----------&----------

"Front door," Alex explains, going to answer the door. The landlord Rory met from earlier enters.

"Evening,"

"Oh, hi," The trio in George's bedroom can just about see what's happening, George is clearly scared of the man and the rent situation obviously isn't good. Willow lays down on George's bed, joining him in the awkward position. She gets out her screwdriver to distract him.

"Is that a torch?"

"Screwdriver," Willow explains "A sonic one that does other stuff,"

"Please may I see the other stuff?"

"Of course, you can, then you can tell us more about the monsters. Yeah?"

George looks unsure but Willow smiles again and George nods "...yeah," Willow presses her sonic and the toys with batteries activate. George sits up and laughs, Willow smiles and also sits up "Cool right?"

George nods and The Doctor watches silently. He couldn't help but let his mind wander back to Demon's run and Alexandra. Of course, Willow was good with kids, they had one together. They'd never spoken about it, about how their daughter was off being raised by the same monsters who forced Willow into regeneration - twice - and wiped her memory. 

He knew Alexandra was fine, she was an adult who could clearly handle herself. But...he didn't want to miss her growing up. He wanted to watch Willow with their own child, he wanted Amy and Rory to meet their grandchild - properly. He wanted to raise her properly and he wanted a family. He had to find Alexandra, and speak to Willow. He'd let her think he would let Amy and Rory die, when in reality he needed Melody to fly the TARDIS, he knew she'd rescue them.

"Anyway, let's open this cupboard, yeah?" Willow prompts, looking up at The Doctor who'd zoned out as her and George spoke

"Exactly!" The Doctor turns, getting out his own sonic and stating to scan the wardrobe "There's nothing to be -" he reads off his sonic and his eyes widen, muttering under his breath so George couldn't hear "Off the scale. Off the scale. Off the scale... How?"

Alex re-joins them after his landlord left "Right. Sorry about that. So, have we got this thing open yet?" he goes towards the wardrobe and The Doctor stops him urgently.

"No! No, no, no, no, no. You don't want to do that!"

"Why?"

"Because George's monsters are real."

"Oh god," Willow mutters, looking down at George who looked even more terrified than before.

----------&---------- 

The Doctor is rapidly going through the cupboards in Alex's kitchen "You're supposed to be a professional. I'll never get him to sleep now. It's so irresponsible!" Alex rants as Willow sits on a cabinet.

"No, Alex. Responsible. Very," The Doctor promises "Cupboard bad. Cupboard not bare. Stay away from cupboard. And there's something else. Something I've missed. Something staring me in the face!" The Doctor stares at Willow, trying to figure it out.

"Look, I'd like you to leave, please. You're just making things worse," Alex continues "Will you stop making tea. I want you to leave," The Doctor stares at him, holding two mugs in his right hand, the left holding another.

"No," he answers simply and Willow snorts

"What? 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,"

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

"I'm not just a professional. I'm the Doctor,"

"What's that supposed to mean?" The Doctor puts the mugs down and boils the kettle before turning to Alex

"It means I've come a long way to get here, Alex. 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," Alex looks very confused and Willow holds back a small laugh at his expression "Through crimson stars and silent stars and tumbling nebulas like oceans set on fire. Through empires of glass and civilizations of pure thought, and a whole, terrible, wonderful universe of impossibilities. 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?" Alex asks Willow who has a fond smile on her face

"Afraid not,"

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

"Or Bourbons," Willow adds "ohh, or Rich Tea Biscuits,"

----------&----------

The Doctor had made tea and him and Willow were sat on the sofa again, The Doctor looking at the photo album again whilst Alex fidgets in the corner "What is it with these photos? Anyway. Good. Nice tea. Nothing like a cuppa, but, decision..." the Doctor stands "Should we open the cupboard?"

"What?" Alex stands up in alarm

"Should we?"

"Well -" Alex gets interrupted by Willow, who's also now standing by them

"Got to open the cupboard, haven't we?"

"Course we have. Come on, Alex!" The Doctor shakes him "Alex, come on. How else will we ever find out what's going on here?"

"All right, but you said -"

"Monsters. Yeah, well, that's what we do. Breakfast, dinner and tea. Fight the monsters. So, this, this is just an average day at the office for us,"

"Okay, yeah. You're right,"

"Or maybe we shouldn't open the cupboard," Willow adds, second guessing what she said seconds earlier

"Eh?" Alex looks between the two time travellers with confusion written all over his face

"We have no idea what might be in there," Willow explains

"Or how powerful, how evil that thing might be..." The Doctor adds

"We don't?"

"Come on, Alex. Alex, come on. Are you crazy? We can't open the cupboard!" The Doctor shakes him again

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

"Right. That settles it," The Doctor grabs his tea of the coffee table and takes the last few gulps

"Settles what?"

"Going to open the cupboard," The Doctor decides

"Obviously," Willow agrees, downing her own tea.

----------&----------

The four are in George's bedroom, the child himself is peering out from behind his Dad as the Doctor approaches the cupboard. The lift starts up and everyone jumps, Willow automatically grabs The Doctor's hand and he uses the other to slowly unlock the cupboard. It opens violently, yet inside, only clothes and toys sit along with a dollhouse.

"I don't understand it. It has to be the cupboard" The Doctor searches through the cupboard rapidly "The readings from the sonic screwdriver, they were -" he realises something and rushes out of the room, grabbing the photo album from the sofa.

"How old is George, Alex?"

"What? How old?"

"Yes. How old is George?"

"Well, I told you. Just turned eight,"

"So, you remember when he was born, then?" Willow continues the questioning, noticing the photos and the inconsistences . 

"Of course,"

"Course you do. How could you not?" The Doctor flashes Alex the photo album "You and Claire. Christmas Eve, 2002, right?"

"What?" he looks at the photo "Er yeah,"

"Couple of weeks before George was born," Willow guesses "Tell me about the day he arrived. Must have been wonderful," she thinks back to the day she gave birth to Alexandra. Through all the pain and horror she felt, she had a child which she thought she'd lost. She'd brought life into the universe.

"Well, it was the best day of my..." he pauses in thought "life,"

"Sure?"

"Yes,"

"You don't sound sure,"

"What are you trying to say? Look, I don't like this. I've told you before, I want you to go," Alex becomes defensive and stressed

"What's the matter, Alex?"

"I can't. Oh, don't. Oh, this is scary,"

"No, Alex, this is scary," The Doctor shows him another photo "Claire with baby George "Newborn, yes?"

"Yes,"

"Less than a month after Christmas,"

"So?"

"So, look Alex," Willow says softly "Actually look. Claire's not pregnant," The Doctor is showing him he Christmas photo again.

"What?"

"Not pregnant,"

"Well, of course not. Claire can't have kids!" Alex finally snaps

"Say that again,"

"We tried everything. She was desperate. As much IVF as we could afford, but. Claire can't have kids. How? How can I have forgotten that?" the three adults slowly turn to the child sat on his bed.

"Who are you, George?" The Doctor asks

"It's not possible. This isn't -" Alex mutters

"George," Willow tries to stay soft, he responded like a normal child. They shouldn't treat him like a monster or alien "George, who are you?" The lift starts again and the toys shake, George becomes agitated and his bedside lamp glows brightly all of a sudden, then the cupboard door flies open. A white light floods out of the cupboard and it grabs the three standing by it. As the three try to get through to him, they're being pulled in by the light and George starts chanting - 'Please save me from the monsters.'

Chaos continues as everything shakes and The Doctor, Willow and Alex shout out. Quickly, Willow is pulled into the cupboard and the other two follow. The door slams shut and the child's room is calm once again as peace reigns.