The Idiot's Lantern

Florizel Street, Muswell Hill, London
1st May 1953

Embarrassment. Shame. Regret. Sadness. These were the only feelings Mr. Magpie could feel now, stuck in his job as owner and founder of Magpie Electricals. The man was only 58 years old, with a receding hairline leading into dark brown hair, dashed with shades of grey, which coupled with his greying stubble, helped to show his ragged, tired attire. He typically wore a dark blue suit, maybe even a brown trench coat, but right now he had removed most of those for the night, just remaining in his jeans, white shirt and black suspenders. The man ran a hand over his face to hold back a sigh as he finished calculating all his current bills, his behaviour not helped in the least by the night-time rain and thunder outside. "Two hundred pounds overdrawn." He muttered, ripping one of his notepad sheets and tossed it aside, all the while some random program played on one of his televisions. It was something about a prim and proper female British presenter, with black hair and a silver blue dress with three white necklaces, despite the telly only being in black and white.

"Orchestrations were arranged by Sir Rodney Fenning and Dame Eve English is a member of the Kings Lynn Players. So, tune in again next week for more from the "What's My Line?" team. And that brings us to the end of programming for today. So, from all of us here at Alexandra Palace, a very good night." The woman said before the TV switched to an automatic, floating symbol, with "God Save the Queen" playing on for background ambience.

Even that music helped to add to Magpie's beaten attitude, since the coronation of the nation's newest majesty would be coming in a single month. But people still didn't have enough money to buy televisions. Magpie sighed. "I need a miracle." He silently pleaded. Maybe he needed to sleep it off, help strengthen his mood. Yes. He agreed to himself. That should do the trick.

The Connolly family. Sitting together in their small home, were just listening to something relaxing on the radio. The mother, Rita, was sitting at a desk in the room, using a sewing machine to fix a hole in one of her shirts. The grandmother, who they just called Gran, or Mum on Rita's part, was sitting on a small sofa, nibbling on a jam crumpet and laughing softly to herself at the radio. The son, Thomas or Tommy, was sitting on the main long sofa just reading a magazine that contained an advertisement on televisions, and he was always excited at the possibility of having one in their home. Rita gave a quick glance at her mother as said woman kept giggling at the radio.

"He's a caution, that one. He does make me laugh." Rita said with a smile on her face.

At that, the man of the house, Eddie Connolly, a 48-year-old man with scruffy dark hair and a thin matching moustache came into the room, finishing buttoning up his blue suit, which was even coupled with his medals of honour he had received from his serving times.

"Oh, our lord and master." Gran Connolly quipped.

Eddie rolled his eyes with a smirk. "Rita, I'm off out." He said simply.

Rita just gave a silent nod, while Tommy turned in his seat to look up at him. "Dad."

Eddie looked down to see what Tommy was holding and he groaned. "Oh, how many times, son? We'll see."

"But everyone's getting a telly, Dad, even Mr. Gallagher. And the bells at Number 67."

Eddie sighed. "Well, perhaps we'll get one for the coronation." Tommy's gaze turned into radiating hope, almost making him smirk again. "If you're lucky. We'll see." He ruffled Tommy's brown hair before grabbing his keys off the table and turned to leave. "Don't wait up." He said to everyone before moving to grab his overcoat and head out the front door.

"I heard they rot your brains. Rot them into soup, and your brain comes pouring out of your ears. That's what television does." Gran said to Tommy.

A house. A proper house. A nice brick house with carpets and a good wage. Good food. Roast chicken or pork-

"Mr. Magpie?"

What? Is my dream talking to me?

"Oh, Mr. Magpie?"

"Eh?" Magpie muttered. The dream was over now. It was weird. It sounded like that lady on the TV was talking to him. Ah, it didn't matter. Slowly, Magpie awoke from his sleep, just to be sure that he was alone, the only thing with him being a television still on, with that lady on it.

"Whoo-hoo! Can you hear me, Magpie?"

Okay, NOW he was confused. "Yes." That voice. It came from the TV. Nah, it couldn't be. "I must be dreaming." He said, shaking his head to clear his eyesight, turning to look at the TV.

The lady, or whatever it was, shook its head. "Oh, no. This isn't a dream."

He blinked and gulped. "I'm going doolally, then."

It smirked. "Not at all, sweetheart. Now, are you sitting comfortably?" He blinked again, now in bewilderment. "Good. Then we'll begin." Its smirk turned into a cold smile, before it closed its eyes and sighed. Out from the TV screen came three tendrils of red electricity that latched onto Magpie's face and started to feed, drawing his own screaming face into the TV as it laughed maniacally.

1st June

Pink. So much pink. Rose mused to herself as she stepped out of the TARDIS. They were going to see Elvis and they decided to dress appropriately, with Rose wearing a long pink dress with matching heels and a blue jacket over the top, along with a pink hairband, pink sunglasses and even two long earrings. It was an odd style, Rose thought, but then again, the Elvis period was odd anyway. I mean, come on, it's Elvis for god's sake. She took a confused glance at her surroundings and frowned. "I thought we'd be going for the Vegas era." She said as she heard the Doctor and Clara moving about in the TARDIS. "You know…the white flares and the…*Purrs* chest hair."

"You are kidding, aren't you?" Clara asked as she hopped out of the TARDIS. She was wearing the same outfit that she wore when they fought that werewolf with her shorty Queen counterpart, now with the addition of a pair of sunglasses, all which Rose admired a bit.

If only for a bit. She playfully mused.

"If you want to see Elvis, you go for the late 50's. The time before burgers, when they called him "The Pelvis" and he still had a waist." Clara continued as she stepped out. "What's more, you see him in style."

"It'll be just like Forrest Gump." Rose mused.

Clara blinked. "Eh?"

"Elvis. They had him "Appear" in Forrest Gump."

Clara shook her head. "Sorry, can't remember." Then, Clara shrugged. "To be honest, it's been a while since I've seen that movie."

Rose groaned. "First thing we're doing when we get back." She muttered.

"Don't worry, Clara." The Doctor called as they heard him start up a motorbike inside the TARDIS. "You're not alone on that." The Doctor came riding out, doing a quick circle around the pair, earning a roll of the eyes from Rose while Clara had to stop herself from giggling as he came to a stop. "You going my way, doll?" He asked with a wink to Clara, clearly imitating Elvis, which his own brushed back hair even echoed, if only a tad.

"Oh yes, mate." Clara quipped with a Cockney accent. "I'm sure I would be having fun with your ride." She flirted.

"Bloody hell, you pull that one off well." The Doctor complimented with a smirk as he put on a white helmet and handed a silver one to Clara, the two of them turning to Rose as they buckled them on. "How about you, Rose?"

Rose smirked and put on her glasses. She could outdo them BOTH. "Is there any other way to go, Daddy-o?" She asked in an American accent, and it caused the desired effect. The couple's eyes widened, and she grinned. "Straight from the fridge, man!"

"Rose Tyler, since when could you speak the lingo?" Clara asked as the Doctor handed her a helmet, Rose moving to hop on behind Clara.

"Well, me, mum, Cliff Richard movies every bank holiday Monday." Rose explained, back in her normal voice.

"Oh, Cliff." The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Of course, Jackie would be a Cliff fan."

""Cliff"?" Clara asked. "Cliff who?"

"Don't let my mum catch you saying that." Rose warned. "She'd go barmy."

"Aaaaaand we're off!" The Doctor said, taking the bike into motion, causing Clara to shriek behind him.

"Doctor! Control yourself!" She reprimanded playfully.

"Not in a thousand years!" He retorted back.

"Where are we off to?!" Rose interrupted. Why is it that these bikes have to be so bloody loud?!

"Ed Sullivan TV Studios!" The Doctor informed. "Elvis did "Hound Dog" on one of the shows! There were loads of complaints! Bit of luck, we'll just catch it!"

"And that'll be TV Studios in…what, New York?!"

"That's the one!"

The Doctor brought the bike to a stop to let a double decker bus pass by, making the Doctor and Clara blink while Rose just laughed. "Digging that New York vibe!" Rose whooped.

"Well…this could still be New York." The Doctor muttered, the low rumble of the unmoving bike letting the pair behind him hear his words. "I mean…this looks very New York to me. Sort of…Londony New York, mind, but…"

"What're all the flags for?" Rose asked. She was right, on every single house in sight there was flags adorning their walls, with long strings of small flags connecting all the houses in the street together. "Clara, what'd you reckon?" She asked.

Clara blinked, shaking her head slightly. "I taught English, not History."

"Oh, fat lot of use you-"

"Oi!"

The Connolly family, sans Gran, sat in the living room around their newly acquired black TV. Eddie stared at the TV in a mixture of bemused curiosity while Rita and Tommy tried to replicate that feeling, they kept glancing up to the ceiling beneath the second floor in wide eyed nervousness. The current channel was something about "Muffin the Mule", which made Eddie chuckle as he got up, crossed over to the TV and turned the volume down

"Smashing!" He commented with a grin. "Smashing, isn't it?" He asked, glancing back between the family and his TV. "You'd have thought they was in the room with you, eh? Fair dues, Tommy, you had a point." He looked at Rita and his smile faded noticing her far away gaze, which even Tommy had. "Come on, it's a new television, Rita, that should cheer you up a bit. Give us a smile then, eh?"

"I can't." Rita muttered, and his gaze turned properly blank. "Nothing's the same anymore, not with her-"

"Stop it." He warned.

"But her face, Eddie." She said, her voice truly level now. "What happened to her? That awful face-"

"I said stop it!" He growled, hushing Rita.

*Tap*

They all looked up at the roof, hitching their breaths just a bit.

*Tap* *Tap*

"She's awake." Rita said, her voice back to a soft mutter again. "I think she's hungry."

"But how?" Tommy asked. "She hasn't even got a mouth." Rita sighed at that while Eddie rolled his eyes.

"There you go, sir!" Magpie called cheerfully as he handed a receipt to another customer, a man and his son carrying their new TV into a nearby house. "All wired up for the great occasion!"

"Cheers!" The man called.

""The Great Occasion"?" The Doctor asked as he, Clara and Rose stepped up to Magpie from around his car. "What do you mean?"

Magpie blinked. "Where've you been living, out in the colonies? Coronation, of course." He said as he moved to close the back doors of his car.

"And…what Coronation's that, then?"

Magpie truly scrunched his face in bemused bewilderment. "What do you mean? THE Coronation."

Rose caught on before her two friends. "It's the Queen's." Clara almost got it while the Doctor just shook his head. "Queen Elizabeth."

Now they got. "Oh, is this 1953?" Clara asked.

Magpie shrugged. "Last time I looked." He quipped. "Time for a lovely bit of pomp and circumstance, what we do best."

Rose smiled at that before her gaze darted up to the rooftops and her expression frowned. There's too many of them. "Look at all the TV aerials. Looks like everyone's got one. That's weird, my nan said tellies were so rare they all had to pile into one house." The Doctor and Clara cocked an eyebrow at her words but decided to fold it away for now.

"Not round here, love." Magpie said with a grin as he patted his car, bearing the painted card title of his company. "Magpie's marvellous tellies, only 5 Quid a box."

"Oh, but this is a brilliant year! Classic!" The Doctor exclaimed with a beaming grin, automatically getting a giggling Clara's attention. "Technicolor, Everest climbed, everything off the ration, a nation throwing off the shadows of war and looking forward to a happier, brighter future!" While the three chuckled, Magpie rolled his eyes and moved to enter his car.

And yet, on that statement, all their joyful attitude was cut off as a nearby front door slammed open and three men in detective outfits hauled a man covered in a black cloak into a black car, a screaming woman behind them. "Someone help me, please! Ted! Leave him alone, he's my husband! Please!"

The Doctor and Clara immediately sprinted over. "What's going on?" The Doctor asked.

Tommy also came rushing out of the Connolly house. "Oi! What are you doing?!" He demanded but the police ignored him.

"Are you hurting him?!" Clara demanded as they shoved the man inside the car.

"No." The leader, a gaunt man with an obvious receding hairline despite his hat on top, said to the TARDIS couple. "This is police business. Now, if you would kindly sir, ma'am, get out of the way!" He ordered. With that, the police trio entered the car.

"Who did they take? Do you know him?" Clara asked Tommy as Rose hurried over to join them.

"It must be Mr. Gallagher." The police then started to drive off in haste, leaving the poor man's wife in sobbing tears. "It's happening all over the place. They're turning into monsters."

"Tommy!" Eddie roared, stepping out of the house with Rita hiding behind him. "Not one word! Get inside now!"

The TARDIS group sent glowering looks at the man's attitude, but Tommy relented. "Sorry. Better do as he says." He muttered before stepping back inside.

"All aboard!" The Doctor ushered, the three clipping their helmets back on and hopping onto the motorbike.

"Come on, come on, come on, come on." The leader of the police, Detective Inspector Bishop, muttered to himself as the phone in the car continued dialling before it successfully connected. "Operation Market Stall. Go, go, go!" He ordered. The car rounded a corner towards an opening red gate, two men holding back a stall on two wheels and the car quickly sped through the opening, the gate closing behind them. At that, the three men in the car breathed out in relief. They knew every time they had to pick one of these…things up, someone would follow them. This time would be no different. DI Bishop then dialled a new number, this being one of his intelligence gatherers. "Anything from Torchwood? What are they saying?" He asked.

"Nothing sir."

DI Bishop rolled his eyes. "Like that's new."

"I'm sorry sir, but-"

"I know their first priority is to protect the royal family but how does that help me?!" He snapped back, hanging up the phone without a word as the car came to a stop at the gate of their hidden warehouse. He then turned around to the poor man in the seat behind them who, despite having a cloak over his head, was clenching and unclenching his fists repeatedly.

"Why do they keep doing that, sir?" The driver asked, also looking at Mr. Gallagher's fists.

"I'm not sure." DI Bishop sighed and opened his door. "Put him with the others."

The Doctor and Clara just stared at the red gate ahead of them with furrowed eyebrows, while Rose just blinked, looking back and forth between them as the motorbike sat still, rumbling softly to itself.

"Lost them." The Doctor muttered. "How did they get away from us?"

Rose scoffed. "I'm surprised they didn't turn back and arrest you for reckless driving. Have you actually passed your test?"

"No, he never did." Clara informed.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Of course." She grumbled.

"Men in Black?" The Doctor muttered, ignoring their banter. "Vanishing police cars? This is Churchill's England, not Stalin's Russia."

Rose sighed, furrowing her own eyebrows. Monsters. Why did that boy call them monsters? ""Monsters"." Rose muttered.

"Eh?" Clara asked, the Doctor looking back at Rose as well.

"That's what the boy said, "Monsters". Maybe we should go and ask the neighbours."

Clara smiled. "That's what we like about you. The domestic approach."

"Thank you." Rose beamed back. But then, she let her smile fade as she saw the twinkle in Clara's eye. "Hold on, was that an insult-"

"Aaaaaand we're off!" The Doctor called, quickly putting the motorbike into action.

"Whoa! Watch it!" Rose shrieked, Clara and the Doctor just giggling at her and she scowled. "You two are the worst!"

"Nah!" They said in unison.

All finished. Magpie brought a small black, handheld television towards his main set and placed it down on top of one of the inactive tellies. Magpie had to blink back the throbbing inside his head. It felt like someone had trapped an animal inside his own brain and it was trying to claw its way out, and by hell it hurt, but it never went away. Taking a gulp, he cleared his throat and the creature, which called itself "The Wire", came back onto the centre TV. "I finished it as you instructed." Magpie informed, and the Wire smiled.

"That's awfully good of you, Mr. Magpie."

Magpie's expression turned hopeful. "So, you'll go soon? You'll leave me?"

The Wire smiled, with the tiniest hint of a dark sparkle in its eyes. "Oh, we'll see. If you're a very good boy, we may part."

Magpie took a breath, rubbing a hand on his forehead in a vain attempt to dull the pain. "Please, you're burning me inside. Behind my eyes, it hurts. Even my memories hurt." Magpie choked, closing his eyes to stop any more emotions from pouring out. "I just want things back like they used to be."

"Oh, Magpie." The Wire cooed, albeit, at least to Magpie, with a hint of a condescending tone. "This world of yours is busy, busy, busy, forging ahead into a brand-new age. You can never go back, that's your tragedy. But now, the time is almost ripe, Magpie. "Cometh the hour, cometh the man"." The Wire laughed to itself before smirking. "Or lady."

There Tommy stood, upstairs in the Connolly Residence, with the small brown key that could unlock THAT room. His grandmother's room. He could even hear her, shuffling around aimlessly to herself inside, tapping and rattling on whatever was in her way. Tommy moved up to the door and placed his hand on it. "Gran?" He whispered timidly, but received no answer, as they always did. "Gran, it's me. It's Tommy." Still no answer, so he took a deep breath. "I'm gonna come in, Gran. Stand back. Just don't…I'm sorry, but I've got to come in." Tommy placed the key at the lock-

"What do you think you're doing?" Eddie snarled, making Tommy jump as he looked at his scowling father standing behind him.

"We've got to try and help her, Dad."

Eddie's eye twitched ever so slightly but he kept Tommy distracted from it by obviously clenching his jaw. "Give me that key." He ordered. Tommy did nothing, so he clenched his fists as well. "I said give me that key right now." He ordered again, now with a growling tone of warning. Tommy relented, handing over the key which Eddie immediately snatched out of his grasp and placed it into his pocket. Tommy gulped, hoping it was over with, which made Eddie scrunch his face together. "You think I'm finished with you?" He asked with a hint of disgust. "I'm not. Get downstairs now!" Eddie grasped his shoulder and hauled him ahead, down the stairs and into the living room where Rita waited, wringing her hands together anxiously. "How many times do I have to tell you not to go into that room and you never listen! All the warnings I've given you and every time, every time, you disobey me!"

"We can't just lock her away." Tommy protested.

"Excuse me, sunshine, I am talking." Eddie snapped. "And you can forget that college nonsense." Eddie quickly added. "You're gonna come and work alongside me. Get your hands dirty for once!"

*Tap*

All of them, even Eddie blinked, looking up at the ceiling.

"Oh, lord." Rita whimpered. "Won't she ever stop?"

*Tap* *Tap*

Eddie sighed, moving to Rita to, as carefully as he could, grasp her shoulders in a form of comfort. "There, there, Rita, my sweet. Business as usual. Now, let's get these up all over the house." He motioned to their bundle of small flags. "In honour of her majesty."

"But, Eddie, what if she's dying?" Rita asked.

"I am talking!" Eddie exclaimed, silencing a nervous Rita. He even ignored the shaking look of fear and anger from Tommy, since the kid couldn't do anything to him. Eddie gave a small smile at the, at least what he would call, calm and peaceful silence. "That's better. A little bit of hush." Almost as if the universe disagreed with him, the doorbell rang, making him blink in bewilderment. He waited a moment and the doorbell rang again, so he moved to the front door, his expression growing even more confused as he saw the TARDIS trio standing there with beaming smiles on their faces.

"Hi!" They said in unison.

Eddie blinked comically a few times before taking a breath. "Who are you then?" He asked in trepidation.

The Doctor frowned, gazing into the house. "Let's see then. Judging by the look of you, family man, nice house, decent wage, fought in the war therefore…" He pulled out his psychic paper and showed it to Eddie, "me and my girl Clara here represent Queen and country." To their own delight, Eddie straightened his back immediately in anticipation. "Just doing a little check on her forthcoming majesty's subjects for the great day. Don't mind if we come in? Nah, didn't think you did, thank you." The Doctor immediately bounded through the front door and into the living room, followed swiftly by Clara and Rose as Eddie shut the door, still blinking at them despite his full attention on their movements. "Not bad." The Doctor complimented, gazing around the room with a small nod. "Very nice. Very well kept. What'd you think, Clara?"

Clara nodded. "Very homely."

He turned to Rita. "We'd like to congratulate you, Mrs.…"

"Connolly." Rita said. "Rita Connolly."

"Now then Rita, I can handle this." Eddie quickly said. "This gentleman's a proper representative. Don't mind the wife, she rattles on a bit."

The Doctor gave a small scowl at his words. He blatantly ignored my Clara and is dismissive to his own wife? Strike one. "Well, maybe she should rattle on a bit more. I'm not convinced you're doing your patriotic duty." Eddie blinked, while Tommy and Rita stared at him with wide eyes. "Nice flags." He nodded to their bundle. "Why are they not flying?"

Eddie looked over at Rita. "There we are, Rita, I told you. Get them up, Queen and country." Clara scowled, and the Doctor echoed it.

"I'm sorry…" Rita tried to apologize but Eddie didn't have it.

"Get it done, now!" He demanded.

"Hold on a minute…" The Doctor said, motioning for Clara to stay back.

"Like the gentleman says-"

"Hold on a minute." The Doctor said more clearly, silencing Eddie. "You've got hands, Mr. Connolly, two big hands. So, why is that your wife's job?"

Eddie blinked. "It's housework, isn't it?"

"And that's a woman's job?"

Eddie scoffed. "Of course, it is."

The Doctor shot Clara a small smile before turning back to Eddie. "Mr. Connolly, what gender is the Queen?"

Eddie blinked. "She's…a female." He said with slight trepidation.

"And are you suggesting the Queen does the housework?"

Tommy shot the Doctor an impressed look while Rose tried her best not to snigger at Eddie's terrified expression. "No." Eddie stammered. "Not at all."

The Doctor noticed Rita gave a small beaming smile at his words, so he took the bundle of flags between two of his fingers and outstretched them to Eddie. "Then get busy."

Eddie quickly nodded and moved to work. "Right. Yes, sir. You'll be proud of us, sir. We'll have Union Jacks left, right and centre."

The Doctor turned to Clara, who was burning pink at what he did. "You don't have to do anything alone, my Clara." He said with a wink, making Clara blush even more.

"Thank you." Clara mouthed, and he grinned cheekily at her.

Rose stood up and moved to lean in close to them. "Who said friends can't help either?" Rose asked rhetorically with her tongue in her teeth, making them shoot each other puzzled looks as Rose moved to stand behind Eddie. "Excuse me, Mr. Connolly, hang on a minute." Eddie stopped, looking at Rose with the same terrified expression he sent the Doctor. ""Union Jacks"?"

Eddie blinked. "Yes…that's right, isn't it?"

"That's the Union Flag." Rose said, motioning to the very flags Eddie was putting up. "It's the Union Jack only when it's flown at sea." Tommy could barely control his beaming grin; Rita was struggling to control her smirk while the Doctor and Clara just grinned at each other.

"Oh. Oh, I'm sorry, I…I do apologize." Eddie squeaked.

Rose grinned, with a slight twinkle of mischievousness in her eyes. "Well, don't get it wrong again. There's a good man. Now, get to it!" She ordered in her Jackie voice and Eddie immediately went back to work. She sent the Doctor and Clara a sheepish smirk before the pair sat down on the sofa, Rose moving to kneel behind it, leaning her head over their shoulders.

"Right then. Nice and comfy, at her majesty's leisure." The Doctor said before he glancing to Rose. ""Union Flag"?" He whispered.

"Mum went out with a sailor." Rose explained making Clara scoff with a roll of her eyes.

"I bet she did." The Doctor said, echoing Clara's expression before they turned back to the Connolly family, specifically Rita and Tommy. "Anyway, I'm the Doctor, this is Clara, and this is Rose, and you are?" He asked Tommy.

"Tommy."

"Well, sit yourself down, Tommy." The Doctor patted the space between him and Clara, while also patting the small sofa next to them for Rita. "Have a look at this." He said, grinning at the TV. "I love telly, don't you?"

"Yeah." Tommy said, beaming. "I think it's brilliant."

"Good man." The Doctor commented. "Keep working, Mr. C!" He called over his shoulder before he turned to Rita with a serious expression. "Now, why don't you tell me what's wrong?"

Rita's breath hitched. "Did you say you were a doctor?"

"Yes, I am."

"Can you help her? Oh please, can you help her, Doctor?"

Eddie stopped working at her words. "Now then, Rita, I don't think the gentleman needs to know."

"Oh, the gentleman AND the lady does." The Doctor snapped. I swear, if he keeps being rude to Clara one more time…

Rose moved to kneel beside Rita. "Tell us what's wrong and we can help." Rita just shook her head, starting to sob silently so Rose just hugged her close. "It's all right. It's all right." She cooed, rubbing Rita's back.

"Hold on a minute!" Eddie exclaimed, immediately earning a pair of smouldering glares. "Queen and country's one thing, but this is my house!" He looked down at the flags in his hands with puzzled disgust. "What the…what the hell am I doing?" He tossed the flags aside and moved to stand in front of the group. "Now, you listen here, Doctor, you may have fancy qualifications, but what goes on under my roof is my business!"

"Mr. Connolly, or Eddie…" Clara interrupted with a scowl, "all those people are being bundled into-"

"I am talking!"

That's it! The Doctor stood up before Clara could move and got right into Eddie's suddenly terrified face. "And we're not listening! Now you, Mr. Connolly, you are staring into a deep dark PIT of trouble if you don't let us help! So, we're ordering you, SIR, tell us what's going on!"

*Tap* *Tap* *Tap*

The Connolly family looked at the ceiling in fear, while the TARDIS group, including a calming Doctor, looked up in curiosity.

"She won't stop." Eddie whimpered.

*Tap* *Tap* *Tap*

"She never stops."

Tommy cleared his throat, making everyone turn to look at him. "We started hearing stories, all around the place. People who've…changed. Families keeping it secret cause they were scared. Then the police started finding out. We don't know how, no one does. They just turn up. They come to the door and take them at any time, day or night."

"Show us."

Tommy nodded, standing up from the couch as everyone moved to follow him up the stairs. Eddie took his time, which they reasoned because he was just trying to catch his wits after being scared out of his mind, which gave Clara a small bit of delight against his arrogance. Tommy put a hand on the doorknob of Gran's room, but it was locked. Before he could give any form of apology, Clara took out her sonic and used it to unlock the door for him. Tommy briefly had a wide-eyed look of awe at her device before he shook his head and opened the door. The room inside was dark, the lights all turned off but there was an obvious shadow within the room, that stood completely still, staring at the intruders. "Gran? It's Tommy." No answer from the unmoving silhouette inside. "It's all right, Gran, I've brought help." Still no answer, so Clara reached past Tommy and flicked the light on. There was his Gran, but her face…just wasn't there. It was completely blank, no eyes, no mouth, no eyelids, no eyelashes, no lips, nothing. What was only there was the grim shadow of her own skull underneath. The Connolly family, now joined by a grim looking Eddie, stared still with fear at Gran. Rose blinked in disgust while the Doctor frowned in worried curiosity and Clara in concern.

"Doctor." Clara muttered, looking straight up at him. "Will she be all right?"

He just stared at her. "I don't know." Clara blinked, and he cupped her cheek. "We'll figure it out, okay?" Clara nodded, and he gave her a quick kiss before taking her hand and led her over to Gran. Taking out his own sonic, he leaned in to look more closely at the faceless Gran, his expression now back to frowning curiosity. "Why is her face completely gone?"

"Somebody took it, it must've been." Clara said.

"Or something." The Doctor muttered grimly. "No one can do this, least of all in this time." He then placed his sonic just a couple of inches from Gran's face and started to scan her. "There's nothing there. No responses, no reactions, nothing. Scarcely an electrical impulse left. Almost complete neural shutdown, she's just ticking away, doing nothing else. It's like her brain's been…wiped clean." He informed, shutting off and pocketing his sonic.

"What are we going to do, Doctor, Clara?" Tommy asked. "We can't even feed her." He added, but the moment was interrupted by the front door slamming open and two pairs of footsteps entered into the house. They already knew who it was.

"Well, we've got company." Rose quipped dryly.

"It's them! They've come for her!" Rita said fearfully.

"Quickly." Clara said, taking Rita's hand. "What was she doing before this happened? Where was she?" Rita blinked. "Tell us quickly! Think!" Clara snapped.

"I can't think!" Rita said, holding her head. "She doesn't leave the house, she was just-"

The two policemen bounded up the stairs, past a, at least to the Doctor and Clara, polite Eddie and into the room and the Doctor stepped in front of Clara and Gran. "Hold on a minute!" He quickly said, holding up a hand. The policeman in front of him shot the one behind him a quick look, almost as if to say, "This guy for real?". "There are three important, brilliant and complicated reasons why you should listen to me. One-" The policeman punched the Doctor square in the head, knocking him out cold and down to the floor.

"Doctor!" Clara exclaimed, moving beside his unconscious form and started smacking his face to awaken him. Amidst the confusion, the policemen draped a black cloak over Gran and started to haul her out of the room, ignoring a protesting Rita and Rose.

"Don't hurt her!" Rita yelled at the front door.

"Back inside Rita!" Eddie ordered.

"She's my mother!"

"Back inside now, I said!"

Clara gave one last smack to the Doctor, the man bolting up without warning and making Clara jump back just to avoid his forehead knocking against hers. "Ah! Hell of a right hook! Have to watch out for that!" He stood up and took Clara's hand. "Come on!" They bounded down the stairs, towards the front door, where Eddie was holding back Tommy and Rita.

"Don't fight it! Back inside!" Eddie ordered to Tommy and Rita.

"Move aside, now!" The Doctor ordered and the three moved over to let the Doctor and Clara out just in time to see the anonymous black police car driving away. They briefly saw Rose out of the corner of their eye inspecting the Connolly TV, but they couldn't mind that right now. "Rose, come on!" They bounded onto their motorbike and quickly put on their helmets.

"Rose, we're gonna lose them again!" Clara called. Still nothing and they had no choice but to drive away and chase after the police car without Rose.

Rose on the other hand had moved closer to the TV after she briefly saw an arc of red electricity, so she looked behind it, and the same arc of energy was on the main cable for the TV aerial. THAT and the label for where the TV came from was Magpie Electricals, the same man that was selling the TV's around here cheap. Rose started to put her own pieces together in her head, coupled with the many dozens of aerials there also were in the street, just as the Connolly family stepped back into the room.

"How did they know? How did they find her?" Tommy asked. "Who told them?"

Eddie was about to order Tommy to be silenced about that matter, but he had to delay it upon seeing Rose still in the house. "You! Get the hell out of my house!" He snarled.

Rose rolled her eyes. He's not even that threatening at all, he was just annoying. Still, if I want to retain my sanity, I need to leave. She mused in her head as she moved to stand up. "I'm going, I'm done." She looked over at Tommy and Rita with a smile. "Nice to meet you Tommy, Mrs. Connolly." She then looked at Eddie with squinting eyes. "And as for you, Mr. Connolly, only an idiot hangs the Union Flag upside down." Eddie briefly blinked, looking at what he did with bewilderment. "Shame on you. Now move aside so I can leave your house." She ordered in her Jackie voice again and Eddie once again blinked, and she beamed impishly before moving to leave the house.

The Doctor and Clara, speeding on their motorbike, moved around a corner just in time to see the police car behind a red gate that had just closed, the two men from this morning standing there, still sweeping. However they noticed that the two men's gazes kept moving back up to the TARDIS pair, almost like a guilty reflex like a pet knowing it's in trouble for something. That and the fact that there was barely anything to sweep on the ground nor was there any real point to be working at night proved to the pair that it was all just an act.

The Doctor just shot Clara a look over his shoulder, and she winked at him, also having got it. "Oh, very good." The Doctor commented. One of the men smiled, but he quickly caught it and went back to his blank state again, but it was too late. "Very good." Clara tapped his side and as he turned his head towards her, she placed a finger over her lips to indicate silence. Then, she nodded towards the sidewalk, and while it was very small and hidden in the darkness, they could JUST make out a tiny dark red latch. The Doctor sent Clara a wink and without a word, he turned the motorbike around and moved the bike up a couple of blocks and turned it off. Taking off their helmets, they took each other's hand and started to slink silently back towards the red gate, keeping in all the shadows they could find to keep themselves hidden. Moving into the cul-de-sac, they kept on the right footpath and moved up to the small latch. The Doctor found it locked upon attempting to open it, so he briefly took out his sonic to unlock it. The pair slid through, making sure the latch was closed when they did and found themselves in what at first looked like an abandoned warehouse or junkyard but the silent police car that sat there along with a light in a work room upstairs proved otherwise. Underneath the office they could see metallic fence grating with no lights shining within, so the pair crept over to gaze closer. Still nothing proper could be seen within, except for the silhouettes of what they assumed were figures, standing still in the darkness and not a single sound was being made. The Doctor went to grab his sonic to unlock the gate door, but Clara lightly swatted his hand and took out her own to do it herself. Moving through the door, they grasped each other's hand as Clara pocketed her sonic, biting back a smirk as the Doctor stared down at her in playful warning.

"What?" Clara asked, their minds linked through their touch.

"You'll pay for that, missy."

"Oh, will I?"

"Yes, you will."

Clara shot him a smirk. "I look forward to it." She flirted.

Despite his rolling of the eyes, he did smile, for a moment. They let their joyful attitude drop as they got closer to the dark silhouettes, who were kept behind a metal grated makeshift cell. It being the Doctor's turn, he took out his sonic, unlocked the door and carefully opened it. Then, he switched out his sonic for a small torch and flicked it on. Now that they could see inside, the figures became clearer and their faces did so. They took that bit back, for they realized that this is where ALL the missing "Changed" people had been taken too. Just to be locked and hidden away secretly, most likely by a police force that didn't really know what to do. Every single one of them started to slowly turn towards the open door, all bearing the same blank faces, with shadows of their own skulls shining prominently in the torchlight all the while they clenched and unclenched their fists repeatedly. The Doctor and Clara shot each other a slightly nervous look, for no matter how awful their situation was, there was no denying that they did look rather unnerving in their appearance. Then, without any warning, the lights of the police car shot up in full beam, drowning the cell while the Doctor and Clara immediately placed their arms over their eyes to protect them from the light's onslaught. Turning to the direction of the light, they saw the three policemen standing there, one by the open driver's door while the other two including DI Bishop stood in front of the car.

"Stay where you are!" DI Bishop ordered.

Just need to finish fixing these screws… Magpie muttered in his mind as he tinkered with his new creation, the portable television, for the Wire. He knew that soon enough, in a very short while, the Wire would reach out to another household in the area and feed off another poor soul. He could never figure out what happened to the people after they changed, but there was nothing he could do about it. If he defied the Wire, it would kill him and then latch onto some other poor soul instead. Maybe it was better with him, silly old man that he was, not much use anymore other than selling tellies cheap.

*Ding Ding* *Ding Ding*

Magpie looked up with a startled blink, seeing the door to his shop open. Within his own internal brooding, he had completely missed Rose's footsteps heading up to the door, as said girl stepped inside and gave a brief nod of approval at the display of TV's available. He did find her and her companions quite…odd, to say the least, not to mention the man that didn't even know that the Coronation was tomorrow. Still, he couldn't have her here, not when the Wire was not only, for a lack of a better term LIVING here, but was also going to feed soon. Maybe, just this once, he could avert one life, if only for a handful of hours. "I-I'm sorry, miss, I'm afraid you're too late. I was just about to lock the door."

Rose shrugged with a smirk. "Yeah? Well, I want to buy a telly."

"Come back tomorrow. Please."

Rose shook her head. "You'll be closed, won't you?"

Magpie blinked. "What?"

"For the big day? The Coronation?"

Magpie sighed. Of course that wouldn't have worked. "Yes, yes, of course. The big day." He shook his head, putting another screw into the back of the handheld TV and started to twist it in. "I'm sure you'll find somewhere to watch it. Just, please go."

Rose walked up and placed her hands on his desk, her gaze turning into accusation, if only softly. "Seems to me half of London's got a television, since you're practically giving them away."

"I have my reasons." He muttered with a shrug.

"And what are they?" Rose asked.

As if on cue, the Wire's personal television turned on and it looked out, gazing darkly at Rose. "Hungry." It drawled. "Hungry!"

Rose blinked in puzzlement. "What's that?"

Magpie shrugged, hiding a shaking breath. If she doesn't leave NOW, then it will devour her. Please, just this one! Let her live! "It's just a television. One of these modern programs." Putting down his screwdriver, he moved around the desk and started towards the door, missing the puzzled expression on the Wire's constructed face. "Now, I really do think you should leave, right now." He said sternly.

"Not until you've answered my questions." Rose retorted, crossing her arms. "How comes your televisions are so cheap?"

He shrugged, but his tone was starting to get hasty. "It's my patriotic duty. Seems only right that as many folks as possible get to watch the Coronation." Magpie gave a quick smile. "We may be losing the Empire, but we can still be proud. 20 million people they reckon will be watching. Imagine that!" He beamed, and Rose smiled. "And 20 million people can't be wrong, eh? So why don't you get yourself back home and get up bright and early for the big day?" He asked with practiced charisma, grasping the door handle to open it-

"Nah, I'm not leaving till I've seen everything." Rose retorted.

His smile dropped into an expression of pleading. "I need to close."

Rose's smile also dropped, but this time into seriousness. "Mr. Magpie…something's happening out there. Ordinary people are being struck down and changed and the only new thing in the house is a television…your television. So what's going on?"

Magpie gave a quick glance towards the Wire, who gave him a threatening look and he knew now, no matter how good her intentions were, Rose had lost her chance to leave. He HAD to keep the door closed and he could NOT help her, otherwise the Wire would melt his brain and let his body disintegrate into ash. "I knew this would happen." He said dejectedly, and Rose blinked. "I knew I'd be found out." Taking the key to the door, he locked it from the inside and placed the key in his pocket.

Rose, if only a little bit too late, had her expression turn into nervousness at his small action. "All right then, just you and me." She shook her head, cleared her throat and straightened her back. "You gonna come clean, then? What's really in it for you?" She asked.

He blinked. Despite what could happen to her, she's being…kind. I'm so sorry, my dear. "For me? Perhaps some peace."

"From what?"

"From…THAT." He said, gazing properly at the Wire, who was watching them both with dark curiosity.

Rose turned to gaze at the Wire and found herself puzzled again. "That's just a woman on the telly. That's just a program." She said, shaking her head.

"What a pretty little girl." The Wire commented with a drawl. "It's a shame, you believed Magpie so easily, it almost makes me feel bad for him trying so hard to get you to leave. Then again, that's what you get for listening to the words and never the meaning behind them." The Wire remarked darkly.

Rose blinked, now in complete bewilderment. "Oh my god, are you talking to me?"

The Wire scoffed. "Yes, of course I'm talking to you, stupid little girl." The Wire gave a brief blink at Rose's attire. "Questionable choice. It's unseasonably chilly for the time of year, don't you think?"

"What are you?" Rose asked.

The Wire gave a sinister smile. "I'm the Wire and I'm hungry!" As it droned out its words, it lashed out red electricity onto Rose's face, starting to eat away at her brain.

"Magpie, help me!"

Magpie gave a gulp, staring straight at the struggling Rose. "Just think of that audience tomorrow my dear, all settling down to watch the Coronation. 20 million people. Things will never be the same again."

"Help me, please!"

Magpie gave a shaking breath. "I'm sorry." He choked. "I'm so sorry." He had to turn away, unable to keep looking on, but he couldn't get Rose's helpless cries out of his head.

"Goodnight children…everywhere."

"Start from the beginning. Tell me everything you both know." DI Bishop ordered to the Doctor and Clara, who sat in front of his desk in the upstairs messy office, while DI Bishop stood up from his seat, with his subordinates split up to guard the door and to stand behind his back.

The Doctor shrugged. "Well, for starters, I know you can't wrap your hand round your elbow and make your fingers meet."

"Don't get clever with me." DI Bishop warned. He missed his subordinate behind him blinking and trying but failing to wrap his left hand around his right elbow, which made the TARDIS couple smirk.

"We're just stating facts." Clara smirked. "I also know that you can't control a classroom of children on your first day of teaching by giving them empty threats."

"Really? Did that actually happen?" The Doctor asked Clara, and DI Bishop noticed that they BOTH instantaneously forgot that he was in the room.

Dear god. These two are children AND a couple.

"Yeah." Clara nodded. "First day. Was a bit overwhelmed by it, but it worked out in the end…somewhat." Clara shrugged.

"If you two are finished?!" DI Bishop snapped, making the pair jump.

"Sorry." They muttered in unison.

"You both were there today in Florizel Street and now breaking into this establishment. Now, you both are connected to this, make no mistake."

Clara gave a low "Mmm" in her throat, squinting her eyes ever so slightly at him. "See, here's the thing, Detective Inspector Bishop-"

"How do you know my name?!" He demanded.

Clara blinked and nodded towards him. "It's written inside your collar." DI Bishop gave a small gulp and quickly buttoned up the top collar button on his white shirt. "Like I said, I was a teacher, things like spotting written names became second nature. Bless your mum." Clara said with a smirk. "But I can't help thinking, Detective Inspector, you're not exactly doing much…detective inspecting, are you?" She asked.

"I'm doing everything in my power."

Clara scoffed. "All you're doing is grabbing those people and hiding them as fast as you can. Oh, don't tell me." She said suddenly with a smile before glancing at the Doctor. "It is, isn't it?" The Doctor nodded.

DI Bishop blinked. "What? What is?"

The Doctor leaned in this time with a smile. "Orders from above, hmmm? Coronation day, the eyes of the world are on London town, so any sort of problem just gets swept out of sight."

DI Bishop sighed. "The nation has an image to maintain."

"But doesn't it drive you mad?" The Doctor asked. "Doing nothing? Don't you want to get out there and investigate?"

"Of course I do. But…I can't." On that, he let his stiffness relax and sat down in his chair. "With all the crowds expected, we haven't got the manpower. And even if we did, this is…beyond anything we've ever seen." He sighed, slouching his shoulders. "I just don't know anymore. 20 years I've been on the force and I don't even know where to start. We haven't got the faintest clue what's going on."

"Well…" The Doctor started, him and Clara sharing a look, "that could change."

"How?"

To his utter bewilderment, the Doctor and Clara both stood up and placed their hands on his desk, effectively and completely reversing their positions. "Start from the beginning. Tell us everything you know."

DI Bishop nodded, standing up to bring out all their findings as their phone rang. One of his subordinates answered before quickly hanging up, speaking about yet another one found. DI Bishop nodded and the two quickly left, speeding out of the warehouse. He motioned the TARDIS couple over, bringing out a few files along with a board bearing a marked map of London, with the Doctor taking out his "Brainy Specs". "This all started about a month ago, persons left sans visage, heads just…blank. We already concluded that their faces had been taken by something or someone, we just can't figure out the who or the what or even the why. But every single person bears the same pattern. No facial features, barely any form of confirmation to any words said aside from…turning around on the spot, and with the absence of their facial features, they've been left nothing to do but clench and unclench their fists. It would be comical if it wasn't-"

"Unnerving." Clara concluded for him.

DI Bishop nodded. "And it can be anyone. Men, women, kids, grandads, grannies, uncles, aunts, husbands, wives, it doesn't seem to matter as long as they're Human."

"Is there any sort of pattern?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes, spreading out from North London. Only real lead is that there has been a large number in here." He tapped on a specific point on the map. "Florizel Street."

Two knocks tapped on the door before it swung open, one of DI Bishop's subordinates entered with a new arrival. "Found another one, sir." He said, and the Doctor pocketed his "Brainy Specs".

"Oh, good man, Crabtree." DI Bishop nodded, stepping away from the map. "Here we are, Doctor, Clara. Take a good look. See what you can deduce."

Crabtree withdrew the cloak, revealing it, to the Doctor and Clara's growing horror, a faceless Rose. "No." Clara muttered in disbelief. "No, not you."

"Do you know her?" DI Bishop asked.

"Know her? She's our friend." Clara cupped Rose's face despite it being rather pointless, considering that Rose didn't even react, and maybe she couldn't even feel it. Still, the Doctor grasped Clara's shoulder for comfort, both for him and herself.

"Where was she found?" DI Bishop asked Crabtree.

"In the street. Over at Leicester Square, abandoned."

DI Bishop frowned. "That's unusual. That's the first one out in the open. *Scoffs* Heaven help us if something happens in public tomorrow for the big day. We'll have Torchwood on our backs then, make no mistake."

Clara had funnelled out all sound after she heard those three words. "In the street". That made her horror quickly turn into a steeled soldering rage. Something that the Doctor himself was also echoing. "They did what?" Clara growled.

DI Bishop and Crabtree both flinched at her tone. "I'm sorry?" DI Bishop asked.

"They left her where?" The Doctor asked for Clara, his own tone also a low growl.

"Just…in the street."

""In the street". They left her in the street." Clara repeated, her own hand starting to shake. "They took her face, then they 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."

"Because they did this to our friend!" Clara snarled. "So now, Detective Inspector Bishop, there is nothing that can stop us! Come on!"

"Where are we going?" DI Bishop asked as he quickly put on his black coat and hat, motioning for Crabtree to look after Rose until they returned.

"Florizel Street." The Doctor answered for Clara, who had already left the room, him and DI Bishop following closely behind. "We need help from one Tommy Connolly."

DI Bishop sighed, quickly glancing out the window to see the first rays of light glimmering in the sky. "The big day dawns."

2nd June

Crowded. Packed. Noisy. Yet cheerful and fun. This is what the Connolly living room had turned into, now occupied by their family and friends, all from young adults just into college, to their parents chatting away about the day to come, right down to the young children marvelling in awe at the TV. However, Rita just couldn't smile at this, the tension between her and Eddie was causing a strain on her mind. But she couldn't do any of THAT in front of their guests. It would be bad luck for the day. Coming out of the kitchen with a large tray full of sandwiches, she barged straight into Eddie, who held his hands behind his back.

"You've had your fun with your little Doctor, but now you're left with me, Rita." He said in a calm voice that would've snapped her at any other time, but not now. Not with the guests. "So you'll behave yourself…and smile." Rita gave her best warm smile which he returned, holding out a hand to motion her into the living room, their entrance getting everyone's attention. "Here we go, everyone, here we go! Grub's up! Grub's up! Tuck in, everyone, tuck in, take a sandwich!" Everyone, with the best politeness they could offer, darted around Rita grabbing a single sandwich and offered their thanks. "Oh, here we go, here we go, it's started! Come on, take your places! Sit down, sit down!" Eddie called, the last few people in the room quickly grabbing their sandwiches before Rita placed the tray down on the table as everyone took a seat, Tommy sitting on the right of the long sofa with Rita on his armrest, while Eddie sat on the small sofa at the other end of the room.

Next to Tommy sat a brunette woman, his Aunt Betty, wearing a large brown fur coat, who gazed at the television in awe, echoing the expressions of everyone in the room that wasn't the Connolly family. "Rita, love, just look at that telly box then, eh? Isn't it marvellous? The picture's so clear!"

Eddie smirked, budging up in his seat. "Here, Bet, I says to Rita, I says, "You didn't need to get your hair done special, love. The Queen won't be able to see you"." Eddie and Betty laughed at that, although Betty didn't exactly get the hidden meaning that made Rita take as small of a shaking breath as she could.

"Where's your old Mum, then?" Betty asked Rita. "She can't go missing this."

Rita sighed. "Sorry, um…Mum can't make it down."

"Oh, bless her." Betty said in a soft tone. "Maybe we could pop up and see her later."

Tommy nodded. "Maybe you could. That's a good idea. What do you think, Dad?" Tommy asked Eddie, who, at least to Tommy and Rita, took a shaking breath to control himself. "Maybe Aunty Betty can go and see Gran later."

Eddie so obviously resorted to shaking his head with a smirk. "Hm. Oh, he loves his Gran, this one. *Chuckles* Proper little Mummy's boy all round."

"Oh, you know what they say about them." Betty said. "Eddie, you want to beat that out of him."

"*Chuckles* That's exactly what I'm going to do." Eddie sent a small glare to Tommy, but, as if the universe itself was annoyed by the tension between the family, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." Tommy quickly said, standing up to go to the door. Opening it, he saw standing outside was the Doctor, Clara and DI Bishop.

"Tommy, talk to us." Clara said, her voice rather stern for someone he found rather nice and kind much earlier. "We need to know exactly what happened inside your house."

Tommy stepped outside but before he could close the door, Eddie swung it open and stepped outside with them. "What the blazes do you think you're doing?" Eddie snarled.

"I want to help, Dad." Tommy said obviously.

"Mr. Connolly." Clara interjected.

Eddie turned to face her. "Shut your face, you. Whoever you are, we can handle this ourselves!"

Clara squinted her eyes at him. "Don't you fucking dare talk to me like that, you arrogant son of a bitch." She snarled.

Eddie, thankfully enough, flinched at her, deciding to step back and turn his attention back to his son. "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 people think!"

Tommy, to their surprise, stood up straight and glared accusingly at his father. "Is that why you did it, Dad?"

Eddie blinked. "What do you mean? Did what?"

"You ratted on Gran. How else would the police know where to look? Unless some coward told them."

"How dare you!" Eddie snarled. "You think I fought a war just so a mouthy little scum like you could call me a coward?!"

Tommy shook his head with a shaking breath, but not of fear. "You don't get it, do you? You fought against fascism, remember? People telling you how to live, who you could be friends with, who you could fall in love with, who could live and who had to die. Don't you get it? You were fighting so that little twerps like me could do what we want, say what we want. Now you've become just like them. You've been informing on everyone, haven't you? Even Gran, all to protect your precious reputation!"

"Eddie." That small voice stopped Eddie from exploding in snarling rage, everyone looking in the doorway to see Rita standing there, looking straight at Eddie with a small expression of betrayal on her face. "Is that true?"

"I-I did it for us, Rita. She was filthy! A filthy, disgusting thing!" He snarled.

Rita blinked, feeling betrayal as well as anger stab at her heart. "She's my mother." Those three words made Eddie stare at her in frozen fear. "All the others you informed on, all the people in our street, our friends!"

"I had to." Eddie said. "I…I did the right thing-"

"The right thing for us or for you, Eddie?" Rita interrupted, making Eddie gulp. Rita sighed, glancing at her son. "You go, Tommy. Go with Clara and the Doctor and do some good. Just…get away from this house, it's poison." She looked straight at Eddie and gave him a look of anger, yet also of betrayed sadness. "We had a bloody monster under a roof, all right, but it weren't my mother!" With that, she slammed the door in his shocked face.

"Rita!" He pleaded to no avail. "Rita!"

"Tommy." The Doctor held out his hand, said person sparing one last glance at Eddie before moving forward to join the group and walked away, leaving Eddie alone.

Rita, who had been breathing deeply to calm herself, now felt a sense of relief and she stepped back into the living room where everyone was looking at her with concern. "What was all that, then?" Betty asked.

Rita stepped through and sat on the sofa beside Betty. "That was…that was the sound of something ending. And about time too. Nothing should spoil our big day. Everyone all right?" Everyone nodded, and she smiled warmly. "Smashing."

The whole neighbourhood, in preparation of today's event, was setting up a massive joined table stand, bringing out many chairs as they prepared a joined lunch for the whole street. But the group couldn't worry about that, not right now. "Tommy, tell us about that night, the night she changed." Clara said.

Tommy shrugged. "She was just watching the telly."

Just like a penny dropping out of the sky, realization dawned on Clara just before it dawned on the Doctor. "Rose said it." Clara realized. "She guessed it straightaway, of course she did. All these aerials in one little street, how come?" She asked.

"Bloke up the road, Mr. Magpie, he's selling them cheap." Tommy informed.

"Is he now?" DI Bishop asked.

"Come on!" Clara yelled, Tommy and DI Bishop hurrying to catch up with the pair who had already sprinted up towards said shop. The Doctor went first, smashing the door's window to unlock it from the inside.

"Here, you can't do that." DI Bishop tried to protest but the two ignored him, swinging open the door, Clara marching straight up to the desk.

"Sir!" Clara called, receiving no answer. Instead, she grabbed a desk bell and started smacking it relentlessly. "If you're here, come out and talk to us! Magpie!" Still receiving no answer, Clara took the bell and tossed at a TV, smashing both instantly, making Tommy and DI Bishop flinch.

"Maybe he's out?" Tommy tried, quite afraid at the glowering looks of the Doctor and Clara.

"Looks like it." Clara muttered. "Doctor, if you would do the honours." Clara motioned to Magpie's desk.

"Thank you." The Doctor returned, stepping around and started filling through the desk, pulling out from one of the drawers, with a curious gaze, a portable television. "Oh, hello." He muttered, holding it up for a curious Clara, along with a bewildered Tommy and DI Bishop to see. "This isn't right. This is very much not right." The Doctor bought it up to his mouth and licked it, making Tommy and DI Bishop blink while Clara gave a dull glare in his direction. "Tastes like iron. Bakelite." He placed it down on the desk. "Knocked together with Human hands, yes. But the design itself…" He took out his sonic and scanned it. "Oh, beautiful work. That is so simple." The Doctor marvelled.

"That's incredible." DI Bishop also marvelled. "It's like a television but portable. A portable television."

The sonic pulsed and beeped, so the Doctor held it up and all the TV's in the room activated. "It's not the only power source in this room." Everyone looked at all the TV's, all of which were bearing the faces of many people, all looking scared, crying out inaudibly.

"Are these…" DI Bishop started to ask, but Clara answered anyway.

"Yes. These are all the people that were "Changed"."

"Gran?" Tommy muttered, the face of his own Gran was on one of the TV's, also crying for help.

"Rose." The Doctor turned to see Clara kneeling before one of the TV's, which did indeed have Rose's face inside, who was crying out, "Doctor! Clara!".

The Doctor knelt beside Clara and grasped her shoulder. "We're on our way." He whispered, both him and Clara unsure if Rose could hear them.

Footsteps came from the back of the shop and Magpie stepped out from the doorway, looking at the group incredulously. "What do you think you're doing?"

Clara immediately stood up and marched over to him. "We want our friend restored!" She snarled, Magpie looking increasingly scared at her burning expression. "Now, I'm pretty sure that's beyond a little backstreet electrician so tell us, who's really in charge here?!"

"Yoo-hoo!" Static flickered on one of the TV's and the Wire appeared. "I think that must be me." It stared at the group, it's gaze specifically focused on both the Doctor and Clara. "Ooh, these one's are as smart as paint." It drawled.

"Is she talking to us?" DI Bishop asked Magpie as Clara stepped away from him to stand beside the Doctor.

"I'm sorry gentlemen, mi 'lady, I'm-I'm afraid you've brought this on yourselves. May I introduce you to my new…friend." He said with some uncertainty that the Doctor and Clara briefly caught before turning their gazes to the Wire.

"Jolly nice to meet you." The Wire smiled.

DI Bishop's eyes widened. "Oh my god, it's her, that woman off the telly."

"No, IT is just using her image." Clara informed with a growl that made the Wire cock it's eyebrow.

"What?" Tommy muttered. "What are you?" He asked the Wire.

"I'm the Wire." The Wire greeted. "And I will gobble you up, pretty boy, every last morsel. And when I have feasted…" It let its image turn from black and white to full blown colour, making Tommy, DI Bishop and even Magpie stare at it in bewilderment, "I shall regain the corporeal body, which my fellow kind denied me."

"Good lord, colour television!" DI Bishop muttered.

"So, your own people tried to stop you?" The Doctor deducted.

"They executed me." The Wire growled. "But I escaped in this form and fled across the stars."

"And now you're trapped in the television." Clara retorted sarcastically, which made the Wire clench its jaw.

"Not for much longer."

"Doctor, Clara, is this what got my Gran?"

"Yes, Tommy." The Doctor answered grimly. "It feeds off the electrical activity of the brain, but it gorges itself like a great overfed pig, taking people's faces, their essences, it stuffs itself!"

"And you let it do this, Magpie." DI Bishop accused.

"I had to." Magpie explained. "It allowed me my face. It's promised to release me at the time of manifestation."

"What does that mean?" Tommy asked.

"The appointed time? My CROWNING glory?" The Wire said quite obviously.

"Doctor, Clara, the Coronation!" DI Bishop realized.

"For the first time in history, millions gathered round a television set." The Doctor informed. Then, his expression went incredibly smug. "But you're not strong enough yet, are you? You can't do it all from here. That's why you need this!" He deducted, holding up the portable television to the Wire's approving eyes. "You need something more powerful. This will turn a big transmitter into a big receiver."

"What a clever thing you are." The Wire drawled. "But why fret about it? Why not just relax? Kick off your shoes and enjoy the coronation? Believe me, you'll be glued to the screen." The Wire smiled and lashed out four lots of electricity, grasping onto the group's tensing faces.

"Doctor! Clara!" DI Bishop exclaimed.

"Hold on!" Clara said.

The Wire started to cackle with insane laughter as DI Bishop groaned, Tommy screamed, and the Doctor struggled while Clara, albeit rather slowly given their circumstance, inched her hand closer to her pocket. "Hungry! Hungry! The Wire is hungry! Ahh, these two are tasty! Oh, I'll have lashings of them both! Delicious!" Clara then pulled her sonic out and the Wire gasped. "Armed. They're armed and clever. Withdraw. Withdraw." The Wire stopped feeding at once, the group collapsing to the floor, Magpie looking on from his frozen spot. "The box, Magpie! The box!" The Wire ordered. Magpie moved at once, taking it from the Doctor's loose grasp and held it up. "Hold tight." The Wire then quickly transferred itself to the portable TV, the screen flickering to life with its chosen face. "Conduct me to my victory, Magpie."

Clara shot up with a gasp, looking around to find herself still in Magpie's shop. The Doctor shot up beside her and she sighed. "Doctor." She said, and they exchanged a quick hug before parting, moving to stand up. They saw Tommy completely fine yet asleep but unfortunately DI Bishop's face was taken, and his fists were clenching and unclenching repeatedly as he lay on the floor. "Tommy, wake up." Clara called, shaking Tommy's shoulder. "Tommy!"

Tommy's eyes opened with a gasp, and he too looked around the room in confusion for a moment. "What happened?"

"I managed to threaten her into stopping her feast on us." Clara said, pocketing her sonic that still laid in her grasp.

"Where's Magpie?" The Doctor asked as Tommy stood up to join the couple who were dashing outside.

"We don't even know where to start looking. It's too late." Tommy said.

"It's never too late, as a wise person once said." The Doctor said before he frowned. "Kylie, I think. You know who it was, Clara?" She just held out a hand, holding a single altoid. The Doctor rolled his eyes but took it and popped it into his mouth anyway.

"The Wire's got big plans." Clara said. "It'll need something to help her, bigger than a single aerial."

The Doctor nodded. "Oh, yes, yes, yes, it's going to harvest half the population. Millions and millions of people and…where are we?" He asked Tommy.

"Muswell Hill."

"Muswell Hill." The Doctor muttered before his eyes widened. "Muswell Hill! Which means…Alexandra Palace!" He exclaimed, pointing to a distant building opposite Magpie's shop. "Biggest TV transmitter in North London! Ugh, that's why it chose this place, Clara!" He quickly took her hand to lead her back into the shop.

"We're going shopping?" Clara deducted.

The Doctor smiled. "We're going shopping."

"Hungry! Hungry!" The Wire screamed. Magpie kept driving as fast as he could, if only to get rid of this damned voice from his life. "Feed me!"

Magpie's office had become a complete mess, with a large armful of electronics arranged into a small echo of a computer box. They just needed one specific black electricity bulb, but the Doctor and Clara couldn't find one. Luckily, Tommy spoke up.

"Is this what you want?" He asked, holding up said bulb.

The Doctor raced over followed by Clara, taking the bulb to quickly look closer at it before beaming. "Perfect!" He took the assembly and pushed it into Tommy's arms before taking Clara's hand. "Right, we need one more thing!" They raced out of the shop, up the street and towards the TARDIS.

"Why are we going to a blue box?!" Tommy asked.

"Long story! Don't have time to explain!" The Doctor said as he raced inside. "Wait right there!" He called, quickly placing on his overcoat and grabbing some more devices from the console, along with a large roller containing a long-wrapped wire. Then, he raced outside to re-join Clara and a confused Tommy. "Completely forgot it today." He quipped lightly to Clara.

"You got everything?" Clara asked.

"Yep! Let's go!" They started to race off down the street, the Doctor and Clara standing on either side of Tommy, using their own sonics to help build the device as they ran.

Magpie arrived at the back of Alexandra Palace, stepping quickly out of his car, taking the portable television and darting towards the steel staircase that led straight up to the transmitter. Darting up the final flight of steps, he raced over and started to climb the metal transmitter. Every step and every grasping hand up the tower made his heart sank even lower at what he was about to do. Pausing for a moment, he held up the portable television to look at the Wire. "I can't do this!" He cried. "Please, please don't make me!"

The Wire glowered, and his brain burned in agony. "Magpie, the time is at hand! Feed me! Feed me!"

Magpie cried softly to himself, both from horror at his oncoming act and from the pain in his head as he was now forced to continue climbing the tower.

The group had finally arrived at the back of Alexandra Palace, having just finished their quick assembly of the black console, the Doctor taking it out of Tommy's arms after he and Clara quickly pocketed their sonics.

"Up there!" Tommy pointed, the Doctor and Clara seeing Magpie climbing the tower.

"Come on!" The Doctor and Clara raced with Tommy towards the back entrance of the palace's main control room, where a security guard was conversing with a woman, briefly stopping their conversation as the group approached.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, where do we think we're-" The Doctor halted his speech by pulling out his psychic paper and quickly held it up for the guard to see. "Oh, I'm very sorry, sir." The guard quickly apologized before furrowing his eyebrows. "Shouldn't you and your Queen be at the Coronation?"

"They're saving us a seat!" The Doctor called over his shoulder as the group kept running.

"Doctor, who did you say we were?" Clara asked, once again giving a small blush at being called his Queen.

"King and Queen of Belgium, apparently." The Doctor beamed, giving Clara a quick wink as they entered the control room. "Right, you go there!" He put the console on the control desk and quickly hooked it in and switched it on. "Tommy, keep this switched on!" He took the roll of wire and hooked it into the console, placing a small plug into his pocket while he gave the roll and a small belt to Clara. "Don't let anyone stop you, Tommy! Everything depends on it, you understand?!" Tommy quickly nodded before the couple rushed out of the room. Clara quickly wrapped the belt around her waist and hooked the roll onto it, allowing the wire to continuously pour out as they ran back to the steel staircase past Magpie's vehicle and darted up the flights of steps.

"Ma'am! Your majesty! You'll get yourselves killed up there! Your majesty!" The guard called but the couple ignored him, rushing up to the top of the stairs, straight over to the base of the tower and started to climb. By the time they had reached halfway up the tower, Magpie, who had been fighting against the increase of wind considering the height, had already reached the top. He then took the portable television and hooked it onto the tower before plugging a small cable into the box.

"Feed me!" The Wire called as Magpie took the power plug and inserted it into a power socket. The Wire sighed and started to cackle softly to itself, red electricity sparking out of the box, up to the tip of the tower and spiralling out in all directions to all the TV aerials in the North London neighbourhood. The electricity began to buzz and hum, the Wire's eyes drooped ever so slightly as the colours of its picture began to slowly fade from black and white. "Oh, feasting. Feasting." The Wire purred. "The Wire is feasting."

"It's too late! It's too late for all of us!" Magpie cried as the Doctor and Clara got closer to the top.

The Wire smiled. "I shall consume the both of you!" However, since it couldn't actually see either of them, it sent out a random spark of electricity that missed the two.

"We won't let you do this, Magpie!" The Doctor exclaimed.

"Help me, please! It burns! It took my face, my soul!"

The Wire chuckled. "You cannot stop the Wire. Soon I shall become manifest." The Wire fired another arc of electricity, which struck the Doctor in the arm.

"Doctor!" Clara cried.

"No more! No more of this!" Magpie cried. "You promised me peace!"

The Wire gave a cold smile. "And peace you shall have." It fired an arc of electricity straight at Magpie, burning his mind and disintegrating him into ash.

Clara climbed up to be side by side with the box, reaching a hand out to grasp it. A small electrical pang caused her to flinch her arm back, but she just sent it a cold glare. The Doctor took the front end of the cable attached to Clara, pulling out a plug and his sonic. Clara decided to distract it. "Been burning the candle at both ends?!" Clara taunted. "You've overextended yourself, mate! You shouldn't have had a crack at poor old Magpie there!" Clara grasped the box and another arc struck and stung at her hand, causing Clara to let out a painful scream.

"Clara, hold on!" The Doctor called.

"Oh, don't worry about me!" Clara quipped, taking the box and passing it down to the Doctor, who had just pocketed his sonic, and plugged the cable into the box.

And yet…nothing happened. The Wire was, for the first time in its electrical life, rather confused. "Nothing's happening." The Wire blinked, darting her gaze back and forth between the Doctor and Clara. "Is nothing meant to happen?" Neither of the two answered, just exchanged worried looks which made its eyes twinkle. "Oh dear. Has our little plan gone horribly wrong?" It taunted.

The black console sparked and flared making Tommy flinch. One of the black bulbs had shattered, rendering it useless. Thinking quickly, Tommy moved to take another bulb, swapping it for the shattered one, then taking a plug, inserted it into the back of the bulb and plugged the power end into a socket.

The Wire, all of a sudden, felt the strangest sensations. Pain. Fear. Failure. Its power began to drain away from itself, the feasting stopped, then completely reversing around, the feasting now focused on itself and it never knew such pain. The Wire began to scream in agony as the electricity that had darted from the tip of the tower began to pull back, the reversal of the process ensuring that anyone who the Wire had been feeding upon would be released without harm. And if the TARDIS couple were lucky, just a little bit lucky, those that had already been fed upon may get the process reversed on them. For now, they watched as the electricity receded back from the tip of the tower and into the box, the Wire still screaming and shrieking, almost filling their ears with a loud ringing noise, which the wind around them didn't help with either.

Clara and the Doctor beamed smug smiles, and the Doctor grasped the box. "It's closed down, I'm afraid, and no epilogue!" He taunted. The Wire screamed one last time and then its screen flickered, devolving right down into pitch black silence. At that, the Doctor and Clara sighed.

Luckily for Tommy, as he waited for the Doctor and Clara to return, the control room had a TV that was playing the Coronation. He had a brief freak-out when the black console sparked with red electricity for a few moments, but it then just stopped, and he assumed that it was meant to happen like that.

"What have we missed?" The Doctor asked suddenly from the door, Tommy looking at him with a small jump as Clara was standing there with him, the both of them beaming bright smiles.

"Doctor. Clara. What happened?" He asked.

"Sorted." The Doctor informed. "Electrical creature, TV technology, clever alien life-form…that's me by the way…" He said smugly to Tommy's blinking puzzlement, "and one gorgeous woman…that's Clara by the way." Clara gave a small blush, which made the Doctor chuckle to himself. "We turned the receiver back into a transmitter, the Wire got a taste of its own medicine and, at least what was left of it, is trapped in here." The Doctor pressed a button on the black console and out popped a black video tape. "I think…we just invented the home video, 30 years early." He tossed it up before catching it, Tommy looking quite bewildered at the tape, which the Doctor took as a different kind of confusion. "Betamax." He explained with a small frown. "What good it did them in the long run." He muttered.

"Oh, look." Clara motioned to the TV, which had the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth waving at the crowd, an orchestra playing "God save the Queen" in the background. "Dear god, that wave." Clara muttered with a shake of her head. "The memes and jokes she'll receive."

Tommy blinked. "Memes?"

The Doctor and Clara exchanged a look. "You'll find out one day." The Doctor answered for her. "Come on, let's get back to the warehouse."

Entering the warehouse, they saw a completely bewildered yet restored DI Bishop conversing with Crabtree over the people inside, all of which had been restored their faces and minds and were conversing with a mixture of excitement, relief and bewilderment. Tommy at once saw his Gran and ran towards her.

"That's my grandson." She beamed, holding out her arms to welcome his hug.

"Doctor, Clara, what happened?" DI Bishop asked, walking up to the pair.

They shrugged. "We stopped the Wire, reversed the process, all with a black box and a cable." DI Bishop blinked at the Doctor's words, who just sighed at his expression. "Long story short, the Wire's gone and won't come back. Everyone here is free to enjoy Coronation day, even though they did miss the actual Coronation."

DI Bishop smiled in relief. "Well, I'm sure that their friends and family will fill in the blanks." He said before moving off to help everyone out of the warehouse.

""A black box and a cable"? Did I miss an inside joke?" Rose asked from behind them, the pair turning around, looking relieved at her restored state.

"Long story." Clara shrugged before they beamed. "Oh, come here." Rose embraced the two, laughing to herself as she did.

Eddie stood silent before Rita, who was holding up his large brown suitcase, staring at him with a blend of relieved tiredness, and just a hint of scorning. "This was never your house, it's in my mother's name. And on her behalf, I'm telling you: Out." She said simply, placing the suitcase before Eddie. With a dejected yet silent expression, he took the suitcase and turned to walk out, leaving Rita, who was softly smiling at the lifted tension, the house now filled with a calm peace. Eddie would make his own life now, whereas her, Tommy and her Mum would just enjoy the freed household.

The Doctor, Clara and Rose walked back down Florizel Street, the inhabitants and neighbours were pouring out drinks, laying out lunch and sweet food, savouries, and even cakes. One of the neighbours had brought out their radio to play music, the children playing their own games to themselves and even a few couples danced together.

The Doctor however couldn't help himself and took two large slices of cake. "Now Clara, I know you like Soufflés, but do you like cake?" He held one out.

Clara blinked. "Who doesn't?" She retorted, taking the slice and wringing her arm through his.

Rose however took a cup full of juice and started to drink deeply. "We can go down the mall, join in with the crowds." She pointed out.

"Nah." They said in unison, their voices somewhat muffled by mouthfuls of cake.

"That's just pomp and circumstance." The Doctor merely said. "This is history, right here."

""The domestic approach"."

They chuckled. "Exactly."

"Will it…that thing, is it trapped for good on the video?"

"What's left of it, yeah." The Doctor nodded. "Just to be on the safe side though, I'll use my unrivalled knowledge of transtemporal extirpation methods to neutralize the residual electronic pattern."

"What?" Clara asked before Rose could.

"Come on, slow poke. I'm going to tape over it." The Doctor retorted.

Clara rolled her eyes while Rose just laughed. "You can leave that to me, I'm always doing that."

"Does Jackie still not know how to use the video recorder?" Clara asked. Rose just raised her eyebrows and Clara nodded. "Yeah, fair enough."

They finished walking up the long table, coming to a stop by Tommy. "Tell you what, Tommy, you can have the scooter. Little present." The Doctor said, him and Clara leaning against the table beside Tommy. "Best, um…keep it in the garage for a few years though, eh?"

"But what about us?" Rose perked up from Tommy's other side.

"We have another scooter. A better one at that." The Doctor said as he finished eating the slice of cake.

Clara's eyes widened. "Do you mean…the one that you-"

"Rode up on the Shard? Yeah." The Doctor winked down at her and she leaned up to give him a kiss. "Blushing a lot today, aren't you?" He quipped, drawing her in closer.

"Shut up."

Silence fell for a moment that was broken by a dull voice from Tommy. "Good riddance." They blinked, turning to see where he was looking at, his father Eddie stepping out of his former home with his overcoat and hat, and started to walk off down the street.

"Is that it then, Tommy?" The Doctor asked. "New monarch, new age, new world, with no room for a man like Eddie Connolly?"

Tommy nodded. "That's right. He deserves it."

"Tommy." Rose interjected. "Go after him."

Tommy blinked. "What for?"

"He's your Dad."

Tommy scoffed. "He's an idiot."

"Of course he is. Like I said, he's your Dad. But you're clever. Clever enough to save the world, so don't stop there." Tommy stared back at Eddie, now with contemplation which made Rose smile. "Go on." Tommy looked at Rose and gave her a smile before rushing off to catch up with Eddie. Eddie gave him a surprised look as Tommy moved to walk beside him and took his suitcase from him. Eddie just gave him a genuine smile and they walked off in silence.

The Doctor took Rose's glass, refilled it and handed it back to her before he took two full glasses and gave one to Clara. The three clinked their glasses together and took a good drink. This is what they loved. Having a good time with friends, and the Doctor and Clara just being together. They decided to relish this one time. They may not get another like this.

AN: Well, that is finally done with. Now I get to do my most adored story in Series 2, and by god I love this two parter. But don't mind it for now, I'll go into it next time. Anyway, as always, thanks for reading and leave a review if you wish. :)