Aderyn watched the Doctor pace along the low wall that surrounded the pond.
"Body frozen in a pond. The snow gets a good long look at a human being, like a full body scan. Everything they need to evolve" He said.
"So what? The snowmen evolve into ice men?" Aderyn stood in the shadow of a tree, leaning against the trunk and smoking a cigarette. The Doctor had chosen to carefully ignore the cigarette.
"Precisely."
Strax approached them, a gun in his hand. "Madame Vastra wondered if you were needing any grenades?"
"Grenades?" Aderyn asked with a raised eyebrow.
"She may have said help." Strax corrected.
"Help with what?" The Doctor asked. He crouched next to the pond, looking at the ice as closely as he could without touching it.
"Your investigation."
"Why would I need help? Who do you think I am?"
"Sherlock Holmes." Strax replied.
"Oh dear, Strax. How many times do I have to say, don't try and be funny. It doesn't suit you." Aderyn groaned.
"Sorry lad."
"I'm the funny one, you're the potato one. Get used to it." Aderyn sighed.
The Doctor looked round at Strax "We're fine. Now go away."
"Yes, Mister Holmes." Strax mumbled as he walked away. The Doctor looked up at the house looming over them. He saw Clara looking down at them from the window. She waved. The Doctor held up his hand, then gave her the thumbs up.
He stared at his hand "Five minutes?" He hissed at it "Why did you say five minutes? We're not staying."
Aderyn laughed and clapped him on the shoulder "Well, it looks like that hand is a regeneration behind still. But we should get up there. Something is going on and everyone in that house is in danger. Even if you're not going. I am." She stamped out her cigarette and wrapped the stub in a tissue that she stuffed into a pocket. This was a beautiful garden. It would be a shame to leave litter.
"Fine." The Doctor sulked. He followed Aderyn as she made her way towards the house.
"So you're coming then?" She smiled over her shoulder at him.
"It's too dangerous for you to do this alone." They stopped and stared up at the building.
"I'm not alone. Vastra and Jenny are here to help me." With alarming speed, Aderyn was able to find foot and hand holds and get up to an unlocked window.
"What are you doing?" The Doctor whispered hoarsely.
"Well what would you do? Knock on the door and tell them they're all in grave danger but not to worry because a stroppy alien is here to help?" Aderyn hissed back.
"I'm not stroppy."
"If you say so dear. Just get the TARDIS."
_
Clara tucked the children into bed. Digby was cheerful as normal, but Francesca was worried "Am I going to have the nightmare tonight?" she asked.
"Definitely not." Clara smiled.
"How do you know?"
"Because someone's coming to help. You wouldn't believe me if I told you who."
Digby rolled his eyes "Is it one of your stories? Your definitely true ones?"
Clara put her hands on her hips "All my stories are true."
"Like how you were born behind the clock face of Big Ben?" Digby said.
"Accounting for my acute sense of time."
"And how you invented fish?" Francesca added.
"Because I dislike swimming alone. But this time it's a story about a man called the Doctor. He lives on a cloud in the sky, and all he does, all day every day, is to stop all the children in the world ever having bad dreams. And he's got a friend who helps him."
"But I've been having bad dreams." Francesca whined.
"That's because he's been on holiday and his friend has been helping the Veiled Detective. But I am confident he has now returned to work. And as a matter of fact, he's right here," A candle flame flickered as the door began to open. Clara smiled and looked at the door "Aren't you Doctor?"
The door was pushed open. But the Doctor wasn't there. Moving awkwardly and quickly towards them was a tall lady made entirely of ice.
"Bloomin' hell!" Clara shouted. She grabbed the children from their beds and pushed them towards a door, standing firmly in front of them.
"The children have been very naughty." The ice governess shouted. Clara pushed the children through the adjoining door into the school room. She slammed the door behind them.
"What about the man? You said the man was here, the cloud man." Francesca said.
"Well I was wrong." Clara grimaced. The door was soon reduced to a mess as the ice lady pushed it from it's hinges.
"Where's the Doctor?" Digby pleaded.
"Doctor? Doctor?" They looked round in horror at the Punch and Judy puppet stand that was in a corner. The Judy doll was moving "Doctor Who?" The shrill voice said again.
The Punch doll soon joined Judy. It had something held in it's little wooden hands. It was pointed at the ice governess, who melted.
The Doctor and Aderyn stuck their head through the theatre setting and grinned "That's the way to do it." The Doctor chimed in the classic punch voice.
They climbed out of the theatre set. Aderyn readjusted her jacket with a flourish and looked down at the puddle on the floor "Some people just don't appreciate good theatre." she said dramatically.
"Will she come back?" Clara asked.
"Nah," The Doctor said confidently. He held up his sonic screwdriver "New setting. Anti freeze. She's currently draining through your carpet." The Doctor caught his reflection in the mirror and adjusted his bow tie.
"It's cool." Clara said.
"It is very cool. Bow ties are cool." The Doctor said.
"No, Doctor. She means the room." Aderyn said. Her breath misted in front of her. He looked around at them. "It is." He muttered. The carpet began to bulge and rise.
"She's coming back." Aderyn said.
"You really do delight in pointing out the obvious." The Doctor said. He backed away from the rug.
"Yes well someone has to. You don't always pay attention." Aderyn hissed.
"Do you mind? In case you hadn't noticed there is a dead governess made from ice that is unmelting through the carpet." Clara snapped.
"Of course, she's not really a governess, she's just a beast. She's going to eat you," He ran passed the reforming governess, grabbing the hands of the children "Run!"
For a split second Aderyn hated the Doctor for leaving her to bring Clara. But her mind returned to the issue when the ice governess shouted "That's the way to do it."
"Let's not hang around here." Aderyn grabbed Clara's hand. As the moonlight streamed through the large windows, highlighting Aderyn's angular features, Clara realsied then where she recognised her from.
Clara stopped at the door, wrestling her hand from Aderyn's grip. "I knew I'd seen you before. You're the man from the inn."
"Yes, it's me. But this isn't the time to discuss it." She grabbed Clara's hand again and they followed the Doctor's path. The Doctor was just reaching the bottom of the stairs.