"Tardis, love, can you pick me out an outfit to wear for today's adventure? You know what would be best for the time periods." Layla is in her room and about to change her clothes because the Doctor wants to take them to a concert in the 1970's. The Tardis hums indicating she would and Layla walks over to her closet and there was only one choice in there. Layla looks at the clothing and gets a rough idea of what is going to happen.
"The Doctor is needed in another time period." She says it as a statement, not a question. The Tardis hums in agreement and amusement. "Does he know that you are the one who hijacks his trips and everyone else just assumes that he is bad at driving?" The Tardis hums again in amusement and indicates that no, the Doctor did not know that the Tardis would change the destination because he was needed. Makes sense why he said before that when the Tardis is moody, she doesn't take him where he wants to go.
She feels her lips twitch and her eyes crinkle in laughter. She looks at the dress and admits that she likes it very much. It is a Victorian style. It was black and pretty plain and simple. The jacket is what she really liked. It was a burgundy color with intricate patterns in the fabric, it had buttons in the middle of the chest and black ruffles along the edges and the collar stood up and would brush against the bottom of her hair. It looks somewhat steampunk-ish and gothic Victorian mixture. It was similar to some of the pirate-y outfits she seen in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie. If she had pants instead of the dress, it would be more like a pirate outfit. She grabs the dress and works on putting it on. She looks in the mirror when she is done and loves the way it looks on her. She looks up to the ceiling. "Thanks love, it is gorgeous and I love it."
The Tardis just hums happily. She has been watching her Thief and his Promised One from the moment she seen her and she is happy with the progress they are making. She is a little impatient though and wants them to bond, but she understands why her Thief is taking it slowly. She also knows that the Bad Wolf Flower wants her Thief as well, and she seems to think that he harbors feelings for her. The Tardis is glad to be able to spoil the Promised One. She has seen how little she has had in her life and wants to make up for some of it. She is also subtly telling her Thief that she likes his Promised One, because she always provides her outfits to the right era, unlike the Bad Wolf Flower. She has a feeling how this next adventure will turn out, and she will always give her Thief the opportunity to make it apparent to his Promised One that he has feelings for her.
Layla walks to the console room and Rose is already back from changing. She changed into a denim mini-dungaree. The Doctor looks up as if he was told that she entered and looks directly at her. He looks her up and down taking in her appearance. He does like the outfit on her, but he frowns because that isn't 1970's fashion. "Why did you pick that outfit?"
"I didn't, the Tardis did. I do love it though. I don't care if I don't fit in with the 70's fashion, this is more of my fashion anyways." Layla walks over to them and takes in the Doctor's 'new' outfit. "Although you didn't do much to your outfit, it looks good."
"What do you think of this? Will it do?" Rose asked them.
"Even if you don't fit in, neither do the Doctor and I. We can be the three oddballs." Layla pointed out.
The Doctor gave her a quick once over and looked at what she was wearing. "In the late 1970's? You'd be better off in a bin bag. Hold on, listen to this." He puts in a CD into the player and music starts to blare out and the Doctor dances around to it. "Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Number one in 1979."
"You're a punk." Rose laughed out as she watched him dance.
"I can see that your dancing hasn't improved with this regeneration, Doctor." Layla smiles at him cheekily and he spins around her and grabs her waist from behind and squeezes her sides causing her to laugh at the ticklish feeling.
"It's good to be a lunatic." He sings out and keeps dancing around.
"That's what you are. A big old punk with a bit of rockabilly thrown in." Rose laughed but she started to dance too.
"At least this is better than what Jack made up listen to on his Chula ship. He has awful taste in music." She laughs as the Doctor grabs her hands and makes her dance with him.
"Would you like to see him?" He asks the girls.
"How'd you mean? In concert?" Rose seemed to forget that the Doctor could use the Tardis to take them there.
"Ooh, you can use your psychic paper so we can meet him! That would be cool." Layla played along knowing they wouldn't be going to a concert. She didn't want to ruin the surprise for Rose and the Doctor.
"What else is a Tardis for? I can take you two to the Battle of Trafalgar, the first anti-gravity Olympics, Caesar crossing the Rubicon or Ian Dury at the Top Rank, Sheffield, England, earth, 21st November, 1979. What do you think?"
"Sheffield it is." Rose agreed. It would be cool to meet him like Layla said.
"Hold on tight." The music is still blaring and he has taken out his mallet and beats it to the rhythm of the song on the console as they travel.
"Stop!" Rose shouted to be heard over the music.
"Doctor, you know she hates it when you do that. That's why she always shocks you." Layla tries to take the mallet out of his hands but it has now become a playful tug of war game. The Tardis suddenly stops and they are all thrown to the floor, the Doctor was able to grab Layla so she landed on him. Layla appreciates that he cushioned her fall, and she is enjoying touching the Doctor again like this. She hasn't stopped thinking about what happened when they were in the pod since it happened, it left her craving for more. She slowly lifts up to stand wanting to enjoy this moment as long as she can. Of course, the Doctor isn't going to complain about it. They all stand and straighten out their clothes.
The Doctor grabs his coat and puts it on while heading towards the door. "1979. 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." He holds said thumb in the air and bends it up and down. "And I like my thumb. I need my thumb. I've very attached to…" He stops talking as looks forward and sees the guns pointed at them. "My thumb. 1879. Same difference."
The Captain of the military unit addresses them. "You will explain your presence. And the nakedness of this girl." He points to Rose and she blushes in embarrassment and throws a small glare at the Doctor.
"Are we in Scotland?" The girls look at the Doctor surprised with his accent change from an English accent to a Scottish one.
The Captain looked at him oddly. "How can you be ignorant of that?"
"Oh, I'm, I'm dazed and confused. My wife." Here he wraps his arm around Layla's waist and tugs her to his side practically plastered to him. "And I have been chasing this, this wee naked child over hill and over dale. Isn't that right, ya timorous beastie?"
Rose was not happy that Layla gets to play as the wife and she was a 'beastie.' Is this why the Tardis gave Layla the dress she is wearing? If so, why wouldn't it give me one as well? "Och, aye! I've been oot and aboot." She figures that she might as well embarrass the Doctor since he is doing it to her.
The Doctor looks at Rose in mild horror at the terrible accent. "No, don't do that." He pinches Layla's side as she just giggles at the whole thing.
"Hoots mon." Rose continued with a smirk.
"No, really don't. Really." He was almost pleading with her to stop.
"Will you identify yourself, sir?" The Captain asked, with his gun still pointed at them.
"I'm Doctor James McCrimmon, from the township of Balamory. I have credentials, if I may." He indicated to his pocket and after the Captain gives him a wary nod, the Doctor pulls out his psychic paper. "As you can see, a Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. I trained under Doctor Bell himself."
"Let them approach." They hear a woman say.
"I don't think that's wise, ma'am." The Captain to convince her.
"Let them approach." She repeated.
The Captain gives them the stink eye. "You will approach the carriage, and show all due deference." The three-time travelers walk towards a carriage and a footman opens the door revealing an older woman.
"Layla, love. Rose, might I introduce her Majesty Queen Victoria. Empress of India and Defender of the Faith."
"Rose Tyler, ma'am. And my apologies for being so naked."
"Layla McCrimmon, ma'am. It is an honor to meet you." Layla curtsied. Layla wondered why the Doctor said she was his wife and not his sister or another family member. She isn't going to complain though, now she can freely flirt with him as part of her character. From what happened in the pod on new earth, she can say that she is confident that the Doctor has some type of feelings for her. What she isn't sure is what type they are, is it just lust? Or is it love?
Queen Victoria nods her head towards Layla in greeting and looks at Rose. "I've had five daughters. It's nothing to me." She turns and looks at the Doctor next. "But you, Doctor. Show me these credentials." He passes the psychic paper to her and lets her read it and takes it back when she hands it to him. "Why didn't you say so immediately? It states clearly that you have been appointed by the Lord Provost as my Protector."
"Does it?" He looks at it in surprise. "Yes, it does. Good. Good. Then let me ask – why is Your Majesty traveling by road when there's a train all the way to Aberdeen?"
"A tree on the line." It was a plausible excuse, but she knew otherwise.
"An accident?"
"I am the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Everything around me tends to be planned."
The Doctor's face lights up in understanding. "An assassination attempt?"
"What, seriously? There're people out to kill you." Rose rudely interrupts.
"I'm quite used to staring down the barrel of a gun." Was the Queens strong response. She was used to it by now and refused to cower in fear.
The Captain comes over to them. "Sir Robert MacLeish lives but ten miles hence. We've sent word ahead. He'll shelter us for tonight, then we can reach Balmoral tomorrow."
The Queen nods in acceptance. "This Doctor, his wife, and their timorous beastie will come with us."
The Captain isn't happy, but follows his orders. "Yes, ma'am. We'd better get moving – it's almost nightfall."
"Indeed. And there are stories of wolves in these parts. Fanciful tales intended to scare the children. But good for the blood, I think. Drive on!"
The Doctor, Layla, and Rose walk behind the carriage with the soldiers. Rose looks at the Doctor, who was in the middle which he tried not to be but Rose walks to his other side. "It's funny though, because you say assassination and you just think of Kennedy and stuff. Not her."
"I would assume that all royal and other important figures must have had at least one attempt on their life. There is always someone trying to bring down the higher ups." Layla guessed.
"1879? She's had, oh, six attempts on her life? And I'll tell you something else. We just met Queen Victoria!" His excitement is showing on his face and it makes Layla give him a soft smile.
"I know!" Rose was excited too. It wasn't often that she got to meet famous people that she knew of.
"What a laugh!" The Doctor grabbed Layla's hand and held it tightly, playing the husband act well in showing her affection. Hopefully one day we can make it real and not just an excuse.
"She was just sitting there." Rose was skipping around and didn't notice the Doctor and Layla holding hands.
"Like a stamp." The Doctor thought that the pose for the stamp was just for that, but she does it in real life.
"I want her to say we are not amused. I bet you five quid I can make her say it." She lures the challenge out to him.
"Well, if I gambled on that, it'd be an abuse of my privileges of a traveler in time."
Rose gives him a smirk. "Ten quid?"
"Deal." He agrees.
"Rose, you do remember that he doesn't actually have any money, right? You should have bet for something else." Layla laughed at the sheepish look from the Doctor and the shocked one from Rose, because she did forget that he never has money.
Xxxxxx
They make it to the house, the three-time travelers are grateful because their feet were hurting from walking ten miles. The man of the house comes out and welcomes them. "Your Majesty."
"Sir Robert. My apologies for the emergency. And how is Lady Isobel?" The Queen inquired wondering where she was.
He hesitates for a second and licks his lips uneasily. Layla watches him and can see that he was looking clammy and a little pale. His eyes shift around watching all around him before focusing back on the Queen. "She's 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. I wouldn't blame Your Majesty if you wanted to ride on." Robert was hoping that she would, she couldn't stay here tonight. If she leaves on her own, then there was nothing the monks could do and they would release his wife. At least that is what he was hoping for.
Queen Victoria waves him off. "Oh, not at all. I've had quite enough carriage exercise. And this is charming, if rustic. It's my first visit to this house. My late husband spoke of it often. The Torchwood Estate. Now, shall we go inside? And please excuse the naked girl." She tells the last bit to him as an afterthought. Robert's heart sinks to his stomach. No matter what happened here tonight, it was a lose – lose situation for him, but he loves his wife and wants her safe.
Rose does a small curtsy. "Sorry."
"She's a feral child. We bought her for sixpence in old London Town. It was her or the Elephant Man, and my wife has a soft heart and wanted to help her out, so…" The Doctor trails off.
Rose gives him a small glare and looks towards the Queen. "Thinks he's funny, but I'm so not amused. What do you think, ma'am?"
Queen Victoria just raised a brow and her mouth was slightly pursed. "It hardly matters. Shall we proceed?"
Rose snaps her fingers and whispers. "So close."
"Rose, best be careful with the Queen, she seems quite stern." Layla warned her.
"Oh, it's not a big deal, just harmless fun." Rose waves off her warning easily wanting to win the bet.
Sir Robert leads the Queen into the house while the soldiers are unpacking the luggage. There was one piece that the Captain was the most worried about. "Makerson and Ramsey, you will escort the property. Hurry up."
"Yes, sir." They salute him and take a small locked box from the carriage and carry it into the house and the Doctor looks at it in interest.
"So, what's in there, then?"
The Captain gives him a hard look. "Property of the Crown. You will dismiss any further thoughts, sir. The rest of you go to the rear of the house. Assume your designated positions."
Layla looks at the Doctor in amusement due to him pouting. "You really don't like not knowing something huh? Just too nosey."
The Doctor just gives her the stink eye and grips her sides, tickling her. "Take that back!"
Layla throws her head back in laughter. "Never." They both miss the look that Rose sends them. Yes, she is definitely not happy with this situation. If I had known we were coming here I would have dressed for the period, and the Doctor could have said I was his wife. But since I didn't, it wouldn't be proper if he said it with me dressed like I am. She crosses her arms over her chest and follows them into the house, annoyed with their behavior.
Xxxxxx
When the Doctor, Layla, and Rose catch up with the Queen, they see that Sir Robert had taken her to the observatory. Victoria is standing near a huge bronze telescope. She looks towards Robert. "This, I take it, is the famous Endeavour?"
"All my father's work. Built by hand in his final years. Became something of an obsession. He spent his money on this rather than caring for the house or himself." He explained to them.
"I wish I'd met him. I like him. That thing is beautiful. Can I?" The Doctor surprising asks politely for once before immediately going to it.
"Help yourself." Robert told him.
The Doctor was looking into the eye piece when he asked. "What did he model it on?"
Robert shrugs. "I know nothing about it. to be honest, most of us thought him a little, shall we say, eccentric. I wish now I'd spent more time with him and listened to his stories.
"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…" He looks towards the girls. "Am I being rude again?"
"Yep." Rose says with a smile.
"But it's pretty. It's very pretty." The Doctor tried to save himself.
Layla looked towards Robert. "I'm sorry sir. My husband tends to let all of his thoughts out without filtering through the words first. He just gets so…excited, so easily." The last bit she sent a smirk to the Doctor implying something to him and she is gleeful when he chokes a bit and blushes. The look he sends back to her suggests that he is going to try to pay her back for that comment. He certainly remembers the time in the pod vividly and he has no problem using the things he learned against her.
"It's alright, Mrs. McCrimmon, I take no offense to something I know nothing of." Robert waves the blunder off easily.
"And the imagination of it should be applauded." Queen Victoria sent a smile to Layla and then one to Robert.
"Mmm, thought you might disapprove, Your Majesty. Stargazing. Isn't that a bit fanciful? You could easily not be amused, or something? No?" Rose tried again to get Queen Victoria to say it, but the Queen looked at her disapprovingly.
"This device surveys the infinite work of God. What could be finer? Sir Robert's father was an example to us all. A polymath, steeped in astronomy and sciences, yes equally well versed in folklore and fairytales."
"Stars and magic. I like him more and more." The Doctor said softly.
"Oh, my late husband enjoyed his company. Prince Albert himself was acquainted with many rural superstitions, coming as he did from Saxe Coburg."
"That's Bavaria." The Doctor whispered to Layla and Rose.
"When Albert was told about your local wolf, he was transported."
The Doctor looked at the Queen then at Robert. "So, what's this wolf then?"
Layla watched him swallow harshly, his eyes widened to the point where you could see white around the whole iris, and his body trembled slightly. "It's just a story." He tries to play it off.
"Then tell it." The Doctor slightly demanded.
Robert nodded jerkily and his eyes dart to the side before quickly coming back to the Doctor. "It's said that…"
Robert's servant entered and interrupted him and he looked slightly grateful and slightly fearful. "Excuse me, sir. Perhaps her Majesty's party could repair to their rooms. It's almost dark."
"Of course. Yes, of course." He readily agreed.
"And then supper. And could we find some clothes for Miss Tyler? I'm tired of the nakedness and I am sure that the Mr. and Mrs. McCrimmon would like to freshen up as well." The Queen directed.
"It's not amusing, is it?" Rose tried… again.
The Queen just ignored her and turned back to Robert. "Sir Robert, your wife must have left some clothes. See to it. We shall dine at seven, and talk some more of this wolf. After all, there is a full moon tonight." Queen Victoria sounded pretty giddy about hearing this story.
"So, there is, Ma'am." He replied grimly.
Xxxxxx
"You know Doctor, I want to thank you again for my Christmas present. This trip goes to show that they were a great idea. I'm sure that the Queen would have banished me straight away had she been able to see past the perception filter on my facial piercing jewelry you gave me. Makes it so much easier for me to not have to always change them and when you inevitably can't pilot right and get the trip wrong, I don't have to worry about it." Was the first thing Layla said as soon as they entered their room glad for a bit of privacy. She just had to tease him even though she knows that this trip wasn't his fault.
The Doctor gives her a smile. "I'm glad you like them. I don't want anything to happen to you on trips the past because of them, like you said." He totally ignores the part of him not being a good pilot.
He looks around the room before he flops on his stomach onto the bed. Layla watches in amusement. "Are you tired Doctor?" He mumbles something and she can't hear because his face is smooshed into the bedding. "Oh, that's right, you are centuries old and you had to walk ten miles to get here. Your old grandpa bones must be suffering. Do I need to get a wheelchair for you?" He mumbles something again so she gets closer to him. "What was that, Grandpa? I'm sorry, I meant Doctor."
His arm quickly comes up and grabs her wrist pulling her onto the bed. He straddles her and starts tickling her sides. "What was that? Grandpa? Suffering bones? You implying something Layla? You shouldn't call me that unless you want to be punished for it."
She is laughing and grabs his wrists trying to get him to stop but his skinny body has a lot more strength in it that she though and he doesn't move. She tries to talk but every time she opens her mouth more laughter comes out as he mercilessly continues. If he continues, I'm going to pee on myself. She bucks her hips and uses her hands to flip them over and switches positions. She enjoys the look of shock on his face. She grabs his hands and pins them to his chest and leans towards his face. "You heard me…Grandpa."
Getting over his shock, he flips them over again. He takes her hands and pins them over her head with one hand to keep her from using them to flip them again. He puts more of his weight on her hips to keep them pinned as well. His pupils dilate when he hears her gasp at the position. He looks at her and takes in the flush on her cheeks from laughing, her heavy breathing, and the desire blazing in her eyes. He is losing control again, he always seems to when it comes to her, but this time there isn't anyone to interrupt them. His mind is going foggy and the restraint he has been using to give her time is about to break. "I think, Layla, that you will find out that while I may be centuries old, I am still considered young by my species standards. Besides, with age comes knowledge, and that knowledge can be very… enlightening when used right."
His voice had gotten deeper and she could feel the rumble from his chest against hers. The look in his eyes were positively sinful. She is feeling warm and where his body is touching her tingles. He is leaning closer to her and she hopes that he is going to kiss her. They have been dancing around each other for a while, but she could never get the time to talk to him alone without something popping up. "Then enlighten me…Doctor."
A slight growl escapes his throat and he leans down to finally do what he has been wanting to for a long time now, he is about to kiss her when there is a heavy knock on the door. "Sir, Ma'am, dinner is ready to be served. Please make your way down to the dining room."
The Doctor lets out a huge sigh and drops his head in annoyance. He has to tell her, and soon and he is going to let her know that. "Oh Layla. Look at what you do to me." He mumbles softly. He sits up and releases her hands and stands up pulling her up by her hand. "There is something we need to talk about, something that is important and needs to be said. When I can find a time where we won't be interrupted, we can talk then."
"Alright." She smooths down her dress and runs her hands through her hair while looking at the mirror. She turns to the Doctor and see him looking presentable again.
He holds out his arm for her. "Shall we go to dinner, dear wife?"
"Of course, husband. At least I can satisfy one of my cravings." She loops her arm through his and shivers at the soft groan he lets out.
Xxxxxx
Rose is looking at the available dresses from Robert's wife and wrinkles her nose at the style. She is glad this is not the style in her time period. She finally finds a dress that she likes out of the bunch and holds it up against her. Hopefully the Doctor likes the dress I picked out. She goes to another cupboard to look inside it and stifles a scream as a maid falls out of it. She helps the woman up and pulls her towards the bed to sit down.
"They came through the house. In the excitement they took the steward and the master, and my lady." The terrified maid, was telling Rose what happened to the lady of the house and how the servants here are putting on an act. She was able to hide in the cupboard before they could find her and she has been too scared to leave.
Rose grabs her hands gently. "Listen. I've got a friend. He's called the Doctor. He'll know what to do. You've got to come with me." She needed the maid to tell the Doctor what she had just been told.
"Oh, but I can't, miss." Rose didn't miss the terror in her voice and the way her body shook.
"What's your name?" Rose asks trying to calm her down.
"Flora."
"Flora, we'll be safe. There're more people arrived downstairs, soldiers, and everything, and they can help us. I promise. Come on. Okay? Come on."
They leave the room and walk down the hall quietly. They turn the corner and find one of the soldiers lying on the floor. Flora looks like she is about to have a panic attack. "Oh, miss. I did warn you."
Rose looks him over and he looked alive to her. "He's not dead. I don't think, he must be drugged or something." Rose is startled when she feels hands grab her and covers her mouth. She looks over to see Flora in the same position. The two men start to drag them away and she sees another one moves the soldier out of the hallway.
They are taken to the cellar and chained up with the rest of the staff and the lady of the house. Rose looks over and see a monk in a cage sitting quietly. Lady Isobel seeing where Rose was looking got her attention. "Don't make a sound. They said if we scream or shout, then he will slaughter us."
"But he's in a cage. He's a prisoner. He's the same as us." Rose didn't see how this young man could slaughter everyone here, especially being in a cage.
"He is nothing like us. That creature is not mortal." Lady Isobel says grimly. The man having heard them quietly talking opens his eyes and looks at them and Rose gasps seeing that his eyes are pitch black.
It startled her at first, having expected a human, not another species. She gets up and moves towards the cage as far as the chain around her wrists will let her. Lady Isobel sees this and looks at Rose in alarm. "Don't, child."
Rose ignores her, she knew what she was doing. She has been with the Doctor for a while and knows how to talk to other creatures. "Who are you?"
"Don't enrage him." The steward warned.
Once again, she ignored them as she looked at the man. "Where are you from? You're not from earth. What planet are you from?"
The man looks at her and smirks. "Oh, intelligence."
Rose ignores the shivers that go down her body, there is a feeling of wrongness, but she isn't sure if it is towards the creature or the treatment of it. "Where were you born?"
"This body? Ten miles away. A weakling, heartsick boy, stolen away at night by the brethren for my cultivation. I carved out his soul and sat in his heart."
Rose was disturbed, but she wanted to get as much information from him as she could, maybe the Doctor will be impressed at what she gathers, even if she was chained up. "Alright, so the body's human. But what about you, the thing inside?"
"So far from home." He muses.
"If you want to get back home, we can help." She offered.
The man gives her a cruel smile. "Why would I leave this place? A world of industry, of workforce and warfare. I could turn it to such purpose."
"How would you do that?"
He leans forward slightly. "I would migrate to the Holy Monarch."
"You mean Queen Victoria?"
"With one bite, I would pass into her blood, and then it begins. The Empire of the Wolf. Many questions." He lunges forward in his cage. "Look. Inside your eyes. You've seen it too."
Rose's face scrunched up. "Seen what?"
"The Wolf. There is something of the Wolf about you."
Rose swallows harshly and her heart is pounding. How could he know that? "I don't know what you mean."
"You burnt like the sun, but all I require is the moon." The cellar doors are opened. The moonlight hits the man, and his body begins to contort and the chained victims look on in horror.
Xxxxxx
The Doctor guides Layla towards the dining room and is pleased that he can be a little more open with affection for her with their cover story. He is going to have to find time to get her alone, but he isn't sure how to do it without Rose questioning him. He doesn't want Rose to know about the bond yet and he still has to talk to Layla about it. They get to the dining room and he pulls out a chair for Layla. "Here you go, wife."
She gives him a coy smile. "Thank you dear husband." He takes her hand and kisses the back of it gently and then sits in his own chair right next to her. They miss Queen Victoria looking at them softly. She can see the love they have for each other when they look at one another. They seem to have a deep bond, and it makes her remember her own marriage and her late husband.
One of servant walks into the room. "Your companion begs an apology, Doctor. Her clothing has somewhat delayed her."
The Doctor wasn't too worried, he is already used to having to wait for her when she dresses up. Thankfully Layla is quicker about her outfit and hair. What he doesn't know is that the Tardis picks out her outfits for her and makes it harder for Rose to find a decent outfit. She tries to give her Thief and his Promised One as much time together as she can where it is just the two of them. "Oh, that's alright. Save her a wee bit of ham."
"The feral child could probably eat it raw." Queen Victoria joked. She wasn't impressed with the naked child at all. She seemed rude and ignorant of their culture, why else would she dress the way she does. She hasn't decided how she feels about the Doctor or his wife yet, but the night is still young for her to find out what kind of people they are.
The Captain lets out a big guffaw. "Very wise, ma'am. Very witty."
"Slightly witty, perhaps. I know you rarely get to dine with me Captain, but don't get too excited. I shall contain my wit in case I do you further injury." The Queen scolds him.
He blushes slightly in embarrassment. "Yes ma'am. Sorry, ma'am."
"Besides, we're all waiting on Sir Robert. Come, sir. You promised us a tale of nightmares." The Doctor wanted to hear about this wolf, he was always interested in hearing stories.
"Indeed. Since my husband's death, I find myself with more of a taste for the supernatural fiction." The Queen's voice was strong and never wavers, but the Doctor and Layla can see the sorrow in her gaze.
"You must miss him." The Doctor says softly and he grabs Layla hand firmly in his.
She nods. "Very much. I hope it is not something you have to deal with for a long time, Mr., and Mrs. McCrimmon. But that's the charm of a ghost story, isn't it? Not the scares and chills, that's 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. Come. Begin your tale, Sir Robert. There's a chill in the air. The wind is howling through the eaves. Tell us of monsters."
"The story goes back three hundred years. Every full moon, the howling rings through the valley. The next morning, livestock is found ripped apart and devoured."
The Captain scoffs. "Tales like this just disguise the work of thieves. Steal a sheep and blame a wolf. Simple as that."
"But sometimes a child goes missing. Once in a generation, a boy will vanish from his homestead."
"Are there descriptions of the creature?" The Doctor asked wanting to know if this story was fiction or based on a fact, possibly alien.
"Oh, yes, Doctor. Drawings and woodcarvings. And it's not merely a wolf. It's more than that. this is a man who becomes an animal."
"A werewolf?" The Doctor muses.
Layla can see Robert starting to fidget and throw occasional glances at his servant who was facing the window and not looking at them. He swallows harshly hoping that he could give out some hint before things got too bad. "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 voice slightly cracks from the guilt thinking that if he had listened, his wife would be safe. "His work was hindered. He made enemies. There's a monastery in the Glen of Saint Catherine. The Brethren opposed my father's investigations."
Queen Victoria had not noticed anything wrong with Robert. "Perhaps they thought his work ungodly."
"That's what I thought. But now I wonder. What if they had a different reason for wanting the story kept quiet? What is they turned from God and worshipped the wolf?"
The Doctor is piecing together what Robert had been trying to hint at since they arrived. "And what if they were with us right now?"
Victoria finally realizes that something was wrong, she didn't know what it was, but there was a lot of tension in the room. "What is the meaning of this?"
The Captain stood and faces Robert. "Explain yourself, Sir Robert!"
"What's happening?" The Queen asked.
Robert turns pleading eye onto the Queen, begging her for forgiveness. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, they've got my wife."
The Doctor and Layla stand up realizing that this was a trap and Rose was not here. "Rose! Where's Rose? Where is she? Sir Robert, come on!" He pulled Layla with him and Robert followed and took the lead showing them the way to the cellar where he knew his wife was held prisoner.
Xxxxxx
"All of you! Stop looking at it! Flora, don't look. Listen to me. Grab hold of the chain and pull! Come on! With me! Pull!" They help pull but some start to complain. "I said pull! Stop your whining and listen to me! All of you! And that means you, your ladyship. Now come on, pull!
Rose can see that the wall is starting to give way, but glancing over her should shows that the man is close to being down with his shifting. "One, two, three, pull! One, two, three, pull!" The wolf is fully transformed and looking at itself, they are almost free, they just need a little more. "One, two, three, pull!" The end of the chain finally breaks free from the wall and at the same time the Doctor and Robert kick open the door.
"Where the hell have you been?" Rose demanded.
The Doctor was distracted though by the creature. "Oh, that's beautiful."
Robert was guiding people out, wanting to get his staff to safety. "Come on, go. Get out!"
The werewolf throws a piece of its cage at the Doctor and his eyes widen. "Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out!"
Rose gets out of the room to see Layla standing there with a worried look on her face that changes to happiness when she sees Rose. There is a little niggle in Rose's heart when she sees Layla's concern for her. She had been distancing herself from Layla a bit in an attempt to get the Doctor's attention, but also because she was jealous and upset that Layla got more attention than she did. It made her feel guilty.
The Doctor is staring at the werewolf in admiration, but quickly ducks when it throws a piece of the cage at him again. He runs out of the room and locks the door with his sonic screwdriver. He ushers the girls in front of him to pick up the pace and run. They all gather in a room that is loaded with guns. Robert is parting ways with his wife, wanting her safe, but needing to make up for treason and to help try to stop this creature.
The Doctor is removing the shackles with his screwdriver and is talking his thought process out loud. "It could be any form of light modulated species triggered by specific wavelengths. Did it say what it wanted?"
This was it, Rose's chance to impress the Doctor that she got the information he wanted. "The Queen, the Crown, the throne – you name it." There was a loud crash of something plowing through a wooden door. The Doctor goes out to investigate and sees the werewolf at the other end of the passageway. He runs back in and grabs Layla and stands in front of her and Rose.
"Fire! Fire!" The steward yelled and a shower of bullets are shot at the werewolf.
"Alright, you men. We should retreat upstairs. Come with me." The Doctor took control of the situation.
The steward scoffed. "I'll not retreat. The battle's done. There's no such creature on God's earth that could survive such an assault."
"I'm telling you, come up stairs!"
"Are you willing to bet your life that you are right?" Layla asks him evenly.
"I'm telling you. I will sleep well tonight with that thing's hide upon my wall." The steward steps into the corridor then looks back at them. "It must have crawled away to die." Suddenly the man is grabbed and pulled upwards and everyone can hear his screams and the growls from the wolf.
"There's nothing we can do!" The Doctor wished that the man listened to him, but he can't make everyone do that and there are people that he can still save.
Robert had been running to find the Queen. "Your Majesty? Your Majesty!"
"Sir Robert? What's happening. I heard such terrible noises." She walks down the steps towards him.
"Your Majesty, we've got to get out." He pauses for a second. "But what of Father Angelo? Is he still here?"
The Queen hesitated a moment then shook her head. "Captain Reynolds disposed of him."
The Doctor, Layla, and Rose run up to the Queen. "The front door's no good, it's been boarded shut. Pardon me, Your Majesty. You'll have to leg it out of a window."
They make it to the drawing room and Robert goes to a window. "Excuse my manners, ma'am, but I shall go first, the better to assist Her majesty's egress."
She nods in acceptance. "A noble sentiment, my Sir Walter Raleigh."
"Yeah, any chance you could hurry up?" Layla had noticed that with the chaos happening around us, the Doctor had dropped his Scottish accent. She was worried that the Queen would say something about it and not take the Doctor's help. Ideas were running through her head on how she can make an excuse for his slip.
Robert opens the window and the monks outside start to shoot at him and he quickly closes the window and steps away. The Doctor swallowed harshly. This was not good. He needed to get Layla out of this house and away from a murdering werewolf. "I reckon the monkey boys want us to stay inside." The Doctor mumbled.
"Do they know who I am?" The Queen asked outraged.
"Yeah, that's why they want you. The wolf's lined you up for a, a biting." Rose tells her halfway hesitant and halfway blunt.
"Stop this talk. There can't be an actual wolf." The Queen swallowed hard though as the wolf howls loudly through the house.
"What do we do?" Rose asked the Doctor.
"We run." That was the answer the Doctor always gave when he had no idea how to fix the problem.
"Is that it?" She asked disappointed hoping he already knew how to save them.
"You got any silver bullets?" He snapped at her.
"Not on me, no."
"There we are then, we run. Your Majesty, as a Doctor, I recommend a vigorous jog. Good for the health. Come on!" He leads them up a set of stairs and they can hear the wolf smashing into things close behind them. "Come on! Come on!"
The werewolf was almost to them when the Captain shows up and shoots it, causing it to retreat. The Captain looked at the group. "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."
The Queen pats her bag. "I have it. It's safe."
"Then remove yourself, ma'am. Doctor, you stand as her Majesty's protector and…"
"Oh, for the love of God. If we stop talking and run then the Captain doesn't have to die to only gives us a ten second head start. So, shift! Pick those feet up and run and Captain." She stood by him and grabbed his wrist. "If you want to shoot at it fine, but do it as we run." Everyone looked at Layla bewildered, the Queen and the Captain were not used to a common woman telling them what to do but Layla could see that the Captain was willing to sacrifice himself to protect the Queen, or at least give her a head start. The Doctor agrees and ushers them forward. The Captain tries to free his arm, but is surprised by the strength of the woman as she refuses and drags him along behind her.
They make it to the library, the Captain having done what Layla said and fired shots at the werewolf as they ran, giving them enough time to make it to the library and close the doors. Robert starts to move heavy items to the door. "Barricade the door!" The Captain and the Doctor join in.
They finish barricading the door and the Doctor realizes something. "Wait a minute. Shush, shush, wait a minute." There was one long howl. "It's stopped." They can hear the werewolf right outside the door, it sniffs and they heard it move away, leaving. "It's gone."
"Listen." Rose whispered. There are footsteps and growls from outside the walls as it walks around the room.
The Doctor looks at Robert. "Is this the only door?"
He nods. "Yes. No!" He runs to the other door and they barricade that one as well. After they finish, they stop and listen and they hear the werewolf, but it doesn't attempt to get in the room.
"I don't understand. What's stopping it?" Rose whispered.
"Something inside this room. What is it? Why can't it get in?" The Doctor was looking all around the room trying to see what would cause it to stop.
Rose stops whispering and gives the Doctor a smirk. "I'll tell you what, though."
"What?"
"Werewolf." She starts laughing causing the Doctor to join in. Layla looks at them sadly and with a bit of disappointment. They are used to this lifestyle, that is true and laughter helps the grief, but the Queen, the Captain, and Robert are not, and they are terrified. She can understand the Doctor, the war has really messed with his mind and emotions. But Rose, while she does understand to a degree, she usually shows more compassion to those we are around when faced with death. She glances over and sees the disapproval on the Queen's face and the Captain's face was blank, but you could see the anger, the bewilderment, the disgust for their behavior in his eyes. She sighs tiredly, knowing that the Doctor has lost all credibility and Rose never had any in the Queen's eyes. Layla is hopeful that she can come up with an idea to explain their behavior.
Robert walks over to the Queen and captain. "I'm sorry, ma'am. It's all my fault. I should have sent you away. I tried to suggest something was wrong. I thought you might notice. Did you think there was nothing strange about my household staff?"
"I noticed right away, Sir Robert. You weren't hiding your fear very well and it was easy to figure out who you were afraid of, I just did not know why at the time." Layla said it softly.
"Well, they were bald, athletic. Your wife's away, I just thought you were happy." The Doctor starts of talking happily, but wilts under the glare that Layla sends him.
Rose steps forward. "I'll tell you what though, ma'am. I bet you're not amused now."
The Queen looks at her angrily. "Do you think this is funny?"
Now Rose wilts under her glare. "No, ma'am. I'm sorry."
"What, exactly, I pray tell me, someone, please. What exactly is that creature?" It was more of a demand to tell her than a question.
"You'd call it a werewolf, but technically it's a more of a lupine wavelength haemovariform." The Doctor starts to rattle off and Layla wants to face palm because he has clearly lost them with words they don't understand.
"And I should trust you, sir? You who change your voice so easily? What happened to your accent?"
The Doctor looks at her sheepishly. "Oh, right, sorry. That's…"
The Doctor was going to make up an excuse, but the Queen cut him off. "I'll not have it. No, sir. Not you, not that thing, none of it. This is not my world." It had gotten quiet after the Queen scolded the Doctor. Layla had thought of some excuses she could give the Queen, she just needed to find the right time to talk to her so they won't be interrupted.
The Doctor is looking around the room curiously, still trying to figure out why the wolf wouldn't try to get in. He looks at the door frame and sees a carving of a mistletoe on it. "Mistletoe. Sir Robert, did your father put that there?"
He shrugs. "I don't know. I suppose."
The Doctor looks at the other door and sees that it also has a carving. "On the other door, too. No, a carving wouldn't be enough. I wonder…" He licks the woodwork and everyone's brows raise up on their forehead.
"Viscum album, the oil of 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 asked. Layla thought that it seemed possible, but she didn't think that would keep the wolf away for long.
"Well, it thinks it is." The monkey 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." Sir Robert told him, trying to get him back on track of how to fix this problem.
"Oh, your father got all the brains, didn't he?"
"Being rude again." Rose told him.
"Doctor, just because he doesn't know about this doesn't mean he is stupid. He wasn't interested in it, and therefore would have no need to know what his dad did. Besides, his dad believed all of this, why did he not try harder to get his son to understand, to protect him?"
The Doctor slumps from the scolding of his Promised One. "Alright, you want weapons? We're in a library. Books! Best weapons in the world. This room's greatest arsenal we could have." The Doctor tosses a book to Rose and inwardly chuckles at her fumbling to catch it. "Arm yourself."
Xxxxxx
Layla figures this would be the only chance she could talk to the Queen alone, well next to the Captain as he stood by her ready to defend her. Layla walks slowly to the Queen so they don't think something silly like Layla trying to attack her. The Captain stiffens slightly and gives her an intense look, and Layla looks back at him calmly. She can understand his reaction. The Doctor really messed up this time. When the Captain sees no malice or intent to harm his Queen, he relaxes a bit and shuffles to the side allowing her access to talk to the Queen. He has in no way forgotten that she saved his life, and while it would be an honor to die protecting the Queen, he is happy to be alive.
"Your Majesty, I was wondering if I might have a moment of your time." Layla asked her softly.
The Queen looked her over, she took in the woman's calm expression and wondered what she wanted. "You might as well, I'm sure we will be here for a while longer."
"Thank you, ma'am. I just wanted to take the time to explain somethings concerning my husband and his behavior, If I may?" Layla waits for the Queen's permission and is happy when she nods her head. "When it comes to his accent, he has both. He has one parent that is English and the other is Scottish. He grew up with both accents and in times of stress, he flips between them without paying attention. He tries to stick to one though as to not confuse people or for them to constantly question him and his background. He is a private person and only shares things with those he feels comfortable with." Layla made sure to keep a calm expression and to not make it obvious that she was lying through her teeth about everything except the last statement.
"I understand about that now. In my line of duty, people are always pretending to be one thing or another to get close to me. Whether for favors or assassination attempts, it matters not. I am glad to hear that your husband has a legitimate excuse for his accent."
Layla inwardly rejoices that she bought that. The next thing she was going to say was something she thought was actually the truth, and it makes her sad to think that she has to explain some of his past for her to understand his behavior. She doesn't want the Doctor to be executed or arrested. "The second thing I want to talk about is his rudeness and how he says things bluntly. He is an intelligent man, and he has such a big brain that he talks aloud to figure something out. And in his thought process, he doesn't think about how he coming across, he is too focused on whatever has his attention at that time. He is an impatient man, and doesn't like to sit still for long periods of time. He loves to explore and see the world. He also loves to solve mysteries or puzzles. He is excited about this werewolf because he has never seen one like it, he wants to solve the 'puzzle' of what is happening here tonight, why, and how to fix it."
The Queen gives her a nod in understanding and seems to know that Layla is not done with the explanations and waits patiently for Layla to continue. "The last thing I want to explain is a little… delicate. It may not look like it, but my husband was a soldier in a war at one point. He has, unfortunately, seen a lot of death in his life. What makes him so peppy, is that he tries to think about the good and happy things, so his mind does not dwell on the grief. He stands tall and proud now, because he can find the humor in a dark situation. I know that other soldiers are similar in how they act, not all, but there are some. He doesn't want to think of the death and destruction that is happening tonight, because it could possibly remind him of something from the war. My husband is a kind man, I promise you that. He helps many people however he can and he takes things that go wrong and puts that weight on his shoulders. I can tell you now, that he is laughing, but tonight, when it is just us, he will grieve and he will blame himself for the deaths, even though he had nothing to do with it. He will blame himself because he always thinks that he could have done something different and he focuses on the what ifs."
The Queen raises her brow when Layla finishes. "And what makes you think I will trust you? That I will take your word and excuses for him?"
Layla gives her a small, soft smile. "I can't make you believe me, Your Majesty, that is for you to decide. All I can say is that if you were to observe him, you could see it in his eyes. The strain and pain that is always there. His actions are also always loving and caring. He is very affectionate and is not afraid to show his love. He is working on his demons of the past, but it takes a lot to fix the mental and emotional side. He is haunted by the past, but he is slowly moving past that and trying to look towards the future and wanting it to be happier."
The Queen looks into Layla's own eyes and sees the worry and concern for her husband and his mental state. She can see the love that Layla has for him and she can also see that she is being truthful. Sure, anyone can make up excuses to explain things, but she told her the truth and a harsh part in her husband's life so that she doesn't look at him with anger. "You're a good wife, Mrs. McCrimmon. The Doctor is very lucky to have you on his side. I have a lot of thinking to do."
Layla nods and takes that as her cue to leave, she is hopeful that with what she said, the Queen will understand him better and hopefully he doesn't get into trouble. She is stopped again when the Queen asks a question. "The timorous beastie, I know she is no soldier, so you have an excuse for her as well?"
Layla is momentarily surprised but looks at the Queen evenly. "I'm afraid that she has seen death in her life. But she is modeling how she acts from being around my husband. Although sometimes, I am disappointed in their behavior, I can understand it and I just try to be there when the memories and sorrow are too much for him to hold and try to take some of the burden."
"Thank you, Mrs. McCrimmon. I understand things a lot better now and I also want to thank you. You saved Captain Reynolds when it was not your responsibility. I am grateful that another life was not lost to this creature."
Layla bows her head towards the Queen. "It was no trouble. There was no reason for him to sacrifice himself." Layla looks at the Captain. "Captain Reynolds, thank you for not fighting earlier. I apologize for grabbing you, but I am not sorry that you are alive." The Captain gives her a bow and a small smile. Layla turns and goes over to where the others are to try to help them with whatever they are looking for.
The Queen watched as she rejoined with her husband and sees the soft smile he immediately sent her and pulled her in for a side hug and a kiss to the temple. He was explaining something to her and handed her a book, but kept sending her glances and he watched her like the Queen was watching him. She had much to think about, but there were still observations to be seen. As she was observing them, she happened to see something interesting with the beastie and how she looked at the Doctor.
Xxxxxx
Layla walked over towards the group researching and goes up to the Doctor. He notices her coming over and gives her a soft smile, and keeping up with appearances and because he wants to, he gives her a hug and a kiss to the temple. "What were you doing?" He asked her quietly.
Layla gave him a small smirk. "Damage control, Doctor. Oh, and by the way, we should go visit your parents soon. I'd love to hear more about your Scottish dad and English mum. Their stories are so great. I love their accents. I also love that you can do both accents because of that." Layla blatantly gave the Doctor information he might need in the future.
The Doctor looked confused for a minute and then realizes that he had dropped his Scottish accent in the chaos. "Of course, love. They always welcome a visit from you. Here take this book and help us look for anything that might concern the werewolf."
"Biology, zoology. There might be something on wolves in here." Rose said aloud as she grabbed the books from the bookcase.
"As far as I know, wolves don't have any connection to mistletoe. So, are they using it because they picked it randomly to tame the werewolf, or does it serve another purpose?"
"It could be either." The Doctor answers Layla absently, something having caught his eye. "Hold on. What about this? A book on mistletoe."
"A book on magic." Rose flipped through the index to see if it was useful.
"Some form of explosive." Robert showed them.
"Hmm, that's the sort of thing." The Doctor quickly flipped through the book.
"Look a book on 'Holidays with Hobgoblins'." Layla held up the book and some of the tension from the werewolf left the group. They let out a chuckle, but got back to work in a slightly better mood which is what Layla had been hoping for. She could see that Robert was beyond worried and he needed to relax if he was going to help.
"Wolf's bane, what about that?" Rose gave the book to the Doctor.
"Look what your old dad found. Something fell to earth." The Doctor puts the book on the table so they could read the passage.
"A spaceship?" Rose didn't think that people in this time period would handle a spaceship very well.
"A shooting star." Robert told her. He then reads a small passage from the book. "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?" Rose wondered.
The Doctor shrugged. "Maybe just a single cell survived. Adapting slowly down the generations, it survived through the humans, host after host."
"But why does it want the throne?" Robert asked Rose.
"That's what it wants. It said so. The, the Empire of the Wolf."
"Why would anyone want it? For the power, the control? Is there something that you can only get or at least it is easier to get if you are in charge?" Layla threw out a couple of possibilities.
"Imagine it. The Victorian Age accelerated. Starships and missiles fueled by coal and driven by steam, leaving history devastated in its wake." The Doctor said grimly.
"Sir Robert, with the help of Captain Reynolds, if I am to die here."
"Don't say that, Your Majesty." Robert didn't want to think about that.
"I would destroy myself rather than let that creature infect me. But that's no matter. I ask only that you find some place of safekeeping for something far older and more precious than myself."
"Hardly the time to worry about your valuables." The Doctor yelped when Layla pinched him on his bum.
"Everyone values different things, like you and your sonic or the Tardis." Layla said sternly. The Doctor looked at her and nodded in understanding. You also count on the list of valuable things to me.
"Thank you for your opinion, but there is nothing more valuable than this." She reaches into her bag and pulls out a huge diamond.
"Is that the Koh-I-Noor?" Rose asked mesmerized by the gem.
"Oh, yes. The greatest diamond in the world." The Doctor confirmed as he took looked at the gem in interest.
"Given to me as the spoils of war. Perhaps its legend is now coming true. It is said that whoever owns it must surely die."
"Well, that's true of anything if you own it long enough, can I?" He indicates that he would like to see the diamond closer. The Queen hesitates for a moment and then hands it to him and observing how he acts with something as priceless as this. "That is so beautiful." He whispers and then looks towards Layla. "But it does not come close to the beauty you are, wife."
Layla smiles at him, wondering how much of the night he was pretending when it came to the things he has said and done with her. The Queen watches as the beastie sends Mrs. McCrimmon a glare before getting the Doctor's attention again. "How much is that worth?"
The Doctor continues to look at the diamond from different angles. "They say the wages of the entire planet for a whole week."
"Good job my mum's not here. She'd be fighting the wolf off with her bare hands for that thing." Rose laughs.
"And she'd win." He clearly remembers the slap she gave him, but yelps when Layla pinches him again.
"Not the time, dear." Layla scolded him. The Queen looked on in humor at how Mrs. McCrimmon was trying to restrain the Doctor's mouth.
"Where is the wolf? I don't trust this silence." Roberts grim words remind everyone about the problem at hand and they too listen and realize how quiet it has gotten.
"Why do you travel with it?" The Doctor asks the Queen.
"My annual pilgrimage. I'm taking it to Helier and Carew, the royal jewelers at Hazelhead. The stone needs recutting."
"Oh, but it's perfect." Rose said still in awe at being this close to the gem.
"My late husband never thought so."
"Now, there's a fact. Prince Albert kept on having the Koh-I-Noor cut down. It used to be forty percent bigger than this. But he was never happy. Kept on cutting and cutting."
"Did he say why he thought it was not perfect?" Layla asked wondering if the Queen might unknowingly know something important.
"He always said the shine was not quite right. But he died with it still unfinished."
As soon as she says that, it seems as if a lightbulb went off in the Doctor's head. "Unfinished. Oh, yes." He gives the gem back to the Queen no longer interested in it. "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." The Doctor was smacking his forehead trying to piece it all together. Layla grabs his hands to keep him from hurting himself. He looks back at the Queen. "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. Isn't that right, ma'am?"
"Obviously." The Queen says questioningly not seeing where he was going with this, but a look at Mrs. McCrimmon and seeing her smile in happiness, she realizes that the Doctor has solved the puzzle.
"At least, that's what the wolf intended. But, what if there's a trap inside the trap?"
"Explain yourself, Doctor." She demanded not knowing what he was getting at.
"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." Plaster dust starts to fall on tops of them and they look up to the skylight. "That wolf there." The glass starts to crack and the Doctor grabbed Layla's hand pulling her towards the door. "Out! Out! Out!" They unblock the door and the Doctor closes the door that is covered in mistletoe on the wolf.
"Your Majesty!" Robert worried about the Queen, but she was being helped by the Captain.
"Get to the observatory!" The Doctor orders. Rose is falling behind and the wolf had caught up to them. Seeing this, Rose screams in terror, but a pan of liquid is thrown over the wolf and it retreats.
"Good shot." The Doctor praises.
"It was mistletoe." Flora said, happy that she could be of use.
"Isobel!" Robert runs to his wife and gives her a searing kiss. "Now, get back downstairs."
"Keep yourself safe." She tells him.
"Now go." He doesn't answer her and Layla had caught that. She wondered if she was going to have to yank another stubborn male with her to safety.
"Girls, come with me. Down the back stairs, back to the kitchens. Quickly!" Isobel left after another look at her husband.
"Come on!" The Doctor gets Robert's attention.
"The observatory's this way." He leads them up a set of stairs towards the room.
The Doctor pushes to the front and looks at the door. "No mistletoe in these doors because your father wanted the wolf to get inside. I just need time. Is there anyway of barricading this?"
Robert swallows harshly. "Just do your work and I'll defend it."
"If we could bind them shut with rope or something." The Doctor knew what the man meant, but was hoping he wouldn't do it.
"I said I'd find you time, Sir. Now get inside."
The Doctor looks at him and accepts his sacrifice. "Good man."
xxxxxx
Going into the room, the Doctor walks up to the Queen. "Your Majesty, the diamond."
"For what purpose." She asked while pulling her bag closer to her chest.
"The purpose it was designed for." He says seriously, no hint of humor on his face. The Queen looked at his eyes and remembered what his wife said before and she can now agree. This man feels so many emotions at once and his heart and mind must be in a chaotic storm. She hands the diamond over to him.
"Layla, Rose." The Doctor calls their name as he walks over to the control wheel of the telescope. "Lift it. Come on."
Layla had started over to them when she realized that Robert was no longer in the room and looked at the door in exasperation. Men, was all she thought. "Captain, please help them raise that, your strength will be useful."
"And what will you be doing, Mrs. McCrimmon?" He asks but heads over there to help anyways.
"Saving a man from his stupid and unnecessary, but noble sacrifice." Layla sees that they almost have the telescope where it needs to be, she goes to the door and can hear the wolf growling. She quickly opens the door, grabs Robert by the back of his collar, and pulls, causing him to squawk. She pulls him into the room and out of the way of the door and since he wasn't expecting her to do that, he twists trying to see who had him but he trips and falls onto her, and he is able to get a hand behind her head to protect it.
The wolf bursts through the door and goes for the Queen and with the moon light shining down into the telescope lens and it bouncing around the many prisms, the Doctor slides the diamond over to where the light hits the floor. This causes it to refract upwards, catching the werewolf in its beam and lifting him into the air. They all see the wolf turn back into a man.
The man looks over to the Doctor and pleads. "Make it brighter. Let me go." The Doctor solemnly adjusts the magnification on the eye piece and the brighter light causes the man to turn back into wolf shape. It howls and then vanishes. Everyone is smiling happily that the wolf was taken care of.
The Doctor looks for Layla and sees her under Robert and he stiffens. He didn't know why they were in that position, but considering that Robert was sacrificing himself and is now in here, he assumes that Layla is the one that caused that. But he wasn't happy that the man was on top of her. Layla looks over and sees his face and stance and inwardly smirks. So, he is jealous huh? "As much as I appreciate you protecting my head, Sir Robert, I would like to get up off the floor."
Robert gives out a choking laugh, he just couldn't believe that this woman saved him from the werewolf. He stands up and pulls her up by the hand. "Thank you, Mrs. McCrimmon." Layla just pats hand and gives him a smile.
The Doctor looks over to the Queen and sees her looking and holding her wrist. "Your Majesty? Did it bite you?"
"No, it's, it's a cut, that's all." She denies but hides her wrist away from him.
"If that thing bit you?"
"It was a splinter of wood when the door came apart. It's nothing."
The Doctor could see that she was hiding something, and he figures she probably did get bit. "Let me see."
She hides her wrist even more and refuses. "It's nothing."
Xxxxxx
In the morning the Queen gathers everyone from the household to the drawing room. The Doctor, Layla, and Rose are all kneeling before the Queen, who is holding a 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 Layla of Tardis. By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee Dame Rose of the Powell estate. You may stand."
"Many thanks, ma'am." Doctor said giddily.
"Thanks. They're never going to believe this back home." Rose laughs.
Layla didn't say anything because Robert and Isobel caught her attention and waved her over. Isobel grabs her hands and holds them tightly, she looks into Layla's eyes and Layla can see the tears swimming in them. "Thank you. You saved my husband from a terrible fate and I just wanted to thank you for doing that."
Layla gives her a soft smile and watches as Robert holds his wife as she loses the battle of keeping her tears in. "It was my pleasure ma'am, he is a brave man and his death would have been noble, but it was not needed and I was not going to let him die for nothing. I wish you the best, Sir Robert and Lady Isobel."
She walks back over to the Doctor and Rose and hears the Doctor talking to the Queen in a quick and excited manner. "Your Majesty, you said last night about receiving no message from the great beyond. I think your husband cut that diamond to save your life. He's protecting you even now, ma'am, from beyond the grave."
She raises her brow and looks at all of them with pursed lips. "Indeed. Then you may think on this also. That I am not amused."
"Yes!" Rose cheers in excitement and the Doctor pouts.
"Not remotely amused. But after talking to your wife last night, I made some realizations and understanding towards you, Sir Doctor." The Doctor looks at Layla questioningly but she just gives him a secretive smile. "Mrs. McCrimmon explained some things about your behavior and words last night, and after making the observations she suggested I look at; I can understand why you acted that way. However, you need to get help for your past demons and work on healing yourself or else you may not survive this frightening life you lead. You must thank your wife for you, Sir Doctor. Had it not been for her, you would have been banished, never to return. However, until you get the help you need, whenever you are in this Empire, your wife must be with you, to temper your excitement and words you speak." The Doctor just looked at the Queen bewildered. He doesn't know what Layla had told her, but it was nice to not be banished.
The Queen then turns to Rose. "And you, timorous beastie, your behavior last night, the excitement you showed without the past to justify it, was inexcusable. For that, I banish you from this empire, never to return."
Rose's mouth drops open in shock and she is gaping at the Queen like a fish. Layla had to pinch the Doctor on his side when she seen that he was about to laugh at their friend's misfortune. Lastly, the Queen turns towards Layla and gifts her with a small smile. "Thank you, Layla McCrimmon, for the compassion and kindness you showed me and my Captain. You kept a calm head and did what you could to save two people who would not be here if it were not for your actions. You are welcome anytime you want to come here."
"Thank you, ma'am, for your kind words." Layla bows to the Queen with a smile. Rose is looking at her with the stink eye and the Doctor is gaping that she seemed to have won the Queen over somehow.
"There is one thing I would like to tell you, Mrs. McCrimmon, in private if you don't mind."
"Of course, ma'am." The Queen leads Layla off to the side where they wouldn't be heard by anyone.
"I did a lot of reflecting last night and I want to thank you for giving me insight on your husband. As I said, had you not said anything, then he would have been banished as well. But that is not what I wanted to talk about. I also made some other observations last night and it concerns the beastie. She is harboring feelings for your husband. She looks at him with love and while he pays her no attention, I thought I would warn you. You and the Doctor have a beautiful marriage and I would hate to know that it was ruined because of someone else."
Layla fakes slight shock because she already knew that Rose loved the Doctor. "Thank you ma'am. I will have to think about how to handle this delicately. I don't want to cause anyone unnecessary pain."
The Queen gives her another smile. "You are very compassionate and kind, I am glad I was able to meet you." She leaves Layla and goes back to her guards.
Layla walks over to the Doctor and Rose and both of them were curious what the Queen wanted. However, Layla just gives them an impish grin and doesn't say anything. "Let's get out of here, we have a long walk back."
Luckily for them they meet a man named Dougal who was going the way they needed and offered them a lift on his wagon. They accepted the offer grateful to not have to walk ten miles. "Whoa!" Dougal stops the horses when they arrive close to where they were picked up by the Queen.
"Cheers, Dougal!" The Doctor exclaims and helps Layla down from the cart while Rose was not paying attention and was stretching. They still had to walk some to the Tardis, but it wasn't ten miles. "No, but the funny thing is, Queen Victoria did actually suffer a mutation of the blood. It's historical record. She was hemophiliac. They used to call it the Royal Disease. But it's always been a mystery because she didn't inherit it. Her mum and dad did not have it. It came from nowhere."
"What, and you're saying that's a wolf bite?" Rose wasn't sure whether he was joking or not.
"Well, maybe hemophilia is just Victorian euphemism."
"For werewolf?"
He shrugs and looks at her slyly. "Could be." He grabs Layla's hand and holds it firmly.
"Queen Victoria's a werewolf?" Rose still wasn't sure if he was joking or not, he hasn't directly said yes or no.
"Could be. And her children had the Royal Disease. Maybe she gave them a quick nip." At the last word he looks over to Layla with a blazing gaze, and looks down at her neck and pouts that his bite mark was gone. She knew exactly what he was doing and looks up at him from under her lashes and bites her lip. When he follows the move and swallows harshly, she smirks and gives him a wink when he looks at her eyes.
"So, the Royal Family are werewolves?" Rose broke through the fog in their minds as she was still wanting confirmation.
"Well, maybe not. I mean, a single wolf cell could take a hundred years to mature. Might be ready by, oh, early 21st century."
"Nah, that's just ridiculous! Mind you, Princess Anne."
The Doctor gives Rose a smile. "I'll say no more."
"And if you think about it, they're very private. They plan everything in advance. They could schedule themselves around the moon. We'd never know. And they like hunting!"
They walk up to the Tardis and the Doctor unlocks the door and lets them go in first. Rose still looks shocked about the Royal Family possibly being werewolves. "They love blood sports. Oh my god, they're werewolves!"
Layla looks at the Doctor then back to Rose. "Rose, don't forget to collect your ten quid for the bet."
"That's right! Pay up!"
The Doctor looks at Layla in betrayal before he laughs and look at Rose. "When do I ever have money?" The Doctor and Layla laugh at the look on Rose's face.