. I glare at the screen, trying to reach around Magpie to the electric outlet.
"No more! You promised me peace!" Magpie wails to the Wire.
"And peace you shall have," the Wire says. Magpie bursts into red sparks. I gasp, dodging the shower of electricity, but come right back at the portable television with the plug in my hand. I jam it into the outlet, bracing myself for something to happen. I don't know what I'm waiting for – an explosion? An electric shock? But nothing.
"Oh, dear, has your little plan failed?" the Wire mocks. I open my eyes, confused. I glance down to the control booth through a window. The Doctor is rapidly flicking switches with Tommy. Something must have stopped working.
But Tommy presses a button and everything comes whirring back to life. I fly a few feet away from the tower, looking out over the city. The red electric signal is visible, being pulled back into the tower. The Wire screeches and the screen goes static-y before going black completely. I remove the cassette tape from the television like the Doctor told me to.
I fly back down to the Doctor, landing a few feet away from him. He beams at me, engulfing me in a hug. I wrap my arms around his neck, smiling widely.
"Can I have the tape?" he asks as he sets me back down. I give him the cassette tape.
"Why do you need that?" I ask him.
"This is where I trapped the Wire," he explains. "Within the film."
"That's brilliant!" Tommy gasps from the doorway.
"Come on, now, let's get you home Tommy," the Doctor says. "We need to find Rose."
~DW~
"Look! It's my grandson!"
"Gran!" Tommy cries, racing to meet the old woman and his mother. The Doctor smiles at the happy family. I strain to look over the crowd, unable to locate Mum. A frown crosses my face and I start to worry.
"Over there," the Doctor says quietly, turning me around and pointing through the people. I have a view of Mum scanning the crowd, looking for us the same way we were looking for her.
"Mum!" I shout happily, running over to her. She looks toward the sound of my voice and beams when she sees me coming. I fling myself into her arms and she grins into my hair.
"I was so worried," I tell her, hugging her tightly.
"I know, it's okay," she assures me. "I'm here."
She sets me down slowly, and I can tell her eyes are on the Doctor by the way they're sparkling. He grins at her, and she grins at him, and I grin at the sight of them grinning at each other.
The Doctor sweeps her into his arms, lifting her up and spinning her in a circle. She laughs happily, burying her face in his shoulder as he sets her down, but doesn't let her go. Once I've decided they've had their moment, I join in the hug.
~DW~ ROSE'S POV
"So, that thing," I ask through a mouthful of the Doctor's cupcake. "It's trapped on the film for good?"
"I'm going to neutralise the residual electronic pattern, just to be safe," the Doctor says. We stare at him.
"I'm gonna tape over it."
"Oh," Angel giggles, taking my right hand since the Doctor has my left. She swings our arms back and forth cheerfully, skipping along. The Doctor catches sight of Tommy and waves him over.
"Tell you what, Tommy, you can keep the scooter. Little present. But, best keep it in the garage for a few years," he advises. Tommy grins, looking back toward his doorstep. Mrs. Connolly is shooing Mr. Connolly off.
"Good for her," I smile. Tommy nods.
"He deserves it." We all watch Mr. Connolly walk down the street alone.
"Tommy, go after him," Angel says. I look down at her, surprised.
"But why?" he asks.
"He's your dad," she reminds him.
"He's an idiot," Tommy reminds her.
"Yeah, but he's still your dad. And even if he might not be the best one, he's the only one you're ever going to get. You're lucky. I've never had a dad," Angel says. I wrap my arm around her shoulders and squeeze her arm.
"Okay," Tommy agrees after a moment. He races after his dad, walking along with him.
"Come on," I say, breaking through our silence. "Let's go have a bit of fun before we take you home, Angel."
