When the meditation centre came under investigation (on account of Lupton’s unnatural practices), Tommy had become aware of strangers coming to and from the house as well as the strange goings on there. He befriended Sarah Jane Smith and Mike Yates, who were there secretly to find out what was going on. When the blue crystal came to the house with Lupton, Tommy was eager to add it to his collection of "pretties", and took the crystal when Lupton wasn't looking, hiding it in a shoebox in a cupboard under the stairs where he often sought solitude. Later, Lupton's followers, who often treated Tommy poorly, taunted him over how he couldn’t read the DO NOT DISTURB sign on their door. After hearing this, Tommy returned to his cupboard to refer to a children’s book, reading the simple text aloud.