All the Things I've Lost

by Madd Madds

The awaited sequel to the TARDIS Rewrite. Tory and Jordan are about to embark on the hardest part of their journey. Tory and the Doctor grow closer while Jordan and the Doctor develop a mutual respect. But soon Tory is going to lose the only things that have ever mattered to her. Join Tory and Jordan on this new adventure!(10thDoctor/OC(Tory)) (Suprise!/Tory) pairings.

2. Lost Part 2

Lost part 2

)0(

Tory: We're sorry about this update being late but life caught up with MaddMadds for a little while there and she didn't have time to listen to me. Sorry!

)0(

Tory watched the Doctor removed the headset and slowly walked over to him, stopping when she was right in front of him.

Peri backed away a few steps, giving them some more privacy.

"You almost died." Tory whispered, her hand reaching up and smoothing the Doctor's hair. He was watching her carefully, the silver light of her Meridian Particles in her eyes worrying him.

"Yes," he agreed, "almost."

"I wasn't there to help." It was almost like she was talking to herself rather than to him.

"You couldn't have known." The Doctor frowned at her, "Are your eyes meant to be that colour?" he asked, trying to distract her.

Tory blinked.

"What colour?"

"Silver." He answered.

Tory blinked again before lowering her arm and trying to back away but the Doctor had a grip on her elbow and moved with her, matching each step she took.

"Well?" he asked, demanding his answer.

Neither Time Lord noticed Peri leave the room completely.

Tory and her TARDIS side fought briefly as she tried to avoid answering while the TARDIS side just wanted to tackle her mate to the floor and make sure he was completely healthy before engaging in some other…..ehm….activities.

"Not normally." She managed to answer, "But it does happen."

"When?"

"When someone I care about is in danger." She answered truthfully.

The Doctor's hand on her elbow tightened while his other moved to her hip.

"'Care about'?" he repeated questioningly.

Tory wasn't sure what he wanted to hear and couldn't even start to think about it logically when the fingers from the hand on her hip started creeping upwards; almost to the point where they could slide under her shirt and touch bare skin and open the Bond, something she both desperately wanted to happen and didn't at the same time.

"Care about very strongly." She continued, lost in his eyes.

His finger made contact with the bare skin of her stomach. The Doctor gasped and closed his eyes as the Bond opened fully on his side. It was such an intimate contact of their two minds, something Time Lords as a whole disproved off and he could see why, having their minds open like this to each other could be so very dangerous, there was no possible protection, if either of them wanted to they could rip the others mind apart with a thought. But they never would. The Bond was so pure, for lack of a better term, that even thinking of harming her was repellent to him and he knew that she felt the same way.

It was an amazing feeling, he decided, like becoming part of something more than himself. He was flooded with her emotions from when they had first met (when she appeared in his TARDIS), her fear at not knowing when or where she was, then her all-encompassing joy at discovering who he was and the love that filled her even if he was a different regeneration than the one she had fallen in love with originally. It was an amazing thing to witness let alone receive; what could I have done to deserve this?

You were you. Tory answered his unintentionally projected thought.

You can hear me?

It's part of the bond. Tory explained, When I errm, somehow he could tell she was blushing even though he couldn't see her face just the waves of emotion as they flowed back and forth through the Bond, when your future self and I where errr intimate for the first time, the Doctor was the one blushing this time, I accidentally opened this Bond between us, neither of us realised just what we'd done for a while, she deliberately 'forgot' to mention the constant Pain she was in whenever she wasn't with the Doctor (any version of the Doctor), I worked it out eventually and told him and he accepted me, there were some bumps in the road but we worked over them. A mental shrug, I love him, I love all of you.

Surprise shot through the Bond from the Doctor's side before it suddenly snapped shut. Tory's side of the Bond recoiled in pain before trying to reach for him again. She recoiled once more as she hit what felt like a brick wall blocking his mind. She pushed frantically against the wall.

Please, she whispered, please come back. She backed away from the wall, I love you.

Tory sighed as the Meridian Particles faded out of her eyes and she took control, her eyes opened and she stepped out of the Doctor's reach; he'd made his opinion on the Bond quiet clear and she wasn't going to force herself on him if he truly didn't want her.

"I'll," she took a deep breath as her voice wavered, "I'll be in the kitchen." She turned and walked away as fast as she could manage without it looking like she was running away from him.

)0(

It was nearly an hour later when Peri and the Doctor, at Peri's insistence after the Doctor explained what had happened between him and Tory and asked for help, walked into the TARDIS kitchen.

The TARDIS had chosen to emulate the kitchen from the flat in 1969. It was comforting to Tory to be back in a friendly place that was filled with memories of her friends and of a Doctor that actually loved her.

Tory ignored the Doctor and Peri as they sat down on the other side of the counter on some stools the TARDIS had provided. The only reason they knew that she knew that they were there was the almost immediate placement of a plate of chocolate chip cookies in-between them.

Peri smiled at Tory and nudged the Doctor, he glanced at Tory a mix of guilt and hope on his face, but she had already turned away and moved back to the oven.

Peri frowned at him: try harder!

The Doctor scowled back at her; I'm doing my best!

Peri rolled her eyes and grabbed a cookie.

"You'd better." She muttered, just loud enough for the Doctor to hear. "You know what's weird," she spoke in her normal tone so that Tory could hear her as well, "We meet Winston Churchill when he's young, but you've already met him before when he was older and when you were younger! You could go to some guy's funeral and follow his life backwards until he was born!"

"The inevitable paradoxes of time travel, Peri." He told her dismissively, stifling a yawn behind his cookie-free hand, "That's not the point."

"So what is?" Peri questioned.

"Interference!" the Doctor cried, suddenly bursting with energy, "Deliberate interference in human history!"

"Shocking!" Peri said sarcastically while giving the Doctor a meaningful look.

A laugh escaped Tory before she reminded herself that this Doctor didn't want her and….hang on a second…aren't I the one that always screams at those useless women on screen in those stupid love movies? I HATE women like that! I HAVE a Time Lord who wants me! Sure he's not here right now but I know that when I get back he will be there! I don't need to moan and whine over this version of the Doctor. Sure, he is a version of the man I love and sure it hurts that he doesn't see me like that but I'm not going to pull a Bella Swan and shut down for the better part of a year! I am a strong independent woman! And when I want something I go and get it! She smirked as a plan occurred to her. I go out and get what I want and I want the Doctor.

The Doctor and Peri shared a confused look as Tory's shoulders straightened with resolve; she had her back to them so they missed the devious smirk that crossed her face. Peri waved a hand at the Doctor to get him to start talk again before Tory noticed the silence.

"While I may have intervened myself from time to time, very occasionally, in a minor way, at moments of real crisis; my intentions are always for the best. This interference is wilful, malicious; malevolent even."

"Do you think it was the same people both times?" Peri asked, worried, "That's quite a gap, 1899 to…when was it you met him again?"

"Nearly twenty years." Tory answered before the Doctor could as she walked around the counter and slid onto a stool beside him, deliberately letting her leg rest against his.

"Sixteen," the Doctor corrected, slightly flustered by her proximity; I thought I had to apologise and 'woo' her before I could expect this? Not that I'm complaining mind you, but still…. "it was 1915. Yes, I do. The technique was the same." His eyes narrowed, "Discreet, cunning, interference. If Churchill had been killed in the Boer War, who in England would have suspected a third party at work? You can imagine the headlines, I'm sure: 'Tragic End of Late Cabinet Minister's Son.'"

Peri snorted.

"They're not always so discrete. 'Churchill defects to Germany' would have been a real whammy!"

"Whammy?" the Doctor echoed, sounding completely appalled, "Whammy?!"

Peri seemed to smell danger and quickly moved on.

"Don't forget that people were helping him as well, someone sent him clothes and money, even a gun in the prison camp! And that snooty Countess in 1915…."

"It's like chess," Tory mussed, "Two sides playing against each other; one wants Churchill alive and the other wants him dead. But why?"

The Doctor nodded in agreement before explaining to Peri.

"Human history is a complex and finely-balanced system, Peri. Tinker with it and the consequences could be disastrous!"

"I know, I know. That whole web of time thing…." She sighed, "Anyway, what did happen to Churchill once he'd flown home?"

"You can ask him yourself if you like!" the Doctor told her cheerfully as he stood and started to walk out of the room, Tory and Peri hurrying to follow.

"Huh? When?" Peri demanded as they walked through the TARDIS corridors.

"When we get to London, of course." He glanced back at her, "Elegance I promised you, and elegance you shall have!"

"Look, Doctor, I'm starting to go off the whole idea…."

The Doctor ignored her protests.

"It's just a matter of hitting the right time period," he went on as they entered the console room, "we don't want to arrive in the First World War or The Blitz either, come to that. The trouble is there's only about twenty years of peace between them!" he walked over to the console and started adjusting controls, Tory watched him from a distance while Peri followed him around the console. "I think the mid-thirties would be the best time…"

"The mid 2030's knowing the TARDIS." Peri muttered.

"What?" the Doctor asked irritably.

"I..er.. you told me I could ask Churchill what happened to him."

The Doctor nodded.

"Well, we're bound to run into him some time."

Tory smirked.

"You're planning to interfere aren't you?" she teased.

The Doctor looked up at her, seemingly shocked.

"Oh, I couldn't do that, Tory! As you know, we Time Lords operate a strict non-interference policy. Although…." He trailed off thoughtfully.

"'Although'?" Peri repeated warily.

"Well, if you interfere with interference, is it still interfering? You might say they cancel each other out. In a way, interfering with interference is a form of non-interference in itself!"

Tory sighed.

"Only you could come up with that logic."

"So you are going to investigate!" Peri cried.

"Not at all!" he flicked some switches with a flourish, "Of course, if I happen to stumble across anything, purely by chance…..Meanwhile, you two had better get out of your barbarous native costume and into something more ladylike. Come along, I'll help you to pick something out. I have a keen eye for such things."

Peri shuddered and Tory looked him pointedly up and down. The Doctor ignored both their actions and led the way out of the control room and towards the wardrobe.

"What makes you think these people will still be active, twenty years later?" Peri asked.

"Why shouldn't they be? If they were busy tinkering with history in 1899 and in 1915…I think our unknown friends are playing the long game, Peri. Tweaking here, adjusting there. Somebody dead, somebody ruined, somebody else suddenly rising to power. There are all sorts of odd little anomalies in human history. Maybe this accounts for some of them."

"But who are these people?" Peri demanded, "What are they up to?"

"I've no idea," the Doctor answered broodingly, "but take it from me, Peri, somewhere, somehow they're still out there. And still plotting."

)0(

Peri and Tory met up in the corridor outside of Peri's room; Peri was wearing a black coat and skirt, a grey silk blouse and a wide-brimmed hat.

Tory was wearing a dark-blue dress with a wide white collar.

The two women smiled at each other before turning and walking side-by-side down the corridor to find the Doctor.

Tory followed Peri to a room that seemed to be a study. They walked in to find the Doctor sitting behind a massive wooden desk stuffing papers and parchments into a big leather briefcase.

Looking up, he gave Peri and Tory a nod of approval.

"The glass of fashion and the mould of form." He complimented them.

"Thanks." Peri smiled.

"You don't look so bad yourself." Tory flirted.

The Doctor winked at her, surprising her. He was wearing a dark-blue three-piece suit with a faint pinstripe, a white shirt and regimental tie, on the table was a pair of yellow gloves, a walking stick and a grey Homburg hat with black band.

"We match." He pointed out grinning.

"I suppose that must mean that I look just as good as you." She winked at him this time.

Peri nodded towards the pile of papers.

"What's all this?"

"We'll be arriving in an age of bureaucracy and documentation," the Doctor explained with a grimace, "and we may be staying a while this time. All this will help us to establish an identity." He shoved a last few papers into the briefcase and closed it with a snap. "Come along Peri, Tory, we must be nearly there by now." At this his jumped up and headed for the door.

"Yes, but nearly where?" Peri muttered before following him back to the console room.

Tory followed her laughing to herself.

)0(

The TARDIS materialised in a quiet corner of Green Park. The TARDIS and the Doctor had finally managed to land where he wanted.

The Doctor came out, Tory and Peri close behind him. He took a gold watch from his waistcoat pocket, opened the back and touched a control.

The TARDIS dematerialised.

"Where's it gone?" Peri demanded, alarmed.

"She is now parked in orbit in the space-time continuum." The Doctor smiled a little smugly, "I think it's a bit early for her to blend in properly with the police boxes of the period, and we don't want to have to go chasing after her again, do we?"

"Can you get it, her," Peri corrected, "back?"

"Of course!" he paused, "Providing the recall circuit works."

"And if it doesn't?" Tory asked, sounding more amused than worried.

"We'll just have to settle down here." He sniffed dismissively, "There's a war due in a few years. At least things won't be boring!"

Tory resisted the urge to face-palm as Peri glared at him.

"That'll be World War Two?" she asked, "When the Germans dropped lots of bombs on London?"

"That's the one." He answered happily.

Peri continued to glare at him, the Doctor seemed to realise and smiled at her apologetically.

"Come along Peri." He offered Tory his arm, which she took, slightly surprised that he offered; I thought he wasn't interested…

They strolled out of the park and walked along Piccadilly. The sky was grey and overcast but it was London so you couldn't really expect anything better.

They came to an abrupt halt outside a plain-fronted building with an ornately carved entrance.

"Why've we stopped?" Peri questioned.

The Doctor pointed with his stick to the faded letters carved above the door.

"Chol…" Peri tried to read them, "Cholm…"

"Chumley's," the Doctor offered helpfully, "Spelt Cholmondeley's, pronounced Chumley's!"

"Just another Brit joke to confuse the Yanks, huh?" Peri asked.

"Of course!" Tory teased, "Where would you Yanks be without us Brits to keep you on your toes?"

"I don't suppose they've ever had a 'Yank' in Cholmondeley's," the Doctor commented, "you'll be a first for them."

"What is this place?" Tory asked.

"It's a bank, THE bank in many ways." He smiled, "Not the biggest, but one of the oldest and one of the most prestigious."

Peri stared up at the single word above the door.

"Why doesn't it say if it's a bank?" she asked.

"Because if you don't know it's a bank you've got no business going there." The Doctor answered.

"Ah," Tory sighed, "I so love British snobbery."

Peri snorted in amusement before asking another question:

"So why are we going in?"

"To reclaim my family fortune of course." He gave her a mock-dignified look, "I shall expect a bit more respect from you, young lady. As it happens I am a very wealthy man!"

"Really?" Tory asked as the Doctor opened the door and ushered Peri inside.

)0(

The bank hall was surprisingly large and luxurious with a high ceiling and a marble floor.

Peri sniffed.

"What's that smell?" she asked.

"Money," the Doctor answered, "lots and lots of very old money!"

Just as he finished speaking a man walked up to them.

"May I be off assistance?" he asked in a tone that was just a shade from insolent.

"Hope so," the Doctor said in a tone that suggested he thought the man was below his notice and clearly unable to help him in anyway, "I believe I have an account here."

The man's eyebrows rose.

"You believe, sir?"

"My great, great, forget how many greats, grandfather set it up years ago. Went off to South America and forgot all about it. Account's never really been used."

"I see, sir. And this ancestor's name, sir?"

"Smith. Doctor John Smith."

"And your name?"

"The same," the Doctor answered in a bland tone, "family name, you see."

The assistant was looking distinctly sceptical.

"And the year in which the account was set up, sir?"

"Ah, hang on a minute." The Doctor made a great show of thinking hard before snapping his fingers, "Got it! Year they founded the bank."

The assistant's eyebrows shot up higher.

"1816, sir?"

"Sounds about right." The Doctor confirmed.

"You have…documentation?"

"Lord, yes, masses of it." The Doctor opened the briefcase and pulled out a pile of paper.

The assistant drew in a deep breath.

"I think you'd better come and see Mr Cholmondeley. The manager, sir."

)0(

Half an hour later the Doctor, Peri and Tory were sitting in a luxurious oak-panelled office sipping sherry.

Mr Cholmondeley was sitting across from them reading through the Doctor's papers, he was a round man with gold-rimmed half-moon glasses. He looked up from the papers and addressed the trio.

"Well, everything seems to be in order. The account was set up be a Doctor John Smith, for the use of himself and his direct descendants in perpetuity. Your proofs of identity are more than satisfactory. We are at your service sir."

The Doctor nodded graciously.

"I don't know if you realise, sir," Cholmondeley continued in a low voice, "but the balance of your account is now extremely large. There was a substantial deposit to begin with, of course, and with cumulative interest for one hundred twenty years…." He trailed off before writing something on a piece of paper with a gold pen and handing it over to the Doctor.

The Doctor glanced at it carelessly before passing it to Tory who stared at it for quite a while before passing it back to the Doctor who showed it to Peri who was sitting on his other side.

That was an awful lot of zeros… Tory thought to herself as she used her hand to fan her face.

"How much is that in dollars?" Peri questioned.

The Doctor laughed.

"I know, I know! It probably seems like small change to you." He turned to Cholmondeley, "Miss Brown is the daughter of old Capability Brown, the American railway tycoon. I'm an old family friend keeping an eye on her while she tours Europe with my wife, Victoria." Tory blinked as the Doctor gestured towards her grandly. She managed to force a smile to hide her confusion.

"Indeed," she agreed, "John and I were intending to travel for our honeymoon and bringing Miss Brown along only improves the experience, one does need to talk to another woman every now and again." Cholmondeley smiled at her politely before turning to address the Doctor once more.

"How may the Bank be of service to you?"

The Doctor drew a deep breath.

"I'll need some ready cash, of course, five hundred should do for now. Do make sure to add my wife to the list of those allowed access to the account with a draw limit of one hundred pounds a week," he chuckled, "no need for you to bankrupt us in the first month."

Tory went tight lipped.

"Of course not, husband." She assured him with a fake smile; I am so gonna slap you later.

"I'd like a cheque book…." The Doctor continued, "oh, and we'd better open a drawing account for Miss Brown as well. And one more thing."

"You only have to name it sir." Cholmondeley smiled fawningly.

"The P&O Line lost all our luggage, it's on the way to Penang or somewhere. Only got what we stand up in. We'll need to buy some replacements 'till our stuff turns up….. Meanwhile my wife, ward and I need a hotel. Looks a bit off y'know, turning up with no luggage and a young lady in tow. Wonder if you could vouch for us, until everything's sorted out?"

"A pleasure, sir." Cholmondeley rubbed his hands together, "Where would you like to stay?"

"We passed a decent looking little place on the way. Just down the road, in Piccadilly. Think you could fix us up there?"

"Many of our clients patronise the establishment you mention, sir. I shall… fix you up without delay." He raised his voice, "Miss Farquharson?"

A sever looking woman with grey hair appeared at the door.

"Yes sir?"

"Miss Farquharson, get me the manager of the Ritz Hotel on the telephone, will you, please?"

)0(

Peri and the Doctor were sipping champagne cocktails in the chandeliered sitting room of the most extravagant hotel suite Peri had ever seen in her life.

Tory was in the larger of the two bedrooms the suite offered trying to select a fake wedding and engagement ring from the five sets the Doctor had, apparently, just happened to have in his pocket as making her his wife had been spur of the moment and not pre-planned at ALL…..yeah, Tory didn't believe that either.

"Well!" Peri grinned to herself, "I can't believe this is happening Doctor. All this opulence! How come you've got so much loot at this Cholthingummies place?"

"Just chance really." The Doctor answered as Tory walked back into the room and sat beside him, "Were any of the rings suitable?" he questioned.

"Yeah," she gave him a suspicious look, "How'd you know my ring size?"

"I guessed." He answered promptly.

"Really?" she shook her head choosing to drop the subject rather than argue with him. She held out her left hand, "I went for rich but subtle," she explained, "I thought it would be the best." The first ring had a silver band and one large diamond in the centre with six smaller ones around it in a star pattern, this was to be the engagement ring. The second ring, the wedding ring, was also silver but was inlaid with small blue garnets all the way a around it, blue garnets wouldn't be discovered until the 1990's however so Tory was a little unsure on her choice. The male ring, which Tory was holding in her hand, was a simple solid silver band with a single, small, blue garnet in the centre.

"It's beautiful." Peri complimented, "Shame it's not real."

"Yeah….." Tory muttered. "Here's yours." She handed the Doctor his ring he slid it onto his finger.

"Where was I Peri?" he asked.

"How'd you have all that money." She prompted him.

"Ah, well I dropped in to congratulate the Duke after Waterloo, and we had a bit of a night on the town. We went to some gambling den or other and I cleaned up at faro. I went to see Prinny down at Brighton the next day and told him the story. I didn't have much use for the money at the time, and Prinny suggested I deposit it with some crony of his who'd just founded a bank." The Doctor laughed, "Knowing how dodgy Prinny's finances were I was lucky not to lose the lot, but it seems to have worked out all right."

"Slow down!" Peri ordered, "I need a cast list. The Duke? Prinny?"

"Sorry. The Duke of Wellington and the Prince Regent."

"And all this happened a hundred years ago?" Peri checked.

"One hundred and twenty to be precise. It's one of the fringe benefits of being a Time Lord; the investment opportunities are enormous!"

"But how come we're going in for all this conspicuous consumption? I thought you didn't approve of this sort of thing?"

The Doctor looked embarrassed.

"Because we want to enter London society in a hurry."

"Why?" Peri questioned.

He looked surprised by the question.

"To show you some of the elegance you're after, of course."

"And that's all we're here for?" Tory teased, "No other reason?"

"Maybe finding those movers and shakers tinkering with history?" Peri continued.

The Doctor winced.

"If you insist."

"I thought you needed background and breeding and all that sort of thing to get into high society?"

"Don't you believe it, Peri." The Doctor corrected, "Money's the key, always has been. Wealthy Americans have been sending their daughters over her for years. You'd be surprised how many ended up marrying into the aristocracy." He gave her a thoughtful glance.

"You're not expecting me to marry anyone?" she asked alarmed.

"Or me?" Tory asked with a glare, "We are supposed to be married after all."

"Oh, it won't come to that." He spoke reassuringly before sniffing, "Well, probably not, anyway."

"What is the plan for getting into high society anyway?" Tory questioned.

"The manager of Cholmondeley's bank and the manager of the Ritz know absolutely everybody between them. And then there's their respective staff. It won't take long for news to get around that a rich and mysterious pair of newlyweds, and an even richer American heiress, have arrived in town."

Tory ignored how happy the idea of being married to the Doctor made her feel.

"So we start networking, making a few social contacts?" Peri asked.

"Not a bit of it." The Doctor answered happily, "We sit back and let them come to us." He took a sip of his champagne and unconsciously laced his right hand with Torys' left, leaving her rings on display, claiming her.

"Why?" Peri questioned, completely lost.

"That's the thing with British society," Tory answered, "If you look like you want to be a part of it they couldn't care less about you, but if you look like you couldn't care less they'll want you like you're going out of style."

"Weird." Peri muttered before finishing her drink and taking a long look around the suite. "I guess I can handle staying here for a few days."

The Doctor looked pleased.

"Just until I can hire a house, of course. We'll rent somewhere furnished in a good part of town. Then there are servants to be hired….oh, and we'll all be needing several new outfits. It'll mean a good deal of shopping, I'm afraid, especially for you ladies…"

Peri sighed before stretching happily.

"All in a good cause, Doctor, I'm prepared to make any sacrifice! How about another of these champagne cocktails?"

Tory just laughed at her.

)0(

News of the arrival of the wealthy Doctor, Mrs Smith and their even wealthier American ward soon spread around fashionable London. They dined in the best and most expensive restaurants and took boxes at the opera and the theatre.

They hired horses and went riding in Rotten Row, then hired a Rolls Royce and chauffeur, and paid brief visits to all the obvious tourist sights.

During this Peri was amused to watch the Doctor and Tory play their role as a newlywed couple to perfection, flirting and little touches often passed between the two Time Lords. Peri was certain the two were actually interested in each other and were taking the 'fake' flirting to whole new levels.

(Flashback

It was the third day of the three time travellers living at the Ritz and the Doctor had arranged for the three of them to go riding on Rotten Row, show their faces and gain some attention.

Peri rode behind as the Doctor and Tory, both rather good riders, rode a short distance ahead. The pair was teasing each other when suddenly Tory darted ahead.

"Catch me if you can!" Tory laughed and kicked her horse into a canter.

It was to be a game was it? The Doctor smirked; he could play this game. He would win this game. The prize? Why, the fair maidens' heart.)

)0(

Me: Okay, so by this point Tory and the Doctor are flirting with each other constantly. They are both interested in the other and Tory already loves him and he's slowly working his way towards it. Oh and Tory and the Doctor have being sharing a room at the hotel but they never sleep at the same time thanks to their Time Lord DNA and not having to sleep as often as humans.

)0(

Today the Doctor was on his way to the palace, Peri was shopping in London and Tory was looking at houses. She had just sent the Doctor a message about a place she had chosen to rent on Hill Street when a man in a trench coat and a soft hat walked up to her.

"Mrs Smith?" he asked.

"Yes?" Tory answered carefully, ready to fight him off even in the skirt she was wearing.

"I'm Tom Dekker, your husband hired me from the Pinkerton Detective Agency." He had an American accent.

"Why would we need a Detective?" Tory asked in confusion.

"There was a bombing attempt on your husband and ward." Dekker answered bluntly.

Tory took a deep breath.

"Are they alright?"

"Perfectly healthy and on their way here."

"Good." Tory sighed, "Feel free to assess the house and grounds."

"Thank you ma'am." He nodded his head and vanished around the side of the building.

Tory sagged back against the doorway; the Doctor couldn't stay out of trouble for a day?

When the car containing the Doctor, Peri and all their luggage arrived Tory raced out of the house and down the drive. She threw herself into the Doctor's arms and buried her head in his chest. He could hear her muttering about 'can't let him go out alone' 'worse than Jordan' 'thank god you're safe'. When Peri walked around the car to join them she was pulled into the embrace.

Tory pulled back after a few minutes when the household staff came down to empty the car.

"Don't you dare worry me like that again." She ordered the pair before turning away to start directing the luggage into the correct rooms.

The Doctor and Peri were introduced to the staff and led to their rooms.

Tory joined the Doctor after a few minutes. She sagged down onto the bed.

"A bomb?" she asked.

"Yes." The Doctor moved over and sat beside her, "I'm perfectly healthy."

"You better be." She glared at the wall opposite.

The Doctor chuckled at her before wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into a sideways hug. He gave her a kiss on the cheek, more than used to such contact after having to act as her husband.

"You're my Bondmate no matter what regeneration you're in," Tory muttered, almost too low for the Doctor to hear, "I can't not worry about you."

"Then stay with me." He didn't realise what he was saying until the words left him mouth. He froze in place.

Tory gave a mocking snort.

"Doctor, you've closed off the Bond on your end I have no reason to believe that you're been serious right now."

"Stay with me." He repeated, completely serious; he finally understood why his future-self fell in love with Tory and why his past-selves did the same, hell, he was probably in love with her now.

Tory pulled out of his arms and looked him in the eye.

"Why?"

"I think I'm in love with you."

Tory just stared at him, this was the second time the Doctor had ever told her he'd loved her. She reached forwards and grabbed his hand, slowly opening the Bond. This time there was no wall, just the Doctor waiting for her.

I love you too.

)0(

Peri was staring out of her bedroom window at her view of the back garden when she noticed somebody moving in the dense shrubbery.

"Doctor!" she yelled, not taking her eyes off the garden.

"What's up, Peri?" the Doctor asked as he walked down the corridor and stopped in the doorway to Peri's room.

"There's someone in the garden." Peri explained, "I caught sight of him lurking in the bushes."

The Doctor frowned in worry for a moment but Tory walked out of their room and spoke before he could really stress.

"That'd be Mr. Dekker." She announced.

"Mr Dekker?" Peri repeated questioningly.

"Ah," The Doctor relaxed from his worried state, "thank you Tory." He turned and walked back down the corridor to his Bondmate. Tory blushed lightly as she caught the end of his possessive thought when he grabbed her hand and started down the stairs, "This way Peri."

The Doctor led the way downstairs and into a small sitting-room that had a large set of bay windows overlooking the garden. Opening the windows the Doctor called,

"We're in here!"

"Look out, Doctor," Peri warned, "he's probably got a bazooka or something."

The Doctor laughed.

"I doubt it Peri. Don't worry, he's on our side."

Tom Dekker emerged from the shadows of the overgrown garden.

"Going to need to get a gardener," Tory muttered to herself, "I can't handle that on my own."

Dekker touched the brim of his hat.

"Doctor Smith, Mrs Smith? Miss Brown?"

"That's right," the Doctor confirmed, "you'll be from the Pinkerton Detective Agency, I take it?"

"That's right, sir, I've already introduced myself to the wife." Dekker nodded in Tory's direction, "The name's Dekker, Tom Dekker."

"What's a fellow Yank doing over here?" Peri asked suddenly.

"I used to run a one man agency back in Chicago," Dekker explained, "back in the old Capone days."

Peri grinned.

"Wow! That must have been exciting!"

"It had its moments. But then my friend Ness got the big fellow sent to Alcatraz, and they repealed Prohibition and things kinda slowed down in Chicago. Got so whole weeks went by without a decent shootout."

"Frustrating for you." Peri said sympathetically.

Dekker grinned.

"Terrible." He agreed, "Anyway, what with the Depression and all, things got pretty tough. So when Pinks offered ME a job I was glad to take it. I worked with them for a while all over the USA, and then they put me in charge of the London office."

"And very glad we are to have you," the Doctor said briskly, "I hate to interrupt a meeting of compatriots, but can we talk business for a moment? What do you think of the set-up here Mr Dekker?"

"Could be worse. Nice compact secure front entrance, good visibility. Plenty of servants about, so the place is never empty. The back garden wall is a bit of a worry, gives onto some kind of alley, whaddya call it over here?"

"A mews?" the Doctor suggested.

"That's right, a mews. Anyway, the wall's pretty high but we could do with some spikes or some barbed wire. And you need some alarms. I can see to all that for you.

"Please do. Anything else?"

"I'll have someone keeping an eye on the place, day and night. If you're going anywhere special, let me know and I'll send someone, or come myself. That's about it really."

The Doctor nodded sagely.

"It all sounds very reassuring."

"Can you give me any idea what kind of opposition we're up against, Doctor Smith?" Dekker asked.

"Not really." The Doctor answered, "It's just that I seem to have annoyed some very powerful and ruthless people."

"Political? Criminal?"

"I'm not sure yet. Possibly both."

"These guys heeled, armed." He corrected himself.

"It wouldn't surprise me. Are you?"

Suddenly there was a massive automatic in Dekker's hand.

"I told you he had a bazooka." Peri commented to the Doctor and Tory before turning back to Dekker, "You may need that. Somebody put a bomb in our hotel room!"

The big automatic disappeared.

"Pineapple?" Dekker asked, "That's pretty rare over here. We'd better take these guys seriously. Ok, Doctor Smith, I'll get right onto things." He paused, "I used to know a Smith back in Chicago. Everyone called him Doc. Ran a speakeasy, a saloon, during Prohibition."

"Wasn't me, you may have noticed that Smith is a very common name." the Doctor commented.

"Hell no, he was nothing like you. Doc was a funny little guy. Very tough though, very shrewd. Had a girl with him…." Dekker broke off, "Hell, here I go again, talking about the old days. Must be getting old myself. Nice to meet you, Doctor Smith, Miss Brown. Nice to see you again Mrs Smith. I'll be in touch."

The three time travellers stepped back and allowed Dekker to climb in the window, he touched the brim of his hat and went out of the room. They heard him talk to the butler for a moment before the slam of the front door.

Peri touched the Doctor's arm.

"You must be really worried, Doctor, hiring a bodyguard."

"Not a bodyguard." The Doctor corrected, "a security consultant! I can't be around all the time, and it will be nice to think that someone's keeping an eye out for suspicious strangers and ticking parcels."

"So he's really my minder?" Peri questioned.

"If you like."

"I don't mind," Peri smiled, "I think he's cute. Doctor….."

"What is it?"

"That Doc he knew in Chicago?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think it could be you?" she asked, "Another you, sometime in your future."

"Don't be ridiculous, Peri," the Doctor told her disdainfully, "I don't know what my future holds any more than you do. But I very much doubt that it includes being a funny little 'guy' running a speakeasy in Chicago during Prohibition!"

Peri just rolled her eyes at him and looked at Tory over his shoulder. Tory winked at her and made a 'maybe' gesture with her hand; it could have been him after all.

There was a knock on the door and the sound of low voices. Rye, the butler, came in carrying a large white envelope with an embossed gold crest.

"This just arrived by special messenger, sir."

The Doctor took the envelope, ripped it open and extracted a big white card with embossed gold lettering. He read it over and then beamed and the two waiting women.

"Looks like you'll be buying a hat after all Peri. We're invited to a garden party. At Buckingham Palace!"

)0(

Tory sighed as she rested her head on the Doctor's shoulder in the back of yet another rented Rolls Royce. She, the Doctor and Peri were stuck in the traffic caused by the very garden party they were on their way to attend.

"An invitation to a Buckingham Place garden party is and honour in itself," the Doctor remarked, shifting in place so he could wrap his arm around Tory's waist, "attending one can even be quite enjoyable, if you're fond of weak tea, thin cucumber sandwiches and packed crowds. Getting there however…."

"Is hell," Peri finished for him, "What an honour. You spend ages travelling slowly along a jam-packed Pall Mall, then ages more waiting to get through this stupid visitors' gate." She sighed and then continued to grumble, "You don't even get any extra prestige for being in a party frock and a Rolls Royce. Everybody's in a party frock and a Rolls Royce, or a Bentley, or a Daimler….or a Merc." She added, spotting a car a short ways in front of them in the slowly moving queue. It was an out-size Mercedes-Benz with a swastika flag on the bonnet.

"Looks as if von Ribbentrop's turned up." The Doctor commented.

Von Ribbentrop was the ambassador for Germany, the Doctor had met him the same day as the bomb incident, when he was presenting himself to the King.

"That's Ribbentrop all right." Confirmed Dekker from the driver's seat, "That car's famous. That's the grossen seven-litre supercharged model. Your Londoners don't reckon much to the old Ribbly, but they sure love his Mercedes. It draws bigger crowds then he does!"

Peri nodded.

"I can believe it!"

"Not too practical though," Dekker added as he pulled the handbrake, bringing to a stop once more, "It does about three mile to the gallon. Every time they try to go further than around the block they run out of gas!"

Tory made a small amused sound.

"Sounds like Jordan's first car."

"Jordan?" Peri asked.

"Yeah," Tory grinned, "I guess you could say she's my version of you; my companion."

"Where is she then?" Peri asked excitedly, "Can I meet her?"

Tory's grin disappeared and a sad look crossed her face.

"She's lost."

"Lost?" Peri repeated questioningly.

"Yeah, whatever dragged me into your TARDIS dragged Jordan along but put her somewhere else, and when I find out where I'm gonna go find her. But I bet that wherever she is," Tory grinned again, "she's having a hell of a time."

)0(

In an unnamed Space Vegas Casino a cheer rang out through a crowd of life-forms as a single human woman sitting at the Blackjack table raked her new winnings over to her happily.

"Another round boys?" she asked cheekily, ignoring a laughing 8th Doctor behind her.

)0(

The chauffeur's uniform jacket was tight across Dekker's shoulders, the cap jammed carelessly on the back of his head. The man had insisted on driving them when the Doctor told him where they were going.

"Big crowds, public places, maximum danger," he'd said, "we lose a lot of politicians that was back in the States."

Peri, however, didn't believe one word of it.

"You don't really think anything's going to happen, Dekker, do you? You're just another nosy American tourist, like me, keen to check out the King of England."

"Sure," Dekker agreed cheerfully, "it's this Simpson dame I wanna get a look at though, the one that's got her hooks into him so hard. She must be some piece of work." He grinned at Peri, "Mind you, I've always said you can't beat American women for looks!"

The car finally crawled through the visitors' gate, their names and invitations were checked and they were guided into the assigned parking space.

"Sorry to have to leave you, Dekker," Peri teased, "looks like we're going to have all the fun!"

"Don't worry about me," Dekker told her, "I'm working, remember. I'll be around. You may not see me, but I'll be around."

The Doctor, Tory and Peri followed the crowd around to the gardens were the party was taking place; Tory's hand resting in the crook of the Doctor's elbow and Peri walking on his other side.

There were marquees, white-coated waiters scurrying to and fro, and, on the main lawn, a swirling fashionably-dressed crowd circulated around a slight, fair-haired figure: the new King.

The trio stood on the edge of the crowd and accepted tea and sandwiches from a hovering waiter. The crockery was bone china with the royal crest.

"I suppose we ought to go and pay our respects to the King," the Doctor spoke up, "Come along Peri, I said I'd present you at Court! This is almost as good, isn't it?"

Suddenly Peri's attention was caught by a solitary figure standing on the edge of the crowd, a large male with a slightly round middle, his head thrust forwards and a smouldering cigar in his mouth. He was strangely familiar.

Peri tugged at the Doctor's arm.

"Look, Doctor, isn't that…"

"It is indeed," the Doctor answered, "the man himself!"

Immediately Peri hurried across to him.

"Mr Churchill! It's so nice to see you again!"

Tory grinned at the slightly long suffering look that appeared on the Doctor's face.

"Come on," she tugged on his arm and moved to follow Peri.

"It is always pleasant to be warmly greeted by a pretty girl," Churchill was rumbling as Tory and the Doctor joined the pair, "but I'm afraid you have the advantage of me, young lady."

Peri froze as she realised that it had being over thirty-seven years for Churchill; his wispy moustache was gone and so had much of the reddish hair from on top of his head.

"Please forgive my ward, Mr Churchill." the Doctor spoke up, "It's just we've heard so much about you, we feel we actually know you! My father sends his regards."

Churchill frowned.

"Your father, sir?"

"Doctor Smith. Doctor John Smith." The Doctor answered, "You were captured together by the Boers in South Africa, on an armoured train."

Churchill stared at him, looking through him into the distant past.

"Doctor Smith!" he breathed, "Yes, he helped me to clear the track and free the engine. We were captured together, and we escaped together!" He looked hard at the Doctor, "You're father, eh? You look very like him, you know."

The Doctor smiled.

"So they tell me sir."

"How is he? Did he succeed in making his escape?" Churchill was smiling broadly back at him, "I made inquiries, but I never did learn anything of his fate. There was a rumour that he'd been killed in an explosion, murdered by the Boers."

"Not a bit of it sir. He blew up the ammunition store for a diversion, stole a car, and made his escape in comfort!"

Churchill roared with laughter.

"I always knew he was a resourceful fellow. Indeed, he told me that he had made alternative arrangements." He looked at Tory and Peri, "And these young women? They look…."

"I'm my mother's daughter in looks," Tory explained, "after the escape my mother decided that John's fathers life was much too exciting and headed home, where she married my father, when my father died we moved down to live with mother's old friend and John and I," she gestured to the Doctor, "quickly fell in love. We were married last winter." She held out her ring hand for Churchill to inspect, "I'm also named Victoria, Mr Churchill, and it's an honour to meet you."

"The honour is mine." Churchill reassured her before kissing her hand and handing it back.

"Miss Brown here," the Doctor continued with his narrative, "is a descendant of the original Miss Brown, my father's ward, again I believe there is a strong family resemblance."

"Extraordinary!" Churchill said, "And what became of your father? Is he still alive?"

"Yes indeed, sir, he's quite unstoppable."

Peri and Tory shared a look behind the Doctor's back; he was really enjoying himself now.

"After he left South Africa, he settled in South America, and did very well. I myself am here as Honorary Consul for the Republic of Santa Esmerelda, where my father settled and made his fortune."

"A fantastic and colourful story," Churchill said, "I only wish my own life had been crowned with such success. Mine is a more melancholy tale. You see me now an extinct volcano, a spent force."

"I don't believe it sir," said the Doctor, "and neither should you! I believe fate still has great things in store for you." Tory nodded along in agreement.

"Like your father, sir, you lift my spirits and fill me with hope," Churchill smiled, "may I ask your full name?"

"It is the same as his," the Doctor answered, "Smith. Doctor John Smith. With my wife Victoria Smith and my ward Miss Peri Brown."

"Doctor and Mrs Smith with Miss Brown," Churchill said as she looked at them benignly, "extraordinary. I could almost believe that the years had rolled back and your ancestors stood once again before me, untouched by the passage of time. Tell me, have any of you met His Majesty?"

"Briefly," the Doctor explained, "when I presented my credentials."

"I haven't." Tory looked over at the crowd with distaste, "And frankly I have no desire to."

"No," Peri spoke up, "I'd love to meet him, but I think everyone has the same idea, except Tory apparently."

"Come now," Churchill told Tory cheerfully, "you are named after a monarch, after all."

"He has you there, love," the Doctor pressed a kiss to her temple in commiseration, "It won't be that bad." Tory melted at the kiss and endearment, who knew the Doctor could be so romantic.

Churchill, sensing Tory's new found compliance, strode off.

"Come with me," he ordered, "has-been I may be, but a few sheds of my former glory still cling to me. Moreover, I have known young David since his youth. He's a reckless boy and very much spoiled, but he has a good heart."

The crowd parted before Churchill and the time travellers as he marched up to the King and bowed.

"Your Majesty, may I present, I'm tempted to say three old friends but they are in fact descendants of three old friends, Doctor and Mrs Smith and Miss Brown."

"Winston!" the Kind spoke warmly, "Why do I never see you anymore?"

"Your Majesty has new responsibilities, and new friends."

"Does that mean I must forget my old ones?" the King turned to the Doctor, "We've already met, I believe?"

The Doctor bowed.

"When I presented my credentials. My I present my wife, Victoria."

Tory curtseyed, managing to look respectful even though it was the last thing she felt; it may not have been this royal but the royal line as a whole was responsible for Torchwood and the pain in institution had caused.

"And my ward, Miss Brown." The Doctor continued.

Peri managed a credible curtsey.

"A great honour, Your Majesty."

"You're an American," the King said, looking around, "Wallis, where are you? Here's a fellow countrywoman of yours."

A small, extremely thin woman, with short, shinny, black hair stepped forwards and out of the group close to the King.

"Another one?" she said in a southern drawl, "Well, I declare. I sometimes think poor old America must be empty, there are so many of us over here!"

"I like American women," the King said, "they have spirit! Do you know what Wallis said to me when we first met, Miss Brown?"

"No, Your Majesty. Do tell me."

"I asked her some banal question about her missing central heating. She said 'That's what everyone says to American visitors. I expected something more original from the Prince of Wales!'"

Wallis Simpson laughed, a little shrilly.

"How many times have I asked you to stop telling that story David, Your Majesty?" she corrected herself before smiling at Peri, "The fact is I was so nervous I blurted out the first thing that came into my head."

They chatted a moment or two longer before it became apparent that Wallis Simpson felt that they had taken up more than enough of the Kings time and that as far as the King was concerned Wallis's will was law.

The Doctor, Tory, Peri and Churchill fell back and allowed the eager crowds to surround the King.

Still, Doctor and Mrs Smith and Peri had been touched by the royal favour. As the garden party wore on, other guests showered them with attention and possible future invitations.

Churchill looked on with sardonic approval.

"I have launched you upon the seas of society," he growled, "It's all I can do for you. Whether you sink or swim is now up to you."

Finally von Ribbentrop made an appearance, greeting the Doctor, Peri and Tory warmly, and nodding coldly to Churchill.

"You must come to see us at the Embassy," he insisted, "I will take no refusal." He looked pointedly at Churchill, "With so many enemies around, my poor Germany needs all the friends she can get."

"Buffoon," Churchill growled as the other man moved away, "the man is a diplomatic disaster, the laughing-stock of London society." They drifted over to the edge of the lawn, under the shade of some towering trees.

Von Ribbentrop made his way over to Wallis Simpson and engaged her in intimate conversation.

"An extraordinary woman!" Churchill exclaimed.

"With an extraordinary amount of influence upon the King?" the Doctor suggested.

Churchill nodded gloomily.

"I fear that it is so, Doctor. And, as you can see, she is also close to von Ribbentrop. Some say very close indeed. She is said to dine frequently at the German Embassy, and Ribbentrop sends her red roses….." he sighed, "His Majesty already inclines far too much towards Germany. He speaks German like a native, has many German relatives…..Now, with the influences of von Ribbentrop, exercised through Mrs Simpson…." He shook his head in dismay. "I fear we may soon have a monarch upon the throne whose loyalty we cannot be entirely assured."

Peri was shocked.

"You mean you can't trust the King?"

Even the Doctor was taken aback. Tory just seemed to expect it.

"Surely it can't be as bad as all that, sir?"

"Indeed it can" Churchill told them solemnly before lowering his voice, "recently, vital diplomatic information was leaked to Germany. The leaks were traced to Fort Belvedere, His Majesty's private residence." He spread out his hands in a gesture of despair, "Who knows what the King tells Wallis Simpson, and what she passes on to von Ribbentrop? Things have come to pass that certain vital state papers have had to be withheld from the King!" Churchill stopped himself, "I am indiscreet. Yet it is a relief to speak of these matters. And somehow I feel I can trust you, Doctor, as I trusted your father."

"Nothing you say to us will go any further," the Doctor reassured him quietly, "isn't that so Tory, Peri?"

Peri and Tory nodded silently.

Churchill signalled a passing waiter who offered his tray, filled with cups of tea, Tory made a face at the liquid.

"Take that muck away," Churchill ordered, "Bring a bottle of champagne and four glasses. Now!"

The waiter scurried off.

Now that he had started talking, Churchill seemed more than willing to continue.

"To make matters worse, the King seems intent upon marrying the woman." He growled.

"Why shouldn't he?" Peri asked, "If he loves her…"

Churchill looked outraged.

"An American?"

Peri frowned at him.

"What's wrong with Americans?"

"I mean no disrespect, my dear," Churchill reassured her hurriedly, "my own mother in American. And indeed if that were all, that obstacle might be overcome. But a foreign woman of dubious reputation, twice-divorced, to be Queen of England? Inconceivable!"

"He's right, you know Peri," the Doctor told her gently, "In years to come, things might be different. But right now, in 1936…"

The waiter returned with the champagne. Churchill poured for them all and took a hearty swig.

"The boy has always had everything he wanted," Churchill muttered, "he has been spoiled and cosseted since birth. He was the darling of the people as Prince of Wales. He cannot tolerate frustration or denial, and with his feelings for Mrs Simpson being what they are…. I fear he is now meditating some desperate scheme."

The Doctor nodded, glancing around the busy scene. Suddenly a glint of light caught his eye. He looked upwards and saw the reflection of sunlight on metal coming from high in one of the trees.

He threw himself at Peri and Churchill, dragging Tory down with them thanks to her grip on his arm, sweeping them bodily out of the way.

There was a boom of a heavy automatic….

)0(

The branches of the tree shivered and crackled as something soft and heavy fell through them to crash to the ground. It was the body of a man in a greenish-brown tweed suit, still clutching a high-powered sporting rifle.

The Doctor swung his head around and saw the massive figure of Dekker some distance away, a big automatic in his hands.

The garden party crowd, stunned for a moment by the sound of the shot, began screaming and shouting and running around in confusion. One or two elderly women went into hysterics while large men in blue suits converged on the King and hustled him away.

"Sound security procedure," the Doctor muttered as he climbed to his feet, offering his hand to Peri to pull her up, "If the target's still unharmed, get him off the scene as soon as possible and sort things out later."

Churchill climbed to his feet.

"Sorry about the shove." The Doctor apologised.

"No apologies needed sir," Churchill growled as he gestured towards the body, "the justification for your somewhat precipitate action lies there before us. Who is the large gentleman with the automatic, I wonder?"

Tory was still on the floor, though she was sitting cross-legged rather than lying sprawled on the grass.

"My chauffeur." The Doctor answered.

"A private detective, here to keep an eye on us." Peri said at the same time.

Tory laughed at Churchill's baffled expression.

"He's actually both." She explained.

"Tory!" the Doctor exclaimed, bending down to her level, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she allowed him to pull her up to her feet and then in a hug, "I promise." She laughed and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.

They backed away from each other and stood side by side, holding hands.

They walked towards the body. Dekker was doing the same though his progress was hampered by several more of the Kings' guards.

Dekker shrugged them off with irritation clear in every line of his body.

"Can it, you guys, I'm on your side."

As the plain-clothes policemen tried to close in again Churchill charged towards them.

"Desist!" he boomed, "This gentleman has done us a great service. We owe him gratitude, not harassment."

"He's carrying a gun on palace grounds!" one of the men protested.

"So was the assassin now lying beneath the tree," Churchill thundered, "an assassin who seems to have eluded your security arrangements, Chief Inspector Harris. Had it not been for this gentleman's prompt action, he might well have carried out his fell purpose."

"All the same sir we have to know who he is," Harris said, shooting a murderous look at Dekker, "we'll need a full statement."

"He is in my employ," Churchill told him dismissively, "which is to say, in the employ of the government. That is all you need to know for the present. If necessary, I will make a statement later. Meanwhile, you had better make a search of the grounds to ensure that no more of these villains are lurking unseen. You may permit the guests to depart, but advise them not to speak of what has happened here today. And I want a full press embargo. Not one word of this is to appear in any newspaper. Now go!"

Churchill might be out of office and out of favour but the air of authority in his voice was undeniable.

The Chief Inspector never moved faster.

Dekker turned to Churchill.

"Thanks."

"Thank you sir," Churchill spoke, nodding towards the gun in Dekker's hand, "a 1911 Model Army Colt point-45, if I'm not mistaken? Heavy, noisy and not too accurate, except in the hands of an expert marksman such as yourself. And a definite man stopper."

"You know your guns, sir." Dekker complimented as he holstered his gun.

They walked over to the body. It lay face down, the exit wound forming a massive red hole between the shoulder blades. A few guards hovered around the body.

Peri shuddered and looked away.

"Turn him over." Churchill ordered the guards.

"Not supposed to move the body till the forensic people arrive, sir."

"We know who killed him," Churchill rumbled, "our concern is with who he is. Now, turn him over."

Two of the guards did as they were told.

Tory stared down at the face of the man that had shot her in the stomach nearly forty years ago, he didn't look even a day older. She felt the Doctor wrap an arm around her waist and pull her closer to him and Peri grab her hand. Tory just stared.

What the hell is going on?!

)0(

The Doctor and Churchill had spoken, the Doctor trying to convince Churchill that he was the target of the assassination and Churchill realising that the Doctor knew more than he was letting on. Churchill proposed a meeting at a later time and the Doctor readily agreed.

Under Churchill's protection the Rolls containing Tory, Peri, the Doctor and Dekker was allowed to jump to the head of the queue and was soon driving back down Pall Mall.

"Will they be able to hush everything up the way Churchill said?" Peri asked, "I would have thought an attempt to kill the King would have been on the front page."

"Me too." Dekker agreed as he drove, "In Chicago they'd have the press and radio boys climbing all over them by now. And what about all those folks at the garden party? Bet your life they're gonna talk."

"Talk, yes," Tory agreed, "but not to the press. High London society is a very tight nit group. They'll talk to others in the same social class but never a reporter."

"The British government still keeps the press on a pretty tight leash." The Doctor agreed.

"I guess you're right about that Doctor, Mrs Smith," Dekker said, "look at this business of the King and Wallis Simpson."

"What about it?" Peri asked, confused.

"It's been going on for what, four or five years now. Started back when he was the Prince of Wales. Wallis came over here with her husband, some rich American businessman."

"Go on." Peri encouraged, completely enthralled with the royal gossip, "What happened next?"

"Seems the Prince was knocked out by Wallis as soon as they met. Pretty soon he'd ditched all his English upper-class dames and it was just her."

"What English dames?"

"His other mistresses." The Doctor answered.

"Hold it!" Peri cried, "Are you telling me that the Prince of Wales had lots of mistresses, and everybody knew?"

"Yep." Tory answered happily, "Nothing wrong with it as far as the upper-class are concerned as long as the lower class don't hear about it." She shrugged. "It's how it's always worked."

"And nobody minded?" Peri asked, incredulous.

The Doctor answered this time. With a sad shrug he explained.

"Why should they? Kings and princes have always had lots of mistresses, it goes with the job. I remember old Charles was always knee-deep in the ladies."

"Charles?" Tory asked, nudging the Doctor in the ribs and nodding pointedly in Dekker's direction.

"King Charles the Second," he explained, only just getting what Tory meant as she nudged him harder, "Well, according to the history books." He added hurriedly.

Tory rolled her eyes at him.

"And Joe Public?" Peri continued, "What do they think about the King and Wallis?"

"They don't know anything about it." The Doctor answered her.

"The press is THAT controlled?" Peri questioned.

"Not back home," answered Dekker, "papers back there are full of it."

"The French ones too," the Doctor added, "Ever since the French decapitated their own royals, they've taken an obsessive interest in the English variety."

"Which one really should find troubling." Tory mused.

Dekker made an amused sound before speaking.

"Mind you, I think the story's gonna break pretty soon. Ever since Mrs Simpson's divorce came through…."

"What's that got to do with it?" Peri asked.

"Nobody minded much about Wallis when she was still married." The Doctor explained.

"Wait a minute!" Peri cried, "It was ok for Wallis to be the King's mistress BECAUSE she was married?"

"All his mistresses were married," the Doctor spoke as if this fact was blindly obvious, "part of the convention."

"Besides," Dekker spoke up again, "while she was safely married to good old Simpson there was no chance of her marrying the King. Now that she's free again, for the second time…."

Peri nodded in understanding, remembering what Churchill had said about Wallis before.

"So now the government's all stirred up." Peri sighed, "Well, I think it's romantic."

The Doctor sighed.

"The King's attitude may be romantic, but it's not realistic."

"Ah romance." Tory muttered under her breath in a fake French accent.

"What do you think he should do?" Peri challenged.

"Not for me to say." The Doctor answered with a shrug.

"The lordly observer, huh." Peri muttered before continuing in her normal tone, "This society is too weird! It's a mixture of social formality and rampant immorality!"

"What you gotta remember is," Dekker advised as the car turned a corner, "the people on top make their own rules to suit themselves. Same thing back in Chicago. If Big Al fancied some doll from the chorus line, he set her up in a fancy apartment somewhere. Same way as if he had to bribe a juror, or corrupt a cop, or rub out a rival mobster, he just went ahead and did it. Right and wrong don't come into it!"

They had arrived back at the house by now and Rye, the butler, was standing at the door waiting for them.

"You make a very good point Mr Dekker," the Doctor said as they climbed out of the car, "ruling elites always think the laws, rules and regulations, morals even, are only for lesser mortals. That can be a very dangerous attitude."

)0(

After the car was parked Dekker walked into the house and joined the Doctor, Peri and Tory sitting in the sitting-room, he had changed out of the uniform and back into his normal clothes. He poured himself a bourbon while the Doctor poured Peri a glass of Duke's claret. Tory had refused the offer of alcohol and had a glass of water that Rye had delivered for her.

"I don't know how you feel about things, Doctor Smith," Dekker started awkwardly, "or how much money you want to spend. I'm not touting for business, but….well, in view of what's going on, it might be better if I stuck around for a while."

"Please do, Mr Dekker," the Doctor decided, "and take any other measure you feel are necessary."

Dekker nodded.

"The alarm systems and other security measures are already in place, and I'll keep up the outside surveillance."

"I didn't see anybody." Peri muttered.

"You're not supposed to!" Dekker pointed out happily, "The thing is, Doctor, all this is going to cost you a bundle. The agency is good, but it ain't cheap."

"Expense is no object." The Doctor told him grandly, "Is it Tory?"

"No, not when it comes to your safety." Tory answered completely serious.

Dekker nodded and sipped his bourbon.

"Good to know."

They spent the next hour chatting about simple things.

Then there was a knock at the door. Low voices. The door was shut and Rye walked into the room.

"Two communications have arrived, sir."

One envelope was large, white and official looking while the other was smaller and violet in colour.

Tory took the two envelopes and gave Rye a smile. He nodded to her before leaving the room once more.

"Looks like business and pleasure." the Doctor commented, rubbing his hands together, "Business first!"

Tory handed the white envelope over. He opened it and studied the contents.

"An invitation to lunch at Chartwell tomorrow, complete with map." He passed the envelope to Dekker, "Good old Churchill, efficient as ever. Perhaps you'll drive us down there, Mr Dekker?"

"That is, if you can squeeze back into your chauffeur's uniform?" Peri teased.

Dekker studied the map.

"Sure thing."

Tory handed the Doctor the second envelope and he opened it.

"Ah. Well, this is just a little awkward…"

He passed the note to Tory.

It was a message inviting the three of them to lunch the next day at a flat in Bryanston Court.

"Do please come, I have a most distinguished guest who is longing to meet you again…."

She passed the note over to Peri.

"Wow, it's from Wallis Simpson!" Peri grinned, "What's so awkward about that?"

"Conflicting invitations," the Doctor explained, "We're going to have lunch with Churchill."

"You are." Peri corrected him.

"What do you mean?"

"We'll just have to divide our forces." Peri explained, "You, Dekker and Tory drive down to Chartwell and talk politics with Winston, and I'll take a taxi round to this Bryanston Court and get the latest scoop on the royal scandal from Wallis."

"Peri, I'm not sure…."

"Come off it Doctor. You couldn't keep me away. Don't you realise who this mystery guest is?"

"It could be anyone!" he protested.

"Don't you believe it Doctor, Don't you see? It's just got to be the King!"

)0(

It took quite a lot of arguing between the Doctor and Peri, which only got worse after Tory offered to go with her, but in the end the Doctor agreed to Peri's plan even as he refused to let Tory go with her.

They had their last discussion on the subject the next morning standing outside the front door while the Doctor and Tory were waiting for Dekker to come around with the Rolls.

"Consider the implications of what happened yesterday." The Doctor said, holding Peri by the shoulders.

"The mystery assassin?"

"The SAME mystery assassin," the Doctor corrected, "the man we saw trying to shoot Churchill in South Africa in 1899, trying again in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, WITH THE SAME GUN thirty-seven years later. Untouched by time, Peri, not a day older."

"Like us." Peri said quietly.

"Exactly." The Doctor agreed, "A time traveller of some kind, has to be. And therefore someone not of this period, perhaps not even from this planet."

"Like you two?"

The Doctor frowned.

"Another Time Lord? No, I don't think so."

"Why not? Could be another renegade Time Lord like you!"

"I am not a renegade!" the Doctor protested, indignantly. "Not anymore, anyway. I'm just a bit semi-detached, that's all. No, this doesn't feel like a Time Lord operation somehow. It's all too localised, too petty. We Time Lords think big. We hijack whole planets, not individual politicians." He paused in thought, "All the same, I think we be dealing with something that isn't entirely human."

"Some kind of alien conspiracy?"

"Not quite that either," he answered distantly, "there seems to be a perfectly good human conspiracy going on. That's what Churchill thinks anyway. But there's something I'm not getting, something just out of sight…"

"A hidden tentacle, you mean?"

The Doctor scowled at her playful humour before answering, he ignored the amusement he could feel in the back of his mind coming from Tory.

"Something like that. In fact…." His train of thought was interrupted as Dekker arrived with the car.

Peri waved them off before going back in the house; she had plenty of time before she had to leave.

)0(

The Doctor was still worrying as the Rolls Royce sped through the outer London suburbs on the journey out to Kent. He and Tory were sitting in the back while Dekker was up front driving.

"She'll be alright." The Doctor said suddenly.

Tory grabbed both of his hands in hers.

"Yes she will." She told him, "And when we get home she's going to make fun of you for worrying over her so much."

"I mean," the Doctor continued, "even if Wallis Simpson is involved in some kind of conspiracy, her main value is in her influence over the King."

"Exactly." Tory agreed.

"So they'd never let her become involved in any kind of overt violence, kidnapping, murder, anything like that."

"Certainly not."

"And if the King himself is going to be there, well, that makes things doubly safe. Nothing untoward would happen with the King there."

"Nope."

"So, there's really nothing to worry about!"

"Not a thing."

"So why am I so worried?" The Doctor asked.

Tory sighed.

"Mr Dekker," she waited until the man met her eyes in the rear-view mirror before continuing, "am I right to assume that you didn't let Peri go unescorted?"

Dekker looked surprised for a few moments before grinning.

"You're a smart lady Mrs Smith."

"Why thank you." Tory grinned.

"Doctor," Dekker said, "don't worry about Peri, I'm taking care of her."

"Are you, indeed?" the Doctor huffed, annoyed, "May one inquire how exactly?"

"I've got my eye on her," Dekker explained, unperturbed by the Doctor's attitude, "the eye that never closes… if you want something to worry about Doctor Smith, worry about us and that car behind us."

The Doctor turned his head to look over his shoulder.

"Black Mercedes-Benz," Tory added to Dekker's statement, enjoying the shock on Dekker's face, "keeping two or three cars behind us."

"What about it?" the Doctor asked.

"It's been tailing us ever since we left London."

)0(

"I reckon they'll make their move before long." The Doctor said.

They had left London behind by now and were driving through quiet country lanes, but the black Mercedes was still maintaining a steady distance behind them. There was no other traffic on the road.

"Maybe they just want to know where we're going." Dekker suggested.

"I think they already know where we're going," the Doctor said, "what they want is to stop us getting there. Can we outrun them?"

"Not a chance." Dekker answered, "The Rolls is a good car, but it doesn't have the speed of the Merc."

"So running is out of the question then?" Tory asked.

"We'll have to fight," Dekker announced, "and attack is the best form of defence. What do you want to do Doctor drive or shoot?"

Tory huffed.

"I'm shooting." She told them in a no arguments tone, "I have a better aim than John."

"No offence ma'am," Dekker started.

"Do shut up Mr Dekker." Tory sighed, "I'm going to do it either way. What a day not to wear trousers." She lamented before climbing over the chairs and into the front passenger seat.

"I'd like to avoid violence if we can," the Doctor spoke up, "perhaps we can try talking to them?"

"If we're close enough to do that we're close enough to get shot." Dekker answered. "You sure you wanna do this Mrs Smith?"

Tory gave him a look.

"One day this will make sense to you and lord knows John will understand the minute I say it but here we go," she paused, "I was trained by U.N.I.T." she heard the Doctor stop moving in the backseat.

"U.N.I.T." Dekker repeated, "What's that?"

"It doesn't matter." The Doctor snapped suddenly.

A few miles on they pulled over and had the car refuelled in a little village, the black Merc waiting patiently for them to continue on.

Tory and Dekker were comparing notes over a map of the area.

"Look," Tory said pointing to the road ahead, "it gets all twisted and narrow, perfect place for a roadside accident."

"You're right." Dekker had chosen to see her as a man to prevent him from demanding she act more like a woman and cower in fear. He wasn't sexist by any means, hell, he'd seen his fair share of brave dames back in the States but he'd never of expected it from an apparent British upper-society Lady, "What's the plan?" he asked, trying to work out just how much training she had.

"I was thinking, we get the John to drive, we find a nice curve in the road, pull away from our stalkers so they can't see us after the turn. We stop and park the car across the road, wait for them to come around the bend, shoot the glass out the windscreen, even if its bullet proof it'll shatter and ruin their visibility. We have to take out the tires next." Tory paused, "Do have any fun toys hidden in the car?"

Dekker grinned.

"A few. I got a Chicago piano.."

Tory interrupted him.

"You've got a Tommy-gun?"

"And," he continued like she hadn't said anything, "a few grenades."

Tory grinned happily.

"This is gonna be fun."

)0(

The Doctor sighed as he climbed back into the Rolls, driver's side this time, Tory climbed into the back behind him and Dekker into the passenger seat.

The Doctor drove away from the fuel station and down the road.

The plan went off without a hitch. The Germans in the car ended up having to walk home after abandoning their car under Dekker's assault which then gave the man the opportunity to blow it up. He didn't kill anyone as the Doctor asked but couldn't resist blowing the car.

Tory grinned at the Doctor as he settled into the back of the car beside her and Dekker started to drive once more.

"I may be a field agent for U.N.I.T." Tory whispered to him, "but I do exactly what you used to do."

He warmed back up to her after that; it seemed he was worried about dating a trigger happy grunt. Tory wasn't sure if she should be insulted by his assumption or not…..or maybe he was worried about her or he was trying to think of a way to get her away from U.N.I.T. or…. Well, it could have been any number of things.

)0(

When the Rolls Royce drove down the drive and drew up outside Chartwell Manor. Churchill was waiting for them, cigar in mouth, in front of the open door. He gave them a wave of greeting.

"Drive around the back, gentleman and lady," he called, "there is adequate parking space there, and it will be better concealed from the road. No point in making life easier for our enemies if we are observed."

They drove around to a little yard at the back of the old house and Churchill, puffing on his cigar contentedly, followed them around at a leisurely stroll.

"The old boy really loves it here," the Doctor muttered, "he's very much the Lord of the Manor!"

The Doctor, Dekker and Tory climbed out of the car, the Doctor and Tory linking arms.

The Manor was an old red-brick building that stood surrounded by rolling hills and trees. Here at the back, steps led down to a huge sunken lawn which, in turn, led to a reed-fringed lake.

Even Dekker, a city man if there ever was one, was impressed.

"Genuine old-world English charm," he said, "just like a picture book!"

Churchill smiled, pleased by their reactions.

"It's beautiful." Tory said with a gentle smile.

"I bought it sixteen years ago, for five thousand pounds," Churchill rumbled, "a substantial sum in those days. And it was a ruin! Still, enough of my domestic concerns. Did you have a good journey, gentlemen and lady?"

"It was a little over-eventful." The Doctor said with a grim smile. He explained what had happened during their journey to an outraged Churchill.

"The scoundrels!" he cried, "To attempt a villainous and brutal act in the quiet Kentish countryside, so close to my home! Yet you are here, gentlemen and lady, and apparently safe and sound. What was the outcome of this dastardly attempt to destroy you?"

The Doctor quickly finished his tale much to Churchill's delight.

"And so you beat the rascals off? Splendid!" Churchill cried happily, "That will make them think twice before essaying more such villainy. Doctor Smith, Mrs Smith, Mr Dekker, I congratulate you both upon a most notable victory!" he insisted on seeing Dekker's tommy-gun and waving it around like he was shooting down endless groups of SS men, "You should have mown the rascals down." He growled.

The Doctor winced at Churchill's actions.

"Mr Dekker, perhaps…" he left it hanging but Dekker got the message. He gently removed the gun from Churchill's grasp and placed it back in the car, covering it with his trench coat to keep it hidden out of sight.

"The Doctor was against the mowing-down approach." Dekker said as he locked the car door.

"I thought it might be rather tactless to litter your peaceful Kentish countryside with Nazi corpses." The Doctor explained with a slight hit of sarcasm that no one but Tory seemed to pick up on.

Churchill frowned.

"This countryside may well be littered with Nazi corpses soon enough," he said, "and English ones too, unless we are very fortunate…." He broke off, "Still, enough of such matters for now. Drinks first then lunch. Clemmie is away for the day but I asked an old friend of mine to meet you." He led them into the house, along a corridor and into a comfortable study; it was a pleasant, old fashioned room with a huge oak beam running across the ceiling.

A tall man with greying hair was standing by the mantelpiece, a glass of whisky in his hand. He turned eagerly as they came into the room.

"Doctor!" he said, "I'm very…" he broke off in confusion, obviously not seeing the man he expected to.

Tory and the Doctor recognised him though, it was Carstairs, he was older than he was when the 2nd Doctor met him during the War Games, but it was unmistakeably him.

"I'm sorry, sir," the man apologised, "I must have misunderstood you. Your message said you wanted me to come down and meet Doctor Smith, so I naturally assumed….."

Churchill gave him a puzzled look.

"Well, that it was THE Doctor Smith, sir. The one who helped us to foil your would-be kidnappers in 1915."

"Good heavens no!" Churchill cried, "This Doctor, and his wife actually, are the children of some old friends of mine. His father and the lady's mother and I were fellow prisoners of the Boers. This, quite evidently, is not the same man!" Churchill turned to make introductions. "Doctor, this is my old friend Colonel Carstairs, of Military Intelligence. Colonel Carstairs, this is Doctor John Smith, his wife Victoria Smith, and their associate Mr Dekker."

The men shook hands and Carstairs kissed the back of Tory's hand when it was offered.

"Colonel, eh?" the Doctor asked as Tory returned to his side and he slid a hand around her waist, "Splendid. Well-deserved I'm sure."

Churchill went over to a well-loaded drinks trolley.

"Now then gentlemen, and lady….Carstairs, you're catered for, but Doctor, Mrs Smith, Mr Dekker…..Whisky, brandy, gin? I can offer you an excellent claret….or shall we go directly to the champagne?" without waiting for an answer, he took the champagne bottle from the ice bucket, popped the cork with casual experience, poured five foaming glasses before handing them around.

"Confusion to our enemies; and especially to those currently trudging dejectedly back to London!"

They drank to the toast, though Carstairs was clearly confused. Churchill gave him a highly-coloured account of the Doctor, Dekker's and Tory's victory.

"They're getting very bold," Carstairs said angrily, "cartloads of armed thugs on English soil? Anyone would think they had occupied us already."

"Our enemies grow overconfident," growled Churchill, "they know they have powerful friends. Still, they have been defeated and for the moment at least we can rejoice." He poured more champagne, "Be seated, gentlemen, lady." He boomed and they all sat down.

The Doctor and Tory shared a couch, holding hands so the Bond was open and they could share ideas, while Carstairs and Churchill each took an armchair.

"Perhaps I should explain, Doctor, Mrs Smith," Churchill continued, "that Colonel Carstairs is one of a number of unofficial advisers, who supply me with vital information, information that concerns the security of this country."

The Doctor nodded, his and Tory's confusion passing through the Bond; what was to be their part in this?

"I am, as you know, out of office and out of favour," Churchill spoke, "the Prime Minister is determined to keep me out of the Cabinet. Recently, the post of Minister of Defence was denied me. I must work from the side-lines, and unofficially. Nevertheless, I have gathered about me a group of those who are concerned with England's fate." He paused, "I feel we are at a time of crisis, Doctor, Mrs Smith."

"What kind of crisis?" Tory asked before the Doctor could.

"We currently face the menace of Nazi Germany," Churchill explained, "all my sources tell me they are steadily rearming, particularly in the field of air power. Hitler has already defied the Versailles treaty by reoccupying the Rhineland. I am convinced he aims to conquer Czechoslovakia, Poland and, in time, all Europe."

And indeed he will. The thought went through the Doctor's mind unbidden making him shift in unease. Tory squeezed his hand in comfort.

"Unfortunately," Churchill went on, "my warnings go unheeded. The policy of this government is to appease Herr Hitler, by handing to him what he wants."

"It will never work," the Doctor said, "Hitler will never be satisfied."

"Like a child," Tory added, "if you continually give them what they want they will never learn the meaning of the word 'no'."

"Precisely so, Doctor, Mrs Smith," Churchill agreed, "and if I may say so, Mrs Smith, you will make an excellent mother." Tory blushed and avoided the Doctor's eyes. The Doctor had gone ridged in his seat, Carstairs and Churchill seemed to find their reactions amusing. "This madman offers us alliance." Churchill continued, hiding his amusement, "He wishes us to ally with him, to become a part of his evil schemes. I am ashamed to say that there are many in England who wish to accept this shameful offer."

"I take it you believe there exists some kind of conspiracy of Nazi sympathisers?" the Doctor asked. "And that perhaps they are planning some kind of action?"

"As to their plans, I cannot yet be sure," Churchill rumbled, "but in parliament, in public life, in society and amongst the aristocracy, there are many who support closer ties with Nazi Germany."

"Including the King." Carstairs added.

Churchill nodded his agreement.

"Tragically, he too is among them. His emotional problems make him particularly vulnerable at this time."

"And Wallis Simpson is a close friend of von Ribbentrop," Carstairs continued, "MI5 have been watching her for some time. According to their reports she spends occasional nights at the German Embassy."

Tory felt her eyebrows travel up her face.

I'm surprised she gets away with that! Tory sent through the Bond.

"All very interesting," the Doctor spoke aloud, "but what's it got to with us?" he asked pointedly, "Why are we here?"

Churchill looked at them both carefully.

"Recent events confirm my opinion that you are involved in these occurrences, Doctor, Mrs Smith. Is there anything, anything at all you know about this? If so, I beg you to disclose it."

The Doctor paused, considering. Tory waited for him to choose.

"I believe you're right about the conspiracy," he said at last, "moreover, I think it may go back further than you realise and that it is directed, at least in part, against you."

"Against me?" Churchill laughed, "You exaggerate my importance, Doctor."

"My mother was shot in the stomach by an assassin that we believe was aiming for you." Tory pointed out.

"There was no proof of that." Churchill waved her off before pausing as the Doctor held up a hand.

"Do I?" the Doctor asked him, "I think the only reason we were attacked today was in an attempt to prevent my talking to you."

Churchill looked considering for a moment and then:

"Go on."

The Doctor paused, considering.

How do I tell Churchill how important he is to history without telling him?

Tory was the one that spoke up.

"John's father and my mother were convinced that someone was trying to assassinate you, my mother was shot by a bullet they believed was meant for you." Tory's hand moved to cover the scar left by that bullet even though it was covered by her dress, "Is it so hard to believe that the assassin at the garden party was meant for you, not for the King?"

Churchill looked amazed.

"Doctor, Mrs Smith, you postulate a conspiracy stretching back thirty-seven years!"

"There's an organisation," Dekker spoke up suddenly, "a conspiracy if you like, back in the States, got a lot of different names: the Camorra, the Black Hand, the Mafia. Came over to America with the immigrants. Started in Sicily hundreds of years ago, still going strong today."

"I take your point, sir," Churchill said, "men die but organisations can be immortal! Pray continue, Mrs Smith, Doctor."

"We think," the Doctor spoke, "the people who tried to kill you and to kidnap you are still operating today. I think they're manipulating the Germans, using them as tools, just as they did in 1915. But as for who they are and what their agenda is, I simply don't know. I may have a better idea when I've talked to my Ward."

"How so?"

"Miss Brown is having lunch with Wallis Simpson today." The Doctor explained, "I imagine they'll try to get information out of her. But Peri's no fool. She won't give anything away, and she may well learn something."

Churchill stood.

"These are deep waters, Doctor. Let us discuss matters further over lunch. Gentlemen, lady, a cold collation awaits us in the dining room…"

)0(

After a rather fantastic lunch the group were back in the study with coffee, Tory quite happily drinking it and pretending not to notice the slightly amused look the Doctor was sending her as waves of contentment flowed from her side of the Bond; she would have her revenge later when the coffee kicked in and she bounced off the walls, Jordan did hide the coffee for a reason you know.

They were still talking about the conspiracy but the conversation was going in circles, they were talking about the King at the moment and his determination to marry Wallis Simpson.

"They say he spoke of her Baldwin as 'my future wife'," Carstairs was saying, "nearly gave the old boy a fit. He's been lavishing expensive gifts upon her as well, white fox furs, jewels worth thousands of pounds…"

"Some of them the property of the Crown, and not his to give," Churchill added gloomily, "The boy is besotted, and Baldwin is handling him badly. He should leave His Majesty alone and untroubled for a time and allow him to reflect upon the situation."

"Do you really think that would work, sir?" Carstairs questioned, doubtfully. Tory had to admit she shared those doubts, the King was in LOVE not having a passing fancy and people do stupid things when they're in love.

"I know that badgering by bishops and prime ministers will not." Churchill stated firmly.

"But surely the King must be recalled to a sense of his duty!" Carstairs argued.

"Duty?" Churchill growled, "He has no sense of duty! David has been spoiled since childhood. He was adored by the entire country when he was Prince of Wales. He has always had everything he wanted, the moment he asked for it."

"So why not Wallis Simpson," the Doctor finished, catching on to what Churchill was trying to say, "especially now he's King?"

"Exactly so." Churchill confirmed, "And he will not respond to bullying. He has all the obstinacy of the weak. The more he is pressured to give the woman up, the more he will insist on marrying her. They will drive him to it!"

Castairs was horrified.

"But…Queen Wallis, sir?"

"Never!" Churchill disagreed, "There lies our dilemma."

"You know," the Doctor said thoughtfully, "I have a feeling that the King is the key to this whole business…."

The phone in the hall started to ring.

Churchill excused himself and went to answer it, he returned after a moment.

"It appears that the call is for you, Doctor!"

The Doctor rose, gesturing for Tory to stay sitting as she moved to follow him.

"That's odd." The Doctor commented, "Who would know I was here."

Churchill shrugged.

"The instrument is on the table in the hall."

The Doctor walked out of the room.

Tory paled as a thought occurred to her. She turned to Dekker.

"Peri went to see Wallis Simpson," she stated.

"Yes….." Dekker was confused.

"Wallis Simpson, who is a close friend of von Ribbentrop, the leader of the German Embassy and so the leader of the Germans who attacked us on our way here." Dekker's eyes went wide as he realised what she was saying. "The special guest wasn't the King," Tory put her head in her hands, "how could we be so blind."

The Doctor walked back into the room.

"We must leave at once, I'm afraid," he announced, "something's happened to Peri. I rather fear she's been kidnapped."

"Seems you were right Mrs Smith." Carstairs told her as Churchill jumped to his feet.

"Kidnapped?!" Churchill repeated.

"They told me to 'leave Chartwell at once', to have 'no further dealings with Winston Churchill' and to make arrangements to leave for South America at once if we ever want to see Peri alive again."

"We must summon the police!" Churchill exclaimed, "If you wish, I will make the call for you, Doctor."

"I'll get on to MI5," Carstairs spoke up, "and the Special Branch…"

"No!" Dekker yelled, cutting everyone off.

Churchill glared at him.

"I beg your pardon, sir?"

"Thanks but no thanks," Dekker spoke, "Doctor, Mrs Smith, we'll handle this ourselves."

"Yes…you could be right…." The Doctor murmured.

Tory stood and walked to his side, taking his hand.

"Mr Dekker is right." She told him.

"Damn right." Dekker told the pair firmly before turning to Churchill and Carstairs, "If we need any help later we'll get in touch. If you two gentlemen would give the Doctor your telephone numbers?"

"I am not sure that this course of action is wise Doctor," Churchill said as he and Carstairs handed over their cards, "Colonel Carstairs and I are prepared to mobilise all the resources of the state to assist you. With all due respect to Mr Dekker and his undoubted abilities…"

The Doctor glanced down at Tory and then over at Dekker before looking back to Churchill.

"Thank you for you offers of help gentlemen," he said, "as Mr Dekker says, we'll call you if we need you."

A few minutes later they were in the car and back on the way to London.

Tory shuffled around in her seat trying, and failing, to hide the discomfort her Meridian Particles were causing her; she hadn't used them in so long, mostly because she was worried that there was still something wrong after the Weeping Angels and her forced transport into the 6th Doctor's TARDIS, but she was fully healed from her bullet wound, only a scar left to remember it by, and now her Meridian Particles were bored and they wanted out.

"You've done right, Doctor," Dekker was saying, "a lot of cops and secret service guys rushing around isn't going to achieve anything. Even if they get close, there's a risk they'll panic the kidnappers, and kidnappers tend to destroy evidence!"

"We have to find her!" the Doctor stated, his anger rising, "Of all the despicable, deplorable.."

He was cut off as Dekker said:

"Pipe down and let me drive, will you please, Doctor? It's hard enough having to keep this heap on the wrong side of the road without you yelling in the back!"

The Doctor fumed silently in his seat. Tory next to him, offering what comfort she could in her silent presence at his side, and sharing his worry.

After a while the Doctor muttered:

"Can't we go any faster?"

"No." Dekker answered shortly; though Tory did notice that he was driving as fast as was safe.

When they finally arrived back at their house in London, Rye walked out of the door to greet them. The Doctor bounded out the car and up to the Butler.

"Have you seen or heard from Miss Brown?" he demanded.

"No, sir." Rye answered, "She went out for her luncheon engagement in a taxi this morning and has not yet returned."

The Doctor turned back to Tory and Dekker who were standing on the pavement both looking up and down the street.

"She's not going to come wandering down the pavement you know!" the Doctor thundered, his rage and worry getting the best of him.

Dekker ignored him completely but Tory winced at the anger in his voice as her TARDIS half demanded that she find a way to mate her Bondmate happy again.

Dekker, still ignoring the Doctor, turned up the collar of his trench coat and scratched his nose.

A tubby little man in a grey suit appeared, seemingly from nowhere, he and Dekker had a quick, quiet, conversation and then the little man was gone again.

"Now that's a talent." Tory muttered, looking up and down the road again trying to spot the man; she had known that Dekker had had someone follow Peri she just hadn't expected him to be so good at disappearing.

"What was that all about?!" the Doctor demanded.

"17 Carlton House Terrace." Dekker said simply.

"What?"

"That's where they took her." Dekker explained, "Temporary German Embassy. Apparently Ribby's having the proper one gutted and redecorated by some Nazi architect guy called Speer, so they've hired this Carlton House place 'till it's ready."

The Doctor stared at him.

"How can you…" he stopped himself, "So simple. You had a man watching the house. This house. A man with a car."

"I could have sworn that I told you that." Tory muttered to herself.

The Doctor smiled down at her before wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close to him.

"I told you I had an eye on her!" Dekker said with a small smile.

"He followed Peri to Wallis Simpson's flat?" the Doctor questioned.

"That's right."

"So, what happened?"

"Miss Brown got outta her taxi and goes in. Not long after that to more people arrive by taxi, an old guy and a classy looking dame. They go in. Sometime later, good old Ribby turns up in his monster, leaves it parked outside and goes in."

The Doctor took several deep breaths before asking sweetly:

"And then?"

Tory ran her hand over his back in a calming motion.

"In the end," Dekker continued, "Ribby signals his driver, and him and another guy rush inside. A few minutes later they come out, with Miss Brown between them, looking kinda dazed. They all get into the big Merc and it drives off, to Carlton House Terrace."

"Well, let's go get her!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"Take it easy Doctor. We'll go round and case the joint. Reconnoitre. If it looks like we can handle it, we get her out. If we can't we call in your pals Churchill and Carstairs, and surround the place with the Household Cavalry."

"That might be difficult." Tory commented, "It's still a German Embassy even if it is a temporary one."

"What does that matter?" Dekker asked.

"Sending troops into 17 Carlton House Terrace is tantamount to invading Germany!" the Doctor explained.

"So maybe we better handle it ourselves." Dekker mused, "You, me, Mrs Smith and the Op."

"Who?" Tory asked.

"My operative. Name's Jimmy, but everyone calls him the Op."

The Doctor looked around.

"Where is he?"

Dekker turned his coat collar down and then up again and scratched his chin.

The tubby little man reappeared.

"How does he do that?" Tory asked in amazement.

The Doctor was thinking the same thing but in a tone that suggested that the situation was slowly spiralling out of his control.

"Damned if I know." Dekker answered, "You only see the Op when he wants you to see him. Where's the heap, Jimmy?"

The Op jerked his head towards the nearest corner.

"Maybe we better go in the Op's jalopy," Dekker suggested, "The Rolls is kinda conspicuous for this operation."

They followed the Op around the corner and squeezed into an acient Morris saloon. The Op got behind the wheel.

"Where to?" he asked.

"17 Carlton Terrance," Dekker answered gleefully, "we're going to invade Germany!"

)0(

Peri's interrogation was taking place in the back sitting room, a high ceilinged room filled with files piled high on wooden trestle tables.

Presumably, Peri thought to herself, they haven't got the dungeon fitted out yet.

Von Ribbentrop himself was handling the proceedings. He had changed into his black SS uniform specially for the occasion, a design intended to strike terror into the heart of any victim. In Nazi Germany perhaps it would have worked. Peri, however, wasn't impressed. He looked like a reject from a cheap war movie, in her opinion, and she'd had enough! To start with the wooden chair she'd been shoved into was hard and uncomfortable!

She'd actually been enjoying the food at Wallis Simpson's party until the Count and Countess had shown up, the same Count and Countess that she'd seen in the Doctor's memory of Churchill's attempted kidnapping in 1915! But the weirdest thing was that they hadn't aged a day.

When Von Ribbentrop turned up instead of the King Peri worked out that something was off. But after Ribbentrop got a telephone call about an operation failing the party had taken on a rather sinister note. Peri had tried to leave but Ribbentrop had had one of his men, the one currently guarding the room she was in, knock her out.

Wallis Simpson had just stood by and let it all happen; Peri knew there was a reason that she didn't like that woman!

Von Ribbentrop was currently missing, leaving Peri to sit in the hard chair and stew. She assumed that it was an attempted scare tactic, break down her morale. But Peri had just gotten bored and her temper was slowly rising.

Eventually, von Ribbentrop reappeared, this time dressed up in all his military glory.

Peri looked up at him and yawned.

"Why the fancy dress?"

Von Ribbentrop looked scandalised.

"This is the uniform of a Gruppenfuehrer, a general in the SS. The rank was awarded to me by the Fuehrer in person!"

"Well enjoy it while you can," Peri advised him, "when he finds out what you've been up to he'll probably bust you down to corporal. What do you mean by kidnapping an innocent American citizen?" she remembered the Doctor's cover story, "A very wealthy and important American citizen, too."

"Nonsense!" von Ribbentrop scoffed, "You are an American agent. It is useless to repeat your cover story. We have checked and it is full of holes! There is no American millionaire by the name of Capability Brown. The only person of that name our researchers uncovered was an English landscape gardener of the eighteenth century."

Mentally cursing the Doctor's weird sense of humour Peri tried to salvage the situation.

"We wealthy heiresses never travel under our real names. We always use an alias, it keeps off fortune hunters."

Von Ribbentrop looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"What, then, is your real name?"

"Never you mind," Peri told him airily, "it might be Rockfeller, or it might be Rothschild. You'll find out. And when you do you'll be in trouble. Daddy will probably buy Berlin and pave it over for a parking lot."

"Nonsense!" von Ribbentrop protested, slightly uneasy.

"What's more," Peri continued, "my guardian, Doctor Smith, is an important diplomat."

"That too is a lie." Von Ribbentrop stated with pleasure, "our geographers can find no such country as the Republic of Santa Esmerelda."

"It's a very small country," Peri explained helpfully, "about twice the size of Hyde Park. North-north-west of Paraguay, I believe. You could easily miss it."

"More nonsense!" von Ribbentrop shouted, "You are foreign agents, spies and saboteurs, enemies of the Reich! Now, for the last time, I want the truth. Who are you, who is the Doctor and who is Mrs Smith? What is your real mission here?" Peri didn't answer, "You will do well to answer my question," he continued, "remember…"

Peri cut him off.

"You're not actually going to say it, are you?" she asked incredulously.

The interruption made von Ribbentrop stubble in his speech.

"Say what?"

"'We have ways of making you talk!'" Peri answered, "And anyway, you haven't used, 'We will ask the questions!' yet. Isn't that supposed to come first?"

Peri almost felt sorry for von Ribbentrop, he looked so confused, so helplessly angry. Almost. Instead she burst out laughing.

"It's no good. You'd better stick to the garden fetes and lunch parties. You're not cut out for this sort of thing. You're just not scary enough."

"Am I not?" the man snarled. He took a deep breath and calmed himself down. "Well, perhaps not. I am, after all, a gentleman. But I have staff who are, what was your word, scary….." he nodded towards the thug on the door, "take Sargent Schultz, here."

"Your expert on socking people with truncheons?" Peri asked, "You take him."

"Precisely. You have already sampled his ministrations. A caress behind the ear, a few minutes' dizziness. A firmer tap, half an hour to an hours sleep. But Sargent Schultz has other talents." His voice was full of gloating cruelty, "A sharp tap on the knee. The elbow, the shins, the bridge of the nose; such blows as these produce intolerable pain. I have seen men, and women too, screaming with agony under Sargent Schultz's caresses." He turned and gestured Schultz forwards, the man slapped his truncheon into his palm. Peri flinched. "You see, Miss Brown," von Ribbentrop whispered, "we really do have ways of making you talk."

Peri stayed silent. Suddenly nothing was funny anymore.

"Will you answer my questions? Or shall I leave you to the good sergeant?" Ribbentrop leaned forwards, putting his face close to hers. Peri flinched once more. She could smell his too powerful cologne; he must have put on extra just for the interrogation.

Again the truncheon slapped into Schultz's palm.

"Well?"

Suddenly there was the sound of someone hammering at the door.

)0(

Carlton House Terrace at dusk looked just as aristocratic as it sounded. It was a street of impressive mansions, most of them detached and standing in their own grounds.

Jimmy's shabby little car lowered the tone as it crawled passed the opulent houses. The Op seemed quite untroubled by this, however, as he pulled the car to a stop, parked and pointed across the street.

"Seventeen."

Dekker was in the front seat beside him, while Tory and the Doctor were crammed into the back. All members of the car apart from the Op had their knees pressed against their chins in an attempt to fit into the car.

Number seventeen was just as impressive as the rest of the street but had a much shabbier and deserted air. The shutters were faded and the front door was colourless and scratched.

It was clever, Tory mused, for the people who took Peri to give her to Ribbentrop; he has diplomatic immunity, meaning we can't touch him…legally.

Indeed.

Tory jumped at the Doctor's mental voice spoke up. Amusement flooded the Bond from his side. She had forgotten she was still holding his hand.

Oh shut up.

The Doctor was grinning down at her before his gaze snapped back to the building.

"Jimmy watched the place for a little while after they took Miss Brown inside," Dekker said, "says it seemed pretty deserted, not much coming or going."

"Von Ribbentrop won't have his full staff over here yet," the Doctor said thoughtfully, "maybe we won't have too many to deal with."

I wonder if the team sent to attack us have made it back to London yet. He sent to Tory.

I doubt it. Tory answered, amused.

I hope so, a full scale battle with machine guns in Carlton House Terrace simply wouldn't do.

Quite right you are. She answered, laughing mentally.

Dekker's voice interrupted the two's mental conversation.

"What do you say Doctor? Are we going in?"

"Oh, I think so," the Doctor answered, "I hate to think of Peri in Nazi hands. And a quick commando style raid stands a better chance than an attack in force." He looked over at Dekker and the Op. "You two don't have to come, you know. This is highly illegal!"

"Try and keep me away!" Dekker grinned, "How about you, Jimmy? You in?"

The Op nodded.

"Yep."

"Ok," Dekker nodded, "how about we use the old speakeasy routine?"

"Right." The Op agreed.

"Speakeasy?" Tory repeated questioningly.

"Jimmy and me hadda crash our way into quite a few illegal booze joints in Chicago." Dekker explained, "We developed a kinda routine. Got the bag Jimmy?"

"Sure."

The Op pulled a carpet bag out from under the front seat and put it in Dekker's lap. Dekker opened it to show an assortment of gleaming tools. He fished out a large crowbar and a small sledgehammer and passed them over to the Doctor.

"That oughta do it. Got a bottle?"

The Op produced a bottle of bourbon.

"Nearly full too," Dekker sighed, "pity to waste it." He opened the bottle and took a swig before offering it to the Doctor and Tory, both refused. Dekker handed the bottle back to the Op, who took a drink before splashing some of the liquid down the front of his shirt.

"Ok, Jimmy, drive over and park right outside the door; we may need the motor for a quick getaway." As the car moved Dekker briefed the confused looking Doctor and the bemused looking Tory on the speakeasy technique, "Remember," he concluded, "it all depends on speed. You gotta get them confused, hit them quick and hard, be in and out before they know what's happening. Got it?"

"Yep." The Doctor said. Tory just grinned.

The car stopped outside of number seventeen and they all climbed out.

)0(

At the same moment as the banging on the door started, a telephone on the table in the corner started to ring. The sound echoed through the big empty room.

There was still more hammering on the front door, and a shouting voice.

Doubly distracted, von Ribbentrop dithered for a moment. He stopped threatening Peri, straightened up and crossed over to the telephone.

"Go and see who it is, Schultz," he yelled, "tell them we will call the police if they don't go away!"

Pretty cool for a kidnapper, thought Peri as she was left alone on her chair. She listened as von Ribbentrop lifted the receiver and started speaking.

"Yes, I understand. The list? Yes, of course I have the list. I shall hand it personally to the Fuehrer on my next trip to Berlin…..Of course I am aware of its importance, it never leaves my person." He tapped the top pocket of his tunic, and Peri heard the crackle of folded papers.

Moving as quietly as she could, Peri got to her feet…..

)0(

Sergeant Schultz opened the front door to find himself facing a small, drunken man, reeking of bourbon whisky and brandishing a bottle.

"Hey, buddy!" yelled the little man. "Where's the party? Look, I gotta bottle! Where's the party?"

Typically decedent American, thought Schultz scornfully. In slow careful English he said:

"This is the German Embassy. There is no party here. You will please go away, or the police I will immediately summon."

The little man gave him a wounded look.

"Hey, don't be that way! Here, have a drink!" he staggered forwards, reeling past Schultz and right into the Embassy hallway, Schultz grabbed him by the lapels to throw him out, but the little man was surprisingly hard to shift.

Letting him go, Schultz reached for his truncheon, but stopped, suddenly, as a gun was violently pressed against his ear. The holder of the gun had slipped, unnoticed, through the open doorway as Schultz had been concentrating on the drunken party-goer.

"Ok, where's the girl? The American girl. Talk, or I'll blow your head off!"

)0(

"Yes, yes," said von Ribbentrop. "Tomorrow night. Everyone will act at the signal from the Fort. Very well, Count. Yes, I have the girl safe. Goodbye." He put down the phone and saw that the American was no longer in her chair. She was standing up, quite close to him, holding the wooden kitchen chair high above her head.

Von Ribbentrop had just about time to register this before the chair came crashing down…

)0(

Peri stepped back as von Ribbentrop staggered and fell, wondering if the history books ever mentioned the fact that he was seen in high society for a while with a big red bump on the top of his head. She hesitated, wondering which way to go, looking at the open door. She didn't want to run into Schultz and his 'vays of making her talk'.

She became aware that the hammering and shouting at the front door had stopped, succeeded by a sinister silence.

Turning, she looked at the other end of the long room. There was a door there too.

Maybe I can find a way out.

She ran across and tried it. Locked.

Peri ran back to the centre of the room, biting her lip as she looked around for something to break down the door. There was nothing. Footsteps were fast approaching. She felt a surge of panic and glanced over at von Ribbentrop's fallen body.

I'm really gonna be in for it now….

Suddenly the locked door burst open with a splintering crash as it hit the opposite wall, after flying across the room, and shattered. Peri saw a somewhat dishevelled Doctor clutching a sledgehammer and a crowbar, Tory was standing next him her hands held out in front of her covered in silver Meridian Particles which she had just used to blow the door across the room.

"Oops." Tory said, "That was a bit more powerful than I thought it would be."

"No wonder they call it housebreaking." The Doctor joked.

Peri rushed over to them and pulled the Doctor into a relieved hug as he looked around the room over her shoulder, taking in the splintered chair and the unconscious von Ribbentrop.

"In the good old days, the heroine screamed and waited to be rescued," the Doctor said reproachfully as Peri let go of him and pulled Tory into an embrace, "are you alright Peri?"

"More or less." She answered, letting go of Tory. "Is HE alright?"

The Doctor put down his housebreaking tools on a table, went over to the body, knelt beside it and felt for a pulse in the neck.

"He'll survive." The Doctor answered, "Well, come along Peri, Tory. Let's not hang about here chatting!" he picked up his tools and moved towards the door that led to the hall.

"There's a nasty type with a rubber truncheon that way." Peri warned the two Time Lords just as they were about to step through the doorway.

"I rather imagine Dekker's taken care of him." The Doctor told her, "We make quite a cavalry all told! Come on."

"Wait!" said Peri. She knelt beside von Ribbentrop and unbuttoned the top button of his tunic, taking out several sheets of folded flimsy paper.

"What's that?" Tory asked, walking over and taking it from Peri's hand to read.

"I think it's some kind of list." Peri answered, "He was talking about it to the Count on the phone. It seemed to be pretty important."

"The Count, eh?" Peri nodded, "And the Countess with him?" the Doctor asked.

"And they haven't aged a day."

The Doctor sighed, his face grave.

"Is the list FOR the Count?"

"No." Peri answered, "Ribbentrop was going to deliver it to Hitler himself.

"Good girl." The Doctor gave her a soft smile.

"It's a list of names." Tory announced as she finished reading, "We'd best get this to Churchill and Castairs." She turned to walk out of the room.

"Hang on!" the Doctor said, handing his tools to Peri and snatching some flimsy paper from the table. "Yes, this should do the trick. A list for a list!" he folded the sheets to the exact size of the papers Tory was holding and put them in Ribbentrop's tunic pocket before buttoning it neatly.

"When one comes across some top-secret information," he hissed in a pantomime whisper, "it's always better if they don't immediately know you know!"

Straightening up, he grabbed his tools back from Peri, and led the way out of the door at a run.

)0(

"This is your last chance," Dekker snarled, "tell me where the girl is or I'll blow your brains all over the ceiling!"

Schultz was, no doubt, cruel and stupid, but he was evidently no coward. He clamped his jaw shut and prepared to die a glorious death for Fuehrer and Fatherland.

Since he wasn't actually prepared to shoot Schultz in cold blood, Dekker was at a loss at how to continue.

"Let me smack him around a little." The Op suggested.

Dekker shook his head.

"No time."

"So shoot him!"

"No need to go to such extremes, Mr Dekker." The Doctor said.

Dekker turned and saw Peri, the Doctor and Tory crossing the hall towards them.

Instantly Dekker slammed his gun against the side of Schultz's head. The SS man dropped to the floor.

"Let's get out of here!"

As Dekker finished putting the automatic back into his shoulder holster, a voice from above called:

"Halt! Nobody move!"

They looked up and saw von Ribbentrop's burly driver, standing at the top of the stairs. He was covering them with a Luger.

Dekker moved for his gun, but the Op was quicker and fired first.

The driver stumbled back but didn't fall. Changing the Luger to his left hand, he fired. The bullet was directed over their heads by a barely perceptible silver shield, only Peri and the Doctor noticed its appearance and disappearance. He was about to fire again when a shot from Dekker's gun shot him off his feet.

Dropping the Luger, he rolled down the stairs and laid still.

"Guess it just wasn't his day." Dekker said before looking down at the Op, "You only just beat me!"

"Shaded you by a clear quarter-second."

Dekker looked down at the revolver in the Op's hand.

"Still using that point-38 peashooter, I see. Why don't you get a decent size gun?"

"Don't need a canon when I can shoot straight!"

"Gentlemen, please!" the Doctor interrupted them, "Perhaps we should save the technical discussions till later?"

They hurried out of the Embassy, slamming the door behind them.

As the Op got into the car and started the engine the Doctor spoke up.

"Thank you Mr Dekker. Your friend saved our lives."

"The Op's the best," Dekker said as he opened the front passenger door, "he could have put a slug between the guy's eyes, or clean through either one."

"Charming," Peri shuddered, "so why didn't he?"

"My fault," Dekker said, "I told him the client didn't like killing!" he turned to the Doctor, "I aimed for his right shoulder, but I can't promise you he's still alive. Sometimes you don't get much choice."

"I know," the Doctor told him sadly, "believe me I know. Let's get away from this place."

Dekker got in the front seat beside the Op, the Doctor, Peri and Tory squeezed into the back, and the little car drove away.

)0(

"It's called the Chicago speakeasy technique," the Doctor explained to Peri, proud of his new information, "it's what you might call simple but effective!"

"How does it work exactly?" Peri asked.

"Somebody makes all the fuss he can to distract people at the front of the house, while someone smashes their way in at the back."

"Well, it seemed to work, anyway," Peri said, "thank you all very much! And thank your little friend for me too, Dekker."

They were in the sitting room at Hill Street, enjoying pre-dinner drinks, Peri and Dekker sharing one sofa while the Doctor and Tory had the other. The Op had simply faded away.

"Why wouldn't he come in even for a drink?" asked Peri.

"Jimmy's not all that social," Dekker explained, "I think this place is a little too high-toned for him."

"Where did he go?"

Dekker smiled.

"He's around."

The Doctor and Tory were looking over the list that Peri had taken from von Ribbentrop.

"Is that thing important?" Dekker questioned.

"Important is hardly the word." The Doctor answered.

Peri looked disappointed.

"Sorry. Old von Ribbentrop seemed so worked up about it I-"

"You misunderstand me, Peri. I meant that 'important' just isn't an adequate description." He raised his voice for effect, "Vital, crucial and earthshattering would be far more appropriate."

"What is it exactly?" asked Dekker.

"It's a list of names," Tory answered, "some we recognise and some we don't. Names and instructions."

"Peri, tell me again what von Ribbentrop said on the phone." The Doctor instructed.

Peri thought for a moment.

"He said, yes, yes, Count, he understood. He said he had the list, it was for the Fuehrer. And he said something about a signal from the fort, tomorrow night."

The Doctor looked at Peri and Dekker.

"This may be the key to the entire conspiracy!"

He fished in his pocket and pulled out two visiting cards, he walked over to the telephone.

"Operator, I want to make two urgent calls. One to a Colonel Carstairs and the other to Mr Winston Churchill…"

)0(

It was the next morning, the Doctor, Peri and Tory were sitting in Carstairs' little house in Chelsea, waiting for Churchill to join them; the Doctor had being unable to reach him the night before and had just had to leave a message saying that Peri was safe and that he had important news.

"I already know many of these names, Doctor." said Carstairs.

The Doctor nodded.

"I rather thought you would. They're all Nazi sympathisers, I take it?"

"That's right," Carstairs agreed grimly, "either open or hidden. People we expect might act as spies in the event of war, or be collaborators if, heaven forbid, we were ever occupied. Quite a few of them are already under surveillance."

"Indeed." The Doctor mused.

Carstairs looked up from the list, his face grave.

"But there are other names here….names I would never have suspected." He stood up and began pacing around the room. "If all of these people are Nazi sympathisers, and to be on von Ribbentrop's list they have to be, well, things are far worse than I thought. There are names here from Parliament, the Police, the Army, the Civil Service…an appalling number of members of the aristocracy….and not just here in London either, but all over the country. It seems the country's riddled with potential traitors!"

An attractive woman in her forties entered the room carrying a full tray.

"I thought you might like some coffee and biscuits." She said in a high, clear, upper-class voice.

The Doctor jumped to his feet.

"Lady Jennifer, how splendid to see you-" Tory stopped him from saying 'again' by grabbing his hand and sending a flood of emotion through the Bond, making him falter long enough to remember that these people didn't actually know him as their Doctor.

Carstairs gave the Doctor a puzzled look before saying:

"Doctor, Mrs Smith, Miss Brown, this is my wife Jennifer. Darling, this is the Doctor Smith I was telling you about." He gave the Doctor a thoughtful look before adding; "Not our Doctor, of course, though the name's the same."

"I can see that for myself, dear. How do you do, Doctor Smith, Mrs Smith, Miss Brown? And it's just plain Jennifer, please. I stopped using the title when Jeremy and I got married." She smiled, "I'm waiting till Jeremy gets his knighthood!"

"That'll be the day." Carstairs said with a smile.

Jennifer served them all refreshments and then left the room again.

The Doctor picked up the list.

"As you say, Colonel Carstairs, we have to assume that everyone on this list is a traitor-in-waiting. Now, the accompanying notes make it clear that all those who are named are to take certain unspecified actions 'when they get the signal'."

"Von Ribbentrop said something about waiting for the signal from the fort." Peri said, looking over at Carstairs, "Sounds like some kind of military setup. Maybe the army's going to try to carry out a coup d'état?"

"Nonsense!" Carstairs said indignantly. "Oh, there are high-ranking military officers on this list, I admit, but the Army as a whole is perfectly sound, believe me, and so are all the rest of the armed services. Anyway, these days, most forts are historical sites for tourists, not active military bases."

Tory was caught up for a moment in thoughts of her adoptive mother and father and the forts and other national heritage sights they insisted on dragging her around as a child. She smiled to herself at the memories of a much simpler time; everything seemed so much…..less back then, less important, less pressing, less….. she glanced at the Doctor….less complicated. Take the Doctor for an example: she was technically in love with thirteen different men that were actually all the same man with a different personality and face. Talk about complicated! She both dreaded and longed to meet his other regenerations, to understand more about the man she loved, to see him at his best and at his worst and to tell him she loved him no matter what he did or would do in the future. But that was the Doctor for you; how could anyone not fall in love with him?

"These people are spread out all over the country," the Doctor pointed out, "how are they going to get a signal out to all of them at once and at the same time?"

"The T.V. isn't available yet…." Tory muttered, "maybe radio?" she suggested at her normal volume.

"Yeah!" Peri agreed, "If they all had receivers that could pick up some central transmission from this fort…."

Tory stood suddenly.

"Excuse me." She walked out of the room. The Doctor and Peri watched her in concern before going back to the topic at hand as Carstairs said:

"Not very likely, the Broadcasting Corporation has more than enough trouble trying to cover the entire country. It's hard to see how some amateur setup could do it."

"Maybe they're using the BBC!" Peri suggested eagerly.

"The British Broadcasting Corporation transmitting treasonous messages?" Carstairs said, shocked. "Please Miss Brown, some things are sacred!"

Tory walked back into the room with an amused snort, sliding her phone back into the Doctors' jacket as she slipped passed him. She let her hand drag along his.

The King abdicates according to history. She told him and continued her way passed him and back to her seat beside Peri.

"A million fangirls agree with you." She muttered with a grin.

Peri, who was sitting between Tory and the window, glanced out and saw a black limousine draw up outside. Before the driver could open the door Churchill climbed out of the car and walked swiftly up the house steps.

"Mr Churchill's arrived." Peri announced.

They heard the ringing of the doorbell and a moment later Winston Churchill bounded into the room, Lady Jennifer followed him in, it was obvious that he was in a state of great excitement. He waved away Jennifer's offer of coffee and said:

"I bear grave news."

They all looked expectantly at him.

"Well don't keep us waiting!" Tory ordered.

Churchill grinned at her.

"I was summoned this morning," Churchill spoke. The Doctor moved to sit beside Tory and took her hand, "to attend an urgent meeting in Downing Street. The meeting was to discuss the momentous events of the weekend, and, in particular, to make various arrangements resulting from another meeting last night."

Get on with it, Winnie! Ran down the Bond, carried by a wave of impatience. The Doctor managed to swallow the urge to say it out loud, however, and instead said:

"Please continue."

"In recent weeks, Mr Baldwin, the Prime Minister, has been conducting a series of negotiations and discussions with the King." Churchill continued, "Matters finally reached an impasse over the weekend. Late last night, I was summoned to attend. I may be out of office, but my counsel is still sought in times of crisis. That is why you were unable to communicate with me, Doctor."

"What happened, sir?" Carstairs questioned.

"The King declared it his firm and unshakeable intention to marry Wallis Simpson and make her his Queen. Mr Baldwin informed His Majesty that this was unacceptable to the Government, the Church of England, and, indeed, to the British nation as a whole."

"I'm not sure about that last bit," Peri said, "from what I hear, quite a lot of ordinary people are on his side."

Churchill scowled at the interruption.

"Ordinary people perhaps, Miss Brown. The more responsible elements, however, are solidly opposed to it."

Peri frowned unhappily.

"The middle and upper classes you mean," Peri muttered mutinously, "some democracy."

"What happened next?" Jennifer asked, eager for royal news.

"The King announced that if this was the case he would surely abdicate!"

Peri, Carstairs and Jennifer gasped.

Tory grinned to herself, ever so slightly smug, she'd looked that up on her phone not ten minutes ago.

The Doctor was tempted to roll his eyes as he felt Tory's emotion across the Bond.

"Weren't you and Mr Baldwin surprised?" the Doctor asked, sounding completely unruffled.

"I cannot speak for the Prime Minister, but I myself was astonished." Churchill answered, "Up to now His Majesty has shown every sign of a most distressing obduracy. Indeed, he seemed fully prepared to defy both Government and Church."

"Suppose he'd persisted in that attitude?" asked the Doctor, "What would have happened?"

"It's hard to say Doctor." Churchill answered, "National upheaval, perhaps, of the most appalling kind."

"It would certainly have been pretty sticky," Carstairs commented, "but isn't this good news, in a way, sir? I mean, it's a pity things have come to this, but what with the King's fondness for Germany, and Mrs Simpson's links with von Ribbentrop, well, if he'd dug in his heels…."

"Thank heavens he's seen sense," Jennifer commented, "when he abdicated I suppose Bertie will have to take over."

"Bertie?" Peri questioned.

"The Duke of York," the Doctor answered, sending an amused look at Jennifer; to her the royals were just a bunch of troublesome relatives. "the King's younger brother."

"Bertie's terribly sweet," Jennifer said, "but so shy, poor man. Of course, it's understandable; he's been overshadowed by his brother all his life. And that stammer! How he'll ever manage public speeches….."

"Perhaps he'll rise to the occasion." The Doctor said.

"People often do, you know." Tory finished, completing the sentence and not realising that the words had come from the Doctor's side of the Bond until after she'd said them.

We have to work on control. She told him, slightly annoyed by what had just happened.

I like knowing what you're thinking. The Doctor protested.

You can be so sweet sometimes.

…Tell me what I did so I can use it again later? He asked.

Tory laughed and shook her head slightly.

"So they do." Jennifer agreed with Tory, "and Elizabeth's very practical and sensible, I'm sure she'll be able to build up his confidence…"

Churchill cut off the rest of the royal gossip with a scowl before saying:

"Something troubles you, Doctor?"

"Yes it does," the Doctor said, "the expression 'too good to be true' comes to mind."

"How so?"

"Well," Tory said, "Peri's right, the King will have a large number of the 'ordinary' population behind him; he was the People's Prince and now he's the People's King, they're as in love with him as he is with Wallis Simpson, blinded by his good side so they never see the bad. If he were to go over the Prime Minister's head and just appeal to the country…."

"But he hasn't!" Carstairs interrupted her.

"Exactly!" cried the Doctor, "Why hasn't he? And don't tell me it's his sense of duty, by your own admission, that hasn't bothered him much until now! So why throw down your hand when you appear to hold most of the cards?"

There was a moment of silence.

"You have some theory to propose, Doctor?" Churchill asked, "Connected, I take it, with the reason for this conference?"

The Doctor quickly recited Peri's rescue, and the information gained, while Carstairs showed him the list.

Churchill listened carefully, scowling and shaking his head as he looked over the list. He turned to the Doctor.

"A sinister discovery indeed, Doctor. And if the King still maintained his posture of defiance it would be more troubling still. Perhaps some rash action was planned. Perhaps the unhappy King was foolish enough to lend some dastardly scheme his support. But surely he has now repented of it? As Colonel Carstairs implies, his coming abdication defuses the situation."

"If his repentace is genuine, yes." The Doctor agreed, "But suppose it isn't? You yourself spoke of the obstinacy of the weak."

"But all is arranged, Doctor." Churchill protested. "Arranged largely in my presence, last night and this morning. Arranged, in my view, with precipitate speed. I begged all parties to take more time, to consider matters more fully but, alas, my advice was ignored. The King gave his full consent to all of Mr Baldwin's proposals. The Instrument of Abdication had been drawn up and will be signed tonight. The King has asked to make a farewell broadcast to the nation and Mr Baldwin has agreed. Arrangements are in hand with the British Broadcasting Corporation even as we speak."

"Really?" asked Jennifer, sounding excited, "The first royal broadcast! How exciting! We must be sure to listen. Is the King going to that funny looking building in Portland Palace?"

"Apparently not." Churchill said, "It appears that the mountain now has the technical ability to come to Mahomet. A temporary broadcasting studio is even now being assembled."

"At the Palace?"

Churchill shook his head.

"No. No." he said impatiently. "The King has asked to make the broadcast from Fort Belvedere….." Churchill kept talking but Tory stopped listening as realisation poured through her….. FORT Belvedere…FORT!

"The signal!" the Doctor cried, "It'll be transmitted to the nation from the Fort!"

)0(

Tory sat on the bed in her and the Doctor's room, staring blankly at the wall opposite her. She was supposed to be getting dressed into something more appropriate for tonight; they were going to go to the Fort for the Broadcast.

Churchill and Carstairs were already setting things up in case the King did something foolish. Peri was downstairs telling Dekker and the Op the plan while the Doctor was, well, he was meant to be helping Peri but Tory hadn't heard his voice in a while.

Tory sighed and flexed her fingers, Meridian Particles burst into light over her hands.

"Now you work," she muttered, "you couldn't have done that before I got attached to this version of the Doctor?" she sighed again and with another twitch of her fingers the Meridian Particles vanished, the room seemed darker with them gone. "I can't just stay," she continued to mutter to herself, "but I don't want to leave either." She felt the bed dip beside her and, without looking, buried her face in the neck of the man who had sat down next to her.

"I love you." The Doctor whispered into her hair.

"I love you." She muttered into his neck, "Always."

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her as close to him as he could.

She straddled him, still kissing his neck. Her hands went to his shoulders and pushed at him gently. He let her push him back so he was lying on the bed with her hovering over him. His hands went to her hips as he clutched at her possessively.

Her hands were in his hair now as she continued to lather attention onto his neck, slowly moving her kissed around to the side and up to his ear. She nibbled at his earlobe for a moment before moving her kisses along again. Along his forehead, over his eyelids, the tip of his nose, across his cheeks, his chin, and finally, oh so finally, to his lips.

"Tory." He moaned as she pulled away from him for air. She looked down at him with lust filled eyes and he just couldn't hold back any more. His grip on her hips tightened, enough to leave bruises, he surged upwards and met her lips with his own in a desperate kiss.

Tory responded to him just as desperately as he did to her; they both knew, somehow, that she would be leaving soon, whatever had brought them together was going to pull them apart and there was nothing they could do about it.

)0(

Me: ehm, I guess you can guess what happened next, yes?

Timmy: as always this part of the chapter has been removed and placed into The Lost Chapters under the title: Players.

Me: Players is, after all, the name of the book that I used for this and the last chapter. This is the last chapter that is dedicated to Players.

Tory: you know, it's kinda embarrassing to read about this stuff, espically when its yourself…

Timmy: don't read it then!

Tory: *glares* that's not the point!

Me: *sighs as the argument continues behind me.*

)0(

Tory woke up naked and wrapped around the Doctor, sore in the most delightful way. Her head was on his chest listening to the double beat of his hearts, hearts he had promised to her just hours ago.

The sun was starting to set outside and Tory knew that she and the Doctor needed to get dressed and ready to go soon but she just didn't want to move, this, right here, was heaven to her. In the arms of her Doctor was where she wanted to stay, forever if she could, for the rest of her lives if she couldn't.

"What are you thinking about?" the Doctor's voice rumbled in his chest as he spoke to her.

"You." She answered happily.

"How could you think of anything else?" he teased, pressing a kiss to her shoulder.

"It takes a great deal of effort, let me assure you." She told him with a laugh.

"Good." He said in a smug tone.

)0(

The Doctor and Tory made their way downstairs to find Peri, Churchill, Carstairs and Rye waiting for them. Rye was filling Churchill's champagne glass while Churchill and Carstairs were talking.

Peri gave Tory and the Doctor a knowing glance as they slid into the room.

"Have we done all we should?" Churchill was asking anxiously, "All we possibly can?"

"I think so, sir," Carstairs reassured him, "I've checked with Roddy and everything's in place."

"And Sir John?" Sir John was the man in charge of the BBC; Churchill had spoken to him earlier in the day.

"The engineers are still working, but he's confident they'll be finished in time."

"And all the necessary surveillance has been undertaken?"

"Yes, sir. Everyone's covered."

"What about von Ribbentrop?" Peri asked.

"Von Ribbentrop is lying low in his temporary embassy. The only ones we've lost track of are the Count and Countess."

"Don't worry," the Doctor said grimly, "they'll turn up when it's time. Something tells me they wouldn't miss this for worlds."

"I hear much of this pair of mysterious foreign aristocrats, Doctor," Churchill rumbled, "but I have yet to meet them. I am somewhat at a loss to understand their part in all this."

"To be honest, so am I." the Doctor said, wondering if Churchill would connect the current Count and Countess with the ones he had met in the past, perhaps they were deliberately keeping out of his way.

"Are they in alliance with von Ribbentrop and his Nazi crew?" Churchill went on.

"I'm sure of it," Peri said, "they were definitely involved in my kidnapping. I got the feeling they were using von Ribbentrop. You know, as their pawn."

"Good way of putting it." Tory commented her.

"Indeed." The Doctor agreed, "Ever since we first met, I've had the feeling they were playing some kind of game…."

"No doubt their roles will emerge in time." Churchill dismissed.

There was a knock on the door.

Rye led Dekker and the Op into the room, both were dressed in evening dress as was Churchill while Peri was wearing a simple black dress and Carstairs his uniform.

Shortly afterward they left the house and climbed into three separate cars, Carstairs in his own, Churchill, Tory and the Doctor in another while the American's had their own.

)0(

They climbed out of the cars in front of Fort Belvedere.

Suddenly they were surrounded by men dressed in black.

"Who are you?" one of them barked, "State your business!"

"I am Winston Churchill, and my business is with the King. These Ladies and these gentlemen are my guests. Stand aside!" Churchill barged his way through the encircling men, the Doctor close behind him, a protective arm around Tory's waist, Dekker and the Op following behind shielding Peri between them.

Suddenly Peri realised that Dekker was carrying a bulky musical instrument case.

"Brought your harp to the party, Dekker?"

"Sure, why not. Maybe somebody will ask me to play!"

As the party marched up to the door, it was opened by a livered footman.

They passed through into an octagonal anteroom with a black and white floor. More black-clad figures stood on guard. Beyond was a huge, elaborately furnished drawing room. Classical paintings hung on the walls, and there were yellow satin curtains at the long windows. Chintz-covered armchairs, Chippendale tables and even a grand piano all clamoured for the eye's attention. A cheerful fire blazed in the big grate.

Even more black dressed figures stood guard at intervals around the walls.

In one corner of the room, the BBC technicians had set up their temporary studio. It was a chair, a table and microphone and was surrounded by a mass of large and clumsy equipment.

The King came forwards to greet them, Wallis Simpson at his side. He was in evening dress while Wallis wore a gold gown and a tiara in her hair that looked very much like a crown. His eyes glittered with excitement but she looked strained and tense.

"Winston!" the King cried exuberantly, "I didn't expect to see you tonight. Where's Baldwin?"

"The Prime Minister presents his apologies, Your Majesty. A sudden cold…."

"A sudden attack of cold feet, more likely!" the King corrected.

"Mr Baldwin has asked me to take his place," Churchill continued like he was never interrupted, "may I present my guests, Your Majesty? Doctor Smith, his wife Mrs Smith, and his ward Miss Brown, who you have already met, and two American friends of Miss Brown's. I trust Your Majesty has no objection?"

"No, no, the more the merrier." The King said carelessly.

Churchill looked at the black-clad men lining the walls pointedly.

"Your Majesty chooses strange escorts for this solemn occasion." he said reprovingly.

"I know you don't care for Mosley, Winston, but he and his Blackshirts have always been loyal to me. I need loyal friends at a time like this."

"I have some guests of my own," Wallis spoke up, "Mr Churchill, may I introduce Countess Andrea Razetki and Count Ludwig Praetorius." The Count was in full evening dress, with stars and orders and medal blazing on his breast. The Countess wore a magnificent scarlet gown and diamonds in her hair.

Churchill studied them both with keen interest.

"We have met before, I think. In France, some twenty years ago. You bear the ravages of time remarkably well, Countess."

The woman in question smiled.

"You, Mr Churchill, on the other hand, look considerably older." The Count said, "It is to be hoped that you are now wiser."

Churchill looked at him impassively.

"I'm glad you're here, Winston," the King spoke up hurriedly, probably sensing danger, "you've always been my friend, a real tonic to me. You're just in time to hear my broadcast." He looked over to the technicians and called; "Are you chaps ready? Mustn't keep the nation waiting."

"Ready, Your Majesty."

The King gave a boyish grin.

"Pay attention, now, Winston. You're in for a surprise!"

"Your Majesty forgets that I have already seen the text of your speech." Churchill said, "I assisted Mr Baldwin with the final draft."

"Oh that's all over and done with," the King said dismissively, "just you listen to this!" he strode over to the 'studio' Dekker and the Op drifted after him, Dekker was still carrying his case.

Tory didn't pay any attention as the King started to speak into the microphone, more concerned with the slow burning feeling that was building in her chest. She subtlety moved to the edge of the room where she was hidden in shadow and not easily spotted. Silent tears started running down her face as she recognised the slowly building golden light; whatever had brought her here was taking her away again.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, staring down at her hands as the glow intensified, "I don't even know what's happening to me." She didn't notice the Doctor tense in his efforts not to draw attention away from the King who was currently finishing his broadcast. "I'll try and come back, I promise you, I'll come back!" And then Tory was gone, like she'd never been there.

The Doctor closed his eyes to prevent anyone seeing the moisture that was building.

Goodbye my love….

)0(

Me: *grins* if you want to know the real story I suggest you buy it! It's a really good read and I didn't want to ruin the ending for you.

Timmy: this is sixty-four pages in word you know…

Me: *ever so proud* I know, this is months of work and typing and back ache. Dude I finally did it!

Timmy: And now the next one!

Me…shut it Dino….