Artemis' eyes glanced around the small home of Vincent Van Gogh. It was a short, stone house with many paintings hanging to dry just outside. The night sky looked amazing. Tiny lights flickered in the sky, filling up the dark canvas of night. In Las Vegas, Artemis never had the chance to view such a clear sky. The night sky was always filled with flashing neon lights and light pollution. But here, in 1890, there wasn't any of that. Instead, there were thousands of stars visible to the naked eye.

"Dark night, very starry," the Doctor declared, his eyes glued to the sky.

As they reached the quaint home Vincent spoke out. "It's not much. I live on my own." he gestured to the small stone home. "But you should be ok for one night. One night," he emphasized as he rummaged through his pocket for matches to light up his home.

"We're going to stay with him?" Amy asked the Doctor and Artemis excitedly as they followed Vincent up to the entrance of his home.

"Where else would we go?" Artemis asked with a smile on her face.

The Doctor confirmed, "Until he paints that church."

Vincent struck a match, lighting up it before he lit up a lamp outside his front door and he removed his hat. As he stepped inside, he called out to the trio, "Watch out. That one's wet."

Artemis smiled as she looked at the painting he was talking about. 'Bedroom in Arles' hung in front of the door. It was a beautiful painting and a rather famous one. The way he used color and texture to express the mood of the room was unique, at least to the eyes of Artemis.

Inside, Vincent lit another lamp, illuminating the room. The trio paused at the doorway in awe of the paintings strewn about the room. Classic paintings dangled and hung around the small room, making it feel smaller. But the colors inside the room were bright and loud, making the room appear almost alive. Vincent caught all their stares and cleared his throat.

Sheepishly, he replied, "Sorry about all the clutter."

"Some clutter," the Doctor breathed out as he moved into the room, letting the girls in alongside him.

"I've come to accept the only person who's going to love my paintings is me," Vincent continued. "And well, maybe now a certain woman." His eyes glanced over at an oblivious Artemis, who was staring at one of the many paintings disregarded in the room.

The Doctor, too, looked over at Artemis with a grin. Even this early in her timeline, she was still as amazing as her older incarnations.

"Yeah, I know it's a mess. I'll have a proper clear-out. I must, I really must," Vincent sighed as he left for the kitchen to boil some water, leaving the trio alone for a moment.

"You better not!" Artemis called out to Vincent in the kitchen. "At least not without consulting me first!" She joked.

The Doctor walked over to the kitchen as Vincent asked, "Coffee, anyone?" The painter searched through his kitchen, trying to find a kettle to make fresh coffee. His kitchen wasn't anymore tidy than his bedroom. Paintbrushes were scattered around, most of them dirty with paint. But the odd few were clean.

Artemis grinned from the other room. "I would very much like some coffee!" She replied. Following in the Doctor's footsteps, she peered her head around the corner. The Doctor rolled his eyes and groaned playfully.

"You Americans and your coffee," the Doctor spoke out, teasing Artemis.

"Hey," Artemis lightly slapped the back of her hand against the Doctor's arm. "At least I'm not crazy for tea, unlike you British folk." She eyed Amy and the Doctor. She could never understand by the British obsessed over tea. Sure Americans had their own faults, but nothing like the British.

Vincent smiled as he placed the dirty kettle down on one of his paintings, clearly not caring for the outcome.

"You know," the Doctor began. "You should be careful with these, they're," he paused as Vincent, with the back of his hand, roughly wiped away the stained ring of coffee leftover by the kettle. "Precious."

Vincent looked over at the Doctor and Artemis, shaking off his wet hand that now smelt of coffee. "Not precious to me, not precious to anyone else," he said. When he said this, however, he glanced over to Artemis, who looked at him in dismay.

Amy suddenly appeared in the doorway and spoke with confidence, "They're precious to me!"

"And me," Artemis replied.

Vincent looked up from his kettle as he was pouring a cup of coffee for Artemis and smiled softly before turning back to his coffee. Silently, he handed a steaming cup of black coffee to Artemis' awaiting hands.

She grinned widely at the painter as she took the cup from his dirtied hands. Blowing on the top of the hot cup, she waited for it to cool down a bit before she took a slight sip. The bitter flavor of the coffee, along with the heat of it, attacked her taste buds and mouth. But she was used to it. After long nights studying in college and even longer days as a judge in Nevada, she had grown used to the familiar flavor of coffee.

"Well, you two are very kind. And kindness is most welcome," Vincent told the two girls sincerely.

"Right, so, this church then. Near here, is it?" The Doctor asked, clapping his hands together occasionally.

Vincent laughed out, "What is it with you and the church?" He grabbed pieces of wood from a pile that was by the fire in the kitchen.

"Oh, just casually interested in it, you know?" The Doctor spoke in a soft voice and with a shrug.

"Far from casual. Seems to me, you never talk about anything else," Vincent replied, throwing the wood pieces in the fire. "He's a strange one," he said, looking over to Artemis, who only nodded with a smile.

"You're pretty spot on with that," Artemis spoke with a light chuckle. She glanced over to the Doctor who looked at her dejectedly. Like a lost puppy who didn't get a toy. She just rolled her eyes in response to him, nodding her head in the direction of the great painter.

"Ok, so let's talk about you," the Doctor interjected, moving his gaze to Vincent. "What are you interested in?"

Vincent scoffed, almost as if he couldn't believe what the Doctor had asked was real. "Well look around," he gestured to the room as he finished placing another log to the flame. "Art. Well, it seems to me. That there is so much more to the world than the average eye is allowed to see." He sniffled, wiping his dirty hands on his pant leg.

The trio stood in silence, amazed by his words.

"I believe, if you look hard enough, there are more wonders in this universe than you could ever have dreamed of."

The Doctor grinned as he looked over to Artemis, who was calmly sipping her coffee, clearly enjoying her time with Vincent. "You don't have to tell me," he replied as he took a step closer to Artemis.

~~~~

Artemis and the Doctor sat down in a wooden chair near each other. The Doctor had one leg crossed over another as he listened intently to what Vincent had to say. A warm fire lit up the room, making the house smell of burnt wood.

"It's color!" Vincent exclaimed, walking near to the Doctor, leaning down to him. "Color that holds the key! I can hear the colors," he whispered as he placed a cupped hand around his ear. "Listen to them." The Doctor leaned in slightly, almost as if he, too, could hear them. "Every time I step outside, I feel nature is shouting at me. 'Come on. Come and get me, Come on. Come on!" He exclaimed as he grabbed the Doctor's lapels, bringing him closer to his face. "Capture my mystery!"

The Doctor was in shock as he looked over to Artemis who sat nearby with a grin on her face, enjoying the pure confusion and terror in his eyes. She tried to suppress laughter as the Doctor's eyes pleaded for help, making him look like a lost animal.

"Maybe you've had enough coffee now," the Doctor told Vincent gently, removing his tight grip from his jacket. Vincent looked down at what he had done and let go in surprise before he smoothed the lapels of the Doctor's jacket. "How about some nice calming tea? Let's get you a cup of chamomile or something, shall we? Amy?"

Artemis winced, knowing what would soon happen to Amy. But she couldn't change it. Could she? She knew how it all panned out on the tv show, but now that it was real life for her, she didn't know what she could change.

"She went outside to admire the paintings, she should be back in soon," Artemis explained to the Doctor, who looked around for his missing companion.

A shrill scream pierced the silent night, announcing something bad had happened.

"No, no, no!" The Doctor exclaimed as he and Artemis rushed to the door. Outside, they found Amy, on her knees, knelt against the doorway. She was clearly shaken up about something as she was panting and shivering.

"What happened?" The Doctor asked her, his eyes scanning the yard for anything that could have harmed her.

"I was having a look at the paintings out here when something hit me from behind," Amy said breathlessly. Artemis held a soft smile to Amy, trying to calm her down as she lifted her from the ground and placed a warm arm around her waist.

"It's ok. He's gone now and we're here," the Doctor replied.

Artemis spoke in a faint voice, "I don't think we are as safe as you think." She pointed outside to Vincent, who was raising up his hands to protect himself.

"No!" Vincent screamed, clearly agitated.

Artemis kept a steady hand around Amy as the Doctor approached Vincent carefully. She wanted to stop him, to tell him it wasn't just Vincent but an actual beast. But she knew Amy needed her.

"Take it easy. Take it easy!" The Doctor coaxed the screaming man. His face held an expression of concern and worry but his body language showed that he was being careful not to make Vincent even more agitated.

"What's happening? What's he doing?" Amy asked Artemis. She looked between the artist and the seemingly blank space there.

Artemis gently let go of Amy's waist and breathed out, "It's an alien." She looked over to the Doctor and then back to Vincent. "Only one that he can see."

Vincent grabbed a large, wooden gardening tool, and held it in front of himself, like a weapon.

"Doctor! Move!" Artemis yelled out at the oblivious man.

Vincent let out a deep roar as he charged the open air, where the Doctor stood and the girls were not far from.

"Run, run!" Vincent exclaimed, gesturing toward the Doctor. His eyes widened as he looked in the pathway of the mad man, only to see Amy and Artemis rush toward him.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you! To run! But no," Artemis drawled out, sarcasm fueled her thoughts.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's not a bad idea." The Doctor looked back to the two girls, one more visibly shaken than the other. "Get back," he placed a protective hand over Artemis. "He's having some kind of fit. I'll try to calm him down."

Amy took his advice and took shelter in the doorway of the home, but Artemis stayed put and gripped the Doctor's arm tightly before she threw it off of her.

"He's not having some kind of fit! There's a real-life alien right there that we can't see!" Artemis exclaimed, her eyes narrowed in exasperation. "But he can!" She threw a pointed hand to Vincent, who was still trying to control the beast.

The Doctor moved closer to Vincent, his hands raised in an effort to calm him. "Easy, Vincent, easy. Look, look. It's me, it's me, it's me." He took another step closer to Vincent. "It's the Doctor, look. No-one else is here."

"But there is! Look out!" Artemis screamed from a few feet behind the Doctor. But it was too late, the invisible alien sent the Doctor flying through the air and onto the ground. A loud roar sounded as Amy screamed and Artemis groaned in frustration. She didn't understand why the Doctor wasn't listening to her. Maybe it was because this was her first time with him? Maybe he didn't trust her as much as an older version of herself?

Artemis slid over to his side on the ground, resting a hand on his chest and breathing out, "Are you good?" She got a disgruntled moan in response as his eyes shut tight in pain.

"I can't see anything. What is it?" Amy shrieked.

Artemis stood up quickly and groaned out, "I told you before Pond, an alien! Keep up!" Reaching a hand out, she gripped the Doctor's lapels and harshly ripped him from the ground. The Doctor jumped up from the harsh lift up from Artemis and grabbed a nearby stick, running to help Vincent.

"Let me help you," the Doctor panted out.

"You can see him, too?" Vincent asked, surprised to see the Doctor trying to help the seemingly invisible monster.

"Yes. Ish. Well, no. Not really," the Doctor admitted as he swung the stick around manically on the completely opposite side of the garden. Before he could even say another word, the Doctor was yet again thrown off his feet and slid across the garden, landing near Vincent.

"You totally deserved that!" Artemis shouted at the Doctor with a slight grin present.

"You couldn't see him?" Vincent asked.

"No. Oi!" The Doctor scrambled up again to his feet and began battling the air with his stick with a loud battle cry. Artemis laughed at the idiocracy of this man, but the laugh soon went quiet as Vincent ran straight forward and stabbed it, causing it to roar and run away, leaving the ground shaking slightly in its wake. The Doctor, who wasn't paying attention to the now calm state of things, was still fighting with the air.

Artemis held a finger to Vincent, who had his mouth parted, ready to stop the Doctor.

"Not yet, he deserved to be stupid after he ignored my warnings like that."

"He's gone," Vincent cleared his throat and the Doctor stopped and turned around to face the pair.

"Oh, right," The Doctor cleared his throat. "Yes, of course," he muttered in embarrassment. The Doctor then walked over to Artemis' side and parted his lips to speak, but before he could, the Time Lady turned over her shoulder and walked into the stone house. The rest of them followed her as the Doctor pouted slightly.

"Right. So he's invisible? What did he look like?" The Doctor asked Vincent as he sat down in a chair of his own. He peered over to a steel-faced Artemis for a second.

"I'll show you," Vincent said as he grabbed a painting of some irises and painted over it in white paint. The Doctor sat up straight in surprise as he cried out.

"Oh, no, no, no!"

Amy gasped and covered her mouth, staring in complete shock at what the great painter had just done to a masterpiece.

"What?" Vincent asked, genuinely confused as to why the trio was looking at him in disbelief. His eyes flicked around the room at the trio before he turned back around to his now white canvas.

"It's just..." The Doctor started. "That was quite a good..." he sighed, "On you go." He gestured to the canvas, to which Vincent continued on, sketching the alien in charcoal. Artemis peered over Vincent's shoulder to see the same alien she had seen in the tv show when she saw it. The birdlike features, complete with a beak but no feathers.

Artemis winced slightly as she remembered what would soon happen to this innocent creature soon. Although she could try to save it, it would probably be for the best if she let time run its course.

As Vincent finished up his sketch of the creature, the Doctor grabbed it and stared at it intently before standing up. "Right. Amy, make Mr. Van Gogh comfortable. Don't let any invisible monsters in through the front door." He looked over to Amy for her confirmation, only for her to nod slowly. Suddenly, he turned back over to look at Artemis. And grabbing her wrist gently, he began to tug her to the exit. She rolled her eyes silently but went with him willingly.

"But it could be outside, waiting," Amy spoke quietly, warning the pair that were by the door. She waved her hands to illustrate the danger.

Artemis chuckled deeply, her hand lay limp in the Doctor's grasp. "We'll be fine." She looked up to the Doctor's confused gaze. "Only if" she ripped her arm from his gentle grasp, "he listens to me." Turning over her shoulder quickly, she walked out the door, leaving the Doctor in a sad and confused stupor.

"Exactly," the Doctor spoke breathlessly while pointing to the door. "Don't worry. We'll be back before you can say, 'Where've they got to now?'" He quickly turned out the door to see the backside of Artemis, walking down the street. But before he joined her, he popped his head back in at Amy and Vincent and shouted, "Not that fast!" This caused Amy to jump in surprise. "But pretty fast. See you around," the Doctor said and left with a grin. But that grin soon turned into a frown as he watched Artemis walk further away.

Running with a slight hop in his step, he quickly reached Artemis. The Doctor walked next to her silently for a moment before he sighed out. "What did I do?" He asked meekly, his gaze looking down at the ground as he walked.

Artemis scoffed in disbelief at the man. Her arms crossed tightly as the Doctor reached over to try to grasp at her hand. In the distance, Artemis was able to spot the Tardis, right where they left it. "What did you do?" She almost hissed out. The blonde woman took a faster pace, trying to reach the safe haven of the Tardis quickly. "First of all," Artemis whipped her head around, glaring at the Doctor. "You ignored me." She interrupted the Doctor as he opened his mouth. "You ignored my warnings. I was only trying to save you and you didn't listen!" Artemis turned her head back around and saw the Tardis a few feet from her. Taking her hands in a dramatic manner, she mimicked pushing the doors harshly, only for them to open up for her own their own.

The Doctor held a sad frown as he followed after Artemis quickly, closing the doors on his way in. His eyes glanced over the main room of the Tardis, scanning for any sight of Artemis, when he caught her, sitting on the captain's chair. Breathing in deeply, he walked over and knelt down next to Artemis' hunched over body on the chair. Placing a hesitant but warm hand on her knee, the Doctor spoke up in a soft voice. "I'm so sorry Artemis." He watched as she flinched slightly at his touch. "I should have listened. You think after how long I've known you I would have," he chuckled out dryly. "And," the Doctor paused, making sure his words would be right. "I know you're scared. This is all new to you. But, I'm pretty scared too," the Doctor confessed.

Artemis looked up slightly, her eyes finding his.

"This is the first time you've met me and I want it to go perfectly. I don't want you to be afraid of me and I don't want to mess it all up for you," the Doctor breathed out. In a faint voice, only heard by the sharpest ear, he said, "I kinda messed it up already."

Artemis chuckled, causing the Doctor to look up at her in confusion.

"You are an idiotic spaceman."

The Doctor groaned, rolling his eyes. "You start calling me that, this early?"

Artemis' eyes widened slightly as she grinned wide, realizing what he meant.

"Oh, so you dislike me calling you that," she grinned as the Doctor looked up at her in terror. "Well, I guess you are just an idiotic spaceman."

The Doctor grinned widely. His toothy smile made Artemis smile too. But her smile didn't last long as soon after, it turned into a faint frown. Her eyes dropped down as she sighed out.

The Doctor furrowed his brows in worry and squeezed her knee in comfort.

"What's wrong?" He asked cautiously.

"I-I just, me being here... with you in the Tardis," Artemis looked up at the glowing Tardis control room. "It's... it's wrong. I'm just a fake Time Lady, not even a true one. I'll just mess everything up and the timeline and-"

"No, Artemis," the Doctor spoke quickly, interrupting her ramble.

"No?" She asked, confused. Artemis looked up from her downward gaze, only to meet the tender eyes of the Doctor.

He smiled softly. "No, you won't mess up everything, no you won't mess up the timeline. And you're not fake. You are very much real. In fact, I think you being here, with me in the Tardis, has made this universe better."

Artemis choked out a smile. A single tear fell from her eye and landed on the Doctor's hand. She watched silently as the Doctor stood up and offered a hand to her. Slowly, she placed her delicate palm in the Doctor's grasp. And with a gentle tug of his hand, the Doctor pulled Artemis off the chair and into his waiting arms.

Artemis gasped quietly as she was almost crushed the Doctor, but she soon accepted it and hugged him back. Her arms weren't around him as tight as his were to her.

The Doctor noticed this too but didn't comment on it as he was still almost a stranger to her. His heart sank at this realization, but he wouldn't worsen the feeling that Artemis had at that moment. She had just been dropped off in another dimension where people that were fictional for her, were now real. He could never understand how she truly felt, but he could sympathize with her and try to help her with these hard times.

Artemis sniffled before she took a step back, pulling away from the Doctor. She chuckled as she looked up at the Doctor's grinning face. "We... uh... we should stop that alien," Artemis spoke with a raspy voice and pointed to the staircase that led to below the console.

"Oh... yeah," the Doctor confirmed quietly. Taking two steps at a time, the Doctor went down the staircase and walked straight over to a big and old trunk on the floor. He opened it quickly. Inside, random objects, like jackets and books, were strewn about.

Artemis stood on the staircase, leaning against the railing, and watching the Doctor as he struggled to find the object he was searching for. She yelped as she saw a jacket come flying at her. She struggled to dodge other objects and articles of clothing as the Doctor flung them out. He didn't seem to notice where he was flinging them, however, as the majority came hurtling at Artemis. One piece of clothing that Artemis couldn't dodge hit her square in the face, causing her to stumble slightly on the staircase.

"Right. You in here somewhere? I can't apologize enough. I thought you were just a useless gadget." The Doctor threw a book that flew right by Artemis' head, narrowly missing her. Her eyes widened at the close proximity of the object. "I thought you were just an embarrassing present from a dull godmother with two heads and bad breath. Twice," the Doctor spoke rapidly.

"An Aplan? Your godmother was an Aplan?" Artemis spoke out with a dry laugh.

The Doctor halted his search for a moment and looked up to Artemis with a confused look.

"The TV show showed who my godmother was? That's... that's a violation of privacy."

Artemis chuckled and spoke up, "No... I guess I'm just really good at guessing."

The Doctor raised his brows and continued digging around the trunk and finally pulled out the object in question. This device seemed to be comprised of a large car side mirror joined to a plastic body by two tubes and a harness, so a user could wear it while using it.

"How wrong can a man be?" The Doctor spoke with joy in his voice as he ran up the stairs, past Artemis, who rolled her eyes. She silently followed the excited man up the stairs and leaned against the railing by the console. Her eyes followed the Doctor as he plugged in cords to the Tardis' console. As the device on the console powered up and beeped, the Doctor stuck his tongue out at his reflection in the device. Artemis giggled to herself at his childlike antics.

A sound like a bell ringing interrupted the Doctor's fun and he quickly hit a button on the Tardis' console. The button was part of what looked like a typewriter and the typewriter quickly printed out a paper with an image of the Doctor from his first incarnations. The same images were projected on the mirror-like screen on the device.

"Good. Ok, you're working. Now, see what you can make of this," the Doctor spoke to the device as he pulled up the sketch of the alien. He held it in front of the screen until the device scanned it. "Who is that?" the Doctor asked as he placed the sketch back down on the ground. The device made strange electronic sounds before an image of a parrot showed up, making Artemis laugh. The Doctor paid her no attention as he said, "No, I know it's not that. There are thousands of them and you can see them plain as day." It scanned again, this time showing a picture of a polar bear, sticking its tongue out in a similar manner to the way that the Doctor did only a moment earlier.

Artemis laughed harder at the Doctor's struggling facial expression. The Doctor turned around to Artemis in a slight pout.

"You could help instead of laughing at me, maybe?" The Doctor spoke in a sarcastic but gentle voice.

Artemis smiled as she sighed out dramatically, "You know... I could, but you are a rather idiotic spaceman." She crossed her arms in triumph as the Doctor groaned in defeat and turned back around to the device.

"No. Definitely not. This is the problem with the impressionists - not accurate enough. This would never happen with Gainsborough or one of those proper painters," the Doctor said. "Sorry, Vincent," he spoke in a soft voice to the device which reflected back his own reflection.

"Hey! I think Vincent is a wonderful painter," Artemis huffed out.

"You'll just have to draw something better," the Doctor spoke out, throwing the sketch over his shoulder.

The sketch rattled to a stop next to Artemis who glared at the Doctor. She bent down and picked the sketch up, laying next to the console. With a pointed finger, she jabbed him in the shoulder and spoke out, "You better be gentle with that." She pointed down to the sketch. "That's an original Van Gogh and we're the only ones who will ever see it," she scolded him lightly.

The Doctor shot Artemis an innocent smile as he unhooked the machine from the Tardis. He then slipped on the harness, the device now balanced on his chest as he grabbed Artemis' hand and dragged her out the Tardis double doors. He stepped out first, cautiously, then pulled along Artemis, keeping her close.

He looked over the alleyway before he looked down at the device. Artemis, on the other hand, stood next to the Doctor, anxiously, knowing what would happen next. She peered over her shoulder, feeling the presence of the alien behind them, but the Doctor didn't notice. Instead, he looked at the screen on the machine and exclaimed "That's better, old girl. Time-delay, but you always get it right in the end." The creature popped its head into the mirror-like screen of the machine and roared, startling Artemis, but never phasing the Doctor. He fiddled with the screen, adjusting it as he said, "Good. Let's find out who this is, then."

The screen rang and on the screen appeared the image of the lonely alien.

"Whoa, there you are, you poor thing. You brutal, murderous, abandoned thing," the Doctor said in a low voice. Artemis looked to the Doctor with wide eyes as she gripped her hand on his sleeve and tugged him slowly, trying to get out of that alleyway. "I hope we meet again soon so I can take you home," the Doctor continued as he fiddled again with the harness.

Artemis tugged him away quickly, saying to him, "If you really want to see it again, just turn around!"

The Doctor looked up at Artemis in confusion and then shock as he heard a roar in his ear. He looked down at his screen to see the alien peering back at him. "Maybe not that soon," the Doctor whispered as Artemis finally tugged him away and the pair both ran down the empty alleyway.

Artemis panted in fear as she felt the creature trailing behind them. Her tugging of the Doctor soon flipped as the Doctor now held her hand and dragged her along close to him. His eyes kept glancing to the mirror, keeping an eye on the creature. The pair stopped short against a wall but they quickly kept moving as the Doctor saw the alien charging at them. The Doctor, in a panic, pushed over tables, poles and other items that were available to them in the alleyway, in order to slow the beast down.

Artemis watched as the arch by them crumbled slightly as the beast ran into it. She winced, knowing that this poor creature couldn't see and was alone in this world, waiting for its pack. But her sympathy couldn't last long as the Doctor pulled her along again behind another wall. She huffed out, trying to catch her breath. But the Doctor only looked in the mirror to peer into the alleyway behind them. She looked over at the mirror and saw the creature running away in another direction. The objects that the Doctor had thrown to the ground were kicked and pushed away by what looked like an invisible force to the naked eye, but in the mirror, it showed the creature struggling to leave.

"Look at the way it's running away Doctor," Artemis panted out, her eyes closed as she leaned against the wall. She licked her lips, trying to retain the moisture she had just lost. She looked back up at the Doctor, whose eyes widened a fraction at her statement. "It's running with no sense of direction. I'd say that the alien can't-"

"See," the Doctor interrupted. He peered back around the corner cautiously but was terrified to see Amy and screamed. Amy screamed as well, not expecting him to pop from out of the wall. "Never do that! You scared the living daylights out of me," the Doctor scolded Amy, waving his hands about.

Artemis leaned against the wall and chuckled, not phased by this encounter because she knew it was going to happen. Amy rolled her eyes at his scolding and leaned against the same wall Artemis and the Doctor were.

"Sorry. I got bored. As much as you admire his command of color and shape, it is hard to get fond of Vincent Van Gogh's snoring," Amy admitted, panting slightly from her scream.

Artemis snorted, knowing just how loud he snored in the show and knowing it could only be worse in real life. "Like a motorboat," Artemis confirmed.

The Doctor looked back at Artemis in confusion. "How do you," he started. "Nevermind, Pond, Arty, we have a Mr. Vincent Van Gogh to wake up." The Doctor took Artemis' hand as she looked up at the Doctor in confusion. He pulled her along, down the alleyway as Amy followed.

"Arty? Since when is that a thing?" Artemis pondered.

The Doctor looked down at Artemis sheepishly. "I guess I did kinda let that one slip out," he breathed out. "It's always been a thing, but I just never called you it because you're still a baby to me and I didn't want to freak you out," the Doctor confessed.

Artemis scoffed, "A baby? How old do you think I am?"

The Doctor grinned, "Well, how old are you?" He looked down at Artemis with a cheeky wink.

"31, for your information," Artemis spoke with her head high.

"Really?!" Amy exclaimed. She took quick steps to meet up with Artemis. "You barely look over 22!"

Artemis grinned but that grin was short-lived as the Doctor laughed. She whipped her head back around to the Doctor with a glare.

"You're only a Time Tot!" The Doctor exclaimed with a laugh.

Artemis tugged her hand away from the Doctor's and slapped him on his chest. She scoffed out, "Yeah, well at least I'm not an old idiotic spaceman like you."

The Doctor rolled his eyes in response and parted his lips to retort back, but before he could, Amy shouted out, "Okay, we get it! Stop flirting and let's help Vincent."

Artemis faltered in her steps and Amy pushed past her, hurrying down the alleyway. The Doctor looked back down at Artemis with a light pink hue to his face before he gripped her hand again and rushed back over to Amy, tugging Artemis along. Artemis was shocked and a pink flush grew over her cheeks and she pondered what Amy had just said.

~~~~

Vincent was dead asleep in his tiny bed, the early morning sun slowly filtering through his room. Early in the day, the trio went and bought many sunflowers. These flowers were the main focal point of one of Amy's favorite paintings of Vincent called Sunflowers. However, Vincent didn't much more restful sleep as soon, the childlike Time Lord burst through the door, waking up Vincent harshly.

"Wakey, wakey. Rise and shine!" The Doctor cried out as he opened a window, letting in even more bright sunlight. "Breakfast is served in the courtyard. Whoa! What a morning," he declared with a smile as he gazed outside to the beautiful landscape, now filled with yellow sunflowers. He turned back over to Vincent and clapped his hands before continuing. "Come on. And Amy's got a little surprise for you."

Vincent groaned as he struggled to get out of bed. He walked over slowly to the window and looked down to the courtyard. He leaned against the doorframe as his eyes peered outside and spotted Amy and Artemis, both standing next to each other. Amy held a light smile while Artemis grinned brightly. They stood in the middle of the sunflowers, hundreds of them filled the garden in mismatch containers.

"I thought I'd brighten things up to thank you for saving me last night," Amy called up to Vincent with a grin.

"Ah," Vincent said, squinting his eyes in the harsh light.

Artemis looked behind her at a single chicken that walked throughout the garden before she set her gaze back up at Vincent.

"I thought you might like, you know, possibly to perhaps paint them or something? Might be a thought," Amy stated as she leaned against the table, resting her head in her hand. The Doctor silently joined the pair in the courtyard and poured a glass of orange juice. He gestured to a glass at Artemis but she shook her head.

"Yes. They're not my favorite flower," Vincent stated.

The Doctor paused pouring his drink as he looked up at the painter in disbelief and Amy cocked an eyebrow at this too.

"You don't like sunflowers?" Amy asked. Artemis chuckled at this exchange and leaned forward on the table, resting her head in both of her hands.

"No, it's not that I don't like them," Vincent replied. "I find them complex." He looked over to the sunflowers next to his window and gently touched them as he continued. "Always somewhere between living and dying. Half-human as they turn to the sun. A little disgusting." The famous painter paused, rubbing the petals of the flower. "But, you know, they are a challenge." He studied the flower for a moment, thinking of the possible ways to paint them.

"And one I'm pretty sure you'll rise to," the Doctor laughed with a smile. Amy now studied a sunflower by her side. "But, moving on," the Doctor raised a pointed finger and shook it. "There's something I need to show you." He walked over to the lower floor of Vincent's home.

Vincent nodded in response and turned back around into his room to change and freshen up.

~~~~

The trio sat in Vincent's living room as the Doctor pulled out the familiar image of the alien that they were chasing after. The pointed feathers atop of its forehead and the sharp edges of its beak were familiar to Vincent who spoke out, "That's him." He studied the image longer. "The eyes," he paused, "without mercy."

Artemis' eyes dropped down in sorrow as the Doctor explained what this beast actually was. The Doctor stepped forward to Vincent and explained in a soft voice. "Now see, this is a creature called a Krafayis. They travel in space, they travel as a pack. Scavenging across the universe." The Doctor took a seat across from Vincent, who placed a gentle palm against the paper that held the image of the creature. "Sometimes one of them gets left behind and because they are a brutal race, the others never come back." Artemis frowned slightly, understanding this. However, Amy looked in confusion at what the Doctor said. The Doctor stood back up from his seat and walked around, trying to find something to do while speaking. "So, dotted all around the universe are individual, utterly merciless, utterly abandoned Krafayis. And what they do is well, kill, until they're killed. Which they usually aren't because other creatures can't see them."

Vincent peered back up at the Doctor and then back down at the image, pondering. "But I can?"

"Yes," the Doctor confirmed. "And that's why we are in a unique position today, my friend, to end this reign of terror." Artemis sat down next to Amy, who had just sat also. "So," the Doctor leaned against the wall next to Vincent's sitting form. "Feeling like painting the church today?"

"But what about the monster?" Vincent asked with worry, leaning forward on his chair toward the Doctor.

"Take my word for it. If you paint it, he will come."

"Ok," Vincent stood up, "I'll get my things." He grinned, waving the paper that held an image of a Krafayis.

"In your own time. I promise you, we'll be out of your hair by this time tomorrow," the Doctor told Vincent, who hesitated in the doorway, his grin faltering as he headed to his bedroom.

Artemis waited for Vincent to leave before she sent a deep glare to the Doctor, who only looked at her in confusion. She scoffed as she stood up quickly and flicked him on his forehead.

"Ow!" The Doctor exclaimed, holding his now red forehead. His arms flailed about, wondering why she did that.

"You just told a man who probably never had many friends, that we are leaving him as soon as possible. Don't you think that hurts?!" Artemis proclaimed at the Doctor, who looked at her guiltily.

The Doctor winced, realizing what he had done. He stood up suddenly and kissed the side of Artemis' head, right in her hair. This caused her to freeze up, not expecting this type of interaction from the Doctor. Sure, the Doctor, especially the eleventh one, was friendly and touchy, but it was all still so new for her.

"This is risky," he stated, a frown now evident on his face.

"Riskier than normal?" Amy prodded the Doctor, leaning closer.

The Doctor peered through the door that Vincent left from, making sure he wasn't there to listen in to their conversation.

"Well, think about it," the Doctor replied quietly. "This is the middle of Vincent Van Gogh's greatest year of painting. If we're not careful, the result of our little trip could be the brutal murder of the greatest artist who ever lived. Half the pictures on the wall of the Musee D'Orsay will disappear," the Time Lord closed his eyes and breathed in slowly.

"And you," Artemis glared at the Doctor. "Told him, a mentally unstable individual, that we are leaving him tomorrow." She rolled her eyes at his feigned innocent look and turned over her shoulder, leaving out the door.

~~~~

Artemis and Amy stood at the bottom of the stairs as the Doctor knocked on Vincent's bedroom door. Amy stood stiff, biting her nails anxiously, waiting for the Doctor and hopefully Vincent to come out of the room. Artemis leaned against the wall, arms crossed, knowing how Vincent was truly doing. How he cried on his bed and screamed at the Doctor to get out. But she wouldn't mention that to Amy.

Artemis' eyes looked up at a sudden sound and saw the Doctor's solemn-looking face pop out of the door and walk down the stairs. Amy noticed too and ran up halfway to meet the Doctor on the stairs.

"What's happening?" Amy asked the Doctor with worry written all over her expression.

The Doctor leaned against the railing and sighed out, "We're leaving."

Artemis looked up from below the pair and watched as the Doctor's facial expression never changed as he spoke to the fiery redhead.

"Everyone knows he's a delicate man. Just months from now he'll... he'll take his own life," the Doctor hesitated to say those words, not liking the way they sat on his tongue. He sighed as he peered down at Artemis' stoic expression. He sighed out, knowing she was right about everything. The Time Lord pushed off the railing and made his way down the stairs, walking toward the leaning body of Artemis.

"Don't say that. Please," Amy's voice broke as she pleaded after the Doctor.

The Doctor faltered in his steps, staring back at Amy in heartbreak before he continued down the stairs silently.

Amy followed the Doctor quietly and solemnly. The Doctor stood before Artemis for a second, almost wishing he had something to say to her. But before he did, he turned away silently, walking to the door on the lower floor, Amy trailing behind. Artemis watched the backs of the pair silently, contemplating whether to follow them. But her eyes trailed back up to the door that blocked Vincent from the outside.

Artemis pushed herself off the wall and walked up the stairs slowly. She looked back to make sure that the Doctor wasn't there before she quietly opened the door of Vincent's room. Inside, Artemis could feel the sorrow that coated the room. The sound of sniffles and sobs could be heard from the corner of the room where Vincent lay. With the door open, she knocked gently on the side of it, announcing her presence.

Artemis breathed out deeply as she walked in closer to the painter. Vincent shot his head up, glaring at the figure in the room. His eyes were bloodshot and teary as he shouted, "Don't you know better? I already told the Doctor to leave, so just do that." Vincent threw his head back down on his pillow, suffocating the sounds of his cries.

"You know I can't do that Vincent," Artemis spoke with a motherly, but soft tone of voice. "I know what you are feeling. Loneliness... anger... frustration."

"You have never experienced those feelings in your life! So don't pretend to know how I feel," Vincent sat up in his bed, glaring at Artemis.

Artemis' eyes dropped down in sorrow, tears filling them. "Well, I know for a fact that I am not pretending to be hurt." Her voice broke, making Vincent look up at her in worry. "No one, and I mean no one would willingly put themselves through those emotions for amusement." Artemis shuddered out a breath. "I... I lost it all. My family, my friends, my job, my life. It's all gone." The teary-eyed woman looked up at Vincent's now somber face. "I have loneliness because I won't ever see my family or friends again. They are gone, and I am here. I have anger because I lost everything I worked my whole life for. Everything I worked for and worked hard for is gone. And I have frustration because..." Artemis took in a shaky breath as she struggled to speak clearly. "Because everything has changed!" She shouted, her eyes now red from tears.

"Artemis," Vincent spoke in a soft voice.

"No, Vincent. You get to have so much that you don't even know. You get to face your problems and solve them. You are brave and strong. You can paint beauty in a world where there is seemingly nothing but dull darkness. But I... I can't do any of that," Artemis confessed.

"I think..." Vincent paused. "I think you are brave too."

Artemis' eyes widened in shock, not expecting anything but sour tones from Vincent, but in fact, he gave the opposite.

"You came into a madman's life and saved him when he needed you the most."

Artemis thought Vincent was talking about himself, but to Vincent's mind, he was thinking of another special madman.

Artemis grinned widely and held out a hand to the famous painter who graciously took it. Vincent stood up with a smile and grabbed the jacket hanging by his door. He picked up his painting supplies as he opened the door with determination and walked out. Artemis followed behind the insane artist down the stairs watched as he entered the same door that the Doctor and Amy went into.

Artemis faltered by the door frame, listening in to what the Doctor said.

"Come on," said the Doctor. But Artemis heard it muffled through the walls of the room. "We have to do this on our own. Go to the church at the right time and hope the monster still turns up."

Artemis smiled softly, thinking about the pure determination that the Doctor had. She leaned against the doorframe, laying her head against the rough wood.

"I'm ready," another voice spoke. "Let's go." Artemis knew that Vincent was packing up his supplies in the same room as the Doctor. She knew that Amy was grinning widely and talking excitedly to the painter as they left the house. The Doctor walking outside and directly to her, she did not know.

"What did you do?" The Doctor asked with a smile on his face, but it slowly dropped as he got closer to the leaning figure of Artemis. He noticed the red eyes and tear stricken face that broke his hearts.

Artemis chuckled out a fake laugh, "Oh, you know... I only made Vincent feel like there was someone else like him." She sniffled as the Doctor stood closer, wrapping his arms tightly around the stiff form of Artemis.

"Oh Arty," the Doctor sighed into his hug. "You are not alone."

Artemis' ear found its way to the Doctor's chest, listening softly to the dual beatings of his twin hearts. This rhythmic pattern relaxed her slightly as she breathed deeply.

~~~~

Artemis walked next to the Doctor, hand in hand, as they followed closely behind Vincent and Amy. Amy and Vincent carried painting equipment as they all walked down a dirt pathway to the church.

"I'm sorry you're so sad," Amy said to Vincent.

Vincent smiled at the redhead. "But I'm not. Sometimes these moods torture me for weeks, for months. But I'm good now." Vincent shifted his hold of her to grip her arm better. "If Amy Pond can soldier on, then so can Vincent Van Gogh."

Amy laughed him off, "I'm not soldering on. I'm fine."

"Oh, Amy," Vincent sighed. "I hear the song of your sadness. You've lost someone I think." Vincent looked over to Amy with a sad expression.

Artemis gazed up to the Doctor's concerned face with a sad look. She squeezed his hand in order to comfort him.

"I'm not sad," the redhead insisted.

"Then why are you crying?" Vincent looked over to Amy as she quickly wiped under her eyes, cleaning off surprise tears that escaped her. "It's all right. I understand."

"I'm not sure I do," Amy admitted. The sassy redhead truly didn't understand why she was sad, but she just was. It was like something or someone was missing from her life and she didn't understand what happened.

Artemis smiled sadly, knowing what was happening to Amy. But she also knew that she would soon see Rory again. This pain was only temporary and soon she would be truly happy again. However, although Artemis knew the future of the Doctor and his companions, she didn't know what the future had in store for herself. And that worried her.

"Ok. Ok!" The Doctor interrupted, grabbing their attention. "So, now, we must have a plan. When the creature returns-"

Vincent slowed his steps to a complete stop and turned to the Doctor, interrupting him. "Then we shall fight him again." He held a strong gaze at the Doctor. The Doctor stared back at him.

"Well, yes, tick," The Doctor replied calmly. "But last night we were lucky," the Doctor released Artemis' hand and stepped closer to the painter. "Amy could have been killed. So this time, for a start, we have to make sure I can see him too."

Amy stared at the spaceman in disbelief. "And how are we meant to do that, suddenly?"

Artemis smiled at the sassy redhead and gestured toward the box that the Doctor was carrying. "The Doctor has a gadget."

The Doctor looked over his shoulder to an overconfident Artemis and pointed at her for a moment before turning back around to Amy. "Yes, quite right. I have a gadget. I had an excellent, if smelly, godmother." The Doctor motioned to the same case that Artemis gestured at for a moment before he grabbed Artemis' hand again and began to walk further.

In the distance, a funeral procession could be seen. Artemis froze for a second, knowing that it was for the young girl that was killed tragically by the beast. She squeezed the Doctor's hand, knowing that he would be taking this hard as well.

"Oh, no," Vincent breathed out. "It's that poor girl from the village."

The group stayed still by the side of the dirt road as the procession walked slowly by them. All of them staring back at them, especially Vincent. Artemis kept her gaze down, trying to show respect and not agitate them more, but Amy wasn't discreet in her gaze.

"You do have a plan, don't you?" Amy asked the pair of Time Lords.

"If he doesn't, then I sure as hell do," Artemis spoke confidently, knowing that the Doctor didn't quite have a plan yet.

~A/N~

I hope everyone is enjoying this story so far! I know I am! 

Let me know how you feel about it and what you want to see next!