Wow. Let's Kill Hitler was great! Already thought about where Alex might fit into it, and I even have some dialogue sorted in my head! :D
Important! Kind of. Looks like I'm going to have to retcon what River said in The Time of Angels about her and Alex's first meeting. Just, y'know, forget it! :P That's what you get when you try to do a tiny bit of original writing concerning River bloody Song!
Vincent and the Doctor: Part Three
"What do we do about the Krafayis?" Alex asked as the four of them made their way from the church. "We can't just leave this great, hulking invisible thing in the middle of the church, even if it's dead."
"No! No, don't be silly," the Doctor berated him. "Evolution is a wonderful thing, don't forget that. Obviously, years ago, the Krafayis had that problem; even Krafayis can't see other Krafayis, only sense them. But they can't sense the dead ones, because they sense the consciousness, so they'd always be bumping into the dead ones; very annoying! So over the years, the Krafayis evolved so that when they die, their entire bodies decompose within minutes, they rejoin the soil. Evolution – best thing there is."
They finally emerged from the back door to the church. Night had well and truly fallen now. The moon was up and thousands of twinkling stars shone right across the blanket of the night sky, many light years away.
"Come," Vincent said to the other three. Alex noticed he had also been gazing at the stars. He was walking towards a patch of grass nearby. "Lie with me. Let me show you what I see." He laid himself down on the grass and looked up at the stars. Amy, Alex and the Doctor all joined him, forming a circle of four. "All of you join hands," he told them. "Try to see what I see."
Alex reached out for the Doctor and Amy's hands, finding them in the dark and holding on to them tight.
"We're so lucky to be alive to see this beautiful world," Vincent went on. "Look at the sky. It's not dark, and black, and without character. The black is, in fact, deep blue. And over there," he said more excitedly, pointing, "lighter blue. And blowing through the blueness and the blackness, the winds swirling through the air. And then shining, burning, bursting through, the stars! Can you see how they roar their light? Everywhere we look, the complex magic of nature blazes before our eyes..."
"I've seen many things, my friend," the Doctor said quietly after a moment. "But you're right. Nothing quite as wonderful as the things you see."
Alex smiled, at last understanding the true majesty of the works of Vincent van Gogh.
V I N C E N T A N D T H E D O C T O R
"I only wish I had something of real value to give you!" Vincent exclaimed. It was the next morning. The four of them had trekked back to Vincent's house late the previous evening and collapsed into bed for a well-deserved rest.
The Doctor laughed in disbelief, holding up the painting Vincent had handed to him to compare it with the genuine article. It was a self-portrait of the man himself. "Oh no, no, I could never accept such an extraordinary gift," he said. Somewhat resentfully, he handed it back to Vincent, who shrugged.
"Very well. Well you're not the first to decline the offer!" He placed the painting back onto the table and turned to Amy, his arms outstretched. "Amy! The blessed! The wonderful!"
Amy hugged him tightly, kissing him on both cheeks warmly. "Oh, be good to yourself," she asked of him. "And be kind to yourself."
"I'll try my best."
"And maybe give the beard a little trim before you next kiss someone," she replied cheekily.
Vincent laughed. "I will. I will. And if you ever tire of this fiancée of yours, return, and we will have children by the dozen!" He turned to face Alex. "Alex, my friend. You have taught me wonderful things. Wonderful, helpful things."
They shook hands before leaning in for a hug. "Not a problem, my old friend," Alex assured him, smiling. "Always remember; you're not alone." He squeezed him once more and drew away, clapping him on the shoulder.
"And Doctor. We have fought monsters together and we have won! On my own I fear I may not do as well..."
The Doctor didn't reply. Instead, he simply pulled Vincent in and hugged him, disguising his sadness well.
"Well then," Vincent went on as they broke away. "I must get dressed. I have a half-finished painting left that I really want to complete today, I really do." He shook them all by the hand once more. "I hope to see you all again."
He turned and jogged up the stairs to his bedroom. They heard the door close behind him and with that, he was gone.
"I think he needs to work on his hosting skills," Alex mused as the three of them found themselves left alone in Vincent's front room. They ambled towards the front door. Amy snaked her hand into Alex's as they walked.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" the Doctor asked them as they walked down the path in the courtyard.
"I was thinking I may need some food or something before we leave," Amy replied.
"I could murder a burger," Alex admitted.
"Or pizza,"
"Pizza would be good. I could do with a drink too, actually."
"Hm, I'm not that thirsty actually. Although, I could-"
"Okay," the Doctor interrupted them loudly. "You're not thinking exactly what I'm thinking. Vincent!" he turned and called up at Vincent's open window. After a few seconds, he appeared at it, bare-chested. "Got something I'd like to show you. Maybe just... tidy yourself up a bit, first."
They in fact waited more than half an hour. When Vincent emerged into his front garden, he had donned his old straw hat, along with a shirt and suit. He also appeared to have had a small shave, though a fairly bulky beard remained on his face. When he was ready, the four of them embarked on the walk back into the village, talking as they did so.
"... Now," the Doctor said as they neared the TARDIS. "You know we've had quite a few chats about the possibility that there might be more to life than normal people imagine?" He groaned as they turned a corner and saw the TARDIS, covered in flyers concerning all manner of rubbish.
"Yes?" Vincent asked, confused.
"Well, brace yourself, Vinny..." The Doctor unlocked the door and pushed it open.
Frowning, Vincent strolled inside. He looked around, turned questioningly to the Doctor, Alex and Amy, and turned back again. He stuck his head out of the door and looked either side of the TARDIS. He walked all the way around the exterior. He examined it for another minute or two.
"How come I'm the crazy one?" he asked when he'd finished, accepting the impossible box and stepping back inside. "And you three have stayed sane?" They all followed Vincent inside and walked up to the console level. He began to walk around the console, inspecting each of the controls with interest. "What do these things all do?"
"Oh, a huge variety of things. This one here, for instance, plays soothing music!" He pressed a button on the console and a whimsical tune began to play. They all danced around stupidly, giggling at Vincent's incredulous expression. "While this one here makes a huge amount of noise!" He pulled the start-up lever of the console, preparing it to dematerialise. "And this one here makes everything go absolutely tonto!" The TARDIS took off, shaking the room and knocking the four of them off balance. They all laughed as they were thrown around the room.
"And this one?" Vincent asked, reaching for one.
"That's a friction contrafibulator!" the Doctor cried, yanking Vincent's hands away from it in a panic.
"And this?" he pointed to a red button.
"That one's ketchup, and that one's mustard," the Doctor replied, gesturing to a yellow button.
"Hm, nice!" Vincent exclaimed. "Now, come on. Back to the café. And you can tell me all about the wonders of the universe!
"Good idea," the Doctor agreed, leading Vincent towards the door. "Although first, there's a little something I'd like to show you first." He held his hand up, clicked his fingers and pointed over his shoulder. Alex did as he was told and pulled the landing lever.
The four of them piled out of the door. Alex felt a moment of déjà vu as he looked up at the imposing, familiar building in front of him.
"Where are we?" Vincent asked.
"Paris, 2010 AD and this is the mighty Musée d'Orsay, home to many of the greatest paintings in history."
"Well that's wonderful-ul..." Vincent frowned as a young man walked past with a radio, music blaring out of it.
"Ah, ignore that. We've got something more important to show you."
They walked back through the doors of the museum, the Doctor flashing the psychic paper at the woman on the desk as they passed. Amy led the way excitedly, skipping past the vast majority of paintings and sculptures in her rush to get to their destination. Alex and the Doctor regularly had to physically hurry Vincent up as he stopped to appreciate the works of other artists.
After a few minutes, they made it. The Doctor, Amy and Alex stopped and turned to Vincent and watched him. They had arrived at the Vincent van Gogh exhibition. Vincent looked around the circular room, his eyes slowly widening more and more as he recognised painting after painting, hanging on the wall in golden, ornate frames, with countless people admiring them, young and old. The Doctor spread his arms out as if to say "Well?"
"Doctor Black?" the Doctor asked the familiar curator as he walked past. "We met a few days ago. I asked you about the Church at Auvers."
Amy and Alex took an arm of Vincent's each and steered him near to Doctor Black, both smiling slightly.
"Oh, yes, glad to be of help. You were nice about my tie."
"Yes! And today is another cracker, if I may say so, but, I just wondered, between you and me, in a hundred words... where do you think van Gogh rates in the history of art?"
Doctor Black raised his eyebrows, surprised by the question. "Well... big question. But, to me, van Gogh is the finest painter of them all."
Vincent turned in disbelief, a tear dripping off the end of his nose. Alex patted him on the back and nodded at him, smiling comfortingly. He put a finger to his lips.
"Certainly the most popular great painter of all time," Doctor Black went on. "The most beloved. His command of colour, the most magnificent. He transformed the pain of his tormented life into ecstatic beauty. Pain is easy to portray but to use your passion and pain to portray the ecstasy and joy and magnificence of our world... no-one had ever done it before. Perhaps no-one ever will again. To my mind, that strange, wild man who roamed the fields of Provence was not only the world's greatest artist... but also one of the greatest men who ever lived."
Alex and Amy had been so engrossed in Doctor Black's touching, poignant speech that they hadn't noticed Vincent practically break down. He was shaking as tears rolled down his cheeks, his eyes red and his face screwed up.
"Vincent!" the Doctor said, finally noticing and putting an arm around his shoulder. "I'm sorry, is it too much?"
"No," Vincent laughed though his sobs. "They are tears of joy! Thank you sir," Vincent said to Doctor Black, reaching up and kissing him on either cheek and hugging him. "Thank you!"
"You're... you're welcome," Doctor Black replied, utterly confused and taken aback by the sudden show of affection. "You're welcome,"
"Sorry about the beard," Vincent apologised as the Doctor hurriedly dragged him away, Alex and Amy in tow.
Tears continued to stream down Vincent's cheeks as they escorted him back to the entrance of the Musée d'Orsay. Once inside the TARDIS, Alex and Amy sat him down on one of the chairs so that he could compose himself while the Doctor piloted him home. When a booming sound signalled that they had landed, Vincent got to his feet. He was smiling.
"Home sweet home," the Doctor told him sadly. In contrast, Vincent virtually danced towards the door, picking up his hat from the hat stand on the way. He opened the door and stepped outside, back in the rural French landscape, not far from Vincent's home.
"This changes everything," he said cheerfully, strolling forwards. "I'll step out tomorrow with my easel on my back a different man. Though I can't believe one of the hay stacks was in the museum – how embarrassing!"
"It has been a great adventure and a great honour," the Doctor told him, shaking his hand vigorously before pulling him into a tight hug.
"You've turned out to be the first doctor ever, actually to make a difference to my life!" Vincent said gleefully, bouncing on the spot.
"Oh, I'm delighted. I won't ever forget you,"
Vincent turned to Alex. "And Alex, if I can overcome such problems with such magnificence, then I'm sure you can too," he said to him, shaking his hand too.
Alex widened his eyes and shook his head very slightly, shushing, telling him to shut up. He returned the handshake, before giving him a hug of his own. "The Doctor's right," Alex told him. "It's been such an honour. Thank you." He clapped him on the shoulder before standing back at the open TARDIS door as Amy and Vincent said goodbye.
"And you are sure marriage is out of the question?" Vincent asked her.
"For now," she laughed, throwing her arms around his neck. "I'm kind of engaged, remember." She kissed him on the cheek and stepped back. The three of them waved to Vincent one last time before closing the door. The Doctor set the TARDIS to dematerialise and they were off once more.
"What did he mean?" the Doctor asked Alex as they flew. "What problems?"
"Oh never mind that," Amy interrupted moodily before Alex could reply. "Let's just go back to the gallery."
The Doctor looking from Alex to Amy suspiciously before shrugging and pulling a lever. "Return trip it is, then."
Whatever had wound Amy up the wrong way, she soon forgot about it when the TARDIS landed back in Paris. She ran outside in an excited frenzy. "Time can be rewritten! I know it can. Come on! Ohh, the long life of Vincent van Gogh. There'll be hundreds of new paintings!"
"I'm not sure there will," the Doctor replied as Amy disappeared from sight in her rush to get to the exhibition. They had walked the path three times now, and so knew the way there well.
"Fixed and flux?" Alex enquired sadly. The Doctor's morose look was all the answer he needed.
"Come on," Amy insisted, dancing under the archway into the van Gogh area.
Alex and the Doctor caught up to her. They all glanced around, noticing no change. Doctor Black was touring yet another group of people around the room.
"We have here the last work of Vincent van Gogh, who committed suicide at only 37. He is now acknowledged to be one of the foremost artists of all time. If you follow me now..."
Amy teared up as Doctor Black's words got through to her. She sniffed as Alex pulled her into a comforting hug. She struggled a little but gave in and wrapped her arms around him.
"So you were right," she asked the Doctor as they broke apart. "No new paintings. We didn't make a difference at all."
"I wouldn't say that. The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things." He hugged her himself as she began to cry again. "Hey, the good things don't always soften the bad things, but vice versa the bad things don't always spoil the good things or make them unimportant. And we definitely added to his pile of good things. And, if you look carefully..." He took Amy and Alex's hands and pulled them over to where The Church at Auvers hung. "Maybe we did indeed make a couple of little changes..."
"No Krafayis," Amy said, noticing the absence of a face from the window of the church.
"No Krafayis," the Doctor confirmed.
"Y'see?" Alex asked, grasping Amy's hand in his. "There's proof of our visit right there. He didn't feel the need to paint in the Krafayis..."
"We made him happier for a small time, at least," the Doctor agreed. He began to examine the painting more closely. Amy slipped her hand from Alex's and strolled away. "Let her go," the Doctor muttered as Alex turned to follow. "Give her some time. Anyway, you never answered my question," the Doctor said, turning away from the painting. "What did Vincent mean?"
"Doesn't matter now, come on," Alex told him, looking past the Doctor and over his shoulder, to where Amy was walking towards. It was perhaps Vincent's most famous painting, Sunflowers.
As they neared the painting, both of them noticed another slight difference. There, in the middle of the plant pot, painted in Vincent's spidery handwriting – or whatever you called painted words – was a short message. "For Amy." The Doctor whistled in appreciation.
Amy noticed that they were stood either side of her. "If we had got married, our kids would've had very, very red hair."
"The Ultimate Ginger," the Doctor smiled.
"The Ultimate Ginge," Amy corrected, amid chuckles from the Doctor and Alex. "Brighter than sunflowers..."