Alex Thompson

Alex Thompson (PROSE: My Special Book) was the partner of Claire in the 21st century. They had a child, George, who wasn't all that he seemed, as he was actually a Tenza — a cuckoo-like alien — who had nested with Alex and Claire many years before, unbeknownst to them. He stuggled with George, as George's fears were amplified by his biology, and Alex's struggles became another source of fear for George, who believed that his parents were going to abandon him.

Biography
By 2002, Alex and Claire tried to conceive a child, but they found that Claire couldn't have children, despite trying treatments like IVF. On Christmas Eve, they attended a party, and Claire wasn't pregnant at the time. However, in 2003, a newly-hatched Tenza came to Earth, assimilating itself into the "nest" of Alex and Claire, made possible by the Tenza's natural perception filter and psychic field, and the Tenza was "born" around 11 January (TV: Night Terrors) or on 11 February. (PROSE: Night Terrors) The Tenza, named George by his new parents, changed the memories of the birth for Alex. (TV: Night Terrors, PROSE: Night Terrors)

As a family, Alex, Claire and George lived in a flat in the Rowbarton Estate, (PROSE: Night Terrors) and by the time George was five, they used the lift in the estate, but they ceased using it sometime later as it kept breaking down. (PROSE: My Special Book) Over the next few years, George developed phobias of many things in his life, and Alex believed he had pantophobia. (TV: Night Terrors) George believed that their neighbour, Mrs Rossiter, was a witch, and Alex tried to convince him that she was just a kind old lady. George often made Alex and Claire cry, and this began to make George think he was going to be taken away. One night, George had a nightmare about his mother's old peg dolls trying to suffocate him, and when he awoke his screaming woke up Alex and Claire, who had work to go to shortly. (PROSE: My Special Book) Alex was later photographed playing football with George. (TV: Night Terrors)

By 2011, Alex lost his job at the shop he worked at, which caused delays paying the landlord of their flat — Jim Purcell — the rent. Some time after George's birthday, Alex told Claire that George needed to see a doctor, and she went to work, telling Alex she would call someone. George misinterpreted this as his parents rejecting him, causing him to send a psychic message to the Eleventh Doctor's psychic paper. The Doctor, Amy, and Rory arrived on Earth, following the message, and the Doctor eventually found George and Alex, and Alex believed the Doctor was from Social Services. After spending time with George, the Doctor found that George's cupboard was omitting readings "off the scale", leading him to deduce that George's monsters were real; Alex then told the Doctor to leave, as he felt he wasn't helping George, but the Doctor came to realise that something is amiss with George's birthdate, and he confronted Alex with this fact. George became incredibly scared, and sent Alex and the Doctor into the cupboard, inside the old dolls house, and the Doctor figured out that George was Tenza. The Doctor told George he was the only one who could stop the monsters, to overcome his fears, and George appeared inside the dolls house with them. The peg dolls advanced towards him, and they were only stopped when Alez convinced his son that he would never send him away — that he would always love George.

After everything was reverted to normal, with the people transformed into peg dolls being restored, Alex, George, and the Doctor spent the morning having fun, and Claire returned from work. As the Doctor went to leave, Alex expressed concern that George being alien might mean that he would grow more heads or eyes, but the Doctor assured him there was nothing to worry about, although he added he may return when George hit puberty as the Doctor claimed it was "always a funny time". (TV: Night Terrors)

Behind the scenes

 * According to The Brilliant Book 2012, Alex's name was scripted Thompson. However, there is no indication of any last name in Night Terrors as originally transmitted, with the Thompsons' name only being clarified in the short story My Special Book. NOTVALID: Doctor Who: Legacy also used the surname for the characters of George and Alex.
 * My Special Book also revealed that George had a grandmother, but it was not specified to which side of the family she belonged.