As promised, here's the next chapter!
Again, have a great New Year!
Chapter 45
They were in the kitchen again after a moment of discussion. Only Chloe had remained in the bedroom upstairs. It was decided it was best for the girl to be given space while they discussed what could be done. Though Madison wished she could remain up there with Chloe, perhaps talk to the girl privately and learn something that they did not already know. It was, however, a good point the Doctor made in not overwhelming the girl and the thing inside. So, she reluctantly stood in the kitchen with the others. Trish was in one corner of the kitchen, anxiously waiting for their discussion to begin. Madison stood next to Rose, and the Doctor . . . was currently sticking his fingers into a jar of marmalade he found. Oh, dear.
"Doctor," she said strictly while Rose cleared her throat pointedly. The two gave him a sharp gaze as he stuck his cover fingers into his mouth. He froze, blinking at them in confusion for a moment before he seemed to realise how rude this behaviour was. He then proceeded to slowly place the jar aside with a guilty expression.
"Those pictures, they're alive," Rose began, getting them started in their conversation. "She's drawing people and they end up in her pictures." The question of 'how' was left unsaid.
"Ionic energy. Chloe's harnessing it to steal those kids and place them in some kind of holding pen made up of ionic power," the Doctor explained, folding his arms together as he leaned against the counter behind him.
"And what about the dad from hell in her wardrobe?"
"How many times do I have to tell you? He's dead," Trish spoke up then in aggravation.
"He may be dead for you, but he's obviously very much alive for Chloe," Madison disputed, shaking her head at the mother.
"If living things can become drawings, then maybe drawings can become living things," muttered the Doctor, shuddering at the unpleasant thought. He looked to Trish then. "Maddie's right. 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, a haunted look in her eyes then. There was a heavy silence then, a pregnant pause as Madison and the others gave Trish a sympathetic gaze. Madison wanted to ask what exactly the man had done, just to know everything they needed to help Chloe. However, at the same time, she did not wish to bring up bad memories for Trish and Chloe. She wasn't exactly trained to handle this sort of situation. Maybe if the two went to some professional help . . .
"Doctor, how can a twelve-year-old girl be doing any of this?" Rose asked then, breaking the quiet air that had settled amongst them.
"Maddie's figured out that part already. Something's living inside of her, using her body," the Doctor told them.
"What? What do you mean?" Trish questioned in alarm, immediately defensive for her daughter's safety.
"There's another living inside your daughter. What that is, we don't know. Not yet," Madison explained gently.
"And how do you know that?" Trish asked her.
"I can . . . sense things. Specifically the emotional state of a person's mind. There's another mind present alongside your daughter's. It's deluding your daughter's emotions somewhat. That's why she's not being very . . . reactive towards anything."
"Is . . . Is it killing her? Is that thing killing my daughter right now and we're just standing around talking?" Trish became frantic, going to rush off to her daughter. The Doctor stepped in and stopped her.
"Trish, it's all right. If it wanted Chloe dead, it would have done that already. We don't know what it wants yet, but I will find out," he said, nodding for the woman to calm down. "Let's find out right now. Come on. We'll do this together, all of us." He walked out of the kitchen then.
Madison was close behind him with the others following. When they entered Chloe's room again, the young girl was sitting in the centre of her bed. She had her legs crossed and her hands in her lap. Her expression was bedpan as she gazed at them walking into her room. Eventually, she lifted a hand, doing the same gesture the Doctor had given her earlier.
"Nice one," said the Doctor, giving a small smile. He then carefully crouched down in front of the girl. All the while Chloe kept her eyes trained on him. When he lifted his hands and pressed his fingers to her temples, Chloe's eyes rolled up into her head, her eyelids fluttering. It took only a moment before her eyes closed fully and her body began to go limp. "There we go," the Doctor said as he lay Chloe back on the bed.
Madison heard Trish trying to make a move to stop the Doctor, worried for her daughter's safety. But luckily Rose kept the woman at ease, assuring her that everything was fine. They waited as the Doctor stepped back, addressing what was now present in Chloe. Madison could feel its anger growing, frustratingly trying to reach out to Chloe. It started to feel almost frantic in a way. As though they were scared without Chloe there.
"Now we can talk," stated the Doctor as he stared down at Chloe's body.
"I want Chloe! Wake her up!" came a raspy, whispering voice from Chloe. "I want Chloe!"
The Doctor ignored this, staring at Chloe carefully now. "Who are you?"
"I want Chloe Webber!" Chloe's hand came up, forming into a first before banging angrily on the bed.
"What have you done to my little girl?" Trish asked, clasping her hands together and holding them close to her face as she shifted on foot. Whether she was asking the Doctor this or the creature inside Chloe, it was hard to tell.
"It's all right, Trish," Madison whispered, reaching out a hand to rub the mother's shoulder. Secretly she sent a soothing mental link with Trish, hoping to help lessen the mother's frantic worry. It seemed to help a bit, though only so much. A mother's fear for her child outweighed even the best attempts from a Mer's help.
"I'm speaking to you, the entity that is using this human child," the Doctor addressed strictly, walking around the bed slowly to get to Chloe's side. "I request parley in compliance with The Shadow Proclamation."
"I don't care about shadows or parleyses!" retorted the whispering entity angrily.
Frowning, the Doctor eyed Chloe tightly. "So what do you care about?"
"I want my friends."
A wave of overpowering loneliness hit Madison then. It was consuming, making her stagger somewhat. The state of this entity's mind was desperate, clinging to anything and everything that might bring it some comfort. She immediately wanted to go and help the poor child but kept herself still as she instead assessed what the entity's mind was doing to Chloe. It seemed that both the entity and Chloe were feeling the same at the moment. Even with Chloe being unconscious from the Doctor's doing.
Kneeling beside the girl, the Doctor nodded in understanding. "You're lonely, I know. 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!" Chloe's eyes flew open as the entity's anger flared up dramatically.
"Name yourself," the Doctor ordered then, firm in his words.
"Isolus."
The Doctor made a small sound, nodding in realisation. "You're Isolus, of course."
Getting an idea, Madison walked over to the small table in the child's bedroom, grabbing some coloured pencils and paper. She then set them beside Chloe, in hopes of giving the entity a better way of communicating. "Here. This might help you explain your story to us," she said softly. "Please, just tell us what you need. We're here to help. I promise."
Chloe's hand grabbed a coloured pencil, drawing at an inhuman pace on the paper provided. "Our journey began in the deep realms, when we were a family."
"What's that?" Trish asked as the picture began to take shape. A beautiful drawing of a large being that looked crossed between a blooming rose and a jellyfish.
"The Isolus Mother, drifting in deep space," the Doctor explained as he stood up and watched over Chloe's drawing. "See? She jettisons millions of fledgling spores, her children. The Isolus are empathic beings of intense emotion. 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."
"Oh . . . the poor creature," Madison whispered, feeling another wave of intense, overwhelming loneliness from the Isolus. She could understand how the entity felt. To be all alone after being around others that shared a link all one's life . . . Something the Doctor would understand even better than she.
"Our journey is long," the Isolus continued.
"The Isolus children travel, each inside a pod. They ride the heat and energy of solar tides," the Doctor continued to explain. "And 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," the Isolus answered her.
Rose blinked, bewildered now. "You . . . play?"
The Doctor sat next to Chloe on the bed, nodding. "Mm. While they travel, they play a game. They use their ionic power to literally create make-believe worlds in which to play."
"Hmm. In-flight entertainment."
"Helps keep them happy. While they're happy they can feed off each other's love. Without it, they're lost." He was quiet for a moment, staring with empathy at Chloe. "Why did you come to Earth?"
"We were too close," the Isolus explained, pushing aside the picture of their mother to begin a new drawing. They drew a large circle over and over again before making waves come from the circle.
Interpreting what this picture meant, the Doctor said, "That's a solar flare from your sun. Would have 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!"
Again, another wave of despair and sorrow. By this point, Madison felt tears leaking down her face. She rubbed them away quickly, not wishing to show how badly the Isolus was affecting her. Only the Doctor noticed as he glanced at her briefly.
"Your pod crashed?" the Doctor asked the Isolus. "Where is it?"
"My pod was drawn to heat. And I was drawn to Chloe Webber. She was like me. Alone. She needed me and I, her." A single tear leaked out of Chloe's eye.
The Doctor touched Chloe's head, petting the side of her face to wipe away the tear. His eyes were soft as he stared at the Isolus. "You empathised with her. You wanted to be with her because she was alone like you."
"I want my family! It's not fair!"
"I understand. 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," whimpered the Isolus. Suddenly, Chloe's body began to shake. A loud thud came from the cupboard, the doors rattling as the growling voice started up again.
"Trish, how do you calm her?" the Doctor asked quickly.
"What?" Trish's eyes were locked on the cupboard, fearfully shrinking from the voice within.
"When she has nightmares, what do you do?" the Doctor pushed for answers, trying his best to calm the child but failing. "What do you do?"
"I sing to her."
"Then start singing," he said as the cupboard was banged on loudly. He waved for Trish to come over.
The mother sat beside her child, brushing her hand across Chloe's forehead in soothing strokes. She began to sing, her voice trembling at first only to become stronger as the noise in the cupboard grew softer. Eventually, Chloe's eyes closed as she fell into deeper sleep and the noise from the cupboard disappeared.
"It came to her because she was lonely," Trish cried softly as she continued to pet her daughter's head. The mother had her head bowed, tears leaking down her cheeks. "Chloe, I'm sorry." Trish held her daughter close, trying to muffle her sobs.
"Doctor, what do we do next?" Rose asked after a moment.
"We need to collect anything Chloe can draw with. She'll be asleep for a while now, but when she wakes up, I don't want the Isolus to take anyone else," he instructed, already walking over to the desk in the room and taking up all the coloured pencils, crayons, and regular pencils, stuffing them into his pockets. "Trish, I need your help. Show me anywhere she might hide more of these. We have to stop this."
"Right," Trish mumbled, her voice hoarse from crying. She stood up, sniffling as she rubbed away her tears and began helping them. They walked downstairs, following the mother after they gathered everything in Chloe's room.
"Her father . . . I know it's a difficult subject, but I think we need to know what he was like to Chloe. To understand why she feels so alone and trapped," Madison began as she watched Trish collecting the drawing utensils from the sitting room.
"Chloe usually got the brunt of his temper, when he'd had a drink," Trish explained rather absently. "The day he crashed the car, I thought we were free. I thought it was over."
"Did you talk to her about it?" Rose questioned then.
"I didn't want to," Trish answered truthfully, somewhat reluctant to admit it as she stared at them in guilt.
"And that's the problem. You cannot simply shy away from trauma such as this. You must talk about it and have tough discussions to help push through the turmoil. If you do not talk, then it only causes worse problems. Such as . . . well, what is happening currently," Madison told the mother, seeing how her words held an impact on Trish as the woman lowered her gaze. Though, honestly, she was one to talk. How often did she discuss her own troubles with others? At least she had the Doctor and was learning to be more open. She knew she should have been open to discussion with those she trusted sooner, but . . . at least she had familiars to entrust her secrets to now. "Do not be too harsh on yourself. You've gone through similar emotional damage as Chloe has. You're just handling it differently. But knowing that you need to share how you feel with your daughter would help in more ways than you can imagine."
"She's right. Chloe probably feels like she can't talk to you because you won't talk to her," Rose said, nodding at Trish.
"Her and the Isolus, two lonely kids who need each other," commented the Doctor as he stood off to the side where they were gathered in the sitting room.
"And it won't stop, will it, Doctor?" Rose asked him. "Just keep pulling kids in."
"It's desperate to be loved. And it's used to a pretty big family."
"How big?"
The Doctor sucked in a breath. "Say around four billion?" He made a face then before walking over swiftly to grab his coat and shrug it on. "Rose, Maddie, come on. We need to work fast if we want to help the Isolus."
"Actually, Doctor, I'm going to stay here. In case the Isolus wakes up early and needs someone to talk to," Madison said, walking over towards the stairs to the upper floor. "I think I can help keep them calm in the meantime."
"Maddie, their empathic nature is strong. Really strong. You might not be able to help it as you can with others," the Doctor replied, frowning as he paused halfway to the front door.
"I can only try. If I fail, then at least I can be someone to keep them company," Madison countered. She gave him a smile of reassurance. "Don't worry, just focus on working your magic. Do what you always do. I'll be here when you get finished."
"All right. We'll be back shortly."
She watched as the Doctor and Rose walked out of the home, seeing them through the window jogging quickly down the street. She turned to Trish, nodding to the mother who stood anxiously in the room. "Don't worry. I'll sit with Chloe until she wakes. I'll let you know as soon as she's up," she assured the woman before walking up the stairs. She went quietly towards Chloe's room, trying not to wake the child. Only to be surprised to see Chloe awake and sitting at her desk. She was watching her small telly, seeing the news discussing the torchbearer's progress.
"Oh, you're awake. How are you feeling, Chloe?" Madison asked gently, walking over to sit on the edge of the bed.
"He is going to take me away. I don't want to leave. I love Chloe Webber. I want to be with Chloe Webber," the girl spoke in her raspy, whispering voice. Obviously, it was the Isolus still in charge at the moment. The girl turned towards Madison, glaring hard. "You're going to take me away, too."
"Yes. But is that such a bad thing? Don't you want to return to your family?" Madison replied, tilting her head as she assessed the child curiously. Had the Isolus grown so attached to Chloe that it no longer wished to leave?
"My pod is dead. I am alone. I will always be alone." The Isolus looked away, staring in defeat at the desk in front of them. "My brothers and sisters are gone."
"No, they're not. They're just waiting for you, that's all." Madison stood up, walking around to crouch down beside the sitting child. "I know what it's like to feel so alone that you'll never be happy again. It's a pain unlike anything, tearing at your heart and making you feel so isolated from the world. But believe me, no matter how much it may feel like the end of the world, it's not. There's always one emotion that's stronger than all the rest and that's hope." She touched Chloe's hand, earning the girl's gaze. "Please believe me when I say that we'll get you back to your family. All you have to do is focus on that hope of returning to them and it'll come true. I promise."
"Your promise is empty," the Isolus retorted, turning away once again. "You don't know how this feels. No one but Chloe knows." The frustration and sadness came off of Chloe in waves. It wasn't just the Isolus feeling this now. Even Chloe wanted to stay with her new friend. She too was afraid of what would happen without the Isolus. Because that was what the two children were at this point. Afraid. Scared of what will happen with the Doctor's doing. Frightened that things would be made even worse.
Madison reached up a hand, brushing her fingers against the child's head. "I know. You're afraid of what will happen if the Doctor takes Chloe away from you. But it isn't right. You're hurting Chloe by being inside of her. You're making her feel all your pain, not allowing her to heal from her own. You're keeping her from feeling her own emotions. Her own love for her mother and others."
"No, I'm not! I love Chloe. I—"
"You know you're hurting her. You know I'm telling the truth." Seeing the Isolus stare back in defiance, Madison sighed. It was hard getting messages across to defiant children at times. Even the best soothing words or well-meaning messages could be ignored. Perhaps . . . the Isolus would react better with another empath? "Here. Why don't I help you feel a bit better? Help clear your mind up." She pressed her fingers to the girl's temple, closing her eyes as she concentrated on the Isolus's emotions.
The Doctor had been right. The emotional state of the Isolus's mind was strong. Much stronger than she had ever encountered before. It was completely staggering, overpowering her own emotions. She shook in place as she felt tears coming down her face as the loneliness warped into her own. A violent headache overcame her then, pounding away at her head. She could feel the Siren stirring then inside her as the melody started up and was on alert. She tried to send soothing messages to the Siren in hopes of calming her down and letting the Siren know that everything was under control. It was hard, working with both the Isolus's feelings and those of the Siren's. But Madison managed to get both to settle somewhat before she let go of Chloe's head. She fell back onto her backside, breathing heavily as she tried to get a grip on the pain coursing through her mind. The melody softened until disappeared completely. When she opened her eyes she saw Chloe staring at her. Eyes showing no emotion like before, though there was a head tilt of curiosity.
"What was that?" asked the Isolus. "You're like me? You live inside someone who you love, too?"
"Huh? Oh! You mean the Siren?" Madison shakily stood up, feeling stronger again as she went over to the bed to sit down. "Yes, I guess you could say that I understand. I'm like Chloe and the Siren is like you. She too came to me out of loneliness, in a way. She left behind a lot of sisters in hopes of finding something . . . new. Something different from her realm."
"Does she miss her sisters?"
Madison hummed, uncertain of what to say. She remembered what the Doctor had told her, though that wasn't much to go on . . . It was then that the melody started up and she felt a wave of emotions sent her way. The Siren . . . she was trying to help in this situation. Maybe the Siren felt the Isolus and her were the same? "I . . . I think she does. But she's . . . got me now. She . . . well, she seems happy to be here."
"I felt her love. She loves you a lot."
Madison couldn't help but smile, feeling touched by this as the melody grew quiet once more. "I'm glad she does. I hate for anyone to feel lonely." Gazing at the child, she saw that the Isolus seemed calmer than before. Though it was hard to tell given the lack of expression from Chloe. "How are you feeling now? Better?"
". . . Better. What did you do?"
"I helped ease the burden. I'm something similar to an empath and a telepath mixed together. I can help ease the troubles of the mind, somewhat." She would explain it more, but she didn't want to bore Chloe or the Isolus.
"You feel others' pain?"
"Yes, I do. Just as you do. It's never pleasant, is it?" Seeing Chloe avert her eyes, Madison knew she was making the Isolus uncomfortable speaking of others' pain. It never was a nice thought to have, knowing that one could sense the emotions of others at any given moment. Even if it was not entirely an empathic nature she held, more of the state of the mind she could sense, it was still very similar. "I'll tell you what, why don't I get us something to drink and perhaps make a few drawings? Something to get our minds off these things. But, of course, only normal drawings. No more taking things that don't belong to us. Deal?"
She watched as the Isolus nodded carefully, staring at her with an emotionless expression. Madison tried to sense what state of mind the entity was in now, but it seemed that her headache was keeping her from feeling much else. So, smiling kindly, she stood up and went out of the room. Going downstairs, she listened briefly to Trish talking on the phone. Apparently, the mother was calling out of work and making up the excuse of her daughter being sick and contacting a doctor. Well . . . at least Trish was not lying entirely. Humming, Madison went to the fridge and stood there for a moment to decide on what a Isolus would like to drink. Deciding on a glass of milk would do, she also looked around for a snack she could give the Isolus. Perhaps a marmalade sandwich? Yes, that would go nicely with the milk. She hoped Trish wouldn't mind her messing around in the kitchen. Though it was impolite without asking first, Madison assumed this unusual situation called for working outside the normal politeness. So she found the bread, a butter knife, a plate, and the jar that the Doctor had left on the counter, putting together a sandwich for the Isolus and Chloe. She hoped that a snack might settle them both somewhat.
She just finished making the sandwich when there came a loud pounding on the front door. Jumping slightly from the sudden noise, she grabbed the plate and the glass of milk before hurrying around to see if it was the Doctor and Rose returning. She was startled to see it was only Rose rushing into the home when Trish let her in.
"Maddie, it's the Doctor. It got him," Rose said rapidly before rushing up the stairs towards Chloe's room.
"Oh, dear," she sighed, shaking her head as she walked up the stairs after Trish. She entered the room just in time to see Rose yelling at Chloe.
"Don't you realise what you've done? He was the only one who could help you. Now bring him back!" Rose demanded from the child, gripping Chloe's arms hard.
"Rose, that is quite enough," Madison said strictly, making Rose let go of Chloe and stand up straight.
"It took him! It's being a right spoiled brat and you're telling me off?" Rose scoffed.
"No, I'm telling you to keep calm. Yelling will not solve anything." Madison walked around Trish, going over to Chloe. She saw how the Isolus stared warily at her as she sat down the sandwich and glass of milk on the desk. She glanced to the side, seeing a drawing of the Doctor and the TARDIS. Funny. Chloe must have snuck out rather quickly to have time to find the TARDIS, come back, and draw a picture of both. Clever child. "Here. I made you a snack. I thought you might be hungry." The Isolus eyed the sandwich, not making a move to take it. Madison reached over and grabbed the pencils from the table, handing them to Trish. "Please keep these safely away."
"Maddie, what are we going to do? Without the Doctor—," Rose began.
"With or without him, we will find the pod and solve this. And we don't need to worry. The Doctor and the TARDIS are merely in a 'holding pen' as the Doctor had put it earlier. He's fine and will be released once the Isolus has their pod again." She looked at Chloe, raising a brow. "Am I right? Will you release him and the others once you get home?"
"The pod is dead. It will not work. I am trapped. I am alone," the Isolus said angrily. "I want Chloe Webber. I love her!"
"I know you love her. But as I said, you're harming her emotional state." Madison crouched down, making them eye level. "Love isn't something that should harm. Love is meant to cherish those we care for, to always keep them safe and warm in our hearts. Do you really think your love for Chloe can keep her safe when it's smothering her spirit?"
". . . I don't want to hurt Chloe," the Isolus whispered so quietly.
Even with her headache, Madison could feel the sudden sadness the entity was feeling. "I know you don't, sweetie." She petted the girl's head, smiling softly. "Just let us help you and we'll have things sorted out in no time. I promise. Cross my heart." She made the gesture over her heart before standing up to face Rose. "Before he was taken, did the Doctor figure out where the pod might be?"
"Yeah. Somewhere in the street," Rose explained. "He said it was drawing in the heat from everything."
"Then it's in a place where there'd be a lot of heat. Go and find it. Trish and I will remain with Chloe and the Isolus." She watched as Rose rushed off, going to do just that. She sat down on the bed beside Chloe, seeing how the Isolus fidgeted in the seat by the desk.
"Is . . . is it really hurting my daughter?" Trish whispered in question to Madison.
"Not in a way that you'd think. More of stunting Chloe's emotional state to the point where she's not herself anymore. The Isolus is in full control and has pushed Chloe to the side. Though it's not out of malice. Only a mistake," Madison explained, hoping to keep the mother calm in the wake of her child being in trouble. She sat down on the edge of the bed, staring at the drawing the Doctor was trapped in. "It's a very good drawing you made. I know the Doctor would be impressed." She sent the Isolus a smile, trying to ease the tension in the room.
"Your mother . . . I think she would be worried about you. I know I would worry if anything happened to Chloe," Trish began to say, walking over closer to the Isolus. "Do you miss your mum?"
"You don't love Chloe. You don't care," said the Isolus rather bluntly.
Trish flinched. "Is that what Chloe thinks? She thinks I don't care?" There was no answer, only a blank stare from Chloe. "Oh, Chloe, I'm so sorry." Trish began to cry, going over to hug her child. She stroked Chloe's head softly. "I love you, Chloe. I love you so much. I'll be a better mum. I swear I will." Trish started kissing the top of her daughter's head, still crying as she held the child.
Chloe's hands came up and slowly hugged her mother in return. The Isolus spoke, "You . . . really love her? You love Chloe?"
"I love her so much. And I'll love you, too. If that's what you need, I'll give you all the love in the world. Just like I'll give Chloe."
Madison watched as a single tear leaked down Chloe's face. Soon the girl closed her eyes and snuggled her head into Trish's arms. Sighing in relief, Madison was simply glad that was sorted. Maybe Chloe and Trish could finally begin the healing process from their shared traumatic experience. Though it would be a long road ahead for them yet, she still wished the best for them. She turned her eyes away from the two as she heard a pair of footsteps stomping up the stairs. In came Rose and the council worker from earlier (Madison remembered he said his name was Kel).
"Look, I don't care if you got Snow White and the Seven Dwarves buried under there, you don't go digging—," Kel was heard complaining, angrily berating Rose.
"Shut up! I'm working here," Rose retorted before looking at the Isolus. "Look, I've got your pod."
"The pod is dead," the Isolus said after pulling away from the hug she had been sharing with Trish.
"Yes, but we could activate it again. What do you need us to do, sweetie?" Madison asked, standing up from the bed, ready to get to work.
"It just needs heat, yeah?" Rose questioned.
"It needs more than heat," said the Isolus.
"It needs love, too, doesn't it?" Seeing the Isolus's blank stare, Madison knew she had hit the mark. It made sense. It was what the Isolus most craved from Chloe. Shared love. "How much love do you need? How much heat?"
"Not enough. None of you will be enough," the Isolus told her.
"Then we'll find a place that will have enough. We just need . . ." Madison was at a loss now. Where could they find that much love and heat in one place?
"I'm not being funny or nothing, but that picture just moved," Kel spoke up then, pointing at the drawing of the Doctor. Madison went to it first, picking up the drawing to see it had changed. The image of the Doctor was now pointing at something. The torch from the Olympics.
"He made that. Oh, it makes sense now. Thank you, spaceman," Madison said, grinning at the picture. She then beamed at the Isolus. "Get ready. We're getting you home. Trish, stay with her. Rose, Kel, with me." Madison set down the drawing, rushing out of the room with Rose and Kel right behind her. "Rose, hand me the pod."
"What is it? What are we doing?" Rose asked, doing as instructed swiftly.
"The Doctor figured it out. What's the best place with love that the world shares? It's the Olympics!"
Rose gasped, grinning now. "The torch!"
They went down the street, coming to another where a large crowd had been gathered. People were cheering and shouting with glee as the torchbearer approached. There were metal barriers that kept the crowd from getting into the street as there was an escort of motorcycles leading the way for the man carrying the torch. There were policemen at the ready to keep people back as well, so Madison knew they would not be able to get close enough to the torchbearer. Would being near him on the street be close enough? As she, Rose, and Kel stopped to watch the torchbearer pass by, pressed in tightly with the people around them, she was startled when hearing the pod in her hand begin to make a whirring noise. An excited beeping of sorts. It even vibrated in her hand. Smiling, she kissed the pod, the small little egg-shaped spaceship, before throwing it into the air. She watched as it flew straight for the torch the man was carrying. The flame flared greatly when the pod made contact. The man carrying the torch stumbled somewhat, glancing at the torch curiously, but kept going all the same.
"There. It's done. I think the Isolus can go home now," Madison said, turning away from the crowd and running back towards the Webber household. "Let's go and see for ourselves!"
"Do you really think that was enough?" Rose asked as she and Madison ran down the street. Kel seemed to have missed their departure, staying behind in the crowd.
"I hope so."
As they rushed down the street, there came the sudden appearance of children. The two paused to watch as parents came out to tearfully greet their children, celebrating with hugs and kisses. Madison looked around, smiling as she waited for the Doctor to appear. However, he was nowhere to be seen. She rushed down the street, ignoring Rose's shout as she went down the way to see if maybe the Doctor had reappeared where the TARDIS was parked. But when she came up to the area, she was shocked to see no Doctor or TARDIS. What?
"No. No, no, no," Madison muttered, shaking her head as she looked wildly around. "But I thought . . ." The Isolus had promised. She doubted the entity would have lied about this. Unless something had gone wrong? Was he trapped permanently now within the drawing? Needing to see for herself, she ran back down the street, rushing for Chloe and Trish's house. She came up to the home just in time to see Rose crouched by the mailslot of the front door, shouting at Trish and Chloe who were on the other side.
"What's happening? What's wrong?" Madison questioned, immediately on alert as she could sense the panic from everyone.
"The door's stuck. The drawings have come back to life. All of them. Including the one of her dad," Rose explained rapidly. The blonde looked back to the door, shouting instructions. "Chloe, listen to me. It isn't real like the others. It's just energy left over by the Isolus. But you can get rid of it, Chloe."
"Help us!" Trish shouted, trying to break down the door to no avail.
"Trish, Chloe, you have to work together. It's only alive because you're so scared. But he's not real, and you can beat him. Together. Focus on calming down and you can do this," Madison began to instruct, trying to think of a way to calm them without reaching them. Then, she remembered. "Trish, why don't you sing? Chloe you sing as well. Just keep singing until he's gone. All right?" This seemed to work. She watched through the hazy window as Trish and Chloe held each other, kneeling low to the ground and their wavering song began. Each of them sang softly at first before their voices began to rise. Slowly, Madison could feel the danger pass, their fears dying off and the sound of the father's sinister voice disappearing altogether. Rose and Madison sighed in relief.
"It's always one thing after another," Rose mumbled as she and Madison sat down together. They each leaned up against the door behind them, staring out at the street filled with happy people. With her mood lowering, she wondered where the Doctor could have gone to. Should she check the drawing? No, if everyone else had been released, then the Doctor would have too. So that must mean . . .
"Did you find the Doctor?" Rose asked after a moment.
"No," Madison sighed, shaking her head, "he took the TARDIS and went off somewhere. Without us. Again."
"He has a habit of that," Rose muttered, frowning heavily. "Have any idea where he could have gone?"
Madison hummed as she thought everything over. Then, an idea came to mind. "Actually, I do have one idea, but I wish he could have assured us he was fine before going off to do it."
"What's that then?"
"The Isolus pod. He's most likely making certain the pod is indeed being kept safe and will find its way home. Knowing him, he rushed off in the TARDIS and followed the torch's progress to the stadium."
"Right." Rose sighed again, hoisting herself up from the ground. She held out a hand to Madison, helping her up next. "Come on, then. At least we've got a telly to watch the Olympics. We'll wait around for the Doctor till then."
XxXxXxXxXx
It turned out Madison's theory had indeed been correct. They watched from Trish and Chloe's sitting room the Olympic broadcast. The torchbearer collapsed after just arriving at the stadium for the opening ceremony. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the Doctor showed up on screen, grabbing the torch and making the rest of the way to the Olympic Flame. The people of the stadium at the ceremony were going wild, screaming and cheering away for the Doctor as he beamed at the crowd of over eighty thousand people. Once he lit the flame, they watched as it flared up dramatically before a small beam of sparkling light shot out from the flame and into the sky. Madison guessed this was the Isolus returning to space, flying away to join their brothers and sisters. She smiled as she wished the little Isolus the best life from here on out. She truly hoped the creature would always be happy, never alone ever again.
"Hey, there's some vendors a few streets down from here. Maybe we could go get something to eat?" Rose suggested to everyone after they finished watching the Doctor on the telly.
"Sounds like a good idea," Trish said, smiling as she and Chloe were still hugging and enjoying each other's company. Even Kel, who had shown up a while ago, agreed to tag along. He seemed at a loss for what had happened but was simply going along with it all now and not asking as many questions as before.
The group of them walked outside, seeing how the sun had just begun to set over the horizon and the streets were filled with excitement. Adults were mingling about, having drinks and chatting away while their children ran around the place, playing games and becoming overzealous with sweets from the vendors. While Chloe followed along with one of the kids who asked if she wanted to play (something Trish encouraged her to do), Madison turned to the mother as Rose went to one of the vendors selling cakes.
"Trish, now, I know everything seems fine now, but you really must think of what is to come next. This won't be an easy fix in one night. This will take time for you both," Madison said softly, trying to be as gentle as possible with pushing the woman to help.
"I know," Trish sighed, shaking her head. "But I don't even know where to start."
"Seek a family therapist for starters. I know going to some stranger seems like the last thing you should do, but trust me when I say going to someone professional for help can be the best option in a case like this. And the last thing you want to do is go back to the way things were before."
Trish shook her head firmly. "Believe me, they won't. I won't ever let my daughter feel alone ever again."
Madison smiled, nodding as she watched Trish walk away to watch her daughter play with the neighbourhood kids. Watching them all for a moment, it made her heart swell, feeling blissfully warm in seeing and feeling so many people's happiness. It truly was one of those glorious days where everything just worked out in the end. She loved days like this. Days where their adventures ended on a good note and they could travel without care into the next journey ahead. They have been having quite a few of these lately. She hoped they would continue.
"Got you something," she heard Rose say beside her. Turning around, she saw Rose holding out a small cupcake in her hand while biting into one of her own. Smiling gratefully, Madison was about to bite into the cake when she noticed something. She snorted. "What's so funny?"
"Edible ball bearings," Madison pointed to silver decorations on the cake. The two began to laugh and she knew then that this cake was not meant for her to eat. They mingled around with the rest of the crowd in the street, waiting patiently for the soon arrival of their missing friend. All the while Madison held her cake carefully in her hands. Soon, she spotted a familiar figure walking down the street, strolling down with his hands in his pockets and gazing thoughtfully at the night sky overhead. Grinning, she walked over briskly.
"Got you a present, spaceman," she said, happy to see him turn and his face light up. She held up the cake, giggling as his eyes sparkled with glee and he began to laugh.
"Top banana!" he exclaimed before taking the cake from her and swiftly biting into it. He made an expression of utter delight as he hummed, chewing merrily on his sweet treat. "I can't stress this enough. Ball bearings you can eat. Masterpiece!" He grabbed her suddenly, pulling her up to him with his arm wrapped around her waist. She laughed as he gave her a sloppy kiss on the forehead. "My cowgirl. Coming through again with the best surprises."
"Well, Rose is the one who bought it. So you should be thanking her," Madison admitted. They looked over in time to see Rose skipping over to meet up with them.
"You seriously need to stop running off without telling us where you're going. Scared us half to death thinking you were trapped in a drawing," Rose said, putting up a pretend annoyed tone though her playful smile gave her away. She punched the Doctor lightly in the arm as the three of them started to walk.
"Mmm. Sorry. Had to hurry. Needed to see the Isolus pod off," he explained with a muffled voice as he ate the rest of his cake.
"So what now?" Rose asked after a moment of quiet.
"I wanna go to the Games, it's what we came for." The Doctor waved a hand, flinging some crumbs around from his cake.
Rose grinned with her tongue between her teeth. "Go on. Give us a clue. Which events do we do well in?"
"Well, I will tell you this, Papua New Guinea surprised everyone in the shot put." The Doctor snickered at Rose's stuttering response of surprise.
The three of them halted in place when a sudden firework went off. The bang from the dazzling light displays vibrated through the air, leaving all noise subdued in return. People pointed and awed at the sight of the fireworks display high above. A colourful show indeed. Madison felt the Doctor snake his hand down to entangle with hers, threading his fingers together with her own. She gave his hand a loving squeeze as she leaned her head against his shoulder.
"You know what? They keep on trying to split us up, but they never ever will," Rose commented after a moment, smiling away wistfully as she gazed at the fireworks.
" . . . Never say 'never ever'," the Doctor murmured so quietly that Madison knew only she heard.
She watched as Rose walked on without them, strolling away happily without a care. All the while the Doctor and she remained in place. Madison turned her gaze to him, watching him carefully now. It was the way the shadows the fireworks cast across his face, making his features stand out in ethereal light. It was in the way he stared off into the sky. Those forlorn eyes of his showed the ancient weight pressing him down. She gripped his hand a little tighter than normal as her stomach twisted uncomfortably.
"Doctor . . . is everything all right?" she asked softly.
He did not answer her right away. Instead, he kept staring at the sky. His eyes were lost in the vision of something only he could see. Then, slowly, he blinked and turned his head to gaze at her. The despondent look in his eyes did not leave. Even as he smiled and nodded, it never left. She gripped his hand a little harder.
"If something is troubling you, you can tell me," she whispered, hoping to be encouraging for him to be open with her. Instead, her words only seemed to cause him to place a barrier between them.
"I'm fine. Everything's all right. Why wouldn't they be? We're about to see the games! Aren't you excited?" he responded, trying to sound lighthearted and merry. Again, his eyes told another story.
"Doctor," she implored, keeping him in place when he tried to walk away, "what's wrong?" She watched as he swallowed heavily, his head shaking ever so slightly. His eyes averted from hers as he stared off into the sky once again.
". . . Time Lords . . . have instincts, too. Things happen that . . . tell us when danger is coming. Timelines converging in patterns that indicated a chain of events that won't be . . . pleasant," he finally admitted. "Call it a precognition or premonition sense that Time Lords have at times. It's not always there or not always accurate. But . . . it's never left me wrong before."
She remained still, not breathing a single word or sound as she gazed at him. Watching him as his tired old eyes stared off into space. Another firework went off into the air. One of the last. One of the largest yet. It created a red glow in the summer night that was slowly warming now that the Isolus pod was gone and done draining the heat from everything. The red light touched the Doctor's face in a way that made him appear as a lost spirit that she dared not look away in fear that she might just lose him in that instant. When the night sky settled and was left barren of colour, only inky black was there for them to see. The only light cast now was that from street lights, which stretch in oblong shadows down the pavement. Finally, she broke the stillness between them.
"What are you seeing, Doctor?" she questioned quietly.
He turned his gaze upon her. His eyes and expression showed no emotion whatsoever. "Something in the air. Something coming. There's a storm approaching . . . and I don't know how to stop it."
She could feel his hand shaking as it gripped hers harder. Lifting a hand, she brought it up to brush away the messy bangs from his forehead before cupping his face. "Then, we'll just have to brave the storm together."
This did not seem to ease him as the Doctor merely shook his head and pulled her in for a strong hug, holding onto her tighter than he had before. As he rested his chin on top of her head, rubbing a hand up and down her back, the words of the Beast rang through Madison's mind. As a reminder of the ticking clock winding down for them all.
I hope you enjoyed the chapters! If you'd like, feel free to leave a review. I'd love to hear from everyone since it's been so long since the last update. :)