Disclaimer: I Don't own Doctor Who that goes to the BBC
"So this is one of the last paintings Van Gogh ever painted," an Art expert named Dr. Henry Black said inside of a museum called the Musee D'orsay in Paris, France as he stood in front of an audience with a painting behind him before walking towards a portrait of Vincent Van Gogh, "Those final months of his life were probably the most astonishing artistic outpouring in history. It was like Shakespeare knocking off Othello, Macbeth and King Lear over the summer hols," the Doctor, Rose and Amy entered the exhibition of the museum with Van Gogh's artworks as he went on, "And especially astonishing because Van Gogh did it with no hope of praise or reward."
"Thank you both for bringing me," Amy told the Doctor and Rose as she held a guidebook in her hands.
"You're welcome," the Doctor told her.
"No problem Amy," Rose told her.
"You're being so nice to me, Doctor," Amy told the Time Lord, "Why are you being so nice to me?"
"I'm always nice to you," the Doctor told her.
"Not like this. These places you're taking me - Arcadia, the Trojan Gardens, now this. I think it's suspicious," Amy told him.
"Well, it's not. There's nothing to be suspicious about," the Doctor told her.
"OK, I was joking," Amy told him, "Why aren't you?"
"Each of these pictures now is worth tens of millions of pounds. Yet in his lifetime, he was a commercial disaster. Sold only one painting, and that to the sister of a friend. We have here possibly the greatest artist of all time, but when he died, you could have sold his entire body of work and got about enough money to buy a sofa and a couple of chairs," Dr. Black went on as the audience laughed before he led them to another painting, "If you follow me now…"
"Who is it?" A young boy asked as he and another young boy looked at a painting of a man.
"It's the doctor!" The other boy answered, causing the Doctor to turn around and saw the boys as he thought they were talking about him before seeing the painting of Van Gogh's physician.
"He was the doctor who took care of Van Gogh when he started to go mad," the other boy explained.
"I knew that," the first boy muttered.
"Really, Doctor, you thought they were talking about you," Rose told her husband as she giggled.
"Look! There it is, the actual one," Amy told the Doctor and Rose as she grabbed the Doctor by the arm and pulled him towards a painting of a church called, 'The Church at Auvers' with Rose following them as Amy held up her guidebook with the painting on a page within the guidebook.
"Yes. You can almost feel his hand painting it right in front of you. Carving the colours into shapes…" The Doctor said before realizing that something was off about the painting, "Wait a minute."
"What?" Amy asked as the Doctor looked closer at the Painting, followed by Rose.
"Well, just look at that," the Doctor said, pointing at the painting.
"What?" Amy asked him.
"Something very not good indeed," the Doctor answered.
"What thing very not good?" Amy asked him.
"Look there, in the window of the church," Rose explained as both Gallifreyans saw a dark figure had been painted in one of the church's windows.
"Is it a face?" Amy asked them.
"Yes. And not a nice face at all. We know evil when we see it and we see it in that window," the Doctor answered as he walked over to Dr. Black, who was still lecturing.
"It has changed hands for something in the region of 20…" Dr. Black said as he continued to lecture his audience.
"Excuse me, if I can just interrupt for one second," the Doctor told the audience as he showed them his psychic paper, "Sorry, everyone. Routine inspection, Ministry of Art and... Artiness," he then turned to Dr. Black, "So, um…"
"Dr. Black," Dr. Black answered.
"Yes, that's right," the Doctor said before pointing his thumb at the painting of the church, "Do you know when that picture of the church was painted?"
"Ah, what an interesting question. Most people…" Dr. Black began to answer.
"I'm going to have to hurry you," the Doctor told him, "When was it?"
"Exactly?" Dr. Black asked the Time Lord.
"As exactly as you can. Without a long speech, if poss. I'm in a hurry," the Doctor told him.
"Well, in that case, probably somewhere between the 1st and 3rd of June," Dr. Black answered.
"What year?" The Doctor asked him.
"1890," Dr. Black answered, "Less than a year before he killed himself."
"Thank you, sir. Very helpful indeed," the Doctor said before noticing 's blue coloured bow-tie, "Nice bow-tie," he then turned to AMy and Rose, "Bow-ties are cool."
"Yours is very…" Dr. Black said as he complimented the Doctor's bow-tie.
"Oh, brother," Rose muttered as she rolled her eyes.
"Oh, thank you. Keep telling them stuff," the Doctor told Dr. Black before he grabbed Rose's and Amy's hand and pulled them through the exhibit, "We need to go."
"What about the other pictures?" Amy asked him.
"Art can wait. This is life and death," he told Amy as he gave her a shove, "The three of us need to talk to Vincent Van Gogh."
A cat was lying on the cobbles of an alleyway before running off as the Tardis materialized in the alleyway as the Doctor, Rose and Amy stepped out of the Tardis and headed down the alleyway.
"Right, so here's the plan. We find Vincent and he leads us straight to the church and our nasty friend," the Doctor told them.
"Easy peasy," Amy told both Gallifreyans.
"Doubt it will be that easy," Rose told Amy.
"Rose is right, Amy," the Doctor said, agreeing with Rose, "I suspect nothing will be easy with Mr. Van Gogh. Now, he'll probably be in the local cafe - sort of orangey light, chairs and tables outside."
"Like this?" Amy asked as she pulled out her small guidebook from the museum and opened it to a painting of a local cafe with an orangey light, chairs and tables from the painting called The Cafe Terrace on the place du Forum, Arles, at night.
"That's the one," the Doctor told her.
"Yeah, almost like that one," Rose said, agreeing with her husband.
"Or indeed like that," Amy said as she saw the area in front of them was the painting come to life.
"Yeah, exactly like that," the Doctor told her.
"Amy, you are brilliant," Rose told Amy.
"Good evening. Does the name Vincent Van Gogh ring a bell?" The Doctor asked the cafe's owner, Maurice, as he approached the clearing tables.
"Don't mention that man to me, Maurice said as he walked back inside the café.
"Excuse me. Do you know Vincent Van Gogh?" The Doctor asked one of the waitresses, who were cleaning the tables.
"Unfortunately," one of the waitresses answered.
"Unfortunately?" Amy repeated with confusion.
"He's drunk, he's mad and he never pays his bills," the waitress answered.
"Good painter, though, eh?" The Doctor told them, causing the waitresses and the patrons to laugh at that statement as he sat at one of the tables with Rose sitting next to him.
"Come on! Come on! One painting for one drink. That's not a bad deal," they heard a man from inside the café say to Maurice as they left the Café with Maurice holding a canvas and both Gallifreyans and Amy saw a man with ginger hair following him and instantly knew that it was Vincent Van Gogh and all three time travellers reacted in a quiet, giddy excitement as they saw him.
"It wouldn't be a bad deal if the painting were any good. I can't hang that up on my walls. It'd scare the customers half to death," Maurice said as he held the painting on the canvas up in front of Vincent's face as it was the portrait of himself, "It's bad enough having you in here in person, let alone looming over the customers day and night in a stupid hat. You pay money or you get out."
"I'll pay if you like," the Doctor told them.
"What?" Maurice asked with confusion.
"Well, if you like. I'll pay for the drink. Or I'll pay for the painting and you can use the money to pay for the drink," the Doctor answered.
"Exactly who are you?" Vincent asked him.
"Me and my wife, Rose, here... we're new in town," the Doctor answered.
"Well, in that case, you don't know three things. One, I pay for my own drinks, thank you," Vincent told him as everyone at the café laughed, "Two, no-one ever buys any of my paintings or they would be laughed out of town, so if you want to stay in town, I suggest you keep your cash to yourself. And three, your ginger friend is cute, but you should keep your big nose out of other people's business," he then turned back to Maurice, "Come on, just one more drink. I'll pay tomorrow."
"No," Maurice told him.
"Or, on the other hand, slightly more compassionately, yes," Vincent told him.
"Or, on the other hand, to protect my business from madmen, no," Maurice told him.
"Or-" Vincent began.
"Oh, look, just shut up the pair of you!" Amy told them as she looked at Maurice, "I would like a bottle of wine, please, which I will then share with whomever," she then looked at Vincent, "I choose."
"That could be good," Vincent said, agreeing with her.
"That's good by me," Maurice told her
"Good," Amy said as she went inside the café followed by Maurice after he pressed the self-portrait of Vincent to Vincent's chest before entering the café.
"That accent of yours. Are you from Holland like me?" Vincent asked the Doctor as they were sitting at a table with Rose and Amy, drinking wine.
"No," Amy and Rose answered.
"Yes," the Doctor said at the same time as the Doctor and Rose, "They both mean yes. So, start again. Hello, I'm the Doctor."
"I knew it!" Vincent told them as the Doctor held his hand out to shake Vincent's hand.
"Sorry?" The Doctor asked.
"My brother, Theo, is always sending doctors, but you won't be able to help," Vincent answered.
"No, not that kind of doctor," the Doctor told him, laughing as he pointed to a painting at Vincent's side and saw that it was the unfinished 'La Méridienne', "That's incredible, don't you think, Amy, Rose?"
"That is definitely a good painting, Vincent," Rose told Vincent.
"Absolutely," Amy said, agreeing with both Gallifreyans, "One of my favourites."
"One of my favourite whats?" Vincent asked Amy with confusion, "You've never seen my work before."
"Ah, yes. One of my favourite paintings that I've ever seen," Amy said, correcting herself, "Generally."
"Then you can't have seen many paintings, then. I know it's terrible. It's the best I could do," Vincent told her before noting that Amy's hair was ginger, "Your hair is orange."
"Yes. So's yours," Amy said, leaning forwards on the table towards him.
"Yes. It was more orange, but now is, of course, less," Vincent told her.
"So, Vincent, painted any churches recently?" The Doctor asked Vincent, "Any churchy plans? Are churches, chapels, religiousy stuff like that, something you'd like to get into? You know, fairly soon?"
"I'm wondering the same thing, Vincent," Rose said, agreeing with the Doctor, "Like have you painted the church in the outskirts of Musée d' Orsay?"
"Well, there is one church I'm thinking of painting when the weather is right," Vincent told them, "And Rose, that is the church I was thinking of painting soon."
"That is very good news," the Doctor told him.
"She's been murdered! Help me!" They suddenly heard a woman scream.
"That, on the other hand, isn't quite such good news," the Doctor told them, "Come on, Rose, Amy, Vincent!" Rose, Amy and the Doctor headed for the door as Vincent finished the rest of his wine and followed.
The Doctor, Rose, Amy and Vincent ran the same way as the woman into an alley and saw the body of a young woman lying on the ground as a group of locals had already gathered.
"She's been ripped to shreds!" A man said as he stared at the body of the young woman.
"Please, let my husband look. He's a doctor," Rose told the crowd.
"Who is it?" Another woman asked.
"Oh, no, no, no," the Doctor said as he saw the body of the young woman and kneeled beside the body of the young woman with vincent.
"Is she dead?" Another man asked.
"Away, all of you vultures! This is my daughter," another woman said as she pushes her way through the crowd and caresses her daughter, "Giselle. What monster could have done this?" She then looked at the Doctor, "Get away from her!"
"OK, OK," the Doctor said as he and Vincent both stood up and backed away from the mother of the young girl.
"Get that madman out of here!" The mother of the dead young woman yelled as she threw a stone at Vincent and the rest of the crowd soon followed as they began throwing stones at him as well, blaming Vincent as the Doctor, Rose, Amy, and Vincent ran away down the alley, "You bring this on us. Your madness! You! He's to blame!"
"Are you all right?" The Doctor asked Vincent as the four of them stopped to catch their breath.
"Yes, I'm used to it," Vincent answered.
"Has anything like this murder happened here before?" The Doctor asked him.
"Only a week ago. It's a terrible time," Vincent answered.
"As I thought, as I thought. Come on, we'd better get you home," the Doctor told him.
"Where are you staying tonight?" Vincent asked them.
"We don't have anywhere to stay," Rose answered, "MInd if we stay at your place for a while?"
"I don't mind," Vincent answered.
"Oh, you're very kind," the Doctor said as he clapped Vincent on the shoulder before they walked down the alley with Amy giggling, nervously as she walked down the alley as Vincent put his straw hat on and walked after them.
"Dark night, very starry," the Doctor said as Vincent leads him, Rose and Amy through a maze of buildings.
"It's not much. I live on my own. But you should be OK for one night. One night," Vincent told them.
"We're going to stay with him?" Amy asked both Gallifreyans.
"Until he paints that church," the Doctor answered.
"And I asked him if we could and he said that he didn't mind," Rose added as Vincent lights a lamp and removed his hat.
"Watch out. That one's wet," Vincent told them.
"What?" Amy asked him as the Doctor and Rose entered Vincent's cottage, but Amy stopped as she saw the painting of 'Bedroom in Arles'.
"Sorry about all the clutter," Vincent said as he lit another lamp as the Doctor, Rose and Amy saw that his cottage was filled with paintings in various stages of completion. The one that was most prominently positioned was the portrait of his doctor, Dr. Gachet.
"Some clutter," the Doctor said as he entered the room.
"Definitely some clutter," Rose said, agreeing with him.
"I've come to accept the only person who's going to love my paintings is me," Vincent told them as Amy entered the room.
"Wow. I mean, really. Wow," Amy said as she looked at the unfinished paintings as the Doctor and Rose did the same as they looked at some of the paintings with some of them being 'Blossoming Almond Tree', 'Prisoners Exercising (after Dore)', and 'Wheat Field with Cypresses'.
"Yeah, I know it's a mess. I'll have a proper clear-out. I must, I really must," Vincent told them as Amy looked around and saw his painting of 'La Berceuse', "Coffee, anyone?"
"Not for me, actually," the Doctor answered.
"Nor me, I'm more of a tea person," Rose told him.
"You know, you should be careful with these. They're... precious," the Doctor told Vincent as he popped his is around to see Vincent put his coffee down on 'Still Life: Basket with Six Oranges' as Vincent wiped off the coffee ring with his hand.
"Precious to me. Not precious to anyone else," Vincent said as the Doctor entered the main room.
"They're precious to me!" Amy told Vincent as she joined them in the main room.
"Me too! I think they're fantastic," Rose told Vincent as she entered the room as well.
"Well, you're very kind. And kindness is most welcome," Vincent told them.
"Right, so, this church, then. Near here, is it?" The Doctor asked Vincent.
"What is it with you and the church?" Vincent asked the Doctor as he got wood for the fire from a cabinet above him.
"Oh, just casually interested in it, you know," the Doctor answered.
"Far from casual. Seems to me. you never talk about anything else. He's a strange one," Vincent told them.
"Tell me about it," Rose told Vincent.
"OK, so let's talk about you. What are you interested in?" The Doctor asked him.
"Look around. Art," Vincent answered, "It seems to me there's so much more to the world than the average eye is allowed to see." Amy then wandered over to both Gallifreyans from looking at 'Starry Night'. "I believe, if you look hard, there are more wonders in this universe than you could ever have dreamed of."
"You don't have to tell me or Rose," the Doctor told him.
Later, the Doctor was sitting in a chair by the fire with Rose next to him as Vincent explained his views of art, "It's colour. Colour that holds the key. I can hear the colours. Listen to them. Every time I step outside, I feel nature is shouting at me. "Come on. Come and get me. Come on. Come on!" He then gripped the Doctor's lapels, "Capture my mystery!"
"Maybe you've had enough coffee now," the Doctor told him, "How about some nice calming tea, like what Rose here suggested earlier? Let's get you a cup of chamomile or something, shall we?" He then noticed that Amy was missing, "Amy? Where's Amy?" they then heard Amy screaming, "No, no. NO!" The three of them then ran outside.
"Amy? Amy?" The Doctor yelled as he, Rose and Vincent raced outside.
"Amy, where are you?" Rose yelled as they found Amy on her knees in the yard, "What happened?"
"I was having a look at the paintings out here when something hit me from behind," Amy answered.
"It's OK. He's gone now and we're here," the Doctor told Amy as Vincent looked around and raised his hands in fright.
"No!" Vincent cried as he backed away.
"Take it easy. Take it easy!" The Doctor told him.
"What's happening? What's he doing?" Amy asked both Gallifreyans.
"I don't know," the Doctor answered.
"Nor do I," Rose told her as with a shout, Vincent ran towards them.
"Oh, dear," the Doctor said as Vincent grabbed a wooden fork and held it in front of him like a weapon and ran past them as the Doctor, Rose and Amy backed away from him.
"Run. Run!" Vincent ordered the Doctor, Rose and Amy.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's not a bad idea. Rose, Amy, get back. He's having some kind of fit. I'll try to calm him down," the Doctor told Rose and Amy as Vincent apparently lashed out at something as Rose and Amy ran to the doorway and watched from safety.
"Easy, Vincent, easy. Look, look. It's me, it's me, it's me," the Doctor said as he held his hands out in front of him, "It's the Doctor, look. No-one else is here. So, Vincent…"
"Look out!" Vincent told the Doctor as something kicks the Doctor to the ground as the invisible creature shreds one of the paintings, causing Amy to shriek.
"I can't see anything. What is it?" Amy asked.
"It's not just you, Amy. The Doctor and I can't see it either," Rose told the Doctor as whatever the invisible creature was, Vincent could see it and tried to fight it off.
"That is a good question," the Doctor said as he got up and grabbed a stout stick and joined Vincent, "Let me help you."
"You can see him, too?" Vincent asked the Time Lord as he went to a completely different area of the yard and waved the stick around.
"Yes... ish. Well, no. Not really," the Doctor answered as he was thrown back over a table bearing irises in a vase by the invisible creature and landed at Vincent's feet.
"You couldn't see him," Vincent told him.
"No. Oi!" The Doctor said as he got up and began batting the stick around with a roar as Vincent seemingly hurt the invisible creature as it retreated from the yard. In his section of the yard, the Doctor is still trying to fight it off as Rose, Vincent and Amy watch for a bit.
"He's gone," Vincent told him.
"Oh, right. Yes, of course," the Doctor said as he threw the stick down.
"Right. So he's invisible? What did he look like?" The Doctor asked as he, Rose, Amy and Vincent reentered the cottage.
"I'll show you," Vincent said as he took one of his paintings of irises and painted over it with white.
"Oh, no, no, no!" The Doctor muttered as Rose and Amy gasped as Amy covered her mouth with one of her hands.
"What?" Vincent asked him.
"It's just... That was quite a good…" the Doctor said before sighing, "On you go."
"Yeah, that was a good painting, Theta," Rose told her husband as Vincent sketches quickly and roughly with charcoal as Rose, Amy and the Doctor watched intently and Vincent soon Finished, and both Gallifreyans and Amy saw that the creature looked almost birdlike with a beak and talons but also reptilian.
"OK. OK," the Doctor said as he took the sketch, "Right. Rose, Amy, make Mr, Van Gogh comfortable. Don't let any invisible monsters in through the front door."
"But it could be outside, waiting," Rose and Amy said at the same time.
"Don't worry, I'll risk it. What's the worst that can happen?" He asked them.
"You could get torn into pieces by a monster or alien that we can't see," Rose told him.
"Oh, right, yes. That. Don't worry, Arkytior. I'll be back before you or Amy can say, 'Where's he got to now?'" The Doctor told them as he left the cottage and Rose turned to face Amy and Vincent before the Doctor reentered the cottage and grabbed her by the neck, startling her, "Not that fast! But pretty fast. See you and Amy around," he then kissed her on the lips before leaving again.
Should Jenny be with Jack in the Pandorica opens and should the three of them be trapped in the Tardis with River as the Time Loop begins after Jack lends the Doctor his Vortex Manipulator? And Should Rose have her own catchphrase like the Doctor, if so then what should it be?