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

Epilogue

The Doctor straightened, looking over at Jessie. "They're coming."

Jessie nodded, swallowing a little. "I'm ready."

***

Saleen threw the door of Grant's car shut and ran out onto the beach of Dårlig Ulv Stranden, looking around, desperately hoping she hadn't been wrong.

"Saleen."

The Doctor's voice kept calling out to her, and she walked slowly towards the water edge, narrowing her eyes and looking out across it.

"Saleen."

The air warped next to her, and Saleen slowly turned. The Doctor's image appeared, and next to him was a blond-haired woman she didn't know. Saleen swallowed, looking at them. "Where are you?" she asked.

"Inside the TARDIS," the Doctor replied. "There's one tiny little gap in the universe left, just about to close, and it takes a lot of power to send this projection. We're in orbit around a supernova."

The blond cracked a small grin. "We needed to burn up a sun to say goodbye."

Saleen walked forward. "You look like ghosts."

The Doctor held up a finger. "Hold on." He held out his hand, holding the sonic screwdriver, and the image adjusted. Saleen took one more look at the blond, and her eyes widened. "Oh my God - "

She smiled weakly. "Recognize me?"

"No," Saleen choked out, holding a hand over her mouth. "What happened to you?"

"Looking into the heart of the TARDIS has its benefits," her changed best friend chuckled. "The Void tried to pull me in, but it closed just in time. My skull caved in, and I was dead for three days." Saleen quirked an eyebrow at the irony, and Jessie laughed. "I thought the same thing. And apparently stubbornness helped make me into half a Time Lady." She held out her arms. "And I turned into an Aussie."

Saleen grinned. "You got your forever."

Jessie nodded, biting her lip. "Yeah. Yeah, I did."

Saleen bit her lip, too, holding up a hand. "Can I - ?"

"We're still just images," the Doctor said, shaking his head. "No touch."

Saleen slumped, looking at both of them. "Can't you come through properly?"

He shook his head again. "The whole thing would fracture. Two universes would collapse."

Saleen tried to smile, for their sakes. "So?"

It worked. Jessie gave a small laugh, and the Doctor shook his head with a smile before looking around curiously. "Where are we?" he asked. "Where did the gap come out?"

Saleen rolled her eyes. "You had to call me to Norway, didn't you?"

"Norway?" Jessie snorted loudly. "Norway. Right." She looked at the Doctor. "Nice job."

"Around fifty miles out of Burgen," Saleen said. "It's called Dårlig Ulv Stranden."

"Dalek?" the Doctor asked in surprise, Jessie's eyes widening.

Saleen chuckled at their nervousness. "Dårlig," she corrected. "Norwegian for bad." She grinned at them. "Guess what it translates to?" Jessie quirked an eyebrow, and Saleen chuckled again. "Bad Wolf Bay."

Jessie shook her head, grinning. "Of course it does." She swallowed, then looked at the Doctor. "How long have we got?" she asked.

The Doctor sighed. "About two minutes."