A/N: So this was honestly one of the chapters I enjoyed writing the most. This is one of my favorite episodes, and I enjoyed showing a slightly different side of it.
Also, I'm super proud that this is only a day late since I moved in with my boyfriend during the weekend and I was sure I wouldn't have time to post.
"What d'you think of this?" Rose asked, walking into the Console Room and showing the Doctor her short, torn overall, with a pink dress underneath and black tights.
"For the late 1970s?" the Doctor asked, eyeing her up and down. "You'd be better off in a bin bag. Listen," he added, turning away from her and pressing some keys on the console making 'Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick' play our from the speakers. "Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Number one in 1979."
A smile appeared on Rose's face. "You're a punk!" she announced playfully as the Doctor sang along. "That's what you are, a big old punk, with a bit of rockabilly thrown in."
The Doctor smiled before asking, "Want to go and see him?"
"You mean in concert?" Rose asked, shocked.
"What else is a TARDIS for?" the Doctor shrugged. "I can take you to the Battle of Trafalgar, the Antigravity Olympics, Caesar crossing the Rubicon, or..." He smiled. "Ian Dury at the Top Rank, Sheffield, England, Earth, 21st November 1979, what d'you think?"
"Sheffield it is," Rose replied, and the Doctor pulled a lever.
"Hold on tight!" the Doctor called, sending the TARDIS flying into the Time Vortex, the sounds of Ian Dury playing in the background. "Ahhhh!" he screamed, hitting the console and causing the two of them to fall to the ground as the TARDIS landed.
They looked at each other for a moment before bursting to laughter.
"1979!" the Doctor called out, jumping to his feet and taking his coat. "Hell of a year. China invades Vietnam, The Muppet Movie, love that film. Margaret Thatcher, urgh! Skylab falls to Earth, with a little help from me. Nearly took off my thumb, and I like my thumb," he added, walking out of the TARDIS. "I need my thumb, I'm very attached to..." He looked up to see a group of guards pointing their weapons at him and raised his hands. "My thumb," he sighed. "1879. Same difference."
"You'll explain your presence," the one in charge said before marking at Rose, "And the nakedness of this girl."
"Are we in Scotland?" the Doctor asked with a smile.
"How can you be ignorant of that?" the Captain asked, a stern expression on his face.
"Oh, I'm dazed and confused," the Doctor said, immediately pulling on a Scottish accent. "I've been chasing this wee naked child over hill and over dale. In't that right, ye... timorous beastie?"
"Och, aye," Rose said, making the Doctor cringe. "I've been oot and aboot."
"No, don't do that," the Doctor muttered.
"Hoots mon?"
"No, really," the Doctor said. "Don't. Really."
"Identify yourself, sir," the Captain ordered.
"I'm Dr James McCrimmon, from the township of... Balamory. I have my credentials, if I may," he added, marking at his coat, and the Captain nodded. "As you can see," the Doctor said, showing them his psychic paper. "A doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. I trained under Dr Bell himself."
"Let them approach," a voice called from the carriage behind the guards.
"I don't think that's wise, ma'am –" the Captain started.
"Let them approach," the voice repeated.
"You will approach the carriage," the Captain ordered. "And show all due deference."
The Doctor and Rose approached as a guard opened the carriage door, revealing a woman dressed in regal clothing and looking at them sternly.
"Rose," the Doctor said, awestruck, "Might I introduce Her Majesty Queen Victoria, Empress of India, and Defender of the Faith."
"Rose Tyler, ma'am," Rose said as she curtsied. "And my apologies... for being so naked."
"I've had five daughters," the Queen said, waving the apology off, "It's nothing to me. But you, Doctor - show me these credentials."
The Doctor handed out the psychic paper and the Queen reached out for it, only to be cut off by a familiar voice.
"May I?"
The Queen nodded curtly and a delicate hand appeared from within the carriage, taking the psychic paper.
"Why didn't you say so immediately?" the voice asked. "It states clearly here that he has been appointed by the Lord Provost as my assistant in protecting you, My Queen." She leaned forwards, revealing herself to the Doctor and Rose. "He's a bit late, though," she added pointedly.
The Queen nodded, but neither Rose nor the Doctor was able to do anything but stare at the woman, wide-eyed. Finally, the Doctor managed to find his voice, though it was nothing more than a shocked croak.
"Evie?"
EMH
"Your Majesty," Eva curtsied, trying not to appear too nervous. Then again, she was standing in front of Queen Victoria. She probably earned the right to be nervous.
"Stand up, child," the Queen said, looking the girl up and down. "Why have you brought her here, Captain?"
"The girl appeared out of thin air, Your Majesty," the Captain explained. "A guard saw her in one of the inner gardens. She is clearly a part of another assassination attempt."
"I would never," Eva snarled, but a single glance from the Queen made her silent.
"I sure hope not," the Queen told her, before turning back to the Captain. "No one can appear out of thin air."
"I thought so, too," the Captain said, stepping towards Eva. "Then again, no one can do this, either."
He took out a knife and quickly slashed Eva's arm, making her cry out in pain as she clutched the wound. The Queen rose to her feet.
"What are you doing, Captain?" she asked, enraged that one of her guards would hurt an innocent, defenceless girl.
"Show her," the Captain ordered, ignoring the way Eva was glaring daggers at him. "I said, show her!"
"Step away from the girl, Captain," the Queen ordered. "Come here, child," she told Eva, who complied silently. "Would you mind showing me your arm?"
"Of course, Your Majesty," Eva said quietly, moving her hand away and revealing a nearly-healed cut.
The Queen eyed the skin, touching it to make sure she wasn't imagining.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"Eva, Your Majesty," Eva said. "Evangeline Miller."
"Captain, please take Miss Miller to one of the guestrooms," the Queen ordered. "Call a maid to assist her and tell the cooks she would join me at my table for supper."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Eva said quietly. "You're too kind."
"Nonsense, girl," the Queen told her. "Oh, and Captain?"
"Yes, Your Majesty?"
"If word would get to me of anyone who had hurt the girl, they would be thrown out of these walls before they knew what hit them," the Queen said. "Are we clear?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," the Captain said before leading a very confused and tired Eva away.
EMH
Eva was angry. Not just pissed, or annoyed, but proper angry, fuming, about to rip the Doctor's head off. The Doctor was mostly surprised, though slightly scared. He quickly shook himself off, looking back at the Queen and Eva.
"Right," he said quickly. "Then let me ask, Miss, why's her Majesty travelling by road, when there's a train all the way to Aberdeen?"
"A tree on the line," Eva replied simply.
"An accident?" the Doctor questioned.
"I am the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland," the Queen told him. "Everything around me tends to be planned."
"An assassination attempt," Eva explained.
"What, seriously?" Rose asked. "There's people out to kill you?"
"I'm used to staring down the barrel of a gun," was the Queen's only reply.
"Sir Robert MacLeish lives but ten miles hence," Eva said, looking at the Captain, who nodded.
"We've sent word ahead," he told her. "He'll shelter us, then we'll reach Balmoral tomorrow."
"This doctor and his... 'timorous beastie' will come with us," the Queen said.
"Yes, ma'am," the Captain nodded.
"We'd better get moving, it's almost nightfall," Eva said. "And there are stories of wolves in these parts."
"Fanciful tales, intended to scare the children," the Queen dismissed. "But good for the blood, I think. Drive on."
The carriage doors closed and they resumed moving, and the Queen turned to Eva.
"Is this the Doctor you've spoken so often about?" she asked.
"Yes," Eva replied.
"Then I suppose you'll be leaving my guard soon."
"You will manage without me, My Queen," Eva told her. "You will live for many more years, I simply know so."
"If you say so, my All-Knower," the Queen nodded. "But for now, let us head to Torchwood Estate."
"Yes," Eva nodded, leaning back before turning back to the Queen. "Just thought I should warn you, Rose – the blonde – bet against the Doctor that she could make you say 'I am not amused'."
"Well," the Queen huffed. "I suppose her attempts would be very not amusing as they are."
"They would, My Queen," Eva nodded, leaning back once more. "But I still thought you needed to understand her odd behaviour as we went on."
"And I am very grateful for that," the Queen said. "As I am for anything else that you had already done."
"Don't mention it, My Queen," Eva nodded at her, hoping that by the time the night ended, the Queen won't hate her like Eva knew she hated the Doctor. "It was an honour, and a privilege."
EMH
As the carriage arrived to Torchwood Estate, a guard opened the door to let the Queen out. Eva followed shortly after, but not before she made sure her bow and sheath were concealed by the robe she wore.
"Your Majesty," Sir Robert said, coming towards the Queen and bowing.
"Sir Robert," the Queen told him. "My apologies for the emergency. And how is Lady Isobel?"
"She's..." Sir Robert sent a quick glance to the bold guards behind him. "Indisposed, I'm afraid. She's gone to Edinburgh for the season. And she's taken the cook with her, the kitchens are barely stocked," he added hurriedly. "I wouldn't blame your Majesty if you wanted to ride on."
"Not at all!" the Queen said, oblivious to his nervousness. "I've had quite enough carriage exercise, and this is... charming. If rustic. It's my first visit to this house," she explained to Eva for what seemed like the hundredth time. "My late husband spoke of it often. The Torchwood Estate."
"Shall we go inside?" Eva asked, looking at the guards and stewards and counting them, storing the information in her head for later use.
"My apologies, Miss," Sir Robert said, "But you are...?"
"My Ward," the Queen said. "And I expect you to treat her with the proper respect."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Sir Robert nodded.
"And please excuse the naked girl," the Queen added, nodding at Rose's direction.
"Sorry," the girl muttered shyly.
"She's a feral child," the Doctor explained. "I bought her for sixpence in old London town. It was her or the Elephant Man."
"Thinks he's funny, but I'm so not amused," Rose said. "What do you think, ma'am?"
The Queen exchanged a look with Eva, who smiled knowingly, before replying. "It hardly matters," she said. "Shall we proceed?"
Sir Robert nodded nervously, following the Queen inside while trying to avoid eye contact with the stewards.
From the corner of her eye, Eva saw Rose lean closer to the Doctor and whisper, "So close."
"Mackeson and Ramsay," she said aloud. "You will escort the property, hurry up."
"Yes, ma'am," the guards said, taking out a box from within the carriage.
"So what's in there, then?" the Doctor asked.
"Property of the Crown," Captain Reynolds said.
"Or, in other words," Eva added, "None of your business. The rest of you, go to the rear," she told the guards. "Assume your designated positions."
"You heard the orders," Captain Reynolds repeated. "Positions!"
The Doctor and Rose exchanged a glance before looking at Eva, but she was already walking into the Estate, ignoring their existence. The Doctor swallowed hard, knowing something was wrong, and the duo followed.
EMH
"This, I take it, is the famous endeavour," the Queen said as she followed Sir Robert into a room containing an enormous telescope.
"All my father's work," Sir Robert said. "Built by hand, in his final years. It became something of an obsession. He spent his money on this, rather than caring for the house, or himself."
"I wish I'd met him," the Doctor commented. "I like him. That thing's beautiful, can I...?"
"Help yourself," Sir Robert said, and the Doctor approached.
"What did he model it on?" he asked.
"I know nothing about it," Sir Robert admitted. "To be honest, most of us thought him... shall we say, eccentric. I wish now I'd spent more time with him," he added, and Eva glanced at the bald stewards once more. "And listened to his stories."
"It's a bit rubbish," the Doctor commented, and Eva stepped forwards, knowing what was coming next. "How many prisms has it got? Way too many! The magnification's gone right over the top, that's a stupid –"
Eva smacked him over the head to make him shut up. "Rude!" she hissed.
"But it's pretty!" the Doctor quickly said, rubbing his head. "It's very pretty."
"And the imagination of it should be applauded," the Queen added, stepping closer to it as well.
"I thought you might disapprove, Your Majesty," Rose commented, and Eva sighed. "Star gazing. Isn't that a bit fanciful? You could easily... not be amused, or something." The Queen looked her up and down disapprovingly. "No?"
"This device surveys the infinite work of God," the Queen said, and Eva smiled.
"What could be finer?" she asked. "Sir Robert's father was an example to us all. A polymath, steeped in astronomy and the sciences, yet equally well versed in folklore and fairytales."
"Stars and magic," the Doctor said with a smile. "I like him more and more."
"Oh, my late husband enjoyed his company," the Queen said with a sigh. "Prince Albert himself was acquainted with many rural superstitions, coming as he did from Saxe-Coburg."
"That's Bavaria," the Doctor whispered in Rose's ear.
"When Albert was told about your local wolf, he was transported," the Queen went on.
"What's this wolf, then?" the Doctor asked.
"It's just a story," Sir Robert said, glancing at the stewards.
"Then tell it."
Sir Robert took a deep breath. "It's said –" he started, but the head-stewards almost immediately cut him off.
"Excuse me, sir," he said. "Perhaps her Majesty's party could repair to their rooms. It's almost dark."
"Of course," Sir Robert said, forcing a smile. "Yes, of course."
"And then supper," the Queen added. "And could we find some clothes for Miss Tyler? I'm tired of nakedness."
"It's not amusing, is it?" Rose tried.
"Please, stop," Eva said with an eye-roll. "Sir Robert, your wife must have left some clothes. See to it."
"We shall dine at seven, and talk some more of this wolf," the Queen announced. "After all, there is a full moon tonight."
"So there is, ma'am," Sir Robert said, and the group walked out of the room, Eva staying the longest.
As she was about to pass through the doorway, the head-steward grabbed her arm.
"You are awfully lacking manners, as the Queen's Ward," he hissed at her.
"I think you'll find out I'm more than just a simple Ward, Father," she told him, yanking her arm out of his grasp and walking out.
EMH
It was Candlemas day, and the Queen hosted an event in her court to celebrate. Candles lit the garden Eva was in, their light shining off the dress she wore. Several men had already asked her for a dance but Eva declined them all, knowing that in these times a dance was always something more than simply a dance.
The last thing she needed was to accidently get engaged while she was here.
It had already been three months since the Queen decided to take her as a Ward, and Eva's nerves were wrecked. She now knew how to sew, play the piano and weave – all of which were skills she doubted she would ever need.
Thankfully, the Queen also agreed for bow and arrow lessons, so the skill Eva had learned briefly from Robin Hood became not only something she was very good at, but also a means of escape from the etiquette lessons and the explanations of which fork was to be used at which course of the meal.
She looked at the people, a glass of simple drink in her hand as the Queen entered the garden. She, along with everybody else, stopped what they were doing and bowed respectfully, but Eva saw from the corner of her eye a man who hadn't.
A man who was holding a gun and aiming it at the Queen.
This was wrong, she knew it was. There weren't supposed to be any attempts on the Queen's life in this year. If she remembered correctly – and she was certain that she was, as she took a course on Queen Victoria's reign while studying History at university – the next assassination attempt was due only in a couple of years.
"Her Majesty!" she called out, causing the Queen and several guards to turn and look at her. "Duck!"
She grasped a bow and arrow that were laid in the garden as decoration and shot the man, making him drop to the ground but not before a bullet escaped his gun. She looked at the Queen just in time to see a guard moving her out of the way and getting hit by the bullet himself.
Not wasting a moment, she ran to him.
"Where were you shot?" she asked him, cutting straight to business. There was no time for courtesies when life was on the line.
"My... My chest," the guard muttered.
"Chest," Eva repeated, looking for the gunshot wound. "You're lucky," she told him when she found it. "It's more shoulder than chest, so it most likely didn't fracture your lung. The main danger right now is blood loss."
"The Queen," the guard said through ragged breaths. "Is the Queen safe?"
Eva looked up to see a guard escorting the Queen to safety as another called for a doctor.
"She's safe," she told him, ripping the hem of her dress and tying it around his shoulder. "Were you hurt anywhere else?"
"No, Miss," the guard said before laughing weakly. "I survived the war in Afghan, only to be shot in the Queen's garden."
"You survived the war in Afghan to save the Queen's life," Eva told him. "Is there a greater cause?"
"I didn't think I was that important," he replied. "My entire unit was killed and I was the only survivor. I came back and married my beloved Mary. She's pregnant now."
"That is also a great cause," Eva told him with a smile.
"We have to ask you to step away, Miss," a voice said from behind Eva.
"Just a moment," she replied, not taking her eyes off the guard as she asked, "What's your name?"
"John," he managed out.
"Get better, John," Eva told him. "You have one amazing story to tell your child."
"We really need you to step away, Miss,"
"Alright," Eva nodded, standing up before turning to the doctor. "This man just saved the Queen's life. Take good care of him."
"Of course," the doctor nodded, and Captain Reynolds pulled Eva away.
"Were you hurt?" he asked, scanning her worriedly.
"No," Eva replied. "It's... It's John's blood."
"John?" the Captain asked before realization dawned over him. "Oh, Guard Anderson."
"He has a wife, Mary," Eva went on. "She's pregnant with his child."
"I'll send someone to call for her," the Captain said immediately. "For now, I'll call a maid to your room to help you wash over. The Queen asked me to tell you she wanted to talk to you when you're done."
Eva nodded silently, allowing him to lead her away as she wondered what the Queen wanted her for.