Last of Their Kind

by ThyWanderer

Worn down from years of strife as the last of her kind, Madison once believed happiness was far from reach. Everything begins to change when she meets a man called the Doctor. As secrets and sorrows are shared between them, the pair finds comfort together amidst the stars. Madison can only hope that this time things will be different, even if the universe has other plans for her.

38. Chapter 38

Hope everyone has been doing well since last time! Got a new chapter for you all.

Enjoy!

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Chapter 38

The stars were beautiful amongst the pitch-black sky of night. The two moons rose high above, one closer to the planet than the other as both orbited around one another. The ring around the planet could be seen on the distant horizon, showing the purple, blue, and red haze of colour from the dusting space rocks. Behind her, through the window door she left cracked open, she could hear the party still ongoing. Just as loud as ever with music she did not recognise playing. Some sort of genre of music from this futuristic world the Doctor had brought her to. There had been so many worlds and times that it was becoming somewhat hard to keep track of them anymore. So many civilisations they had explored, partaking in the culture and enjoying everything that was offered. Today was no exception. Though today had been eventful with stopping the monarch from being assassinated by some sort of cult that wanted to start a revolution of chaos. For no reason, either. Just for the fun of it, as the leader of the cult had told them. Madison shook her head, still in disbelief at this. She wondered if it was madness from the drugs the cult kept ingesting. The Doctor seemed to think so as he sent away the cult members to a place to get cleaned up and receive mental help rather than simply put them into jail as the authorities had wanted.

A pop of a champagne bottle made her jolt slightly where she stood. She turned to stare at the party inside the ballroom, hearing the laughter and seeing some of the shapes of the people around the curtains which hid her from their sight. She turned back again, leaning against the balcony as she stared at the wondrous sight that was the night sky. She wished she could remember the planet's name. The Doctor only said it once before they were off running to stop the cult's chaos. It was some sort of world whose inhabitants took in a human colony after some sort of devastating solar fares from a nearby sun. The humans and the Ov'ols got along very well it seemed as the party was filled with smiling faces and a happy atmosphere.

"There you are! I was wondering where you wandered off to," came the jovial voice of the Doctor. She glanced again over her shoulder, seeing his beaming face as he walked over to meet her. His arms snaked their way around her waist, pulling her close to him. His breath smelled of alcohol as he nuzzled his nose into her neck. With her shoulders being exposed from the dress she wore, it sent pleasant shivers down her body. The dress had been a gift from the princess after saving the royal family. The large sleeves hung around Madison's upper arms and the skirt billowed around her knees in waves. The dress was far too sheer for her liking, so she hugged herself almost the entire night to keep people's eyes off the sharp split of the v-neck that dripped down her chest.

"Why did you come out here?" the Doctor asked her. "You're missing all the fun."

"It was becoming too crowded for my taste," she explained, kissing the side of his head as she smiled at him. "But don't let that stop you. Go enjoy the dance."

"Nah. Not fun without you," he said, grinning and kissing her cheek. "Besides, those Anen sisters won't give me a break. They keep having me try all the drinks."

Madison laughed. "Doctor, I do believe they're trying to get you drunk."

"What? No. Well, possibly." He rubbed his neck, glancing back at the door behind them. "You know, I probably should stay out here for now. Might get into a bit of trouble if I don't." He let out a gusting breath, giving a smug smile then. "It's a good thing that my physiology is superior to most. Or else they might have succeeded in that." He then nuzzled into her neck again, chuckling and having their bodies begin to sway with the music. "Did I ever tell you that you look especially exquisite in that dress? The way the moons' light catches on your skin . . ." He started kissing her skin, nibbling on her shoulder, still chuckling.

Madison laughed again, shaking her head. "Are you certain you're not drunk, Doctor? For you seem that way to me."

"Hmm . . . might be a tad drunk," he mumbled against her shoulder, his face turning down into a pout now. "Those Doqril drinks. They get me every time." He sucked in a breath, standing up straighter now. He gave a small shake of the head. "Not to worry, I can process the alcohol. Speed up the enzymes a bit. I'll be cleared up in just a moment. Though . . . might need to use the toilet after a while. Get rid of the toxins quicker that way."

"Oh, don't rush it. Just enjoy the night. Drunk and all." She earned herself another bright grin. She patted his hand which was currently wrapped around her waist. "So, it's been two weeks now since Rose went to her mum's. Do you think it's time we go pick her up?"

"Eh, it's been more like three weeks, actually. I didn't have the heart to tell you. You were having such a good time forgetting about that parallel world that . . . ah . . . Right, now I've gone and mentioned it so now you'll be thinking of it and now you'll be sad again and—and," he sucked in a breath, "and I should really shut up now, shouldn't I?"

Madison leaned against him as she threaded her fingers through his that still stayed around her waist. Gazing out at the glittering city that made up the capital of this world, she let out a small sigh. It had been sort of a taboo topic between them for a while. Neither one wished to discuss what happened in that world of zeppelins. She had almost been hoping it had been a terrible dream. However, she knew for certain that they could not pretend forever. "It's all right, Doctor. We honestly should be discussing it. Get things off our chests and whatnot."

"I didn't want to bring up anything painful for you."

"It wasn't painful. Just . . . sad." She felt his arms hold her tighter, pulling her up to lean against his chest as he embraced her into a hold of comfort.

"Talk to me. I'm here," he whispered as he kissed her neck gently.

Her eyes started to burn as tears rushed to come out. She swallowed them down, fighting against her restricting throat. "I meant what I said before. I'm happy that my kind exists somewhere, somehow. However . . ." She closed her eyes tightly, sucking in a small breath, inhaling the sweet scent of the flowers that lined the balcony around them. "I can't help but wonder if there are other Mer still on Earth. That, perhaps, I'm not the only one and they're out there, somewhere, waiting to be found. That I'm not doing my duty in trying to find them. Have I given up too soon? Am I failing them by travelling away instead of searching endlessly for them?"

The Doctor gave her body a small squeeze. "It's not something you have to do all on your own. Don't think it's your sole responsibility. You're just one person, Maddie. You can't do it all."

Madison gave a humourless laugh, shaking her head. "Says the man who tries to do it all himself."

"Yeah, well, I'm a bad example. Best not to try to take a page out of my book. You'll wind up in a right mess if you do." Kissing the side of her head, his fingers rubbed tenderly around her stomach. "If there are Mer out somewhere on Earth, we'll find them. Together. Until then, you can't keep tearing yourself up about it, eh? You'll only end up like this old fool if you do."

Madison turned slightly in his hold, staring at him now, seeing his wistful old eyes. "You're not a fool. You just have two big hearts that care too much sometimes." She touched his chest, feeling the double beat of his hearts beneath the layers of his brown suit. He grabbed her hand then, bringing it up for a kiss.

"You didn't argue about me being old I noticed," he said then, a smile tugging at his lips as he seemed to be trying to appear offended.

"'Cause you are old," she laughed quietly, grinning cheekily. "Right old man you are. What are you, nine hundred twelve now?"

"Nine hundred one, thank you!" he scoffed in mock disgust. She giggled as he started kissing her.

"Oh, Doctor!" came a sing-song voice.

"Where are you, lovely man?" came another. "Come play with us!"

The two on the balcony pulled away from their kiss, blinking as they glanced back over to the doors. It seemed the sisters were coming to find the Doctor, and both sounded rather intoxicated. Madison snorted while the Doctor groaned.

"Think we can make an escape down the balcony? Those vines on the sides look strong enough," the Doctor suggested, appearing hopeful for a quick getaway.

"Oh, now, don't be rude, Doctor. You have two lovely ladies that need entertaining," Madison scolded him playfully, smirking as she grabbed his hand and led him back into the party.

XxXxXxXxXx

A good night's sleep later and Madison stood in the console room with the Doctor. He was piloting the ship through the Vortex while she pressed her mobile to her ear. The phone buzzed only twice before Rose finally answered.

"About time you two came back! Mum's been driving me mad," the girl said the moment she answered. "I don't know how much longer I could have lasted."

"Oh. You said two weeks, right? Has it been longer than that?" Madison asked, worried now that the Doctor got it wrong again.

"No, it's been just two. But two was too long. I should have just stayed for the one." Madison heard Rose shuffling and moving on the other end. "Oh, mum's gonna hate the Doctor again. The TARDIS is sending all her papers everywhere."

"Yes, I did tell him to park outside, but he insisted on inside the flat. Said it'd be easier that way."

"Yeah. Suppose it is. I'll be in after a moment. Let me call mum. She's out with Bev. Don't think she'll be back in time for a proper goodbye, so this will have to do."

Madison ended the call, turning to the Doctor as she felt the TARDIS finally settling. "Rose will be a moment or two. She needs to say goodbye to her mum and get packed," she told him.

"Hope she doesn't take too long. I have big plans for us today," he said as he walked over to sit beside her in the jump seat. He slung an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close to him. "I'm thinking we'll go see the Bregzul migration over the Astroi Sea, it'll be a beautiful sight. All the Bregzul sing in harmony as they fly across the sea. Then perhaps a pit stop at the Irzids marketplace. Lovely place that is. The two of you are gonna love it. But first, how does late 1950s, Elvis Presley, on the Ed Sullivan show sound?"

"Sounds great!" came a call by the TARDIS door. Madison and the Doctor looked over to see Rose had stepped into the ship, dropping her large duffle bags by her feet. The blonde grinned eagerly at the two as she bounced over to them.

"Took you long enough," the Doctor said mildly.

"Not all of us can go waltzing about wearing the same outfit all the time. I had to pack up a bit," Rose countered, frowning as she had her arms crossed.

"I do not wear the same outfit. I just have multiple of the same outfit. There's a difference," the Doctor rebutted smartly before he got up from the captain's chair and started getting the TARDIS prepared for another flight through the Vortex. "Why don't you two go get dressed for the times. I'll have us there in a tick."

"Come on, Rose. Let me help you get your things to your room," Madison said, going over to grab one of Rose's bags. It took them a moment or two to get Rose's things into her room as it was hard walking through the corridor while the TARDIS was in flight. The ship was rocking around harder than normal as they could hear her wheezing. Accompanying these noises were the sounds of the Doctor shouting in frustration and loud bangs of metal from the console room. "Sounds like he's having a difficult time there," Madison laughed, shaking her head as she and Rose finally reached the girl's room.

"Think he needs to make repairs again?" Rose wondered as they entered the room.

"Quite possibly." Madison watched Rose begin to unpack her things, seeing how the girl was remaining in a happy state. Though there was underlying tension as well. As if happiness was being forced. With a sigh, Madison sat on the edge of the pink bed. "Rose . . . sit for a moment and talk to me."

"What's there to talk about?" Rose grumbled, her smile finally leaving as her brow furrowed. She had been in the middle of taking out some of her shirts from her bag but stopped short, simply gripping the shirt in a tight grasp. "Mum's dead in another universe. Pete wouldn't even look me in the eye. Now Mickey's gone and left me behind. We all know this already. Nothing we need to talk about any more than we already have." Keeping a steady gaze on the girl, Madison remained quiet as she watched Rose shift on the spot. Eventually, Rose glanced her way before letting out a gust of breath in defeat and sat down beside her. Rose twisted around the shirt in her hands, staring at the floor sadly. "I can get over mum dying. She wasn't really my mum, so . . . I can get over Pete not wanting to be my dad, too. But Mickey . . . he left me. I thought he'd always be around for me. He's been there since I was little. Mum used to pay him to babysit and everything. He's someone I could always rely on. Now . . . he just left. In a whole other universe. And I can't even go see him again." Rose sighed again, laying back to stare at the canopy over her bed.

"You know he didn't leave you to be spiteful. He left to go find his own adventure. To meet a new life that was calling to him," Madison said gently, rubbing a hand on Rose's shoulder.

"Yeah . . . mum said something like that, too."

"You told Jackie what happened?"

"Sort of had to, yeah? She kept asking where Mickey had gone to. But I was kinda vague about it. Didn't want to admit I met another her and watched that version of her die." Rose's fingers drummed against her stomach as she turned her head towards Madison. "Mum said . . . that maybe it was something he was meant to do. That maybe that universe had bigger and better plans for him than this one did. She said that 'things happen for a reason'." Propping herself up on her elbows, Rose frowned thoughtfully. "Do you think that's true? Maybe he will find a better life there?"

"I think so. Call it fate or destiny, I do believe in different possibilities. Sometimes life lines up opportunities for people to discover and be a part of. I don't think there's such a thing as coincidences. We came to that world when it needed us most. The timing of Ricky's death . . . Perhaps Mickey was always needed there, to help step into the role which Ricky had and keep the fight going against the Cybermen." Madison hummed in thought. "Friends don't always stick together forever. You know that. Some friends eventually leave and find another life to follow. Not everyone travels the same path."

"I know. But you don't expect them to be an entire universe away! You'd think you at least get to visit them for a holiday or something." Rose sat up again, slumped in her posture as she frowned and stared dejectedly down at her lap.

Giving the girl a look of sympathy, Madison patted her shoulder again. "I know how hard it is . . . to lose a friend. It always hurts, and that pain never really goes away," she whispered, forlorn as she recalled all the friends she had lost over the years.

Rose seemed to snap out of her stupor as she blinked, her mouth dropping somewhat in realisation. "Oh . . . I didn't think . . . Oh, Maddie, I'm sorry. Here I am moping around being all 'woe is me' while you've dealt with so much worse than me."

"Rose, now listen," Madison said, grabbing the girl's hand and giving her a stern eye, "this isn't some sort of competition of who's gone through worse. Your pain of Mickey leaving is just as valid as my past losses." Watching as Rose sighed and nodded her head, Madison gave the girl's hand a squeeze. "I know it hurts when a friend leaves you behind. But all you can do is wish them the best and keep moving forward yourself. Mickey was right. You've become a strong woman over the year since we've been travelling. Time to keep moving ahead and see what the next horizon has waiting for you."

A small smile finally appeared, a light of happiness returning in Rose. "Yeah. You're right. Time for the next adventure." She stood up then, folding the shirt she had twisted around and sitting it on the bed. A sad sigh left her then. "I'll still miss him, though."

"Of course, you will. No one expects any less. Just remember, as long as you keep him in your heart, he won't ever be far away. Remember the good times you've had, that's what matters."

They soon left Rose's room, travelling down the corridors to the wardrobe. The TARDIS was still and quiet now, telling the two that they had landed. Whether or not they were in the right location and time was yet to be seen. It didn't take either of them long at all to get properly dressed for the times. Rose and Madison even took the time to style their hair. While Rose chose to have her hair in a small beehive of sorts, with a pink band around the top of her head, Madison had her hair done up in waving, bouncing curls since her red locks were so long. Rose did a spin after they walked out of the wardrobe, grinning cheekily as she let her pink skirt twirl around her. She had matching pink high heels, black tights over her legs, and had on a short blue jacket. Madison chose a dark teal dress herself that had a pleated skirt which swayed with every step, short sleeves, a small white bowknot collar, and a white belt around the middle. She also chose to wear dark brown tights and white flats instead of heels. She didn't wish to chance them having to run for their lives as per usual and her being stuck running in heels. She only made that mistake once in her life, something she dare not wish to repeat.

"So why aren't we going to Vegas again?" Rose asked as the two were walking back through the corridor. "I thought his best performances were in Vegas?"

"I suppose the Doctor wants to see Elvis in his earlier years. A lot fewer dramatics that way. Vegas is all about the drama when it comes to show business," Madison commented as they entered the console room.

"Maddie's right! Gotta see him when he was just getting started," came the excited voice of the Doctor. His face appeared around the time rotor as he leaned around the console. They could see that he had styled his hair, slicked it back and puffed it up like one would find on most famous stars during the '50s. Though there was a tuff of his bangs that seemed to refuse to be brought down as it stuck up a bit in the front, trying still to be a messy state as per usual. "If you wanna see Elvis, you go for the late '50s. The time before burgers! When they called him 'The Pelvis' and he still had a waist!"

Rose laughed, shaking her head lightly. "Yeah, but I wouldn't mind seeing him in the white flares and the," she made a funny noise, "chest hair." There was that sly smirk of hers with her tongue between her teeth. "So much chest hair."

"Rose Tyler, do you have a thing for chest hair?" Madison snorted, snickering at Rose's cheeky grin and wink.

"Of course, you would," mumbled the Doctor, earning himself a look from Rose

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Rose scoffed, crossing her arms now.

The Doctor hurried to ignore her, going around them to head down the corridor. "Look, you two, I'll meet you out there in a second. Just let me get something first." He disappeared before either one could say anything.

Rose and Madison shared a glance before shrugging and heading out the doors. From the looks of things outside, they had arrived on a back road of some sort, behind a tin wall that surrounded the different houses around them. Madison peaked around the TARDIS, seeing nothing but two-story brick homes. Most of which had chimneys with metal television aerials on top. The sun was hidden by a haze of a cloudy sky, and there was a warm summer breeze in the air. She tried looking for the city skyline as she knew they were meant to be in New York, but all she saw was the back ends of houses, with tall fenced-in yards. Frowning thoughtfully, she was distracted when hearing the whirling of a small motor and heard the slight squeak of tires hitting the pavement. She turned just in time to see the Doctor coming out of the TARDIS riding a blue moped, wearing a white helmet and big dark sunglasses. He did a circle around before coming to a stop and grinning at the two of them. Rose laughed while Madison smiled in amusement. The Doctor chuckled before holding up the green helmet he was carrying.

"For you, my dear," he said, nodding his head to Madison.

"Oi, what about me? That thing isn't exactly a three-seater now is it?" Rose said, frowning now.

The Doctor jerked his head to the TARDIS, a sly grin growing as he said, "Check the TARDIS. See for yourself."

Rose bounced excitedly back into the ship. Upon her squeal of delight both the Doctor and Madison shared a laugh. Next moment Rose was coming out of the TARDIS on her own moped, coloured in pink and wearing a matching helmet and sunglasses. Rose beamed at them, bouncing excitedly on her seat as she revved the small motor. The Doctor then tossed Madison the green helmet.

"Hop on," he said, patting the seat behind him.

"Who says I wanted to ride with you? Maybe I want to sit with a lovely lady for once?" Madison teased lightly, giving him a coy smirk while she placed on her helmet.

The Doctor tilted his chin down, lowering his sunglasses with raised brow and smile so sultry that her stomach fluttered. "Because I know you can't resist me for long," he crooned.

She tilted her head as she looked him up and down. "Is that so?"

"Oh, yes. You know you're obsessed with me." He winked at her then.

"Oh? Obsessed am I?" Raising her own brow, she turned towards Rose, walking over to ride with her friend.

"Oh, no, come on, I was only joking. I wanted you to ride with me," she heard him whinging now behind her.

"You going my way, doll?" Rose said in her most Elvis-like voice, grinning impishly as she tried holding back snickers.

"You know it, queen," Madison responded with a flashing grin. She hopped on the moped behind Rose, wrapping her arms around the girl's waist. "Come on snake, let's rattle!"

"Straight from the fridge, man!" Rose said, still trying to control her fit of laughter. The two of them together smirked at the Doctor, who was currently pouting, before howling in laughter as Rose revved her moped and drove them away. "The look on his face!"

"Oh, just wait. When he realises he brought us to the wrong place, he's going to really have something to pout about," Madison said, speaking loudly over the sound of the moped's engine.

"What'd ya mean?" Rose looked to where Madison pointed, showing a home which had the Union Flag hanging outside a window, blowing in the light breeze. Rose threw back her head and laughed hard. "Ha! I can't believe it! He got it wrong again!"

"At least it's the right era. Can't tell you what a relief it is to be not considered 'naked'," Madison joked, laughing as well. Rose had them come to a stop at a crossroads as a double-decker red bus rode on by in front of them. From the two intersecting roads they could see people working on getting up many more decorations of Union Flags, in either large banners or streamers or more waving flags to hang, it was obvious that there was a celebration coming soon. People were also seen cleaning the front of their homes as well, spraying down the sidewalks with hoses or buckets of water, fixing up beds of flowers, or even washing down their cars. Both Rose and Madison looked over when hearing the motor of the Doctor's moped drive up beside them. Each of them held a humorous grin when seeing the Doctor's bewildered expression as he looked around the streets.

"So, about that Ed Sullivan show . . . Isn't it supposed to be in New York, or did I miss a memo or two," Madison spoke up then as Rose laughed away in a fit.

"No, no, no. This—this could still be New York. I mean, it looks very New York to me. London-y New York, mind, but . . .," the Doctor said, trying weakly to deny his mistake. He frowned as Rose kept laughing. "You can stop laughing now."

"I swear, you get us to the wrong places on purpose." Madison gazed around again, seeing the style of the cars. "At least we're in the right time frame you were aiming for."

The Doctor seemed to perk up at that. "See? My driving skills aren't completely useless."

"What are all the flags for?" Rose wondered aloud after sighing from her laughter.

"It must be some sort of national event, right? That's the only time I ever see so many decorations. And if we're indeed in the 1950s . . . that would be the Coronation, correct?" Madison asked, looking to the Doctor to see if her train of thought was indeed right.

"Well . . . there's one way to find out," the Doctor said, nodding for them to park their mopeds.

Rose followed the Doctor as he pulled their small vehicles to the side of the road. Getting off the mopeds, they took off their helmets and set them on the vehicles before walking off together down the street. The Doctor pointed to a van that was seen unloading a box television by two young boys and what looks to be a father. It appeared as though someone had recently made a big purchase. Knowing this era, Madison remembered how costly something such as a television could be. She glanced at the other man by the van. An older gentleman with wavy dark hair that was turning grey around the sides and had a bit of facial hair. He smiled proudly as he watched the television be carried away.

"There you go, sir," said the man to what must be the father of the two boys. "All wired up for the great occasion."

"Great occasion? What do you mean?" the Doctor as he, Rose, and Madison came up to the van. The boys and the other man walked away into their home, leaving just the man with the greying hair by the van. He turned to the trio, frowning slightly in confusion.

"Where you been living, out in the colonies?" asked the man as he started to close up the back of the van. "The Coronation of course!" Madison glanced over to the writing on the said van, seeing Magpie Electrical on the sides.

"Ha! Maddie, you were right! Queen Elizabeth's Coronation!" the Doctor said brightly, grinning now with teeming excitement. He bounced on the balls of his feet with his hands in his pockets. "1953! What a great year!"

"Time for a lovely bit of pomp and circumstance. What we do best," said the man, seeming bemused by the Doctor's behaviour. The Doctor started to stroll away, looking eager now to get going. Madison remained by Rose, noticing the girl looking around the different homes.

"Look at all the TV aerials. Looks like everyone's got one," Rose murmured as she stared around the neighbourhood. There was a thoughtful frown on her face as she turned on the spot to look at all the aerials. "That's weird. My mum said tellies were so rare, they all had to pile into one house."

"Not around here, love," said the man. He pointed to his van. "Magpie's Marvellous Tellies. Only five quid a pop!"

"My that's cheap," Madison spoke up then, raising a brow at the man, who must be Magpie judging by his van. "Why such low prices?"

"Oh, you know, for the Coronation," Magpie answered rather dismissive, waving a hand as though prices did not matter to him. There was an edge to his response though. Something about the way he shifted on foot made Madison stare at him more carefully. She noticed a bead of sweat starting to form on his brow. A tired, worn look in his eyes started to come forth. It was then, that she caught a brief wave from his mind. Something strange that made her think for a moment that she was simply imagining things. It did not feel like an ordinary mind of a human should. Instead, if there was any way she could describe it, the sense she had from him was more like the static of a TV.

"Oh, but this is a brilliant year! Classic!" came the Doctor's excited voice, breaking Madison out of her stupor. She looked at him then, seeing him beam around as he turned on his feet to face them. It seemed as though he had not been paying attention to them at all. Lost in his own stupor of glee. "Technicolour! Everest climbed! Everything off the ration! A nation throwing off the shackles of war and looking forward to a happier, brighter future!"

"You sound like a travel pamphlet," Madison said, shaking her head in amusement.

"Eh, I might have glanced at one or two occasionally," the Doctor admitted, giving a sniff as he glanced around the neighbourhood. Still teeming with excitement. "Oh, I can't wait to see—"

What he wished to say was never finished as at that moment there came a desperate cry from a woman. They could hear her pleading, screaming for someone, anyone, to help her. The trio looked over to see two men in black suits and long coats escorting someone covered by a blanket. The woman cried frantically for her husband, the one apparently being escorted away and pushed into a black car. When the Doctor rushed over to question what was going on, one of the men in long coats replied to leave and that it was nothing more than 'police buisness'. Madison and Rose both glanced over when a young teenager rushed out of another home down the street, running over to the scene. There was clear worriment coming from the boy as he watched the apparent police officers climb into the vehicle which held the captive husband. The wife kept crying, pleading for her husband's release.

"Who did they take? Do you know him?" Rose asked the arriving teenager.

"Must be Mister Gallagher," the boy said as they watched the car begin to drive off. "It's happening all over the place. They're turning into monsters." They could hear the boy saying this under his breath, most likely talking to himself more than anything. Before the trio could ask the boy what he meant, an angry call came from the home he had left.

"Tommy! Not one word! Get inside now!" barked a man. Madison turned to see the man standing in the doorframe of the home, red in the face and eyes bugging as he glared in outrage at the boy beside her. There was a woman standing just outside the home as well, face pale and closing her eyes tightly as though wishing away the horrors her neighbourhood was facing. The boy, Tommy, winced and appeared to shrink in place as he glanced towards the man, who must be his father by all guesses.

"Sorry. I'd better do as he says," Tommy apologised to the trio before retreating hurriedly back to his mother and father.

Watching the three family members retreat back into their home, Madison felt the coolness of the Doctor's hand in hers before she was yanked along down the road. She turned her focus then on what he wanted, following him and Rose to the mopeds they had parked. Madison was tossed her helmet by Rose and she hurried to place it on before jumping onto a moped. She didn't even realise it was the Doctor she sat with until they were driving fast down the road. She wrapped her arms around his waist, holding on tightly as he zipped around different cars and people, even driving on the sidewalk at one point to try and catch up with the police vehicle that had left. She could hear Rose's moped just behind them as they were catching up with the black car. They just rounded the corner of a back alley when the Doctor brought his moped to a sudden stop. Madison's helmet hit against the Doctor's from the abrupt halt, frowning as she looked around his shoulder to see a dead end to the alleyway. There was nothing but a market stall and two large red-gated doors behind the wheeled stall. There were two men by the stall, seemingly in the middle of going about their day without notice of anything. One swept the pavement around the stall while the other messed with what appeared to be a stand of vegetables. Raising a brow, Madison began to chuckle, leaning against the Doctor lightly.

"What's so funny?" the Doctor asked as they heard Rose stop her moped beside them.

"It's just the old 'hide behind the market stall' trick. Works every time," she said, lips turning into a small grin. "Used to use that one for a quick escape on more than one occasion."

"You think they're behind that gate?"

"Of course they are. Where else could they have gone? We saw them turn down this way and now they've disappeared. Couldn't have just vanished into thin air, could they?"

"Eh, well, there's always a possibility. You never know."

"I'm surprised they didn't turn back and arrest you for reckless driving," Rose spoke up then, making the two look at her. She leaned forward on her moped, arms resting on the front handlebars as she threw the Doctor a clearly disgruntled glare. "You do realise you drove through someone's begonias back there, right? Have you actually passed your test?"

The Doctor frowned briefly before shaking his head, looking back to the market stall and red gate. "Men in black? Vanishing police cars? This is Churchill's England, not Stalin's Russia," he complained as he watched the two men at the stall still work away and obviously not making eye contact on purpose.

"Ha! Now there's a laugh. You really think the government doesn't do cover-ups, kidnappings, and general brute enforcement upon its people? Believe me, travel around the world long enough and you'll see corruption wherever you go," Madison muttered, staring hard at the men at the market stall. She caught one of them peering apprehensively in their direction briefly, still trying to sweep around as if he had a job to do. But, of course, it didn't help his act when there was nothing on the ground to sweep in the first place.

"Aren't you a ball of sunshine," the Doctor mumbled sarcastically.

"It's true and you know it," Madison replied, poking his side lightly.

The Doctor ignored her now, gazing again at the gate and market stall. "So, if they're hiding behind that gate, think we should sneak in?"

"And get ourselves caught immediately? No thank you." Madison hummed, mulling things over. "Why don't we investigate first? Then think of a break-in later."

"That boy said 'monsters'. Maybe we should go and ask the neighbours," Rose suggested.

"That's what I like about you two, the domestic approach," the Doctor said off-handedly.

Rose grinned proudly. "Thank you." Then she blinked and frowned as the comment hit her. "Hold on. Was that an insult?"

"I think that was an insult," Madison agreed as both females now narrowed their eyes at the Time Lord. The Doctor hurriedly revved his moped before turning them around and speeding off.

XxXxXxXxXx

They went around to different homes in the neighbourhood. Working to piece together what exactly was happening to the people living there. Unfortunately, most were too afraid to speak with the trio. Fearing the return of the police, or, even worse, what caused their terror in the first place. The wife of the man that had been taken earlier that day was about the only one who spoke of her experience, going over how her husband's face morphed into 'something unspeakable' as the woman had put it. She wouldn't go into much more detail than that, crying too hard to speak and shooing them away to leave her be afterwards. Madison felt awful for these poor people. To live in such fear, losing their loved ones, was terrible. She gazed around the street as night began to settle in. The neighbourhood was almost deathly quiet with no sign of activity anywhere.

"Perhaps we should go talk to Tommy and his family? Though I'm wary of that father of his. That man exudes indignation," Madison commented as she followed along next to the Doctor and Rose as they walked down the street.

"Hmm. Seems Tommy might be our best bet," the Doctor muttered, frowning for a moment before grinning and striding forward with quick steps. "Come on, then!" They walked over to the front door of the home they had seen the family retreating into earlier.

While the Doctor rang the doorbell, Madison could feel the swell of distressed minds coming from within. She placed on her best smile like the other two as the door opened, revealing the red-faced man from earlier. He stood dumbfounded at the doorway, staring at the three of them in suspicion. Now that Madison had a chance to observe him better, she could see that he had black hair that was combed tightly to his head, a thin moustache, and wore a white-pinstriped oxford, black tie, grey woollen vest, and tailored suit trousers. Obviously, a man who cared for his appearance. Very much a middle-class man in charge of a household by the way he held himself. Just behind him, Madison spotted Tommy, wearing an outfit similar to his dad though without a black tie around his neck. Perhaps he was mirroring his dad? Or, most likely the latter, it was that his father made him dress this way. Match that tailored, middle-class standard for looks alone. She caught Tommy's eye, seeing how the teenager bowed his head ever so when catching her eye. There was a stiffness about him and she could feel his subtle distress ebbing off of him like a small wispy fog.

"Who are you, then?" barked the father, narrowing his eyes at the trio standing outside the household.

"Let's see, judging by the look of you, family man, nice house, decent wage, fought in the war, therefore," the Doctor spoke rapidly under his breath, giving the man a once-over, before grinning widely and yanking out his psychic paper, "I represent Queen and country!" He flashed the paper quickly in the man's face before tucking it away back into his pocket. "Just doing a check of her forthcoming Majesty's subjects before the great day. Don't mind if we come in? No, I didn't think you did. Thank you." The Doctor made his way into the home while the man blinked in confusion. Rose and Madison followed after, staying close by the Doctor as they entered the home.

It was a typical 1950s home. Everything was styled perfectly from the ironed decorative cosies hanging on the sofa and armchairs, to the overly flowery wallpaper covering the walls, and to the few pictures of a happy life hanging around. Very much the era's way of putting up a facade to anyone who might enter the home, unaware of the uneasiness and discomfort that hung in the air. Madison saw Tommy's mother standing stiffly by the small fireplace. The woman, wearing a purple and white dress with a matching apron wrapped around her waist, had her fingers twisted together and stared at the arriving trio with quiet unease. The same troubled distress came from her like that of her son. Though the woman could be seen trying her best to put up pretences of being fine, giving a small polite, yet wavering, smile. Recognising the signs of a family under duress, Madison could only shift her eyes towards the father of the household as she felt her disdain rising. Anger pushed its way up into her chest and settled in, ready to burst forth if necessary.

"Not bad, very nice, very well kept," the Doctor commented as he walked more into the room, going over to the wife by the fireplace. He smiled kindly at the woman. "I'd like to congratulate you, Mrs . . .?"

"Connolly," answered the woman, returning the Doctor's smile, if not somewhat hesitantly.

"Now then, Rita. I can handle this. This gentleman's a proper representative," said the man. Mister Connolly stood straight, with a puff-up chest as he seemed rather prideful by the Doctor's comment. "Don't mind the wife. She rattles on a bit." The way he ordered Rita, dismissing her presence altogether, made Madison's ire grow still. She and Rose shared a glance, both of them with their lips pressed tightly together. Rose sat on the arm of a chair while Madison stood next to her.

"Well, maybe she should rattle on a bit more," the Doctor replied easily, eyeing Mister Connolly now. "I'm not convinced you're doing your patriotic duty." The Doctor's eyes shifted to the decorative banner of small Union Flags bunched up into a chair. "Those flags, why are they not flying?"

Mister Connolly immediately appeared flustered, his irritation flaring in his eyes though his expression remained neutral. "There we are, Rita, I told you. Get them up. Queen and country. Get it done. Do it now."

Rita started to apologise to the Doctor, but the Time Lord held up his hand to stop her. He took a strong step forward, staring steadily at Mister Connolly with one brow raised as he said, "Hold on a minute. Hold on a minute. You've got hands, Mister Connolly. Two big hands. Then why is that your wife's job?"

"Well, it's housework, innit?" Mister Connolly said as though it should be something obvious to the Doctor.

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

"Course it is."

"Mister Connolly, what gender is the Queen?"

Mister Connolly blinked dumbly for a moment. "She's a female."

The Doctor arched his raised brow higher. "And are you suggesting the Queen does the housework?"

Mister Connolly stared at the Doctor, seeming flabbergasted. He shifted uncomfortably on the spot. "No, not at all."

The Doctor picked up the flags, holding them up by a finger as he passed them over to the man. "Then get busy."

Mister Connolly held the flags, eyes shifting between them and the Doctor. Clearly flustered now, the man was quick to hold the flags tighter in hand. "Right. Yes, sir." He quickly went over to a wall where a small step ladder was located. "You'll be proud of us, sir! We'll have Union Jacks left, right, and centre!"

"Excuse me, Mister Connolly. Hang on a minute. Union Jacks?" Rose said then, standing up from her seat and turning to the man with hands on her hips.

Mister Connolly looked back at her in surprise, clearly baffled that she was speaking to him at all. "Yes, that's right, isn't it?"

"That's the Union Flag. It's the Union Jack only when it's flown at sea."

Mist Connolly blinked, looking flustered again. "Oh, I'm sorry. I do apologise."

"Well, don't get it wrong again. There's a good man. Now get to it!" Rose turned back around, smirking and looking rather proud of herself. Madison had to hold back a chuckle at the girl's cheeky grin. It was especially nice seeing Tommy and Rita both appearing surprised yet eased with the change in atmosphere in their home. Madison only wished that she had something to say to Mister Connolly. There was plenty on her mind, though nothing that would be considered 'decent'. So, instead, she stood next to Rose while the girl sat in a puffy armchair. The Doctor sat down on the small sofa, smiling at Tommy and Rita.

"Right, then, nice and comfy. At her Majesty's leisure!" the Doctor said merrily. "I'm the Doctor, this is Rose and Madison. And you are?" Even though the group already knew Tommy's name, they still wished to be polite in a proper introduction.

"Tommy," said the boy.

"Well, sit yourself down, Tommy," said the Doctor, patting the spot next to him on the sofa. He also patted on a small armchair that was next to the sofa for Rita to sit herself down. Both got themselves as comfortable as possible while the Doctor leaned forward with arms resting on his bent legs, eyes sparking when seeing the television was on. It had been softly playing in the background for some time now. "Have a look at this. I love telly, don't you?"

"Yeah, I think it's brilliant," Tommy replied, showing a genuine smile now with eyes lighting up with keen interest.

The Doctor flashed him a grin. "Good man." He glanced quickly over his shoulder then. "Keep working, Mister C!" Seeing how the husband stayed busy, all smiles were gone as the Doctor turned a more serious expression onto Rita close to him. "Now, why don't you tell me what's wrong?" he asked quietly as possible.

Rita stiffened for a moment, her eyes nervously glancing at her husband. Then, seeming desperate, she looked to the Doctor. "Did you say you were a doctor?" she asked, still appearing anxious for even speaking in the first place.

"Yes, I am."

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

"Now then, Rita, I don't think the gentleman needs to know," Mister Connolly suddenly said then, seeming to realise he was being left out of the conversation. He stopped what he was doing in placing up the flags, turning a sharp, annoyed eye onto his wife.

"Oh, the gentleman does," the Doctor responded easily, not even bothering to look back at the man. Madison moved then to get closer, sitting in the small space next to Tommy.

"What is it, Mrs Connolly? What's troubling you?" she asked softly.

"Tell us what's wrong, and we can help," added Rose as she too came over to get closer, crouching down by the armchair beside Rita and holding a hand on the woman's arm. Rita began to cry quietly, trying her best to hold in her tears and her anguish as she covered her mouth. Rose immediately pulled the woman into a hug while Madison wished to go over and help the poor woman's broken mind. Years of turmoil were piling up for the woman and it was starting to become too much for her. Madison could only imagine. A world war and now this? It would be too much for anyone.

"Hold on a minute. Queen and country's one thing, but this is my house," they heard Mister Connolly say then, his anger starting to surface for all to see. "What the . . . What the hell am I doing?" he spat as they heard him throw down the flags in disgust before his marching feet came closer to them. He then stood in front of them, face growing red as he jabbed a finger in the Doctor's face. "Now you listen here, Doctor. You may have fancy qualifications, but what goes on under my roof is my business."

"You know, you'd get a lot further in life if you actually had the decency to talk to people instead of bullying your way around to get what you want," Madison snapped then, having quite enough of this man's ire be thrown about without care for others. She especially felt her own anger grow when seeing both Tommy and Rita wince at the man's raised voice.

"I don't think I like the tone of your voice, woman," retorted Mister Connolly, practically spitting in her face as he snapped back angrily.

"Good. Because I certainly do not appreciate yours," Madison countered swiftly, arms crossed as she eyed him coolly.

"And not if people are being bundled—," the Doctor started to say, already appearing simmering upon Mister Connolly's anger being thrown about. There was an edge to the Doctor's words that Madison caught, and as she glanced over, she could see the storm brewing in his eyes.

But this was only a second of observation as Mister Connolly suddenly shouted, "I am talking!"

It was then that the Doctor, storm in full force, shot up from the sofa and towered over Mister Connolly. "And I'm not listening!" he bellowed into the man's face. The man backed up in fright, anger dissipating instantly, while the Time Lord towered over him. "Now you, Mister Connolly, you are staring into a deep, dark pit of trouble if you don't let me help. So I'm ordering you, sir, tell me what's going on!"

Things seemed to defuse almost instantly when there came sharp, loud thuds from the floor above. Everyone's eyes drifted to the ceiling, listening to the thuds as they repeated in a sequence. Madison's eyes travelled to the family, seeing Rita crying more, Tommy shifting uncomfortably, and Mister Connolly looking defeated.

"She won't stop," he finally told the Doctor as the thuds continued. "She never stops." The Doctor finally took a step back from the man, eyes lessening in his heated gaze as the storm died down.

"We started hearing stories, all around the place," Tommy spoke up, earning everyone's attention now. "People who have 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. Any time of the day or night."

"Sounds as though someone in the neighbourhood is turning against everyone," Madison muttered under her breath.

"Show me," the Doctor said to Tommy, now wanting to see who or what was making these noises from above.

Tommy had to get a key from his father before they could proceed. Mister Connolly looked half tempted to argue and fight again. But upon seeing the Doctor's sharp eyes on him, the man reluctantly relinquished a door key to Tommy. The Doctor, Rose, and Madison then followed Tommy up the stairs, walking down the tiny hallway on the second floor. There were a few other doors on this floor, but only one held this uneasy presence to it. They could hear the sequence of thuds again, growing louder as Tommy came closer to the door. Seeing the small shake of his hand while placing the key through the keyhole, Madison came closer to Tommy, touching his shoulder for support.

"It's all right, Tommy. We'll fix this. I promise," she said, earning herself a look of gratitude before he finally pushed open the door. It slowly creaked open, revealing nothing but pitch blackness at first. No sound came from within the dark room. Madison stiffened as she felt a mind reach out, but . . . There it was again. That sense of static and nothing more. What was that? What could cause a mind to feel such as this?

"Gran, it's Tommy," said the boy as he gingerly stepped into the dark room. "It's all right, Gran. I've brought help." As he opened the door further, there finally came some light from the curtained window. It was dimly blue from the Moon in the sky outside, casting a disquieting glow within the corner of the room. Standing in front of the window was the silhouette of a woman with tight curly hair. The woman rocked on her feet in place, moving ever so slightly forward.

The room's light was clicked on then, revealing the elderly woman completely. Madison sucked in a sharp breath, stiffening when seeing the elder woman. By all accounts she appeared like that a typical grandmother of this era, wearing an older style dress, heavy cardigan, pearls around her neck, and cane in her hand. But what should have been a face weathered by time staring back at them was nothing more than a blank canvas of pale skin. As if an artist had used a rough eraser to scrub away the finer details of a portrait, leaving behind no distinguishing features of a person at all. No soulful eyes, no elongated nose, no thin lips with wrinkles around the edges from smile lines; simply nothing at all. Madison felt Rose give a shudder beside her. Madison reached over and patted the girl's hand, trying to ease the girl while she too felt queasy at the sight. She knew this queasiness was because of the uncanniness of the lack of face. It was instinct for any species to look for features they recognised, searching for that of comfort with a fellow. Having no face at all left all sorts of deep seeded instincts on high alert of just how wrong it all was.

The Doctor stepped forward, frowning thoughtfully as he stared at the woman up and down. The grandmother started to bang her cane on the floor. Though she appeared completely unaware of anything going on around her. He leaned closer to the woman, staring closely at her featureless appearance. "Her face is completely gone," he said, pulling out his sonic screwdriver to begin scanning her. "Scarcely an electrical impulse left. Almost complete neural shutdown. It's just ticking over. It's like her brain's been wiped clean." He frowned as he placed back his sonic into his breast pocket.

"It's like static from a TV," Madison muttered as she too had gotten closer to the woman. She lifted a finger, brushing it against the woman's head. The sound of static grew louder, making her wince and pull back her hand. "It's nothing I've ever felt before. Though I did sense something similar earlier from that man, Magpie. Remember the salesman?" She watched as the Doctor's frown deepened, a small hum in the back of his throat as he continued to stare at the faceless grandmother.

"What are we gonna do, Doctor? We can't even feed her," Tommy spoke up then. He stood beside his mother, both of them staring at the Doctor as though ready to beg for help. Madison noticed Mister Connolly standing in the doorframe, growling as he stood stiffly in place. Before anything more could be said, there came a loud, crashing sound from downstairs. Followed by the sound of stomping footfalls coming up to the second floor.

"We've got company," Rose said as she edged closer to the Doctor and Madison.

"It's them. They've come for her!" Rita cried quietly, shaking on the spot as she stared around wildly in hopes to hide the faceless grandmother.

"What was she doing before this happened? Where was she?" the Doctor questioned hurriedly. "Tell me, quickly, think!"

"I can't think. She doesn't leave the house," Tommy replied desperately. "She was just—" It was then that the men in black suits came bustling through the doorway, marching straight for the faceless woman. The Doctor was quick to block their path.

"Hold on a minute! There are three important, brilliant and complicated reasons why you should listen to me. One—," the Doctor started to say, but was silenced not a moment after he spoke as the largest of the men swung a fist around and slammed it into the Time Lord's face.

Madison gasped, reaching out and catching the Doctor before he crumbled to the floor. She fell back by the sudden weight of him on her, ending up kneeling on the floor with him in her lap. She could hear Rita and Tommy yelling as the police were carrying away the family's grandmother. Though this mostly went unnoticed by Madison as she focused on checking over the Doctor. Rose was beside her as well, feeling the Doctor's face. He was awake with a start before either one of them had a moment to look him over. He sat up from Madison's arms, creaking his neck to the side before bolting through the door and down the stairs. Madison sighed as she picked herself back up from the floor, hurrying as she followed Rose down the stairs. It appeared as though the Doctor was fine enough as he was shouting outside and gone before either one reached the bottom of the stairs. She wondered if it was that 'superior physiology' at play which allowed him to brush off a punch like that as if it were nothing. Or, perhaps that was just him.

"Wait, do you see that?" Rose said then, stopping Madison as they were about to exit the house to catch up with the Doctor. She turned just in time to see what her friend was pointing to. The telly in the room was seen with red electrical tendrils slowly wiggling around the front of the square screen before seemingly going back into the bulky box. Both she and Rose shared a glance before walking into the room and going to the television. Together they moved the large electrical box to the side so that Rose could inspect it.

"More of it back here . . . And it's a telly from Magpie's Electrical," Rose said as she stared at the back.

"Careful not to touch anything. Who knows what those red tendrils will do to a person," Madison muttered as she watched Rose carefully.

"Probably what they did to that woman," Rose stated, standing back up from the television.

"You two! Get the hell out of my house!" barked an enraged Mister Connolly.

"You know, when a man feels the need to yell and boss people around, it usually means he's compensating for something," Madison said lightly as she looked at Rose. She earned herself a snicker from the blonde.

"Get out!" shouted Mister Connolly, stomping his foot and pointing to the door. Rose and Madison rolled their eyes but followed along with what the man wanted in the end.

"Tommy, Rita, it was a pleasure," Madison said, nodding to the two as she walked on by.

"Nice meeting ya," Rose agreed. Then she paused, glaring at Mister Connolly. "And as for you, Mister Connolly, only an idiot hangs the Union Flag upside down. Shame on you." She then gave a bright smile before hurrying off. Madison laughed, holding onto the girl's hand as they rushed out the door and into the night. They both looked over their shoulders when hearing the slam of the front door, seeing how they were now locked out and left alone, the Doctor obviously having left the two of them behind in his pursuit of the police.

"Looks like the Doctor left us," Rose sighed as they stood in the middle of the dark and empty street. Only a few lights of street lamps lit up the area, leaving them mostly in darkness.

"He must have gone after the police, most likely going to sneak into their facility," Madison commented as she headed for Rose's pink moped. She could hear the click of Rose's heels just behind her.

"Well, while he's doing that, I think we should give Magpie a little visit," Rose said, catching up with Madison and grinning with bright eagerness for an investigation. "See what he's up to with these TV sets of his."

"I'm not so certain that's a good idea without the Doctor. He does have the tools against something such as this while we only have our wits about us."

"Yeah, but he's busy with the police. While he's doing that, we can do this." Rose hopped onto her moped, placing on her pink helmet. She held an eager grin as she bounced on the seat. "Come on. We don't get a chance like this often. Time for our own investigation, just the two of us."

Madison could see how antsy Rose was to get going. Truthfully, she was just as eager to find out the truth behind all of this. Though, from her experience in the past during her time in the west, it never turned out well when the gang split off without a plan first. It wasn't wise to run off without letting the others in the party know where one was going. But there was time working against them now, and Madison knew they needed to hurry before whatever happened to Tommy's grandmother went after someone else. Who knew how many others might be affected if they didn't put a stop to this and soon.

"Oh, all right. But if we find ourselves in trouble, Rose Tyler, I'm blaming you," Madison said, a slight bit of humour in her tone as she climbed onto the moped behind Rose.

Rose snorted, shaking her head, eyes alight with mischief. "Now there's a laugh. When do we not get into trouble."

XxXxXxXxXx

It took them some time to find where the television shop even was. Something they hadn't thought about before leaving, asking directions and such. Rose went with her gut in where a shop might be placed around the district while Madison kept an eye out of any side street they passed by. They knew the shop must not be that far away. Or, at least, they hoped it wasn't. Madison started to worry that they'd be diving through the streets all night until Rose gave a noise of success. She pulled the moped to a stop, right on the corner of a lineup of shops. There was a bakery, a candle store, and finally Magpie's Electrical. It looked to be a shop with a flat for living above judging by the upper floor window with curtains drawn. The front of the shop had the same appearance one might find in future appliance businesses. There were tellies lined around within the shop's windows for people's viewing pleasure. None of which were on at the current moment. Madison spotted Magpie's van parked just outside the shop, ready for future delivery. As she got off the moped with Rose, she couldn't help but feel this certain uneasiness. Something about the shop's dark windows kept away any sign of welcome. Though there was a lone yellow light seen from the shop's small door window (though it was mostly hidden by a white blind), it didn't help chase away the creeping suspicion of something malicious occurring within.

"You think this is a case of alien involvement? Or simply one lone madman at work?" Madison wondered aloud as she and Rose stood side-by-side outside the shop.

"Aliens. Has to be. It's always aliens," Rose joked as she took the first step forward. Together they walked to the shop door.

Sharing a quick glance, the two nodded before Rose reached for the doorknob and pushed open the door. There came a jingle of a bell as Rose stepped into the shop first. Madison peered over the girl's shoulder, seeing Magpie at the counter within the shop. She could tell they were interrupting him working on something as he froze in place, staring at them in uncertainty. The way he stared at them, almost as if he were being caught doing something dreadful. But he appeared to keep himself calm enough as there came a small sound of him clearing his throat.

"I-I-I'm sorry, ladies. I'm afraid you're too late. I was just about to lock the door," Magpie said to them, eyes shifting between them and what he was messing with on the counter.

Madison gazed around the shop briefly. The place was cluttered, seeing the walls lined with stacks of televisions. All of their screens were on, set to a blue image on screen. There were also a handful of radios as well, though those did not look as though they had been touched in quite some time. The clutter continued on past Magpie's counter, showing equipment, stacks of pamphlets lining the walls on racks, and more TV sets behind him. Her gaze travelling to the counter itself, she finally took notice of what he appeared to be fiddling with. It looked like some sort of handheld radio of some kind. Small, black, with a strap to put around one's neck and two white knobs in the front for dialling. Though the small screen on the device told her this was no radio. If she didn't know any better, even with her simple knowledge of electronics and such, she would think this was a portal telly. Yet it couldn't be, could it? The technology was far beyond this period for Earth. Unless someone was meddling. Then again, with their travels through time and space, when was there ever someone not meddling with the course of history?

"Yeah? Well, we wanna buy a telly," Rose told the man as she and Madison stepped more into the shop. Rose went to the counter while Madison strayed by the televisions. She pretended to be viewing them, all the while keeping Magpie within her peripheral. Anything suspicious or any sudden movement, she knew she was ready to leap into action.

"Come back tomorrow, please," Magpie replied, shifting on the spot as he tried to avoid Rose's gaze.

"You'll be closed, won't you?"

Magpie lifted his eyes better to meet hers, a wash of confusion over him then. "What?"

"For the big day? The Coronation?"

Magpie blinked then before giving a small shake of his head. "Yes, yes, of course. The big day." Again, he appeared distracted as he used the small screwdriver in hand to tinker with the device he held. "I'm sure you'll find somewhere to watch it. Please go."

Rose came up to the counter then, leaning on it. "Seems to me half of London's got a television, since you're practically giving them away."

"I have my reasons," Magpie said, sounding grave now.

"And what are they?" Rose tilted her head curiously.

Seeing Magpie's hesitation, the way beads of sweat started to form on his forehead and trickle down his face, Madison felt the shift in his mind. That static came from him again. She turned herself away from the TVs lining the wall, coming closer to the counter next to Rose. "What's that you're working on?" she asked, feigning bright curiosity.

"W-what—what's that?" he replied, obviously becoming more nervous by the minute.

"That there in your hands. Looks like a radio, a portal one, though not like any radio I've ever seen. Yet there's a small screen there. Would almost say that's a screen from a telly, but, then, that would be mad, wouldn't it? A small telly like that for carrying around." Madison kept her voice light and casual, still acting as though she were oblivious. She leaned against the counter as well, tilting her head and plastering on a bright smile. "Now wouldn't that be something? A telly you could walk around with." She watched as Magpie hurriedly stopped what he was doing with the small device, stuffing it away into a drawer of his countertop.

"It–It's nothing, ma'am. Just something I'm working on," he answered with a nervous stutter.

"Oh? Are you an inventor, Magpie?" She leaned over the counter now, her arms resting on the countertop as she eyed Magpie closer. Her light smile and causal demeanour were gone, now replaced with careful observation. "Tell me, do you really work in here all alone, or is there someone else pulling the strings to this little 'invention'?" Watching Magpie closely, she could see sweat trail down the sides of his temples and his Adam's apple bob slowly as he gazed back at her in fear. She watched as his attention was turned away, looking over her shoulder when there came the sound of loud static from one of the television sets.

"Hungry! Hungry!" came a woman's grainy voice. Madison looked over at the same time Rose did. There they could see the broadcast of a woman with dark hair in a tight hairstyle, dark lipstick, a tight necklace of pearls, and a fancy dress. The woman was seen clenching her hands in front of her face momentarily, seeming eager for a meal.

"What's that?" Rose asked, looking back at Magpie while Madison's eyes remained on the screen.

"It's just the television. One of these modern programmes," Magpie answered in dismissal. He was quick on his feet then, going swiftly to the door of the shop. "Now, I really do think the two of you should leave right now."

"Not until you've answered our questions. How come your televisions are so cheap?" Rose moved to get closer to him, but Madison abruptly stopped her. Rose glanced over to Madison in confusion, but the redhead shook her head rapidly.

It happened the moment the woman on the screen appeared. All of Madison's senses went on high alert. Something far, far sinister was going on here. But worse than what she had been expecting. She could practically feel the malice undulating from the woman on the screen. The dark, cold eyes of a predator as the woman stared right at them. That was no programme. That was something living, slithering away behind the glass of the telly, waiting to pounce upon them and feast. The woman's eyes began to glint wickedly as a knowing smirk tugged on her dark lips. Madison had to suppress a shiver as her instincts begged at her to flee. She gripped Rose's hand hard, ready to do just that.

"It's my patriotic duty. Seems only right that as many folk as possible get to watch the Coronation. We may be losing the Empire, but we can still be proud! Twenty million people they reckon will be watching. Imagine that. Eh? And twenty million people can't be wrong, eh? So why don't you get yourselves back home and get up bright and early for the big day?" Magpie went on, not noticing the shift in mood between the two as he smiled and waved for them to leave his shop. He even opened the door somewhat for them.

"No, we're not leaving til—," Rose began to say but went silent upon Madison's sharp eye and a quick shake of the head. Her hand around the girl's tightened as she made them move for the door.

"You're quite right. It is getting late," Madison spoke briskly as she pulled Rose along. "We'll just be on our way then."

"Oh, I don't think so. You pretty girls can stay right there. I'm far too hungry to let two juicy morsels like you go. Magpie, close the door," came a woman's overly mellifluous voice.

Madison tried to keep going, but she was halted when Rose stopped to stare at the telly with the woman. At the same moment, Magpie could be seen bowing his head in defeat and locking the shop door, slowly placing his key away into his front pocket. Madison narrowed her eyes at the man, knowing she could easily overpower him and take the key back. Though whether this entity living within the telly would allow that was another question entirely. Should she take Rose and run to the back of the shop, possibly towards the stairs that she noticed earlier?

"Oh, my god. Are talking to us?" Rose asked the woman in the telly.

"Yes, I'm talking to you, little one," spoke the woman, her devilish smile spreading across her face. "Unseasonably chilly for the time of year, don't you think?"

"Do not play mind games with us," Madison snapped, turning her sharp eyes onto the telly now. Steadying herself, she took in a breath and straightened in place as she faced the woman squarely. "Fine, you're the true brains behind this operation. So, you have us as a captive audience now. Why not share with us your brilliant plan and how you've come to be here?"

"No, I don't think so," the woman replied, using a sing-song voice as she spoke. "You two have meddled enough as it is, and I'm so very hungry!"

Madison and Rose had no time to react as the red, electrical tendrils came out from the telly at lightning speed. Madison gasped as she felt searing fire erupt across the skin of her face and into her very mind. As though someone had wrapped burning wires around her. She felt a tearing at her mind, a pulling at her facial features, all being drawn into a bright light. All the while her body remained locked in place. Every muscle and fibre of her being refused to move, even twitch, as she wished nothing more than to escape. All she could do was listen as the woman from the telly laughed and Rose cried out in pain and for someone to help her. Upon hearing Rose's cries, Madison viciously started to fight. She tried with all her might to get her body to move. She lashed out mentally, hoping to inflict some sort of quick pain that would cause the entity to let them go. Not something she ever had to do before as it was an act that Mer only used in extreme cases. However, she knew she needed to try. It was then that she felt a swell of heat encasing her body and saw the bright light change from white to gold. A song erupted in her head. Though, unlike all other times before when it had been a soothing melody, it now screamed in an angry chorus. She heard a shout from the entity from the television, a cry of pain, before the light and hot wire around her let go in a snap.

Madison's body fell to the ground as dead weight, tumbling backwards to land on her back. She stared at the ceiling in a daze, unable to feel anything throughout her body as numbness took over. Her head throbbed in a knifelike anguish, making her wish she could curl up into a ball and weep. Her stomach churned and it was a battle not to empty the contents of her stomach. Darkness played along the edges of her vision, ready to encase her into the deepest reaches of oblivion. She fought against it as she needed to check on Rose first. Rose needed to be safe. If she had failed to protect her friend . . . Madison heard harsh words and quiet mutterings in the room, though nothing which her mind quite seemed to find the ability to grasp. She gradually felt the strength to at least turn her head to the side in hopes to find Rose. It was then, standing beside her, that she saw her friend. The faceless expanse reached her vision and she felt ready to scream. But the sensation died away as the darkness took hold of her and pulled her under.

XxXxXxXxXx

It was not instantaneous of her consciousness coming back. It was slow, fading in and out. Every time she tried to grasp the ability to awaken, the darkness encased her once again. A melody spoke to her whenever this occurred, trying its best to soothe her as panic would almost consume her whenever her consciousness faded again. The song in her mind kept her feeling at peace as it spoke, telling her that everything would be all right in the end and she would be protected. When she finally started to fully come to, the melody vanished, replaced with the powerful lack of any feeling whatsoever. Everything was either numb or aching. There was a sharp pain in her side, creating an effect of waking her faster. Though she remained as still as possible, not wanting anyone to know she was awake just yet. She started to feel her body, the numbness within her limps slowly vanishing to be replaced with tingles along her nerves. The sensation of a hard floor under her, with her body laying across something elongated, told her that she must have been placed away somewhere in a hurry. When she carefully opened her eyes, she assessed that she was in a place of pitch darkness. She could see absolutely nothing. Not even what might have been inches from her face. Straining her ears, she listened for any sound that might tell her where she might be. But there was no sound. Not a hush of a breath, or a flutter of the wind. The air where she was was settled and still. As she inhaled through her nose, she smelled mildew and could tell that the air was stale.

As she gradually allowed herself to begin to shift, mostly as a means to get off what was laying under her, it was then that she became aware of her legs and arms being bound together. Her arms had been twisted behind her back with what felt like rope wrapped tightly around her wrists. The same was felt with her legs, bound at her ankles. She tried experimenting to see how much room she had to move her hands or legs, but the more she moved the greater the binding seemed to be. The tips of her fingers and toes felt numb from the lack of circulation. Magpie certainly had done a good job in tying her up. That was for certain. As she shifted her face from the floor, it was then that she felt that her mouth had been covered as well with some sort of cloth being tied around her head and a good portion shoved between her lips. Wiggling her face against the floor, she worked to see if she could get her mouth free at least. It was no good, however, as the cloth remained firm in place, unmoving in the slightest. Giving up on this task, she moved to get herself sitting upright. It was the least she could do in this current state. Just getting the sharp ache in her side to go away would be a good first step. So, she tucked in her legs and used her elbow to get herself up. It was difficult, to say the least, but manageable. Once up she felt around behind her, feeling a wall just inches away. She leaned back to rest, using her legs to test the rest of the space around her. Eventually, she came to the conclusion that she had been tossed into a tiny cupboard. One big enough for just a few brooms and mops judging by the feel of what she had been laying on.

Testing around the confines of the cupboard, she felt that the door must be straight across from her by the small bit of giving when pressing her feet forward. No light came from under the door, letting her know that it was a tightly sealed room. Or that it was night still. Hard telling, honestly. She moved on to test the bindings around her wrists. She knew she needed to get her hands freed first. Best way to escape. Remembering what her mother had taught her in case of capture, she twisted and pulled the rope around her wrists, working to loosen up the restraints. The rope rubbed harshly against her skin and showed no signs of giving any sort of slack. Magpie had truly worked hard in keeping her tied up. There was no gap of space between her wrists which was crucial for getting her hands free. She glared at the darkness, stopping in her attempt for a moment to think. At this rate, she would rub her skin off before even slightly managing to work away the rope. Changing tactics, she worked on feeling around her for something to use. She managed to knock a few mops that were leaning against the wall in the corner of the cupboard, wincing as they fell over on top of her. Ignoring this, she felt around for anything else, scooting in directions against the cupboard. But it seemed to be only two mops and one broom that she had been laying on earlier.

Eventually, she leaned against the wall behind her again, letting out a long exhale as she stared into the darkness. With a throbbing headache that continuously pounded away at her skull, she tried to fight off the urge to close her eyes and rest. She couldn't rest. Not now. Not when there was some sort of entity living within people's televisions and stealing faces and minds. Especially not when the Doctor was still out there, fighting against this plight. And certainly not when Rose . . . Madison blinked before shutting her eyes tightly, shivering as she recalled the empty expanse that had once been Rose's face. Oh, Rose. It was Madison's fault, she knew this. She should have run the moment she felt her instincts screaming at her. She should have . . . No. There was no time for this, for self-pity. She needed to escape this mess she got herself in and figure out a way to reverse what had been done to her friend. To all these people. She needed to get to the Doctor and work with him to put an end to this, once and for all. And if it couldn't be reversed . . .

With a grit of her teeth and a push through the pain from her head, she lifted up her feet and thrust them out hard. The noise of her feet slamming against the wooden door was deafening in the small space of the cupboard. The vibrations from the act travelled through her bones, up her entire body. She ignored the pain that came from this, pulling back her legs to a sharp bent before shooting them straight out once more into an almighty strike against the door. It was solid wood she was fighting against now. As sturdy as the brick which made up the buildings. But she kept pushing, repeatedly walloping against the door in hopes of an escape. The throb in her legs built up with each hit. At first it was easily brushed aside. But after what had to be the sixteenth hit against the door, the ache was deep and torturous. A few more hits and she had to stop, resting her legs and breathing deeply to take her mind off the pain. Damn. First her head and now her legs. If she kept this up there would be no part of her that wasn't hurting. Huffing out a frustrated breath, she slumped against the wall behind her once more.

Her mind started to waver as exhaustion spread through her. Eyes growing heavy, it was difficult for her to keep them open. Whatever attack the television entity had done against her had evidently drained her. She never felt so weakened before. Almost as if she had been awake for days on end. To fight against her growing somnolence she bit the inside of her cheek. Tasting the metallic tang of iron, her mind came back into focus. Deciding on a change of action, it was an unsteady turn in the cupboard that allowed her to get up against the door. She then pressed her ear up upon the wood, straining to catch any sound from the other side. There was nothing at first. But when she slowed her breathing down the sound of static from a television could be heard. There was also a hum of what sounded like a fan. A slight sound of a car honking could be echoing far off. She assumed that she was still in the shop. Perhaps even in the flat above the shop. Was Magpie still even here? Or had he gone off to allow that entity to create more chaos? What was the entity's plan even? It had something to do with that portable telly, that was for certain. Then all the television sets that had been sold . . . Was there a plan to feast upon all those poor souls all at once?

Steeling herself again, she turned around in the cupboard once more. This time, when aiming for the door, she went with for a place nearest the doorknob. She knew kicking the doorknob might just hurt her, but going for a space in the lock mechanism might just be a weak enough placement for her kicks to work. At least, this was the theory. She knew in her time of crime this had worked before. Though doors in the west had never been built all that sturdy. Sucking in a breath, she used the leverage of the wall behind her and gave a hard kick. Then a few more to follow. As she was about to kick again, she went still as she heard something coming from outside the door. It sounded as though someone was hurrying up a set of stairs. She knew it must be Magpie coming to have her be quiet. She readied herself, preparing to kick Magpie the moment he opened the door. Through the door, she could hear the muffled sound of voices speaking rapidly. Then, there came a buzzing sound and the door in front of her flew open, blinding her with dim sunlight streaming into the room on the other side. All she caught was the glimpse of a shadowy figure standing at the door frame before she thrust out her feet to hit them.

"Maddie! Woah! Stop, stop, stop! It's me!"

Madison froze at the Doctor's voice. She tried speaking but had forgotten about the cloth around her mouth so her words only came out muffled. The Doctor crouched down to her level, allowing her to see him clearly. There was anger evident in his demeanour, but it was beginning to dwindle as he gazed at her in concern. Though the heat of his rage flash again as he inspected her face. Carefully he untied the cloth from her mouth, allowing her to finally breathe easier.

"Doctor, I'm so sorry, I—," Madison tried to say, to apologise. But she was hushed as the Doctor brought out a handkerchief from his pocket and began rubbing it around her face.

"Did he hurt you?" he said, voice in a low growl as he stared at her.

"N-no? I don't think so. That entity tried to, but I believe the Vortex energy inside me must have stopped her." Madison winced as she felt some sort of rough texture being taken off her face. Something she had not realised had been on her skin until now. "Let me guess, dried blood on my face?"

"Yeah," the Doctor muttered, frowning heavily. "There's . . . quite a bit . . ." Letting out a heavy exhale, he quickly finished clearing off her face before moving on to her hands and feet. He used the sonic to burn away the ropes, allowing her freedom. His brow furrowed when pulling her wrists forward for inspection, seeing the raw skin, red and swollen from rope burn.

"Don't worry. That was my doing. I tried the old twist-and-pull method unsuccessfully. Apparently, Magpie is quite adept at rope tying," Madison explained as the Doctor gently touched her wrists. Movement caught her eye, letting her see Tommy standing just behind the Doctor, shifting awkwardly in the living room of Magpie's flat. "Oh! Hello, Tommy," she said as she gave the boy a smile.

"Hi, again. I'm glad you're okay," Tommy said, giving her a nod.

The Doctor appeared to finish looking over her wrists then, nodding as he stood up and said, "I'll patch them up when we get back to the TARDIS. Come on, we need to hurry. Magpie left with the Wire. Most likely going where she needs to be to feed on millions of people."

"Is that the entity from the telly?" Madison let the Doctor pull her up from the cupboard, keeping a tight hold on his hand as they ran down the stairs from Magpie's flat. They soon entered the shop and Madison had to pause when seeing a man laying on the floor. The same man she recognised as one of the police officers taking faceless people away from their homes. Perhaps the Doctor had recruited his help? Though it appears to have gone poorly as the man was now missing his face. "Oh, dear."

"That's Detective Inspector Bishop. He was helping me find Magpie . . . and you," the Doctor explained rapidly. "The Wire was executed by their people and ended up here, where it's been feeding off the electrical activity of people's brains, taking people's faces as it stuffs itself."

"Like Rose." Madison's eyes travelled around the room as she finally noticed the faces on the television sets. All of them are seen pleading for help, silently screaming through the screens. One such face caught her eye, making her heart break. "Oh, Rose. I'm so sorry," she whispered as she walked over to the one telly, seeing Rose silently shouting. Madison covered her mouth as she felt like sobbing. "It's all my fault. I should have protected you."

"It's not your fault. You're not the one doing this, the Wire is," she heard the Doctor say behind her. He grabbed her shoulder then, turning her around to face him. He held her arms as he made her meet his gaze. "I'll fix this. We'll get her back. I swear. We just have to find the Wire and stop her."

Gathering herself, Madison gave a firm nod. "Of course. Just tell me what I can do to help."

The Doctor grabbed her hand before both of them and Tommy quickly left the shop, only to come back moments later as the Doctor began working up a plan.

XxXxXxXxXx

The three of them ended up in Alexandra Palace. The biggest TV transmitter in North London according to the Doctor. From there they worked to stop the Wire, mostly following the Doctor's instructions. He had created a bulky gadget of some sort, built out of different parts from Magpie's shop, and had grabbed a Betamax cassette from the TARDIS along the way to Alexandra Palace. After seeing the large cassette, Madison had to only guess that he was creating a VCR. Why, she had no idea. She only helped where she could, alongside Tommy, in doing as the Doctor instructed while he went off to face the Wire and Magpie. They were left behind in a broadcasting room of the Alexandra Palace after the Doctor had installed the VCR he had built in the building's equipment. Their instructions were to leave the machine on, making certain no one stopped them, as the Doctor had taken a spool of wire he attached to the VCR with him back outside. Magpie had been climbing the large TV aerial tower outside the building, so Madison knew the Doctor must be ready to climb on after him. She could only imagine what the Wire would do if she succeeded here. If she was terrible as an electrical entity trapped in a telly, having a corporeal form would possibly lead to disaster.

"Are you alright? You don't look well," Tommy asked Madison after a few moments since the Doctor had run off.

Currently, Madison was leaning heavily against one of the control desks of the broadcasting centre. Her headache had returned and with a vengeance. It throbbed with every beat of her heart, stabbing at her mind with every tick. Her body began to feel sluggish, vulnerable to every stimulus around her. From the sounds of the systems whining sharply in her ears, to the bit of the air on her skin, it was as though someone was pressing needles into her. She also felt as though she were running a fever as cold chills ran down her body. The muscles in her arms and legs keep seizing up, contorting under her skin and begging for rest. The melody from last night started up within her mind, chanting as a faraway resonance. It stayed quiet, but the presence of it alone made her wary. The only time she heard the song was when the energy inside her reacted poorly.

"I don't feel well, but I'll be fine. I think the Wire must have done a number on me last night and I'm having adverse effects," Madison replied, plastering on a smile to reassure Tommy. The last thing she wanted right now was to be a distraction. They needed to focus on stopping the Wire, not worrying over her.

The handmade VCR suddenly began to spark wildly, making the two turn to it. It erupted, spreading hot flecks everywhere. Tommy jumped while Madison ran over to the device. She tried to think of what to do as the bulbs on the device appeared to have burnt out. It was Tommy, however, that came to the rescue. He went over to a shelf of spare parts, getting another bulb to put into the device and plug it into the broadcasting system. It seemed to have worked as the device began to swirl with red electricity. Eventually, it settled down, going silent. The only sound that resonated throughout the room was God Save the Queen playing on the TV screens scattered throughout the centre. Collectively Tommy and Madison let out a breath of relief, though gave each other anxious glances. Had it worked?

"What have I missed?" came the Doctor's voice then, making the two of them turn to see the Time Lord standing just in the entrance of the room, leaning against the wooden frame. He had a confident, at ease, expression, telling Madison immediately that his plan had worked. The tautness in her body, which she had not realised had been present, slowly ebbed away. The Wire had been stopped. The people were saved. But yet . . . what about Rose? And all those others had had their faces stolen?

"Doctor! What happened?" Tommy asked immediately, anxious to know if their plan had succeeded.

"Sorted. Electrical creature. TV technology. Clever alien life form. That's me, by the way," the Doctor replied as he walked over to them, voice boasting in arrogance as he smiled, and Madison had to keep herself from rolling her eyes. "I turned the receiver back into a transmitter and I trapped the Wire in here." The Doctor pressed a button on the VCR, having it pop open to reveal the cassette within. Madison saw the different Gallifreyan writing on the cassette, with some being scratched away hastily. It looked as though it was a tape that the Doctor had used often to record things.

"I just invented the home video thirty years early," the Doctor boasted, grinning at the two as he held up the cassette. He tossed it in his hand. "Betamax," he said when seeing Tommy's bewildered stare. "Oh, look! God Save the Queen, eh?" The Doctor was distracted then when noticing the finishing ceremony on the different screens in the room.

"But, Doctor," Madison spoke up, earning his attention, "what about Rose? And Tommy's grandmother? All those people? What happens to them?"

"That's sorted, too. The energy the Wire had taken would have been transmitted back to all those she feasted on. Everyone should be waking up, faces in place, with only a slight bit of a headache," the Doctor explained, rocking on his feet as he smiled proudly. He placed the Betamax cassette into his pocket then unplugged the VCR from the broadcasting system and tucked it into his arms. "Shall we get going then? Don't want to miss that street party the neighbourhood was planning, do we?" He was out of the room before either Tommy or Madison could respond. The two shared a glance and a shrug before following the Time Lord.

It didn't take long to reach the street back by Tommy's road. After a brief stop by the TARDIS to hide away the VCR that the Doctor had created, the three of them soon went at a quicker pace to where the hidden police hideout was. As they rounded the corner of the back alley, they could see a large group of people mingling about. Many with faces beaming in delight, while a few were staring around in bewilderment. Some even touched their faces as if they still could not believe they were back to normal. Tommy rushed forward soon after spotting his grandmother, running into her open arms as she smiled and hugged him in joy. It was touching, watching the two of them reuniting. However, Madison's attention was drawn away as she focused on finding Rose. The girl was spotted not long after, standing there talking with a man. The blonde eventually turned, a smile spreading across her face when seeing the Doctor and Madison coming over to her. Madison sped up her pace, getting to the girl first and wrapping her friend into a tight hug.

"Never again. Never again will I listen to you about wandering off," Madison said, letting out a wavering laugh as she felt ready to cry from relief.

"Agreed," Rose laughed. Madison could feel the girl shaking her head as it rested against her shoulder. ". . . Though just a bit of wandering now and then . . .isn't really that bad."

Madison scoffed though only lightly in humour. "What am I to do with you?" She pulled back from the hug, holding Rose by the arms as she gazed into the girl's hazel-brown eyes. All humour gone as her face fell. "Rose, I'm so sorry, I—"

"Don't. It's not your fault. It wasn't anyone's. Got it?" Rose kept a stern eye on her, making Madison smile weakly.

"Got it."

They hugged again before parting so that the Doctor could step up to give the companion one as well.

"What was that I used to say? 'Jeopardy friendly'?" the Doctor remarked after letting go of her, raising a brow at the girl.

"Oh, shut up," Rose replied while rolling her eyes, ignoring the Time Lord's chortle.

Soon, the three of them were chatting away, catching Rose up to speed with what happened after she had been indisposed. All the while the trio followed just behind Tommy and his grandmother back to the street of their home. The trio lingered behind once arriving in the neighbourhood, seeing the street party was just starting. People had lined up long tables with white tablecloths all the way down the street, with different families bringing out a variety of dishes to share. There were men chatting up and laughing jovially. Women with white aprons tied around their waists bounced babies on their laps as they sat together at the tables. Children were playing either hopscotch or jump rope along the sidewalks. A few younger couples holding hands and smiling dreamily at one another. Some, young and old, already started to dance as someone had brought out a stereo to play music for the party. A group of men and women at one end of the line of tables cheered as they all toasted and clinked their glasses together. It was touching to see everyone coming together to celebrate. Madison could not let go of the smile on her face as she observed all of this. She looked over to Tommy's retreating form as he took his grandmother back to their home. She was certain Rita would be ecstatic to see her mother all better.

"We could go down to the Mall, join in with the crowds," she heard Rose suggest to the Doctor after a moment of the trio watching the street party.

"Nah, that's just pomp and circumstance. This is history, right here," he replied. She looked over at him as they walked along the street, passing the tables and the rejoicing people. She saw him biting into a piece of cake that seemed to have suddenly appeared in his hand. When did he get that?

"He's right. Street parties like this are always much better than any formal gathering," Madison said, reaching over to snatch the cake from the Doctor just as he was about to take another large bite. She smirked as she bit into the yellow sweet cake, snickering at his pout. "What, never heard of sharing?" Sending him a wink, she earned herself a raised brow before he leaned over, grabbed her wrist, and ate the entire thing out of her hand. "Oi!" she laughed.

"What? We were sharing, remember?" he said, voice muffled as his mouth was full of cake.

"That was not sharing. That was just being greedy." Madison flicked the crumbs left in her hand at him. He did not seem to mind as he kept on his sly smile. She blushed as he grabbed her hand and pulled it to his lips to give it a light kiss. He winked at her.

"Aren't you two cute," Rose spoke up then, earning their attention. Both the Doctor and Madison were flustered then, suddenly remembering where they were. Rose merely rolled her eyes, getting them to move again as she walked along the tables. "What about that thing? Will it . . . that thing . . . is it trapped for good on the video?" A nervous flicker passed through Rose then, showing that she was still not convinced that the Wire had been done away with that easily.

"Hope so," said the Doctor. "Just to be on the safe side, though, I'll use my unrivalled knowledge of trans-temporal extirpation methods to neutralise the residual electronic pattern."

"All right, now say that again so the rest of us can understand it," Madison said, shaking her head as she knew at this point the Doctor was merely showing off. Him and his need to use large, scientific words. Honestly.

"What? I said it perfectly clear. I'm going to tape over it. What wasn't there to understand?" the Doctor replied, frowning in confusion as both Madison and Rose stared.

"Could have said that in the first place," Rose laughed, shaking her head. "Just leave it to me. I'm always doing that." The trio slowed to a stop as they finally noticed that Tommy, Rita, and the grandmother were now out in the street with the rest of the neighbourhood. Rita was seen talking to her mother, hugging her every so often as to make certain the woman was actually there. While Tommy stood by a table, absently watching the party unfolding around him.

"Tell you what, Tommy," the Doctor said as he came up beside the boy, leaning against the table. "You can have the scooter. Little present." Then he apparently had a second thoughts. "Best, um, keep it in the garage for a few years, though, eh?" That was right. The style of moped they had was a few years out of its time. Madison wondered if maybe there might be some influence on future scooters because of this. There was a small smile from Tommy that did not quite reach his eyes before his attention was drawn away. The trio followed his gaze, seeing Mister Connolly exiting the home with a suitcase in hand, and a travelling coat and hat on. The man was clearly disgruntled, casting one last look towards his wife before marching down the sidewalk. Rita ignored him completely.

"Good riddance," Tommy muttered. There was a mixture of relief and sadness coming from the boy then. A conflict as even though the man who had tormented him was going away . . . it was still a man who had been a part of his life for a long time. Madison felt for the lad. It is hard dealing with this sort of situation. Especially when it came to family. It was always the best policy to rid one's life of such poisonous individuals. Yet, it was hard letting go completely when it was someone who had made such an impact through so many years.

"Is that it, then, Tommy? New monarch, new age, new world. No room for a man like Eddie Connolly," the Doctor said, gazing at the boy thoughtfully.

"That's right," Tommy replied, trying to sound certain of this though failing somewhat as he kept sending fleeting glances towards his dad. "He deserves it." There was a moment of silence then as the trio stared at the boy.

"Tommy, go after him," Rose said then, bumping the teen lightly on the back.

Tommy looked back at her in confusion. "What for?"

"He's your dad," Rose offered kindly.

"He's an idiot."

"'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." She then nodded her head towards Eddie's direction. "Go on."

Just as Tommy was about to walk off, Madison spoke up, "Though, Tommy, don't think you have to always stick around him just cause he's your dad. If he ever starts to pull you down again, you have every right to walk away. All right?" With a stern gaze, she hoped to convey what she meant clearly to him.

The message seemed clear as Tommy looked a little more at ease with this thought and smiled at the trio before jogging off to catch up with his dad. They watched Tommy and his dad for a moment, seeing some hope there for the two starting up a better relationship than before. Then the Doctor grabbed them each a glass of a sweet drink from the table, handing one to Rose and Madison. The three of them clinked their glasses together before having a drink and sharing a smile.

Madison continued to sip out of her glass while the Doctor and Rose went on chatting excitedly. Obviously, the enthusiastic atmosphere of the party was beginning to rub off on the two. She tried to feel just as merry and light as the rest of them, but could not quite get herself there. She forced herself to drink her sweet juice, hoping that some sugar in her system would help subside her headache. One of the reasons why she had taken the cake from the Doctor earlier, besides just to tease him, was to get some food on her stomach. It was churning away like no other. She had been fighting against this increasingly deficient sensation in her body. The headache that pounded and stabbed at her mind, and her constricting muscles that hurt with any movement, were starting to weigh heavily on her. Finishing her drink, she sat the empty glass down on the table and began to search for something to eat. She went to grab something. What that was, she could not recall. For in that moment, she felt a sudden headrush overtake her, making her stumble into the table as the world tilted around her. Her hands planted flat on the tabletop, trying to keep steady. Her vision blurred as she stared at the white tablecloth under her hands. A haunting melody could be heard within her mind.

"Maddie? Are you all right?" she heard the Doctor say beside her. She felt his hand on her shoulder. A small shiver went through her then as his hand felt hot against her. That was odd. Normally he was rather cool to the touch. Not warm. She blinked as she saw red spots begin to form on the white cloth of the table. Swiftly she felt someone pressing a cloth to her nose, making her realise that it had begun to bleed.

"Thank you," she mumbled as she kept the cloth on her face. "I'm fine. I think I just need to lie down." Holding onto the handkerchief to her nose, she moved to walk away from the table. Only for her headrush to get worse and her legs seemingly lost the ability to function. She started to fall over backwards but was easily caught by the Doctor. Vaguely she heard him and Rose saying something. But at that moment she was too distracted to listen as she turned her head quickly away from them and emptied her stomach onto the pavement.

---

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Stay safe out there!