Dancing Across Time (Book Two of The Bad Wolf Chronicles)

Interlude: The Stories Never Told

Jessie leaned back in her bed that night, staring up at the ceiling. She could feel her heartbeat still racing from all of the adrenaline. Still, she couldn't remember her heart racing this much and not feeling tired.

There were so many things she wanted to tell the Doctor. So many things she wanted to say. Still, somewhere in her, she couldn't find the heart to say it.

How Zach had had to inject her with something, drug her to take her to the rocket.

Every thing the Beast had said.

And how in the back of her mind, how she could somehow read what exactly showed up when Gallifreyan circles appeared around the TARDIS.

***

The Doctor rubbed his hands over his face as he tried to think. Really, all he was thinking about was that violet and bronze Asgardian back in her room. Something was coming, and something was going to rip her away from him. He knew it. He just didn't know when. "Was there something I missed?" he asked out loud.

The TARDIS hummed at him. "No."

The Doctor snorted, dropping his head onto his hand. "Something is coming, though," he said. "Right?"

The TARDIS simply hummed in amusement at him. The Doctor huffed. "Thanks for nothing," he muttered.

***

"The ghosts have been appearing for a few weeks now," Coulson said as the five of them gathered in the meeting room on the Bus. "All over the world, but it seems to be concentrated in London."

"What do they look like?" Fitz asked.

"People who have died," May replied briefly, and Skye lifted her head from where it had been on her hand. "We don't know for sure."

"That's why the Director asked us to look into it," Coulson stated, folding his arms. "We'll be in the op for a while, at least a few months. Skye, I want you in the flat by the Powell Estate. FitzSimmons can do a scan for anything out of the ordinary. May and I will be on standby."

Skye nodded. "And if we can get ahold of the Doctor?"

Coulson's jaw set. "That's for you to decide."

Skye narrowed her eyes as Coulson left, and she looked at the others in confusion. "What's got him in a knot?" she asked.

FitzSimmons looked just as confused as she did, but May didn't look happy, either. "Nothing," was all she said before she left.

Skye made a helpless motion. "Oh, sure, just send me on off to England," she muttered as she headed for her room to pack. "Full of people driving on the wrong side of the road." She rolled her eyes. "Fun."

***

Jessie laughed when she saw aliens that looked like pterodactyls flying over their heads on a rocky planet. "This is incredible!"

The Doctor grinned, nodding. "Not bad," he agreed, standing by her as they watched the aliens fly overhead. "Not bad at all."

"Fantastic, even," Jessie put in, giggling a little.

The Doctor stood there, watching, then looked at her. "So, how long are you going to stay with me again?" he asked.

She smiled at him. "Forever," she replied, grinning.

He grinned back.

***

Please, the TARDIS thought later as She spun through the Vortex, trying hard to avoid their next destination. Please.

Her Wolf was noticing. Her Thief was too preoccupied to notice. But She knew that if he wasn't, he would notice as well.

It was all falling into place. The clock was running short, and the dance was ending. Her Thief's time had ended many times before, but never Her Wolf's.

She could hear the chime of the clock in the back of Her mind, but she paid no attention. She kept working, and even though She believed in no gods, She prayed that She would be done before the storm hit.

But She knew that there was little chance that she would be.

Her Thief was right. A storm was approaching.

And it was now.

***

As the Doctor says, "here come the ghosts." "Army of Ghosts" will be uploaded in a few minutes, and "Doomsday" is in the process of being written. Two interludes following that, and then the epilogue.

Who's excited?