Didn't realize I had this lying around so here you go. Trigger warning for trauma, I suppose because I'm always a bit meant o my OCs. :)
Dinner was served and the Doctor gave Asher a glance as she tucked into the meal a little eagerly. The action brought a small frown to his face, making him wonder what his other selves were doing by never giving her a break to eat, but he made a mental note to check in with her later. There was also the fact that her family wasn't always kind and she was just used to eating as quickly as she could to leave the table, but he couldn't be sure if that was it or not. Still, a discussion for another time since her warning him about something happening here was a bit more important than her eating habits.
A few moments later, the head butler stepped in with a decanter of alcohol on a silver platter, beginning to pour some out for everyone.
"Your companion begs an apology, Doctor," he said then, drawing the Doctor's attention as he licked his fingers clean of gravy. "Her clothing has somewhat delayed her."
He knew that wasn't true but plastered on a smile to keep up appearances.
"Oh, that's all right. Save her a wee bit of ham," he replied as the Queen—sitting across from Asher—smiled.
"The feral child could probably eat it raw," the woman teased and Reynolds beside her chuckled a bit too boisterously.
"Very wise, ma'am. Very witty."
"Slightly witty, perhaps. I know you rarely get the chance to dine with me, Captain, but don't get too excited. I shall contain my wit in case I do you further injury," the Queen lightly scolded, making him grow a bit more sheepish.
"Yes, ma'am. Sorry, ma'am."
The Queen turned toward Asher then, who was busy staring down at her plate as she finished off the scraps remaining. "Though, there's no need to hold your tongue so completely, Miss Watkins. I do enjoy some conversation."
Asher glanced up, cheeks tinted pink in embarrassment, and fumbled for words. "Ah, um, sorry, ma'am. I'm… not much of a talker."
"You were certainly talking in the hall just before our meal," the Queen reminded her, only making Asher more awkward as she reached for her glass of alcohol. "Or perhaps it was due to having better company."
Asher nearly choked on her drink—both because of the Queen's comment and the potency of it—and grabbed a napkin to cover her mouth as the Doctor decided he should slip in and give her a break from the Queen's questioning.
"Apologies. She's a bit shy, is all. Besides!" He tossed his own napkin down onto the table and turned to the man seated at the head of it. "We're all waiting on Sir Robert. Come, sir. You promised us a tale of nightmares."
The Queen nodded, taking his bait as he squeezed Asher's shoulder with a small smile of reassurance. "Indeed. Since my husband's death, I find myself with more of a taste for supernatural fiction."
"You must miss him," the Doctor said sympathetically and the Queen nodded solemnly.
"Very much… Oh, completely," she admitted before trying to lessen the tension slightly. "And that's the charm of a ghost story, isn't it? Not the scares and chills, that's just for children, but the hope of some contact with the great beyond. We all want some message from that place. It's the Creator's greatest mystery that we're allowed no such consolation… The dead stay silent… and we must wait." She took a steadying breath, shaking herself out of the emotions she was dealing with. "Come. Begin your tale, Sir Robert. There's a chill in the air. The wind is howling through the eaves. Tell us of monsters."
Robert began telling them a tale of missing children and wolves being the culprits and the Doctor listened curiously, always eager for stories about monsters. He happened to glance at Asher, wondering if she was enjoying it as well but his small smile fell. She looked a bit uncertain about something and he reached out under the table and lightly touched the back of her hand. She flinched a little, jerking her hand at the contact out of surprise before glancing at him. He raised a brow, silently asking if she was alright and she nodded; lying, obviously. Contact might have been brief but he'd still felt a hint of her conflicted emotions about something. Perhaps something the Queen said? He mused before her gaze shifted to the bald butler near the window.
He turned as well, frowning slightly. Asher had warned him of the upcoming trouble and the constant mentions of wolves and now this werewolf that Robert was talking about had him suspicious. The servants were something he might not have paid much attention to if she hadn't said something, but now that he was aware, it was odd that Robert was so unsettled by them. Baldness aside, they're not exactly acting like proper servants, are they? The house is chilled from the lack of fires. The food was honestly a bit cold, as though it had been made and left out for a while. They've also interrupted Robert a few times which is insulting, given their positions, much less in front of an important guest like Queen Victoria.
"I should have listened," Robert lamented, his story sounding less and less like a fairytale and more sincere as he spoke of his father's research on the topic. "His work was hindered. He made enemies. There's a monastery in the Glen of Saint Catherine. The Brethren opposed my father's investigations."
"Perhaps they thought his work ungodly," the Queen suggested but the Doctor noticed the butler was muttering under his breath now as he stared out the window at the full moon.
"That's what I thought. But now I wonder," Roberts said, glancing at the butler himself. "What if they had a different reason for wanting the story kept quiet? What if they turned from God and worshipped the wolf?"
"And what if they were with us right now?" The Doctor murmured, getting to his feet and pulling Asher up as well.
Reynolds had caught on too and stood as the Queen shifted to stand behind him. The soldier drew his weapon and pointed it at the butler.
"What is the meaning of this!"
"Explain yourself, sir!"
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. They've got my wife."
They all shouted at one another before the Doctor's eyes widened and he turned to Asher.
"The cellar. You said the cellar! Sir Robert, come on!"
The Doctor turned and took off, taking Asher with him as Sir Robert followed, not quite sure why he was following but seeing a chance to go and find his wife. They hurried toward the room and the Doctor slammed into the door, kicking at it before it finally swung open to reveal Rose, the servants of the estate, and Robert's wife.
"Where the hell have you been!" Rose shouted and the Doctor turned at the clattering to his right.
He stared, entranced by the werewolf that was attempting to break free of its metal cage. Even Asher was staring in stunned disbelief.
"Oh, that's beautiful," the Doctor breathed before the werewolf broke free and threw to top of the cage toward him.
He ducked, covering Asher's head, and they retreated through the cellar door. The Doctor was quick to lock it with the sonic but knew that there wasn't much the wood and metal would be able to do but slow the creature down slightly. A loud howl rang out from the cellar as the group of freed men and women gathered in the gun room just off the kitchen. The Doctor got to work undoing the cuffs as the men took up arms and the women were sent to the kitchen by the steward.
"T-That was a werewolf," Asher breathed as he worked, getting a smile from him.
"Well, it could be any form of light-modulated species triggered by specific wavelengths. Did it say what it wanted?" He rattled as he freed Rose who glanced up at his question with a shrug.
"The Queen, the Crown, the throne. You name it." She turned to Asher then. "Did you know I was going to get kidnapped and locked down there?"
Asher shot the Doctor a look. "Told you."
"You did, didn't you?" Rose snapped before there was a crash and they cautiously went to investigate.
The Doctor held up a hand to keep the others back and went around the corner to look. The wolf had gotten through the cellar door and when it saw him, it growled. He sucked in a breath and turned, bolting back the way he came and grabbing Rose who'd started to wander after him. They ducked behind the firing line of men as the steward called for them to fire at the wolf. Gunshots went off, making Asher grimace and the wolf doubled back as they stopped.
"All right, you men. We should retreat upstairs. Come with me," the Doctor said, but only Robert had turned to go with him.
The steward wasn't about to let these people or the wolf get away with this.
"I'll not retreat. The battle's done. There's no creature on God's Earth that could survive such an assault."
"I'm telling you, come upstairs!" The Doctor shouted and even Asher joined in.
"What about the women!"
The steward stopped, turning back toward her after having taken a step away to go find the wolf. "Excuse me?"
Asher grit her teeth but steeled herself. "What about the women here? What about your family? What are they going to think when they find out you foolishly rushed off to your death instead of thinking this through?"
He seemed to consider that for a moment before his pride won out. "They will be glad to know I won and kept them safe. I will sleep well tonight with that thing's hide upon my wall."
The man walked down to the end of the corridor, searching for the wolf and heading back over with a smug smirk.
"It must have crawled away to die," he said before the wolf reached down from the rafters and hauled him up.
He screamed as it easily tore through him and the Doctor took a step back.
"There's nothing we can do," he said, turning and pushing Rose away.
He had to turn around to grab Asher, who'd frozen for a moment as the wolf came down and went after the rest of the men. They fired their weapons uselessly as the group hurried to the staircase and Robert called for the Queen in concern as the Doctor sonicked the door closed. There wasn't much more he could do and the Queen hurried down the stairs in unease.
"Sir Robert? What's happening? I heard such terrible noises."
"Your Majesty, we've got to get out. But what of Father Angelo? Is he still here?" Robert asked, worried they had more than one problem to deal with but the Queen steadied herself.
"Captain Reynolds disposed of him."
The Doctor doubled back after checking more doors nearby. "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."
"We can't," Asher cut in. "The monks took out all the soldiers. They're standing guard outside with their rifles." She glanced at the Queen who frowned and hastily made up a lie. "I-I thought I saw them earlier when I left the stables. I didn't get a good look. I saw red and thought it was the uniforms but they were bald like the servants."
"Do they know who I am?" The Queen huffed as the Doctor herded the group into the drawing room so he could check for more exits.
"Yeah, that's why they want you," Rose explained, seeing her confusion. "The wolf's lined you up for a… a biting."
"Stop this talk. There can't be an actual wolf."
A howl echoed through the building, countering her statement and the Doctor doubled back out into the hall. The wolf was already pounding on the door, cracking the wood easily with its monstrous strength.
"What do we do?" Rose asked.
"We run," the Doctor offered, uncertain of what they could do other than that.
And even then, it'd catch up. We're outmatched.
"Is that it?" Rose complained, hoping for something more than just 'run.'
"You got any silver bullets?" He challenged.
"Not on me, no."
"Don't even know if they'd work," Asher muttered under her breath, earning a glare from Rose.
"There we are then, we run. Your Majesty, as a doctor, I recommend a vigorous jog. Good for the health. Come on!" The Doctor encouraged her, jogging in place for a moment before taking her hand and helping her up the stairs. "Come on! Come on!"
They moved up a few floors and came out into another twist of corridors, doing their best to outrun the beast. Despite its large size, it was quick and nimble, having climbed up the staircase in half the time it took them and bounding down the hall easily. They hurried around a corner and the Doctor tried to keep himself near the back. The Queen had to be protected or they could potentially change the entire future from here on out. He'd just forgotten one thing. Asher was still ill. Her fever had gone up in all the excitement and while she was doing her best to power through it, she was struggling to keep up.
The wolf was nearly upon them and when they reached the end of the hall, the Queen hurried around Reynolds—who had his pistol lifted and ready to fire. Robert moved out of the way as well and the wolf reared up, bringing a clawed arm down upon the Doctor, Rose, and Asher. They all dropped as quickly as they were able and Reynolds fired off a round of shots, scaring the wolf away for the moment.
The group got back up on their feet and ducked around the corner as Reynolds reloaded his gun; everyone trying to catch their breath.
"I'll take this position and hold it. You keep moving, for God's sake!" He ordered, before calming as he spoke to the Queen. "Your Majesty, I went to look for the property and it was taken. The chest was empty."
"I have it. It's safe," she informed him, making him nod.
"Then remove yourself, ma'am. Doctor, you stand as Her Majesty's Protector, and you, Sir Robert, you're a traitor to the crown," he said, giving the man a scalding look.
"Bullets can't stop it," the Doctor barked at him, hoping to get the man to come with the group.
"They'll buy you time. Now run!"
The Doctor hesitated but abandoned him with the others. Rose stood there for a moment before Asher grabbed her hand and started to pull her along.
"You knew about this," Rose breathed, uncertain where to throw her entangled emotions other than at the one person who knew things beforehand. "Can't you do something? People are dying!"
She'd pulled Asher to a stop and Asher grimaced and scowled at her in frustration.
"And what would you have me do, Rose?" She bit out, gaze flickering between Rose's angered expression and Reynolds's back at the other end of the hall. "What am I supposed to do against that?"
Rose didn't know herself. Just like when the Doctor regenerated, she felt useless and hated that all they could do was run and abandon people to die. Knowing what was going to happen like Asher did, made her feel like there had to be something they could do. She would admit that she was jealous of Asher sometimes. She imagined knowing the future and saving people or changing things only to turn to the Doctor and have his big, beaming smile aimed at her for once. She wanted to prove to him that she was just as amazing as Asher, as him. If she knew how to do that, how to change events, surely she could fix all of this… right?
But that's not how it worked. Asher had shown her that time and time again. That day he regenerated and Asher told Rose exactly what was going to happen, she'd walked into the Sycorax ship and fumbled it. She did her best, knew that it was some sort of fake voodoo thing that they were doing to control people but it hadn't made a dent. Nothing she did in those few moments made a difference to anything. She'd known and the Doctor still had to fight, to lose his hand, to save them like he always did. Knowing the future didn't mean she or Asher could fix anything but it sure as hell made everything all the more frustrating when they couldn't.
Her expression crumpled as she fought the burn of tears in her eyes. "I know," she admitted. "I-I know but… but I want there to be something."
Asher's own face softened before there were gunshots and they both whipped around. Reynolds emptied another round into the werewolf and Asher bit out a curse as she covered Rose's eyes and gave her a firm shove toward the door.
"Go. Go!" She shouted, forcing herself to look away as Reynolds screamed when he was mauled.
They hurried into the study as the Doctor and Robert closed the door and started to barricade it. Chairs and benches were piled up against the door before the Doctor shushed everyone. The wolf had gone quiet.
"Sh, sh, wait a minute," he whispered as the wolf let out a long howl but didn't slam against the door at all. "It's stopped."
There was some shuffling and sniffing at the door then but still, there was no attack from the wolf before its footsteps plodded away.
"It's gone."
"Listen," Rose breathed, hearing the wolf move along the walls.
"Is this the only door?" The Doctor questioned Robert softly.
"Yes—No!" The man shouted, jerking toward the other door as the Doctor followed.
They barricaded that one as well but again, the wolf didn't try to force its way in. It moved around a little more before scampering off and Rose spoke up.
"I don't understand. What's stopping it?"
"Something inside this room. What is it? Why can't it get in?" The Doctor questioned as well, brows furrowed in confusion.
"I'll tell you what, though," Rose said, heading toward him as Robert dropped into a chair and dragged a hand down his face.
"What?" The Doctor asked, assuming it was something important.
"Werewolf," Rose said with a wild grin, adrenaline still pumping at the thrill of it all even with the fear the beast had caused.
"I know," the Doctor chimed in return, grinning as well as they laughed in relief and hugged. "You all right?"
"I'm okay, yeah," Rose said as they pulled apart.
"I'm sorry, ma'am," Robert spoke up then, devastated at what had happened. "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?"
The Doctor went to say something witty but stopped, realizing that Asher had been rather quiet and turning toward her. She looked a little pale and was shaking slightly from the adrenaline; a hand wrapped around her mouth as she attempted to calm her breathing. He took half a step toward her to ask if she was alright but Rose speaking to the Queen changed the tone of the room instantly; distracting him.
"I'll tell you what though, ma'am, I bet you're not amused now."
"Do you think this is funny?" The Queen snapped, immediately making Rose sheepish.
"No, ma'am. I'm sorry."
"What, exactly—I pray tell me, someone, please. What exactly is that creature?" The Queen demanded and the Doctor couldn't help but run his mouth.
"You'd call it a werewolf, but technically it's more of a lupine wave—"
"Doctor," Asher said sharply, cutting him off. "Shut up."
He turned to her, rather offended at the blunt order but the Queen was displeased enough as it was.
"And should I trust you, sir? You who change your voice so easily? What happened to your accent?"
He hadn't even realized he'd dropped the Scottish drawl. "Oh, right. Sorry, that—"
"I'll not have it. No, sir. Not you, not that thing, none of it. This is not my world," the Queen declared firmly, moving to sit on a nearby sofa.
The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of what to say and finally deciding that there wasn't anything he could say to fix this. So, he went to try and figure out what was keeping the wolf away when Asher suddenly dropped to the ground. She didn't collapse but she might as well have with how heavily she dropped. Her backside hit the carpet and she immediately sagged, dropping her head into her hand with a shuddering breath. Worried, the Doctor headed over and went to check her temperature only to freeze. He could smell blood.
Quickly, he grabbed her arm, startling her as he touched her cheek and began looking her over. She was more pale than he thought—the bad lighting wasn't helping—and her gaze was a little clouded and unfocused. Her fever had risen, as expected, but when she tried to resist he could tell she was weakened significantly.
"Doctor, would you let—"
"Ash, what happened?" He demanded, hoping she'd just answer him because he hadn't yet found the source of the smell.
"What—We were just attacked by a werewolf? I don't—What do you want me to say?" She questioned, confused and disoriented as she lightly swiped at the hand on her cheek; trying to lean back out of his grip but again, far too weak to do so. "I'm just tired. It's probably the fev—"
Her protests were cut short by a sharp breath. Her body went stiff and she automatically went to reach for her left shoulder. The Doctor was quick to grab her coat, practically ripping it off her as she finally let out a small cry of pain and hit his arm with her fist.
"Stop! That fucking hurts, you moron!" She snapped and he pulled her forward into his lap as soon as he saw the tears in her clothes.
"Stop struggling," he snapped, voice harsh in her ear and making her stiffen. "You're hurt. I need to check and make sure…"
Make sure it's not a bite. He didn't even want to think of what might happen if it was. She leaned more of her weight into him then, worrying him, but a quick press of his fingers against her neck reassured him. Her mind was bouncing haphazardly from concerned to frustrated to tired. She was conscious and had stopped struggling as he asked; simply relaxing against him with her head tucked into the crook of his neck.
"When were you hit?" He asked quietly, lifting up the torn part of her sweater as carefully as he could away from the injury to try and get a better look.
This wasn't an ideal place to just remove her sweater and treat it. He wasn't even sure if there were any supplies here, much less the lack of privacy. As it was, he could feel eyes on him and it wasn't just Rose's as she came over in concern.
"Is she okay?"
"Can you see if there's anything here I can use for bandages? She wasn't bit but the claws went deep… And alcohol if you can find any," he said, feeling Asher tense in his arms at the thought, but not pull away.
Rose nodded, hesitantly stepping away and going to dig through the desk nearby as the Doctor went back to what he was doing. He grimaced at the four jagged wounds seeping blood from her shoulder and down her back. They were deep, easily tearing through muscle but they weren't the marks of teeth at the very least.
"I don't… know," Asher muttered, turning slightly so her nose was pressed against the hollow of his throat. "B-Before Reynolds?"
He realized she was answering his question as to when she was hit by the werewolf and thought back to that moment. He winced immediately, realizing he'd not taken into account her health after they'd run up the stairs. He should've grabbed her to duck down as well. No, she shouldn't have been in the very back. It's my fault for not paying attention. He stiffened when she moved, shifting her injured arm up to wrap around him and grip tightly to the back of his coat in a weak embrace.
" 's not your fault," she mumbled into his neck. "It's the Tardis's f-for making me sick."
He cracked a smile at that, reaching around her carefully as well. "Yeah, alright. We'll agree to disagree then."
Rose came back over then, looking concerned. "I couldn't find anything for bandages. Robert said the first aid stuff is downstairs. I thought maybe the curtains but they're dusty. A-And all I could find was this."
She lifted a decanter of amber-colored liquid and the Doctor sighed softly, taking it from her.
"She'll have to hold out until the Tardis then. You're losing a lot of blood though, Ash," he informed her, worried himself because she was in no shape to be running from a werewolf. "You're probably already light-headed with that and the fever."
Asher grunted quietly against his shoulder and he carefully turned her so he could hand her the alcohol.
"Drink some. Probably won't be your favorite or anything but it should take the edge off."
She nodded and he helped her steady herself as she sat upright again. She grimaced at the taste of the alcohol but had a few more swigs before she coughed and handed it back. It wouldn't help her fever at all but if it dulled the pain then that was what mattered. She needs treatment. It'd be better if she just jumped to another me right about now but very rarely does her little trick work when either of us want it to. He pushed the thought aside and stood, pulling one of the benches out of the barricade in front of the door and helping Asher up. He sat her down on the bench, setting the alcohol beside her and hating what he was going to have to do.
"Ash, this is going to hurt, okay?" He murmured, drawing her gaze to him as he pulled off his tie and folded it over itself, sitting across from her in a chair.
She seemed to know what he was going to do and spoke quietly. "I'll be okay," she reassured him, making him feel sick.
She shouldn't be reassuring him. Not when this was his fault. Not when she's the one who's hurt and will be in pain. He swallowed thickly, bringing up the tie for her to bite on and she took it from him to do so. He pulled her forward so she was hugging him and grabbed the bottle of alcohol to pour over the wound. It needed to be disinfected, especially given what caused it, and he hated that this was all they could resort to.
He took a deep breath, letting it out as she did the same along with him, then, he poured. She stiffened instantly, gripping the back of his coat tight as she sucked in a sharp breath through her nose. He clenched his eyes shut with a grimace of pain himself when a whimper escaped her. She always acted so strong, never complained about pain if she could help it, and hearing her like this broke his hearts. He murmured quiet apologies, telling her he was finished but knowing the burn of the alcohol would linger because of her sweater. She still held tight to him for a moment, shaking slightly as she tried to deal with the pain.
He bundled up her coat, apologizing as he pressed it firmly to where her injury was, before using his belt to hold it in place. It was all he could do for the moment as he lightly ran his hand up her arms to let him know he was done. She loosened her grip on him and sat back, holding his tie in her hand. He took it, tucking it away in his coat pocket as he checked her temperature. Up again, damn. Then, he had her lay face down on the bench, giving her a chance to rest without causing more pain to her injury. He covered her with his coat and made a mental note to keep a first aid kit on hand the next time they went out. All he could do now though was keep her comfortable and finish this mess with the werewolf as quickly as possible. Right. So, let's get to work.
Asher had dozed off at some point, exhausted and in pain, wishing she could have just been sent to another Doctor somewhere to have this injury dealt with. I didn't even feel it happen. She started to shift in order to get up, faltering when pain snapped across her shoulder only for a firm hand to push her back down.
"Rest," the Doctor ordered, keeping her pinned to the bench with her head in his lap.
Didn't notice that either, Asher thought turning a little and wincing at the pain as she rolled onto her uninjured shoulder.
"You don't listen very well," he muttered, a book in hand as he reached over to place the other over her forehead and eyes.
Asher relished in the chill of his hand for a moment before reaching up and lightly moving it to see. "Did you find out about the mistletoe?"
He nodded, pulling his hand away to flip a page on the book he was looking over. "Yes. We're currently trying to figure out which book has more information about the werewolf."
"I could save you the trouble," she muttered, offering him information on the future if only to get them out of there quicker.
A quick glance at the glass ceiling above showed the wolf hadn't found them yet but she didn't want them to keep waiting around for it.
"And what excuse do we give the Queen?" The Doctor questioned, giving her a look. "As much as I would appreciate you moving us along, giving out information like that isn't safe for anyone."
Asher sighed softly, closing her eyes. "Sorry. I just want out of here. A coat isn't going to stop my injury from bleeding out."
He hummed softly at that and he leaned over to check on the coat. Bandages would be far easier to deal with but they had nothing and there wasn't anything they could do. Having lost so much blood as well meant Asher was a liability. He had no doubt the second she tried to get up off the bench she would be right back on the floor from dizziness.
" 'm sorry," Asher muttered.
"None of that," he countered, not wanting to hear it. "This wasn't your fault. We've gone over this."
"Not your fault either," she replied, reaching up as she opened her eyes and tapped his hand. "I might project but you're not hiding the guilt very well either."
She barely noticed it when he'd checked her fever and now that she was aware of it and told him, the flicker of guilt she'd felt from him was cut off instantly. She stuffed down the small trickle of hurt at him closing himself off, feeling a bit hypocritical since she often got annoyed with his future selves about their nosiness with her emotions.
"Sorry," Asher repeated, glancing away. "I didn't mean to pry… I just wanted to do something. Even if it's just speeding things up a bit. I wouldn't give anything away if it was important; if it would change too much."
He let out a soft sigh, dropping his hand on her head again. "I know. You're doing good," he lightly praised, lifting his hand as she glanced at him. "If you're certain it won't change anything…"
"You'll find the book anyway. I'm just concerned about the wolf."
He frowned lightly. "You think it can get in?"
"Not everything is covered in mistletoe," Asher hinted, shifting her gaze to the glass above and drawing his look upward as well.
"Right. Okay. Any idea what the book looks like?"
She winced, trying to think. "Um, decent size. Not like a pocketbook or anything thick like a textbook. Brown cover? Maybe a deep red? Think it was a bit plain looking and maybe halfway through it talks about a monastery and something falling to Earth. That's all I can remember and even that's a bit of a stretch."
"It's enough," he said, carefully starting to shift so Asher wasn't lying on him but she started to sit up, making him stop her. "Stay lying down, Ash. It won't take a minute."
Asher shook her head though, grimacing as pain rippled through her again and he helped keep her steady. "I can't trust that we'll make it in time. I-I'd rather be upright if we need to run."
He hesitated, but nodded, ensuring she was okay before heading off to the bookshelf that Rose and Robert were going through. Rose had been bringing him books while he kept an eye on Asher—silently dealing with her own guilt for how she'd acted toward her earlier—but now the Doctor seemed to be moving with purpose. Asher had told him something.
"Did she give you a hint?" Rose asked hopefully, earning a small shush from the Doctor given their present company.
Thankfully, Robert hadn't been listening, muttering under his breath about the book he was looking at.
"Just gave me a better idea what book to look for," the Doctor said, running a finger over the spines on the shelf and pulling out a decent-sized book with a brown cover to flip open.
It was a book on star gazing and didn't hold anything useful so he continued to the next one and grinned when he found what he was looking for. Record time.
"Here we go. Look what your old dad found," he chimed, summoning Robert to show him the book as he laid it out on the desk for him and Rose to look at. "Something fell to Earth."
"A spaceship?" Rose asked, not even thinking about the lack of technology in 1879 but Robert's thoughts went elsewhere.
"A shooting star?" He questioned upon seeing the picture in the book and he read the description. " '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?"
The Doctor hummed. "Maybe just a single cell survived. Adapting slowly down the generations, it survived through the humans, host after host after host."
"But why does it want the throne?" Robert asked as Rose shrugged.
"That's what it wants. It said so. The, the Empire of the Wolf."
"Imagine it. The Victorian Age accelerated. Starships and missiles fueled by coal and driven by steam, leaving history devastated in its wake," the Doctor breathed, a small shiver running up his spine at the thought of how time would change.
The Queen had been listening and watching from her seat on the sofa and from the sound of things, she knew she had to speak up on something important.
"Sir Robert," she called out, summoning the man to her. "If I am to die here—"
"Don't say that, Your Majesty," he pleaded.
"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 chided as she dug through her bag, but he was surprised when Asher scolded him for it.
"Doctor," she said a little sharply, drawing his gaze as she gave him a pointed look. "It's important."
Another hint, he realized and begrudgingly nodded as the Queen said her piece as well.
"Thank you for your opinion, but there is nothing more valuable than this."
A large diamond was pulled out of the bag, stunning the group as Rose sucked in a sharp breath.
"Is that the Koh-I-Noor?"
"Oh, yes," the Doctor breathed, equally surprised as he and Rose approached. "The greatest diamond in the world."
"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 wait long enough," the Doctor mused before holding out a hand. "Can I?"
The Queen handed it over cautiously and the Doctor lowered his glasses as he eyed it.
"That is so beautiful."
"How much is that worth?" Rose asked.
"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."
"And she'd win," the Doctor teased with a smile as Robert shifted uneasily.
"Where is the wolf? I don't trust this silence."
He drifted away from the group, going to check the doors when he stopped near Asher. The woman was obviously doing her best to hide her condition, but the thin sheen of sweat on her temple and the stiffness of her body as she eyed the ceiling had him concerned. So, he abandoned the door to check on her.
"Are you alright?" He asked quietly, not wanting to startle her. "I… apologize for not having something more suitable for your injuries."
She seemed surprised he was speaking to her but she offered a small smile. "I-I'm okay. Been better but there's not much anyone can really do about it."
"Still, this is all my fault. I should have done more to turn you all away at the door."
"Your wife was under threat," Asher said solemnly. "I get it. You didn't have much of a choice. You can't blame yourself for this and my getting injured was just me not paying attention. I didn't see Reynolds until the others had ducked. Should've ducked sooner."
"I appreciate the sentiment," he offered quietly, expression falling at the thought of his wife who may or may not have been mauled by the wolf herself.
"She'll be okay," Asher suddenly said, surprising him as she smiled a little. "Really. I know that probably doesn't mean much but the wolf is focused on us, so there's a good chance she and the others are safe where they're hiding in the kitchens."
"I sincerely hope so," he murmured, grateful for her support.
"Do you think we should take down the barricade?" Asher asked then. "It's not holding the wolf back and if we need to get out of here in a hurry, it'd be better if it were clear."
Robert nodded, seeing the logic in that. "Yes. Yes, I'll start moving things. I don't recommend you get up though, miss. Save your strength."
Asher easily agreed and instead reached over for the alcohol that was still nearby. It would help dull the pain a little, she hoped. She'd only gotten through one more swig, grimacing at the strength of the alcohol within, when there was a small trickle of dust drifting down in front of her. Her gaze went to the glass above immediately, seeing a shadow trailing over it as the wolf approached. The Doctor was already ranting about the trap now that he'd figured out the purpose of the diamond but not quickly enough.
"D-Doctor!" Asher called out, sounding concerned enough that he paused in his rant to turn toward her, worried something had happened.
She simply pointed up and he saw the head of the wolf peering over the edge of the glass.
"That wolf there," he breathed, before shouting to the group. "Out!"
He hurried over to Asher, pulling her up and holding tight to her waist when she immediately began to falter. Being moved so quickly nearly made her pass out, her vision going swiftly to black before somehow clearing up again as he pulled her from the room.
"We've got to get to the observatory!" He shouted to the group, soon bending down to sweep Asher off her feet to run faster.
A short cry of pain escaped her as he did his best not to jostle her injury too much when a scream came from just behind him. Rose had been in the back this time and just as the wolf went to grab her, the maids from the kitchen threw water on its head. The wolf pawed at its face and hurried off, much to his relief.
"Good shot," the Doctor complimented, setting Asher down for the moment.
He eyed her, making sure she was steady as she leaned heavily against the wall but shooed him off herself.
"Go. A-And if you can, grab something to block to door to the observatory. A sword, a-a post."
He nodded, not sure why she was requesting it but agreeing. It wouldn't be hard to get something like that and having a way to secure the doors would give them more time. Robert bid his wife farewell and sent her and the other women back to the kitchen for safety, watching her go with unease settling in his gut. The Doctor hurried back though, giving him a pat on the shoulder to snap him out of it.
"Come on."
He turned and pointed toward the stairs. "The observatory's this way."
"G-Great. Stairs," Asher muttered as the Doctor dropped down in front of her.
"On my back. Come on."
She didn't argue, climbing on as he lifted her easily and started up the stairs, muttering in his ear as she did. "I'm not… too heavy, right?"
"Time Lord," he reminded her. "Besides, absolutely tiny, you are."
"High metabolism," she replied with a small smile. "I lucked out… You could've sent me to the kitchens with the others. Why not?"
"Injured or not, you're important," he said, bounding up the stairs two at a time. "Like you said, your very presence can change things and with you injured, I'm sure the wolf could smell it. Sooner or later, mistletoe won't be so scary and the safest place you can be is with me."
"Dumbledore said the same thing about Hogwarts," Asher hummed. "Yet Harry Potter nearly died how many times?"
He shot her a look as they made it to the observatory. "Cheeky."
"Just saying," she replied as he helped her get down and turned to Robert.
"No mistletoe in these doors because your father wanted the wolf to get inside," he said, gesturing to the swords on a display just past the door. "Get me those swords. They can hold it."
"I'll defend it," Robert offered and Asher scoffed.
"Shut up and get in here. Your wife doesn't want you to be brave. She wants you alive and well, Sir Robert."
He hesitated, second-guessing his decision but the Doctor pulled him inside and took the swords from Rose who'd pulled them off the display. He put them through the door handles, hoping they'd buy enough time, then turned to the Queen.
"Your Majesty. The diamond."
"For what purpose?" The Queen questioned.
"The purpose it was designed for," he declared as she passed it over and the Doctor brought Rose toward the telescope and started turning the control wheels.
"You said this thing doesn't work," Rose pointed out.
"It doesn't work as a telescope because that's not what it is. It's a light chamber. It magnifies the light rays like a weapon. We've just got to power it up," the Doctor explained as the wolf began to pound on the doors.
"It won't work. There's no electricity!" Rose argued before she figured it out. "Moonlight. But the wolf needs moonlight. It's made by moonlight."
"You're seventy percent water but you can still drown. Come on! Come on!"
They got the telescope in place and the wooden door snapped, bending the swords until the door itself came off the hinges.
"Your Majesty!" Robert shouted, rushing for her as the werewolf stepped in, getting smacked away from the Queen by the back of the wolf's hand.
The Doctor slid across the floor, setting the diamond under the beam of light and it reflected, hitting the wolf and causing it to glow. The wolf transformed back into the young man it had taken over and he turned to the Doctor.
"Make it brighter. Let me go."
The Doctor did so and it vanished before he went to check up on the Queen, who was eyeing a small scratch on her wrist.
"Your Majesty, did it bite you?" He asked.
"No, it's, it's a cut, that's all."
"If that thing bit you—"
"It was a splinter of wood when the door came apart. It's nothing," she insisted and before he could argue further, Asher called out.
"Doctor, I think Sir Robert is knocked out and I could really do with a-actual first aid."
She was paler than before and he nodded, hurrying over and placing a hand against her neck, feeling her heart fluttering away under his fingers and her heated skin.
"You could do with a lot more than that, I think."