Doctor Who: The Time Child

The Doctor led Danni and Amy into an exhibition room in the Museé d'Orsay as a man lectured a group of tourists on the life and works of Vincent Van Gogh. The Doctor span on the spot, arms outstretched as he presented the room to Amy before grabbing Danni and pulling her close. She snuggled into his arms, a contented sigh escaping her lips. God, she loved it when he was all touchy-feely. It's the one thing that Ten and Nine were lacking.

"Thanks for bringing me." Amy told the Doctor shyly, flicking her red scarf at him as she opened her guidebook.

"You're welcome." The Doctor replied as he squeezed Danni, kissing her on top of the head. She blushed slightly, she felt like a school-girl but she didn't care.

"You're being so nice to me." Amy continued, then her eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Why are you being so nice to me?" She demanded.

"I'm always nice to you." The Doctor protested.

"Not like this. These places you're taking me – Arcadia..."

"Arcadia was beautiful." Danni interrupted with a sigh and the Doctor nodded, as if Danni was proving his point.

"The Trojan Gardens," Amy continued as if Danni hadn't said anything, "now this. I think it's suspicious."

"Well, it's not. There's nothing to be suspicious about." The Doctor rattled off too quickly.

"OK, I was joking. Why aren't you?" She asked him seriously.

"I am, I just..." He trailed off before rocking Danni, a huge grin on his face, "Danni-Girl here just had to fight off a mean old Dalek, so I thought we could all use a bit of cheering up. This way." He walked over to the man giving the lecture, dragging Danni with him.

"Smooth, Spaceman." She taunted him quietly and he spun her around to face him, a smirk on his face.

"True, though." He replied, kissing her quickly on the lips before spinning her back around, "You were very shouty that trip." He pointed out.

"You wouldn't listen to me." She replied, placing her hands over his as they held her tightly, "Plus, it'd just been my mum's birthday, I was sad."

"I know. Rose told me." Danni rolled her eyes slightly; of course she had.

"Each of these pictures now is worth tens of millions of pounds." The man explained to the crowd, "Yet in his lifetime, he was a commercial disaster. Sold only one painting, and that to the sister of a friend." Amy flicked through her guidebook, feeling very sorry for the long-dead man, "We have here possibly the greatest artist of all time, but when he died, you could sold his entire body of work and got about enough money to buy a sofa and a couple of chairs." There was a round of titters from the group, who followed the man off to the next painting.

"Who is it?" A voice of a boy caught the Doctor's attention.

"It's the doctor!" The Doctor turned to see two young boys looking up at the Portrait of Dr Gachet, "He was the doctor who took care of van Gogh when he started to go mad." The Doctor sighed in relief, for a moment he thought he had been recognised and he just wanted a quiet trip with Danni and Amy.

"You thought he meant you, didn't you?" Danni asked and shook her head at his grumble, "You and your ego, Doctor."

"You love it." He teased her as Amy grabbed his arm, pulling the pair over to The Church at Auvers. She held up her guidebook against it, jumping on the spot happily.

"Look! There it is, the actual one." She squealed.

"Yes. You can almost feel his hand painting it right in front of you. Carving the colours into shapes..." He let go of Danni, frowning and shaking his hair with his hand, "Wait a minute." He leant closer, examining what he had seen.

"What?" Amy asked.

"Well, just look at that." He pointed to the painting and Amy searched it, not knowing what she looking for while Danni's eyes headed straight to the window of the church.

"What?" Amy repeated.

"Something very not good indeed, I should guess." Danni replied.

"What thing very not good?" Amy asked, turning to face her.

"Look there, in the window of the church." The Doctor told her, tapping the painting. Amy leant in even closer, studying it confused.

"Is it a face?"

"Yes. And not a nice face at all. I know evil when I see it and I see it in that window."

"Evil's a bit strong, isn't it?" Danni asked but the Doctor was already walking over to the lecturer.

"...It has changed hands for something in the region of 20..."

"Excuse me," The Doctor interrupted, "if I can just interrupt for one second." He flipped open his psychic paper, showing it to the crowd like a police badge, "Sorry, everyone. Routine inspection, Ministry of Art and... Artiness. So, um..." He trailed off, waiting for the man to tell him his name as Amy and Danni joined him on either side.

"Dr Black."

"Yes, that's right." The Doctor muttered, as if he knew all along, "Do you know when that picture of the church was painted?" He motioned to the painting and Dr Black's eyes followed.

"Ah, what an interesting question. Most people..." He fell effortlessly into lecturing mode but the Doctor shook his head.

"I'm going to have to hurry you. When was it?" The Doctor pressed.

"Exactly?" Dr Black asked, surprised.

"As exactly as you can. Without a long speech, if poss. I'm in a hurry." The Doctor explained with a smile.

"Well, in that case, probably somewhere between the 1st and 3rd of June."

"What year?"

"1890. Less than a year before he killed himself." Dr Black told him solemnly. Danni smiled warmly at the man.

"Thank you, Dr Black, just what we needed. Nice bow-tie." She told him. He smiled, flattered and played with it as the Doctor turned to Amy.

"Bow-ties are cool." Amy shook her head in disagreement, still believing it to be a cry for help.

"Yours is very..." Dr Black started, motioning to the Doctor's TARDIS blue one. He shook the man's hand.

"Oh, thank you. Keep telling them stuff." The Doctor told him happily before letting go. He grabbed Danni's and pulled her through the exhibit, Amy trailing them, "We need to go."

"What about the other pictures?" Amy asked, glancing around at the other pictures.

"Art can wait. This is life and death." He shoved Amy in front of them, making her go faster, "We need to talk to Vincent van Gogh."

"Don't shove!" Danni scolded him, "She can't go anywhere without you, can she?" The Doctor shrugged, continuing to pull her down the stairs and out of the building towards the TARDIS.

"I don't want to be waiting for her, you humans are so slow!" He moaned as he followed Amy into the blue box.

"Oh we are, are we?" Danni snapped, slightly offended. He paused mid-flip of a lever and Amy smirked at the look of guilt that appeared on his face. Danni walked up to the console and looked up at the column, "I'll think you'll find we're just as good as you, and I'll prove it. Old Girl!" She called up at the machine, "1st June, 1890 if you don't mind." She had spent enough time with Nine ripping on humans, she needed to teach him some manners, however she didn't really known where to go after demanding the machine to fly away. Maybe pout until the Doctor apologised? Yeah, that sounded like a plan...

The lever the Doctor was holding shot out of his hand, flipping all the way down and the machine took off. Danni blinked and stepped back slightly, not actually expecting it to work. Neither did the Doctor, apparently as he yelled in shock.

"Oh sure, do what she asked!" He complained before turning to Danni, "I always knew she liked you better than me." He told her accusingly. Danni smiled innocently back.

"Why wouldn't she?" Danni replied, "I'm not the one who hits her with a mallet." The TARDIS landed with a soft thump, another thing that made the Doctor grumble as he made his way to the door. He stepped out onto the cobbles outside first, followed by Amy and finally Danni, who was smiling smugly. He led the two girls down an alleyway, illuminated by the lamps hanging of the buildings surrounding them. Amy and Danni jogged to catch him up, the pair flanking him on either side.

"Right, so here's the plan. We find Vincent and he leads us straight to the church and our nasty friend." He explained to them, swinging Danni's hand excitedly.

"Easy peasy." Amy replied.

"Well, no. I suspect nothing will be easy with Mr van Gogh. Now, he'll probably be in the local café - sort of orangey light, chairs and tables outside." He described. Amy opened the guidebook she was still holding, flicking through the pages until she found 'The Café Terrace on the Place Du Forum', showing exactly the image the Doctor described. They stopped as she showed him the image.

"Like this?" The Doctor nodded as Amy looked over the book, peering around.

"That's the one." He confirmed.

"Or indeed like that." The Doctor and Danni followed her gaze and saw the exact café being tidied up by a couple of woman dressed in maid outfits.

"Yeah, exactly like that." He replied, amazed at the resemblance.

"It really is that pretty." Danni breathed and he turned to her, beaming at the awe on her face. He grabbed her by the hand and began dancing her over to the café, spinning her before walking up to a man in a suit looking over the members of staff.

"Good evening. Does the name Vincent van Gogh ring a bell?" The Doctor asked happily.

"Don't mention that man to me." The man muttered angrily before storming off inside. The Doctor blinked, surprised at the man's tone. He looked around, trying to find someone else to ask.

"Excuse me. Do you know Vincent van Gogh?" He tried again with one of the waitresses. She stopped clearing the table she was at and put a hand on her hip.

"Unfortunately." She replied with a sigh.

"Unfortunately?" Amy asked, confused.

"He's drunk, he's mad and he never pays his bills." The waitress rattled off, the other woman shaking her head in agreement.

"Good painter, though, eh?" The waitresses began laughing, the patrons around them who had heard him also joining him. Looking dejected, the Doctor sat down at one of the tables. Danni stood behind him, rubbing his arm comfortingly.

"You have to remember, no one liked him when he was alive." She whispered to him sadly, "They didn't understand his illness, they just thought he was mad." He placed a hand over hers, squeezing it gently.

"Come on! Come on! One painting for one drink. That's not a bad deal." A man urged as he followed the man in the suit outside. The Doctor straightened up with a smile, finally finding Vincent van Gogh. Amy held the guidebook up to her mouth to hide her huge grin and Danni jumped up and down excitedly.

"It wouldn't be a bad deal if the painting were any good." The man in the suit replied, "I can't hang that up on my walls. It'd scare the customers half to death. It's bad enough having you in here in person, let alone looming over the customers day and night in a stupid hat." He held up the painting in question to Vincent's face, inadvertently showing Amy the self-portrait, "You pay money or you get out."

"I'll pay if you like." The Doctor stated, interrupting the argument. The man in the suit looked over at him, exasperated.

"What?" He snapped.

"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 rattled off, Vincent turning slowly to look at him, confused and a bit wary.

"Exactly who are you?" The painter asked suspiciously.

"I'm... new in town." The Doctor settled on.

"Well, in that case, you don't know three things. One, I pay for my own drinks, thank you." Everyone around them, including the man in the suit, laughed and Vincent looked around, losing his nerve for a moment, "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 friend's are cute," Danni shot Amy a grin across the café, Amy looking flattered and smug in equal measure, "but you should keep your big nose out of other people's business." he turned back to the man in the suit, "Come on, just one more drink. I'll pay tomorrow."

"No." The man replied, turning to walk away. Vincent grabbed him to stop him going.

"Or, on the other hand, slightly more compassionately, yes." Vincent prompted hopefully. The man just stared back at him, annoyed.

"Or, on the other hand, to protect my business from madmen, no."

"Or-" Vincent started, pushing the picture against the man's chest.

"Oh, look, just shut up the pair of you!" Amy interrupted them both, now tired of the arguing, "I would like a bottle of wine, please, which I will then share with whomever I choose." She looked at Vincent pointedly as she walked over to them.

"That could be good." Vincent said lowly, now completely taken in by Amy. Danni smiled to herself, when she used to watch this episode the relationship between the two had been her favourite part. She was always happy Amy managed to make the tortured man happy, if only a for a while.

"That's good by me." The man in the suit admitted.

"Good." Amy stalked inside, the suited man following her after giving Vincent his self-portrait back.

"I always said she was good." Danni told the Doctor, who chuckled.

"Poor Vincent." He stated and she nodded.

"He won't know what's hit him."

~0~0~0~

The Doctor and Amy sat across from Vincent on a table near the edge of the café, Danni squished on the end. Amy and Vincent were enjoying their glasses of wine while Danni and the Doctor nursed theirs, pretending they were drinking. Danni didn't mind the odd glass of wine, and she never turned her nose up at champagne, but she wanted to be fully alert to enjoy this. Vincent v Gogh was sat next to her, albeit staring suspiciously at Amy. It was as if he didn't believe she actually existed, it was adorable.

"That accent of yours. You from Holland like me?" He asked her.

"No." Amy answered at the same time the Doctor answered 'Yes'.

"Yes. She means yes. So, start again. Hello, I'm the Doctor." The Doctor corrected, holding his hand out to the painter.

"I knew it!" Vincent shouted angrily and the Doctor frowned in confusion.

"Sorry?"

"My brother's always sending doctors, but you won't be able to help." Vincent sat back in his chair, shrinking into himself, distrustful of the man.

"No, not that kind of doctor." The Doctor laughed nervously, looking around to try and change the subject. There was a painting by Vincent's side and the Doctor pointed at it, "That's incredible, don't you think, Amy? Danni?" He prompted, both girls nodding enthusiastically.

"Amazing." Danni agreed as it was very pretty, even if it was unfinished.

"Absolutely. One of my favourites." Amy added. Vincent glared at her, still confused and becoming increasingly agitated.

"'One of my favourite' whats? You've never seen my work before." He accused. Amy's eyes went wide and she nodded slowly. She looked over at Danni for inspiration, but Danni just replied with a shrug.

"Ah, yes. One of my favourite paintings that I've ever seen." Amy rambled, picking up her glass of wine, drinking from it, "Generally."

"Then you can't have seen many paintings, then. I know it's terrible. It's the best I could do." Vincent said slowly, studying his own painting for a moment before putting it down and leaning across the table towards Amy, "Your hair is orange." Amy looking taken aback by his statement, then leant forward herself to meet him in the middle.

"Yes. So's yours." She replied.

"Yes. It was more orange, but now is, of course, less." The Doctor rolled his eyes at Vincent's terrible flirting, as if it was painful for him to hear. Danni pouted slightly, twisting a lock of hair around her finger before leaning towards the Doctor.

"My hair's orange too. No one flirts with me because of it." She murmured. The Doctor smiled at her sulking, reaching forward and running a hand through her hair.

"I love your orange hair." He told her sincerely before he pouted as well, "I'm still not ginger." he moaned quietly.

"If you were ginger we'd look like brother and sister." Danni pointed out. He wrinkled his nose at the thought and kissed the side of her head, burying his nose in her hair for just a moment.

"Definitely not ginger then. Unless you change your..." She narrowed her eyes at him and he shook his head nervously, "Okay, not changing your hair..." He turned to Vincent before Danni could reply, "So, Vincent, painted any churches recently? Any churchy plans? Are churches, chapels, religiousy stuff like that, something you'd like to get into? You know, fairly soon?" The Doctor interrogated, wanting to pull himself out of the hole he'd managed to dig himself into. He should have known better than to suggest she changed the colour of her hair, Danni loved her ginger hair, it reminded her of dad, apparently. He wouldn't know, not having met any of her family. He never would, either, which was good thing because family made things complicated. He wanted it to just be him and his Danni-Girl. Well, and Amy too, obviously, but now was not the time of this...

"Well, there is one church I'm thinking of painting when the weather is right." Vincent admitted reluctantly, just wanting to talk to Amy. She was fascinating, so bright and bold. He'd never seen someone glow in the dark like she did, but she also seemed sad, like him.

"That is very good news." The Doctor stated happily, but before anyone could reply a woman screamed, running up to the café shaking and terrified.

"She's been murdered! Help me!" She screamed, throwing her arms up in her distress. The Doctor didn't look away from Vincent, but he did point in her direction.

"That, on the other hand, isn't quite such good news." He grabbed Danni's hand as he stood up, "Come on Danni-Girl, Amy, Vincent!" Amy shot up after the pair, Vincent following after finishing his glass of wine and picking up his hat. They followed the woman and the crowd gathering into an alley, where the body of a young woman was laying on the floor. The Doctor pushed past them all, dragging Danni with him.

"Please, let me look. I'm a doctor." He declared as he made his way over to the girl.

"Who is it?" Another woman shouted. The Doctor's face dropped as he saw the young woman was already dead. He gently but firmly pushed Danni behind him, as if protecting her from the sight.

"Oh, no, no, no." He breathed before he knelt down by the body, Vincent on the other side. They shared a horrified look as Danni looked down at the body, heartbroken. She can't have been more then 18.

"Away, all of you vultures! This is my daughter." Another woman shouted, chucking herself down on the floor next to her daughter and stroking her cheek, "Giselle. What monster could have done this?" She turned to the Doctor, "Get away from her!" She snarled and the Doctor and Vincent jumped back up, the Doctor holding his hands out to reassure her.

"OK, OK."

"Get that madman out of here!" She demanded, picking up a stone a throwing it at Vincent. The crowd followed suit, shouting their blame at Vincent as they began pummelling the foursome with stones. Danni grabbed Vincent's hand and pulled him away down the alley, where they eventually stopped, catching their breath. Amy leant against a wall, the Doctor and Vincent bending over, hands on their knees. Danni rubbed her shoulder where a particularly large stone had bounced off her.

"What a wicked woman!" Danni declared angrily, glaring down the alleyway in the direction they had come. She understood her daughter had died, but that was just cruel. The Doctor lifted up her short sleeve, checking the area the stone had hit, rubbing it gently with the tips of his fingers before turning to look at Vincent.

"Are you all right?" He asked, concerned.

"Yes," Vincent declared, confused by his concern, "I'm used to it."

"Has anything like this murder happened here before?"

"Only a week ago. It's a terrible time." Vincent explained to them. The Doctor nodded to himself slowly as he began walking down the alley, deep in thought but still keeping Danni firmly by his side. Danni couldn't help but smile to herself, she really did miss this.

"As I thought, as I thought." He mused. He looked over his shoulder at Vincent as he paused mid-step, "Come on, we'd better get you home."

"Where are you staying tonight?" Vincent walked up to him as he asked and the Doctor grinned widely, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Oh, you're very kind." He replied happily, he and Danni continuing down the alleyway, joined arms swinging between them. Vincent stared after them, slightly dazed. Amy giggled nervously and he turned to face her, the fake grin on her face falling. She jogged off slightly to catch them up, Vincent putting his hat back on and following a moment later.

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