Screeching To A Halt (Book Eight of The Bad Wolf Chronicles)

Moving On

Warning: this ain't happy.

Enjoy anyway!

***

"So go on, then," Natasha sat down as Rhodey, Sam, and Vision filed into the mess hall, the Doctor and Jessie trailing behind. "How was it?"

"That was rough," Rhodey admitted, sitting down. "I think I've still got dust in my pants."

"I know I do," Sam winced. "And that was . . . something."

"You'd've been proud of this guy, though," Rhodey nodded at Vision. "He stopped the town from falling apart."

Martha raised an eyebrow. "It sounds like we're missing something."

Jessie abruptly turned on her heel and left, making everyone look after her. "Should we - ?" Wanda began.

"No," the Doctor shook his head. "She needs to let off some steam."

"She didn't let it off enough?" Rhodey raised an eyebrow.

"Isaac died first," the Doctor reminded him. "Then Jex willingly gave his life. Both were deaths she could have prevented, and she's always taken pride in how many lives she's been able to save."

"She's guilty," Vision realized. "She believes herself to be at fault."

"That would hurt," Saleen winced.

"I'll go," Steve stood.

Before anyone could argue, he had left. "If anyone can get through to her now, it's him," the Doctor admitted.

"So we wait?" Pietro asked with a frown.

"We wait," the Doctor plopped down.

***

Steve found Jessie on the roof, looking out across the field, an ice cream sandwich clutched in her hand tightly enough that melting ice cream ran over her skin. "Are you going to eat that or let it melt?" he asked dryly.

"Two people died on my watch," she said blankly as he sat next to her. "Isaac died to save a war criminal, then Jex died after I swore I would protect him. What good am I if I can't keep protecting people anymore?"

"These jobs that we have, the Avengers saving people around the world, you and the Doctor saving the universe," Steve began, "we have casualties. Some we couldn't have predicted, some we could have saved. We can't save everyone, J, no matter how hard we try. And sometimes, we just have to live with that."

"I know," she looked down, taking a bite. "It's just . . . " She looked up at the sun. "There was something Amy said, a few adventures ago. The Doctor answered back, they'd be there until the end of us. Amy said 'or vice versa.' Amy and Rory have been with us longer than any other companion." She shook her head. "And it kills me to think about what might happen to them. I died, Jack died, Donna nearly lost her memory, River died, Pietro almost died - " She tossed her sandwich over her shoulder, and Steve watched it land in the trash bin perfectly. "What do I do after they're gone?" she asked helplessly.

"You move on," Steve answered. "It's hard, and believe me, I know. I had to adapt to the 21st century. It's hard, but it's possible."

"But what if I can't?" Jessie looked at him. "You've seen what I'm like. You know what this me is supposed to be."

Steve was silent. "Then I pity anyone who would put the people you care about on the line."

Jessie's lips curled into a sneer as she looked down at her hands, watching flames flicker over her palms, the Aether and lightning crackling between her fingers. Her last two words before she left sent a chill down Steve's spine.

"I don't."

***

To be honest, I do. This girl absolutely terrifies me. And to think we'll probably get her successor either at the end of this year or the beginning of next.

And now we'll get to "The Beast Below," which was one of the fastest episodes I ever wrote. That'll get up quickly!