The Doctor stood at the console and lent in close to talk to his time machine.
“Just me and you today honey” he said as he gently patted one of the levers. “Where shall we go today?”
The Doctor smiled to himself, he never tired of his one way chats to the TARDIS.
He began to pace around the console before pulling his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket. He pointed it at a screen as it whirred into life, filling with pictures. Pictures of friends he had loved and lost. Some of them he had loved and lost, found, then lost again. Rose, Ace, Dan, Martha, so many people, so many lives. He closed his eyes.
"Ah, no time for this, let’s go on an adventure”. He grinned as he fiddled with buttons on the console unit, the TARDIS wheezing into life. “Take me somewhere fun!” he shouted above the engines.
He raced around the console, pressing buttons excitedly when a ring pierced through the roar of the engine stopping the Doctor in his tracks. He stared at the phone for a second before picking it up. “Hello, the TARDIS, the Doctor speaking” he said far too loudly. “Hello? You’ve reached The Doctor” he repeated more quietly. The line crackled. He shook the phone above his head “Hello?”.
“Oh hello.” a croaky voice finally replied “Doctor, could you possibly quieten that wretched machine when you answer your phone. I need to call in the most important of favours from you.”
The scalded Doctor knew that voice, even through the croaks. “Mary Poppins, as I live and…” He didn't have time to finish.
“Yes, quite enough of that Doctor, as I was saying” she said huskily. “I have the most awful cold and I was hoping you could repay your debt to me and cover a job I'm at." The Doctor grinned, remembering that long night with Mary, there's a joke in there somewhere he thought - the one about the penguin, the Slitheen and that magic bag of hers. “Doctor, are you listening, can you help me?”.
“Anything for you Mary, anything at all, I'm on my way” he gleefully pulled down on a lever sending the TARDIS spinning towards Earth. Seconds later and the TARDIS was still, peacefully resting on a quaint London street. The Doctor loved this part, the nervous energy he felt in the calm before he opened the doors to a new adventure. He took a deep breath.
The Doctor walked to the door, taking a final quick look around his TARDIS console, it was so big now, he smiled then strode out into a pretty little street bathed in sunlight, he let out an impressed whistle at the sight before him. He shoved his hand in the pocket of his brown leather jacket and pulled out his physic paper, he gave it a shake. 17 Cherry Tree Lane was scrawled across it.
“Ahoy there” a voice called out.
“Ahoy there yourself matey” the Doctor said as he jauntily saluted the man standing atop of his boat-like house.
The street was beautiful, a bit too quiet for the Doctor’s taste, but there was no harm in a moment or two of peace now and again he thought to himself. He ran his hand along the iron railing that separated the path from the houses. There it is. Oh Mary, you do pick them!
He pushed open the gate and stepped into the well kept garden, perfect flower beds bordering a perfectly cut lawn. I hope this place isn’t smaller on the inside, he muttered under his breath as he crashed down the ornate knocker on the huge front door.
The door creaked open and the Doctor dusted himself down, he knew Mary had standards.
As the inside of the house became visible the Doctor saw that nobody had opened the door, and instead a lady stood with her back to him, staring up to the top of the stairs.
“Hello?” the Doctor said quietly, the lady didn’t reply, she seemed to be frozen to the spot. He slowly walked towards her and tapped her on the shoulder, she jumped, startled, her face full of worry.
“Are you OK hon?” the chandelier lights flickered for a second.
“Yes, yes, yes” the lady huffed in reply, the worry fading from her face. “Are you Mary’s friend? The children are in their room."
The Doctor nodded, suspiciously looking the woman up and down before heading up the long winding stairs.
As he neared the top he heard squabbling in one of the rooms, he ran up the last few stairs and followed the noise to a bedroom. He poked his head around the door and smiled. Two children turned to look at him, both holding one end of a teddy bear, its body stretched between them, close to bursting.
“Babies, come on!” the Doctor said as he walked into the room. “What would Mary say if she saw you two like this?”
The children stood still, neither letting go of the bear, both staring at the strange man waltzing into their room.
“I’m the Doctor, Mary’s friend, she asked me to pop in.” the Doctor said reassuringly as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out another teddy bear, it was twice the size of the one between the children's grasp. He flung it high into the air and watched it drop to their feet. They both let go of the body part they were holding and reached down to grab the new, larger bear. As they did it vanished into thin air. They looked up to see the Doctor perched on the edge of a bed with the small teddy in his hand. He shrugged and tucked it under the covers.
“Whose bed is this?” he asked, not expecting an answer. “They can have it tonight, tomorrow he'll sleep in the other bed.”
Problem solved.
The Doctor sprung to his feet, his eyes surveying the room and landing on two large wooden toy chests. He couldn't hide his excitement as he glided across the room towards them. He looked at the children, his brown eyes wide as he lifted the first lid. His head disappeared as he delved in, rummaging through the beautiful wooden toys.
“You must be Jane?” the Doctor said from inside the chest, his hands on a colourfully painted train, he spun the wheels on the palm of his hand. He placed it to one side and continued to look deeper. Jane nodded even though the Doctor couldn’t see her.
“So that must make you Michael.” the Doctor said as he pumped the handle of a spinning top, watching it spiral beautiful colours in his hands. “I have seen toys that talk, toys that tell you when they want to be played with, plastic toys, metal toys, toys made out of grass, but you really cannot beat the classics.” he continued.
Michael wasn't listening, he had his back to the pair, staring towards the doorway the Doctor had appeared in only moments ago. The Doctor had already filled the room with a sense of wonder and fun but Michael wasn’t looking at anything fun now.
“Michael?” the Doctor asked, his head appearing from the chest.
The young boy turned to face the Doctor, his eyes filled with fear, he fiddled with his tie. The Doctor looked towards the empty doorway. “Honey, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” he said, frowning.
“I’m fine.” Michael said eventually, his frightened eyes said otherwise.
Jane, who was the elder of the two children, looked down at the Doctor with a mixture of curiosity and scepticism as he began to root around in the toys again. “Are you really a nanny? How can you be a nanny if you say you are a doctor?” she asked.
The Doctor’s eyes twinkled. “Well, I might not be a traditional nanny, but I’ve got a knack for making things interesting. What do you say we get started?”
He stood up flashing a huge smile and began to sing.
I’m…
A Time Lord from Gallifrey and honey I’m precocious,
I travel all of time and space to stop things so atrocious,
Timey-wimey, wibbly-wobbly, I can be ferocious,
A Time Lord from Gallifrey and honey I’m precocious,
Um-dittle-ittl-um-dittle-I,
Um-dittle-ittl-um-dittle-I,
Um-dittle-ittl-um-dittle-I,
Um-dittle-ittl-um-dittle-I,
I ran from the Untempered Schism when I was just a lad,
A need to explore the universe made people think I’m mad,
But then one day I stole a ship that saved me achin’ hearts,
The greatest ship you ever saw, that took me to all parts,
Oh…
A Time Lord from Gallifrey and honey I’m precocious,
I travel all of time and space to stop things so atrocious,
Timey-wimey, wibbly-wobbly, I can be ferocious,
A Time Lord from Gallifrey and honey I’m precocious,
Um-dittle-ittl-um-dittle-I,
Um-dittle-ittl-um-dittle-I,
Um-dittle-ittl-um-dittle-I,
Um-dittle-ittl-um-dittle-I,
I travelled all around the stars and everywhere I went,
Everyone I met would say I’m such a clever gent,
Sometimes I'm a woman so that doesn’t always work,
But if you're really nice to me I’ll show you how I twerk (woo),
A Time Lord from Gallifrey and honey I’m precocious,
I travel all of time and space to stop things so atrocious,
Timey-wimey, wibbly-wobbly, I can be ferocious,
A Time Lord from Gallifrey and honey I’m precocious,
Um-dittle-ittl-um-dittle-I,
Um-dittle-ittl-um-dittle-I...
“You know nobody knows my name? So you can call me the oncoming storm or the rotmeister. But that's going a bit too far, don't you think?”
“Yes!” both the children yelled laughing, still with no real idea who the well dressed man was in their bedroom, but they didn't care, they already knew he was just as wonderful as Mary. He continued to sing.
So when you’re in some danger, there's no need for dismay (here-ye),
Just summon up my magic box, and I'll come and save the day,
But you better use me carefully or I could change your life…
“For example, one day, a woman killed me and now that woman's me wife, oh and an absolute babe she is too.”
I’m……..
A Time Lord from Gallifrey and honey I’m precocious,
A Time Lord from Gallifrey and honey I’m precocious,
A Time Lord from Gallifrey and honey I’m precocious,
A Time Lord from Gallifrey and honey I’m precocious.
Jane and Michael giggled as the breathless Doctor curtsied, taking the acclaim of the children. He then shook a box that he now had in his hand.
“The Landlord’s Game!” he exclaimed with delight. “They didn’t use the name I suggested, still, give it a few years and you’ll find out.”
The Doctor laid the board out and the two children sat cross legged on the floor. The Doctor passed the dice to Michael who kissed them before sending both spinning out of his hands. The dice shot across the floor and one rolled under one of the blue metal beds. The Doctor rolled his eyes and crawled under to retrieve it.
“It’s a five!” he shouted out as his eyes caught some markings on the wall just above the skirting board. He shuffled further under the bed, awkwardly grabbing his screwdriver and pointing it at the markings illuminating them. The Doctor felt a sudden worry surge through his body when he realised they were tally marks. He scanned the rest of the wall under the bed, next to the tally marks and written in tiny letters were some words. He turned the light up on his screwdriver and read them.
Where tiny feet and dreams collide, now where monsters and toys reside.
A place where little voices cheer, but now today they scream in fear.
"Have any of you been writing on the wall down here?" the Doctor said, shimmying his way back out from under the bed.
"Certainly not!" Jane replied sternly.
"Where's Michael?" the Doctor panted as he finally emerged.
Jane turned to her side, but there was nobody there. A look of fear filled her face and then faded just as quickly as her attention moved to the Doctor.
"Oh he can be quite annoying Doctor, he always hides from me." said Jane looking irritated that the game was evidently over without her rolling the dice once.
The Doctor placed a calming hand on Jane's shoulder. "Is everything alright Jane? I get the feeling something is a bit off here."
"Sometimes I think the house is watching me." the girl replied, suddenly looking even younger than she did before. An unsettling stillness filled the air. This house should be bustling, the Doctor thought. It is so damn quiet. No, it's not quiet, it's silent.
The Doctor raised an eyebrow. “Watching you? That sounds unusual.” The Doctor considered this, his mind racing through possibilities. “Well, we can’t have that, can we babe? A house that’s too quiet isn’t much fun. Let’s investigate.”
He led Jane through the house, checking every room and corner in the large home. Despite their thorough search, nothing seemed out of place. The silence remained though, like an invisible barrier preventing any sort of cheer or noise, and there was still no sign of Michael. The Doctor was trying to hide his worry about this from Jane.
As they passed by the large mirror in the hallway, the Doctor caught a glimpse of something moving behind them. He turned sharply, but nothing was there. Just the empty, quiet house. He frowned again but said nothing to Jane, who was nervously biting her lip at his side.
“Did you see that?” Jane asked quietly, clutching the Doctor’s jacket.
The Doctor hesitated. “See what, babe?”
“The mirror,” Jane whispered. “Sometimes… I see someone else in it. Someone that isn’t me. It’s like they’re watching me, but when I turn around, there’s nothing there.”
The Doctor felt a chill crawl up his spine. He stepped closer to the mirror, inspecting it carefully. There were faint handprints smudged across the glass, much too small to be an adult’s. They were smeared as if someone had been trying to cling on to it as they were dragged past it.
"Jane, has anyone else been in this house recently?" the Doctor asked, his voice low.
“No, just us,” Jane replied, her voice trembling.
A sudden loud thud echoed through the house, making them both jump. The Doctor couldn’t tell where the sound was coming from, a heavy, dragging sound that sent vibrations through the floorboards. The Doctor's eyes narrowed as he grabbed Jane’s hand, leading her quickly back towards the children’s room.
As they reached the top of the stairs, they noticed a strange smell, something damp and musty, like old earth. The Doctor paused, sniffing the air. “That’s odd… Do you smell that?”
Jane nodded, her face pale. “It’s like the basement. But we don’t have one.”
The Doctor furrowed his brow. “I think I know what's making those noises Jane, I am sure of it, it all seems so familiar to me."
They returned to the children’s room, and as they stepped inside, the door creaked ominously. The temperature dropped making their breaths visible in the cold air. The Doctor’s eyes scanned the room, looking for anything out of place.
Jane gasped and pointed at the wall above the bed. “Doctor, look!”
The Doctor turned to see more tally marks, this time above the bed, but these were fresh, still wet, as if someone had just scrawled them there. They seemed to pulse with a dark energy, making the room feel even more oppressive. Next to the marks, in the same small, spidery handwriting, were new words:
It knows you're here. It’s coming.
The Doctor felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He had faced countless enemies, but there was something particularly unsettling about this presence. It wasn’t just watching them - it was waiting, and he now knew exactly what it was. That was his handwriting. He surpressed a chuckle at him writing a riddle under the bed rather than just spelling it out in plain old Gallifreyan.
“Jane, stay close to me,” he said firmly. “We’re not alone in this house.”
"Where is Michael?" she asked nervously.
"Babes, Jane, please, can you help me?” the Doctor didn't wait for her answer and continued. "Is there a room in this house where you feel watched more than others?”
"This one." Jane said, shivering in the middle of her bedroom. "Every night. When Mary and my parents think we are asleep we crawl under my bed, and we hide from the monster."
The Doctor grimaced. "What monster? What did they look like?”
“I don't remember.” Jane stuttered.
“Don't worry, I think Mary knew exactly what was happening here, and she called in just the right person." the Doctor said, forcing a smile.
"You?" Jane said, watching the Doctor walk around the room, tapping parts of the wall.
"Oh hun, if any child has to hide under their bed each night, there is only one person for the job. Me!" the Doctor smiled as he put his ear to the wall. Tapping it again, then listening, there was a sound, the faintest of vibrations.
“Ah, what’s this?” he mused, using his sonic screwdriver to scan the area. “It looks like there’s something behind here. I'm hoping it's a nursery. When this is over, you really need to get your Mum and Dad to book a chimney sweep.”
He investigated the chimney further as soot tumbled onto the floor, his hand fumbling along the wall and finding a peculiar panel that was emitting a humming noise. "Ready?" he smiled reassuringly as he jabbed at a couple of buttons.
A chill ran through the house, and the faintest of clicks could be heard over Jane's short nervy breaths. It felt like every time Michael forgot to shut the door when he had been outside, the chill that crept into the room and surrounded Jane as she sat reading on her bed. She hated it. So did the Doctor. The icy air didn't belong here.
The Doctor raced out of the room and surveyed the landing. There it was, a doorway they hadn't noticed before. Bingo! He darted back into the bedroom and grabbed Jane's hand tight. "Can you be brave for me? I really need your help here." he asked the bemused child.
Just as the Doctor was about to charge into the new room an enchanting music began to drift through the air. It was a melody that seemed to shimmer with magic. The Doctor’s face lit up with recognition. “That music...could it be…?”
Suddenly, a figure appeared at the bottom of the stairs, floating gracefully down. It was Mary Poppins, her familiar umbrella and cheerful demeanour a welcome sight.
“Mary Poppins!” the Doctor exclaimed, not entirely surprised by her arrival. “What are you doing here?”
Mary Poppins softly sat on the large bannisters and gracefully slid her way upwards. “Oh, just a little impromptu visit. I heard there were some issues with the house.” she said as she checked herself in her pocket mirror.
The Doctor watched in pure delight as Mary reached the top of the stairs. Jane stood open-mouthed by the side of the Doctor, gripping the Time Lords hand for dear life.
“You wouldn’t happen to know anything about this door, would you?” the Doctor asked.
Mary Poppins smiled. “I often wondered what it was, yes Doctor." Mary rapped her grumbling umbrella on the door. "It comes and then it goes, one day I would remember it, the next, I would not, it has been baffling me for quite some time."
The door slowly opened but nobody was in the doorway.
"Jane, please can you go and clean up the awful mess I know the Doctor would have made in your bedroom. We shall return anon." Mary said as she walked confidently through the door.
The Doctor quickly followed, flicking a switch that failed to turn on any lights. Mary reached into her bag and pulled out a torch. The dust floating in the beam that revealed the nursery the Doctor was hoping for. The room was bathed in darkness. In one corner was a cot, its yellowing white paint peeling off the railings. A rocking horse stood in the centre of the room, the tail ripped off and wrapped around the horse's neck like a noose.
Mary lit up the wall that was covered in tally marks, hundreds of them. Scrawled in all different coloured crayons.
“Michael!” Jane shouted behind the exploring pair. She charged past them and grabbed her brother who was sitting on the floor deadly still. He sobbed into his sister's chest as the Doctor stepped in front of them walking deeper into the room.
“Jane Banks, I told you to clean your room.” Mary said sternly.
The Doctor raised a hand, gesturing for the children and Mary to be quiet. The room filled with an eerie stillness, only broken by the quiet sobs Michael tried to stifle. As the Doctor edged further into the shadowy room, Mary followed, her face calm but alert. A rustling noise caught their attention in one of the corners of the room.
“Hello?” the Doctor called out softly, his voice tense. There was no reply, only a faint growl that seemed to slither through the air. “Are you trapped in here? I can help.”
The darkness in the room began to thicken. The Doctor took a cautious step forward, his sonic screwdriver gripped tightly in one hand. He was bracing himself for an attack, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. He turned around to see Jane and Michael staring wide-eyed at the doorway.
There, standing just beyond the threshold, was a tall, gaunt figure in a dark suit. Its head was a grotesque skull, its eyes sunken and black, and its long, spindly fingers twisted unnervingly. The air around it crackled with a dark energy.
“Did you get left behind?” the Doctor asked, his voice a mixture of calm and concern. “Just calm down, and I can help you get back to your kind. Please. I know who you are.”
The figure remained silent for a moment, its hollow eyes locking onto the Doctor. Then it spoke, its voice a rasping growl that sent shivers down the spines of everyone in the room. “SILENCE, DOCTOR!” it hissed.
The Doctor’s heart skipped a beat. “Oh not this again,” he muttered. “I’ve heard it all before.”
The creature's mouth opened wide, wider than it should have been able to. The sound of its flesh tearing filled the room followed by the monster letting out a scream. The Doctor backed away slowly, his mind racing for a solution. He knew he had to act now before he forgot what was going on.
“Jane, Michael, stay back!” Mary shouted, her voice sharp with urgency. She raised her umbrella as if it were a sword ready to fight.
Jane wasn’t listening. Her eyes had glazed over, her body moving of its own accord as she walked toward the creature, her steps slow and robotic. Michael, too, was drawn forward, his small hands reaching out towards the creature as if in a trance.
“NO!” the Doctor yelled, rushing forward to pull them back. The children couldn’t be stopped, marching like Zombies towards the screaming Silence. Mary Poppins stood frozen, her normally unflappable demeanour cracking as she watched the children move closer to the monster. She fumbled in her bag for something to help.
The Silence lunged, its skeletal fingers brushing against Jane’s face, and she screamed, a blood-curdling, terrified scream that echoed through the house. The walls vibrated, pictures fell from their hooks, and the ceiling began to crack. Michael’s eyes rolled back in his head as he collapsed to the floor, his body convulsing.
“FORGET DOCTOR! YOU WILL FORGET!” the Silence hissed between screams. The creature began to raise its grotesque fingers to the ceiling. “You are the Doctor, and silence must fall!”
The Doctor was briefly blinded by the light, he raised a hand to shield his eyes. “Very well, I’ll do this the Mary Poppins’ way…” he said as he pointed his screwdriver towards a small dust covered radio, it crackled into life. He began to click his fingers to the music behind the static and then, for the second time today, he started to sing.
For every monster that makes you run,
There is an element of fun,
You find the fun, and snap!
Stopping them’s a game.
And every monster that I stop,
They have a massive strop,
They cry, they scream, it’s very clear to see…
That…a…Doctor and their friends make the monsters fall down,
The monsters fall down, monsters fall down,
Just a Doctor and their friends make the monsters fall down,
Stopping all their frightful ways.
If the Silence make you forget, sending thoughts that make you fret,
While gathering information that makes us tick,
While quite unseen in its pursuit,
We have a trick I think is cute,
We mark, our skin, every time that they pop in.
For a Doctor and their friends make the monsters fall down,
The monsters fall down, monsters fall down,
Just a Doctor and their friends make the monsters fall down,
Stopping all their frightful ways…
The Doctor danced his way across the room as Jane broke from her trance, now transfixed by the dancing Time Lord. The Silence shrieked as electricity began to shoot into its body from the chandelier above, its huge hands twisting and curling as the energy surged into them. The Doctor turned and smiled at Mary Poppins.
Mary pursed her lips. “Oh do carry on Doctor!” she said as if he had irritated her.
He spun back around and continued to sing.
Once I know their at our backs,
Then me and Mary can attack,
If she opens up her magic bag of tricks,
Because I’ll sonic just like this,
Whilst Mary makes sure that they miss,
And hence (and hence)
They find (they find)
Their plan will come untwined…
Ah-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h ah!
The Doctor was bouncing around the room now like he had overdosed on spoonfuls of sugar, clearly pleased with himself at hitting so many high notes. He pointed his screwdriver at toys as they sprung into life, toy soldiers marching across the room, drawers opening and closing. Mary rolled her eyes. She placed a hand in her bag pulling out a large mirror, looking into it for a split second and allowing herself a smile. The Silence let out a large growl as it fired a white bolt of electricity at Mary.
Mary twisted the mirror quickly, sending the jolt straight back at the Silence. It let out a groan as the shard of light hit it and then slumped to the floor.
The Doctor raced to Michael and knelt beside him, checking the child over. The Doctor clicked his fingers in front of Michael’s eyes and they fluttered open. The Doctor sighed in relief.
Jane nervously approached them, her face pale. “Is he…?”
“He’s okay,” the Doctor said, his voice heavy with exhaustion.
The Doctor turned and crouched down next to the wounded Silence, he stared into its black eyes.
“Darling, I may not remember you all the time, but I will remember you enough to always stop you. I have friends here, friends so special that they will remember you as well, and they will stop you too. Now and always.” He ran his sonic over the Silence’s body. “You’ll live.” the Doctor stated matter of factly.
“Don’t kill him.” Michael blurted out as he clung to his sister.
The Doctor looked up. “Kill him? Of course I won’t baby. I’m going to take him far away from here, into the stars, I know a church, full of creatures like this one, they will mend him, show him the error of his ways.” The Doctor wrapped one of his strong arms around the Silence and pulled the struggling creature to its feet.
“Well,” the Doctor said, turning to Jane and Michael, “I’d say we’ve had quite the day.”
Jane and Michael nodded.
“Manners!” Mary snapped as she slid the mirror in her bag that was bigger on the inside.
“Thank you, Doctor.” The children said in unison.
“Until next time, Mary. Take good care of these two,” the Doctor said, gently patting Jane on her head with his spare hand. Mary gave him a knowing wink and with a final fantastic smile, the Doctor turned, his arm still supporting the wounded Silence, and he began to walk down the stairs and out of the house.
The Doctor carried the Silence through the quaint London street and turned around to look at the house one more time. He raised a hand at the children and Mary as they waved at him through the bedroom window. The Doctor then heaved the Silence into the TARDIS, the door closing behind him with a creak and a soft thud.
Mary, who was now alone in the window, chuckled softly to herself as she watched the Doctor re-emerge once more, this time excitedly walking towards the sound of a one-man band clattering and banging in the distance.
The house was full of noise again and Mary closed her eyes soaking the chaos up.
“Thank you Doctor.” She whispered into the breeze outside, before slamming the window shut.
You made it to the end - congratulations!! Thank you for reading and I really hope you enjoyed it. Just a reminder of the two legends who brightened up my story with their art:
Oh and don't forget - we're all stories in the end, just make it a good one eh!
#DoctorWho #Disney #DWFanFic #DWFanArt #DWFanFiction #FanFiction #Fifteen #MaryPoppins #TheSilence #CherryTreeLane #MichaelBanks #JaneBanks #DoctorWhatIf #Sonic #BlueBox #TARDIS #Christmas #NcutiGatwa #JulieAndrews
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