"Bored," Sherlock repeated. The Doctor pulled him back into the TARDIS, and closed the doors.
"Now where to, Doc?" Dean asked.
"Back to modern day London," the Doctor said, running up the stairs, and leaning against the console.
"So… that's it? We take a hop into outer space, and go back to London, just… like that? Why did we even go into space anyway?" Sam asked.
"Tora wanted to see if it worked!"
"Thalia," I interjected.
"Thalia, sorry. Any other questions?"
I raised my hand, as if I were in school.
"Yes?" The Doctor nodded in my direction.
"Could I… fly it?" I asked timidly.
The Doctor gave a longing look over the console, then looked back at me.
"Fine, fine… go ahead," the Doctor waved me over to the other side of the controls.
"Ready folks?" the Doctor said to the crowd gathered around us.
"Why are you giving a sixteen year old control of the TARDIS? You scream at me if I lean against the panel!" Amy stated, almost whiningly.
"There is a difference between leaning on the panel and flying under guidance, Amelia," the Doctor said, his eyes locked on me.
"Are you ready? Because flying this thing involves a lot of running… in circles," the Doctor said.
"I'm ready."
"Okay. Push down those three buttons, and hit that switch. No! The one next to that! Okay good. Now, that blue button right there… And hold that lever down." The Doctor was spitting instructions faster than an auctioneer with a bad bladder. I followed them all to the best of my ability, running around the circular control panel, pressing button after button after switch, until finally, the Doctor told me to stop. I pressed the final lever down, and the groaning noise stopped. I stood back, exhausted.
"Hmm… not bad for a first timer. Nice job Thalia!" The Doctor said.
"Thanks," I responded.
"Good job, Thalia," Amy said, "You fly her almost as well as the Doctor does!"
"Thank you. Where are we, exactly?"
"Piccadilly Circus," The Doctor responded.
"Really? You chose to land a time machine in possibly the most crowded place in London?" the oddly quiet Sherlock spoke up.
"You're right Sherlock, I should have landed here somewhere more secluded," the Doctor flew back to the controls, pressed a few more buttons, and the wheezing noise started up again. It ended a short time later.
"You know, if River was here, she would complain that you leave the brakes on," Amy commented.
"Well, River isn't here, so I can fly my TARDIS the way I want to," the Doctor ran down the steps, and flew open the doors.
"Welcome back, to 221b Baker Street!" He proclaimed.
"Really? Why are we even going back to England in the first place?" Dean asked.
"To find out where the monster is that likes to cover people in blueberry jam and talk to it," the Doctor stated.
"Talk to it? If we even find it, we should just kill it and be done with it," Dean said.
"Finally! Someone is making sense today!" Sherlock exclaimed.
"No. We will not. I never carry a weapon with me, and for a reason. I never need it. And since my TARDIS is the most useful to any of you lot right now, you will abide by my rules. Do I make myself clear?" The Doctor said. We all nodded.
"Great. Let's go walk around London." The Doctor opened the TARDIS doors, and ran out of them, darting past piles of books, our computers, and a skull. We followed, and met the Doctor right outside the door into 221b.
"Okay. Shall we split up to cover more ground? We can report back here at… let's say… six o'clock?" Amy said. It was now three o'clock. We had three hours.
"Sure. Does everyone have a camera? Just in case, you know… one of us spots a blueberry jam monster?" I asked.
A mumbled assurance from the group.
"Excellent. Let's do this… Uhh… how about me and Thalia, Dean and Sherlock, John and Amelia and Sam… Okay. Me and Thalia will go right, The team of three shall go left, and Dean's team can either go left or right, but just don't follow the leading group. Okay? Okay. Geronimo," He took off right before any of us could object to our groupings. I liked the Doctor, I was fine with that pairing. But Dean looked murderous. John seemed sad, like he got stuck with the two class clowns for an important assignment. I could tell Amy would rather be with the Doctor, but there was no time to switch up partners. The Doctor was already disappearing around a corner, and I had to sprint to catch up. He finally stopped three streets over.
"Why did you split up our groups like that? I could have gone with the Winchesters. John and Sherlock could have gone together, and you and Amy would have made a great team," I asked.
"Thalia, something tells me that this isn't going to be a simple "defeat-the-bad-guy" case. This is going to be a drawn out process, and I need everyone getting along. Or at least, not trying to kill each other. Now, which way should we head?" He asked me.
Being an American, I had virtually no clue where we were. The Doctor told me we were in Dorset Square. He told me to go ahead. So I did. I turned left onto Upper Montagu Street. I kept running, and running, and the Doctor ran behind me. Finally, I stopped. I was at Bryanston Square. There was a pretty church right in front of me. Four granite pillars stood majestically in the bright sunlight. No-one seemed to be going in, or out.
"Saint Mary's Church," he said. "Beautiful. I met the architect of this place. Robert Smirke. Pleasant fellow. Smart. Let's go check it out. Perfect place for an alien to hide in."
"But… Why would a monster hide in a well known church?" I asked.
"You would be very surprised. I've found aliens under the London Eye before. Come on now!" the Doctor bolted to the entrance to the Church. I followed him.
When we got to the front doors, I pulled on them. Locked."
"It's closed. Shame I don't have anything to pick locks with," I commented.
"Let me try something," the Doctor reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out a wand, or something. It was metal, and had a green light at the end.
"Is that a high tech Harry Potter type wand?" I asked.
"No!" He sounded offended. "It's a sonic screwdriver. I downloaded an app that might open this door! It doesn't typically do wood."
"What the…? How can a screwdriver be sonic?"
"It just is! Now, shut up, I need to concentrate!" he pointed the green light at the lock on the wooden door. He pressed the button to light the sonic screwdriver up for thirty seconds, and then stopped.
"Come on! Silly thing," he said, hitting the side of the screwdriver.
"Maybe we could break a window, and get in through there," I suggested.
"No. Then we would definitely be in trouble! And I am not one for causing trouble. Well, not entirely true. Actually, I try not to cause any. I usually do though. Well, not that I'm… irresponsible per say, well…" the Doctor rambled.
"Please focus! And don't worry. I have a fake badge. If we get caught, I can find my way out of it. I don't know about you though. If you get caught without a badge, that would probably be bad."
"Well, I do too!" he pulled out a leather badge protector, and opened it in my face. It was a perfect fake ID, with the name John Smith, and a photo of the Doctor.
"Why do you have a fake ID? I asked.
"It's actually psychic paper. It shows people whatever they want to see."
"That is the coolest thing ever. Can I have some?" I asked him.
"I don't have any more. But, if we want to check out this church, I suggest we get going."
A few rocks, broken glass, and a few cuts, we made it into the church. Sunlight streamed from the opening in the window we just created. Rows and rows of pews were in front of us. An impressive stained glass display was at the end of the hall. I was amazed.
"Alright. See if you can find anything out of the ordinary. I'll be over this side," the Doctor went to the other side of the building.