HELTER SKELTER

Chapter Thirty

The Doctor assembled everyone in the kitchen except for Paul and William who were still in the console room. Besides the people who had been with him for awhile, there were now the other three members of The Who, Yoko Ono and John, George and Ringo's wives and children. The ones who had been in the TARDIS for awhile had been busy trying to help the new people adjust when the Doctor called them for a meeting. He explained what Zak had told him and the Beatles groaned.

"They're just not gonna give up, are they?" John said. "They're just gonna keep trying till Paul's dead."

"Yes but this time I'm gonna do a mind probe on Zak and find out where they're hiding," the Doctor said. "I'm through with being civil. This has gone too far and it's time to end it."

"I have a question," Roger said. "How fast can they make this clone?"

"There is technology that will grow a clone in a matter of weeks."

"So they could have a full grown Paul in a fortnight," George said.

"Yes," the Doctor said.

"And they're gonna make this Paul evil?" Richard said.

"That's what Zak the Diablon said," the Doctor said, grinning when Ringo's son giggled at the sound of his own name and Ringo gave him a hug. "He said they're gonna make sure that this Paul is evil and will stay evil."

"Then I have another question," Roger said. "If this clone is full grown now, how will we be able to tell the difference between it and our Paul?"

"Good question," the Doctor said. "We need something we can do to our Paul that will set him apart from this clone. Something that can't be easily erased by anyone. Any thoughts?"

Everyone thought for a minute. George smiled when he thought of something.

"Hey, could always do what we did with William and put a false mustache on the boy," he said.

"Nah, they'd be able to pull it off," John said to him.

"Not if it was grown," the Doctor said.

"So we wait till Paul grows a mustache then?" George asked him.

"Yes, but I can speed up the process," the Doctor said.

"Wait, that hair growing stuff Angela had, you have some?" Amy said.

"Yes. I have a weaker version of it that works for mustaches. We want Paul to have a mustache not a Father Christmas beard."

"Oh, I don't know, he might look good as Father Christmas," John said while the other Beatles giggled.

"But that won't be enough. They could still shave it. We need something that will stay in the skin and I think I have just the thing," the Doctor said. "Wait a tic, I'll be right back."

He ran out of the room.

"So…we're being led by an alien then?" Keith Moon asked when he was out of earshot.

"Yes, but he's a decent bloke," Roger said to him. "He can be trusted."

"Yeah, he's saved us, he saved Paul and Amy. He's not evil," John said to Keith.

"And this is where you've been for the past couple of days?" Cynthia asked John.

"Yup, been travelin' with an alien and having adventures. And you thought being married to a rock star was strange before all this," he replied before he kissed her lips.

"And he's got a recording studio in here that we can use?" Pete Townshend asked.

"Yes but we'll have to battle ya for it, we have first rights to it," John said.

Roger snorted.

"Don't listen, Pete, we have just as much right to use it as they do."

"Oh? We'll see then," John said. "We'll have a huge water balloon fight in the corridor to decide who gets it."

"P'eh, that's it?" Roger said. "We'd win in a heartbeat."

"Then it's on, Beatles verse Who water balloon battle!" Ringo said while his band mates laughed. "And we'll settle it as soon as we get all this sorted out."

"Oh, well that should be awhile then," Roger said, rolling his eyes.

The Doctor came back into the room carrying a medium sized silver cube in his hand.

"This device makes light tattoos that are hidden within the skin."

"How light?" Jane said. "Barely visible?"

"Sorry. I mean light as in light you can see," the Doctor said to her, "this makes a tattoo that is hidden in the skin until you rub it three times in an anti-clockwise circular motion, then the tattoo shines with a golden light."

"Cool!" Rory said.

"Yes, I can download different designs from a website or make my own and I did both. When Paul gets in here, I'll let him decide whether he wants to do it or not."

"I have a suggestion," Amy said.

"Yes?" the Doctor said.

"Get rid of the mop top, shear the boy like a sheep.'

"I object!" John said, getting up.

"I don't, shear away," Roger said gleefully while the rest of The Who snickered. "I'd like to see how long he stays the cute one when he's completely bald."

"He can wear another hairpiece, John," Amy said. "I'm trying to think of ways we can set him apart, if he had short hair, a mustache and these tattoos, it'd be harder for the clone to copy him."

"Where would these tattoos be on his body?" Margaret asked.

John sniggered.

"Put them on each butt cheek so someone will have to rub his bum to get at the gold," he said while the Beatles and Who giggled.

"Somehow, I think he'll object to that," the Doctor said while everyone laughed.

Meanwhile, William watched while Paul used his mobile to call his father. They were both in the console room and William leaned against the console while Paul sat in the chair. William shook his head while he stared at his brother. Paul was struggling to explain everything to his dad and he could tell from Paul's end of the conversation that it wasn't going well.

"I know I should have told you about being kidnapped, dad," Paul was saying, "but to be honest, I didn't wanna worry ya and I've been busy. I'm okay, yeah? William and Jane are as well."

He fell silent while he listened to his father. William glanced over when he saw the Doctor coming into the console room. Paul smiled and waved at him.

"Talking to my father," he mouthed to the Doctor.

The Doctor nodded in understanding and walked up the steps to the console platform.

"How's it goin'?" he asked William.

"Not so good. I think his dad's having a hard time coming to grips with what he said," William said as Paul nodded in agreement.

"Dad's angry because I didn't tell him sooner what happened," Paul said, putting his hand over the mobile's mouthpiece.

He took his hand away and listened while the Doctor leaned on the console beside William and watched.

"Dad, just please let me come over and I'll explain more then. Just…ring Mike and ask him to come over so I can speak to both of you," Paul said. "Please, it's life or death. I'm afraid that the people who tried to kill me might target you and Mike next. Okay…okay, I'll see you in a few minutes then. Love ya."

He ended the call and hung up the phone.

"He's coming, I think but I'm gonna have to really explain myself because he's angry," Paul said. "I'm not looking forward to this. At least he's willing to listen, not sure about Mike though. He might not come and if he doesn't, then that's his decision, I can't force him to come in here. Sorry, did you need me for something?"

"Well, we were discussing safety measures should this clone get loose," the Doctor said. "We want to alter your appearance so we can tell you apart from him."

"In what way?"

The Doctor explained the ideas they had. Paul raised his eyebrow when he suggested growing a mustache and getting his hair cut.

"In other words, you want me to resemble William on the Sergeant Pepper album cover and…a tattoo? Oh boy, dad'll really love that," Paul said, rolling his eyes.

"The tattoo can be removed painlessly and it won't be visible unless you rub the skin three times in anti-clockwise position."

"And then it glows?" Paul said.

"Yes."

"What will the tattoo look like?"

"I was thinking of two of them just for safety's sake. One of them I decided would be a scarab, an Egyptian beetle."

"Fitting," Paul said while William nodded in agreement.

"The other tattoo…"

The Doctor leaned over and whispered in his ear.

"You have got to be joking," Paul said when he leaned back up.

"The way I see it, it'll be unique. They may be able to think of the beetle but I doubt they'd think of the other one."

"Why? What is the other tattoo?" William said.

The Doctor grinned and told him. William laughed.

"John'll like that," William said.

"I know,that's what worries me," Paul said. "That he's gonna get too much of a laugh out of all this. Still…you're right, if this other me is gonna be set loose, I need a way for you lot to tell me apart from him. As long as it's invisible, I'll submit to this."

"It won't be visible unless you rub it," the Doctor said.

"Then do it. All of it, do what you need to do to set me apart from this clone," Paul said.

"Let me get the things I need," the Doctor said, heading towards the stairs.

Paul looked at William.

"Oh boy, my dad is in for one hell of a surprise when he sees me," he said to William as the Doctor hurried out of the room.

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