IX
Crime scene in the pub

20th Century
Planet Earth
Wales
The village
1984

Rose and April walk away from the Doctor, Terry, the bog and the spaceship and head down the muddy pathway between the two hills. Rose turns to look back a few times to see if she can still see the Doctor, but after a while he is completely obscured from her view. The further they walk down this pathway, the darker it seems to get. The twilight sky above them is covered in thick clouds and every so often, a raindrop falls out of the sky.

"We've fought them before," Rose starts, breaking the silence between her and April. "The Doctor and I met them for the first time a few years ago when they invaded London. Defeated the Slitheen once before and I'm sure that we can do it again."

April continues to scowl at the ground as they squelch through the mud. Rose can tell that April is holding a grudge against her and Terry, knowing that she finds it difficult to trust others. Rose lets out a sigh, wondering why she should brother if April won't make the same effort back, but she can't stand the silence between them. And she knows that for April's father's wish, they have to make sure that she is going to be okay.

Rose looks at April. "What you must understand, if you decide to stay with us, is that the Doctor is a madman travelling in a blue box; there's no better way to explain him." She smiles to herself.

April nods as they continue walking.

"And what you also must understand is that the Doctor doesn't always make sense. Just nod along even if he's off on a tangent. It doesn't matter if you don't understand."

"He talks a lot about UNIT." April finally says.

"Yeah well they were great friends of the Doctor. He lost them in the Battle of the Cytracik."

April nods once more.

"Hey," Rose starts. "I am trying to make an effort here. I'm trying to help you and make this easy between us, but all I get is a cold shoulder. Okay I get it you didn't ask for this to happen, and neither did I, but the Doctor and travelling is the best thing in my life. We need to at least work as a team if we're ever going to find the Slitheen. Just for this. Talk to me, April. Please."

April stops walking and looks directly ahead.

Rose stares at her in disbelief. "Are you listening to me?"

But April shushes her sharply. Rose, irritated, follows April's gaze, only to find a white glow in the distance.

"We must be nearing the village." Rose says as she rubs her bare arms from the cold blowing breeze.

"I don't think that's the glow from the village." April mutters as she takes a few steps forward, passing Rose.

And she is right. The white glow suddenly starts to grow larger, almost as if it is gradually coming closer towards them. Suddenly there is a sound coming from the glow, similar to the sound of a plane soaring through the air at high speed. April quickly notices that the glow is rushing straight towards them.

"GET DOWN!" April shouts and immediately they both fall to the muddy ground.

The white glow comes soaring over their heads and vanishes in the distance behind them.

"What was that?" Rose asks as she stares at where the white glow disappeared.

"i don't know." April manages to reply through heavy breaths.

Rose scrambles back onto her feet and goes to offer April a hand, but she is already hauling herself out of the mud. Then there is a moment of silence between Rose and April as they become aware of how quiet it is. There is only a very faint breeze in the air, but it is silent, except from a rustle of leaves somewhere in the distant. The pathway between the two hills seems to be growing darker and colder by the second.

"We'd better get to the village quickly." Rose says after a while.

April nods in agreement and they start jogging down the pathway. Rain starts to fall heavily until it is pouring. But to their luck, they reach the village quicker than they originally thought. They find themselves on a cobbled street just as the thunder storm starts brewing.

The little village is quiet yet neither Rose nor April is sure that people are hiding away from the storm.

The village is small with a church at the edge, a couple of grocery stores, a few book stores, a large town hall and many different stone houses. Rose and April find a pub in the middle by the village square. There is a wooden sign swinging by the front door with the name of the pub caved on its surface, The Iron Merchant's Gargoyle.

Rose glances at April before reaching for the metal rounded door handle. Turning the handle, she pushes the door inwards. They are immediately met with warmth from the people inside and the roaring fires instantly removes the coldness from the bitter air outside. They are also immediately overcome with the smell of beer.

The pub is packed full of drunk men and women, howling with laughter, chatting up the bar staff or messing about with their friends. And there is one thing both April and Rose notice instantly. Everyone in this room seems to know each other. They are the only two strangers.

It only takes Rose to close the door for them to be the centre of attention. There is a collective clatter as people lower their beer and wine glasses onto the wooden tables. Silence fills the pub as everyone simultaneously turns their heads to look at Rose and April. The fire crackles in the fire place.

April catches the male bartender's eye who is halfway through polishing glasses. He nods his head, to April before clearing his throat.

"Who's up for another pint?" The bartender calls out, his voice filling the silence.

And then all of a sudden, it is as if April and Rose have been forgotten about as everyone looks away and cheers loudly. Chairs are scraped across the stone floor as people stand up and merrily make their way to the bar for another pint of ale.

Rose touches April's elbow lightly but she flinches in fright. Unnoticed by anyone else in the pub, April and Rose glare at each other.

"What's the matter with you?" Rose hisses through gritted teeth before pointing to two unoccupied bar stools at the end of the bar. "Let's go over there where we're not in the way of everyone else."

Holding onto her elbow, April weaves in and out of the tables towards the bar. She keeps her head low, only nervously glancing at the other people with her eyes. Rose follows. They both clamber onto the bar stools and watches the male bartender cheerily serving drinks to his guests – all whom of which seems to be friends alike.

Rose rests her forearms on the bar top, wringing her hands. April, however, sits on the edge of the barstool, looking from the male bartender, to the drunk guests, to the other bar staff who is around and pick up empty glasses here and there.

While pouring pints and taking in money, the male bartender glances over to Rose and April a fair few times. And as soon as everyone is settled with another pint, completely forgetting about the two strangers, the bartender casually wipes the bar top with a cloth, making his way towards Rose and April.

"What are you doing here?" He doesn't even look at them as he casually wipes the surface.

"Nice to meet you too." Rose says rather sarcastically.

"You're not from around here. You don't even have a Welsh accent. You're in danger if you stay here. They don't take too kindly to travellers."

"And who are you to say that?" Rose inquires.

The bartender looks up at Rose, looks at her for a moment before looking to April. He is quite short for a man, no more than at least 5"6'. He has a small round stomach and sports a thick brown, carefully combed moustache on his upper lip. His slightly greying brown hair sits on top of his head rather like a hedgehog, somewhat unkempt.

"Aiden Haulman," he offers a large, dry hand out to Rose. "General Manager to The Iron Merchant's Gargoyle and most recent member to this village. But they've included me in well."

Rose says nothing in response.

"You look like women who know a lot already."

"You could say that," Rose says warily. "We know a little about this village. For a start it isn't even on the map."

"Well no. They're a cult."

"We've got that far." Rose remarks.

April's scowl deepens. "You're not part of the cult?"

Aiden looks pensive for a moment. "They think I am."

"But you're not."

"Not exactly." Aiden suddenly looks nervous. "Who are you?"

"Passers by." Rose replies quickly.

Aiden stares at Rose for a moment. He takes in a deep breath as if to say something but is suddenly interrupted by someone asking for a pint. Immediately Aiden's face changes. He looks brighter but with a forced smile. He is putting on a show as he serves his guests. Rose and April exchange glances, both wondering if this man means well.

"Shall we both be honest with each other while we're here?" Aiden says when he returns. "We can help each other out."

"How?" Rose frowns.

"There's a spaceship not too far from here."

"We know."

"Crash landed about a week ago."

"We know."

"That's the only reason why I'm here."

"We..." Rose stops and she observes Aiden. "Go on."

"For a start, how do you know about the spaceship?" Aiden asks, keeping is voice low, occasionally looking back at his guests, making sure that no one is paying any attention to them.

"The same reason as you," Rose says. "It's the only reason why we are here. There's two others. Friends of ours who are currently looking at the ship."

There is a flicker of understanding in Aiden's eyes. "Time Heals."

And just from that, Rose immediately relaxes in Aiden's presence. "The Doctor is here."

"Thought as much." Aiden half smiles.

Rose turns to April who looks completely bewildered. "It's fine, we can trust him," Rose says as reassuringly as she can, before turning back to Aiden. "How do you know?"

"Through Ireen Summerland."

There is a brief moment and Rose bites onto her tongue. Ireen Summerland, a Captain from UNIT. A fallen soldier from the Battle of the Cytracik.

"She always used to keep me up to date on things like this." Aiden continues. "I'm her cousin. We keep in contact but I haven't actually seen her in years."

Rose nods. "Always thought she had a bit of Welsh in her blood."

"Why have you joined the cult?" April queries.

Aiden shuffles on the spot. "The Battle of the Cytracik."

"What of it?" Rose asks, her voice harsh.

"This is a cult for it. Somehow these people know of the Cytracik. So they built this village and created this cult. All the while they're planning on getting the Cytracik because they know of it's worth."

Rose rolls her eyes.

"And you're here to...?" April pushes.

"Stop them. The Cytracik needs to be destroyed."

There is a moment of silence between them as the three look from one to the other and then to everyone else in the pub.

"The Doctor?" Aiden asks.

"Should be here soon. You'll have to prove your trust though." Rose mutters.

"And you two are?"

Rose hesitates for a second. "Rose Tyler and April Hollerford."

Aiden looks at April, somewhat surprised before he is distracted by yet another guest. And then around five other guests stand up to buy more drinks and a round of drinks for others. Rose watches Aiden put on a show for his guests for a while. Surely the Doctor will also trust him.

"For someone who's taken this experience quite calmly," Rose says to April after a while. "You do find it hard to believe in what people say to you. You don't trust him."

It takes a moment for April to reply. "Trust no one."

"You trust the Doctor though."

"I never said that I trusted him. I just believe him somewhat."

"You trusted him enough to be here."

April scowls harshly. "I didn't have much of a choice. Nor have I had much of a choice in whether or not I want to stay."

Rose sighs heavily knowing full well that it is no use trying too hard to be April's friend. She will always be pushed to the side.

"Do you always push people away?" Rose asks.

April shifts on the stool and changes the subject. "What do you do then, Rose? Live in the Doctor's pocket?"

"We just travel together." Rose looks down at her hands, looking a little hurt.

"Looks like more than just travellers to me."

Rose laughs bitterly. "Unbelievable." She mutters as she shakes her head. "Well the Doctor can't say I didn't try."

"Try what?" April sneers.

"Try to be a friend."

"I don't need a friend."

Rose rolls her eyes. "We'll see about that."

April stares at Rose, who is purposefully looking everywhere around the pub but at her. April sighs as she clasps her hands together, leaning her elbows on the bar top. Maybe Rose is right. Maybe she does need a friend. But with everything that has happened to her these past five years, the thought of putting any sort of trust in anyone terrifies April. For a while she couldn't even trust herself.

April takes a mental note to herself of how easily she has embraced these strange few weeks since she first met the Doctor's hologram. Everything has happened so quickly she hasn't had much time to process the fact that she has met a man who claims to have been friends with her parents and time travels in a police public call box. She is now sitting in a pub in a village that is not on the map, run by some cult in the middle of Wales in the nineteen eighties, looking for some green aliens called the Slitheen.

And April has taken this all in her stride as if everything is normal, when clearly it is not. If she went back home and told her therapist about this, she would probably be sent to some mental institute.

"Is his real name the Doctor? Or is that just a cover name?" April asks out-of-the-blue.

Rose sighs. "I've known the Doctor for a long time and even I don't know. I think it's something he'll never admit, not even to himself I don't think."

A moment later and there is a massive bang as the front door dramatically bursts open. Gasps and a few screams erupt in the pub which is quickly followed by a stunned silence. April and Rose crane their necks to see what has just burst through the door but everyone else blocks their view. All that can be heard is the raging sound of the storm outside.

"Sorry about that!"

April and Rose both let out a sigh of relief when they hear the Doctor's voice across the pub.

"Don't worry about us," He says. "We just had to get out of the storm."

Soon the pub slowly crescendos back into chatter and laughter again, just as it was before the Doctor's interruption. Rose smiles gratefully when she sees the Doctor weaving in and out of the tables followed by Terry. He reaches them, almost as if he knew where they are sitting, yet his face is serious.

"Look what the cat dragged in, the oncoming storm!" Rose laughs at his dramatic entrance.

"We can't afford to let anyone find out our real identity," The Doctor says in a low voice. "I know I say that often but right now stick to your cover names no matter what. The Slitheen want revenge," He looks at Rose. "They want revenge on you and I after we stopped them at Downing Street. They were travelling to that exact time period but because April and I were time travelling, it was impossible for them to go back to that exact date, therefore the reason as to why they were tangled in time and space..." the Doctor notices Rose's crestfallen face. "What is it?"

"There's one man here who know April and I by our real names," she then quickly stops the Doctor from interrupting her. "Aiden Haulman. Don't know if the name rings a bell?"

"Ireen?"

Rose nods. She then frowns. "How did you find out? About the Slitheen?" She asks. "Did you manage to get into their ship?"

"It was locked." Terry replies dully.

The Doctor glances at one of the men sitting at the table closest to them. "Aiden is the last straw, okay. These people cannot be trusted here."

Rose understands and nods.

"And I fear that there may be some sort of rivalry in this cult." The Doctor mutters to himself, remembering the innkeeper saying how Christianity makes him sick. "But I don't know if it is anything of interest. Maybe some sort of distraction..."

And then right on cue there is a scream. A male scream coming from the toilets at the back of the pub. There is a horrified silence around the pub as everyone turns their attention to the toilet doors. Seconds later and a rather drunk man stumbles out of the toilets, sweat pouring down his face and fear in his eyes.

"Someone is dead!"