Right, here's part 3, sorry I did update anything yesterday, let's just say I was in a foul mood because my sister stole the plug for my laptop. Anyway, here we go.
Chloe was watching them through the window. "It can harness huge reserves of ionic power." the Doctor said pointing "We need to find the source of that power." He looked around "Find the source and you will find... whatever has taken to stealing children and fluffy animals. See what you can see." He tapped Rose's shoulder and gestured to his eyes "Keep 'em peeled, Lewis." Rose nodded and he kissed her cheek before he walked off.
--
Chloe was alone in her bedroom, sitting at her desk and apparently talking to herself. "I've given you friends and you still moan. Moan, moan, moan. You're lucky. You're all together." she complained and looked around at all the children in the drawings on the wall "You don't know what it is to be alone. If you did, you'd be thanking me." She pulled more paper towards her, obviously irritated. She started to draw, pressing the pencil into the paper just a little too hard, and the lead snapped "No!" she said frustrated. She scribbled randomly on the paper in her annoyance
--
Rose was alone and walking down what appeared to be a dead end. The neighbourhood was eerily quiet except from a dog barking. Something crashed from inside one of the garages, causing Rose to turn. The initial crash was followed by several smaller ones as she approached the garage door. "Is that you, puss-cat?" she asked "Are you trapped?" There was the sound of something metal rolling along the floor from within. Rose put her ear against the door, but jumped back almost immediately at the sound of another crash. She considered the door. "Not gonna open it, not gonna open it. Not gonna open it..." she said under her breath. And then she opened it. Slowly, tentatively... she looked inside and was immediately ambushed by what resembled a very violent tangle of wires, making a strange buzzing sound. Rose fell backwards. The Doctor appeared round the corner in the nick of time and started running as soon as he saw that she was in trouble.
"Stay still!" he shouted. He pointed his sonic screwdriver at the giant scribble, and it convulsed, collapsing into a small ball which fell into Rose's outstretched hands. The Doctor rushed to Rose and stands over her. "Are you all right, love?" he asked, concerned. He held out his hands and pulled Rose to her feet.
"Yeah." she said "Thanks."
The Doctor smiled and then pulled her into a hug before he turned his attention to the object in his wife's hand "I'll give you a fiver if you can tell me what the hell it is." he said as he poked it with the sonic screwdriver "'Cos I haven't got the foggiest."
"Well, I can tell you you've just killed it." she said
The Doctor took it from her "It was never living." he said "It's animated by energy. Same energy that's snatching people." He threw it up and down, delighted "That is so dinky! The Go-Anywhere creature. Fits in your pocket... makes friends, impresses the boss... breaks the ice at parties..." He put it in his pocket. Rose laughed as they walked of hand in hand. The couple headed back to the Tardis and the Doctor put the object on the TARDIS console for analysing. "Oh - hi ho, here we go. Let's have a look."
The Doctor and Rose were watching the computer screen, which wass displaying Gallifreyan symbols.
"Get out of here..." the Doctor said
"What's it say?"
As if to confirm what he had just seen, the Doctor took a pencil from his pocket and held the object out in front of him. He used the rubber at the end of the pencil to rub out part of the object. "It is!" he blew it "It's graphite! Basically the same material as an HB pencil."
"I was attacked by a... pencil scribble?" she asked
"Scribble creature." he said as he sniffed it and then he let Rose sniffed it "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?!"
"Maybe it was a mistake... I mean, you scribble over something when you wanna get rid of it. Like a um... like a drawing. Like a... a" a look of realisation crossed her face "Child's drawing." the Doctor looked at her "You said it was in the street."
"Probably..."
"The girl."
"Of Course! ... What girl?" he asked
"Something about her gave me the creeps..." she said "ven her own mum looked scared of her."
The Doctor leaned closer "Are you deducting?" he asked her
"I think I am." she said, looking conspiratorial
"Copper's hunch?"
"Permission to follow it up, sarge." she asked.
--
The Doctor and Rose went to Trish's front door and rang the door bell. After a moment they can see a blurry figure standing behind the door, so they rapped the letter box. Trish opened the door and they gave her friendly smiles "Hello! I'm the Doctor and this is Rose. Can we see your daughter?" the Doctor asked
"No! You can't." Trish answered
"Okay!" the Doctor said "Bye." The couple walked away, silently as though they were waiting for something and sure enough
"Why?" Trish asked, causing the couple to turn "Why do you want to see Chloe?"
"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 said
"Sorry to bother you." Rose said
"Yeah, sorry." the Doctor agreed "We'll let you get on with things. On your own. Bye again!" They turned and walked away again, but Trish did not close the door. After a few moments, she called them back
"Wait!" The Doctor and Rose turned again. The expression on Trish's face was helpless, vulnerable. "Can you help her?"
The Doctor smiled "Yes, I can." he answered and Trish let the couple in
--
Inside Trish's sitting room, footage of the Olympic Torch Bearer was on the TV. "The Torch Bearer is running up towards the mall, which I can tell you is..." The Commentator was saying as Rose sat down on the sofa while the Doctor flung his coat down next to her. "She stays in her room, most of the time." Trish explained "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."
"What about Chloe's dad?" Rose asked
"Chloe's dad died a year ago." Trish answered
"I'm sorry." Rose replied, she knew what it was like to grow up without a father.
"You wouldn't be if you'd known him." Trish told her
"Well!" the Doctor said, brightl "let's go and say hi!"
"I should check on her first... she might be asleep." Trish said, sounding hesitant.
"Why are you afraid of her, Trish?" the Doctor asked
"I want you to know before you see her that's she's really a great kid." Trish said
"I'm sure she is." the Doctor agreed.
"She's never been in trouble at school..." Trish told them "you should see her report from last year. As and Bs." she smiled at Rose, looking proud. Rose returned it.
"Can I use your loo?" Rose asked. Trish nodded and the Doctor watched Rose closely as she left the room. "She's in the choir..."
--
Rose went up the stairs, Trish's voice was carrying up to her "...She's singing in an old folks home. Any mum would be proud"
--
Back in the living room, Trish was still talking to the Doctor "You know... I want you to know these things before you see her, Doctor. Because right now, she's not herself." she said
--
Rose emerged onto the landing. A shadow blocked out the light from the crack beneath Chloe's bedroom door, and there was the sound of movement from within. Rose hurriedly hid herself in a nearby airing cupboard, closing the ventilated doors on herself. She watched Chloe leave her room through the gaps and heard her footsteps on the stairs. She cautiously came out of the airing cupboard, closing the doors as quietly as she could behind her. She now had her eyes on Chloe's bedroom door. She pushed it open and looked inside, observing the hundreds of drawings covering the crept further in, looking around. The wardrobe doors rattled and Rose gasped and jumped, causing her to knock a pencil holder onto the floor. She quickly picked the pencils up and replaced them. Her gaze was drawn to a drawing of boy, baring his teeth at her - the boy was merely frowning a few moments ago.
--
The Doctor popped is head around the corner, looking through the dining room into the kitchen. "All right, there?" he asked the little girl who was getting some milk from the fridge. He walked into the kitchen with Trish behind him, he leant against the table as she replaced the milk and closed the fridge door "I'm the Doctor." he said, introducing himself to the child.
Chloe turned to face him "I'm Chloe Webber."
"How're you doing, Chloe Webber?" the Doctor asked, as he wondered what was wrong with this child
"I'm busy." she said "I'm making something. Aren't I, mum?"
"And like I said, she's not been sleeping." Trish said, continuing the conversation from before
"But you've been drawing, though." the Doctor said, returning his attention to the child I'm rubbish. Stick men are about my limit. Can do this, though..." He held up him hand to show her the 'live long and prosper' sign from Star Trek.Chloe's face was expressionless. "Can you do that?" he asked as Trish nodded at Chloe, engouraging her to answer.
"They don't stop moaning." she said
"Chloe..." Trish started
"I try to help them, but they don't stop moaning." Chloe said
"Who don't?" he asked quietly as he lowered his hand
"We can be together."
Trish moved towards her daughter "Sweetheart--"
"Don't touch me, mum." Chloe said as her mother tried to touch her. Trish stopped in her tracks, letting her hand fall back to her side. She and the Doctor glanced at one another.
--
Rose jumped at the sound of the wardrobe doors rattling again. After a nervous glance around the room, she approached the wardrobe slowly, steeling herself... then she opened them slowly and peered inside. A wind was rustling the clothes. She parted the clothes to see the back of the wardrobe, and a red light flooded the wardrobe and reflected off Rose's face. On the back of the wardrobe, there was a huge picture of a bearded man whose face was contorted with fury - the red light was coming from his glowing red eyes. This was Chloe's Dad. "I'm coming..."
--
"I'm busy... Doctor." she said and then she left.
"Oh, come on, Chloe! Don't be a spoil sport!" the Doctor called after her, sounding disappointed. He followed her back into the hallway "What's the big project? I'm dying to know! What're you making up there?"
"Doctor!" Rose shouted from upstairs. When he heard the fear in his wife's voice the Doctor sprinted up the stairs with Trish and Chloe following him.
--
Rose was still staring into the wardrobe as though transfixed when the Doctor ran into the room. "I'm coming to hurt you..." The Doctor slammed the wardrobe doors shut without so much as a glance at the inside.
"Look at it." Rose said
"No, ta." he replied. He walked away to examine the drawings on the wall, and put his glasses on.
"What the hell was that?" Trish asked
"A drawing." Rose answered "The face of a man."
"What face?" Trish asked as she tried to open the doors. Rose rammed herself up against them to stop her
"Best not." Rose said
"What've you been drawing?" Trish asked her daughter
"I'm drew him yesterday."
"Who?" Trish asked
"Dad."
"Your dad?" Trish asked, she sounded upset and unpleasantly surprised "But he's long gone. Chloe, with all the lovely things in the world - why him?"
"I dream about him, staring at me." Chloe said
"I thought we were putting him behind us." Trish said "What's the matter with you?"
"We need to stay together." Chloe said
"Yes, we do." Trish agreed
"No." Chloe said "Not you. Us." The Doctor glanced around at this. "We need to stay together. And then it'll be all right." Trish went over to her and put her hands on her daughter's cheeks. Chloe flinged at the contact
"Trish, the drawings - have you seen what Chloe's drawings can do?" Rose asked
"Who gave you permission to come into her room?" Trish asked, sounding cold "Get out of my house."
"Tell us about the drawings, Chloe." the Doctor said.
"I don't wanna here any more of this." Trish said
"But that drawing of her dad..." Rose said "I heard a voice. He spoke."
"He's dead." Trish said "And these - they're kids pictures. Now get out!"
"Chloe has a power." Rose said "And I don't know how, but she used it to take Danny Edwards. Dale Hicks - she's using it to snatch the kids."
"Get out." Trish told them
"Have you seen those drawings move?" Rose asked
"I haven't seen anything." Trish answered
"Yes you have." the Doctor said "Out of the corner of your eye."
Trish turned to face him "No." she argued
"And you dismissed it, because what choice do you have when you see something you can't possibly explain?" the Doctor continued as though she hadn't spoken and he walked over to her "You dismiss it, right? And if anyone mentions it, you get angry, so it's never spoken of, ever ag--"
"She's a child--" Trish said
"And you're terrified of her." the Doctor said "But there's no one to turn to, because who's gonna believe the things you see out of the corner of your eye? No one. Except me."
"Who are you?" she asked
"I'm help." the Doctor answered simply.
--
Back in the kitchen, the Doctor swiped a jar of marmalade off the worktop, unscrewed the lid, dipped his fingers into it and started sucking the jam off. Rose cleared her throat. He paused, and Rose shook her head at him, mouthing 'no'. The Doctor, who looked like a naughty schoolboy caught red-handed, glanced at Trish who was just staring at him. He meekly replaced the lid and pushed the jar behind him.
"Those pictures - they're alive." Rose said "She's drawing people and they end up in her pictures."
"Ionic energy." the Doctor said "Chloe's harnessing it to steal those kids and place them in some kid of holding-pen made up of ionic power."
"And what about the dad from hell in her wardrobe?" Rose asked
"How many times do I have to tell you?" Trish asked "He's dead."
"Well, he's got a very loud voice for a dead bloke." Rose said
"If living things can become drawings, then maybe drawings can become living things..." he said thinking out loud. He suddenly shivered voilently, making Rose jump. "Chloe's real dad is dead, but not the one who visits her in her nightmares. That dad seems very real. That's the dad she's drawn and he's a heartbeat away from crashing into this world..."
"She always got the worst of it when he was alive." Trish told them.
"Doctor, how can a twelve-year-old girl be doing any of this?"Rose asked
After a few seconds the Doctor said "Let's find out." He strode off and Rose followed him.
--
The Doctor, Rose and Trish entered Chloe's bedroom. She was sitting cross-legged on the bed. The Doctor stood before her, looking down at her. She said nothing, but she did the 'live long and prosper' sign. "Nice one." the Doctor said as he knelt in front of her, holding her head in his hands, fingers on her temples. Her eyes rolled in her head for a moment before closing. He closed his own eyes before suddenly Chloe fell backwards onto the bed. "There we go..."
"I can't let him do this--" she said as she moved forward concerned.
Rose stopped her "Shh, it's okay." she said comfortingly "Trust him." The Doctor straightened up.
"Now we can talk." the Doctor said, adressing Chloe.
"I want Chloe." she said in a voice that was obviously not her own " Wake her up. I want Chloe."
"Who are you?" the Doctor asked
"I want Chloe Webber!" was the only responce
"What've you done to my little girl?" Trish asked the Doctor, sounding upset
"Doctor, what is it?" Rose asked her husband.
The Doctor walked slowly around the bed, all the while he looked down at Chloe "I'm speaking to you." he said "The entity that is using this human child. I request parlez in compliance with the Shadow Proclamation."
"I don't care about shadows or parlez."
"So what do you care about?" the Doctor asked
"I want my friends."
The Doctor knelt beside her "You're lonely, I know." he said "Identify yourself."
"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!" Her eyes snapped open.
"Name yourself!" the Doctor demanded
"Isolus."
"You're Isolus." he said as though this explained everything "Of course."
"Our journey began in the Deep Realms when we were a family."she said as she drew on a piece of paper next to her on the bed.
"What's that?" Trish asked as she looked at the drawing which began to take shape
"The Isolus Mother, drifting in Deep Space." the Doctor said as he stood up "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."
"Our journey is long."
"The Isolus children travel, each inside a pod." the Doctor explained "They ride the heat and energy of solar tides. It takes thousands and thousands of years for them to grow up."
"Thousands of years just floating through space... poor things - don't they go mad with boredom?" Rose asked
"We play."
"You... play?" Rose asked as the Doctor sat on the bed
"Mm." he said "While they travel, they play games. They use their ionic power to literally create make-believe worlds in which to play."
"In-flight entertainment." Rose said
"Helps keep them happy." he said "While they're happy, they can feed off each others love. Without it, they're lost." he turned to the Isolus again "Why did you come to Earth?" he asked
"We were too close." she said as she ripped the piece of paper she was drawing on off the pad and started afresh
"That's a solar flare from your sun." the Doctor said as he looked at the drawing "Would've made a tidal wave of solar energy that scattered the Isolus pods."
"Only I fell to Earth. My brothers and sisters are left up there. And I cannot reach them. So alone." she said
"Your pod crashed... where is it?" the Doctor asked
"My pod was drawn to heat..."
--
Flashback
Chloe was drawing at her desk, sunlight was pouring in through the window. "And I was drawn to Chloe Webber." Chloe looked up as she saw the Isolus floating outside the bedroom window. She smiled, thinking that it was pretty. "She was like me. Alone. She needed me. And I her." The Isolus entered Chloe through her mouth, making her gasp.
End flashback.
--
The Doctor stroked Chloe's head. "You empathised with her." he said "You wanted to be with her because she was alone like you."
"I want my family." she said "It's not fair." Rose and Trish watched this, obviously affected.
"I understand." the Doctor said, sympathising with the child "You wanna make a family. But you can't stay in this child. It's wrong. You can't steal any more friends for yourself."
"I am alone." The Isolus said. There was another thump from the wardrobe. Trish gasped.
"I'm coming to hurt you." came the voice of Chloe's father. Chloe started to shake and tremble in fear, although her face remained impassive. There was a pounding on the door of the wardrobe. "I'm coming."
"Trish, how do you calm her?" the Doctor asked as Chloe's body began to jerk as though she was having a seizure.
"What?!" Trish asked
"When she has nightmares, what do you do?" the Doctor asked, rephrasing the question
"I... I..." she flatered
"What do you do?" the Doctor asked again with more urgency
"I sing to her." Trish finally answered
"Then start singing." the Doctor told her as he motioned for her to come over. Trish took his place next to Chloe.
"Chloe... I'm coming." Chloe's dad said
Trish began to sing to her daughter "#Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree, merry merry king of the bush is he..."
"Chloe... Chloe..." The banging and thumping on the door continued. The Doctor and Rose both looked over at it, whilst Trish stroked Chloe's hair, trying to sooth her. "Chloe... Chloe..."
Trish continued to sing "#Laugh, Kookaburra laugh, Kookaburra, gay your life must be." The banging and the voice eventually faded. "#Laugh, Kookaburra laugh, Kookaburra, gay your life must be." Chloe was asleep now "He came to her because she was lonely... Chloe, I'm sorry..." she said in tears and she buried her head in her little girl's shoulder, arms around her, sobbing.
Right, that's that part finished. I'll hopefully get the next part up tonight after I've finished the papers.
TTFN
Julie