Rising From The Ashes (Book Five of the Bad Wolf Chronicles)

11:03

Hope you like the title. ;) I debated between 11:15 and 11:03 (since minute hand is on the number 3, which is technically fifteen minutes) but I think this is better.

Enjoy your treat for the weekend, all!

***

"A little help?!"

The Doctor dropped down a rope ladder to Jessie, letting her grab on as she climbed out of the swimming pool. "She has a temper," she grumbled.

"Yes, she does," the Doctor nodded, whirling around a grappling hook. He threw the doors open, then flung the grappling hook out. He used the rope to haul himself over the edge of the TARDIS, and he grinned at the little redheaded girl shining her flashlight right in his eyes. "Can I have an apple?" he asked. "All I can think about. Apples. I love apples. Maybe I'm having a craving?" He grinned. "That's new. Never had cravings before."

"Budge up!" Jessie shouted.

The Doctor grinned and sat on the side of the TARDIS and hauled his wife up, blinking and looking down into the TARDIS. "Whoa! Look at that!"

"I did, and I don't like it," Jessie said shortly, wringing her soaking wet hair out, her loose tank top now even looser as she worked on wringing water out of that, too.

"Are you OK?" the ginger girl asked.

"Just had a fall," the Doctor assured her. "All the way down there, right to the library. Hell of a climb back up."

"You're soaking wet!"

"We were in the swimming pool."

"You said you were in the library."

"And now, so's the swimming pool," Jessie told her.

"Are you policemen?"

"Why?" the Doctor asked, hopping off of the TARDIS, holding his arms out. Jessie put her hands on his shoulders, and he lifted her up and put her down on the ground. "Did you call policemen?"

"Did you come about the crack in my wall?" the ginger asked.

"What crack?" Jessie asked, leaning forward.

"Argh!" the Doctor exclaimed, falling forward stiffly, and would've fallen face first had Jessie not caught him quickly.

"Are you all right, mister?" the girl asked.

"No, I'm fine," the Doctor answered, standing up and waving a hand. "It's OK. This is all perfectly normal."

Jessie raised an eyebrow when gold regeneration energy came out of his mouth. "Not this again."

"You're immune to it," he muttered. "You're lucky."

"Who are you?" the girl asked.

"I don't know yet," the Doctor answered cheerfully. "We're still cooking! Does it scare you?"

"No, it just looks a bit weird," the girl shrugged.

"That's us in a nutshell," Jessie nodded. "More like him, though."

"No, no, no," the Doctor shook his head. "The crack in your wall. Does it scare you?"

"Yes," the girl nodded.

"Well, then, no time to lose!" the Doctor said brightly. "I'm the Doctor, she's the Bad Wolf. Do everything we tell you - "

"I never do," Jessie said airily.

" - ignore her. Don't ask stupid questions - "

"No question is stupid."

" - shut up, dear. And don't wander off."