The Judge [Doctor Who]

3 - The Good Things

The group stood outside the infamous church. Vincent staked an easel in the ground, setting up his painting supplies while the trio stood by, gazing up at the church in awe. The church looked old, even for the 1800s. Moss and green plants sprouted from the cracks of the building, adding extra character to it. A large glass window, framed with antique stones reflected light, making the outside brighter.

"And you'll be sure to tell me if you see any, you know, monsters," the Doctor reminded Vincent in a hushed tone.

Artemis and Vincent both rolled their eyes.

"Yes. While I may be mad, I'm not stupid."

The Doctor straightened up immediately, astonished and nodded stiffly. "No, quite. And, to be honest..." The Doctor squatted down to Vincent's level. Vincent, who had already dipped his brush into paint, looked up at him in wonder. "Not sure about mad either. It seems to me depression is a very complex..."

Vincent shushed him. "I'm working," he said in a hushed tone.

The Doctor paused, surprised. "Well, yes. Paint... do painting!" He exclaimed.

Artemis looked at Amy with a cocked eyebrow as she mouthed to her in confusion, "Do painting?" Amy chuckled and shrugged her shoulders.

~~~~

Time passed by as Vincent painted. Colors of blue and green filled the canvas. Artemis watched patiently in awe at Vincent's mastery. The blend of the calm colors struck a chord in Artemis and she relaxed. However, this waiting had the opposite effect on the Doctor, who was pacing back and forth.

"I remember watching Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel. Wow! What a whiner. I said to him, 'If you're scared of heights, you shouldn't have taken the job." The Doctor eyed Artemis. "But it didn't help that he fancied Artemis," the Doctor spoke under his breath.

Artemis smirked at that fact but stayed silent.

"Shh!" Amy scolded him and he pouted.

~~~~

Night was slowly falling over the sky. The sun disappearing in the skyline, turning it dark blue. Vincent captured this change in his painting, mixing the colors to the canvas, covering it in blues and blacks.

The Doctor walked over to Vincent and clapped a hand on his shoulder as he spoke close to his ear. "And Picasso. What a ghastly old goat. I kept telling him, 'Concentrate, Pablo, it's one eye, either side of the face." Vincent tensed under his touch and Amy quickly grabbed the Doctor and scolded him, "Quiet," she said.

The Doctor crossed his arms and pouted slightly, jealous that the girls were paying more attention to the painter than him. Artemis eyed the Doctor in his sullen look and chuckled under her breath. She took a few steps over to the Time Lord and placed a gentle hand on his forearm.

The Doctor looked over his shoulder in shock at Artemis and smiled softly. She rolled her eyes and tugged him back over to the painter and Amy. "Come on you idiotic spaceman, stop being such a big baby."

~~~~

The sun set over the church as Vincent continued to paint. A single lamp being the only source of light for them outside. However, the moon and stars shone faintly in the night's sky, letting some extra glow shine down on them.

Amy and Artemis watched Vincent paint with complete awe, engrossed in the painter's technique. The Doctor squatted on the floor, a pout etched into his face.

"Is this how time normally passes?" He looked over his shoulder to eye Artemis' smiling face. "Really slowly. In the right order."

Artemis giggled under her breath at the Doctor's angsty attitude and nodded over to her side. The Doctor took this hint and stood up and walked over to the pair. He rested an arm on Artemis' shoulder gently, not even realizing he did so. But Artemis didn't say anything about it, rather, she accepted the strange but comforting gesture.