Hey guys! Guess what?! I got a desk! That means I can actually write this summer! Yay! Here's the next chapter...enjoy!
Chapter 28: Fear Her
"Well, it looks like he's healthy. Getting big. What year are you from? You've gotta be getting close to meeting me. You're almost as big as he was when I first met him. This is probably the last check-up I'll be able to give you in the future," Martha said as she packed up the small sonogram device she'd been using.
"You mean they meet you? They haven't met you yet?" Marie asked in confusion.
"No. You've met me before, right?" Martha asked Marie. Marie shook her head negatively.
"See? You're meeting me in the wrong order. When you meet me next, you'll be meeting me before I've ever met you," Martha explained calmly.
"Er, timey-wimey," the Doctor said awkwardly, waving his hand to dismiss her questioning stare.
"So everything's good? Nothing's causing him an excess stress?" Freya questioned. Martha stared at Freya for a moment.
"Any excess stress? You've met him already, haven't you?" Martha asked. Freya nodded, unsure as to what Martha was hinting at.
"The kid's always gonna be incredibly stressed. He's borderline neurotic," Martha scoffed, shaking her head.
"Where are you going next?" Martha asked curiously.
"2012 Olympics. I figured Freya could have a sneak peak," the Doctor said with a grin.
"If she watched the Olympics now, does that mean she can't watch them when they come around in 2012?" Martha asked curiously.
"I won't be. The odds of me being back on Earth at that time are slim to none. We'll be fine," Freya waved it off.
"Come on! Off to the TARDIS! I'm going to move us closer to the action!" the Doctor said, ushering them along.
"See you later, Martha!" Freya called as the Doctor tugged them out the door.
"You're in an awfully big hurry," Marie commented.
"I just want to get there! I don't like waiting!" the Doctor complained.
"Wait – you said Freya probably wouldn't be here for the 2012 Olympics. What about us? What if we accidentally run into ourselves, or see ourselves on the telly, or something?" Masen asked critically.
"Just stay off the telly and that won't be a problem. And this means you won't be able to physically go to the Olympics. Plus it's your future. You know where you'll be. If you really wanted to, you could see your future selves, if they chose it, so long as they don't talk to you. If they start talking to you, some trouble could end up happening," the Doctor pointed out.
"Define trouble?" Rose asked.
"Two-thirds of the universe imploding trouble," Freya said, keeping her face as straight as she could. The Doctor turned to her, surprised, before bursting out into laughter.
"You'll be fine. Don't worry," the Doctor reassured Rose, ushering them inside the TARDIS.
He quickly started flitting about the console, landing her effortlessly before rushing for the door. He threw the door open, only to stop.
The door was up against a wall.
"Oh," the Doctor murmured before closing the door and quickly throwing himself once more at the console, flipping a few more levers. She dematerialized before rematerializing. The Doctor rushed past Marie, who had been slowly making her way to the door.
He flung open, presenting them with a view of a relatively safe-looking neighborhood.
"Ah," he said happily, holding his hand out for Freya. Freya quickly grasped his hand, allowing him to pull her out of the TARDIS.
He quickly pulled her down the street, the others trailing along, eyes taking in everything.
"Only seems like yesterday a few naked Greek blokes were tossing a discus about, wrestling each other in the sand, with crowds stood around baying. No, wait a minute, that was Club Med. Just in time for the opening doo dah, ceremony, tonight. Last one they had in London was dynamite. Wembley, 1948. I loved it so much, I went back and watched it all over again. Fella carrying the torch. Lovely chap, what was his?" the Doctor continued talking, but Freya's eyes drifted ofter to a man putting up missing posters. She tugged the Doctor towards it, his attention not even drifting from his story.
"Mark? John? Mark? Legs like pipe cleaners, but strong as a whippet," the Doctor continued.
"Doctor," Freya said, stopping them. The Doctor didn't even seem to notice the stop of movement.
"And in those days, everybody had a tea party to go to," the Doctor said.
"DOCTOR!" Marie shouted, right in his other ear. The Doctor jumped slightly but kept talking.
"Did you ever have one of those little cakes with the crunchy ball bearings on top?" the Doctor asked Freya, his attention shifting to her.
"Not important now, dear. Look," Freya said, drawing his attention from his conversation.
His eyes skimmed the missing poster before snapping back to Freya.
"What's taking them, do you think? Snatching children from a thoroughly ordinary street like this. Why's it so cold? Is someone reducing the temperature?" the Doctor asked, spinning around quickly as he spoke. When he stopped spinning, he grabbed Freya's hand once more.
"It says they all went missing this week. Why would a person do something like this?" Rose asked in disbelief.
"What makes you think it's a person?" the Doctor asked her.
"Do you think it's alien? Why isn't anyone else investigating it, if it's alien?" Masen asked curiously.
"Maybe they haven't connected it. However, temperature drop and missing children? Sounds a bit fishy," the Doctor said.
"Whatever it is, it's got the whole street scared to death. Doctor, what….ugh," Freya stopped as he took off running down the street. He stopped in a front lawn, examining the goal. Marie and Rose followed right behind him. Freya wasn't about to run. She slowly made her way after them, Masen following alongside her.
"There are organizations that should be looking into things like this," Masen pointed out.
"The Doctor's right. It may take these organizations awhile to connect the dots. They've got to be stretched thin. There can't be too many of them," Freya reasoned. Masen didn't look too happy about that but didn't voice his arguments out loud again.
As they were walking, a man in a mini-van passed them. As it passed a spot in the middle of the road, the car died. One of the road fixers made his way over. Masen and Freya moved over towards it as well.
"There you go. Fifth today. Not natural, is it?" the road worker asked the driver as he approached.
"I don't know what happened. I had it serviced less than a month ago," the driver said in confusion.
"Nah, don't even try and explain it, mate. All the cars are doing it. And do you know what? It's bonkers. Bonkers. Come on then, pal. I'll help you shift it. Quicker you're on the way, happier you'll be," the road worker said. The driver got out of his car and walked behind it alongside the road worker.
"There we go," the road worker said as the car started slowly moving.
"Do you want a hand?" Masen asked. The road worker only grunted in response. Freya moved to help Masen push but Masen shot her a glare, causing her to step back. Masen and the road worker and the driver managed to push the car a ways before the engine suddenly burst to life. Freya jumped at the sudden sound. The road worker nearly toppled over.
"Does this happen a lot?" Masen asked, his voice shifting to one of authority.
"Cheers, mate!" the driver said cheerfully as he climbed back in his car and took off.
"Been doing it all week," the road worker agreed.
"Since those children started going missing?" Freya guessed. The road worker looked rather evasive at the connection.
"Yeah. I suppose so," he said. He walked away quickly heading towards the other group of them. The Doctor, Rose, and Marie were in the middle of the group, just as the road worker made it to the group.
"Why do I get the feeling that the Doctor's about to get into trouble?" Masen asked.
"Because you're probably right. The Doctor's middle name is probably trouble," Freya said with a sigh. She started to jog over to them, but Masen stopped her.
"You don't need to be running. Not in your state," Masen told her. Freya sighed and walked as quickly as she could towards the fight that was starting.
"I'm, I'm a police officer! We're police officers! That's what we are! I've got a badge and a police car! You don't have to get, I can, I can prove it! Just hold on," the Doctor blabbed quickly, patting himself down as a larger man glared down at the Doctor.
"We've had plenty of coppers poking around here, and you don't look or sound like any of them," the man scoffed.
"Look, we've got colleagues! Lewis, and, er, Lewis," the Doctor said, gesturing to Freya and Masen.
"She looks less like a copper than you three do," the man said, crossing his arms.
"Training. New recruit. Can't be full-time til she has the baby, so voila! I have an assistant," the Doctor said with a wave of flourish.
"And the other three are also new recruits?" the man asked in disbelief. The Doctor scratched the back of his head awkwardly, as if he were just realizing how bad of a plan he had come up with.
"Excuse me! Fingers on lips, everyone!" Freya shouted as the group all started talking at once. Everyone was momentarily silent, staring at her in confusion. She placed her finger on her lips, glaring at the others until they slowly moved their own fingers to their lips. Even Marie, Masen, and Rose did it. Freya glared at the Doctor until his own eyes went wide and he did as Freya gestured.
Once they all had fingers on their lips, Freya gestured for the Doctor to continue.
"In the last six days, three of your children have been stolen. Snatched out of thin air, right?" the Doctor asked.
"Er, can I?" an elderly lady asked Freya. Freya nodded at her and she lowered her finger.
"Look around you. This was a safe street till it came. It's not a person. I'll say it if no one else will. Maybe you're coppers, maybe you're not. I don't care who you are. Can you please help us?" she begged. Freya felt eyes on her. She quickly turned, glancing up at a window to see a little girl staring at them, her hand on the window.
The lady in the group noticed and quickly rushed back into the house. The group slowly dispersed at that.
"Right. Let's find some clues," Marie said jokingly. The Doctor moved away from the group towards one house, sniffing as he walked. Marie shot Freya an incredulous look but Freya could only shrug. She was used to the Doctor's odd antics.
"What are we expected to do, just following him around like puppies?" Marie demanded.
"What have you been doing on the last few adventures?" Freya asked her.
"Running," Marie supplied.
"We do run a lot," Rose backed her up.
"So you've only been running? Surely you've had to follow him around a bit before now?" Freya asked as she made her way towards where the Doctor was.
"Marie doesn't follow anyone anywhere," Masen supplied.
"She really doesn't. The Doctor asked us to follow him back at the market and she pointedly went the opposite direction," Rose said with a laugh.
"We should catch up with him before he gets into trouble," Freya called out to them as she approached the Doctor. He was sniffing quite loudly outside of one of the houses.
"Getting sick? I know it's a bit cold, but I thought you had some sort of superior biology, you Time Lords," Freya joked.
"Can you smell it? What does it remind you of?" the Doctor asked her intently.
"Metal?" Rose guessed. The Doctor murmured in agreement.
He quickly dashed off once more, behind the houses this time. Marie let out a loud, exasperated sigh and Freya could only laugh as she moved to follow him.
"Danny Edwards cycled in one end but never came out the other. Whoa, there it goes again! Look at the hairs on the back of my manly hairy hand!" the Doctor exclaimed, holding his hand out to Freya. Freya took his hand, pretending to examine it.
"And there's that smell again," Rose pointed out. Marie's nose scrunched up.
"It's like a burnt fuse plug or something," Marie said in distaste.
"There's a residual energy in the spots where the kids vanished. Whatever it was, it used an awful lot of power to do this," the Doctor said.
He led them back to the front of one of the houses, still examining things, glancing about. Rose spotted a cat and made her way towards it.
"Aren't you a beautiful boy?" Rose cooed as she knelt next to the cat.
"Thanks! I'm experimenting with back coming. Oh," he said awkwardly, giving the cat a glare.
"I used to have one like you. What?" Rose asked as she turned back to the Doctor. He shook his head, glaring at the cat.
"He's not really a cat person," Freya supplied.
"Once you've been threatened by one in a nun's wimple, it kind of takes the joy out of it," the Doctor said disdainfully.
"I think you just make half of this stuff up," Marie complained.
"Nah. I was there," Freya corrected her as the cat crawled away from Rose and into a cardboard box.
"Come here puss. What do you want to go in there for?" Rose asked, following the cat. Masen moved closer, eyes on the box.
"Doctor!" Rose called, scrunching up her nose. Freya went to bend down but Masen pulled her back.
"Might be bad for the baby," Masen told her immediately.
"Oh come off it! She'll be fine," Marie told him. Masen opened his mouth but closed it quickly. The Doctor moved closer instead.
"Whoa! Ion residue. Blimey! That takes some doing. Just to snatch a living organism out of space-time. This baby is just like, I'm having some of that. I'm impressed," the Doctor said.
"So the cat's been transported?" Rose asked.
"But where? And by who? What has the power to do that around here?" Freya wondered aloud.
"It can harness huge reserves of ionic power. We need to find the source of that power. Find the source and you will find whatever has taken to stealing children and fluffy animals. See what you can see. Keep them peeled, Lewis, Lewis, and er, you two," the Doctor finished lamely.
"You couldn't even think to give us names?" Marie asked, crossing her arms.
"I could call you soon-to-be-Lewis, since you're marrying him," the Doctor said cheekily.
"And you could also call me Lewis, since I'm Freya's cousin," Rose said with a laugh.
"So we have Lewis, Lewis, Lewis, and soon-to-be-Lewis," the Doctor said happily, pointing to each of them in turn.
"Shouldn't we be investigating? That is what we're here for," Freya pointed out. The Doctor nodded quickly.
"Right. Lewis and soon-to-be-Lewis, that way. Lewis, with me. Lewis, that way," the
Doctor ordered, turning quickly. Freya had to roll her eyes at him.
"Marie and Masen, head that way, Rose, you can head with the Doctor. I'll check out over here. Looks the least dangerous. And if I go with the Doctor, I'll be running. A lot," Freya said with a laugh. Rose couldn't help but laugh as well. As Rose ran up along the Doctor, the Doctor pouted over his shoulder at Freya.
"You're the Lewis I called this way," the Doctor complained.
"You'll be fine," Freya pointed out. She laughed and made her way alone, along the road.
She was walking along some garage doors when she heard some thudding. She glanced around. The Doctor was still within shouting distance. She was fine. She moved closer. What if the children were trapped there?
Freya slowly reached towards it, shooting another glance over her shoulder. She could try it. What were the odds that it was even unlocked? Slim. She'd be fine. She tugged on the doors, only for them to open. As soon as the door opened, something flew out at her.
Freya screamed as it went for her face. She threw her hands up, barely managing to grab a piece of it. It was moving real quick, attacking her but not really hurting her. She stumbled backwards, tripping over a railing. Hands grabbed her, keeping her from falling as the Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver at it.
"Stay still!" the Doctor lectured it. As he pointed it at it, it shrunk and stopped moving.
"Okey dokey?" the Doctor asked her as Masen propped her back on her feet.
"Yeah. Just a bit shocked, that's all. Thanks," Freya explained.
"No probs. I'll give you a fiver if you can tell me what the hell it is, because I haven't got the foggiest," the Doctor said, tossing it at her. Freya held the ball for a moment, eyeing it.
"Well, it looks like you just killed it," Rose said.
"It was never living. It's animated by energy. Same energy that's snatching people. That is so dinky! The go-anywhere creature. Fits in your pocket, makes friends, impresses the boss, breaks the ice at parties," the Doctor said with a grin. Freya brushed at it, frowning as her hand came away slightly grey. Like when she used to use pencils at school and they smudged.
"Could it have something to do with a pencil? It reminds me of pencil smudges," Freya thought aloud.
"Let's go to the TARDIS and figure it out," the Doctor said, making his way quickly towards where he parked the TARDIS. The rest of them followed closely as he unlocked the TARDIS and quickly set it on the analysis plate on the console.
"Is this really how you've spent the last two years?" Marie asked Freya.
"It hasn't been two years for me. I don't think. It's been awhile though. And yeah. It's…it's fun," Freya explained.
"It's been close to two years for you too, Freya," the Doctor told her absently.
"Time seems to fly in here," Freya reasoned with an awkward laugh.
"I thought it seemed to crawl, when I was here," Rose commented.
"It only crawls when you insist on wasting half your life sleeping," the Doctor complained as the TARDIS console pinged.
"Oh, hi ho, here we go. Let's have a look. Get out of here," the Doctor said in disbelief.
"What is it?" Freya asked him anxiously.
The Doctor pulled an eraser from the console and started erasing a bit of the ball before blowing it off at Freya.
"It is. It's graphite. You were right. Basically the same material as an HB pencil," the Doctor told Freya.
"I was attacked by a pencil scribble?" Freya asked, scrunching up her nose.
"Scribble creature, brought into being with ionic energy. Whatever we're dealing with, it can create things as well as take them. But why make a scribble creature?" the Doctor asked himself.
"Maybe it was a mistake. I mean, you scribble over something when you want to get rid of it, like a, like a drawing. Like a child's drawing. You said it was in the street," Rose said thoughtfully.
"Probably," the Doctor nodded.
"The girl," Freya realized. Rose nodded.
"I saw her too," Rose said.
"Something about her was off. Her own mother seemed scared of her," Freya explained.
"Are you deducing?" the Doctor asked, levelling Freya a teasingly serious look.
"I think I am," Freya teased right back.
"Copper's hunch?"
"Permission to follow it up, Sarge?" Freya asked with a grin. The Doctor grinned once more as well.
"Well then, let's go!" the Doctor said, pulling Freya along.
"What are we, chopped liver?" Marie complained.
"Come along, if you want," Freya called over her shoulder with a laugh. She could hear them running behind them before Marie made her way next to him.
"You both, you're crazy, you know that?" Marie asked.
"We've been told that a time or two," the Doctor agreed as he approached the house they'd been arguing out in front of earlier.
"This house?" he asked Freya, who nodded. With that, he marched right up to the front door, Freya alongside him and the other three right behind him.
He rang the doorbell and glanced at the others.
"Smile big and go along with whatever we do," the Doctor ordered before grinning at the door as the woman pulled it open.
"Hello, I'm the Doctor and this is Freya, my wife, and our friends Marie, Masen, and Rose. Can we see your daughter?" the Doctor asked cheerfully.
"No, you can't," she said abruptly.
"Okay, bye!" the Doctor said, spinning on his heel. Freya mimicked him, sensing a plan. The others slowly turned around, shooting Freya a confused look. They'd only gotten a few steps when the woman spoke up again.
"Why? Why do you want to see Chloe?" she asked them. The Doctor and Freya spun right back around.
"Well, there's some interesting stuff going on in this street, and I just thought…well, we thought that she might like to give us a hand," the Doctor explained.
"Sorry to bother you," Freya apologized.
"Yeah, sorry. We'll let you get on with things. On your own. Bye again," the Doctor said, spinning around. Freya felt dizzy from all the quick turns but copied the Doctor.
"Wait! Can you help her?" the woman asked. The Doctor spun right back around. This time, Freya turned much slower.
"Yes. We can," the Doctor told the woman kindly. The woman nodded and held the door open for them.
"Come in then," she said. The Doctor grinned at Freya and gave her a light push.
"Is that how this works? You manipulate people?" Marie demanded.
"I know how to fix things," the Doctor corrected.
"So he basically manipulates people," Rose reiterated. The Doctor shot her a scowl before the woman turned around. When she did, he had a bright smile on his face once more.
"My name's Trish," she introduced as she closed the doors behind them.
"It's nice to meet you, Trish," the Doctor said, shaking her hand eagerly. They entered the living room, where the telly was broadcasting news about the Olympics and the torch bearer, who was running along the wal.
"She stays in her room most of the time. I try talking to her, but it's like trying to speak to a brick wall. She gives me nothing, just asks to be left alone," Trish explained sadly.
"What about her father?" Rose asked.
"Chloe's dad died a year ago," Trish said, her expression apathetic. Freya reached out to comfort her but stopped. She didn't seem sad. She seemed…angry.
"I'm sorry," Rose said.
"She isn't," Freya observed. Trish looked surprised but nodded in agreement with Freya.
"You wouldn't be if you'd known him," Trish said before turning abruptly.
"Well, let's go and say hi," the Doctor said eagerly.
"I should check on her first. She might be asleep," Trish said, but this time she was afraid.
The Doctor must've picked up on that too.
"Why are you afraid of her, Trish?" the Doctor asked.
"I want you to know before you see her that she's really a great kid," Trish defended her daughter.
"We believe you, Trish. We understand," Freya told her, taking Trish's hand.
"She's never been in trouble at school. You should see her report from last year. A's and B's," Trish continued. Rose caught Freya's eye and winked at her.
"Can I use your loo?" Rose asked. Trish nodded towards the stairs and Rose stood quickly.
Freya's eyes widened. Rose was going to go snooping. Freya wanted to stop her but had no idea how to do it without drawing more attention to her.
"She's in the choir. She's singing in an old folks' home. Any mum would be proud. You know I want you to know these things before you see her, Doctor, because right now, she's not herself," Trish explained.
"Where did Rose go?" Marie hissed at Freya.
"To search around," Freya said. Marie stood slowly and made her own way towards the stairs.
"I'll make sure she doesn't get in trouble," Marie told Freya before making her own way up the stairs.
Marie passed a little girl, the one from earlier, coming down the stairs. Chloe. She made her way straight to the fridge and pulled out the milk.
"All right, there? I'm the Doctor," the Doctor introduced himself as she poured a drink.
"I'm Chloe Webber," Chloe said monotonously as she put the milk back in the fridge.
"How're you doing, Chloe?" Freya asked her warmly.
"I'm busy. I'm making something, aren't I, mum?" Chloe asked, sending a glare at her mother. Her mother winced at the intensity of the glare.
"And like I've said, she's not been sleeping," Trish explained sadly.
"But you've been drawing. I'm rubbish at it. Stick men about my limit. Can do this, though," the Doctor said, giving the Vulcan salute to Chloe. Chloe just stared blankly at him.
"Can you do that?" the Doctor asked her.
"They won't stop moaning," Chloe snapped at him. Freya took a quick step forward.
"Chloe," her mother warned her, but Chloe ignored her.
"I try to help them, but they don't stop moaning," Chloe said.
"Who don't? Is someone hurt?" Freya asked automatically.
"We can be together," Chloe continued.
"Sweetheart," Trish said sadly, trying to pull Chloe in for a hug, but Chloe pulled away from her immediately.
"Don't touch me, Mum," Chloe demanded. Trish quickly took a step back as if she'd been burned.
"I'm busy, Doctor," Chloe said before making her way towards the stairs.
"Come on, Chloe. Don't be a spoilsport. What's the big project? I'm dying to know. What're you making up there?" the Doctor shouted at her as she made her way up the stairs.
"DOCTOR!" Rose shouted from upstairs. The Doctor met Freya's eyes before making a mad dash for the stairs, taking them two at a time. Masen was right behind him as Marie let out a blood-curling scream. Trish was even in front of Freya as Freya slowly made her way up the stairs. She was hoping she'd be able to run normally again soon. Not being able to run was hindering her ability to keep up with the Doctor.
By the time she got to the room, the Doctor was already in there, slamming a door shut. There was some sort of loud man voice coming from behind the door, but it sounded more surreal and fake than it did real.
"Look at it," Rose told them, shaking.
"No," the Doctor said, shaking his head. He did make his way over towards the other drawings on her walls, though. Freya grabbed a teddy bear that had fallen onto the floor and sat it down on the bed upright.
"What the hell was that?" Trish asked in alarm.
"A drawing. The face of a man," Rose said.
"What face?" Trish asked, moving towards the closet. Rose stepped in front of her, blocking her view of the closet.
"Best not," Rose advised. Trish turned to Chloe in alarm.
"What have you been drawing?" Trish asked her daughter. Chloe regarded her mother apathetically. Freya moved closer to Chloe.
"I drew him yesterday," Chloe told her mum.
"Who?" Trish demanded.
"Dad."
"Your dad? But he's long gone. Chloe, with all the lovely things in the world, why him?" Trish asked in despair.
"I dream about him, staring at me," Chloe admitted, but she still sounded much too apathetic. Freya reached out and started running her hands through Chloe's hair, trying to soothe her. Something was wrong with Chloe. Freya could feel it.
She could also feel an intense loneliness, tangible, coming from Chloe. Sort of like her own loneliness she'd been battling for years. The loneliness that seemed to fade in the Doctor's presence.
"I thought we were putting him behind us. What's the matter with you?" Trish demanded.
"We need to stay together," Chloe said.
"Yes, we do," Trish agreed.
"No. Not you, us. We need to stay together, and then it'll be all right," Chloe said almost maliciously. Freya pulled the girl closer to her, giving her a tight hug, hoping that she could sense Freya's own loneliness she'd felt. Chloe seemed to melt into her grip. As if she really could sense it, sense that loneliness and Freya's triumph at overcoming it. The baby reached out as well, pouring its own empathy towards Chloe. Chloe turned towards Freya and allowed Freya to fold her into a hug.
"Trish, the drawings. Have you seen what Chloe's drawings can do?" Rose tried asking Trish.
"Who gave you permission to come into her room? Get out of my house," Trish ordered Rose.
"Tell us about the drawings, Chloe," the Doctor said, bending down so he was eye level with Chloe, who was still facing Freya.
"I don't want to hear any more of this," Trish said, slowly heading for the door.
"But that drawing of her dad. I heard a voice. Rose heard a voice. We all heard it. He spoke," Marie said.
"He's dead. And these, they're kid's pictures. Now get out!" Trish ordered.
"Chloe has a power. And I don't know how, but she used it to take Danny Edwards, Dale Hicks. She's using it to snatch the children," Rose tried once more.
"Get out!" Trish ordered once more, her voice quivering.
"Have you seen those drawings move?" Marie tried.
"I haven't seen anything," Trish said stiffly.
"Yes, you have," Masen observed.
"Out of the corner of your eye," the Doctor informed her, glancing away from the pictures once more and back towards everyone else.
"No," Trish said faintly.
"And you dismissed it, because what choice do you have when you see something you can't possibly explain? You dismiss it, right? And if anyone mentions it, you get angry, so it's never spoken of, ever again," the Doctor continued.
"She's a child," Trish tried scoffing.
"You're terrified of her. But there's nowhere to turn to, because who's going to believe the things you see out of the corner of your eye? No one. Except us," the Doctor said.
"Who are you?" Trish asked quietly.
"I'm help," the Doctor told her gravely.
"Let's go downstairs so we can talk," the Doctor suggested. Marie, Masen, Rose and Trish all headed for the doors, but Freya didn't move. The Doctor stared at her for a moment but Freya shook her head.
"I'm going to spend some time with Chloe while you guys discuss a game plan," Freya said with a smile, waving the Doctor along. He hesitated but made his way out of the room, closing the door gently behind him. As soon as he'd left, Freya pulled back from Chloe and sat on the edge of the bed. She patted the bed next to her, gesturing for Chloe to sit next to her.
"I'm Freya. I don't think I got a chance to introduce myself," Freya told the girl. Chloe sat down on the bed next to her, watching her.
"I know how you feel, you know," Freya began carefully. Chloe nodded.
"I know. I can feel you do. You're the same. You're just like us," Chloe said. Freya noticed the mention of the word us. So Chloe was possessed by something.
"We're all alone. We feel so alone here, like there's no one there for us," Freya said, and Chloe nodded along with her words.
"But we aren't truly alone. We're never truly alone, Chloe," Freya told the girl.
"I am alone," Chloe interrupted her.
"No. You have your mother. Chloe Webber has her mother, who wants to be there for her but doesn't know how to be there for her. And you? You have Chloe as well. And you have Chloe's mother," Freya said gently.
"And you know who else you have?" Freya told her. Chloe was watching her with interest.
"Who?" Chloe asked. Freya got the feeling that it wasn't just Chloe asking that question. It was both of them.
"You have me. I'm here for you. So's the Doctor. We're here for you, and we're going to fix everything. Because that's what we do. Mainly him. He's called the Doctor because he fixes things. He finds things that are broken and fixes them. He found me when I was broken and he fixed me. He can do the same thing for you," Freya told her with a smile, slinging her arm slowly around Chloe's shoulders.
"Why would he fix me? Nothing is wrong with me," Chloe said defensively.
"No. Nothing is wrong with you. Absolutely nothing. You are perfect. You are important. But he can make you feel like that. He can make you feel just as important as you are, and make you not feel alone anymore," Freya told her.
"But why?" Chloe persisted.
"Because that's what he does. He loves helping people. He will never stop helping people. And today? Today he's here to help you," Freya told her, pulling Chloe into her side.
"Just give him a chance, okay? Listen to what he has to say? He's here to help you," Freya promised the girl.
About that time, the door slowly opened and the Doctor peeked his head in. When his eyes landed on Freya, his shoulders dropped in relief. He opened the door all the way and made his way in, Trish following closely behind him. Marie, Masen and Rose were behind her, but they all stood back a bit.
Chloe sits up, still leaving Freya's arm around her, and does the Vulcan salute the Doctor had showed her earlier. The Doctor grinned at that.
"Nice one," he said as he moved closer. He put his fingers on her temple and her eyes rolled back. She fell backwards onto the bed, Freya carefully setting her down, keeping her hand in Chloe's as she does.
"There we go," the Doctor said.
"I can't let him do this," Trish said, trying to turn away, but Rose stopped her.
"Shush, it's okay. Trust him," Rose said soothingly.
"Now we can talk," the Doctor said.
"I want Chloe. Wake her up. I want Chloe," Chloe said, but Freya knew it wasn't Chloe speaking. It was the creature inside of her.
"Who are you?" the Doctor asked.
"I want Chloe Webber," Chloe demanded.
"What've you done to my little girl?" Trish demanded angrily.
"Doctor, what is it?" Rose asked. Freya smoothed Chloe's hair down carefully.
"Chloe, remember what we talked about? Please give him a chance. He's not going to hurt you. Either of you. He just wants to talk, then he'll wake up Chloe again," Freya told the little girl.
"I'm speaking to you, the entity that is using this human child. I request parley in compliance with the Shadow Proclamation," the Doctor said, his voice stern.
"I don't care about shadows or parleys," the voice said immediately.
"So what do you care about?" the Doctor asked curiously.
"I want my friends," Chloe's voice demanded.
"It's okay darling. Sh, everything's fine," Freya reassured her, giving the Doctor a quick glare.
"You're lonely, I know. Identify yourself," the Doctor ordered, only this time he was slightly more gentle than he had been before.
"I am one of many. I travel with my brothers and sisters. We take an endless journey. A thousand of your lifetimes. But now I am alone. I hate it. It's not fair, and I hate it!" Chloe's voices said angrily.
"Name yourself!" the Doctor demanded, getting quite frustrated.
"Isolus," she finally said.
"You're Isolus. Of course," the Doctor said, rocking backwards.
"Our journey began in the Deep Realms when we were a family," Chloe said as her hand started drawing something. Trish moved closer, examining the picture.
"What's that?" Trish asked, eyeing the picture.
"The Isolus Mother, drifting in deep space. See, she jettisons millions of fledgling spores. Her children. The Isolus are empathic beings of intense emotions, but when they're cast off from their mother, their empathic link, their need for each other is what sustains them. They need to be together. They cannot be alone," the Doctor explained sadly, taking Freya's hand that wasn't gripping Chloe's.
"Our journey is long," Chloe agreed.
"The Isolus children travel, each inside a pod. They ride the heat and energy of solar tides. It takes thousands and thousands of years for them to grow up," the Doctor explained.
"She's just a child. They're both just children, lonely children, reaching out," Freya realized sadly.
"Don't they go mad with boredom?" Rose asked.
"We play," Chloe answered her.
"You play?" Marie asked, speaking up for the first time since entering the room.
"While they travel, they play games. They use their ionic power to literally create make believe worlds in which to play," the Doctor explained.
"I wish I'd been able to do that as a child. I might not have been so lonely," Freya said with a sad smile.
"Like in-flight entertainment?" Rose asked.
"Helps keep them happy. Whiel they're happy, they can feed off each others' love. Without it, they're lost. Why did you come to Earth?" the Doctor asked.
"We were too close," Chloe said as she drew something on the page.
"That's a solar flare from your sun. Would have made a tidal wave of solar energy that scattered the Isolus pods," the Doctor tried narrating what Chloe was drawing.
"Only I fell to Earth. My brothers and sisters are left up there, and I cannot reach them. So alone," Chloe said sadly. Freya gripped her hand even tighter, sending a look of despair to the Doctor.
"Your pod crashed. Where is it?" the Doctor asked eagerly.
"My pod was drawn to heat, and I was drawn to Chloe Webber. She was like me, alone. She needed me, and I need her. And we both need Freya," Chloe said. Freya was surprised at her words but didn't let go of Chloe's hand.
"You empathized with her. You wanted to be with her because she was alone like you. And Freya knows exactly how you feel," the Doctor explained aloud.
"I want my family. It's not fair," Chloe said stubbornly.
"I understand. You want to make a family. But you can't stay in this child. It's wrong. You can't steal any more friends for yourself," the Doctor told her sternly.
"I am alone," Chloe said sadly, ignoring the Doctor's words. A loud crash from Chloe's wardrobe drew all of their attention. Freya quickly pulled her hand from the Doctor and pulled Chloe closer to her. The door started shaking and a red glow was being emitted from under the door. Chloe began to shake and Freya couldn't help but admit that she was shaking along with her.
"I'm coming to hurt you. I'm coming," the man's voice taunted.
"Trish, how do you calm her?" the Doctor asked, spinning on Trish. Trish looked just as alarmed as everyone else.
"What?" Trish asked in confusion.
"When she has nightmares, what do you do?" the Doctor demanded.
"I sing to her," Trish said quietly.
"Then start singing," the Doctor ordered. Trish took a shaky breath.
"Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree. Merry, merry king of the bush is he," Trish began.
"Chloe. Chloe. Chloe. Chloe," the voice from the wardrobe called.
"Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra, gay your life must be. Laugh Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra, gay your life must be," Trish sang as the wardrobe began to stop shaking and Chloe relaxed in Freya's arms.
"He came to her because she was lonely. Chloe, I'm sorry," Trish said, her voice shaking.
"It's not your fault," Freya told her as she slowly extracted herself from both Chloe and the bed.
The Doctor pulled them all out of the room and down the stairs to the living room.
"We need to find and get rid of all the pencils we can before she wakes up. Can you do that for us, Trish?" the Doctor asked. Trish nodded. She started picking up pencils and such as they made their way downstairs.
"Chloe usually got the brunt of his temper when he'd had a drink. The day he crashed the car, I thought we were free. I thought it was over," Trish admitted shakily.
"Did you ever talk with her about it?" Freya asked Trish gently. Trish shook her head.
"I didn't want to," Trish admitted.
"Maybe that's why Chloe feels so alone. Because she has all these terrible dreams about her dad but she can't talk to you about them. I felt that way too, growing up. My parents wouldn't touch me. They wanted nothing to do with me, and I grew up painfully alone," Freya told her.
"Her and the Isolus. Two lonely kids who need each other," the Doctor agreed, pulling Freya into his arms as well.
"It won't stop, will it?" Masen spoke up.
"It'll just keep pulling kids in, won't it?" Masen added quickly.
"It's desperate to be loved. It's used to a pretty big family," the Doctor admitted.
"How big?" Marie asked.
"Around four billion?" the Doctor guessed.
"We're going to head to our vehicle and find what we can. We will be back. Keep an eye on her and get rid of any pencils," the Doctor told Trish. Trish nodded immediately as the group of them left the house.
"We need that pod," the Doctor said.
"It crashed. Won't it be destroyed?" Rose asked the Doctor.
"Well, it's been sucking in all the heat it can. Hopefully that should keep it in a fit state to launch. It must be close. It should have a weak energy signature that the TARDIS can trace. Once we find it, then we can stop the Isolus. Masen, Marie, I want you to scope the street for it. It should be about this big, and would have been attracted to heat," the Doctor explained. Marie and Masen both nodded and took off as Rose and Freya followed the Doctor back to the TARDIS.
Until Freya felt an odd tugging sensation.
And then nothing.
To one side of her was white. As was the other side. Straight ahead, she could make out the distant shape of a large girl. Chloe?
Freya's heart sank.
Chloe had drawn her.
"Now we can be together. He won't take you from me. You'll be here too. We can all be here. We won't be alone," Chloe said to Freya. Freya's eyes widened. No. Chloe thought the Doctor was taking her away. That's why this was happening. She thought that Freya wasn't going to come back and she'd never see Freya again.
"I saw them go into a box. I'll draw it for you. So you have a box to rest by if you get tired. I don't want you tired. I like you," Chloe continued speaking. Freya didn't know what to say. She was terrified. She trusted that she wouldn't be hurt, but could they get her out? Or was she going to be trapped there forever? Would she have to live her life as an image on a piece of paper, permanently trapped there?
She slowly moved her hand into her pocket, finding a marker. She had no idea when it had gotten there; it had to have been the TARDIS once more moving things into her pocket that she assumed Freya would need. Freya noticed something appear on her other side, realizing it was the TARDIS. No. She hoped the others weren't still inside.
She took the marker and very slowly was able to spell out PLEASE on the paper. She just hoped Chloe could read it.
"Please what? I'm helping you. We can be together. You even got your box," Chloe pointed out just as the door burst open. Freya heard something before the Doctor's face appeared in front of the paper. Freya could only watch as the Doctor's hand brushed against the page where her cheek was.
A single tear fell down his cheeks as he shook his head.
"Free her," the Doctor ordered.
"No. I want Freya to stay with me," Chloe said stubbornly.
"I said LET HER GO!" the Doctor roared, throwing himself at Chloe. Freya quickly struggled against the feeling to try to write something else on the paper. It was like she was moving through something thicker than water.
STOP. I'M FINE. SAVE ISOLUS.
Freya felt drained by the time she'd finished spelling that out. She could see that Trish had broken the two of them up. The Doctor glanced back at the page, eyes widening at her words.
He nodded and touched Freya's cheek once more.
"We'll get you out," he promised. He was out of sight a moment later.
"He can't stop me," Chloe said as she picked up her pencil once more. She started drawing on the paper next to Freya. Freya's eyes widened. No.
But it was yes. A few seconds later, the Doctor appeared next to her on the paper, as flat as she was. Freya reached out and grabbed his hand as soon as he was on the page. He opened his mouth but no words came out. Freya handed him the marker that she had, moving slower than before as she did.
A few seconds later, Rose appeared in front of them.
"Doctor, Marie found the pod. What do we do? We have no idea what to do, how to fix this," Rose cried, staring at them. She moved out of sight, her voice barely making it to them as the Doctor moved his arm and drew a picture next to them on the page. A picture of a torch. Of the Torch. The Olympic torch.
Rose made it back to glance down at them only to see the Torch. Her eyes went wide and she took off running out of the room.
Once she'd left, the Doctor moved towards her. The movement was incredibly slow, and Freya found that she herself could barely move at all. By the time the Doctor had managed to get her into his arms, her eyes were drifting shut in exhaustion. Whatever material they were in seemed to have a stronger gravity. It was all Freya could do to remain standing. The Doctor's grip on her tightened, holding her up as he pressed his forehead against hers.
Her eyes slid shut for a blink but didn't open again.
When they opened again, she was in Chloe's room, lying on the bed. Chloe Webber was sitting next to her, holding her hand just as she had done to her. There was a half-drawn globe on the wall and Trish was standing there, staring at the telly. The telly where the reporter was talking about how everyone was back now.
Back? Where had they gone? Had Chloe drawn them all?
"Are you okay?" Freya asked Chloe. Chloe jumped slightly and nodded, eyes wide.
"It's gone," Chloe said.
"Where's the Doctor?" Freya asked, her voice quiet as she forced the words out of her throat.
"I don't know," Trish admitted as someone started pounding on the door. Freya slowly stood up, nearly falling over as she did. Chloe and Trish helped her down the stairs as they tried opening the door, only to find it wouldn't open.
The other doors around them slammed shut.
"Trish, get out!" Rose's voice shouted from the other side of the front door.
"We can't! The door's stuck!" Trish shouted back as a red glow started to come from upstairs.
Oh. Oh no. The pictures. If they'd all come to life…what about Chloe's dad? Freya' blood ran cold at the thought.
"Is the Doctor and Freya in there?" Rose asked.
"Freya is but the Doctor isn't," Trish said.
"Mummy," Chloe said, gripping both Freya and her mother's hand tightly.
"Chloe, I'm coming to hurt you," the voice called from upstairs.
"Please dad. No more," Chloe begged, eyes screwed shut in fear.
"Chloe," the voice continued.
"Chloe, listen to me. It isn't real," Freya tried telling the girl.
"It isn't real like the others' It's just energy left over by the Isolus, but you can get rid of it," Rose added from the other side of the door.
"Help us!" Trish shouted in terror.
"It's because you're so scared that he's real. But we can get rid of him, Chloe," Freya told the girl.
"Mummy!" Chloe cried out in fear.
"We can do this, Chloe," Freya reassured her.
"I can't!" Chloe cried.
"No. You can't alone. But we can together," Freya told her.
"Mummy!" Chloe cried once more.
"I'm with you, Chloe. You're not alone. You'll never be alone again," Trish finally said, pulling Chloe and Freya close to her.
"Sing! Chloe, Trish, sing!" Rose called from the other side of the door.
"Chloe. I'm coming to hurt you. Chloe!" the voice called, getting closer.
"Merry merry king of the bush is he. Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra, gay your life must be. Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra, gay your life must be," Chloe and Trish sang shakily as the glow faded and the voice stopped. Freya let out a shaky laugh as Chloe and Trish stopped singing. Freya sank to the ground, as did Chloe and Trish.
"That was amazing. With each other, the two of you can do anything," Freya told them shakily.
"Thank you. Thank you so much," Trish said earnestly. Freya shook her head.
"I told you. It's what the Doctor does. He fixes people," Freya told Chloe specifically.
"But what about you? You fix people too," Chloe pointed out.
"I help him fix people. I'm like his assistant. I'm no one important," Freya said dismissively.
"You are to me," Chloe said in a small voice. Freya stared at the child for a moment before pulling her into a hug.
"Thank you. I appreciate that," Freya murmured to the girl.
"Why don't I go make us a nice cuppa? We could use something to calm our nerves down," Trish suggested, making her way to the kitchen. Freya opened the door to see Rose sitting there, Marie and Masen standing a ways away.
"Where's the Doctor?" Freya asked, glancing around. She didn't see anyone else though, and from the looks on their faces, they didn't know either.
"Right. Come in. We're going to have a calming cup of tea before we search for him," Freya said, holding the door open wide. Rose reluctantly stood and made her way in, as did Masen and Marie. Once they were in the living room, Rose launched herself at Freya, hugging her tightly.
"I was so scared, seeing you on that sheet of paper. I thought you were gone," Rose cried. Freya patted her back gently, realizing that Rose just needed to hold onto her.
"It's okay. I'm fine. Everything's fine now," Freya murmured, rocking Rose gently before Rose finally pulled back.
"But we still don't know where the Doctor got to. Everyone else has already come to life. Why hasn't he? And wouldn't the first thing he check be Freya?" Masen asked.
He glanced over at the telly, where the people were all on the screen and the reporter seemed ecstatic about it.
"They've returned. They've reappeared. It's quite incredible. Bob, this will certainly," the reporter continued.
"Eighty thousand people, so where's the Doctor? He'd bettered get his skinny arse here soon, or I'm going to kick it right back onto that paper," Marie grumbled.
"But hang on, the Torch Bearer seems to be in a bit of trouble. We did see a flash of lightning earlier that seemed to strike him. Maybe he's injured. He's definitely in trouble," the reporter said as the torch bearer collapsed.
"But that's where we threw the pod!" Marie said, eyes wide, turning to Masen.
"Does this mean that the Olympic dream is dead?" the reporter continued as a man in a brown suit picked up the torch.
"He didn't," Freya breathed, eyes glued to the screen.
"Doctor," Rose breathed happily.
"There's a mystery man. He's picked up the flam. We've no idea who he is. He's carting the flame. Yes, he's carrying that flame and no one wants to stop him. It's more than a flame now, Bob. It's more than heat and light. It's hope, and it's courage, and it's love," the reporter continued as the Doctor approached some sort of a cauldron and lit the flames.
"Come on. Let's go meet him," Marie said, jumping up. Trish had just entered with the cups of tea. Freya hugged her after setting the cups down and then hugged Chloe.
"It was nice meeting the both of you. Fantastic, really. I've got to go, though," Freya told them.
"Will we ever see you again?" Trish asked her hesitantly. Freya hesitated before shrugging.
"You never know. I never know who I'm going to see again," Freya answered honestly.
"Well, if you ever need anything, we're right here, and our door's always open to you," Trish responded as Freya followed her friends out the door.
"He'll be back in this area real soon," Freya informed them.
"I'm surprised he didn't come check on you first," Masen said. Freya shook her head and stumbled slightly, vision blurring a bit. By the time her vision had straightened out, she was being held by not just Masen but Marie and Rose as well.
"Are you okay?" Rose asked in concern.
"I'm fine. Just exhausted. Moving while on paper was draining," Freya said.
"Let's get you back to the TARDIS," Masen said, immediately moving Freya towards the TARDIS. Freya dug her heels into the ground as much as she could.
"Nah. I'll be fine. Let's go find the Doctor and watch the Olympics. I'm dying to see what's going to happen," Freya said with a grin.
Her words were the wrong choice. Masen's expression tightened even more if possible at her words.
"Rose, Marie, why don't you guys run ahead? I need to have a word with Freya," Masen said. Marie and Rose exchanged looks before taking off ahead of them, shooting conspicuous looks over their shoulders as they did.
"What's wrong? Why are you so…worried?" Freya asked Masen. Masen pulled out his phone and quickly typed away at it. When he was satisfied with where he was, he held the phone up to her face.
" 'Status regarding Freya nee O'Leary has been upgraded to maximum protection possible. Original life expectancy lowered, and pregnancy increases risks of death.' I got that text this morning," Masen said angrily.
"Who sent you that text?" Freya asked, alarmed.
"It doesn't matter. What matters is you putting yourself at risk!" Masen said.
"Why do you care so much? Until recently, you hated me," Freya pointed out. Masen took a deep, shuddering breath.
"I care because I have to care. You're Marie's best friend. Where I work, we are constantly trying to keep you as safe as possible whenever we can. You've got to stay safe. I won't lose any more of my family!" Masen finished, eyes wide. Freya's own eyes widened in realization.
"You view me as part of your family now. We're your only family, since Mickey left," Freya realized. Masen's shoulders dropped at her words.
"I just want you to stay safe," Masen muttered. Freya gave a tiny laugh and hugged him tightly.
"I am safe. And I'm not leaving. I'm sorry Mickey left. But everything's okay," Freya informed him.
Someone cleared their throat behind them and Freya pulled back from Masen slowly.
"Keep your hands off my wife," the Doctor said playfully, but Freya could see the seriousness in his voice.
"Keep your wife off my fiancé," Marie shot back with another grin before sending Freya a worried look.
"Where have you been, dear? I thought we'd lost you to something more fun," Freya told the Doctor, mustering up a cheeky grin. The Doctor pulled her to his side, having her in his arms before Freya felt her legs shake.
"Nah. Not on a night like this. This is a night for lost things being found. Come on," the Doctor said, moving them all along.
"What now?" Rose asked eagerly.
"I want to go to the Games. It's what we came for," the Doctor said.
"Told you we'd stay for the games," Freya said.
"Go on, give us a clue. Which events do we do well in?" Marie asked excitedly.
"Well, I will tell you this. Papua New Guinea surprises everyone in the shot put," the Doctor told them as he continued walking. Rose and Marie stopped in shock.
"Really? You're joking, aren't you?" Rose asked.
"Doctor, are you serious or are you joking?" Marie joined in.
"Wait and see," the Doctor called to both of them as fireworks start going off over the arena they were heading towards.
"Everything always turns out all right in the end, doesn't it? Even when the world tries splitting us all apart, it'll never succeed," Rose said happily.
"Never say never," Freya said automatically, not liking the sound of an absolute. An absolute felt like they were challenging the universe. Freya didn't like the thought of challenging the universe anything.
"Nah. The five of us, we're one big family. We'll always be together, always okay," Rose said.
The Doctor stopped in his tracks at her words, looking quite spooked.
"There's something in the air. Something coming," the Doctor said, breathing deeply. His grip on Freya tightened even more to the point that it was painful.
"What?" Rose asked, alarmed at his change in mood.
"A storm's approaching."
This chapter's longer to make up for the fact that the next chapter is shorter. As of right now, there will only be two more chapters left in this story before the sequel. If Doomsday gets to be too long, I may split it into two chapters (which will make you absolutely hate me cause it'll be at the worst part ever that I'll split it).
So, with saying that, I'm hoping to crack 200 reviews with this story before the sequel. It'll be my first story to hit 200 reviews. I think I'm fourteen away from that. Fourteen reviews for three chapters isn't bad, so I'm sure you guys'll be able to help me out with that! (Just so you know, that's not a threat. I'm writing the sequel no matter what; I just would love to see the review count pass 200.)
Sorry for the long note. Spread my story, guys!
(Oh, and if any of you are upset about the sheer amount of people in the TARDIS...get over it. It won't last. And you'll be missing them all when all the bad things happen to them. So savor your time with them all!)
Andi