The Doctor and the Stone stood together in the console room of the TARDIS. Amy and Rory were drinking mint tea since the Stone thought it was a 'must' for everyone ti have at least tried it once. The Doctor winced and pulled out the psychic paper from his pocket. The Stone glanced over his shoulder watching curiously as the words appeared in what looked like a young childs writing. "Please save me from the monsters." The Doctor read out, his eyes moving over to the Time Lady. The two slightly smiling at a fond memory. "Well we haven't done this in a while. Have we dear?" He asked moving around the console, pressing buttons.

"We definitely haven't." She replied. Amy looked between them confused.

"Haven't done what?" The human redhead asked the Time Lady. "What are you two doing?"

"Making a house call." The Doctor answered passing by them. Standing beside the Stone who pulled a lever.

Amy and Rory stood outside frowning slightly in the cold and the dark. A huge puddle beside the TARDIS. The Doctor waited for the Stone who refused to leave without finishing the tea she had made before, deeming it as a 'waist of good tea if not drunken' the Doctor of course didn't argue because reading and in this incarnation, tea were the most important things to the Time Lady, other than the Doctor of course.

"No offence, Doctor-"

"Meaning the opposite." The Time Lord cut in stepping out of the TARDIS.

"But we could get a bus somewhere like this."

"The exact opposite."

"Well, I suppose it can't all be planets and history and stuff, Rory."

"Yes, it can." The Doctor protested walking past them. "Course it can. Planets and history and stuff. That's what we do. But not today. No." He linked his arm with the Stones. "Today, we're answering a cry for help from the scariest place in the universe. A child's bedroom."

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"Please save me from the monsters?" Rory curiously looked at the psychic paper in the Doctors hand. "Who sent that?" He asked looking at the Time Lord who returned the paper to his pocket.

"That's what we're here to find out."

"Sounds like something a kid would say." Amy looked at her husband.

"Exactly." The Stone nodded. "A scared kid."

"A very scared kid." The Doctor added. "So scared that somehow its cry for help got through to us in the TARDIS."

"Yeah, but you've traced it here."

"Exactly." The Doctor said to his companion. The lift behind them then made a dinging noise and they all turned around. "Ah." He linked his arm with the Stones, the two of them stepping inside the lift. "Going up."

The Doctor, Amy and Rory went from flat to flat knocking on peoples doors and asking if anything 'strange' had happened. The Stone however watched from afar. She did try and suggest to the Doctor that maybe it was best for them to just watch like a nature show. As the Doctor knocked on a door that opened with three cats circling the Time Lords feet the Stone curiously watched the other side of the block of flats. Seeing a light shine though someones curtains. The Doctor managed to escape the kind man who had far to many cats and joined the Time Lady. His eyes following hers until they were both watching the light in silence. The curtains then moved and a young boys head popped out. He looked completely terrified and pale. The Stone took a mental note of the door number and they went in search for their companions.

"Hey." Amy looked between them. "Any luck?"

"Three old ladies, a traffic warden from Croatia and a man with ten cats." He lightly shivered.

"What are we actually looking for?" Rory asked while the Stone patted the Doctors arm in comfort. He really didn't like the man with all the cats.

"Ten cats." He murmured. The Doctor then shook his head. "Scared kid, remember?"

"I found scary kids." Amy pipped up. "Does that count?"

"Er, try the next floor down." The Doctor told them. "Catch you later."

"Okay." Amy nodded watching them both walk off.

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The Doctor knocked on the door and flashed his psychic paper at the man who opened it. "Oh." He blinked at them both, looking slightly shocked. "Right. That was quick."

"Was it?" The Doctor questioned quickly looking at the paper to see what was written on it.

"Ah." The Time Lady nodded seeing it.

"Claire said she'd phone someone." The man explained. "Social Services."

"Yes. Yes."

"It's not easy, you know, admitting your kid's got a problem."

"You've got a problem. I've got a problem. My wife has a tea problem. I bet they're connected, well not the tea problem." He rambled on. "No one can fix that."

"Watch it."

"Yes dear." He instantly replied. "I'm the Doctor. Call me Doctor. This is my wife the Stone." He gestured to the Time Lady beside him. "What can we call you?"

"Alex."

"Hello, Alex." The Time Lords smiled. The Stone let out a small sigh as the Doctor practically barged into the house. "Sorry she apologised. Ducking her head and following the Doctor. Alex blinked for a moment trying to process what had just happened before he turned around to follow them. The Doctor stood beside the closest door. A small sign written in what looked like a young child's writing 'George'

"So, tell us about George." The Doctor asked.

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The Doctor sat with the Time Lady. The two of them flicking through a photo album of Alex's family that sat between them. Photos of young George with his mother who they learned to be called Claire. "Ever since he was born he's been a funny kid."

"Funny's good." The Doctor said looking up for a moment. "We like funny, don't we?"

"I certainly do." The Stone nodded.

"He never cries." Alex explained. "Bottles it all up, I suppose. Tell him off, he just looks at you."

"How old is he?"

"He was eight in January. I mean, he should be growing out of stuff like this, shouldn't he?"

"Maybe." The Stone hummed. "But everyone is different."

"It's got worse, though lately?" The Doctor guessed.

"Yeah. We talked about getting help. You know, maybe sending him somewhere." The Stone shared a glance with the Doctor. They did think about possibly trying but the thought of sending her child somewhere all on its own, even if it was being looked after by someone like Martha or even if the Ponds stayed with the child, it was something that slightly frightened her. "He started getting these nervous tics. You know, funny little cough, blinking all the time. But now it's got completely out of hand. I mean, he's scared to death of everything."

"Pantaphobia." The Doctor blurted out.

"What?"

"He means a fear of everything." The Stone explained.

"Exactly. Pantaphobia." The Doctor grinned at his wife. "Not a fear of pants though, if that's what you're thinking. It's a fear of everything. Including pants," he muttered. "I suppose, in that case. Sorry. Go on."

"He hates clowns."

"Understandable." The Doctor muttered.

"Old toys. He thinks the old lady across the way is a witch. He hates having a bath in case there's something under the water. The lift sounds like someone breathing. Look, I don't know. I'm not an expert. Maybe you two can get through to him."

"We'll do our best." The Doctor said truly meaning it.

There was then a crash and Alex jumped up, rushing over to Georgies room. Bursting in he let out a sigh seeing George staring at his father terrified. "George?" Alex questioned look at him. "You okay? What's the matter?" He then noticed the lamp. "Oh. Never mind." He made his way over and picked up the lamp, setting it back on the bedside table. "Were you having a nightmare, son?"

"Wasn't a nightmare. I wasn't asleep." He then looked past Alex and noticed the Time Lords. "Who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor."

"A doctor? Have you come to take me away?"

"No, George." The Time Lady shook her head stepping beside the Time Lord. "He isn't taking you away. I'm the Stone and we just want to talk to you."

"What about?"

"About the monsters." The Doctor supplied.

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The Doctor sat on Georges bed with a rubix cube, mindlessly fiddling with it. "Maybe it was things on the telly, you know?" Alex suggested.

"Right."

"Scary stuff, getting under his skin, frightening him."

"Mmm-hmm." The Time Lord hummed.

"We stopped letting him watch."

"Oh, you don't want to do that." He looked up, actually giving Alex his attention.

"Then Claire thought it might have been something he was reading."

"Reading." The Stone grinned.

"Reading's great." The Doctor nodded. "You like stories, George? Yeah? Me, too. When I was your age, about, ooo, a thousand years ago, I loved a good bedtime story. Especially when I used to scare my wife with them when we were at school or when we used to go and sit in the barn whenever we weren't getting pestered by our parents or her cousin." He smirked slightly. "Anyways the Three Little Sontarans. The Emperor Dalek's New Clothes. Snow White And The Seven Keys To Doomsday, eh? All the classics."

"Doctor we were kids." The Stone snorted, fondly remembering when the Doctor scared the Stone so much her nanny had to tell her parents she was concerned about if the other children were bullying her. "Of course you scared me."

"Rubbish." He muttered before tossing a Rubik cube away. "Must be broken. I hate those things."

The Stone narrowed her eyes, itching to hit him on the back of the head.

The Doctor caught on and lightly coughed. "Better tidy it away, though, eh?" He picked up the cube and headed towards the cupboard. "How about in here?" The boy then gasped his eyes widening in fear. "No. Not in the cupboard. Why not in there, George?"

"It's a thing. A thing we got him doing ages back." Alex started to explain. "Anything that frightens him, we put it in the cupboard. Creepy toys, scary pictures, that sort of thing."

"And is that where the monsters go?" He asked before answering himself. "Yeah."

"There's nothing to be scared of, George.@ the Stone quietly cut in giving the young boy a small smile attempting to reassure him. "It's just a cupboard."

The Doctor reached for the lock. His hand ghosted over the handle. They all then jumped a loud knock at a door.

"Front door." Alex said standing up and exiting the room.

A older man with a bulldog stepped into the room. The Time Lords glanced at each other and then watched the two through the gap in the door. "Evening."

"Oh, hi."

"How's Claire?"

"Good, thanks." Alex nodded. "At work. Look, er, this really isn't a good time. Maybe later I-"

"And the kiddie?" He cut in.

"Good. Yeah."

"You know how I hate to mention it, but it's that time again."

"Yes." He nodded.

"And you know I like my money prompt."

"The thing is, I still haven't found anywhere since the shop shut, and Claire's wage only goes so far. I thought we could, you know, come to some sort of arrangement."

The Stone frowned slightly. This wasn't something the young boy needed to hear. The Doctor seemed to agree with her and brought out his screwdriver.

"Is that a torch?" George asked.

"Screwdriver." The Time Lords corrected.

"No can do, son. If I went around-"

"A sonic one." The Doctor spoke over the man. "And other stuff."

"Please may I see the other stuff?"

"You have wonderful manners George. It is a shame my husband sometimes doesn't. He could learn a lot from you." She grinned. The Doctor pouted. "Oh stop it sweetheart." She chuckled lightly nudging him.

"Yes dear." He muttered.

"So can I see the other stuff please?" George asked again getting no answer to his question the first time.

"You may." The Doctor nodded flashing his sonic at some of the battery powered toy. "Ah, pretty cool, eh?" The Doctor raised a brow at the boy who watched with amazement.

"That's better." The Doctor smiled. "No tears from George, that's what I've heard." He lightly rubbed the boys cheek. "Go on, give us a smile, there's a brave little soldier." He theb muttered. "Bit rusty at this."

"Definitely not." The Stone whispered before jumping up. "Anyway, let's open this cupboard, eh?"

The Doctor stood up as well. Pointing his sonic at the door. "There's nothing to be-" his eyes widened as he scanned it. Muttering quietly. "Off the scale." He turned to his wife. "Off the scale. Off the scale. How?"

"All I want is my three hundred and fifty pound." The man who entered the flat said. "Simple as that. Night, night. Come on, son. Come on." He then left and Alex entered the room again.

"Right. Sorry about that." He apologised. "So, have we got this thing open yet?" He went to open the door. The Time Lords both shouted making him freeze. "No! No, no, no, no, no. You don't want to do that." He stood in the way.

"Why?"

"Because George's monsters are real." The Doctor whispered glancing at the boy. She hoped he really didn't hear that. Alex gave the Doctor a shocked look as George's eyes widened in fear, obviously having heard the Time Lords muttering.

He brought them into the kitchen and turned around. "You're supposed to be a professional." He told the Doctor. "I'll never get him to sleep now. It's so irresponsible."

"No, Alex. Responsible. Very. Cupboard bad. Cupboard not bare. Stay away from cupboard."

"Maybe we shouldn't have been so forward." The Stones looked over at the Doctor. "But there is something else. Something we've clearly missed."

"Yes." The Doctor nodded. "Something staring us in the face." He frowned looking at the Stone for any ideas.

"Look, I'd like you both to leave, please." He looked between them. "You're just making things worse." He then took the tea pot away from the Doctor. "Will you stop making tea. I want you to leave."

"No." The Doctor bluntly replied.

"What?" He looked shocked. "What do you mean no? Leave. Get out. Now, please. Look, maybe this was a bad idea. We should sort out George ourselves."

"You can't." The Doctor shook his head.

"No one's going to tell us how to run our lives." Alex protested. "I don't care who you are or what wheels have been set in motion. We'll sort it."

"We're not just professionals. I'm the Doctor and she is the Stone."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He looked at them baffled.

"It means we've come a long way to get here, Alex." He explained. "A very long way. George sent a message. A distress call, if you like. Whatever's inside that cupboard is so terrible, so powerful, that it amplified the fears of an ordinary little boy across all the barriers of time and space."

"Eh?" He looked between them.

"Through crimson stars and silent stars and tumbling nebulas like oceans set on fire. Through empires of glass and civilisations of pure thought, and a whole, terrible, wonderful universe of impossibilities." He leaned forward a little and pointed to himself. "You see these eyes? They're old eyes. And one thing I can tell you, Alex. Monsters are real."

"You're not from Social Services, are you?"

"No." The Stone admitted looking a little guilty. Alex was way out of his depth in this and didn't understand a word the Doctor had just said.

The Doctor grinned. "First things first. You got any Jammie Dodgers?"

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"What is it with these photos?" The Stone hummed looking at the pictures. It was right there at the very front of her mind yet she couldn't reach it. Understand or notice what actually scared her about the simple photos.

"Anyway." The Doctor clapped his hands together, picking up the cup of tea Alex had made, he brought the cup to his lips. "Good. Nice tea. Nothing like a cuppa, but, decision." He looked at the man. "Should we open the cupboard?"

"What?" He looked at the Doctor as if he was mad.

"Should we?"

"Well..."

"Got to open the cupboard, haven't we. Course we have. Come on, Alex. Alex, come on. How else will we ever find out what's going on here?"

"All right, but you said-"

"Monsters." He cut Alex off. "Yeah, well, that's what we do." He threw his right arm around the Stone. "Breakfast, dinner and tea. Fight the monsters. So this, this is just an average day at the office for us."

"If we had an office." The Stone said thoughtfully.

"Okay, yeah." Alex nodded. "You're right."

"Or maybe we shouldn't open the cupboard." The Doctor said in his next breath. Furrowing his brows.

"Eh?"

"We have no idea what might be in there." He was explained. "How powerful, how evil that thing might be."

"We don't?"

"Come on, Alex." He shook his head blaming the man. "Alex, come on. Are you crazy? We can't open the cupboard."

"God, no, no, we mustn't."

"Right." The Doctor stood up. "That settles it."

"Yes." He nodded then blinked at the Doctor who was now standing. "Settles what?"

"Going to open the cupboard." He smiled. The Stone sighed shaking her head and following the Doctor.