Rose held the Doctor's hand as they led Amy through the museum. She had talked to him about the girl's visit to her room. She told him about her suspicions that Amy was grieving without realizing it. So, he decided their best course of action was to take Amy's mind off things. Spend a few days taking her to places they thought she'd enjoy instead of running for their lives.
They passed an older man wearing glasses and a suit with a bow tie. The man was explaining about the paintings to a group of people. He seemed to be some sort of tour guide for the museum.
"Thanks for bringing me," Amy said, glancing from Rose to the Doctor.
"You're welcome," he replied, giving the girl a smile.
"You're being so nice to me." Amy gave them a teasing look. "Why are you two being so nice to me?"
Wait. Why was she asking that? The Doctor glanced at Rose, giving her a worried look that she returned. The last thing she wanted was for the girl to question them.
"We're always nice to you," he defended.
"You know what I mean. These places you're taking me. Arcadia, the Trojan Gardens, now this," Amy said, leaning toward them. "I think it's suspicious."
Suspicious? That was bad. As the Doctor would say…really not good.
"What?" he exclaimed, giving Rose that worried look again. "It's not."
"There's nothing to be suspicious about, Amy," Rose protested.
"Okay," the girl said, putting her hands up. "I was joking." Then Amy paused, as if she just figured something out and eyed them. "Why aren't you two?"
The Doctor turned his attention to the tour guide. Rose followed suit, hoping to distract the girl.
"Each of these pictures now is worth tens of millions of pounds," Rose gave Amy a sideways glance. The girl was watching the tour guide. Good. It worked, "yet in his lifetime he was a commercial disaster. Sold only one painting, and that to the sister of a friend. We have here possibly the greatest artist of all time, but when he died you could have sold his entire body of work and got about enough money to buy a sofa and a couple of chairs," the man explained. Some of the people in the group laughed. "If you follow me now."
The man led the group away.
"Look," Amy exclaimed, grabbing the Doctor's other hand and dragging both him and Rose over to a painting of the Church at Auvers. She held her guidebook picture up, next to the original. "There it is. The actual one."
"Yes," the Doctor said. "You can almost feel his hand painting it right in front of you," he glanced at Rose and they shared a smile, "carving the colors into shapes."
Rose looked at the painting. Hang on. There was something in one of the windows. A face? It looked like it might be.
"What is that?" she asked, glancing from the painting to the Doctor and then back..
He leaned forward, looking at the face.
"What?" Amy inquired, glancing at her.
"Oh," he mused. "Just look at that."
There was something about the face, like the face of a monster, and it sent a chill down her spine.
"What?" Amy asked again, gazing at the painting.
"Something very not good indeed," he said.
"What thing very not good-" Amy began.
"Right there," Rose interrupted, pointing at the face, "in the window of the church."
Amy leaned toward the painting, looking at the window.
"Is it a face?" the girl asked.
"Yes," the Doctor replied, glancing at her. "And not a nice face at all. I know evil when I see it and I see it in that window."
He turned and walked across the room toward the tour guide. Rose followed next to Amy. The moment she saw that face she knew their vacation was over.
"It has changed hands for something in the region of twenty-" the man explained.
"Excuse me. If I can just interrupt for one second," the Doctor interrupted, pulling out his psychic paper and showing it to the group. "Sorry, everyone. Routine inspection," he eyed the man. "Ministry of Art and Artiness." Rose grinned. "So, uh…"
"Doctor Black," the man provided.
"Yes, that's right." He gestured at the painting. "Do you know when that picture of the church was painted?"
Dr. Black glanced at the painting.
"Ah, well, ah, well, what an interesting question. Most people imagine-" Dr. Black began.
"I'm going to have to hurry you. When was it?" he asked.
The man turned his attention back to the Doctor.
"Exactly?"
"As exactly as you can. Without a long speech, if possible I'm in a hurry."
She glanced at Amy, grinning and the girl smiled back. The Doctor asking someone to give him an answer without a long speech was just too much.
"Well, in that case, probably somewhere between the first and third of June," Dr. Black replied.
"What year?" he asked.
"1890. Less than a year before, before he killed himself."
"Thank you, sir." The Doctor nodded. "Very helpful indeed." He pointed at the man's bow tie. "Nice bow-tie." He glanced at Amy and then Rose. She laughed, shaking her head. "Bow-ties are cool."
"Yours is very…" Dr. Black commented.
"Oh, thank you," he said, with a smile and then clapped Dr. Black on the arm. "Keep telling them stuff." He turned around and took Rose's hand while shoving Amy ahead of them. "We need to go."
"What about the other pictures?" the girl protested.
"Art can wait. This is life and death." He gave Amy another shove toward the stairs. "We need to talk to Vincent Van Gogh."
-0-
As soon as the TARDIS materialized the Doctor raced to the door and stepped out followed by Rose. She heard Amy follow a moment later. They were standing in a dark, narrow alley in 1890.
"Right," the Doctor said, looking down the alley, first one way and then the other, "so, here's the plan." He glanced at her, took her hand and then started leading her and Amy down the alley. "We find Vincent and he leads us straight to the church and our nasty friend."
"Easy peas-y," Amy said.
Rose laughed. Nothing was every easy, especially when it seemed like it should be easy. That's usually when they ran into the biggest complications.
"Easy?" she asked, catching the Doctor's eye.
"Well, no," he admitted. "I suspect nothing will be easy with Mister Van Gogh. Now," he lifted his hand, which was still holding hers and glanced at his watch, "he'll probably be in the local café. Sort of orangey light," he glanced at Amy who was still holding her museum book. The girl flipped through the pages, "chairs and tables outside."
"Like this?" Amy asked, showing them a picture of a café painting.
"That's the one," he agreed.
"Or indeed like that," the girl said, pointing at a café a few paces away from them.
There were two women outside in maid type uniforms cleaning off tables.
"Exactly like that," Rose said, giving Amy a smile that the girl returned.
The Doctor walked toward the café and Rose fell into step beside him.
"Good evening. Does the name Vincent Van Gogh ring a bell?" he asked, drawing up to a man in a suit who stood near the open café door.
"Don't mention that man to me," the bloke replied as he turned and walked through the door.
"Excuse me," the Doctor said, watching the man disappear.
Rose turned her attention to the two women, cleaning tables.
"Do you know Vincent Van Gogh?" she asked.
"Unfortunately," one of the women replied.
"Unfortunately?" the Doctor inquired, walking over to stand next to them.
"He's a drunk, he's mad and he never pays his bills."
"Sounds like some of the blokes my friend Shareen dated," Rose whispered.
The Doctor caught her eye and smiled, then turned back to the woman.
"Good painter, though, eh?" he asked.
Both women started laughing. It seemed Dr. Black was right about no one appreciating Vincent in his time.
"Come on! Come on!" A man called from inside the café. The Doctor pulled out a chair at one of the tables and then indicated for Rose to sit. She gave him a smile that he returned and then sat down. He grabbed another chair, turned it around, and sat down next to her. "One painting for one drink. That's not a bad deal."
"It wouldn't be a bad deal if the painting were any good," the man in the suit replied, walking out the door holding a painting of Vincent Van Gogh with another man following him who couldn't be mistaken for anyone other than the actual Vincent Van Gogh. The Doctor and Rose gestured excitedly at Amy who lifted her hands and gave them a thumbs up. Then she caught the Doctor's eye and they shared an excited smile. The actual, real life, Vincent Van Gogh. "I can't hang that up on my walls. It'd scare the customers half to death. It's bad enough having you in here in person, let alone looming over the customers day and night in a stupid hat. You pay money or you get out."
The man had to be the manager or maybe the owner.
"I'll pay, if you like," the Doctor offered.
"What?" Vincent asked, turning around and eyeing him.
"Well, if you like, I'll pay for the drink. Or I'll pay for the painting and you can use the money to pay for the drink," he said.
"Exactly who are you?" Vincent asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Oh, we're…" he glanced at Rose and then back to Vincent, "…new in town."
"Well, in that case, you don't know three things. One, I pay for my own drinks, thank you." The manager and both women laughed. Vincent glanced at them and then back to the Doctor. "Two, no one ever buys any of my paintings or they would be laughed out of town." Vincent glanced at the manager, who nodded. "So if you want to stay in town, I suggest you keep your cash to yourself. And three, your friends are cute, but you should keep your big nose out of other people's business." Vincent turned back to the manager. "Come on, just one more drink. I'll pay tomorrow."
"No," the manager insisted.
"Or, on the other hand, slightly more compassionately, yes?"
"Or, on the other hand, to protect my business from madmen, no."
"Or-" Vincent began, shoving his painting into the man's hands.
"Oh, look," Amy said, "just shut up, the pair of you." The girl walked towards them, eyeing the manager. "I would like a bottle of wine, please, which I will then share with whomever," Amy eyed Vincent, "I choose."
The girl was good. Rose grinning, glancing at the Doctor. He smiled.
"That could be good," Vincent agreed.
"That's good by me," the manager said.
"Good," Amy said.
-0-
The Doctor sat next to Rose at a table in the café. Vincent was on one side and Amy the other, directly across from each other. He wanted to get on with things. Find that creature, figure out what it was, and stop it because he was sure it was up to something. Something really not good.
"That accent of yours. You from Holland like me?" Vincent asked, eyeing Amy.
"Holland?" Rose inquired.
Oh. That was really not good either.
"Yes," the Doctor said.
"No," Amy replied at the exact same time.
He glanced at Amy and then back to Vincent.
"She means yes," he corrected. "So, start again." He held his hand out to Vincent. "Hello, I'm the Doctor."
"I knew it!" the man exclaimed.
What? Why was he upset?
"Sorry?" he asked, not sure what Vincent meant.
"My brother's always sending doctors, but you won't be able to help."
Oh. That's why he was upset.
"Oh, no," he glanced at Rose, giving her a smile and she laughed, "not that kind of doctor." He laughed and then caught sight of one of Vincent's paintings. "That's incredible," He glanced from Rose to Amy, pointing the painting out, "don't you two think?"
"One of my favorites," Amy replied.
"Yeah, mine too," Rose agreed.
"One of your favorite what?" Vincent asked, eyeing Rose and then Amy, suspiciously. "Neither of you have seen my work before."
First the Holland thing and now this. He shook his head. Amy glanced at Rose and then picked up her wine.
"One of our favorite paintings that…" the girl trailed off, glancing at Rose.
"We've ever seen-" she supplied.
"Generally," Amy finished, taking a drink of her wine.
He smiled, shaking his head again. Rose glanced at him and grinned.
"Then you two can't have seen many paintings, then." The man lifted his painting, looking it over and then sat it down. "I know it's terrible. It's the best I can do." The man had no idea that he was to become one of the greatest painters who ever lived. Vincent gazed at Amy for a moment. "Your hair's orange."
The girl leaned forward.
"Yes. So's yours," Amy replied.
He rolled his eyes. Really?
"Yes. It was more orange, but now is, of course, less."
The Doctor sighed, growing annoyed in his impatience. Rose slapped his arm and eyed him. What? He mouthed. She glanced at Amy and then back to him. He rolled his eyes. They didn't have time for this and it was unnecessary. He turned to Vincent.
"So," he said, ignoring Rose's glare as he sat forward. "Uh, Vincent, painted any churches recently?" Amy sat back as the man caught his gaze. "Any churchy plans? Are churches, chapels, religious-y stuff like that, something you'd like to get into? You know, fairly soon?"
"Well, there is one church I'm thinking of painting when the weather is right," Vincent replied.
"That's good," Rose said.
"Yes. Very good news," the Doctor replied.
A woman burst into the café.
"She's been murdered! Help me!" the woman yelled.
"That, on the other hand," he said, looking at the woman, "isn't quite such good news." He took Rose's hand and pulled her up and then raced across the room. "Come on, Amy, Vincent!"
He raced down the street after the woman with Rose beside him. The woman turned into an alley and he followed.
"She's been ripped to shreds!" a man called near a group of people.
He released her hand as they drew close.
"Please, let me look. I'm a doctor," he said, stopping near the body.
"Who is it?" one of the onlookers asked, but he ignored them.
It was a girl's body. Young. She was dead. There wasn't anything he could do.
"Oh no, no, no," he whispered, bending down.
"Is she…?" Rose asked, trailing off.
He glanced at her. She was bending down next to him. This was definitely not something she needed to see.
"Rose, don't-" he said, putting his arm out to stop her.
"Away, all of you vultures," a woman insisted. "This is my daughter." The woman bent down, pushing people away. "Giselle." The woman bent over the body. He put his hand on her back. "What monster could have done this? Get away from her!"
The woman swatted at him and Rose.
"Okay," he said, standing up. Rose stood with him. "Okay."
"Get that madman out of here!" the woman growled, picking up a stone and throwing it at Vincent.
Other people began throwing stones as well. He grabbed Rose's hand and pulled Amy out in front of them as they turned and ran down the alley after Vincent.
"You bring this on us. Your madness! You!" the woman shouted.
"He's to blame!" a man called.
He ran down the alley and into a side street. When they were clear they stopped. He glanced at Vincent. Worried because he knew how fragile the man was.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm used to it," Vincent replied.
"Used to it? No one should be treated like that," Rose said.
He glanced at her, smiling and then turned back to Vincent.
"Has anything like this murder happened here before?" he asked.
"Only a week ago. It's a terrible time," the man replied.
"As I thought," the Doctor said, glancing at Rose and taking her hand as he started down the alley. "As I thought. Come on," he glanced back at Vincent, "we'd better get you home."
"Where are you staying tonight?" the man asked.
He smiled, clapping Vincent on the shoulder.
"Oh, you're very kind," he replied then he glanced at Rose and they shared a smile before he headed down the alley with her.
-0-
Vincent led the way toward his small cottage. The Doctor looked around and then up at the night sky. The stars were clearly visible.
"Dark night," he said and then glanced at Rose, giving her a smile she returned. "Very starry."
"It's beautiful," she replied.
Yes, it was, but not nearly as beautiful as her. He gave her hand a squeeze.
"It's not much," Vincent said, drawing up to his cottage. "I live on my own. But you should be okay for one night." The man glanced at them and then lit the lantern above his door. "One night."
"We're going to stay with him?" Amy asked, excitedly.
"Until he paints that church," the Doctor replied.
"Watch out," Vincent said, indicating one of his paintings hanging outside his cottage. "That one's wet."
"What?" Amy asked, gazing at the painting.
Vincent stepped inside and he followed, bringing Rose along with him. The man walked over to one of the lanterns and lit it. Amy stepped inside a few moments later.
"Sorry about all the clutter," Vincent said.
"Some clutter," he commented.
The Doctor gazed around the room and at Rose. She was smiling, marveling at all the paintings. He watched her a moment and couldn't help smiling at the wonder in her eyes. He put his arm around her, unconsciously as he looked at the paintings with her.
"I've come to accept the only person who's going to love my paintings is me," Vincent said.
"Wow," Amy said. He glanced at her as she gazing around the room and then at Rose. The girls shared a smile and then Amy turned back to the paintings. "I mean, really. Wow."
"Right?" Rose asked.
"Yeah, I know it's a mess," Vincent said. "I'll have a proper clear out. I must, I really must." The man walked across the room. "Coffee, anyone?"
"Not for me, actually," he said.
"I'll," Rose said, glancing over her shoulder. "Vincent, don't…"
He turned around as Vincent sat the pot on a painting. Oh. That was really not good.
"You know," he said, "you should be careful with these. Th-They're," Vincent wiped the stain off created by the pot, but only managed to smear it even more, "precious."
He sighed.
"Precious to me. Not precious to anyone else," Vincent replied.
"They're precious to me," Amy called, poking her head into the room and eyeing the man.
"Well, you're very kind. And kindness is most welcome."
They were going to start that flirting thing again. He couldn't have that.
"Right," he said glancing from Vincent to Amy and then back. "So, this church, then. Near here, is it?"
Vincent reached up and pulled some firewood out of a nook in the wall.
"What is it with you and the church?" the man asked.
"Oh, just casually interested in it, you know."
"Far from casual." Vincent walked over to the fireplace and set the logs down. "It seems to me you never talk about anything else." The man eyed Rose. "He's a strange one."
"One track mind," Rose replied, glancing at the Doctor. "He gets a bit fixated." She shot Vincent a smile. "Last week it was all about graveyards and blue grass this week it's churches next week it'll be something else."
The Doctor gazed at her for a moment. Was she teasing or being serious? He couldn't tell. Fixated? He didn't…did he?
"Okay, so, let's talk about you, then," he said. "What are you interested in?"
"Well, look around." Vincent indicated his paintings. "Art." The man glanced from him to Rose. "It seems to me there's so much more to the world than the average eye is allowed to see." Amy drew up next to them. Vincent looked at her. "I believe, if you look hard, there are more wonders in this universe than you could ever have dreamed of."
The Doctor glanced at Rose and they shared a smile.
"You don't have to tell us," he said.
An hour and another pot of coffee later. The Doctor sat in a chair next to the fire as Vincent went on about color and nature.
"It's color. Color that holds the key," the man ranted. "I can hear the colors. Listen to them." Vincent stopped, as if listening. The Doctor listened, but didn't hear anything. "Every time I step outside, I feel nature is shouting at me. Come on. Come and get me. Come on. Come on!" The man grabbed his lapels and shook him. "Capture my mystery!"
He gazed into Vincent's eyes. The man was far too worked up. Far, far too worked up.
"Maybe you've had enough coffee now. How about some nice calming tea?" he asked. Vincent released his lapels. "Let's get you a cup of chamomile or something, shall we?" He gazed around the room. There wasn't anyone else there. Wait. "Rose. Amy. Where are they?"
Suddenly Amy screamed.
"Doctor!" Rose yelled.
He was on his feet in the next moment. Fear coursing through his hearts. They'd gone outside on their own in the middle of the night. Anything could've happened.
"No, no, no!" he shouted, racing for the door with Vincent right behind him.
"Rose? Amy?" he yelled, running out into the dark courtyard. Amy was on the ground, on her knees. Rose was crouched down next to her in that concerned sort of way. He raced up to them. "What happened?"
"I don't know. I didn't see it," Amy said.
"We were having a look at the paintings out here when something hit her from behind," Rose explained, helping the girl up.
Someone attacked Amy? He glanced around the courtyard. It was empty. Whoever hit Amy was gone now.
"It's okay. He's gone now and we're here," the Doctor said.
"Doctor, I…I don't think it's gone," she replied and something in her voice gave him pause.
"Sorry?" he asked. "What do you-"
"No! No!" Vincent shouted, backing up.
The man was backing away, looking at them with fear in his eyes. What happened? What was wrong with him?
"Take it easy," the Doctor said. "Take it easy!"
"What's happening? What's he doing?" Amy asked.
Vincent grabbed a large forked branch of wood.
"I don't know." Vincent brandished the branch at them. What the hell was he doing? "Oh, dear." The man ran toward them. The Doctor pushed Amy one way and pulled Rose with him as he ducked the other.
"Run," Vincent insisted, waving at them. "Run!"
"Yeah," he agreed. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah." The man must be having some sort of fit or something. "That's not a bad idea." He glanced at the girls. "Amy, Rose, get back. He's having some kind of fit." He walked closer to the man. "I'll try to calm him down."
"Doctor," Rose said.
"Rose, just stay back." He moved closer to Vincent as the man waved the branch around wildly. "Easy, Vincent, easy." The man spun around, brandishing the branch at him. "Look. Look, look, look." He put his hands up. "It's me, it's me, it's me. It's the Doctor, look. No one else is here."
"Doctor, something else is-" Rose began.
"Vincent," he said.
"Look out!" the man shouted.
In the next moment something struck him hard enough to send him flying a few feet. He landed on the ground and lay there for a moment. What the hell happened? Something…something hit him. Something he couldn't see.
"Doctor!" Rose yelled, running over to him. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah, just…" he trailed off as she helped him up.
"I told you I didn't think it was gone."
Yes, she had, hadn't she? But how did she know?
"I can't see anything. What is it?" Amy yelled, fearfully.
"That is a good question," he said, grabbing two large sticks and handing one to Rose. She grinned as she took it and he gave her a smile. "Let us help you."
He raced over to Vincent with Rose beside him.
"You can see him, too?" the man asked.
He raced around the outside table, stabbing at the air.
"Yes…ish. Well, no. Not really." He glanced at Rose who was next to Vincent. "Can you see him, Rose?"
"No, I just know there's something here," she said.
She just knew? What did that…Something struck the Doctor in the chest and he flew over the table, landing at Rose's feet.
"You couldn't see him," Vincent said.
"Ow," he panted, looking up at Rose. She laughed. He glowered at her. He'd been thrown over a table and she was laughing. "No." The invisible creature roared. He jumped to his feet. "Oi!"
He ran toward the noise, swinging the branch around.
"Doctor," Rose called.
"He's gone," Vincent said as the Doctor swung the stick around again.
Rose and Amy stood to either side of the man.
"Oh, right," he panted. "Yes." He flung the branch on the ground. "Of course." He crossed the yard, shooting Rose a glare as he passed her because she was laughing again and he was fairly sure it was at his expense. It wasn't his fault he couldn't see or sense the creature. He wasn't entirely sure how she knew it was there. "Right," he said, stepping into Vincent's cottage as he combed through his hair. "So he's invisible." He flopped into the chair next to the fire where he'd been sitting before the creature appeared. "What did he look like?"
Vincent grabbed one of his paintings and a brush.
"I'll show you," the man said, painting over the painting.
"Vincent!" Rose yelled.
"Oh, no, no. No, no!" the Doctor exclaimed, jumping up and crossing the room, but it was too late. The painting was destroyed.
"What?" the man asked, eyeing him.
"It's just, uh, that was quite a good…" He glanced at Rose who mirrored his feelings then back to the ruined painting. "Oh, no. On you go." He waited while Vincent drew a picture of the creature. And waited. And waited. He stood up, paced a bit. And waited. How long did it…the man glanced at him and then handed over the painting. "Okay." He wasn't sure what it was, but it definitely looked like the creature in the window of that church. "Okay." Now he had to sort out what it was, which meant he had to go out there where the creature was and make it back to the TARDIS, which would be not entirely safe. "Right." He glanced at Amy. "You two…" Then Rose. She folded her arms, eyeing him. "um…" There was no way she'd stay behind and he did tell her he wouldn't do that to her anymore. Why had he told her that? Stupid Doctor. He caught Amy's gaze. "Amy, make Mister Van Gogh comfortable. Don't let any invisible monsters in through the front door."
He grabbed Rose's hand and turned around, or was going to before Amy grabbed his other arm, the one he held the painting in.
"But it could be outside, waiting," the girl protested.
"We'll be fine," Rose said.
"What's the worst that can happen?" he asked, glancing from Rose to Amy.
"You two could get torn to pieces by a monster you can't see," the girl replied.
"Oh right, yes, that."
"We'll be fine, Amy. Really," Rose said.
He glanced at her and they shared a smile before he turned his attention back to the girl.
"Yes. Exactly," he insisted. "We'll be back before you can say where've they got to now?" He turned and walked out the door with Rose's hand in his.
"So, where are we off to?" she asked as they walked back toward the café and the TARDIS.
"To find out exactly what sort of creature this is."
He held up the painting. She glanced at the drawing of the creature.
"And how are we going to do that?"
They walked through the alley where the girl's body had been and a moment later the café came into view.
"I've got something in the TARDIS that ought to do."
"It's here," she said, pulling him to a stop.
"What's here?" he asked, looking around and fairly sure he knew exactly what she was referring to, but hoping he was wrong.
"That creature, it's here somewhere."
"But you can't see it?" he asked.
"No, it's…I don't know…it's like I can sense it."
"Okay. Helpful, but not so helpful," he replied, pulling the key from his inside pocket. "Hurry."
He pulled her up to the door, unlocked it and shoved her inside first. Then he stepped in and closed the door.
-0-
The Doctor had been digging through trunks for some time. Rose wasn't entirely sure what he was looking for beyond the vague description of a gadget-y thing someone gave him as a present.
"Right," he said, grabbing a shirt from inside the trunk and tossing it over his shoulder onto the control room floor. "It's got to be in here somewhere." Next went a blue book, landing near the console. "I thought it was just a useless gadget. An embarrassing present from a dull godmother," Hang on. A what now? Another shirt sailed through the air, "with two heads and bad breath." He picked up some sort of device with a rearview mirror attached to it. He cradled the device. Was that what he'd been looking for? "Twice." He raced over to the console. She hurried after him. "How wrong can a man be?"
He sat the device on the console.
"A godmother with two heads?" she asked.
He glanced at her and then back to the device.
"And bad breath. Twice," he replied.
She laughed.
"What is it?" she asked, leaning on the console.
He reached for a wire on the console and plugged it into the device. Then he stared in the mirror and stuck his tongue out, making her laugh again.
"A gadget-y thing, didn't I say?" The device dinged and then a paper printed out of the typewriter, at least it looked like an old typewriter. "Good." The paper had a picture of the Doctor…one of his previous incarnations, then another, then another. "Okay, you're working." He picked up Vincent's drawing and held it in front of the mirror. "Now, see what you make of this. Who is that?"
The device dinged and a parrot appeared in the mirror. She grinned.
"Somehow I don't think that's the monster," she said.
"No, I know it's not that," he replied, glancing at her. "There are thousands of them and you can see them plain as day." The device dinged again and a picture of a polar bear appeared. Rose laughed. "No. Definitely not." He caught her gaze, annoyed. "This is the problem with the impressionists. Not accurate enough." He glanced away. "This would never happen with Gainsborough or one of those proper painters." She slapped his arm. "Oi!" He eyed her.
"Rude," she snapped.
"Yes, well..." He rubbed his arm. Then he picked up the drawing and looked at it. "He's going to have to draw something better." He tossed the drawing behind his head and onto the floor. Then he picked up the gadget-y thing and attached it around his waist, so the mirror was near his shoulder and showed what was behind him. "Come along then."
He walked to the TARDIS doors and opened one. Rose followed him out. The moment she stepped out she could sense the creature. It was there, somewhere.
"Doctor," she said, but at that moment the device dinged.
"That's better, old girl." He fiddled with the dial. "Time delay, but you always get it right in the end." He repositioned the mirror. "Good. Let's find out who this is, then." He flipped a lever. "Well, well, there you are."
"Doctor," she tried again, but he was too busy with his gadget-y thing to pay attention.
"Oh, you poor thing. You brutal, murderous, abandoned thing. I hope we meet again soon so I can take you home."
"Doctor," she grabbed his arm to get his attention because she noticed something, a reflection in the mirror and a not very nice reflection. "It's here."
"Sorry?" He glanced up in time to see the creature in the mirror and not a picture of the creature, but the actual creature, standing behind them. It roared. "Maybe not that soon."
He grabbed Rose's hand and dashed down the alley. He pulled her next to a building and used the mirror to check. The creature was still coming. He ran back into the alley with her, then released her hand to turn over anything he could find. She helped him, turning over barrels, tables, poles, bikes, everything and anything. Then he grabbed her hand and ducked next to the side of a building. He glanced back into the alley, carefully. A moment later they heard the creature move away. He sighed in relief, catching Rose's gaze and smiling, which told her the creature was gone. She let out her own sigh and then grinned. He gave her hand a squeeze then stepped back into the alley and directly in front of Amy. He screamed, Amy screamed, and Rose yelled.
"Never do that!" he shouted, glancing from Amy to Rose and back to Amy. "You scared the living daylights out of us."
"Sorry, I got bored," Amy said. "As much as you admire his command of color and shape it is hard to get fond of Vincent Van Gogh's snoring."
Rose couldn't help laughing.
Standard Disclaimer.
Thank you to all my brilliant readers!
Reviews are always welcome. :)
