So I was going to make you guys wait another day for this, until I realized that WE PASSED 100 REVIEWS! So as a congrats, I'm posting this now, as soon as I finished writing it, since you guys were so amazing. This is a COMPLETELY original chapter, keep that in mind. It ought to be a bit confusing, and for you, as the readers, should learn quite a bit, find quite a bit futurely funny, and if you're really smart (like most of you are, I'm sure!), you should figure out who the man is that Freya's been seeing!
Be ready to have a lot of your questions answered!
Chapter 18: Her Darkest Day
The TARDIS landed with a thud. The Doctor's eyes were wide with glee as he dashed for the doors, not even bothering to check the screens. Freya trudged slowly after him, wishing she'd had a chance to change first.
Of course, the moment she stepped out of the TARDIS, she knew exactly where they were. The TARDIS was, indeed, taking them into her past. Only this would have been during her lifetime.
"Right, first thing to do, figure out where we are. Second, why we are here. C, you need rest," the Doctor said simply, spinning on her.
"We're on Earth. England. A small town called Leadworth," Freya told him. The Doctor spun on her, staring with interest.
"How do you know? Or are you just getting good at this," the Doctor teased.
"I lived here a few years as a kid," Freya told him. The Doctor sobered up at her words.
"We really are visiting your past. But why this date? What's so urgent? Speaking of, when are we?" the Doctor asked. Freya shrugged and started making her way to the center of town. They passed a small duck pond, where only one duck was there this time. She frowned. There were always quite a few ducks huddling in the tiny pond. She'd never understood why.
But the duck pond wasn't created until she turned six. She remembered her father complaining about the money they spent putting in a duck pond.
"It's sometime after 1991. That's when the duck pond was created," Freya informed him, glancing around once more. Leadworth wasn't known for its changes.
She did, however, notice a new phone booth. An actual phone booth, not a police call box. She remembered when it was put in clearly.
"It's after 1994. They put that phone booth up in 1994," Freya added. She took another step and froze.
Standing tall, along the edge of town, was the old school building in all its glory.
The school building that burnt down in 1994 with her inside.
"1994. It's 1994," Freya choked. The Doctor was at her side instantly.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?" he asked her worriedly. Freya started to nod but stopped. The phone booth was put up a week before the school burnt down. That was the only reason she remembered exactly when it had been put up.
"I don't know. I'm gonna sit down. You can go ahead and search for any alien threats. You can start with the school building," Freya told him, moving towards a bench. The Doctor didn't hesitate in following her to the bench, sinking down next to her.
"Why the school? What's wrong?" he asked her.
"That school burnt down on April 15, 1994. The phone booth was put up on April 1st, 1994," Freya told him simply. The Doctor's eyes widened.
"Oh. What caused it?" the Doctor asked. Freya shook her head.
"We never found out. My family moved soon after it happened," Freya told him.
"Let's go investigate then, shall we?" he asked, standing up and holding his hand out to her. Freya shook her head.
"I'm gonna go change first. You can run ahead. Trust me. I'll be able to find you," Freya told him. Because she needed a few minutes alone to compose herself before she confronted this adventure.
The Doctor stared at her for a moment, as if debating whether he ought to listen to her and leave her behind or not.
"Are you sure? Do you feel okay? You aren't going to wander off, are you?" he asked, his tone a combination of worry and suspicion.
"I'm fine. I…I need a moment. And I do need to change. Then I'll find you," Freya promised earnestly. The Doctor nodded before digging deep in his pocket and pulling out the extra sonic screwdriver she'd found in his leather jacket ages ago.
"Here. Take this. As backup," the Doctor told her with a smile before dashing off. Freya clutched the screwdriver and closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath of the air that was so distinctively Leadworth.
"Are you alright?"
The voice startled her. It was Scottish. She didn't know anybody Scottish…did she? Yes. The family who moved in down the road from her, only a year before she moved.
In front of her was a little girl with red hair. She couldn't have been older than five or six.
"Yeah. I'm fine," Freya said quietly. The girl stared at her for a moment before settling herself onto the bench next to Freya.
"I'm Amelia Pond. But everyone calls me Amy," the little girl introduced. Freya's eyes widened. River had had her go by Amy. That was…ironic. Much too ironic. This little girl must have something to do with them later on in life.
"I'm Freya. Freya soon-to-be Smith," Freya told the girl. Amy's eyes lit up.
"I know a Freya! Freya O'Leary. She's really cool," Amy said.
"Oh?" Freya asked in confusion. Amy nodded eagerly.
"Yeah. She doesn't talk much but I like her. She's not scared of anything," Amy gushed. Freya couldn't help but chuckle.
"Oh, I'm sure that's not true. Everyone's afraid of something," Freya told the little girl.
"Even adults?" Amy asked, her nose scrunching up at the words.
"Yeah. Even adults," Freya admitted. She glanced at Amy again and her eyes widened.
"Amy, can you tell me what today is? The date?" Freya asked.
"Yeah. Of course I can. It's April 15th," Amy told her, as if she were dumb. Freya's blood went cold.
"April 15th? Are you sure?" she asked. Amy nodded slowly.
"Of course I'm sure. They make us write the date in school," Amy explained.
"I need to get going. Amy, can you do me a favor? Go home. Go home and stay home for the rest of the day. You don't want to go out tonight," Freya warned her, remembering what had led up to the fire.
Amy's eyebrows furrowed together.
"But there's a meeting tonight at the school. Mum and Dad were going to go with me," Amy said. Freya shook her head.
"Tell them you don't feel good. Because I'm gonna let you in on a secret. It's a horribly boring meeting," Freya told the girl. This won her over. Amy nodded.
"Okay. I don't wanna got to something boring," Amy said. Freya nodded, standing.
"Now run along before your parents get worried," Freya told the little girl. Amy shifted off the bench and ran along the street, racing straight to a house. Freya turned to head to the TARDIS, only to come face to face with River Song.
"What are you doing here?" Freya asked her in shock. River shook her head.
"Bad time. I know. This is like a field trip for us. I, sadly, can't stay very long, but my…companions can," River said with a snicker.
"Why can't you?" Freya asked in confusion.
"Because the Doctor hasn't met me yet. Our meeting is a fixed point, or so I'm told," River said, rolling her eyes. She gently took Freya's arm and tugged her along to the TARDIS.
"Come on. Let's get you changed," River said, dragging her along. Freya allowed the woman to tug her along.
"Where are you in your time line?" River asked casually. Freya thought for a moment. She couldn't spoil things for River, in case they hadn't happened for her yet.
"We just came from Scotland," Freya said. River rolled her eyes.
"When was the last time you saw me? Saying you went to Scotland is horribly vague," River complained.
"I saw you in New Earth. You were babysitting," Freya said finally. River's smile grew.
"Oh. I remember that. That was a few years back. That wasn't our first meeting though. You knew me then. How much do you know about me?" River asked carefully. Freya shook her head.
"Not much. Very little, to be honest. Early in my time line, according to you," Freya reminded her. River smiled and nodded.
"That it is. Come along now, beautiful. My boys'll be impatient to see you," River told her as she snapped her fingers in front of the TARDIS doors. To Freya's amazement, they flew open.
"How did you do that?" Freya breathed. River's grin widened.
"She knows me. She'd do it for you and the Doctor, too, if you tried it. Don't try it in front of him, though. I wanna be the one to tell him he can," River said, eyes dancing. She tugged Freya into the TARDIS before Freya could have a chance to say anything.
There, standing in the console room, was Jack.
Jack and the strange man.
"Jack!" Freya cried, throwing herself at him. He caught her effortlessly, hugging her back.
"Whoa! When's the last time you saw me? I haven't had this sort of a greeting in a long time," Jack said, his smile bright. Freya glanced over at River, not sure what she could say.
"We…you've met the Doctor, yes? My Doctor? Big ears?" Freya said hesitantly, remembering what River had called him. Jack nodded.
"We left you behind. At the Game Station. That's the last time I saw you," Freya said, once she realized he was indeed in the right place. Jack's eyes widened.
"Oh. Wow. I didn't realize that this was the first time you saw me since then. No wonder I got a hug," he said with a grin. He examined her and grinned.
"In that case, look at you. One extra," Jack said, wiggling his eyebrows up and down at her. Freya shook her head at him before glancing over his shoulder at the second man in the room.
It was the strange man she kept seeing.
Her eyes widened and she automatically took a step back, watching him.
"Who are you?" Freya asked him, keeping her voice as neutral as possible. It wouldn't do for her voice to shake. She wasn't going to be scared. She took a half step back, placing her hand on the TARDIS console. Gold particles crept along her arm, instantly soothing her as she had done when Freya first entered the TARDIS.
The man appeared oddly disappointed to hear her question. And hurt, even.
"Have we not met before?" the man asked carefully. Freya shook her head.
"I've seen you before. You were watching us with the little girl," Freya said, remembering Christmas. The man nodded, still watching her for any reaction.
"I can say that, in the future, we're close," the man told her. River smacked him on the arm, causing him to wince.
"Tell her something more substantial that doesn't contain spoilers," River ordered. The man offered up a sheepish smile.
"I don't know what I can say. This isn't where she learns who I am," the man complained. River stared at him.
"And? They don't know who I am yet either, I'm sure, but that doesn't stop me from at least giving them a name," River pointed out. The man sighed and turned to Freya.
"I can't really give you my name, too much….ugh, I'm going to have to use his word, aren't I? Too much timey-wimey ness," the man shuddered at the use of the phrase, a reaction Freya didn't understand.
"I'm Bad Wolf," the man finally said.
"Bad Wolf? Is that a nickname?" Freya asked him. It was an…odd name, to say the least.
"Sort of. More like a title. A reputation, if you will," the man told her.
"So I'm just supposed to call you Bad Wolf?" Freya asked in disbelief. The man smiled wide, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"Yeah. I suppose you are. Now. Back to what we ought to have been doing to begin with," Bad Wolf told them, moving towards the TARDIS console. Freya quickly intercepted him, standing in his way.
"What do you plan on doing?" Freya asked him. He stared at her, almost reading her.
"Scanning for alien tech. Is that a problem?" Bad Wolf asked her. Freya nodded.
"It is. I don't know you, even though you say I will one day. I can't even get your real name. How do I know you won't do something to sabotage the TARDIS? I won't let you hurt her," Freya threatened.
"It's okay. He won't hurt her. I promise," River said. But Freya still stared at Bad Wolf.
"To be honest, River, as much as I like you, I don't know if I trust you enough to let you mess with the TARDIS either," Freya admitted.
"But you trust me. He won't do anything. Him and River are trustworthy. You have my word," Jack promised, stepping forward. Freya tore her eyes away from Bad Wolf and stared at Jack. He seemed earnest.
Freya slowly stepped away from the console, still watching Bad Wolf carefully.
He was upset.
His hands were shaking slightly as he started flipping switches and glancing at the screen.
Why was he so upset? Freya took a half step towards him, almost putting her hand on his shoulder automatically before she stopped herself and moved back. Where had that come from? She didn't like seeing people upset, yes, but that didn't mean she should comfort complete strangers, especially strangers who wouldn't even give her their name.
"You need to get changed. Why don't we go get you some new clothes?" Jack suggested. Freya shook her head immediately.
"Not yet. I'll wait til he's done. I don't want to leave him in here," Freya said. Jack's eyes narrowed at her as he observed her.
"You're extremely defensive. Why?" Jack asked her.
"I don't know him. He knows me, knows how to work the TARDIS, and won't even give me his name. I know nothing about him. I won't let the TARDIS die again. I can't let the Doctor go through that again," Freya said quietly.
"The TARDIS dies?" River asked in confusion. Freya offered a small smile.
"Spoilers," Freya told her. River shook her head but there was a smile on her lips as well.
"Wolfie won't hurt the TARDIS," Jack reassured her. Bad Wolf stiffened and glared at Jack.
"Wolfie? No," he said definitely. Jack winked at him, only to receive a scowl.
"He's my husband," River said suddenly. Both men turned to stare at her, both looking quite apprehensive about her words. Freya jumped slightly, staring at River.
"What?" Freya asked.
"Bad Wolf. He's my husband. You said you don't know anything about him. That's something. I married him. Him and I travel through time together. Sometimes we take Jack along," River said offhandedly.
"Hey!" Jack protested, holding up his wrist.
"Okay, he takes us along for the ride most of the time," River amended.
"I'm done. Let's go get you changed so we can get on with this," Bad Wolf said, almost stiffly, heading for the hallway.
"We're all helping her change?" Jack asked, sending Freya a wink. Bad Wolf didn't even turn around.
"She doesn't trust me with her precious console. Figured she'd want me in her sight the whole time," Bad Wolf said sharply, not even glancing over his shoulder at them. Freya winced at his cold tone. Jack and River exchanged worried glances before Jack wrapped an arm around her shoulder. River made her way over to Bad Wolf and slipped her hand into his, walking ahead with him.
"He's a bit moody. You'd understand, if you knew his parents," Jack said offhandedly.
"I just….I'm confused," Freya admitted. Jack nodded.
"Time travel. It gives you a headache. Don't worry about it much," Jack advised.
"Is there anything else you can tell me about him? Why do you travel with them? What's the connection?" Freya questioned him. Jack opened his mouth and closed it for a second.
"We're family. Obviously not blood family, but we're still family. The three of us – well, there's usually four of us, but number four's in prison again – travel all over together," Jack said.
"Spoilers!" River shouted from ahead.
"Who's the fourth member of your group? Why are they in prison?" Freya asked, highly intrigued.
"Those are all some rather large spoilers, beautiful. Now come along. I'm on babysitting duty in twenty-three years. Can't be late," River said.
"Who's the girl? Can you at least tell me who the little girl is?" Freya tried.
"Spoilers. Sorry," River said apologetically. Freya sighed.
They entered the wardrobe and the four of them made their way to a section River designated. Freya could only watch as the three of them held out certain articles of clothing, trying to come up with what they thought would be the perfect outfit.
"Are the three of you fashion models on the side?" Freya teased when Jack told Bad Wolf that the shoes he was holding didn't go with the mini-skirt River was holding up. The three of them looked quite appalled at her words.
"What about this jacket? It should be good," Bad Wolf said, tugging out a leather jacket.
Freya's heart froze.
She took a step back.
"No. I can't wear that jacket," Freya choked out. Jack turned to her and his eyes widened. He dropped the jumper he was holding and pulled her into a hug.
"Remind you of Big-Ears too much?" Jack asked curiously.
Bad Wolf merely looked frustrated.
"I don't see what's so wrong with it. You wear it in the future. It looks good on you. And it's practical," Bad Wolf said.
"I can't wear it around the Doctor. It makes him feel like I'm rejecting him for himself," Freya murmured.
"There should be a limit to the amount of insecurity in one person," Jack said sarcastically.
"So you won't wear leather because it reminds him of his past self? How is that fair? Isn't he the same person? Why is he so sentimental about that?" Bad Wolf criticized. River slapped him at his words.
Freya moved from them and snatched the first outfit she could grab.
"Look, I'm just going to wear this. It's not going to matter what I wear. I'm probably going to end up in the middle of the fire tonight, so the clothes'll only be ruined," Freya pointed out.
"Fire? That's not a good idea. Won't that be bad for the baby?" Bad Wolf asked in alarm.
"Why do you care?" Freya shot back. Bad Wolf glared at her.
"Should I not care? Do you not care about your baby?" Bad Wolf asked her.
"Stop it. You're behaving like a rebellious teenager," River chided.
"I'm older than her right now," Bad Wolf gestured at Freya. She took the clothes and slid into the small changing room as they argued. She felt like she was on a rollercoaster of emotions. She threw the clothes on as quickly as she could and huddled into a corner of the changing room, pulling her knees up to her chest as she fought to keep tears from pouring out of her eyes.
She didn't like this. She didn't like all the arguing, the accusations, and she certainly didn't like to think about what she was going to witness later. She didn't want to watch him die. Not again.
An image of the reapers appeared in her mind. He had to die. She knew that. She couldn't try saving him. Not after what happened when Rose tried saving her dad.
The curtain to the room slid open and Jack peeked his head inside. His mouth was open, ready to say something, but when he saw her there, he said nothing, choosing instead to slip inside the room and sink to the floor next to her. One of his arms slid around her and he pulled out a small box of chocolate from his jacket, handing it to her.
Freya sniffled and stared at the chocolate dubiously.
"How did that fit in your pocket?" Freya asked suspiciously, but her voice sounded so foreign. So broken.
"Raided the TARDIS closet. It's hard to get a good jacket with bigger on the inside pockets," Jack said, trying to elicit a laugh from her. She could only manage a wet chuckle before the curtain was thrown back once more.
"Jack, I swear if…oh," Bad Wolf drifted off, staring at them. River shoved past them and sighed before settling herself on the other side of Freya, one of her own arms going around Freya's shoulders as well.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" River asked her soothingly. Freya opened her mouth and closed it again before shaking her head, burying her face in her knees while trying to avoid the box of chocolate Jack had placed on her knees.
Her chin was gently lifted up before she could even properly hide her face.
"None of that. Come on. Have some chocolate," Jack urged, releasing her chin to pop open the box and force a piece of the chocolate into her mouth.
"Are you sure that's the right chocolate?" River asked Jack suspiciously. Jack checked the back of the package and quickly shoved it in his pockets.
"Close enough. Now come on. Smile?" Jack directed the attention back to Freya.
"It's okay sweetie. Everyone has stressed out days. Everything's going to be fine," River reassured her.
"How do you know?" Freya finally managed to ask.
"Because I do. You'll always be okay. I promise you that," River reassured her. Freya managed to glance back up to see that Bad Wolf was still frozen in the doorway, just staring at them.
"Come on, beautiful. That husband of yours gets into more trouble than anyone I know. We'd bettered go bail him out before he insults a whole species. Again," River said with a sigh as she stood. Jack stood as well and the two of them carefully pulled Freya to her feet.
Jack wiped the tear stains from her face carefully and gave her a smile.
"I'm sorry," Freya managed to whisper. Both River and Jack shook their heads.
"Don't be. It's not the first time we've upset you and spent time comforting you. You…well, you wouldn't be surprised, how much one of us says something careless and upsets you," River admits, elbowing Jack as she said it.
"Hey! I don't always do it!" Jack protested.
"Do I?" Bad Wolf sounded horribly terrified at the thought of that. River glanced at him and her gaze softened slightly.
"Only when you act like a spoilt brat. Now let's get going," River told him. Freya took one step and felt her stomach turn.
"I think I'm going to be sick," Freya murmured. Jack dragged a trashcan over to her before she had a chance to even move. Freya hunched over the trashcan, shaking as River held her hair back. She hated vomiting so much.
"I thought it was the right chocolate!" River hissed at Jack when Freya had finished.
"It was! I just didn't account for the baby not wanting chocolate," Jack replied sheepishly.
"Bathroom. Teeth," Freya murmured, stumbling away from the trashcan. Jack moved the trashcan to the hallway and the four of them trekked to the bathroom where Freya instantly began brushing her teeth.
"You didn't realize the baby may not want chocolate? Are you stupid?" Bad Wolf asked Jack in disbelief. Jack looked like he wanted to say something else, but stopped himself.
When she'd finished, River handed her the leather jacket. Freya stared at it for a moment before River started tugging it on Freya's arms.
"Leather better protects skin from fire. If you do get caught up in the fire, it'll be easier to get you out unscathed. This is where I leave. Boys, if you don't take care of her, you'd bettered not be calling me to get you," River threatened the two of them before pressing on the button on her wrist.
"What is that?" Freya asked the moment she disappeared.
"Vortex Manipulator. Stole it from me, the minx," Jack grumbled as they headed towards the console room. They'd only entered the room when Freya was blinded by a wall of gold light. The golden light swirled before sinking into her skin.
"What's that? What's wrong?" Jack asked worriedly. Freya shook her head.
"The TARDIS. She's anticipating a danger to the baby and protecting us," Freya told Jack.
"Wouldn't it be easier for her to just keep you on board then?" Bad Wolf asked.
"That'd be like trying to keep the Doctor aboard the TARDIS," Jack pointed out as they opened the doors to the TARDIS.
"What did the alien tech readings say?" Jack asked Bad Wolf.
"Alien concentration at the school building. Invisible ship above it. Three guesses where the Doctor is," Bad Wolf said sarcastically.
"When the ship takes off, could it set the school on fire?" Freya asked them.
"If it doesn't take off right, yeah. It could. But it would only not take off right if the Doctor messes with it," Jack stated.
"Then we'd bettered get there quickly. Because he messed it up," Freya told them.
"That's the fire? He sets the school on fire?" Bad Wolf asks in disbelief.
"Someone sets the school on fire. With children still inside. I'm in there," Freya told them.
"Little you? Seriously? Why was little you in the school at this time?" Jack asked.
"There was some kind of party. I don't remember it too well. When the fire started, all the parents got their kids out. There were two of us who didn't have parents to focus on trying to get us out," Freya admitted.
"No time to waste then. Let's go!" Jack said, pulling Freya along.
They got to the school in time to see parents rushing out, children in their arms. The fire alarm was already blaring.
"Freya, stay out here," Jack ordered, but Freya shook her head.
"You don't know where little me is. You need me to tell you," Freya told them stubbornly.
"No, it's safer for you out here," Bad Wolf agreed.
Neither of them had a chance to say anything else because, at that moment, the Doctor stumbled out of the school.
"There you are! What took so long? Jack? What are you doing here?" the Doctor asked, staring at Jack suspiciously. Jack merely grinned at the Doctor.
"Good to see you again too, Doc. Now, more important things to do. There's kids inside still," Jack told him.
"No there aren't. I had the parents get them all out," the Doctor pointed out.
"Two children didn't have parents there to get them out," Freya told him quietly. The Doctor glanced at her and his eyes widened.
"No," he breathed before turning on his heel and dashing into the building.
The three of them were following him automatically into the burning building. Freya held back her cough at the thick smoke that billowed around them. She held her jacket sleeve to her nose, hoping to keep most of the smoke out.
"Where are they?" Jack asked Freya frantically.
"Third story science room," Freya said before releasing her first cough.
"Bad Wolf, carry her," Jack ordered as he raced after the Doctor.
"But I…" Bad Wolf drifted off but, upon realizing Jack was no longer there to hear him, sighed.
"Climb onto my back, okay?" Bad Wolf asked, bending down in front of her. Freya wanted to argue that she could walk on her own, but if the smoke increased – and she was sure it would- she doubted she'd be able to.
They caught up with Jack and Doctor in no time. Even the Doctor was coughing by that point.
"That way," Freya said loudly, pointing down the hall. The Doctor looked like he wanted to question them, but even he seemed to sense there was no time.
They burst into the room Freya knew the children were in.
"They sound amazing," Little Freya breathed.
"They are!" the little boy told her triumphantly. Freya's heart broke.
"Children! Come on! We're gonna get you out!" the Doctor told them. Little Freya tried standing but started coughing. The Doctor had her in his arms before she could even recover. Jack moved to pick up the boy. Little Nick Hoskins.
They were running. Running so fast. Freya buried her head in Bad Wolf's jacket to keep from inhaling too much smoke.
The next thing she knew, they'd burst from the building. Freya slid off of Bad Wolf's back, glancing back at Jack.
His arms were empty.
The Doctor sat Little Freya down and gave her a little push towards the crowds. Little Freya needed no encouragement to stumble towards the crowd, where no one even acknowledged her.
That's when the Doctor noticed Jack's empty arms. His eyes widened.
"Jack…where's the little boy?" the Doctor asked in horror. Jack shook his head.
"I fell. He hit his head. It was too late to save him," Jack said quietly.
"So you left his body up there to burn?" the Doctor shouted at him, eyes flashing.
"Doctor….he died. He never made it out of the building," Freya told the Doctor. He spun on her, eyes still livid.
"What do you mean he….wait. How old was he?" the Doctor asked.
"Six. Remember the Hoskins wedding? That was their baby. Their beautiful baby boy," Freya told him. The Doctor looked horrified. He shook his head, trying not to take it all in.
That was when he noticed Bad Wolf.
Bad Wolf was staring at him, almost calculating.
"Who the hell are you?" the Doctor asked.
"You can call me Bad Wolf," he said.
"He's a friend, Doc. One of my good friends," Jack said, trying to diffuse the situation before it got worse.
"We can finish talking in the TARDIS. I'd rather…Freya… got checked out to make sure the baby's still okay," Bad Wolf said. The Doctor nodded, turning to Freya.
She could see the disappointment and resignation the moment his eyes saw the jacket.
So could Jack.
"Hey! Don't get all sulky on us. We knew we were heading into a fire and she wouldn't stay behind, so it was the best option to keep her from getting burnt," Jack told him. The Doctor nodded, but Freya could tell he wasn't wholly convinced.
But he did drop it.
"What happened back there?" Freya asked the Doctor as they started walking towards the TARDIS.
"The Nyonx. A different group of them targeting you. You don't remember any other tragedy happening that could be them trying to get you again, do you?" the Doctor asked.
"The Nyonx?" Jack asked curiously.
"They're the reason I met Freya. They feed off of potential life energy," the Doctor explained.
"Like Weeping Angels?" Bad Wolf asked, sounding quite curious. The Doctor nodded, watching Bad Wolf out of the corner of his eye.
"Yes. Like the Weeping Angels. How do you know about the Weeping Angels?" the Doctor asked him.
"I've encountered them a few times," Bad Wolf said.
"Weeping Angels?" Freya asked in confusion.
"Don't worry. I'll tell you about them later," the Doctor told her, still watching Bad Wolf.
"I don't like you," the Doctor finally said. Bad Wolf just stared at him.
"You can't dislike people you just meet," Jack tried interrupting, but no one was paying attention to him.
"Can we just go inside? Before she collapses from smoke inhalation?" Bad Wolf asked, gesturing towards Freya.
"I'm fine," Freya said, but Bad Wolf's words were what triggered the Doctor to act. He unlocked the TARDIS and led them to the med-bay where he checked all of Freya's vitals.
"I'm fine. The TARDIS prepped me for the smoke," Freya tried explaining.
"More particles? I really wish she'd stop. At this rate, who knows how this child'll turn out," the Doctor murmured, examining a screen.
"What do you mean?" Jack asked curiously.
"I mean, he's got to be swimming in so much of the TARDIS's heart that he's practically the heart of the TARDIS himself. I guess we'll see how it happens when he's born," the Doctor said reluctantly.
"Which means you'll run more tests later?" Freya asked him. He beamed at her for her knowledge of him.
And then frowned.
"Freya…remember how you used to say Jack was wrong?" the Doctor asked her. Freya nodded, puzzled at his sudden switch of topics. It wasn't like he didn't' switch topics quite frequently; he did that every time he opened his gob.
"What about it?" Freya asked, glancing at Jack. Jack looked confused for a moment before realization struck him.
"You haven't mentioned it. Since he's come back. Why not? Why didn't you notice? Because he is wrong now," the Doctor told her. Freya frowned and stared at Jack for a moment. She shook her head.
"Before, he felt wrong because he was going to be wrong. Now….now he feels like Jack," Freya murmured.
"Maybe the baby's taking over those feelings instead of projecting them on you now?" the Doctor suggested. Freya shrugged. She hadn't a clue. But she rather liked it now. Because she didn't have that niggling feeling in the back of her mind that Jack was wrong, as she had had before.
The Doctor pulled her from her thoughts by flicking around the room.
"Right! Jack, can you take Freya to the wardrobe to find a dress. We'll drop you off after she gets dressed. Pick something nice. We'll find a courthouse as soon as we get rid of the tag-alongs," the Doctor told her. Freya's eyes widened.
"Now?" she asked him in disbelief. He glanced back at her and his expression softened.
"Every day is like this. We can keep putting it off to a day where nothing bad happens, or we can go ahead and do it. We need to get married so when last me and you land in 2012, I can be arrested," he told her with a grin.
"You got arrested because you were married?" Jack asked in confusion. The Doctor's grin grew.
"That's a story for another day. Go grab a wedding dress. Meet you in console room," the Doctor told her, taking off. Bad Wolf stared at Jack, who motioned for him to follow the Doctor.
"I don't want to," Bad Wolf said quietly.
"Just do it. Grow up a bit," Jack teased and Bad Wolf huffed before making his way after the Doctor.
Picking out the dress wasn't as difficult as picking out her earlier outfit, much to Freya's shock. Jack didn't have anyone there outside of Freya to disagree with his fashion taste. Freya, however, was happy that he picked something simple. Something she could put on without his help. Because despite him being great, she didn't trust him to help her get dressed. At least, not if she could help it. Memories of him grabbing both hers and the Doctor's bums flashed through her head at the thought.
When they got to the console room, Freya was surprised to hear no talking. The Doctor was glaring at Bad Wolf, and Bad Wolf was glaring at him. Their irritation was tangible in the room.
"What did you do this time?" Jack asked as he entered. Both men to stare at him.
"Why do you assume I did something?" Bad Wolf asked immediately.
"He was talking to the Doctor," Freya supplied. The Doctor's head turned to stare at her. Freya smiled at him shyly as he moved immediately over to her.
"I love it! Good taste, Jack," the Doctor said, pulling Freya into a hug. When he leaned back, he stared at her for a moment.
"If you don't want to go through with this right now, it won't bother me," he told her quietly.
"No. You're right. We can't wait for a good moment. There aren't enough of those that don't have us running. Now or never," she told him with a smile.
His smile stretched across his lips as he leaned down and kissed her.
It was slow, sweet, and didn't involve them running for their lives. It was wonderful. Freya melted into his arms, the rest of the world melting away for her. When he reluctantly pulled away, Freya felt light enough to blow away.
"Guess the whole no seeing the bride before the wedding isn't going to be a tradition you plan on following," Jack said with a wink.
"Where do we need to drop you off?" the Doctor asked Jack.
"No need. Our ride'll pick us up. You need a witness for your wedding," Jack pointed out. The Doctor sighed and hit a button on the console, still holding Freya as he did so.
"2006 sounds like a good year for a wedding," he said with a sigh.
"Now to find someone who can marry us and won't have a problem with you saying your name is John Smith," Freya said with a grin.
"I can help you out there," Jack said, a wide smile erupting on his lips.
He turned to Bad Wolf.
Whose eyes went wide.
"No. No way," Bad Wolf said, shaking his head immediately.
"No what?" Freya asked him promptly. Jack made his way over to Bad Wolf and slung an arm around his shoulders.
"Bad Wolf here can marry you. He got his licensure couple centuries in the future," Jack said. Bad Wolf's face turned bright red.
"No!" Bad Wolf protested.
"You know you can. Father Octavian gave you your licensure right before the Byzantium, remember?" Jack pointed out. Bad Wolf winced and his eyes widened.
"No. There's too much irony there," Bad Wolf said. Jack shook his head, grin still in place.
"You're doing it. I got my jacket from future you. I'm sure there's a marriage certificate in here," Jack said, digging around in his jacket pocket.
"I thought you said you stole it from the TARDIS," Freya asked.
"You what?!" the Doctor exclaimed. Jack waved them both off.
"Well, Bad Wolf took it from the TARDIS, with sort of permission, and I took it from him. Yup. Right here. Look at that. Get talking, Wolfie," Jack said, handing the crisp marriage certificate to Bad Wolf. Bad Wolf grumbled but nevertheless began the ceremony.
The ceremony was somewhat stilted, but Jack was there to throw in a joke any time Bad Wolf stumbled over something. Freya knew she wouldn't forget the experience. It was surrounded with so much mystery. She was left with more questions than she was answers.
Nevertheless, it was humorous to see the names on the marriage certificate. Since Bad Wolf was marrying them, the Doctor signed "the Doctor" as his name, and Bad Wolf signed Bad Wolf. Jack had to add captain before his name on the witness line.
The kiss was just as fantastic as the one before had been. Except this time, Jack ended up breaking them up.
They decided to hang the certificate up on one of the TARDIS's coral struts, much to Bad Wolf's embarrassment. Whatever it was that was so funny about it, Freya completely missed it.
"We need to get going. Our third musketeer's probably getting bored, and if I know my fourth, she's probably about to stage another prison break," Jack finally told them. Bad Wolf was on his feet in an instant.
"You never did tell me why she was in prison," Freya pointed out.
"Wait – so there's four of you? And one of you's in prison. I figured it would have been you in prison," the Doctor told Jack. Jack could only laugh at that.
"One day, you'll understand. You'll understand all of this, and you'll have a great laugh. But that day's not today. See ya around," Jack said with a half salute as he made his way out of the TARDIS. Bad Wolf glanced at the two them, as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't. Instead, he just made his way out of the TARDIS after Jack.
The two of them had only been out of the room for a minute before Freya's cell began ringing. It had been sitting on the console for…well, Freya couldn't remember how long it had been sitting there. She never carried her cell phone around. The Doctor scooped it up and answered it for her.
"We'll be there tomorrow," he said as he hung up. He then smiled at Freya.
"Who was that?" Freya asked. They'd landed, he'd said. Did that mean he was going to leave them there for the night before going? Freya hoped so. It would be nice to get a good night's sleep before another adventure.
"Rose. Her and Mickey found a school that sounded suspicious. We'll go figure it all out tomorrow," the Doctor told her. Freya smiled at him as he put the phone down on the console once more.
"So we're actually going to get a full night's sleep before another adventure?" Freya asked, almost not believing her luck.
The Doctor's grin turned devious.
"Well. There is that option. However, I never gave her a time tomorrow for us to show up," the Doctor said. Freya wasn't sure what he was getting at. His eyebrows shot up and down a few times and Freya's eyes widened.
"I'm sure we could find a better way to spend our wedding night rather than just sleeping."
;) How was that?! What do you think? I hope Freya wasn't too far out of character. I figured that, especially considering pregnancy hormones, this would throw her all out of whack. :) So...what do you think of it? Did you like it? I couldn't resist making River, Jack, Bad Wolf and mysterious number 4 like the Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax team. :) I just felt like so much more awesomeness could come out of the four of them showing up (or three, depending on who was in prison and such what days).
Oh, and as a side note, I wasn't really threatening for reviews. I'd only gotten like three for the chapter before so I was upset over it. You guys went above and beyond for reviews here! Please keep up the reviewing though; you have no idea how much of an encouragement it is to see all the reviews in my inbox!
Andi