An Eternity Among The Stars

by seasidewriter1

Waking up in the Doctor Who world after a serious car crash, Selene finds herself being invited to travel with the Doctor and his companions. Together they all protect the earth from the dangers it faces as well as saving other worlds and time periods. But as time goes on, how strong will the relationship between the two become? Will they fall in love? starts with 10 *Doctor/OC*

6. The Idiot's Lantern

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who (the places, planets, the aliens, the creatures) or any of the characters… and saddest of all, I do not own the Doctor. Which sucks. I only own my OC, Selene.

6. The Idiot's Lantern

London, 1953

Rain was sheeting down in the night-blanketed streets, the droplets pelting the windows of Magpie Electricals. Thunder crackled and came accompanied with brilliant flashes of lightning, making the night all the more dismal. Magpie, the only proprietor of aforementioned electronics shop, was bent over the front desk, doing his books before the night ended. He was surrounded by televisions and other electronic odds and ends, and the voice of the woman on the black and white television display behind him wasn't helping much either.

" Orchestrations were arranged by Sir Rodney Fenning, and Dame Eve English is a member of the Kings Lynn Players. So tune in again next week for more from the 'What's My Line' team. And that brings us to the end of programming for today. So, from all of us here at Alexandra Palace, a very good night," She said in a very proper voice, as her image flickered away and was replaced by a symbol as 'God Save The Queen' began to play.

A very good night? That was certainly not what Magpie was having, not in the least bit.

" £200 overdrawn…" He muttered to himself, ripping the page he'd been writing in out of the book. He sighed to himself as he crumpled up the piece of paper in his big hands. " I need a miracle." The piece of paper soon found itself hurled to the corner of the room, Magpie leaning against the desk with his face in his hands.

Inside the Connolly home, the family was gathered in the living room, listening to the nightly programs on the radio. Tommy, the youngest of the family, sat on the couch reading a magazine while his Gran ate a crumpet and his mother, Rita, used a sewing machine by the window. Rita laughed quietly.

" He's a caution, that one. He does make me laugh," She said with a smile. Eddie Connolly, Rita's husband and Tommy's father, walked into the room wearing a suit with a collection of medals across the left half of the suit jacket.

" Oh, our Lord and Master," Gran said to him with a smile.

" Rita, I'm off out," He told his wife as he continued to fix his tie. Tommy excitedly turned to look up at him.

" Dad," He said, holding up the magazine to him, which displayed a picture of a television.

" Oh, how many times, son? We'll see."

" But everyone's getting a telly, Dad, even Mr. Gallagher. And the bells at number sixty-seven," Tommy informed, leaning back into the couch, casting his eyes to the magazine again.

" Well, perhaps we'll get one for the Coronation." Tommy looked at him hopefully. " If you're lucky. We'll see." He ruffled Tommy's hair and turned to look at a smiling Rita. " Don't wait up."

" I heard they rot your brains; rot them into soup and your brain comes pouring out of your ears! That's what television does," Gran told Tommy, a worried tone to her voice.

Magpie Electricals soon found itself struck by a red volt of lightning, connecting with the broadcasting antennae atop the roof. Inside, Magpie's head rested among scraps of paper on the desk, exhausted to the point he'd passed out trying to sort everything out. The blank telly suddenly jolted on, the image of the woman from the evening broadcast coming back on in a flash of red.

" Mr. Magpie," She said. Magpie stirred slightly, waking up at the sound of his name. " Mr. Magpie." He sat up and looked around, confused.

" Eh?"
" Whoo-hoo! Can you hear me, Magpie?"

" Yes…" He replied cautiously, turning towards the telly. " I must be dreaming…"

" Oh no, this isn't a dream," She assured him with a smile. He stared at the woman on the screen who had dark painted lips that were probably red if he could see her in color, and short dark hair that curled.

" I'm going doolally then," Magpie muttered, eyes trained on the screen.

" Not at all, Sweetheart. Now, are you sitting comfortably? Good. Then we'll begin."

Laces of red electricity arced out of the screen, latching on to Magpies head. His face began to be sucked towards the screen and the woman laughed as he screamed.

OOOO

On The TARDIS

Selene donned a sweater and grinned at herself in the wardrobe mirror. It was the first time she'd gotten to dress in period clothing in the TARDIS or on any adventure. Of course when the Doctor announced,

" We're going to have some fun and see Elvis! Think of how fun that'll be! Now, remember we'll need to blend in as best we can, so go down to the wardrobe and dress accordingly! Remember, the fifties!" Selene immediately knew what episode she was about to get into. She knew they wouldn't make it to see Elvis. She knew it was going to be dangerous… but she just knew that it was going to be fun. The fifties! She'd always wished that the fashion would revert to those types of dresses again; she loved the styles. The TARDIS wardrobe was massive with clothes from every era possibly imaginable hanging on racks. There was also what she considered to be normal Earth clothing to her, and made a note to herself to sneak down and borrow some of it sometime. She soon lost Rose in there as they split up looking for dresses, seeing as there was no organization possible in that room and everything was completely mixed up.

Selene happily stepped out of the wardrobe and walked through the halls of the TARDIS and up to the console. The Doctor turned from what he was doing and grinned as he looked her over.

" Well, don't you look all dolled up!" The Doctor exclaimed as he put his hands in his pockets and walked towards her. His hair was slicked and brushed back into a sort of Pompadour style, which was drastically different from its normal messy style. Paired with his usual suit, he still looked completely handsome. Selene returned the grin and spun in a circle, the skirt of her dress fanning out around her.

Her dress was a pale blue with floral prints spreading up the skirt, a dark blue belt around her waist, a white sweater on her shoulders, a gold locket around her neck, and a pair of tan saddle shoes that had two-inch heels. Her hair was curled tightly in an almost longer version of Marilyn Monroe's hairstyle, and was pinned in some spots to keep it out of her eyes.

" Why thank you, Doctor!" Selene told him. She pointed to his hair. " Brand new style I see."

" Yeah, it is. Thought I could change it up a bit… just this once though."

" Good, 'cause I sort of love the whole… spiky, messy look," Selene admitted, fixing the back of one of her shoes. The Doctor paused before leaning against the console and smiled at her.

" Really?" He asked, sounding satisfied as he crossed his arms and ankles. Selene laughed a bit and nodded.

" Of course!" She said with a smile. Grinning, the Doctor giggled a bit.

" So, excited to see Elvis?"

" Of course! But I like the Beatles just a bit more."

" Well, we'll have to make a visit to them sometime!" The Doctor told her with honesty, smiling even more. A shocked look came over her face.

" Really?" She asked in disbelief.

" Yeah! I mean, why not? They must be a great bunch to be around." Selene grinned and hugged him tightly.

" Oh my God, that would be amazing!" She told him with disbelief still her voice, which was muffled by his shoulder. He chuckled and returned the hug, smiling at her enthusiasm.

" I'll make sure it happens then."

" So where we going exactly?" Came Rose's voice as she walked up to the console. Selene pulled away from the Doctor, who quickly turned and flicked some switches before checking the monitor.

" New York City," The Doctor replied. Rose leaned against the console and handed Selene a pair of sunglasses and they both watched as the Doctor flicked about the room, adjusting controls and buttons.

" New York?" Rose questioned, trying to make sense of the plan.

" Yeah!"

" I love New York; great big city full of life," Selene commented as she fixed her hair.

" We landed yet?" She asked the Doctor, who grabbed a hold of the monitor.

" Uh… just about… yes! We've landed! Step out those doors and we're in good ol' NYC!" He announced, running off to go look for something. Selene and Rose exchanged a look and laughed as they walked towards the door. Rose wore a pink dress that had a skirt falling half way down her calf with a blue form-fitting leather jacket zipped over it. Matching pink heels adorned her feet and she also had on a pair of fishnet stockings and her blond hair was pulled, pinned and hair sprayed back, a pink headband resting on her head as well.

The two women stepped out of the door, looking around as the Doctor began to follow. They looked around at the grey skies and Rose finally voiced what had been nagging in her mind.

" I thought we'd be going for the Vegas era," She admitted. " You know the… white flares and the, grr, chest hair." Selene laughed a bit and the Doctor poked his head out the TARDIS door, giving Rose and odd look.

" You are kidding, aren't you?" The two turned to look at him. " If you want to see Elvis, you go for the late fifties. The time before burgers, when they called him 'The Pelvis,' and he still had a waist. What's more, you see him in style!" He told them as Rose and Selene began to laugh, rolling their eyes a bit. The moment of laughter, however, was interrupted by the revving of an engine. Both turned to see the Doctor ride out of the TARDIS on a scooter, which just so happened to be the same color of the TARDIS, wearing a white crash helmet and aviator sunglasses. With that and the pin-striped brown suit, he fit in perfectly. He carried two other helmets in his hand as he zoomed out the door, passed them and skid to a stop a few feet away. Rose and Selene shared a laugh and the Doctor smiled over at them.

" You two dolls goin' my way?" He said in a deepened voice and in a manor that clearly said he was imitating Elvis. Both girls looked at each other and grinned.

" Is there any other way to go, Daddy-o?" Rose asked in an American accent. " Straight from the fridge, man." She eagerly pulled on her pink-framed sunglasses, walking over.

" Oh, you speak the lingo!" The Doctor exclaimed happily in his normal voice as he handed Rose a pink helmet. " How about you, Selene?" Selene smirked, shut the TARDIS door and pulled on her blue-tinted aviators and made her way over.

" Don't flip your lid, I've got it down," She said with a laugh as he giggled a bit and tossed her a light blue helmet. Rose sat on the seat behind the Doctor and said,

" I got it from watching Cliff Richard movies every bank holiday Monday." She pulled on her helmet and secured it on her chin, wrapping her arms around the Doctor's waist. Selene was happy to notice that there was enough room for her to sit behind Rose, and took her seat, securing her helmet.

" Oh… Cliff. I knew your mother would be a Cliff fan," The Doctor said with a small shake of his head as they took off down the street, the scooter managing to stay stable even with the three of them sitting on it.

" Where we off to?" Rose called out over the sound of the engine.

" Ed Sullivan TV studios! Elvis did 'Hound Dog' on one of his shows, there were loads of complaints," The Doctor replied. " Bit of luck, we'll just catch it."

" And the TV studio's in New York, correct?" Selene asked doubtfully as she looked at all the buildings.

" That's the one!"

" This definitely does not look like New York, trust me," Selene said. They all noted the red double-decker bus that sped across a street when they stopped to let it pass and red circular mail drop-off boxes and a doorway lined with Union flags to their right. Rose laughed for a moment as the Doctor looked around confused.

" Ha-ha! Digging that New York vibe!" She teased and Selene laughed as well.

" Definitely not New York, sorry, Doctor," She told him with a smile.

" Well… this could still be New York… I mean… this looks very New York to me," The Doctor said; voice unsure as he glanced around. " Sort of… London-y New York, mind, but…"

" What are all the flags for?" Rose asked.

They all looked up to see strings of red, white and blue triangular flags strung up between the two rows of houses, hanging over the street.

" We could stop and ask someone," Selene suggested as she nodded to a group of men just on the side of the street.

" Yeah… yeah, we should do that," The Doctor agreed, hopping off the scooter, Rose and Selene following suit. They removed their helmets and pulled off their sunglasses, making their way to the men. Two workers were pulling out a television from the back of a van, supervised by a man in a tan coat.

" There you go, sir!" Magpie told a man in a grey sweater-vest. " All wired up for the great occasion!" The Doctor, catching said comment, scratched behind his ear and asked,

" 'The great occasion'? What do you mean?" Magpie looked at the three as if they were insane.

" Where have you been living, out in the Colonies?" He asked jokingly.

" Yes," Selene said in both a sarcastic and joking tone, a kind smile on her face. Rose snickered and rolled her eyes at Selene's antics.

" Well… it's the Coronation, of course!"

" And… what Coronation is that, then?" The Doctor asked, still trying to set a date and place. Magpie froze in shutting the back doors of the van and raised an eyebrow, thinking they all must be joking.

" What do you mean?" He asked. " The Coronation." The Doctor's eyebrows shot up and Rose had a connection click in her head.

" The Queen's- Queen Elizabeth!" She said, looking over at the Doctor, clearly tyring to get him to catch on.

" Oh. Oh!" The Doctor let his head fall back in realization. " Is this nineteen fifty-three?" He asked with a joyous tone.

" Last time I looked. Time for a lovely bit of pomp and circumstance," Magpie said to them as Selene nudged the two and nodded to the roofs; tons of television antennas were on almost every single roof. " What we do best."

" Look at all the TV aerials…" Rose muttered. " Looks like everyone's got one. That's weird. My Nan said tellies were so rare, they all had to pile into one house."

" Not 'round here, love," Magpie told her. " Magpie's marvelous tellies, only five quid a box." The Doctor wandered a few feet away, suddenly grinning again.

" Oh, but this is a brilliant year! Classic! Technicolor! Everest climbed! Everything off the ration! A nation throwing off the shadows of war and looking forward to a happier, brighter future!" The Doctor exclaimed happily, holding out his arms with a grin on the last bit. Rose and Selene couldn't help but forget about their suspicions on the televisions and laugh with him. He always managed to get off track from the current conversation and go off on another topic, and at times like that moment, it was just the best thing in the world to listen to.

But, of course, as all adventures with the Doctor go, the mood immediately switched as a woman yelled,

" Someone help me, please! Ted!" The four all spun around, smiles gone, and saw two men in suits dragging a figure out of a house with a blanket over their head like a hood. " Leave him alone! He's my husband! Please!" The Doctor sprinted towards the house, Selene and Rose not too far behind. They stopped a few feet short of the car where the hooded man was being shoved into.

" What's going on!?" The Doctor asked in worry.

" Oi! What are you doing!" A younger voice shouted as a younger boy, Tommy, came running out of a house across the street.

" Police business, now get out of the way, sir," A man in a hat told the Doctor, face completely stern. Tommy had just stopped by Selene and the group watched the scene in absolute confusion. Selene turned to Tommy, pointing to the man in the car.

" Do you know who they're taking?" She asked quickly. Tommy looked through the back window of the car, only discerning who it was by the woman standing and watching with tears on her cheeks.

" It must be Mr. Gallagher," He decided in a shaky voice. The car sped off, leaving Mrs. Gallagher sobbing on the sidewalk. " It's been happening all over the place. They're turning into monsters."

" Tommy!" Came the authoritative and angry voice of his father, who stood in the doorway of his house, glaring at his son. " Not one word! Get inside! Now!"

" Sorry," Tommy apologized, a conflicted look on his face. He thought maybe these strangers could help. That they might know what to do. He wanted to tell them more, ask for help, but if his father was as angry as he sounded, he would have to give the notion up. " I'd better do as he says." Tommy jogged back across the street and the Doctor turned his eyes to the car. The Doctor pulled on his sunglasses and grabbed his helmet, dashing back to the scooter. The three jumped on and got ready, revving the engine and kicking up the kickstand.

" All aboard!" The Doctor called out as they took off after the mysterious car. Selene held on tightly to Rose's waist as they hit small bumps and weaved slightly. The Doctor was speeding up swiftly, dodging other cars and the random citizen, trying to catch up with the car. When the car swerved around the corner, she knew that it would have disappeared by the time they got there. She thought she was going to fall off as they made the sharp turn around the corner, but the scooter soon came to a stop as they noticed one thing: no car in sight. Just a fruit vendor.

" Lost them," The Doctor said in surprise. " How did they get away from us?"
" I'm surprised they didn't turn around and arrest you for reckless driving! Have you actually passed your test?" Rose asked.

" By the way he just drove and the occasional odd landing in the TARDIS, do you think he's passed any driving or flying tests?" Questioned Selene as she caught her breath.

" Men in black?" The Doctor continued on his own train of though, earning a groan from Rose and a chuckle from Selene. " Vanishing police cars? This is Churchill's England, not Stalin's Russia!"

" Monsters, that boy said…" Rose trailed off, remembering what Tommy had told them in a rush. The Doctor turned his head to look at her. " Maybe we should go ask the neighbors."

" That's what I like about you- the domestic approach."

" Thank you," Rose said before pausing, face falling. " Hold on, was that an insult?" The Doctor merely smiled a bit as he moved the scooter forward again, cutting off the conversation.

OOOO

Tommy slowly inched his ways up the stairs that led to his Gran's room. Mr. Connolly had her locked up there once… it happened. Tommy was getting worried about her. With all the thumping they heard on the floor, day and night, he didn't know what was wrong or what could help. He'd managed to snag the key to her room and decided he would go check on her, to make sure she was still alright. He paused on the steps as another loud thump sounded from behind one of the doors on the landing. He walked over to the door and reached out the key, preparing to slide it into the lock.

" Gran?" He asked softly. " Gran, it's me. It's Tommy. I'm gonna come in, Gran. Stand back." As he began to put the key in the lock, Mr. Connolly stepped onto the landing, hands in his pockets, eyes narrowed angrily. " Just don't… I'm sorry, but I've got to come in."

" What do you think your doing?" Mr. Connolly asked gruffly. Tommy turned quickly and stared at his father, wide eyed.

" We've got to try and help her, Dad."

" Give me that key." Tommy didn't move to hand over he key. " I said, give me that key right now." He finally stepped forward and handed his father the key, who snatched it up and put it in his pocket. " Don't think I'm finished with you," He practically growled to his son, who ducked his head and walked down the stairs again, heading for the living room.

" All the warnings I've given you, and every time, every time, you disobey me!" Mr. Connolly said in a hushed yell once they stood in the living room, Mrs. Connolly watching with a saddened expression.

" We can't just lock her away," Tommy protested, voice sounding quiet and weak.

" Excuse me, sunshine,I am talking. And you can forget that college nonsense. You're gonna come work alongside me, get your hands dirty for once!" Mr. Connolly turned away from him and began to pace away. Another thump sounded from the ceiling. They all looked up and Mrs. Connolly let out a shuddering breath.

" Oh, Lord. Won't she ever stop?" She asked sadly as another thump resonated through the house. Her husband held her arms and said,

" There, there, Rita, my sweet. Business as usual. Now lets get these up all over the house." He gestured to a pile of Union flag decorations. " In honor of Her Majesty."

" But, Eddie, what if she's dying?" She asked, tears in her eyes. That was her mother locked upstairs and she worried about her day and night.

" I AM TALKING!" Mr. Connolly shouted in his wife's face, releasing her arms. She stared at him, watery eyed, mouth hanging open as the only sound in the room became the television and the sputtering sound of an engine outside. " That's better. A little bit of hush!"

The doorbell rang.

When Mr. Connolly opened the door, there stood the Doctor, Selene and Rose, all with big grins on their faces.

" Hi!" The three said in unison. Tommy stood in the hall behind his father and stared at the three familiar faces. Mr. Connolly's dark eyebrows furrowed at the trio on his doorstep.

" Who are you then?" He asked. The Doctor looked him over and began talking through his thoughts out loud, reaching for the Psychic Paper.

" Let's see, then, judging by the look of you- family man, nice house, decent wage, fought in the war- therefore I represent," He pulled out he Psychic Paper and held it up for Mr. Connolly to look at, grinning as he said, " Queen and Country! Just doing a little check of Her Forthcoming Majesty's subjects for the great day!"

" Would you mind if we came in?" Selene asked as they all looked at him with questioning looks.

" Nah! Didn't think you would, thank you!" The Doctor said quickly as they began to walk into the house, a surprised looking Mr. Connolly stepping aside to close the door after they stepped in. The Doctor made a bee-line to the living room, hands clasped behind his back as he walked. " Not bad! Very nice! Very well kept!" He walked towards Mrs. Connolly, who stood by the television. " I'd like to congratulate you, Mrs…?"

" Connolly," She replied. Tommy walked in and stood to the side, Mr. Connolly following Selene and Rose in.

" Now then, Rita, I can handle this. This gentleman's a proper representative!" He told her, smiling in an almost smug manor, hands behind his back. " Don't mind the wife, she rattles on a bit." The three time travelers looked over to Mrs. Connolly who gave her husband an almost frightened look.

" Well, maybe she should rattle on a bit more," Suggested the Doctor. Rose sat on the arm of an arm chair, carefully arranging her skirt around her. " I'm not convinced you're doing your patriotic duty. Nice flags. Why are they not flying?"

" There we are, Rita, I told you, get them up, Queen and Country," Mr. Connolly said.

" I'm sorry," She said to the Doctor, who moved towards her husband, brow furrowed.

" Get it done! Do it now." The Doctor gestured for her to stay were she was.

" Hold on a minute," He said.

" Like the gentleman says-"

" Hold on a minute. You've got hands, Mr. Connolly. Two big hands. So why is that your wife's job?"

" It's house work, innit?"

" And… that's a woman's job?" The Doctor inquired, brows raising.

" Of course it is!" He replied, earning a look from Selene.

" Mr. Connolly, what gender is the Queen?"

" She's a female."

" And are you suggesting the Queen does the housework?" The Doctor asked again, voice hushed. Tommy felt a small smile tug at his lips, but didn't show it, only looking back and forth between his father and the man in the pin striped suit in the pause that ensued the question.

" No," Mr. Connolly finally replied, sounding slightly appalled. " Not at all!" The Doctor snatched up a string of flags and held them out to him saying,

" Then get busy!" He nodded towards the corner of the room.

" Right, yes, sir! You'll be proud of us, sir! We'll have Union Jacks left, right and center!" At his comment, Rose stood and turned to face him, brow arching, hands on her hips.

" Excuse me, Mr. Connolly. Hang on a minute. 'Union Jacks?'" She asked.

" Yeah, that's right, isn't it?" He asked, sounding confused.

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

" Oh. Oh, I'm sorry I-I do apologize!"

" Well, don't get it wrong again. There's a good man. Now get to it!" She ordered, voice becoming a demanding yell at the end, which made him turn and continue to pin up the flags. She turned and smiled at the Doctor who raised his eyebrows and said,

" Right then!" He sat down on the left side of the two person couch, Rose sitting beside him, Selene taking the arm of the piece of furniture on the Doctor's left. " Nice and comfy, at Her Majesty's leisure!" He smiled and kept it there as he leaned over to whisper to Rose. " Union flag?"

" Mum went out with a sailor," Rose explained with a smile. The Doctor laughed.

" Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh! I bet she did!" He turned back to Mrs. Connolly and Tommy. " Anyway, I'm the Doctor, this is Rose and this is Selene, and you are?" He directed his eyes to the boy, who was probably in his early to mid teens.

" Tommy," He responded, brown eyes sliding over to his father nervously.

" Well, sit yourself down, Tommy," The Doctor insisted kindly, both him and Rose scooching apart to make room for him in between them. He patted the cushions and Tommy walked over, sitting down, Mrs. Connolly taking the armchair to Selene's left.

" Look at that," Selene said as everyone leaned forward to look at the television.

" I love telly, what about you?" The Doctor asked Tommy, smiling. The subject made him smile and he nodded.

" Yeah, I think it's brilliant."

" Good man!" There was a pause where they all watched the program. " Keep working, Mr. C!" He looked over at Mrs. Connolly, face serious. " Now, why don't you tell me what's wrong?"

" Did you say you were a doctor?" She asked quietly.

" 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," Mr. Connolly said in a controlling voice.

" Oh, the gentleman does," The Doctor countered cleverly.

" If you tell us what's wrong, we can help you, we promise," Selene told her softly, reaching out and gently taking the older woman's hand when she began to cry. The Doctor had noticed this about Selene on the travels he'd been on with her; she was always looking out for other people before herself. Always trying to make sure everyone was okay and happy, helping them every chance she could get. He truly admired that about her, she was an extremely loving and caring person, and that's just what the Connolly's needed at the moment.

As Mrs. Connolly began to sob, Rose came over and both she and Selene wrapped an arm around her, comforting her.

" It's alright. Come on," Rose said softly and comfortingly. " Oh, it's alright… it's alright."

" Hold on a minute," Mr. Connolly finally said. " Queen and Country's one thing, but this is my house! What the-" He stared at the flags in his hands before tossing them to the floor. " What the hell am I doing!?" He marched across the room to glare menacingly at the taller man seated on the couch. " You listen here, Doctor. You may have fancy qualifications, but what goes on under my roof is my business!" The Doctor has his cheek resting against his fist, and he began to talk over him.

" All those people are bundled into-"

" I am talking!" Mr. Connolly shouted again. The Doctor, completely angered, jumped up and glared down at the man, face scrunched up.

" And I'M NOT LISTENING!" The Doctor shouted back with surprising volume and anger. Mr. Connolly stared at him in surprise. " Now, you, Mr. Connolly, you are staring into a deep, dark pit of trouble if you don't let me help." Selene noticed Tommy's surprised expression and slid over to him, letting Rose continue to comfort Mrs. Connolly. She slid an arm around the boy's shoulders, rubbing his arm gently and he looked up at her, a slightly worried look coming onto his face. She knew that she would want some sort of comfort if a chaotic situation had just broken out around her. She gave a kind smile as the Doctor continued to speak. " So I'm ordering you, SIR, tell me what's going on!"

Three thumps sounded from the ceiling again.

" She won't stop," Mr. Connolly finally said as they all looked up at the ceiling.

Thud. Thud.

" She never stops!"

" We started hearing stories all 'round the place. People who've… changed," Tommy offered as everyone turned their attention to him. " 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, come to the door and take them, any time of the day or night."

The Doctor's brow was creased in thought. It was about time they finally figure out what was going on.

" Show me," He told him.

Gran's room was pitch black when Tommy opened the door. Everyone was quiet. Everyone was waiting. Selene could feel the tension like it was a blanket settling down on everyone's shoulders.

" Gran? It's Tommy. It's alright, Gran. I've brought help," Tommy said as one by one they all entered the room, seeing the old woman's silhouette rock towards them in the dim light coming from behind the pale lace curtains. Tommy turned on a lamp and they all stared at what stood before them.

Tommy's grandmother had no face. None at all; her eyes, nose and mouth were completely absent, leaving a smooth surface. Selene held back the impulse she had to grab the Doctor's hand, so she gripped the skirt of her dress instead. She couldn't let her feelings towards him become real… he loved Rose, always did, always will. Selene shook her head again, focusing on the present problem at hand.

The Doctor almost immediately stepped forward and leaned close to inspect where Gran's face used to be. He gestured Selene and Rose over as he grabbed for the Sonic Screwdriver in his pocket.

" Her face is completely gone…" The Doctor muttered, stating the obvious. Holding the Sonic the way an actual doctor might hold a flashlight to observe one's pupils, he clicked the button, bathing the old woman's face in blue light. As it pulsed, he scanned her forehead curiously. His forehead creased. " There's barely an electrical impulse left… Almost complete neural shut down, it's just taking over. It's like her brain's been… wiped clean."

" What are we gonna do, Doctor? We can't even feed her," Tommy said, voice once again quiet, face turning worried again. Just then, they all heard the front door crash open. Spinning around Rose announced,

" We've got company."

" When do we not get company? I think it's become part of our travels," Selene pointed out as panic quickly befell them.

" It's them! They've come for her," Mrs. Connolly said with worry, wringing her hands as the men came tromping up the steps.

" What was she doing before this happened, where was she?" The Doctor asked quickly, trying to get as much information as he could to pin down a cause. " Tell me, quickly. Think!"

" I can't think! She doesn't leave the house! She was just-" Tommy was interrupted as a man in a suit came in. The Doctor held up a finger.

" Hold on a minute! There are three important, brilliant, and complicated reasons you should listen to me. One-" The Doctor's speech was cut off by getting swiftly punched across the face, falling to the floor, completely unconscious.

" Doctor!" Both Rose and Selene shouted, falling to their knees on either side of them.

" Oh my God!" Rose muttered.

" Leave her alone! You'll hurt her!" Mrs. Connolly called out as the men dragged her mother out of the room, blanket over her head. Mrs. Connolly was then shoved to the bed. She quickly jumped up, racing after them. " Mum! Mum!"

" Hey, hey!" Selene shouted as she jumped to her feet. She carefully squeezed her way past Tommy and his mother, running for the stairs as fast as she could. As the men pulled Gran outside, she jumped the last five steps, landing hard on her feet, causing her to stumble and for the two behind her to catch up. When she tried to push past Mr. Connolly, he barred her way out by blocking the doorway with an arm.

" Let me out!" She yelled at him, yanking on his arm, only earning a shove backwards into the house. She gaped at the older man when she tripped over the carpet and fell on her backside. Tommy reached out to help her up as his mother said,

" Don't hurt her!"

" Back inside, Rita," Mr. Connolly ordered.

" She's my mother!"

" Back inside, now, I said!" He demanded as the elderly woman was put in the same black car as Mr. Gallagher.

Back upstairs, Rose was trying to get the Doctor to wake up. She was leaned over him, patting his cheeks when suddenly he jolted up, nearly banging his head against his.

" Ah! Hell of a right hook!" He yelled out. He sucked in air through his teeth and shook his head. " Have to watch out for that!" He jumped to his feet and bolted down the stairs, Rose at his heels.

Tommy helped Selene stand and she then pushed their way to the door.

" Don't fight it! Back inside!" Mr. Connolly said as Tommy tried to break free from the house and run after the car.

" To Hell with you!" Selene shouted as she pushed her way outside and ran down the steps. The Doctor ran after her, joining her at the scooter, where they pulled on their helmets.

" Rose, come on!" He called out. " Rose, we're gonna loose them again!" When Rose didn't appear, he groaned and jumped back onto the scooter, pulling Selene with him. " Hold on tight!" Selene quickly wrapped her arms around the Doctor's waist as the scooter lurched forward after the car. Her chest was pressed into his back and her hands were clasped together to make sure her hold around his waist stayed.

Once again the Doctor wove around corners with hairpin turns and the scooter tilted and swayed on occasion, but Selene felt more assured she wasn't about to fall off now that she had the Doctor to hold on to. She could feel his chest rise and fall as he breathed and with her nose close to his neck and shoulder, she could once again smell his unique scent; to her it honestly smelled a bit like peppermint, which she happened to love, but she shoved that thought aside once she felt a hot blush spread across her cheeks. She tried not to think about how close to the Doctor she was, which was exceedingly hard seeing as she could feel every muscle he moved.

When the car made a jerky turn down that same alley from earlier in the day, they tried to speed up in order to catch them. This time around, they managed to just catch a glimpse of the car disappearing behind the set of wooden gates and the fruit vendor was back in place, sweeping up the street. The Doctor laughed as they slowed down and he stopped the scooter, using a foot to brace the ground and keep them standing. He stood up slightly, bringing Selene up with him, her arms still around him, as he grinned.

" Oh, very good!" He complimented. " Very good!" He looked back at Selene who smiled at his rather excited expression.

" It's like a spy movie, don't you think?" She commented. " Like when the bad guy or the super spy just disappear into thin air leaving no trace behind them. It's exactly like that."

" Yes, but I'd say that we have the upper hand don't you? So, why don't we go park this thing and have a look around?" He whispered to her, still grinning. She grinned back and nodded, blowing a loose strand of hair from her face as they sat back down, motoring off.

The night air whispered against the skin of the two time travelers as they walked down the street, helmet free, checking for any way in to whatever secret hideout the car continuously disappeared into. The Doctor checked a cold wrought iron fence only to find it locked, and the two kept moving, footsteps light, noting the presumably fake vendors were out of sight now. The Doctor spotted a small, red, metal door in a wall by the wrought iron gates and shuffled over to it, back against the wall as he reached for the Sonic. Selene gave a nod to him and kept watch for anyone as he used the Sonic to open the door. The lock clicked and opened, the Doctor crouching down a bit to walk through the small door. After he disappeared through it, Selene crouched down and walked through as well, shutting the door behind herself.

The duo silently stepped through a small alley and peered through a crack in a set of metal doors. They watched as two men padlocked a wire door and gate before they walked off, unspeaking. The Doctor nodded to the door and Selene nodded before the two bounded across the parking lot like area.

" You're very good at that, you know," The Doctor pointed out in a whisper as they stopped at the door, noting a caged off area where a group of faceless people stood.

" Hm?" Selene asked as the Sonic pulsed and the door unlocked.

" Walking quietly; especially in those shoes, seeing as they usually click a bit. You've been silent as the grave." She laughed quietly as they continued to walk silently as they whispered their conversation.

" One word: theatre. When you have to walk around back stage and not be seen or heard, you become well versed in stealth," She joked before going serious again as they approached the containment unit for the faceless people. The Doctor opened the door and swung it open, slowly pulling out a flashlight, noting Selene carefully inched to his side as they looked around. Carefully, they stepped inside, shining the light on the people in front of them. No faces. Just like Tommy's Gran. Their fingers would suddenly clench into fists before slowly and stiffly uncurling with creaking noises.

" I can grow to deal with no faces…" Selene whispered as they looked around, eyes directed at their hands. " But the hands I cannot deal with… it's really freaky…"

Slowly, ever so slowly, they all turned to face the two, shuffling towards them with heavy feet. Selene couldn't help herself as she snatched up the Doctor's hand as they backed up. He squeezed her hand reassuringly and just as their backs hit the thin metal grating of the cage a set of bright lights switched on behind them. They both squinted and turned their heads to look behind them. The men from before were back, and the car headlights were turned on. They were just silhouettes against the light, but they seemed fairly intimidating.

" Stay where you are."

OOOO

Rose, having found a lead on the back of the Connolly's television, found herself walking through the door of Magpie Electronics. The man who had been delivering televisions earlier that day stood behind the front desk, looking surprised to see her.

" Oh, I-I'm sorry, Miss. I'm afraid you're too late. I was just about to lock the door," Magpie told her. Rose smiled as she shut the door behind her.

" Yeah? Well, I want to buy a telly," She told him.

" Come back tomorrow… please," Magpie almost begged as he continued to fiddle with a device on the countertop. Rose arched a brow as she scratched the back of her head.

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

" What?"

" For the big day? The Coronation."

" Yes, yes, of course, the big day." He glanced up at her as she walked over to him with long, confident steps. " I'm sure you'll find somewhere to watch it. Please go."

" Seems to me half of London's got a television… since you're practically giving them away," Rose pointed out, leaning against the front counter with her hands. She looked at the wall of televisions, and Magpie directed his eyes down.

" I have my reasons."

" And what are they?" Rose leaned forward curiously. As he met her eyes a burst of static and feedback echoed through the store, causing them to look at one of the televisions, which had static flickering across the screen. Suddenly, the face of a woman appeared. The Wire. Magpie felt dread wash through him.

" Hungry… Hungry!" The Wire complained in a drawn out voice.

" What's that?" Rose asked.

" It's just a television. One of these… modern programs," Magpie lied with a nervous smile. " Now, I really do think that you should leave, right now!" He rushed to the door nervously, voice shaking.

" Not until you've answered my questions," Rose told him with a serious voice, not buying anything he'd been telling her. " How come your televisions are so cheap?"

" It's… my patriotic duty. Seems only right that as many folk as possible get to watch the Coronation. We may be loosing the empire, but we can still be proud! Twenty million people they reckon'll be watching. Imagine that. And twenty million people cant' be wrong, eh? So, why don't you go back home and get up bright and early for the big day?" He grinned and put a hand on the doorknob, hoping she would finally leave. But, having no such luck, Rose shook her head.

" Nah, I'm not leaving till I've seen everything."

" I need to close…"

" Mr. Magpie, something's happening out there. Ordinary people are being struck down and changed, and the only new thing in the house is a television… Your television. What's going on?"

" I knew this would happen…" He muttered, face falling grim. " I knew I'd be found out…" Rose watched in confusion as he locked the door. She fidgeted nervously with her skirt, nodding slight.

" A-alright then, just you and me… You gonna come clean then? What's really in it for you?"

" For me? Perhaps some peace."

" From what?"

" From her," Magpie muttered, eyeing the woman on the television. Rose looked over to the screen, being directly lined up with it.

" That's just a woman on the telly. That's just a program," She told Magpie in a quiet voice, slowly beginning to wonder if this man was going crazy.

" What a pretty little girl," Said the Wire. Rose's eyes widened as she directed her attention back to the woman.

" Oh my God, are you talking to me?"

" Yes, I'm talking to you, little one. Unseasonably chilly for the time of year, don't you think?" The Wire asked.

" What are you?"

" I'm the Wire. And I'm hungryyyyy!" The woman's face scrunched up as she dragged out the y.

Just then, cables of red electricity shot out from the screen, attaching to Rose's head, her face slowly being sucked towards the television.

" Magpie! Help me!" Rose begged.

" Just think of that audience tomorrow, my dear… All settling down to watch the Coronation. Twenty million people. Things will never be the same again," He said softly and sadly. " I'm sorry… so sorry."

" Help me!"

The Wire smiled.

" Goodnight, children. Everywhere."

OOOO

" Start from the beginning, tell me everything you know," Said a rather severe and thin looking man, standing behind a desk. He had shed his jacket and had, wearing a loosened tie and a set of suspenders over a white button down shirt.

They were in an abandoned warehouse that seemed to be the 'base of operations' for who ever these people were. There was a map on the far end of the room, files on the desk, and the whole place was horribly dilapidated. The windows were smashed and dangerously jagged pieces of glass were still stuck in the frames, and the ceiling wasn't in much better condition. The desk lamp was turned towards the Doctor and Selene, who sat in two desk chairs in front of him, the light hitting their faces perfectly. They merely stared up at him. Selene had her arms and legs crossed and the Doctor had an eyebrow arched. He sucked in a breath.

" Well… for starters… I know… you can't wrap your hand 'round your elbow and make your fingers meet," The Doctor said, looking thoughtful. The man never specified what to tell him; he just said 'everything you know,' and for the Doctor, that just so happened to be a lot. Selene suppressed a smile but let out a snort of laughter

" Don't get clever with me!" The man snapped, jabbing a finger at the Doctor.

" Well, you never told us what to tell you. You just said what we know, and he knows that it isn't possible," Selene supplied casually. The man pointed at her.

" Same for you, Missy! You were both there today at Florizel Street, and now breaking into this establishment." Selene couldn't focus on what he was saying as she saw the man who stood behind him was now trying to wrap his fingers around his elbow to test what the Doctor said. She snickered silently and tried to focus again. " Now, you're both connected with this- make no mistake."

" Well… the thing is… Detective Inspector Bishop-" The Doctor began but was swiftly cut off.

" How do you know my name?" The man behind the desk asked. The Doctor's brows rose and his eyes widened a bit.

" It's…" His eyes flickered to the man's collar. " Written inside your collar," He said matter-of-factly. Selene finally let out a laugh before Bishop's glare at her shut her up. He fixed his tie so his collar wasn't open that much at the top any more. " Bless your Mum. But I can't help thinking… Detective Inspector, you're not doing much detective inspecting… are you?"

" I'm doing everything in my power!" Bishop responded.

" All you're doing is grabbing those faceless people and hiding them as fast as you can!" He smirked and swiveled the office chair to lean his head back to look at Selene. " Don't tell us…"

" It's orders from above, isn't it?" Selene finished with a grin. " You know, tomorrow's Coronation day… everyone will turn their attention to London Town, and we can't have faceless people running-a-muck can we?" She raised her eyebrows as she stretched out her arms, which had grown stiff.

" The nation has an image to maintain!"

" But doesn't it drive you mad doing nothing?" The Doctor questioned, a curious tone to his voice as he scrunched his face up. " Don't you want to… get out there and investigate?"

" You know, go all Sherlock Holmes on the situation, do some real, legitimate investigating?" Selene asked her curiosity also piqued. She was beginning to notice that her head, while it no longer hurt from getting bashed around in a car crash, was still fuzzy on details; she could remember big picture ideas, but she couldn't get the small bits in place. Those just liked to hum about in her head and give her feelings about situations… if she was lucky. Right now, she was pretty much blind on the situation, besides knowing that Rose would be there soon…

" 'Course I do. But…" He slowly sat. " With all the crowds expected, we haven't got the manpower. Even if we did… This is… beyond anything we've ever seen. I just don't know anymore…" Bishop sounded defeated and tired. Almost ready to give up. Selene and the Doctor exchanged an almost worried look. When Bishop leaned on the desk, in unison the duo did as well, the Doctor tightly crossing his arms. " Twenty years on the force, and I have no idea where to start. We haven't the faintest clue what's going on."

" Well… that could change," The Doctor informed him.

" How?" The Doctor and Selene stood, looking down at him, mirroring their situation from only a moment ago as Selene said,

" Start from the beginning. Tell us everything you know." Her face was dead serious and calm, but a kind look still resided in her eyes, making her seem tough and trust worthy at the same time… because she was. There was a moment of silence as he stared at Selene, debating what to do, but Bishop then stood and walked towards the map. The Doctor looked over at Selene and smirked a bit.

" Nice going," He commented. She grinned at him.

" Watched a lot of cop shows back at home, knew they'd come in handy one day," Selene teased as they followed the DI towards the map. The Doctor pulled on his glasses and peered at the map and the areas pinned down.

" We started finding them a month ago. Persons left sans visage, heads just… blank," Bishop told them.

" Is there any sort of pattern?" The Doctor questioned as he turned to the desk, looking at case files and pictures.

" Yes, spreading out from Northern London, all over the city- men, women, kids, grannies. The only real lead is, there's been quite a large number in-"

"Florizel Street," The Doctor and Selene said together as Selene moved over to look at the map a bit closer.

A knock sounded on the door. When it opened a man said,

" Found another one, sir." They all looked up and Selene felt her heart plummet. A man stood there with a person who was covered in a blue wool blanket, pink skirt visible, hands clenched.

" Good man, Crabtree. Here we are, Doctor. Take a good look, see what you can deduce," Bishop said as the trio slowly made their way towards the blanketed figure. The man pulled off the blanket swiftly, revealing a faceless Rose.

" Rose," The Doctor immediately said, voice quiet and broken. His face was scrunched slightly in shock and horror as he stared at her. Selene's face almost mirrored his perfectly as she shakily took a few more steps towards her friend.

" Do you know her?"

" Know her? She…" The Doctor trailed off as he stood directly in front of the blond woman, Selene just off to the side, biting her thumbnail. She could see the pain and love in the Doctor's eyes as he looked Rose over. Once more, she reminded herself this was why she couldn't be falling for the Doctor. He would always love Rose no matter what, it was what she had to now fully except as reality. But another thing that hit her at that moment was how horrifying this all really was now that she truly knew the Doctor and Rose; she knew so much about them, and they were family to her, and they felt the same way towards Selene. She could barely look at Rose in the state she was in.

" They found her in the street, apparently, over at Leicester Square, abandoned," Said Crabtree, but his words seemed muted to the Doctor and Selene, the fear for their friend pounding in their ears.

" That's unusual, that's the first one out in the open. Heaven help us if something happens in public tomorrow for the big day. We'll have Torchwood on our backs then, no mistake," Said Bishop. Crabtree's words finally registered in his mind

" They did what?" The Doctor asked, a quiet and slow fury creeping into his voice.

" I'm sorry?"

" They left here where?"

" Just… in the street," Bishop replied.

" In the street… they just left her in the street… they took her face and just chucked her out and left her in the street… And as a result that makes things… simple, very, very simple… Do you know why?" The Doctor asked as he turned, pulling off his glasses.

" No."

" Because now, Detective Inspector Bishop, There is no power on Earth that can stop me! Come on!" He shouted, snatching Selene's hand as he ran out of the room. Selene stumbled down the steps as the Doctor continued to pull her with him, anger evident in his face as he Converse clad feet pounded down the stairs.

" Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Selene said as the heels of her shoes skidded against the edges of the steps, almost falling a few times. Outside, the night was over and the sun shone. The Doctor's grip on Selene's hand hadn't loosened. In his mind he was trying to sort out whether it was because he needed the comfort of knowing someone was there, or if it was to make sure he wasn't about to loose her too. Then something in his Time Lord brain clicked and he realized it was both. Once joined by Detective Inspector Bishop, they left through the metal gates and looked out at the street.

" The big day dawns," Said Bishop. The Doctor began to walk off, Selene still holding his hand, and Bishop followed. " Where do we go first?"

" There's someone we know who could tell us what's going on," Selene said.

" Who?"
" A boy by the name of Tommy Connolly." They all made their way to their modes of transportation and Selene put a hand on the Doctor's shoulder. He looked over at her, face still stern.

" We're going to get her back, I promise," She told him softly, offering a caring smile. He nodded once and got on the scooter, starting it back up.
Once back on Florizel Street, car and scooter parked, they swiftly made their way towards the Connolly house. The Doctor rang the doorbell and they patiently waited for it to open. When it did, Tommy stood there, staring at the Doctor and Selene and Bishop in surprise.

" Tommy, talk to us." Tommy stepped outside, beginning to shut the door. " We need to know exactly what happened inside your house." The door was yanked open and Tommy stepped to the side as his father burst out.

" What in blazes do you think you're doing!?" Mr. Connolly said in a whispered shout.

" I want to help, Dad," Tommy told him.

" Mr. Connolly," The Doctor said sternly. He stepped forward, glaring the Doctor.

" Shut your face, you, whoever you are! We can handle this ourselves!" He spun on his heel to face Tommy. " Listen, you little twerp. You're hardly out of the blooming cradle, so I don't expect you to understand, but I've got a position to maintain! People 'round here respect me! It matters what people think!" Selene's jaw clenched as Mr. Connolly practically shouted at his son, who stayed quiet before finally saying,

" Is that why do did it, Dad?" A surprised look came over Mr. Connolly's face.

" What do you mean? Did what?"

" You ratted on Gran. How else would the police know where to look? Unless some coward told them!" Tommy said, an upset bite coming into his voice.

" How dare you!" Mr. Connolly growled, backing Tommy up against the wall. Selene took one step forward, ready to yank him away from Tommy if the situation were to call for it. " You think I fought a war just so a mouthy little scum like you could call me a coward!?" Tommy held his ground despite the shouting.

" You don't get it do you? You fought against fascism, remember- people telling you how to live, who you could be friends with, who you could fall in love with, who could live and who had to die. Don't you get it? You were fighting so that little twerps like me could do what we want, say what we want. Now, you've become just like them. You've been informing on everyone, haven't you? Even Gran. All to protect your precious reputation!" Tommy said, finally voicing his long held-back opinions. Selene smiled proudly at him, glad he'd finally taken a stand.

" Eddie…" Mrs. Connolly said quietly as she came to the door. They all looked at her. " Is that true?" She had a hurt look on her face as realization hit her.

" I did it for us, Rita! She was filthy! A filthy disgusting thing!" Mr. Connolly shouted, sounding like a little child throwing a fit.

" She's my mother." Her voice was broken as she stared at her husband. " All the others- you informed on all the people on the street, our friends."
" I had to." He looked around at everyone. " I… I did the right thing!"

" The right thing for us or for you, Eddie?" She turned to her son. " You go, Tommy. Go with the Doctor and Selene and do some good. Get away from this house. It's poison. We had a ruddy monster under our roof, all right, but it weren't my mother!" And with that the door was slammed in Mr. Connolly's face.

" Rita!" He called out.

" Tommy," Selene said softly, extending and arm and hand. Slowly he turned his gaze away from his father and walked over to her, letting her wrap a comforting arm around his shoulders, rubbing his arm.

The street was filled with playing children and adults setting up tables to create one long one down the length of the street, getting ready for the celebration. The Doctor, Selene, Tommy and Bishop made their way down the street, hoping they'd fix everything in time.

" Tommy, tell me about that night, the night she changed," The Doctor said. Tommy stood in between the Doctor and Selene, hands in his pockets.

" She was just watching telly," Tommy explained.

" Rose said it." The Doctor looked up at all the roofs. " She guessed it straightaway, of course she did. All these aerials in one little street- how come!?"

" Bloke up the street, Mr. Magpie, he's selling them cheap," Tommy told the trio. The Doctor immediately took off running, Selene at his heels.

" Come on!" He called over his shoulder.

OOOO

Once they bolted up the street to Magpie Electricals, the shade was drawn, signaling that the shop was closed. Not taking that as a way to stop him, the Doctor broke the pane of glass, sticking his hand through to grab the doorknob and unlock the door.

" Here, you can't do that!" Bishop told him.

" With all do respect, Detective Inspector, when he's upset he won't listen to reason," Selene said. " And honestly, neither do I." The Doctor rushed inside and shouted,

" Sir!" He marched to the front counter and continuously hit the call bell. " If you're here come out and talk to me! MAGPIE!"

" Maybe he's out," Tommy suggested.

" It seems that way, which is horribly inconvenient," Selene said as she approached the counter that the Doctor went around, rifling through drawers before something caught his eye.

" Oh, hello, this isn't right," He muttered. " This is very much not right." He held what seemed to be a portable television with a strap. Selene couldn't help but snicker as the Doctor lifted it… and licked it. He paused before saying, " Tastes like iron. Bakelite. Knocked together with human hands, yes," He dropped it on the counter, " But the design itself…" He pulled out the Sonic and scanned it. " Oh, beautiful work. That is so simple!"

" That's incredible," Bishop added in. " It's like a television but portable! A portable television!"

The Doctor slowly raised the Sonic and all the televisions in the room switched on, fading in through static.

" It's not the only power source in this room…" He muttered. On all the screens were faces. The faces of the people who'd been attacked by the wire. They all stared around in shock. They were mouthing words, but no sound came out. Tommy's eyes went wide when he spotted his Gran's face.

" Gran?" He asked. The Doctor's eyes suddenly snapped to Rose's familiar face… and she looked scared. She was mouthing the word 'Doctor'. He crouched down by the screen and looked at her face sadly.

" I'm on my way…" He murmured.

Suddenly Magpie burst in from the back, through a set of beads hanging from the doorway.

" What do you think you're doing?" He asked. The Doctor's head snapped towards him, face slowly contorting in anger.

" I want my friend restored!" In told Magpie as he rushed over to the shorter man, towering over him. " And I think that's beyond a little backstreet electrician. So, tell, me, who's really in charge here?"

" Yoo-hoo! I think that must be me," The Wire said from one of the television. Everyone diverted their eyes to the screen. " Oh! This one's smart as paint!" She said as the Doctor walked over.

" Is she talking to us?" Bishop inquired.

" I'm sorry, gentlemen, miss. I'm- I'm afraid you've brought this on yourselves. May I introduce you to my new… friend," Magpie stuttered.

" Jolly nice to meet you."

" Oh my God, it's her! That woman off the telly!" Bishop exclaimed in shock.

" No, whatever it is, it's only using her image. It's probably more convenient," Selene supplied before the Doctor could say anything.

" Clever girl, aren't you?" Asked the Wire, smirking. Selene shot the woman on the screen a look.

" What? What are you?" Tommy asked, sounding a bit confused and intrigued.

" I'm the Wire. And I will gobble you up, pretty boy. Every last morsel." Suddenly the screen shifted into color; the woman's lips were red, her dress was greenish blue and her hair was a deep brown. " And when I have feasted, I shall regain the corporeal body, which my fellow kind denied me."

" Good Lord! Color television!" Bishop was in absolute shock, staring wide-eyed at the screen. Selene pat his shoulder as she moved to stand to the Doctor's right.

" So, your own people tried to stop you?" The Doctor asked, eyes trained on the screen, hell-bent on figuring out what was going on.

" They executed me. But I escaped in this form and fled across the stars," The Wire replied.

" And now you're trapped in the television," He said as the color faded back to black and white.

" Not for much longer."

" Doctor, is this what got my Gran?"

" Yes, Tommy. It feeds of the electrical activity of the brain, but it gorges itself like a great overfed pig, taking peoples faces, their essences. It stuffs itself," The Doctor explained as the woman on the screen smiled.

" And you let her do it, Magpie," Bishop said.

" I had to. She allowed me my face," Magpie said, finally speaking with some sort of confidence. " She's promised to release me at the time of manifestation."

" What does that mean?" Tommy questioned.

" The appointed time, my crowning glory?"

" The Coronation," Selene pointed out quickly.

" For the first time in history, millions gathered 'round a television set." A smirk suddenly appeared on the Doctor's lips as he strode forward to the television. " But you're not strong enough yet, are you? You can't do it all from here." He grinned, backing away from the screen. " That's why you need this!" He held up the portable television. " You need something more powerful. This will turn a big transmitter into a big receiver."

" What a clever thing you are," The Wire said, voice laced slightly with sarcasm. " But why fret about it? Why not just relax, kick off your shoes and enjoy the Coronation? Believe me- you'll be glued to the screen."

Once again, the red arcs of energy attached to all of their faces, and as they all yelled out, the Wire again said,

" Hungry! Hungry! The Wire is hungry! Ah, this one is tasty! Oh, I'll have lashings of him! Delicious! Ah!" The Doctor was slowly inching the Sonic up, attempting to turn it on. This caught the Wire's attention. " Armed! He's armed and clever! Withdraw! Withdraw!" The electricity arcs disappeared and they all collapsed to the floor. " The box, Magpie! The box!"

Magpie ran forward and snatched it from the Doctor's hands as he noticed Bishop's face was now gone.

" Hold tight!" In one arc of energy, the Wire was now in the portable television, held in Magpie's hands. " Conduct me to my victory, Magpie." He ran from the shop, slamming the door behind him.

The Doctor sat up suddenly, shaking his head as he looked around. Bishop, now faceless, was clenching and unclenching his hands, Tommy seemed to be passed out, and Selene had fallen face down on the floor. The Doctor shook Tommy's foot.

" Tommy, wake up. Tommy! Come on!" He called. Tommy jumped awake, sitting up as the Doctor put away the Sonic.

" What happened?" Tommy muttered. The Doctor, noting that Selene had still yet to move, he got on his knees and leaned over to shake her shoulder.

" Selene, are you alright?" He asked with worry. No response. Her back was stiff, as were her arms, and she didn't seem to be moving much. " Selene?" He once more received no response. He took her shoulders and rolled her over onto her back. He felt his hearts freeze and his blood run cold at what he saw.

Selene was faceless. Her body was completely stiff and her hands were slowly unclenching then clenching again.

The Doctor was furious. Selene was gone now too. First Rose, now Selene. This was getting far too personal for him now. As he gently let her rest on the floor again, it finally seemed to hit him how genuinely important she was. She was destined to be great, to save the world, to be brilliant, to travel with him in the TARDIS for however long she wanted. And he wasn't about to have all those future adventures robbed from not only her, but himself as well. He stood as pure anger coursed through his veins.

" Where's Magpie?" He asked. He bolted out the front door, Tommy quickly following after staring at Selene a moment.

" We don't even know where to start looking," Tommy mentioned with worry. " It's too late."

" It's never too late, as a wise person once said. Kylie, I think… The Wire's got big plans, it'll need- oh, yes, yes, yes, it's going to harvest half the population, millions and millions of people and-" He froze as he looked around. " Where are we?"

" Muswell Hill."

" Muswell Hill… Muswell Hill!" He exclaimed, rushing over to Tommy. " Which means-" He looked in front of him and at a large building. He grinned. " Alexandra Palace! Biggest TV transmitter in North London! Oh! That's why it chose this place! Tommy!" He ran back towards the door to the electronics shop.

" What are you going to do?"

" We're going shopping!"

The Doctor forced himself to ignore his friends laying on the floor and sifted through boxes, trying to find what he needed. He quickly rattled off things he needed to Tommy, who became a great help as he began to sift through drawers of parts. He found something and held it up.

" This what you need?" The Doctor's eyes widened and he set aside his box as he ran over, taking it from his hands.

" Perfect! Right, I need one more thing," He exclaimed, picking up a collection of parts before handing it to Tommy, running out of the shop again.

They made it back to where the TARDIS was parked, and the Doctor bolted inside, snatching up and puling on his tan trench coat, draped a wire around his neck and another part for his device before exiting again.

" Got it, lets go!"

OOOO

As they ran through the streets, the Doctor was doing the difficult task of putting the parts together as they ran, Sonic held between his lips as they tried to make it to Alexandra Palace as fast as they could. Tommy was doing exceedingly well at balancing the pile of heavy parts, not dropping one of them. Just as they rounded the corner to Alexandra Palace, the Doctor finished putting everything together.

" There!" Tommy shouted, pointing to the figure of Magpie, who was climbing up the transmitter mast.

" Come on!" The Doctor insisted as they began to run again. They ran towards a security guard, who looked at them surprised.

" Whoa, whoa, whoa, where do you think we're-" He was cut off when the Doctor readily held out the Psychic Paper out to him, turning as he ran so the man could read it. " Oh! I'm very sorry, Sir! Shouldn't you be at the Coronation?"

" They're saving me a seat!" The Doctor called back as he and Tommy disappeared around the corner.

" Who did they think you were?" Tommy asked curiously. The Doctor looked at the Psychic Paper.

" King of Belgium, apparently!"

The two skidded into a control room, and the Doctor sprung around, connecting things and then running to grab a reel of copper wire.

" Keep it switched on! Don't let anyone stop you, Tommy! Everything depends on it, you understand?" He instructed as he slung the strap of the reel across his chest before running from the room again. As he ran, the wire trailed out behind him, making a sort of trail. As he sprinted past the security guard again and up the stairs to the transmitter mast, the man called out,

" You'll get yourself killed up there! Your majesty!"

The Doctor didn't have time to waste as he reached the top of the stairs and the bottom of the mast. Magpie was almost to the top, and the Doctor began to climb swiftly, the tails of his coat blowing out behind him. The metal of the transmitter mast was cool from the wind and warm in some spots from the sun. When the Doctor had finally reached the top, Magpie had already plugged the Wire in, and now arcs of red electricity were connecting to each TV aerial. Inside their homes, people were slowly getting their faces pulled in towards the screen, a sense of mass terror and confusion hitting them all.

The Wire was cackling with laughter.

" Oh, feasting! Feasting!" It said. " The Wire is feasting!"

" It's too late! It's too late for all of us!" Magpie called out to the Doctor in despair.

" I shall consume you… Doctor!" The Wire spat, a burst of energy hitting the Time Lord, causing his footing to slip momentarily, his feet swinging around to get a foothold again.

" I won't let you do this, Magpie!" The Doctor called up to him, finally regaining his footholds and climbing up more.

" Help me, Doctor! It burns!" Magpie groaned, his face contorted in pain as he gripped onto the mast. " It took my face! My soul!"

" You cannot stop the Wire. Soon, I shall become manifest."

The Doctor yelled out as he got shocked again and Magpie shook his head in denial.

" No more! No more of this! You promised me peace!" He called out.

" And peace you shall have," The Wire said with a smile. Magpie yelled out as he was zapped with energy, bursting into nothing. His struggle was over. The Wire laughed evilly as the Doctor tried to grab the portable television, only to be shocked again.

" Ah!" He yelled out, shaking his hand. " Been burning the candle at both ends?" The Doctor asked loudly over the sound of zapping and wind. " You've over extended yourself, Missus. You shouldn't have had a crack at poor old Magpie there." He snatched up the portable television and groaned as more electricity zapped his feet. As the Wire continued to laugh the Doctor said, " Rubber soles! Swear by 'em!"

He connected a plug to the portable television and… nothing happened.

" Oh, dear. Has our little plan gone horribly wrong, Doctor?" The Wire teased as it laughed evilly. The Doctor looked around.

No… no it has to work! Come on, Tommy! The Doctor thought as he felt panic begin to rise in his throat. Suddenly, something sparked and all the electricity slipped back from the TV aerials.

" No!" The Wire shouted in defeat. The Doctor grinned.

" It's closed down, I'm afraid! And no epilogue!" The Wire screamed and suddenly the screen shut off, turning the shout of despair into a sustained tone. The Doctor blew out a breath and could only hope that everything was back to normal.

After climbing down and calmly walking back to the control room, he leaned in the doorway. Tommy was staring at the screens as 'God Save The Queen' played.

" What've I missed?"

" Doctor!" Tommy spun around, smiling. " What happened?"

" Sorted," He said simply. " Electrical creature, TV technology, clever alien-lifeform… that's me by the way." The Doctor smirked. " I turned the receiver back into a transmitter and I trapped the wire in here." He put a hand on the device he'd made. He popped it open and pulled out a VCR tape. " I just invented the home video, thirty years early." He smiled at the tape then it fell as he said. " Betamax. Oh, look! God save the Queen, eh?"

They looked at the screens, where Queen Elizabeth the Second stood on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, waving with a smile on her face.

In Magpie Electricals, Selene's eyes shot open and with a gasp, she shot up into a sitting position. Her hands flew to her face as she felt her cheeks, nose and lips. She grinned and let out a breath of relief. She remembered the feeling of just… disappearing. Everything went black and nothing really had a sense anymore: no sense of touch, sound, sight or even time. It felt like moments ago, but it also felt like ages.

" He did it," She said to herself as she shakily stood up, sweeping a stray strand of hair back from her face. Bishop slowly stood, looking around in shock. She grinned at him as he smiled when he realized it was all over. Him being the only person there, she pulled him into a hug, and was surprised when he returned it. When she pulled back she sighed in relief again.

" Looks like it's over," Bishop said, straightening out his coat. Selene grinned as she made her way towards the door.

" The Doctor saved us again."

Just before Florizel Street, the group of once faceless people held by Bishop and his men, were gathered. Tommy took off running to embrace his Gran, who looked incredibly relieved to see him. The Doctor's eyes landed on a familiar face. Rose. She slowly grinned at him as he grinned back, speeding up his stride. When they met halfway, they pulled each other into a hug, grinning and laughing as they squeezed each other tightly. Rose couldn't explain how happy she was that she was back; being trapped for that long was one of the scariest things to ever happen to her. The Doctor knew that Rose was okay once again, and he had a feeling that Selene was as well.

" Oh, it's so good to have you back," The Doctor told her as they pulled back.

" It's great to be back!" Rose replied, grinning. She looked around, smile falling when she noticed that they were without one person. " Where's… where's Selene?"

" She had her face… sucked off as well, in Magpie's shop. She should have come 'round by now, I hope she's alright…" The Doctor trailed off as they didn't see her in any of the crowds heading to or from Florizel Street.

Selene rounded the corner and spotted Rose and the Doctor. She smiled as she walked closer, neither of them noticing her yet.

" You don't think she could've… gotten lost or gotten too scared and left, do you?" Rose asked.

" Oh, you are not getting rid of me that easily!" Selene said as she stopped a good seven feet away. Both spun around to face her, relief washing over their faces. She grinned and laughed as the Doctor rushed forward and pulled her into a hug, lifting her off the ground.

" You scared me," He muttered as she hugged back tightly, grinning into his shoulder.

" I didn't plan on getting my face sucked off. But I promise not to let it happen again, alright?" She teased as he set her back on the ground. He laughed.

" Good, I'll hold you to that."

" Thank God you're okay!" Selene said, turning to Rose, giving her a long, tight hug as well. " I was so worried about you! I thought I might have to endure the Doctor's long lectures alone!" The Doctor glared playfully as Rose burst out laughing.

" You knew I was going to be okay though," Rose pointed out.

" Ever so true. Hey, let's go do something fun; once in a life time chance, am I right?" Selene gestured to the small neighborhood crowds. Grinning, they all walked back to Florizel Street, explaining to each other what parts of the story they didn't hear and put it all together. They then watched as people sang, danced, laughed, ate, drank and had a good time in celebration of the Queen.

" We could go down the Mall, join in with the crowds," Rose suggested.

" Nah! That's just pomp and circumstance!" The Doctor disagreed, grabbing a pastry from the table. " This is history, right here."

" The Domestic Approach," Rose and Selene said in unison, grinning.

" Exactly!" The Doctor said through a mouthful of food. They all laughed as they watched everyone again.

" Will it… that thing, is it trapped for good on video?" Rose asked, sounding a tad worried. Who could blame her? The thing had taken her face.

" Hope so. Just to be on the safe side, I'll use my unrivaled knowledge of transtemporal extirpation methods to neutralize the residual electronic pattern.

" You what?" Rose asked.

" I'm going to tape over it," He simplified, earning a laugh from everyone.

" Just leave it to me I'm always doing that!"

Leaning against a table by Tommy the Doctor grinned.

" Tell you what, Tommy, you can have the scooter, little present. Best, um… keep it in the garage for a few years though, eh?" He told the boy, smiling. Tommy barely registered the comment as he watched his father leave his house, suitcase in hand.

" Good riddance," He said, nodding to him. They all looked.

" Is that it, then, Tommy? New monarch, new age, new world- no room for a man like Eddie Connolly."

" That's right. He deserves it," He said with a nod.

" Tommy, go after him," Rose said, nudging him. Tommy looked over at her confused.

" What for?"

" He's your Dad."

" He's an idiot."

" Of course he is, and also an ass, excuse my language, forget I said that," Selene said with a smirk as Tommy smiled at her. " But I'll have you know you are one of the smartest people I've ever met. You saved the world, and don't you dare stop there." She grinned at him. " Go." She gave him a kiss on the cheek before nodding after Mr. Connolly. Tommy turned away and ran after his father, catching pace with him. Then, after a moment, he took his suitcase.

As the father-son duo rounded a corner, the Doctor picked up two glasses of orange liquid and handed them to his two companions, who smiled as he picked up a third. They all clinked their glasses together in a silent toast before sipping at their drinks, smiling.

They stayed into the evening, celebrating with the neighborhood, and when it came time to go, they made their way laughing towards the TARDIS.

" I didn't know you could dance so well!" The Doctor commented to Selene with a grin. She laughed and blushed, shaking her head.

" I learn quickly. Besides, I watch way to many musicals and been in my fair share," She explained as Rose rolled her eyes at her when she disappeared inside the TARDIS.

" Hey, Selene, could I talk to you?" The Doctor asked just before she was about to follow Rose. She turned and looked at him, looking a tad confused.

" Um, sure, of course." She shut the door with a creak. " What's up?" She asked, walking back over to him. He put his hands in his pockets and gathered his thoughts a moment, a serious look coming back over his face.

" Well, over the past few trips we've taken, I've noticed that… despite the constant dangers, you always try to keep calm, usually successfully. You're always ready for more, even though you've almost died on more than one occasion, like today," He said, like he was trying to get to a very important point, but couldn't figure out how to get there. Selene's brow furrowed as she suddenly became a little worried. Was he trying to tell her he was going to bring her back to this reality's version of Boston? That she wasn't going to travel with him any more?

" So, um… I've got something for you," The Doctor finally said after a tense pause. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a key. A TARDIS key. " A key to the TARDIS. Consider yourself an honorary companion, a true one. A permanent one." He grinned, eyes glittering as he held it out to her. " What do you say? Keep traveling with me?"

A shocked look overcame her face as she took the key from his palm. She looked up at him and grinned, nodding.

" Yes! Oh my God, thank you! This is… amazing!" She flung her arms around his neck in a tight hug as he laughed and spun her around for a moment. Selene felt her eyes brimming with happy tears, which spilled onto the shoulder of his coat, turning the tan wool a bit darker brown. When he finally set her back onto the ground, she stared at the key in her hand and wiped at her cheeks with a grin. The Doctor, with one last smile to her, went back into the TARDIS to give her a moment.

Selene clenched the key in her hand as the metal warmed against her skin. She turned to fully face the TARDIS with a confident smile and placed a hand against the blue wood. She opened the door, which sounded a familiar squeak and stepped inside, shutting the door.

The TARDIS, she thought. My home.

Afterword: EH! MY GOD! Sorry about the wait! I had dress rehearsals from hell for a while plus papers and tests and quizzes and it was all so horrible for a few weeks! But I finally finished this and I'm in love with the episode! It was THE VERY FIRST Doctor Who episode I'd ever seen, so it holds a very important spot in my heart =) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it!

REVIEW REPLIES!

grapejuice101: I hope this chapter appeased your tears! I hated to see Mickey go! ='( I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks again!

notwritten: I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks again for the review!

TheMagentaColor: Tom Hiddleston is just amazing… I cannot explain how much I want to write a Loki/OC story. I've got the ideas, I just have to write it out… ahaha XD As for them falling for each other, Selene is clearly falling for him, but the Doctor's staring to realize how much he cares for her. I really hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

sashaxh: I haven't heard of any Mickey/OC stories, but it would be really interesting to read one! Now I wanna go search for one…

dirtyconfessions: Ohhhh Rickey XD Yeah, the bromance at the end is pretty awesome! I hate it when Mickey leaves =( And school is definitely a bitch… especially for me lately. But I hope you enjoyed the story! Thanks again!

Whyna Katran: I'm glad you like it! And I am so happy that when you rewatched The Girl In The Fireplace you could almost see Selene! That makes me really happy! =D Thanks again!

And thanks to those who have read and added this to their story alerts/favorites. It means so much! Thank you!

Anyway, that's it for this chap! I hope to get the next one up in a decent amount of time. It's another one of those 'to be continued episodes' ;) Anyway, review to let me know if you liked it! Thanks again!

~Mary