A/n: Thank you so much for everyone who has started to follow and read this fanfiction it'sInsane to me that almost 1 thousand of you have come to check the story out! And over 500 American readers which really surprised me as I thought Doctor who was more of a British niche! But Welcome in and I hope you enjoy!

CHAPTER SEVEN:

"Out!" The Doctor shouted pushing them out of the library door into the corridor. He slams the mistletoe embalmed door into the beasts snarling face.

"Your Majesty!" Both the guard and Lord Robert shout helping the Queen steady herself as they start running along the corridor as the werewolf starts to break down the door.

"Get to the Observatory!" The Doctor shouts scooping up Nova and throwing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Bloody hell" Shouted Nova as she was literally swept off her feet.
"Language" Chided the Doctor as he looks back, noticing the were wolf catching up with Rose. But then the maids from one of the open doors in the hallway throw a hot pan of liquid causing the beast to wince and howl as it starts to retreat.

"Good shot" The Doctor shouts to them.
"It was mistletoe" one of the maids started before Lord Robert interrupted as his eyes locked with his wife's.
"Isobel!" He shouted running towards her as they embrace and give each other a desperate kiss.
"Go back downstairs" He ordered her, kissing her once more.
Isobel tried to protest before giving in, "Keep yourself safe" She said with one more kiss placed delicately on his cheek as she and the maids retreated back down to the kitchens.

'Are you alright' The Doctor asked Nova.
'Suppose except for the giant dog over there' She sarcastically thought back causing the Doctor to grin at her a little.

He placed her back down as they got into the moonlit glass observatory.
"No mistletoe in these doors" The Doctor shouted ecstatically as he pieced it all together, touching the wood of the doors…"Because… your father. Yes. He wanted the Wolf to get inside. I just need some time… Is there any way of barricading this?" He said gesturing to the door frantically.

"Just do your work, I will defend it," Robert said looking at the group before giving the doctor a solemn nod, a wordless exchange.
"Good man," The Doctor said with a clap on Lord Roberts back, a hint of sadness in his voice as Robert slipped out the door.

"Your Majesty, the Diamond," The Doctor said hurriedly making the queen give him a wary glance.

"For what… purpose?" She said confused.

"The purpose… the purpose It was designed for," The Doctor said as Victoria hands over the Diamond.

"Rose, Nova," He said as he went to fo to the control wheels of the telescope to start raising it up. "Lift it come on"

"Is this the right time for stargazing?" Rose asked not quite catching onto the Doctors plan.

"Oh yes, it is," He said.

Just as a loud blood-curdling howl set loose outside the thin wooden door, a muffled scream of agony accompanied it as lord Robert sacrificed himself. The Queen's guard, stood in front of the Queen, gun in hand ready to sacrifice himself too if needed.

"You said this didn't work, that it was rubbish," Rose asked as they were lifting it up.

"It doesn't work as a telescope because that's not what it is. It's a light chamber. It magnifies the light rays like a weapon. We've just got to power it up." He said straining harder to push the telescope into place.

"It won't work. There's no electricity." Rose stated

"Moonlight. But the wolf needs moonlight. It's made by moonlight." Nova said struggling to help push the telescope.

"You're seventy per cent water but you can still drown. Come on! Come on!" He said impatiently as the telescope clicked into place.

The moon eerily shines down into the brass telescope lens, and bounces between its many prisms, magnifying the brightness of the moonlight as it goes.

The beast suddenly breaks down the door into splinters and paces after Queen Victoria and the guard. The Doctor quickly slides the Diamond to where the light hits the floor, causing the moonlight to refract upwards, catching the werewolf in its blazing beam and lifting the beast up off the floor, trapped. The wolf bends and cracks, as it transforms back into a young man, hanging as if crucified by the light in mid-air,

"Make It brighter, let me go," He asks softly.

The Doctor adjusts the magnification on the eyepiece, as the man then turns back into a ghostly white wolf shape, he lets out one last lonely howl and vanishes into dust in the air.

Victoria sheepishly looks at a small scratch on her wrist that had started to slowly bleed.

"Your majesty, did it bite you?" Asked the Guard causing the Doctor to look over.

"No sir, it's just a cut that's all"

"If that thing bit you…" The doctor started, as he walked over the examine the queen causing her to retreat harshly from him.

"no, it was a splinter of the wood, when the door came apart. It is nothing" She said wrapping her hand quickly in a black handkerchief.

"Let me see" The Doctor demanded.

"It is nothing, sir," She said walking past him telling the guard to take her back to her room.

Nova let out a slow exhale, as the Queen left. She slumped sat down on the floor laughing, and then Rose laughed along with her too.

"A werewolf!" She laughed

"I know!"

"Queen Victoria"

"I know!"

The Doctor looked at the two giggling girls sat on the floor beneath the telescope, he smiled warmly at them.

"Well, I suppose we better get some rest before we leave then," He said, offering both his hands to help them up.

"Yeah, I am FAMISHED," Rose said

"Oh yeah you missed dinner, I guess we saved you some ham" He replied cheekily.

_

The Doctor sat on the end of Nova's bed, the room smelled faintly of lavender and dust.
Her hair unbraided and unkept, splaying out all over the silk pillow. He reached over and tucked a piece of her hair out of her eyes. She looked up at him and slightly tilted her head.
"Is it always like this?" She asked.

"Like what?" He said pulling the covers over her, as well as a crocheted blanket on top of the duvet.

"Exciting… Dangerous… Chaotic" She said a mix of emotions flashing through her body as she recounted the day, the Doctor sent some calm over her to help her balance out a little.

"I suppose, every other day," He said looking up thoughtfully before looking back down on her tired drowsy face.

"Do people always have to die?" She said, catching him slightly off guard.

"Not always…"

"How many people die because of our adventures."

"It's not like that… it is not"

"But you also save people," She said thoughtfully, feeling the complexity of the Doctors emotions he was having.

"Well I am the Doctor," He said patting her duvet down once more, fumbling awkwardly before tugging on his left ear "That's what I try to do, be a good person I suppose, fixing things"

"Why?"

"…" He paused he didn't really know how to answer that he just instead smiled softly at her and patted her on the head.

"It's hard to explain but one day I promise I will try"

She remembered earlier him shouting at her and accidentally projected that memory to him causing him to grimace.

"I guess that's who I am now, grumpy old dad," He said trying to soften the mood.

She hummed thoughtfully "But I'm trying… we are all we have. The last of us, and one day you'll understand I'm just trying to be good"

"I think you are good," she said reaching out to him with her small hand cupping his face "In your own way at least" She chuckled.

"good," He said smiling genuinely at her, he felt her open up to him a little more.

He felt her hair again between his finger and thumb "I always wanted to be ginger" He mumbled "You won the genetic lottery for your first face."

"How many times have you regenerated?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe… about ten times." He said as she started to stretch about his face.

"Do you get to pick the face?"

"No… not really doesn't work particularly like that, it's complicated"

"Will I look different?" She said feeling her own face.

"One day yes, many different times… hopefully at least 12," He said trailing off.

"Though that won't be for a while, you can't fully regenerate until you're at least 90, but you can heal smaller wounds like cuts and scars and such if needed whilst you start to create regeneration energy" He rambled on

"But I will keep you safe, I promise"

"Does that mean I have to stay on the Tardis, no more… adventures?" she said feeling sad.

"No, not really, I prefer more of a hands-on approach to learning anyway. Just... Please… Listen to me. No more stunts like what you did before… I will always try and protect you but you need to do as you are told" He said sternly holding both of her little hands in one of his, as he looked at her little freckles that looked like constellations on her face. She yawned small sleepy tears in her eyes from the yawn.

"You should really rest up, it's been a long day," He said giving her a small kiss on the forehead.

"Why don't you need to sleep as much as me?"

"I'm older"

"How much older?" She asked curiously.

"About 900 years older than you" He laughed looking at her surprised face.

"Oh, alright grandpa."

"OI" He joked.

"Goodnight... Dad" She said looking up to him as he stopped by the door.

"Goodnight Nova," He said as a warm feeling embraced his hearts.

_

Bright sunlight filtered through a crack in the heavy velvet drapes of Novas bedroom, dust lingered in the tracks of the sunlight, floating aimlessly around.
She sat up with a stretch and a yawn.
'Good morning' She thought hoping the Doctor was awake.
'Good morning' She felt him reply, still unused to the telepathic bond but growing fonder of it each day.

She hopped off the bed opening the draped as sunlight lazily embraced her in its warmth, the garden wet with dew and morning mist. 'Pretty'
'Just wait until we see another planet, another galaxy.. then you'll see pretty'
'Show off' She felt the Doctors laugh in her mind and she smiled as she put on her outfit from the previous day.

The maids had informed her that after breakfast they were holding a ceremony outside the courtyard.

_

Queen Victoria stood on a pedestal with a decorative golden sword in hand, encrusted with fine jewels.
The Doctor was on one knee in front of her, as was Rose. Nova stood politely to the side watching the ceremony.

"By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee Sir Doctor of Tardis. By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee Dame Rose of the Powell Estate. You may stand." She said placing the sword on each of his shoulders before using her gloved hand to tell them to raise up.

"Many thanks, Ma'am." He said with a nod of the head.

"Thanks. They're never going to believe this back home." Rose said excitedly.

"Your Majesty, you said last night about receiving no message from the great beyond. I think your husband cut that diamond to save your life. He's protecting you even now, Ma'am, from beyond the grave." The Doctor warned cautiously, causing the Queen to give him an awful frown.

" Indeed. Then you may think about this also. That I am not amused." She said angrily crossing her arms after she put the sword down on a red velvet cushion a maid was holding beside her.

"YES!" Rose said fist-pumping the Doctor.

"NOT even remotely amused," She said glaring at Rose. "HENCEFORTH, I banish you," She said pointing to the Doctor and Rose.

"I'm sorry, wot?" The Doctor said taken aback.

"I have rewarded you, Sir Doctor, and now you are exiled from this empire, never to return. I don't know what you are, the two of you, or where you're from, but I know that you consort with stars and magic and think it fun. But your world is steeped in terror and blasphemy and death, and I will not allow it. You will leave these shores and you will reflect, I hope, on how you came to stray so far from all that is good, and how much longer you may survive this terrible life. Now leave my world, and never return." The Queen said turning to face Nova.

"You child, do you truly belong to this… Doctor?"

"Yes, Ma'am," she said with a slightly clumsy curtsy, her accent also slipping from Scottish to English. Looking to the Doctor "He is my father"

"Hm, I see you share the same traits of trickery as your 'father' your accent misplaced and knowledge and demeanour that abnormal for a child seemingly of your age," She said circling her making Nova feel uncomfortable.

"you are still but a child, I will not banish you however I will offer you this instead. The Doctor is a dangerous uncanny man. If you wish to be safe, you may come with me." She said holding out a gloved hand "your soul may yet be saved child"

Nova shook her head "I'm sorry Ma'am, many apologies" She said flustered.

"I see." The Queen said retreating her outstretched arm.

"You cannot return with him but if you ever should need it, you will always find sanctuary here."

"Now please leave," she said addressing them all, a shooing motion with her right hand.

_

The trio sat on the back of a hay cart that was rocking along the bumpy highland road. Nova swinging her legs over the edge of the edge of the cart.
"Woah" The man driving the cart, Dougal said. Stopping the horse who was pulling the card.

"Cheers Dougal!" The Doctor said jumping off the end of the cart with Rose and Nova waving at the muddy man.
"Walk on," The man said to the horse setting back off on the bumpy muddy road.

They walked along the slightly muddy wet grass, retracing their steps back to where the Tardis was parked. Nova had been picking flowers off the ground, little daisies making little chains.
Rose and the Doctor began chatting.
"No, but the funny thing is, Queen Victoria did actually suffer a mutation of the blood. It's a historical record. She was a haemophiliac. They used to call it the Royal Disease. But it's always been a mystery because she didn't inherit it. Her mum didn't have it, her dad didn't have it. It came from nowhere." The Doctor mused pursing his lips.

"What, and you're saying that's a wolf bite?"

"Well, maybe haemophilia is just a Victorian euphemism." He said back, wiggling his eyebrows at Rose.

"For werewolf?" Nova asked.

"Could be"

"Queen Victoria's a werewolf?" Rose said loudly laughing.

"Could be. And her children had the Royal Disease. Maybe she gave them a quick nip"

"So, the Royal Family are werewolves?" Rose said laughing at the Doctor.

"Well, maybe not yet. I mean, a single wolf cell could take a hundred years to mature. Might be ready by, oh, early 21st century?"

"Nah, that's just ridiculous! Mind you, Princess Anne." Joked Rose making Nova laugh.

"I'll say no more."

"And if you think about it, they're very private. They plan everything in advance. They could schedule themselves around the moon. We'd never know. And they like hunting"

_

The Tardis began to dematerialise and sing its beautiful whooshing sound as the Doctor calls it. Nova was helping the Doctor 'pilot' it. Or at least the Doctor let her push one or two things and let her feel like she was helping.

He grinned at her as he remembered her calling him dad, and it made something inside him swell, happiness, pride. He felt just a little less lonely.