Hi guys, here's the next part of Tooth and Claw, chapter 39 of this story is finally here, when I put up the next one I'll have my longest story so far and it's still no where near finished as I've got the rest of Series 2 plus all the filler chapters between episodes, so needless to say I definitely won't be finished this before Christmas, but if I do, I'll be shocked as it's only 27 days away, which means I'll be 20 in 27 days…. Yes my birthday is on Christmas Day and if you're really lucky you'll get an update then, but enough about Christmas. Let's get on with this.

The Doctor, Rose and Sir Robert left the men who completely refused to run behind and ran upstairs as the former had suggested. Rose had her husband's hand in a death grip and he could feel the fear of this creature radiating from her, he squeezed her hand before dropping it and gently shoving her through a door, he followed her with Sir Robert, who had been shouting on Queen Victoria "Your Majesty, Your Majesty!" he shouted.

To their relief the Queen appeared at the top of a flight of stairs "Sir Robert, what's happening?" she asked "I heard such terrible noises."

The Doctor went to the front door to try to open it, but found it boarded up. He ran back to Queen Victoria, Sir Robert and his wife. "Front door's no good." he said "It's been boarded up. Pardon me, Your Majesty, you'll have to leg it out of a window." he moved aside and the Queen entered the nearest room, followed by Sir Robert, then Rose and then the Doctor.

Sir Robert moved in front of the Queen "Excuse my manners, ma'am, but I shall go first, the better to assist Her Majesty's egress."

"A noble sentiment, my Sir Walter Raleigh."

"Yeah, any chance you could hurry up?" asked the Doctor. Sir Robert went to the window, he climbed up on the sill and opened the window, not noticing the three men outside. When he had opened the window a little, they fired on him. He got down from the sill and ducked for cover, the Doctor came up beside him "I reckon the monky-boys want us to stay inside."

"Do they know who I am?" asked the Queen

"Yeah, that's why they want you." answered Rose "The wolf's lined you up for a biting."

"Now stop this talk." said Queen Victoria "There can't be an actual wolf."

The four of them turned when they heard a howling sound near by, they got up and left the room to investigate, they found the werewolf trying to get through the door. "What do we do?" Rose asked

"We run." answered the Doctor

"Is that it?"

"Have you got any silver bullets?"

"Not on me, no."

"There we are then." said the Doctor "We run. Your Majesty, as a doctor, I recommend a vigorous jog, good for the health." he took her hand and they ran up the stairs, followed by Rose, and finally Sir Robert who was bringing up the rear.

They reached a corridor and the Doctor started down it "Come on." he shouted "Come on." The other three followed him and they continued to run. The wolf had almost caught them up and made to attack the Doctor and Rose who were now running hand in hand behind the other two. The attack was stopped by Captain Reynolds who shot the werewolf. He reloaded his weapon. "I'll take this position and hold it." he said "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." she replied "It's safe."

"Then remove yourself, ma'am." he said "Doctor, you stand as Her Majesty's protector. And you Sir Robert. You're a traitor to the Crown."

"Bullets can't stop it!" said the Doctor, who had finally realised what Captain Reynolds planned to do.

"They'll buy you time." Reynolds argued "Now, run!"

They did as he asked and ran into a room further down the corridor. Rose stopped outside the door and watched the Captain, he was killed before the Doctor realised that Rose was still outside "Rose!" he said as he ran out of the room and brought her inside. They barricaded the door.

"Wait a minute." said the Doctor "Shh. Wait, wait, wait. Shh." they listened, all they could hear was the wolf howling, it wasn't trying to get into the room "It stopped." He put his ear to the door and listened. "It's gone." he said after a minute or two.

"Listen." they listened as the wolf walked away from the room, obviously looking for another way in.

"Is this the only door?" the Doctor asked Sir Robert in a whisper.

"Yes." he replied. Then he said "No!"

He ran to the other door, with the Doctor on his heels and the two of them barricaded that door as well.

"Shh!" said Rose. They listened as the wolf retreated from the other door. "I don't understand." she continued "What's stopping it?"

"Something inside this room." the Doctor answered "What is it? Why can't it get in?"

"I'll tell you what, though." she said

"What?"

"Werewolf."

"I know!" the Doctor said as he hugged her.

"You all right?" he asked as he pulled back

"I'm okay, yeah." she said. He kissed her forehead and hugged her again as the Queen spoke to Sir Robert

"…Did you think there was nothing strange about my household staff?"

"Well, they were bald, athletic." answered the Doctor. "Your wife's away, I just thought you were happy."

"I'll tell you what though, ma'am, I bet you're not amused now."

"Do you think this funny?" she asked Rose

"No, ma'am, I'm sorry."

"What, exactly, I pray, tell me, someone, please, what exactly is that creature?"

"You'd call it a werewolf, but technically it's more of a lupine-wavelength haemovariform." the Doctor answered, scratching the back of his neck

"And should I trust you, sir?" asked the Queen "You, who change your voice so easily?"

"What?" the Doctor mouthed

"What happened to your accent?"

"Oh, right, sorry, that…"

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

--

The Doctor was investigating what could be keeping the wolf out. He checked the door and saw that there was a carving of mistletoe on it. "Mistletoe." he said "Sir Robert, did your father put that there?"

"I don't know." he answered "I suppose."

"And on the other door, too." said the Doctor "Though a carving wouldn't be enough. I wonder." he licked the door "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!" he continued "Powerful stuff, mistletoe, bursting with lectins and viscotoxins."

"And the wolf's allergic to it?" Rose asked

"Or it thinks it is." the Doctor replied "The monky-monk-monks need a way of controlling the wolf, maybe they trained it to react against certain things."

"Nevertheless, that creature won't give up, Doctor, and we still don't possess an actual weapon."

"Oh, your father got all the brains, didn't he?" the Doctor asked

"Being rude again." Rose said

"Good, I meant that one." the Doctor replied. "You want weapons?" he asked as he walked across the room "We're in a library. Books! Best weapons in the world." He put on his glasses and turned around. "This room is the greatest arsenal we could have." He took books from the shelf behind him and tossed one to Rose "Arm yourselves." he said

Okay, that's chapter 39 completed, chapter 40 should be the last chapter of Tooth and Claw. Well, that's it from me for this chapter, the next should be up soon...I hope, unless of course the internet mucks up saving this one. Which I hope it doesn't as this will be the seventh time I've attempted to save this chapter.

TTFN

Julie