ignite ➝ Doctor Who¹

XX

"The clock on the mantle is broken. It is time."
— Reinette, The Girl in the Fireplace

She stepped out of the TARDIS and recoiled, a strong burnt smell in the air. The Doctor caught her shoulders as she walked backwards into the TARDIS. He looked at her in amusement and pushed her out slowly, walking behind her. Rose and her boyfriend, Mickey, had already left and were looking around the spaceship.

Detaching herself from the Doctor, she walked through the door he had just opened, coming to face an eighteenth century fireplace blazing in the room. The others walked up behind her after seeing her stop in confusion. The Doctor smiled, eager to impress her.

"Nice fireplace, around-"

"Eighteenth century. It's French and it's gorgeous. Look at that mantle." She walked over to inspect it closer, missing the surprised look from her alien companion. Penelope crouched down to face the fire, seeing a room on the other side. "Doctor. It's double-sided, there's another room on the other side." Mickey laughed and moved over to the window.

"There can't be. That's the outer hull of the ship. Look." The other three went to the window as a young girl ducked down to her fireplace, seemingly as shocked to see Penelope as the ginger woman was to see her. Smiling softly, however, she greeted the child.

"Hello."

"Hello." There was a distinctive French accent and Penelope's mind went into overdrive trying to place a time.

"What's your name?"

"Reinette."

"Reinette, that's a lovely name. Way better than mine, I'm Penelope." The Doctor crouched next to his companion and put an arm around her shoulders.

"Hello Reinette, couldn't help but overhear. Could you tell us where you are at the moment?" She looked at him like he was stupid and Penelope had to conceal a grin.

"My bedroom."

"And where's your bedroom? Where do you live, Reinette?"

"Paris, of course."

"Paris, right!" He turned to Penelope, who was intoxicatingly close as they were both trying to speak to Reinette through the fireplace. "You know we should visit Paris some time, it's beautiful at christmas." She blushes quietly, subtle hues that were hidden by the crackling fire beside them.

"Excuse me, but what are you doing in my fireplace?" Penelope leans forward, smiling at her again.

"Don't worry, it's just a routine fire check. Could you tell me what year it is?" Reinette looks proud of herself as she recites the year; 1727. The Doctor smiles, taking over from Penelope again.

"Right, lovely. One of my favourites. August is rubbish though. Stay indoors. Okay, that's all for now. Thanks for your help. Hope you enjoy the rest of the fire. Night, night."

"Goodnight Madame, Monsieur." The Doctor takes Penelope's hand and then lets go to walk over to Mickey and Rose. Penelope, however, started to feel around the fireplace. She was as sure as anything that you could enter the room on the other side and a turning fireplace would be very scooby-doo.

Their conversation continued behind her and she clipped something with her hand. She turned to her Doctor and smiled. "Doctor! I found it." He jumped up onto the fireplace with her, grinning at the two other people. Penelope points at them, "don't do anything stupid." The two span round the fireplace, causing Rose to look at Mickey in disbelief.

"They're becoming the same person."

On the other side of the spaceship, the Doctor and Penelope were standing in an eighteenth century bedroom. Something started to tick at the back of Penelope's mind, trying to figure out why this little girl had a door to another century behind her fireplace. Reinette sat up, startled from her fireplace turning in the middle of the night. Penelope went forward slowly to comfort her.

"It's okay. Don't scream. It's me. It's Penelope. Look. We were talking just a moment ago. We were in your fireplace." The Doctor lit a candle with his sonic, calming down the little girl.

"Madame, that was weeks ago. That was months." She frowned, but continued forward, sitting down on the bed with her.

"Must be a loose connection. Need to get a man in." She was a little apprehensive but did accept Penelope with her.

"Who are you? And what are you doing here?" She was about to respond when the Doctor started talking, having to tear himself away from watching her with a child. He vaguely remembers her saying before that she has always wanted to be a mother, and from seeing her here, he knew she would be amazing.

"Okay, that's scary." She spun round to face him, worried.

"What is it?" But Reinette rolled her eyes at the man, probably thinking he was being an idiot again.

"You're scared of a broken clock?"

"Just a bit scared, yeah. Just a little tiny bit. Because, you see, if this clock's broken, and it's the only clock in the room, then what's that?" It took a moment, but suddenly there was an unmistakable ticking that only grew in sound. The hair on the back of her neck rose steadily, and it didn't help when the Doctor looked over to her, nervously smiling. "Because, you see, that's not a clock. You can tell by the resonance. Too big. Six feet, I'd say. The size of a man."

"Doctor, she's a child. Stop being dramatic and tell us what it is." By now, the little girl had taken Penelope's hand, scared. The ginger woman smiled down at her, trying to reassure her that everything would be okay. Looking back up at him, there was a guilty look on his face.

"Sorry Penelope, Reinette. I need you both to stay on the bed. Right in the middle. Don't put your hands or feet over the edge." Penelope picked up her feet, pulling Reinette into the middle of the bed, watching the Doctor closely.

"What is it?" He had slowly walked over, trying not to alarm the girls or whatever was in the room. He was standing next to them now, placing a calming hand on Penelope's shoulder as she held onto Reinette.

"Well, if you were a thing that ticked and you were hiding in someone's bedroom, first thing you do?" Penelope thinks, trying not to wonder why she needs a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Break the clock." He nods, proud, but still harbouring a worried look behind his eyes.

"Right. No one notices the sound of one clock ticking, but two? You might start to wonder if you're really alone."