Doctor Who Fanseries: Season 1: Episode 3

The Reptilian Invasion | 1 | 1896

"You're having me on, aren't you?" Lewis said, his mouth open in astonishment. "There's no way we've landed in 1896! This has to be a prank!"

"Of course it's not! Do you think I'd pull a prank on a smart man like yourself?" the Doctor asked, putting his hand around Lewis's shoulders. He had grown quite fond of the English actor in the hour and four minutes he had known him.

Lewis spared a glance at Angela, her jaw also dropped in wonder.

I wouldn't brush off the thought just right now, Lewis thought to himself, still outraged by Angela's nasty comment.

The Doctor slammed the console of the TARDIS with his hand and skipped to the doors. He pulled the door open and disappeared out of the time machine.

Angela looked at Lewis and bit her lip.

"Shall we?" Angela asked, pointing her hand to Lewis.

Lewis hesitated but then took her hand, walking out of the TARDIS with her. He could work on forgiving her, he supposed. Everyone deserved second chances.

When Lewis and Angela stepped outside, they were standing in a courtyard of a Victorian house. On the left of the TARDIS, there was a carriage filled with straw and a friendly maid greeted them at the door of the house.

"Doctor!" she called, running over to embrace him. "It's great to see you!"

"Likewise, Jenny, likewise."

"Ah-ah, Doctor," a woman's voice called out, just as the lizard lady stepped out of the house. "I'll have you know that my Jenny is a married woman."

"My apologies, Madame Vastra."

Angela and Lewis both tried their best not to gape at the woman's skin, but after their encounter with an Enallion and a Slitheen, it wasn't too hard.

"I've see you've recruited a new TARDIS team, hmm? What happened to Clara?"

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Clara? Who'd that be then?"

Madame Vastra and Jenny both frowned, but were interrupted before they could add to the response. Another servant strode out of the grand house, and this time, Lewis and Angela did gape.

"My God!" Angela exclaimed.

"Now, now, Angela," the Doctor said, walking over and rubbing the alien on the head. "It's very rude to judge. Strax here is a very friendly Sontaran, if not a bit stupid."

Strax, the Sontaran, retrieved a banana from his waistcoat pocket. "Who are you calling stupid, eyebrows?"

The Doctor smirked and snapped the banana off of him, peeling it back and taking a bite.

"It's good in potassium," he said while eating, so it ended up sounding something like ih's gud in potase um.

Madame Vastra clapped her hands. "Jenny, darling, go fetch us all some tea. I think we've quite a bit of catching up to do."

The Doctor followed Jenny and her wife into the house, and Strax followed behind Lewis and Angela. When they were all seated and the tea had arrived, the Doctor picked up his cup and took a sip. He burned his lips and spat the tea out.

"For the cleverest man in the universe, you're not very bright," Madame Vastra laughed. "Now, tell me, Doctor, what happened to––?"

Madame Vastra was interrupted once again when there was a loud crash from upstairs. Seeing that the house's only residents and guests were all in the same room, Madame Vastra looked at Jenny, alert.

The Doctor rolled his eyes as he bit into a biscuit.

"One does never have a break, huh?"

NEXT TIME:

Intruders

Catch it next Saturday, the 2nd of July!