I took a deep breath of the chilly Scottish morning air, rocking idly with the sway of the horse I rode. It was refreshing but the lack of pollution only further reminded me of my situation. I brought a hand up to rub my right shoulder, grimacing at the ache and solid feeling of stone. I won't be able to stay in this position much longer. It's spreading and my collar barely hides the mark anymore.

"Your shoulder acting up again?"

I turned to my superior as he rode beside me—a lie already on my lips after years of questioning.

"Just the cold, sir. You know how it is."

He nodded with a hum, tapping his left thigh. "All too well. We should be at the Torchwood Estate before sunset. Be sure to have a fire warmed up in your room."

"Of course," I mused; silently grateful I was of a high enough position now that I wouldn't be with the other soldiers behind us.

I'd had enough hiding around for a lifetime. Being a woman in the 19th century is the worst. What I wouldn't give to go back to my time. I want to grow my hair out again. I ran a hand over the choppy, short brown hair on my head before replacing my cap. I missed more than that, of course. The luxuries of the 21st century were constantly brought up when I had to draw water to bathe or fire a musket. I have no choice. I don't know if I can get back and if not, I'm stuck waiting. I haven't been aging either, which is worrisome but more than that is the fact that I'm slowly turning to stone and no one can see anything but the mark.

"Briggs, look sharp."

I straightened at Reynold's command, following his gaze to something blue not far ahead of us.

"Men, at arms! Briggs, inform Her Majesty of the situation."

"Yes, sir," I replied as soldiers moved further to the front with their weapons out—slowing my horse down to ride alongside the carriage.

"We've encountered a sort of large blue box on the side of the road, ma'am. Reynolds is taking the men to approach it cautiously."

"A blue box?"

I took another look now that we were closer and felt my heart skip. Impossible… "Y-Yes, ma'am."

"Describe it."

I swallowed thickly, hoping my voice didn't wobble. "I-It's about two… three meters tall with small windows, double doors…" How? How could a British police box be smack dab in the middle of Scotland in the 1800s? They weren't even used until the 1920s.

I watched the soldiers approach it just as two figures stepped out. I couldn't see them with the horses in the way, forcing myself to glance around in search for anyone sneaking up on us—one hand lightly resting on my pistol on my left hip. This doesn't make any sense. Is it another case like mine? Were they somehow dropped here? Did they come here on purpose? If… God, this sounds ridiculous but if they're time-travelers, could I get back to my time?

"Let them approach," the Queen said from the carriage, having been listening in to what was happening, and Reynolds looked to me for help.

There were two strangers who just stepped out of a police box from the future, and the Queen wanted to risk meeting them. This went against everything we as the Queen's guards were trained to do.

"Ma'am, are you certain?" I questioned, hesitant myself.

"Let them approach," she repeated, and I gave Reynolds a helpless look.

It wasn't an order, but it might as well be, so he told them to be respectful and I slowly moved my horse away, so they had a clear view of the Queen as the footman stepped down to open the carriage door. This also gave me a clear view of them, adding to the confusion and hope swelling in my chest. They're not from here. Not this place, not this time. She's wearing a cotton t-shirt and denim dungarees, and he's wearing a suit with Converse. She's even English, not Scottish, and isn't even aware of how… naked she looks. They've no concept of the times. They have to be from the future.

I forced myself to look away before the man glanced at me, clenching and unclenching my hands on the reins of my horse. The idea was impossible. Time travel was never something I considered within the reach of human society. Then, I was forcefully taken from my time and left in the middle of nowhere in New England. I was put in the position of being forced to believe in time travel because that was the only thing that could explain what happened. And now, I was seeing proof of it again.

"Briggs," Reynolds said sharply, drawing me from my thoughts as I muttered an apology and moved up beside him once more. "I want you to keep an eye on them. The Queen may be willing to treat them as guests, but considering the situation, we need to be cautious."

"Sir," I agreed, earning a nod from him.

"Stay sharp, especially when we reach the estate. Every new person risks Her Majesty's safety."

I nodded again, slowing my horse down to follow after the two new people who'd somehow convinced the Queen to join our group. The two were chuckling quietly to each other as they walked before falling into an easy silence as Reynolds announced us nearing the estate. Still, the man glanced back at me and caught me watching him, giving me an easy smile. I feared I couldn't give him anything in return. My mind was too busy racing at the implications of what I'd just discovered.

When we reached the estate, I approached Reynolds as he directed the soldiers into removing the box holding the Koh-I-Noor to put it in a secure area. A quick discussion with him said that I would stick with the Queen while he moves the diamond, splitting our work for now and keeping me close to the two guests: the Doctor and Rose Tyler. His paranoia was something I didn't quite agree with, but I understood why he was concerned. The Queen had already had her life threatened more than once and us coming here instead of taking a train was further proof of another plot at hand.

So, I followed the Queen, the Doctor—odd name—and Rose as the owner of the house, Sir Robert, led the way to some sort of telescope. I wasn't expecting much, given the level of technology in the late 1800s, and was pleasantly surprised when we came upon the Endeavor. Everyone was impressed with it aside from Sir Robert himself and his butler, and I had to wring my hands behind my back to keep from revealing my urge to look at the telescope myself. The Doctor and Rose had no such concerns in front of the Queen, asking for brief permission before heading over... and immediately complaining.

"It's a bit rubbish. How many prisms has it got? Way too many. The magnification's gone right over the top. That's stupid kind of—" The Doctor paused in his rant and leaned towards Rose. "Am I being rude again?"

"Yep."

The Doctor winced, smiling in an attempt to take back his words. "But it's pretty. It's very pretty."

"And the imagination of it should be applauded," the Queen agreed.

"Mm, thought you might disapprove, Your Majesty," Rose said, making me clench my hands tighter behind my back at her lack of manners. "Stargazing. Isn't that a bit fanciful? You could easily not be amused, or something? No?"

Is she…? No, she can't be that stupid… can she? She looks young. Probably taking the piss then. I shifted my weight idly as they talked before nearly reaching for one of my swords when the butler cut off Sir Roberts.

"Excuse me, sir. Perhaps her Majesty's party could retire to their rooms. It's almost dark."

"Of course. Yes, of course."

I frowned though, finding the interruption odd. Servants weren't supposed to usurp their masters. Anyone else would have scolded or even punished the man for speaking out of turn, but Roberts looked almost scared of him. I'll have to let Reynolds know. I followed the Queen to her room, waiting outside the door as she commanded before walking with her and Reynolds to the dining room. I offered to stand or wait outside but the Queen was surprisingly lenient and had both Reynolds and I take a seat to dine with her, the Doctor, Sir Robert, and Rose. Or, well, we would have dined with Rose had her clothing not delayed her.

"Oh, that's all right. Save her a wee bit of ham."

"The feral child could probably eat it raw," the Queen remarked, making Reynolds laugh loudly, drawing my gaze to him in confusion.

"Very wise, ma'am. Very witty!"

Really Reynolds? I turned my gaze back to my food as the Queen eyed him.

"Slightly witty, perhaps. I know you rarely get the chance to dine with me, Captain, but don't get too excited. I shall contain my wit in case I do you further injury."

"Yes, ma'am. Sorry, ma'am."

She nodded, her gaze shifting to me. "Though, there is no need to be so silent, Lieutenant. I do enjoy some conversation."

"Apologies, ma'am," I muttered. "I simply have little to say."

Reynolds cracked a smile, gesturing towards me since I was across the table and not close enough for him to drape an arm over my shoulder. "Briggs is rather quiet naturally, Your Majesty. Took me almost a year to get anything more out of him than 'Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.'"

Because I worry about breaking some sort of cultural norm if I talk too much. I am American, for one thing, and there's a lot that changed in the English language and culture between 1879 and 2030. The Doctor beside me just smiled, helping to get the conversation drawn away from me, thankfully.

"It's all right to be a bit quiet. Besides, we're all waiting on Sir Robert. Come, sir. You promised us a tale of nightmares."

The Queen nodded, looking eager. "Indeed. Since my husband's death, I find myself with more of a taste for supernatural fiction."

"You must miss him," the Doctor murmured, making her enthusiasm drop a bit at the sensitive topic.

"Very much. Oh, completely. And that's the charm of a ghost story, isn't it? Not the scares and chills, that's just for children, but the hope of some contact with the great beyond. We all want some message from that place. It's the Creator's greatest mystery that we're allowed no such consolation. The dead stay silent, and we must wait." She took a moment to let that sink in before plastering on a smile once more. "Come. Begin your tale, Sir Robert. There's a chill in the air. The wind is howling through the eaves. Tell us of monsters."

Sir Robert looked reluctant but wasn't one to go against the Queen's wishes and began his tale, speaking of children that disappeared in the night and the wolf-like creatures that would take them and slaughter livestock. Werewolves? I wondered, brushing my napkin over my lips and settling back to listen in. If time travel was real, after all, then why not creatures from myths and legends?

"My father didn't treat it as a story. He said it was fact. He even claimed to have communed with the beast, to have learned its purpose. I should have listened. His work was hindered. He made enemies. There's a monastery in the Glen of Saint Catherine. The Brethren opposed my father's investigations."

Murmuring started up and I shifted my gaze to the butler. He was standing at the window, eyeing the full moon as Robert gave him worried looks. A chill ran down my spine and I stealthily reached for the pistol on my hip.

"Perhaps they thought his work ungodly," the Queen offered.

"That's what I thought. But now I wonder. What if they had a different reason for wanting the story kept quiet? What if they turned from God and worshipped the wolf?"

"And what if they were with us right now?" The Doctor finished, also eyeing the butler as it sank in what was wrong.

Monastery, monks? it's a trap. This whole place is a trap! I was on my feet in a second with Reynolds following soon after—our guns drawn.

"What is the meaning of this!" The Queen demanded as Reynolds shouted.

"Explain yourself, Sir Robert!"

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. They've got my wife."

"Rose! Where's Rose! Where is she!" The Doctor shouted, remembering his missing companion and I looked to Reynolds.

"Sir, orders!"

He looked conflicted as the Doctor and Roberts rushed out. "We're here to protect the Queen!"

I nodded, shifting towards him and the Queen, keeping her tucked behind the two of us as he stepped towards the muttering monk, pistol raised.

"Tell me, sir. I demand to know your intention! What is it that you want!"

The monk stopped chanting and turned, eerily calm. "The throne."

He whipped a hand across Reynolds' arm, knocking the gun from his grasp and easily sending him to the ground, unconscious. The monk turned towards us but didn't attack just yet, giving the Queen her chance to ask the questions she wished.

"I take it, sir, that you halted my train to bring me here?"

"We have waited so long for one of your journeys to coincide with the moon."

"Ma'am?" I breathed, waiting for my orders.

I could try and capture him. I've got more self-defense skills than Reynolds, anyway, but it's up to her.

"Then you have waited in vain," she told the monk. "After six attempts on my life, I am hardly unprepared. Take care of him, Lieutenant."

"Yes, Your Majesty," I replied, taking my shot.

He ducked, dodging it and rushing forward, attempting to use the same maneuver on me as he had with Reynolds, but I grabbed his arm and twisted it, knocking his leg out from under him and turning the barrel of my gun again towards him. He shifted though, elbowing me across the jaw and shoving me off, wrapping his arm around my neck in a chokehold. I grimaced at the lack of air, but reached to my side, grabbing a dagger tucked in my jacket and swinging it behind me—catching him in the thigh. He roared with pain, loosening his grip and sinking to his knees. I hastily got back on my feet and drew one of the two swords attached to my side. Teeth bared, I swung the katana and caught my breath as he sank to the ground, head detached from his neck.

I turned to the Queen, who looked rather pale at the sight, and quickly turned away, cleaning the blade on one of the napkins from the table and sheathing it. I went to check on Reynolds, but he was fine other than being knocked out.

"Ma'am, the Captain is unconscious but unhurt. My duty is to keep you safe though, so I suggest we leave as soon as possible," I said, picking up my pistol and ensuring it was still in one piece and armed.

I was honestly doing my best to not look at the corpse behind me. He wasn't my first kill, but I was not someone who enjoyed having to draw my sword. This was ultimately unavoidable. The Queen understood this too and was facing the door, well away from the body.

"I wish to retrieve my property first."

"Ma'am, I really don't think—"

"That's an order, Lieutenant."

I sighed softly but nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I'll lead us there."

We moved carefully through the corridors, both of us more on edge as we heard the echo of gunfire and screams.

"That weapon of yours," she said as I gathered the property and handed it to her. "That is not the usual arms of one of my guards."

"I spent some time in Japan, ma'am," I explained. "Before entering your guard, I was a bit of a traveler. An older gentleman taught me to use their sword long before I held a British one… and this isn't its first use on a person. I am still not used to the weight of the other."

"No matter," she replied. "You have already saved my life and it appears you have more experience than Captain Reynolds, so I will place you in charge of my protection. Use whatever means you see fit."

"Yes, ma'am," I agreed, leading her back towards the stairs just as we heard Sir Robert calling for her.

"Sir Robert? What's happening?" She called down to him, letting me watch our backs as she hurried downstairs towards him, the Doctor and Rose—who'd been retrieved. "I heard such terrible noises."

"Your Majesty, we've got to get out. But what of Father Angelo? Is he still here?"

"Lieutenant Briggs disposed of him," she replied, gesturing to me and I must have looked a bit of a mess with a bruise blooming on my jaw and blood splattered over my uniform.

"The front door's no good," the Doctor informed. "It's been boarded shut. Pardon me, Your Majesty. You'll have to leg it out of a window."

We moved into the other room and I stepped ahead of the group.

"I will check to ensure it's safe," I said. "We had men stationed outside, but the fact that they're not rushing in here with all the noise has me concerned."

Sure enough, the moment I was visible in the window, I had to twist to the side to avoid being shot at by three monks guarding outside.

"Blast," I spat as Robert and the Doctor took a small peek as well.

"I reckon the monkey boys want us to stay inside."

"Do they know who I am?" The Queen huffed.

"I do believe that's the point, ma'am," I muttered. "It's because of who you are that they're firing. They want to keep us inside for something."

"Oh, you're a bit clever, aren't you?" The Doctor grinned, earning furrowed brows from me as Rose looked to the Queen.

"The wolf's lined you up for a… a biting."

"Stop this talk. There can't be an actual wolf."

A loud howl echoed through the estate and we hurried to the other room where the door was cracking under the strength of the wolf behind it.

"What do we do?" Rose asked.

"We… run."

"Is that it?"

I shot her a disbelieving look. "What else do you suggest?"

The Doctor agreed. "You got any silver bullets?"

"Not on me, no," she huffed.

"There we are then, we run. Your Majesty, as a Doctor, I recommend a vigorous jog. Good for the health. Come on!"

"I'll take the rear. Go," I told her as the Doctor took her hand and led the charge up the spiral of stairs.

The werewolf rushed after us and I could feel its hot breath on the back of my neck when I spotted Reynolds ahead of us and ducked with the others in time for him to shoot at the wolf. We rounded the corner so he could reload, out of breath and hearts racing.

"I'll take this position and hold it. You keep moving, for God's sake! Your Majesty, I went to look for the property and it was taken. The chest was empty."

"I have it," the Queen reassured.

"Then remove yourself, ma'am." His eyes turned to me. "Briggs, you and the Doctor stand as Her Majesty's protectors and you, Sir Robert—" He scowled at the man. "You're a traitor to the crown."

"Bullets can't stop it!" The Doctor warned him.

"Then, I'll buy you time. Now run!"

I gave the man a crisp salute and he did the same in return, nodding his thanks as we turned to run. I stayed in the back, keeping everyone moving, pausing only as Reynolds' gun began to go off. I turned just as the werewolf pounced, grimacing as the man who'd been my commander for years was torn apart.

"Briggs!"

I shook myself back into action, slipping into the study and helping the group barricade the door. We waited, expecting the wolf to struggle against it, but everything went quiet. There was shuffling, sniffing, and one last howl before its stomping steps retreated.

"It's gone," the Doctor mused, sounding shocked, only for the steps to shift around the outside of the room. "Is this the only door?"

"Yes… No!"

We rushed to the other door, closing it and barricading it as well, but then the wolf was gone.

"I don't understand," Rose breathed. "What's stopping it?"

"Something inside this room," the Doctor and I said at the same time, him looking at me. "What is it? Why can't it get in?"

I shrugged, not knowing the answer as I searched for any other way the wolf could get in. Glass ceiling, perhaps, but it'd have to be desperate… Maybe the monks trained it somehow? Like an actual dog. Give it a scent, send it out on the hunt. We won't escape it. It needs to die, but how? We don't have silver bullets as the Doctor said. My swords and bullets are all made of steel. I heard chuckling and scowled over at Rose and the Doctor, losing my temper.

"Have some respect!" I snapped at them, making Rose turn in shock. "This isn't a situation to be laughing and joking. My captain just died and we're all at the risk of dying ourselves. What exactly is funny about this?"

She bowed her head, scolded. "I'm sorry."

The Queen was rather upset as well. "What, exactly, I pray tell me, someone, please. What exactly is that creature?"

"You'd call it a werewolf, but technically it's a more of a lupine wavelength haemovariform," the Doctor rattled, making me frown now that we'd calmed down.

What happened to him being Scottish?

"And should I trust you, sir? You who change your voice so easily? What happened to your accent?"

"Oh right, sorry, that—"

"I'll not have it. No, sir. Not you, not that thing, none of it. This is not my world."

She took a seat, separating herself from all of us and I went to look around as Sir Robert too sat and the Doctor and Rose went to check the door. There has to be something. This was planned by the monks, right? And… And Sir Robert knew the stories, tales from his father. Could his father have known about this? Better yet, would his father have prepared for this? I was told the Torchwood Estate had long since served the Queen. He would've been trying to stop this if he knew, and this is where he'd plan it out. I started searching the desk for information, plans, anything.

"Mistletoe," the Doctor said then, looking up from a carving on the door. "Sir Robert, did your father put that there?"

"I don't know. I suppose," Robert replied, looking lost.

"No, a carving wouldn't be enough. I wonder." He suddenly licked the door, making me pause in my search with a grimace of disgust. "Viscum album, the oil of the mistletoe. It's been worked into the wood like a varnish. How clever was your dad? I love him. Powerful stuff, mistletoe. Bursting with lectins and viscotoxins."

"And the wolf's allergic to it?" Rose offered, clicking the links in my head.

"No, he's been trained," I said, drawing their attention to me. "Like an attack dog. You need a way to control it. Most people use whistles, a command, but this is something far more dangerous than a mere dog. They probably used pain, fear. Add the scent of mistletoe, and it learns to fear it instead."

"Righto. Briggs, was it?"

I nodded. "Arthur Briggs. But it's not about to give up. Like a hunting dog, once it's given a scent, it won't stop until it catches its prey. We have to find a way to kill it. It's not about to listen to reason, after all."

"But we still don't possess an actual weapon," Roberts complained, but the Doctor gestured to me.

"Does Briggs have all the brains here? Books! Best weapons in the world." The Doctor slipped on a pair of glasses, grabbing some books off the nearby shelf and tossing them to Rose. "This room's the greatest arsenal we could have. Arm yourselves."

We flipped through pounds of books while I finished searching the desk before the Doctor gathered us around him.

"Look what your old dad found. Something fell to Earth."

"A spaceship?" Rose asked, making my heart skip once more at the reminder that they weren't from here.

"A shooting star," Robert corrected, not bothering to question the foreign word as he read a passage from the tome. "'In the year of our Lord 1540, under the reign of King James the Fifth, an almighty fire did burn in the pit.' That's the Glen of Saint Catherine just by the monastery."

"But that's over three hundred years ago. What's it been waiting for?"

"Maybe werewolves are different from the myths," I offered. "They don't change overnight, but it takes time instead."

The Doctor nodded. "Maybe just a single cell survived. Adapting slowly down the generations, it survived through the humans, host after host after host."

"But why does it want the throne?"

"Same reason anyone does," I said. "Power."

"Imagine it," the Doctor mused. "The Victorian Age accelerated. Starships and missiles fueled by coal and driven by steam, leaving history devastated in its wake."

The thought made me grimace, rubbing at my shoulder uneasily and not noticing that my collar shifted with it, revealing a hint of the black mark that had started to trail up my neck. I hadn't seen the Doctor's eyes on me either as the Queen spoke up.

"Sir Robert, Lieutenant Briggs. If I am to die here—"

"Don't say that, Your Majesty," Robert argued as I nodded.

"It's my duty to ensure you don't, ma'am."

"I would destroy myself rather than let that creature infect me. But that's no matter. I ask only that you find someplace of safekeeping for something far older and more precious than myself."

"Hardly the time to worry about your valuables," the Doctor muttered.

"Thank you for your opinion, but there is nothing more valuable than this." She pulled out the Koh-I-Noor from her purse, making even Rose's eyes widen.

"Is that the Koh-I-Noor?"

"Oh, yes. The greatest diamond in the world," the Doctor purred, intrigued too, despite his previous words.

I didn't care as much for the oversized gem. It wasn't mine and would never be mine, so what purpose did it serve me when we were about to die by being torn apart by a werewolf? Yet, the more they spoke about it, the more intrigued the Doctor became before he made me jump by shouting.

"Oh, yes! There's a lot of unfinished business in this house. His father's research, and your husband, Ma'am, he came here, and he sought the perfect diamond. Hold on, hold on. All these separate things, they're not separate at all, they're connected. Oh, my head, my head. What if this house, it's a trap for you, is that right, Ma'am?"

"Obviously," the Queen said, making me shake my head before I spotted dust drifting down from the ceiling.

"At least, that's what the wolf intended. But, what if there's a trap inside the trap?"

My gaze slowly followed the dust up and I felt my heart skip a beat at the dark creature crawling over the glass panes above us.

"Explain yourself, Doctor."

"Perhaps later?" I breathed, a hand moving to my pistol as I backed up towards the group.

"What if his father and your husband weren't just telling each other stories. They dared to imagine all this was true, and they planned against it, laying the real trap not for you but for the wolf."

"That wolf?" I bit out, turning their gazes towards said creature.

"That one there, yeah… Out!" He shouted as the glass began to crack. "Out! Out!"

Everyone rushed to dismantle the blockade enough to slip out the doors as the wolf came crashing down.

"Get to the observatory!" The Doctor shouted as he closed the door on the wolf, and we ran.

I again stayed near the back to prevent stragglers and just as we reached the hallway near the kitchen, Rose let out a scream directly behind me. I cursed, doubling back and grabbing her, twisting her away from the wolf as it swung a hand at us. Pain rippled over my back as we were thrown to the side, hitting the wall hard before the wolf was covered in something and ran off with cries of pain.

"Good shot!" The Doctor called to the Lady of the estate who'd thrown boiling mistletoe at the creature. "Are you all right, Rose?"

I cringed as I released Rose, checking her over and answering the Doctor for her. "She's fine. In shock, a bit, I think."

"You… You saved me."

I raised a brow. "What? You expected me to just stand there?"

We stood, but I cringed, catching myself with a hand against the wall as my vision swam a bit and my back burned with pain.

"You're hurt!"

"I'm fine," I bit out as the Doctor hurried back from checking the corner for the wolf.

"You're hardly that. Your entire back's been torn up."

"And I'll live," I pressed, pushing off the wall and attempting to ignore the pain as best I could. "You have a plan for the wolf, don't you? We best get to it."

He looked hesitant, eyeing me but Robert called out to us.

"The observatory's this way!"

We hurried up the stairs, every step sending added agony through me as I wrapped a hand around my side in a vain attempt to quell it. We made it, though and the Doctor winced.

"No mistletoe in these doors because your father wanted the wolf to get inside. I just need time. Is there any way of barricading this?"

"Just do your work and I'll defend it," Sir Robert said, making me roll my eyes.

"Shut up and get in here," I said sharply, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and hauling him into the room before placing my European sword through the door handles. "That should hold it off for a bit. I'll also stand guard j-just in case."

"You can't fight it like that," the Doctor argued, and I scowled.

"Just watch me."

He cracked a grin before dashing to the Endeavor, calling to the Queen for the diamond and placing it in the slot as he, Rose and Robert turned the crank to shift the telescope. My eyes widened in understanding.

"Oh, that's brilliant," I breathed, earning a grin from the Doctor.

"Isn't it just?"

"What exactly is going on?" The Queen questioned, and my mouth began moving before I realized what I was saying.

"It's light-refraction. When you shine a light through a magnifying glass, it bends the light rays, so they converge and focus on a point. But this is doing it with moonlight, focusing it on the werewolf. We're going to overload it with the very thing that gives it power!"

The door broke open then, snapping my blade in two and the wolf hit me hard in the stomach, throwing me out of the way to get to the Queen. I couldn't even breathe, much less call out to her, but the Doctor slid the diamond across the floor into place, lighting up the werewolf. It was lifted off the ground, turning back momentarily into a young boy asking to be freed. The Doctor increased the rays before the boy and the wolf vanished with one final howl.

Rose rushed to my side, helping me sit up as I took deep, painful breaths. The Doctor had gone to the Queen, asking if she was all right before heading over to me too, cracking a grin.

"Cleverer and cleverer. You're a bit wasted as a soldier there, Arthur."

"Thanks," I muttered, accepting his help to get up onto my feet as we left the observatory.

Upon making it downstairs, Sir Roberts was reunited with his wife and offered to have a servant tend to my wounds, but I waved him off. I requested everything be brought to a room so I could do it myself and was left alone to do so until it was time to return to Her Majesty's side. I carefully stripped off my outer layers, getting down to the white dress shirt and grimacing as I peeled it off too. The bandages I used to bind my chest were in tatters, adding to my headache, and just as I went to pour the disinfectant down my back, the door opened. I cursed, having jumped enough to accidentally pour more than I intended as the familiar voice of the Doctor cut in.

"I just popped in to possibly help you out since I'm pretty sure you can't… reach… Oh."

I flushed when I realized my position, quickly grabbing my white shirt and holding it up to cover my chest. The gig was up. I heard the door close and spat out a soft curse. I knew he was going to inform the Queen that her guard was a woman and get me potentially executed for treason. I could just leave. Put some space between myself and everyone, but… it would mean treason anyway. She might be lenient. I did save her life so there's at least a chance, whereas if I run… I sighed softly, taking a deep breath and returning to cleaning my wounds and bandaging myself. I begrudgingly replaced my uniform as well and headed to gather with the others.

"Might I borrow your sword, Briggs?"

I hesitated at the Queen's order, but she held her hand out with a pointed look. I nodded, slowly drawing the weapon and offering it to her. Killed by my own weapon, huh?

"Kneel with the others, please."

"Yes, ma'am," I muttered, kneeling beside Rose and the Doctor, rather crestfallen as she rose the sword.

"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 the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee Sir Arthur Briggs of the Queen's guard."

I blinked in surprise as I felt the soft tap of the sword on my shoulders—my head still attached, and no word being spoken about my gender.

"You may stand."

We all stood, and she returned my sword, which I numbly replaced in its sheath as the Doctor and Rose smiled.

"Many thanks, ma'am."

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

I don't even believe this, I mused, glancing at the Doctor as he spoke to the Queen about her husband once more. Why didn't he tell her I'm a woman?

"Indeed. Then you may think on this also. That I am not amused."

"Yes," Rose quietly cheered, earning a frown from the both of us.

"Not remotely amused. And henceforth I banish you," she declared, making the Doctor pause.

"I'm sorry?"

"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."

"Well… suppose there's no convincing you then," he hummed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Still, it was nice meeting all of you. I'm sure we can… catch a ride back."

The Queen huffed as they stepped out and then turned to me. "And what would you wish to do now, Lieutenant?"

"Me?" I questioned, earning a softened look from her.

"Yes. As the Doctor mentioned, being a soldier is a waste of your talents. I have knighted you not just because you saved my life more than once today, but because I can see that you have a calling elsewhere and I wished to reward you before you go."

"Ma'am, I—"

"Do not try and convince me otherwise. Ever since those two appeared, you've become distracted by their world. Reynolds never described you as reckless with your life or quick to use your sword, yet you've done both this evening. And while I may not approve of this Doctor person and his Rose, I feel you might learn something from them—if not teach them something." She sighed and waved her hand. "Go. I've already sent someone to bring soldiers for the rest of my trip. You are dismissed."

"Y-Yes, ma'am. Thank you."

I wasn't sure why I thanked her, but I bowed and stepped out of the estate, hitching up my horse and turning toward the dirt path we'd come from. I climbed on my horse with a grimace of pain, hoping I didn't tear my wounds in the process, and started off down the path. I don't know where I'm going. The Queen dismissed me, but gave me a title meaning that as long as I'm within the country… I'm worth something? I sighed heavily, dragging a tired hand over my face. Ireland's a part of Britain right now, right? Ah, but aren't they dealing with a famine?

"Maybe I'll travel some more," I muttered, nearly drawing my sword when someone spoke up.

"You like to travel?"

"You—" I relaxed at the sight of the grinning Doctor, leaning up against his blue box, groaning heavily. "You piece of—"

"Oi!" He complained.

"What are you doin' scaring me like that?" I complained. "You're lucky I'm not trigger-happy."

He raised a brow, lifting his hand and pointing to my hip. "You went for your sword though."

I shot him an exasperated look. "Lucky you."

He smiled—arms folded over his chest. "So? Where are you headed?"

I frowned, looking away and up at the road ahead. "Dunno. Somewhere. Anywhere, really."

I could feel his eyes boring into the side of my head as I considered nudging my horse into moving again.

"Why is a woman in disguise as the Queen's guard?"

"I'm not disguised as her guard. I am…" I paused, correcting myself. "…was her guard."

He raised a brow. "Was?"

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. "Yes. Thanks to your comments, she's dismissed me to… do better things."

"Congratulations!" He praised and I scowled, twisting my horse around and scowling down at him as said beast pawed the ground at the slightly rough treatment.

"Oh, yeah, 'cause being knighted and abruptly unemployed with nothing, but a damn horse is something to be congratulated about?" I snapped. "You're as idiotic as your friend." I huffed. "Wearing denim in 1879, honestly."

"Well, we weren't exactly aiming for—Hold on. Denim wasn't something that happened in the UK until 1944. How do you know about it?"

Damn, I let it slip. I shifted my horse back towards the road. "Good day, Doctor."

"Now, hold on a second!" He said, grabbing the reins and stopping my horse as I grit my teeth.

"Let go."

"Not until you explain. I figured something was up when I saw your katana, but some of the things you said. Light-refraction? Scholars might understand the concept, but a soldier? Much less, a woman disguised as a man in 1879?"

"What does it matter?" I complained. "I'm disguised to survive. Being a man allows me to get decent pay, a decent job. I'm clever too, sure, but I wasn't always a soldier. Why would that be surprising? I traveled, lived in Japan for a time. What more do you need from me?"

"Maybe how you know what denim is? Or perhaps why there's a rather intricate tattoo on your shoulder that you seem desperate to hide?"

"Tattoos are frowned upon in this time."

"Then why not cover it up?"

Because it can't be covered. I tried. It shows through any paste or makeup. I ground my teeth, debating on telling him. I want answers from him first.

"Why do you own a blue police box forty years too early?" I countered, frowning down at him. "How did you get it out in the middle of nowhere in Scotland?"

Instead of an answer, he smirked. "Do you want to see?"

I scowled. "No."

"Now, come on!" He complained as I jerked the reins from his grasp and started riding away. "I can help you!"

I pulled the horse to a stop, grinding my teeth at his naivety. He can't help me. No one can. Not with this stupid tattoo and not with what's wrong with me. Who does he think he is?

"You like to travel, right?" He continued, walking up after me. "I can show you things better than here. Better than whatever you were thinking of doing with a knighthood and a horse."

I glared at him from over my shoulder, making him grimace and hold up his hands.

"N-Not that there's anything wrong with your plans. I just thought you might like something… more?"

I took a deep breath and let it out, tipping my head back and closing my eyes. Did I want something more than some cottage in the highlands and a horse? Yeah, probably. Settling down was never a long-term option for me. And he's definitely strange. Aliens and werewolves and he didn't bat an eye. I lowered my head and scratched at it in frustration. He might actually be my only hope at leaving this place, this time… He might be the only one who could actually try and help me. I groaned and turned the horse back around, stomping it up to him as a grin stretched over his face.

"Fine," I spat, hopping off the horse and glaring at him. "But I have the right to leave whenever I want."

He just kept smiling. "Of course."

My eyes narrowed before I huffed, giving in and lifting the horse's reins. "So? How are you going to magically teleport me and my horse someplace more amazing than Scotland?"

He blinked, eyeing the horse that huffed out its nose at him before something in his mind clicked and he clapped his hands once. "Right! Traveling!" He bounded back towards the strange blue police box he'd shown up with, placing a hand on the door before pausing and pointing at the horse. "You're, uh… taking him?"

I raised a brow in challenge. "You think I'm going to just leave him? Leave a hand-raised, military-trained stallion out in the middle of rural Scotland?"

"Right…" He cleared his throat, muttering something under his breath that I didn't hear before pushing the door to the box open and stepping aside, waiting.

When I didn't move he urged me forward.

"Go on, then."

"Go on, you say," I muttered, eyeing the blue box and questioning his sanity. "You expect a horse to fit in there?"

He rolled his eyes. "Just go in."

I hesitated but begrudgingly stepped towards the box and slipped inside, where my eyes widened.

"What do you think?" The Doctor smirked from the doorway.

I stared a moment longer before glancing back at him. "Yeah, I think the horse will fit."