Preparing For The Future (Book Twelve of The Bad Wolf Chronicles)

Under the Lake

The TARDIS isn't happy, the Doctor and Jessie remember a previous adventure, Tony has several questions, and the team gets split up.

Enjoy "Under the Lake!"

***

"Wow," Tony whistled, leaning against the railing by the seat Jessie was curled into and popping chocolate-covered ice cream balls into her mouth. "Your sane adventures are few and far between, aren't they?"

"Yep," Jessie smiled up at him, licking a bit of chocolate off her fingers before diving back into her bowl. "And who in the universe are danger magnets?"

"Avengers," Tony laughed.

"And Time Lords!" the Doctor added.

"I thought that was obvious," Pietro snorted.

"Oi!"

"You said it first!"

"Yeah," Jessie giggled, watching her husband and his new companion bicker back and forth. "They're a match made in Pilot-companion heaven."

Wanda snickered, watching Clara get drawn in, the brunette jumping up and down and excitedly talking about their last adventures. "You're the sane one."

Jessie smirked. "That can be debated, depending on the adventures. Though yes, I agree, often I'm the only sane one. There was the amusement park with the Cybermen, though – "

"Oh, God," Wanda shook her head. "That was the Cybermen, not you."

Jessie opened her mouth to comment, then the TARDIS made a groaning noise Tony had never heard before. "Whoa," the Doctor hurried to the console, checking the monitors. "What's wrong, girl?"

"What is it?" Jessie jumped out of her seat, absently tossing her bowl over her shoulder.

Tony fumbled to catch it as the Doctor pulled a monitor close to him. "She really doesn't like something," he narrowed his eyes.

"Is she taking us somewhere?" Jessie looked up at the rotor.

The Doctor threw a lever, and he raised an eyebrow as the familiar wheezing started. "Looks like. I didn't put in coordinates."

Jessie turned to Tony and grinned. "Mystery tour time!"

***

The Doctor sighed, stepping out of the TARDIS and turning to look her over. "What's wrong?" he asked, patting the side. "You're not happy. Why aren't you happy? Tell me."

"Oh, I hope we stay on a roll," Clara jumped out. "Monsters, things blowing up. By the way, can we go back to that place where the people with the long necks have been celebrating New Year for two centuries? I left my sunglasses there. And most of my dignity."

Tony smirked. "That sounds familiar."

"Tony, you look wonderful, but you are not two centuries," Jessie chuckled.

"I meant leaving sunglasses and dignity."

"Why have you brought us here?" the Doctor wondered, looking around the corridor.

"Here being?" Wanda asked.

The Doctor touched one of the walls, his hand coming away wet with water. "Underwater," he answered, removing a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping his hand off. "Some sort of base. The technology's twenty-second century. Maybe military, maybe scientific."

"Unhappy TARDIS, base of some sort?" Jessie raised an eyebrow. "Tell me there's no underwater Satan."

"Guess that depends on if there's a religion with an underwater Satan," the Doctor shrugged.