Chapter Thirteen: Idiot's Lantern

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CLAUDIA COULDN'T SAY NO TO ROSE'S PLEADING EYES WHEN SHE BEGGED HER TO WEAR A DRESS.

How could she? The younger girl was quickly becoming a sister to Claudia and her heart clenched at the wave of guilt at Rose's face when she declined the first time.

Claudia couldn't pinpoint exactly when it happened, the two becoming so close. She presumed it was after she'd lost Sam, and Rose couldn't help but pity her.

They'd bonded over loss and the trauma of seeing someone they loved and missed and would never see again.

Claudia knew all about trauma-bonding. It seared into one's very essence and carved a spot just for the other person, for the sake of ensuring one would never be alone again.

Rose wasn't Claudia's lifeline, and Claudia wasn't Rose's, but there was no one in the universe who could understand the experience the pair shared more than the other.

Or, any traumatic experience, really, that walked hand-in-hand with the Doctor, despite his best efforts otherwise.

"You look so pretty," Rose gushed, fawning over Claudia's 1950's style dress.

Claudia sighed, a blank stare on her face. "Thank you Rose. You look beautiful."

"I know," Rose squealed excitedly, spinning in her bubblegum pink flared skirt and denim jacket.

Her hair was pinned up behind a pink headband, and Claudia's was much the same, though a few loose curls peeked out near her eyes and she couldn't seem to pin them back.

Unlike Rose — who reflected the light in her smile, the bright dress only amplifying the blush in her cheeks — Claudia's dress was far simpler.

A dark blue button down dress with two belt loops on the side and a thin rectangle belt clasped around her middle. She refrained from putting a jacket or flannel over the dress, despite having her arms free.

Too many scars from knives and bullet wounds — but Rose said the few tattoos scattered around made her only more mysterious.

Claudia thought she looked ridiculous but allowed Rose to pair blue and white Mary-Jane heels to the outfit.

Briefly, she found herself grateful that neither Sam or Dean could see this. They'd never let her live it down.

"Come on," Rose grinned, grabbing Claudia's hand and pulling her from the TARDIS wardrobe into the console room.

A light blush coated Claudia's cheeks when the Doctor's eyes widened, spotting the pair. His eyes found Rose first, watching her for a moment before he glanced to Claudia, eyebrows raising.

She gave him a cold glare. "Say anything and I will push you into traffic when we step outside the doors."

The Doctor grinned. "You look lovely, Winchester," he winked, smiling at Rose, eyes softening. "And you too, Rose."

The Doctor looked similar to his usual style, though his suit was a bit tighter and his hair was gelled back akin to that of the 50's.

Claudia sighed. "Let's go, lovebirds," she tugged Rose out of the TARDIS, the Doctor following behind.

"I thought we'd be going for the Vegas era," Rose commented as they stepped out. "You know, the white flares and the," she wiggled her eyebrows at Claudia, "chest hair."

Claudia snorted. "You a fan of chest hair?"

"Are you not?" She asked in surprise.

Claudia shrugged. "I'm open to anything, really."

"You are kidding, aren't you?" The Doctor poked out from behind the TARDIS. "If you wanna see Elvis, you go for the late '50's."

"I still vote Queen, but I understand democracy," Claudia pointed out. "Though, I think if the TARDIS could take a vote, she'd be on my side. We had a jam session last night."

"Jam session?" Rose laughed. "How's that work, then?"

"I don't know," Claudia shrugged. "I danced and she played Queen and her lights flashed to the beat. It was an awesome one-person party."

The Doctor's grin widened. "Oh, you should invite me next time. Her parties are brilliant."

"Sorry, the party had a strict: badass only policy, but I'll keep you in mind for next time," she grinned at him.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Point stands," he winked at Rose. "The time before burgers is better. When they called him 'The Pelvis' and he still had a waist!"

"Man," Claudia sighed. "I am so happy I was born in a time with burgers." She looked to the Doctor curiously as he disappeared behind the TARDIS door. "Is there a diner in space with good burgers? That's where we should take Dean. No aliens, he'll just cause trouble, but a space diner he'd really enjoy."

Before Rose could speak up in agreement, the TARFIS doors opened and the girls jumped back as the Doctor rode out on a moped.

Rose giggled as he grinned over and Claudia shook her head in bewilderment.

"You goin' my way, dolls?" He asked in a low, Elvis impersonation.

Claudia burst into laughter, throwing her head back but Rose's grin widened. "Is there any other way to go, daddy-o?" She released Claudia's hand and placed on pink sunglasses to match her dress. "Straight from the fridge, man!"

"This is so embarrassing," Claudia snickered. "You two are ridiculous."

"You love us," Rose's grin turned to Claudia as she walked to the Doctor's moped.

"Hey, you speak the lingo!" He cheered to Rose. "Claudia, there's one here for you," another moped rolled out from the TARDIS. "But you can only ride it if you join the fun."

"No," Claudia shook her head, fighting a smile. "I'm not doing this."

"Come on," Rose pleaded, sliding onto the back of the Doctor's moped, wrapping her arms around him. "Just once, we won't ask you again."

"I'm already wearing a dress, Rose Tyler, there's only so much your puppy dog eyes will get from me." She scowled, grabbing a pair of black sunglasses and placing them on.

The Doctor pulled down his sunglasses, pouting his lip. "What about me?"

"You make me want to hit you," she laughed, walking to the moped he brought for her.

"Party pooper!" He jested and she sighed, wrapping her legs over it, looking at the two.

"Put an egg in your shoe, and beat it," she glared at them and they both burst into laughter, high-fiving.

"You're the best, Claudia!" Rose shouted at her and the Doctor nodded in agreement.

"Can we just go see Elvis and be done with this already?" Claudia asked, a smile tugging at her lips.

Despite her words, she was having fun and the trio knew it. It was strange, how only months prior, Claudia felt uncomfortable and awkward around the pair, but somehow they'd both settled deep into her chest and kept her heart beating.

She was grateful for joining the Doctor, feeling more and more like the person she was before Sam's death, if that girl even still existed. And she was grateful to him, for steadying her when she stumbled and quieting her when she fell.

And for Rose, who originally was more of a frenemy than a friend, had become deeply integral in Claudia's well-being. The pair had spent hours in the TARDIS cinema room watching black-and-white films and old cartoons when the Doctor fiddled with repairs.

Perhaps it was visiting Dean and finding closure on that chapter in her life, but there was something so beautiful about Rose and the Doctor. She wished she could freeze every moment with them and burn it to memory so that when it inevitably broke — as all things in her life do — she would remember it with the same fondness she felt living it.

The Doctor started up his moped, and Claudia rode alongside the pair as they drove along the streets.

"Where are we off to?" Rose shouted over the noise.

"Ed Sullivan TV studios!" The Doctor responded. "Elvis did Hound Dog on one of the shows. There were loads of complaints. Bit of luck, we'll just catch it!"

"Because you're full of luck, Doctor!" Claudia glanced at him, grin full of sarcasm.

He grinned back at her. "Now you've jinxed us, Claudia, thanks for that."

"Oh, right, you were so lucky before I said anything!" Claudia laughed.

"Now we'll never know!" He retorted back.

"Isn't the TV studio in...what, New York?" Rose asked, cutting off their banter.

"That's the one!" The Doctor nodded.

Claudia snorted, exchanging a look with Rose as a double-decker drove past.

"Digging that New York vibe!" Rose commented lightly.

The Doctor looked around in mild confusion. "Well," he started. "This could still be New York. I mean, this...looks very New York to me."

"As the American, I have to clarify there is nothing New York about this place."

Her words made Rose laugh again, and the Doctor grimaced. "London-y New York, mind, but..."

"What are all the flags for?" Rose asked, looking around.

—

The trio parked the mopeds and decided to walk on foot, Claudia in between the Doctor and Rose as they approached a man with a van.

"There you go," the man told another, handing him a television. Claudia blinked at it, always thrown by how she was actually in the past. "All wired up for the great occasion."

"Great occasion?" The Doctor asked, rubbing his ear. "What do you mean?"

"Where you been living, out in the colonies?"

Claudia frowned. "Is that supposed to be an insult?" She asked Rose who smiled in response.

The man hadn't noticed, continuing with the Doctor. "The coronation, of course!"

"And what coronation's that, then?"

"Queen Elizabeth," Claudia said confidently. "June 1953," she spouted. At Rose and the Doctor's surprised look, she shrugged. "Dean has a thing for the Royal family, I know a lot of weird facts."

"Oh!" The Doctor grinned. "This is 1953?"

"Last time I looked," the man nodded. "Time for a lovely bit of pomp and circumstance. What we do best."

"Look at all the TV aerials," Rose muttered to the Doctor and Claudia. "Looks like everyone's got one."

Claudia frowned. "That's weird," she looked around. "My dad said he didn't grow up with a tv, it wasn't very common until he was in his teens, at least."

"Mum too," Rose nodded in agreement. "She said tellies were so rare, they all had to pile into one house."

"Not 'round here, love," the man pointed out. "Magpie's Marvellous Tellies."

Claudia snorted. "That's ironic."

"What is?" The Doctor furrowed his brow, his hand slipping into hers subconsciously, the pair distancing a bit from Rose and the television-man.

"Magpie often refers to someone who collects things with little use," she shrugged. "Sam nicknamed our uncle one when we saw his house the first time as kids. Kind of funny if you consider the evolution of television and the uselessness it brings to humanity."

The Doctor hummed in agreement. "You always surprise me, Claudia," he said quietly to her. "I never know what'll come out of your mouth."

"Gotta keep you interested," she smirked up at him. "Have you been to this year before?" She asked curiously. She often wondered if he'd been to every year in existence, or only specific dates or specific moments in history.

"No, but this is a brilliant year!" He grinned excitedly, looking down at her. "Classic! Technicolor! Everest climbed! Everything off the ration!" He dropped Claudia's hand, holding his own up imitating General MacArthur from the Japanese surrender speech. "A nation throwing off the shackles of war and looking forward to a happier, brighter future!"

Rose laughed at the Doctor but before they could say anything else, woman was screaming.

"Someone please! Ted!" She shouted, gathering the trio's attention. The Doctor's face fell and Rose's smile dropped, but Claudia was already moving into action, walking quickly over. Two suited men were tugging along someone with a blanket over their head. "Leave him alone! That's my husband! Please!"

Claudia grabbed one of the suited men by the arm, pulling it back to stop him, but he simply elbowed her in the face, sending her back a bit.

"Watch it, girl," he sneered. "This is police business."

"What's going on?" The Doctor asked as he and Rose rushed over.

"Police business," the man who elbowed Claudia's nose told the Doctor. "Get out the way, sir, and mind your woman."

"I'm nobody's woman," Claudia glared at him. "And I don't need to be minded." She made a move to approach him, but he was already climbing into the car.

A young man walked next to Rose, looking at the car in surprise.

"Who did they take?" Rose asked him. "Do you know him?"

"Must be Mr. Gallagher," the boy informed in shock. "It's happening all over the place. They're turning into monsters."

"Tommy!" A burly man shouted from the house behind the boy. "Not one word. Get inside now!"

"Sorry," Tommy smiled politely to the three friends. "Better do as he says."

The Doctor glanced to Claudia in concern, looking to the car that was driving off. She waved him off, holding her lightly bleeding nose.

"Go, I'll catch up."

He nodded in understanding, rushing to his moped and Rose clambered behind him, the pair driving off after the car.

Claudia grimaced, grabbing her bag she carried — dress and style be damned, Rose, this was exactly why — and grabbed a tissue, holding it to her nose and mumbling profanities under her breath.

—

"Are you alright?" The Doctor held Claudia's face gently in his hands, looking over her nose.

Not long after they'd left, the Doctor and Rose returned to the street, parking next to Claudia.

Apparently, the police car disappeared when they turned the corner and they couldn't find where it went to.

Upon seeing Claudia, the Doctor turned off the moped and rushed over to her, worry flooding his face.

"I'm fine," she smiled lightly, wiping the blood. "Is the blood gone? Think he just gave me a bloody nose, it's not broken."

His eyebrows tugged together and his frown deepened as he looked over her face. He grabbed the tissue from her hand and gently wiped under her nose, careful around the sensitive feature.

"I'm sorry he hit you," he told her gently. "I wasn't there in time."

Claudia shrugged. "Not the first time," she smiled up at him. "Won't be the last."

The Doctor sighed, eyes meeting hers and he brushed back a piece of her hair, tucking it behind her ear. "What am I going to do with you, Claudia? You find danger more than I do."

Claudia rolled her eyes, a teasing smile on her face. "No one finds danger more than you."

A small smile toyed with his lips and he dropped his hand, taking a few steps back from her.

Night passed quickly, the trio grabbing a quick snack from the TARDIS, before they returned back to Tommy's house.

The door opened after Rose rang the doorbell and the trio grinned at the man behind it. He was the same man who yelled earlier about Tommy returning back.

"Hi!" The trio greeted simultaneously, and Claudia felt a small pang in her heart at the remembrance of her and her brothers doing the same for so many years. It was soon replaced by fondness for the people next to her, who'd made her feel more like a person than not recently.

"Who are you, then?" The man asked.

"Let's see," the Doctor began quietly. "Judging by the look of you, family man, nice house, decent wage, fought in the war — therefore, I represent Queen and country!" He exclaimed, holding up the psychic paper.

Realization flooded Claudia when she glanced at it and found it still blank. She hadn't thought about since New New York, but that was another piece of her abnormalities she could probably chalk up to Castiel's grace.

A small smile found her then, and she noted he was helping her not be fooled even in death.

"Just doing a little check of her forthcoming Majesty's subjects before the great day," the Doctor continued. "Don't mind if we come in?" He gently pushed the man aside and the girls followed behind him. "No, I didn't think you did. Thank you."

Claudia looked around the house, smiling softly. The aesthetic of the 50's was by no means her favorite, but she found it a recurring theme in motel's to have the 50's or 70's plastered around, and the wallpaper brought forth a nostalgia she didn't know existed.

"Not bad," the Doctor commented. "Very nice, very well kept. I'd like to congratulate you, Mrs...?" The Doctor leaned towards the woman, who leaned away from him, eyes wide as saucers.

A chill shivered down Claudia's back at the look in her eyes, and upon glancing at Tommy, it was the same look there, too.

"Connolly," the woman supplied, glancing to her husband.

Claudia glanced in his direction too, jaw clenching. She loved her father, truly, but his abuse shattered her developing mind growing up and discouraging Sam's identity only led to his inevitable demise.

She hated men like her father, and looking at Mr. Connolly, she found a bitter resentment in the back of her throat.

"Now then, Rita, I can handle this," Mr. Connolly interrupted, standing behind the sofa with his arms intersected neatly behind him.

A flash of remembrance hit Claudia and she remembered doing the same in front of John as a girl. The three, when in trouble, would have to stand in military positions in front of him and accept whatever punishment he'd laid out.

Normally, he went fairly easy on Claudia, and Sam was his favorite, but he always gave Dean the worst of it. Despite the fond memories she had of her father, the older she grew, the more she wished he'd died in the fire that night.

"This gentleman's a proper representative," Mr. Connolly continued. "Don't mind the wife. She rattles on a bit."

"Maybe she should rattle a bit more," Claudia spoke up, her voice cold and her eyes harsh.

The Doctor glanced to Claudia, eyes looking over her face — which was glued to Mr. Connolly — before looking back to the man.

"Claudia's right, I'm not convinced you're doing your patriotic duty. Those flags, why are they not flying?"

Mr. Connolly looked to the flags, sitting next to Rose, and then to his wife. "There we are, Rita, I told you. Get them up. Queen and country."

"I'm sorry," Mrs. Connolly began but the Doctor held his hand out gently, stopping her, walking to Mr. Connolly.

"Get it done," Mr. Connolly ordered. "Do it now."

"Hold on a minute," the Doctor stopped near the flags, his arm brushing against Claudia's. "Hold on a minute."

"Like the gentleman says," Mr. Connolly continued.

"You've got hands, Mr. Connolly," the Doctor pointed out, and a smirk pulled at Claudia's lips. "Two big hands. Then why is that your wife's job?"

"Well," Mr. Connolly spluttered. "It's housework innit?"

"And that's a woman's job?" Claudia countered with her eyebrows raised.

Mr. Connolly looked to her, nodding. "'Course it is. Maybe you'd do well to learn that."

Fire coursed through Claudia's veins at his remark, but as if sensing her brewing temper, the Doctor grabbed her hand and held it tightly in her own.

Centering, she focused on his calm. His own fire buried deep in the storm of his emotions. If she held tightly enough, perhaps her fire would be calmed by his and the pair could simply breathe in the smoke.

"Mr. Connolly," the Doctor continued, though he squeezed Claudia's hand as he spoke. "What gender is the Queen?"

"She's a female," Mr. Connolly supplied.

"Good job, you have eyes," Claudia remarked dryly.

"And are you suggesting the Queen does the housework?"

It was silent for a moment and Mr. Connolly blinked in surprise. "No, not-not at all."

"Then get busy!" The Doctor used his free hand to pick up the flags and hold them out for Mr. Connolly, who took them, dumbfounded.

"Right, yes sir," Mr. Connolly nodded, walking to the wall. "You'll be proud of us, sir! We'll have Union Jacks left, right, and center!"

The Doctor nodded, tugging Claudia gently to the sofa, taking a seat next to her. He squeezed her hand, as though asking if she'd be okay, and she squeezed back, the pair letting go.

"Excuse me, Mr. Connolly," Rose spoke up, placing her hands on her hips. "Hang on a minute. Union Jacks?"

"Yes, that's right, isn't it?" Mr. Connolly asked.

"That's the Union flag," Rose pointed out. "It's the Union Jack only when it's flown at sea."

"Oh," Mr. Connolly replied softly. "I'm sorry. I do apologize."

"Well, don't get it wrong again," Rose smiled sweetly, but her eyes glared at him. "There's a good man. Now get to it!"

Taking a breath, Rose looked to the Doctor and Claudia biting her lip. The Doctor glanced away, eyes wide, but Claudia beamed at her in pride.

Rose walked towards them and Claudia pulled her to the couch, winking at her. "That's my girl," she whispered in Rose's ear. Rose tapped her head against Claudia's, fighting her grin.

"Right, then, nice and comfy," the Doctor cleared his throat. "At her Majesty's leisure!" He looked to Rose at Claudia's other side. "Union flag?" He asked quietly.

"Mum went out with a sailor," Rose whispered with a sheepish smile. Claudia snorted and the Doctor grinned.

"Oh-ho-ho-ho, I bet she did," he chuckled. "Anyway, I'm the Doctor, and this is Rose and Claudia," the Doctor spoke up to Mrs. Connolly. "And you are?"

"Tommy," the younger boy from before said quietly, eyes glancing to Claudia. She tried to focus on the fact that between his tousled brown hair, puppy-dog brown eyes, and soft voice, he looked nothing like Sam at his age. But she couldn't quite get past it.

"Well," the Doctor nodded to the chair. "Sit yourself down, Tommy." He flicked on the television. "Have a look at this. I love telly, don't you?"

"Yeah, I think it's brilliant," Tommy replied.

"Good man." He hardly glanced back at Mr. Connolly. "Keep working, Mr. C!" Then, he turned to Rita, a softer tone in his voice. "Now, why don't you tell me what's wrong?"

"Did you say you were a doctor?" Rita asked tentatively.

"Yes, I am."

"Can you help her?" Her face softened, and her voice shook. Claudia reached over and took her hand gently, a small smile on her face. This was normal to her: door-to-door with victim's families, offering condolences and gentle assurances. Sam was always better at it, but oftentimes, with women, they appreciated Claudia a bit more than her brothers. "Oh, please. Can you help her, Doctor?"

"Now then, Rita, I don't think the gentleman needs to know," Mr. Connolly warned.

Claudia's hand tightened on Rita's. "Please, keep going." She requested softly. "It's okay. We can help you."

"Oh, the gentleman does," the Doctor countered back to Mr. Connolly.

Rita's eyes watered and she used her free hand to cover her face, quietly sobbing. Claudia leaned over the Doctor, wrapping both her hands around Rita's.

"It's okay, you won't have to cry anymore, we can fix whatever is going on."

"Hold on a minute," Mr. Connolly spoke up. The Doctor's head slowly turned to him and Rose left Claudia's other side, comforting Rita as Claudia dropped her hands. "Queen and Country's one thing, but this is my house.

"What the..." he continued, dropping the flags. "What the hell am I doing?"

He walked over in a fury, glaring down at the Doctor. "Now you listen here, Doctor. You may have fancy qualifications, but what goes on under my roof is my business." He glanced to Claudia. "And it's definitely not the business of an unmarried American. You're certainly not welcome here."

The Doctor's face hardened at his words, and Claudia's eyes filled with a bitter rage.

"Not if people are being bundled into—"

"—I am talking!" Mr. Connolly shouted, cutting the Doctor off.

The Doctor stood quickly, towering over Mr. Connolly. "And I'm not listening!" He shouted back. "Now you, Mr. Connolly, you are staring into a deep, dark pit of trouble if you don't let me help. So I'm ordering you, sir, to tell me what's going on!" He breathed heavily for a moment before lowering his voice. "And if you insult Claudia again, I will see to it that you dive headfirst into the pit of trouble, do I make myself clear?"

Mr. Connolly blinked, surprised at the outburst, before nodding. Claudia looked at the Doctor in her own form of surprise, touched by his words.

She knew they had a close bond that was steadily growing more and more important to the pair as days passed, but it meant quite a bit to have him stand up for her specifically. She couldn't recall the last time someone had done that.

A thudding noise interrupted her thoughts and they all looked up to the ceiling.

"She won't stop," Mr. Connolly spoke quietly. "She never stops."

Claudia stood up, arm brushing against the Doctor's suit jacket. He reached over and grabbed her hand tightly, taking a breath.

"Who?" Claudia asked curiously.

"We started hearing noises all around the place," Tommy spoke up. The Doctor dropped Claudia's hand, turning to give Tommy his attention. "People who have changed. Families keeping it secret, 'cause they were scared. Then the police finding out. We don't know how, no one does."

Claudia watched Mr. Connolly's eyes shift and she glared at him. "I think someone does," she pointed out, low enough for him to hear. He glanced in her direction, eyes flashing fearfully at the hard look in her eyes. He swallowed.

"They just turn up," Tommy continued. "They come to the door and take them. Any time of the day or night."

"Show me," the Doctor and Claudia said together, exchanging a look.

—

"Gran?" Tommy unlocked a door upstairs. It was pitch black inside. "It's all right, Gran. I've brought help."

An elderly woman's outline walked towards them, creaking the floorboards as she walked. Claudia's hand itched to grab her knife, but she resisted, knowing this wasn't a demonic situation.

The Doctor reached to the wall and flicked on the light and Claudia's eyes widened at the scene before her.

The woman had absolutely no face.

Nothing.

It was completely gone.

"Holy shit," Claudia muttered under her breath. Rose slapped her arm gently but Claudia hardly paid attention.

The Doctor was the first to move, walking to Tommy's grandmother and leaning in front of her. "Her face is completely gone," he remarked.

Rose and Claudia followed suit as he held up the sonic, scanning the woman's face.

"Is there any sign of brain activity?" Claudia asked quietly. "Anything to show that she's still in there? Is it just physical or mental, too?"

The Doctor shook his head a fraction. "Scarcely an electrical impulse left," he whispered. "Almost complete neural shutdown. It's just ticking over. It's like her brain's been wiped clean."

"What could do that?" Claudia's eyebrows furrowed together. "Is it memories? There's no puncture wounds," she bit her lip in thought. "It's not eating the brain, but if it's more than the brain...the nervous system...what needs that much power? Energy?"

She and the Doctor exchanged a look, both thinking rapidly to try and come up with any explanation.

It was times like these, during trips with the Doctor, where he lacked the knowledge as well that she felt completely at home. Research and questioning and understanding.

It was the backbone of every case she'd ever worked, and this was no different. Just a bit more alien than paranormal.

"What are we gonna do, Doctor?" Tommy asked shakily. "We can't even feed her."

A bang sounded from downstairs and the door burst open. Rita gasped, looking to Tommy.

"It's them!" She cried out. "They've come for her!"

"We've got company," Rose pointed out. Claudia fiddled with her knife, wanting to use it but knowing police officers probably wouldn't appreciate the gesture, she didn't pull it out.

"What was she doing before this happened?" The Doctor asked Rita quickly. "Where was she?"

Rita paused and the Doctor grunted in frustration. "Tell me, quickly, think!"

"I can't think," Rita held her head.

"She doesn't leave the house," Tommy explained.

"Did anything come inside? Did she eat anything, see anything strange? Any odd lights or smells or sounds?" Claudia interjected, trying to narrow it down.

"She was just—"

"Hold on a minute!" The Doctor perked up when the suited police officers entered the room. "There are three important, brilliant, and complicated reasons why you should listen to me." The one closest was incredibly large, rounded, and had a mildly amused — but mostly irritated — look on his face. One—"

The man punched the Doctor in the face, knocking him to the ground. Rose gasped, rushing to his side but Claudia immediately went on defensive, punching the man back.

He stumbled, looking at her in surprise. "You again?" He asked. "Get out of the way."

Claudia snorted. "I don't think so, piggy, go on, hit a girl again."

The man's face darkened and he reached over, grabbing her by the arms and flinging her to the other side of the room. Claudia growled, picking herself up quickly, but they'd already grabbed Rita's mother and were pulling her from the room quickly.

Claudia hesitated with Rose and the Doctor, looking down at him in concern as Rose slapped his cheeks, shouting his name.

He jumped up in a flash, groaning. "Oh, hell of a right hook! Have to watch out for that!"

"Tv," Claudia muttered, Tommy's words from earlier hitting her. Magpie. Useless. Needy. Brain-sucking television. She glanced to the Doctor and Rose. "I have a lead, you — go follow the — just go!" She shouted, not giving them a chance to respond before she rushed out of the house, between Rita and Mr. Connolly, out to her moped and taking off quickly.

She sped down the street, looking for the television shop that Magpie owned, but didn't find it for a few minutes. The streets were dark and quiet but her heartbeat thudded against her chest and adrenaline surged through her, spurring her on.

"Found you," she parked quickly, rushing to the small building and opening the door.

She found Magpie fixing up a television when she entered and plastered a smile to her face.

"I know this is a weird request, but I heard it was only 5 quid to buy a television, and I'm trying to watch the coronation with my best friend. She's from America and it would just feel so much more amazing if we could watch it together on a television instead of trekking out to some pub."

The man blinked at her, his face falling a fraction. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Miss."

"Why not?" Claudia asked, crossing her arms.

"You — you should really just go."

"Such a pretty thing," another voice spoke up. Claudia glanced to the television, where an older woman was looking directly at her. Bingo. "So pretty. And all alone. Come closer, child, you smell...delicious."

Claudia frowned, eyeing Magpie. "This is the legacy you're leaving," she shook her head, walking past him to the television. "What are you?" She asked the woman.

The woman only laughed. "Come, I'm so very hungry..."

"Claudia, don't."

Castiel?

"Back away. Claudia..."

But it was too late, and something shot towards Claudia from the television, and then Claudia couldn't breathe. Her face felt like rubber, stretching out towards the television and molding into the frame.

She could hear Castiel's voice more clearly now, yelling at her, telling her to run. But she couldn't move. Her limbs were glued to her side and her entire body was weighed down, piled with led and stone and concrete.

She was trapped, and for a small moment — she wondered if she'd die.

Oh well, at least she knew a guy.

—

okay so I went with Claudia because I love when the mc gets taken hehehe
OKAY so can we talk about how cute this trio is??? If you've read SATM you know that is NOT the case with that one hahahaha
Its fun to write Rose like this I have such a love hate for her
Also the Doctor and Claudia are basically married I don't make the rules
Mmmkay bye:)