Chapter Twenty Six: Tooth and Claw

When Alex woke that morning, she was still curled up in the Doctor's embrace. He had his eyes closed, his hair ruffled up from sleep, and she couldn't help but smile at his stupid, adorable face. They'd been on so many adventures together now that she couldn't believe how she'd ever thought he wasn't the Doctor. Every time she looked at him, she knew the truth, that it was him. That for her, it had always been him.

"I love you," she whispered.

"Hmm?" He yawned sleepily, his eyes flickering open.

"Er, I said 'hello, you'," Alex lied, flushing.

A broad, happy smile spread across his face as he met her gaze. "Hello."

"Hello," she returned. He leaned closer, and for a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her properly, but his lips pressed against her forehead. She closed her eyes, trying to hide the sting of disappointment. "So what's today?"

"Oh, I don't know," he shrugged, leaping to his feet. "How about the '70s?" His eyes lit up. "Yes, the '70s! Get dressed!" And with that he bounded to the door, disappearing towards the console room.

Alex sighed, flopping back down onto the bed. "You know, one day, I'm gonna tell him." She shook her head. "One day..."

***

"What do you think of this?" she asked later as she entered the console room. She was wearing a casual white halterneck summer dress, leaving her upper back bare. She'd tied a denim jacket around her waist as well, and had finished it up with black ankle boots for good measure. "Will it do?"

At the console, the Doctor and Rose turned to look at her. "In the late 1970s? You'd be better in a bin bag."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Don't listen to him, you look wonderful."

Alex grinned. "I'd better."

"Hold on, listen to this." The Doctor hit a button on the console, and familiar music started to play. "Ian Dury and the Blockheads, number one in 1979."

Alex's eyes widened, smiling. "Oh, Christ, you're a punk!"

He started to sing along. "It's good to be a lunatic..."

"That's what you are," she continued. "A big old punk with a bit of rockabilly thrown in."

"Would you like to see him?"

Rose blinked. "How do you mean? In concert?"

"What else is a TARDIS for?" the Doctor pointed out. "I can take you to the Battle of Trafalgar, the first anti-gravity Olympics, Caesar crossing the Rubicon, or Ian Dury at the Top Rank, Sheffield, England, Earth, 21st November 1979. What do you think?"

"Sheffield it is," Rose laughed.

The Doctor threw the dematerialisation lever, and as the TARDIS landed with a thump, they all fell to the ground, laughing. After a moment, he leapt to his feet, helping them both up before slipping his trenchcoat, rambling on all the while. "1979! Hell of a year. China invades Vietnam, The Muppet Movie—love that film—Margaret Thatcher, Skylab falls to Earth, with a little help from me." He headed out of the TARDIS backwards. "Nearly took off my thumb, and I like my thumb, I need my thumb." He turned around, hearing the clicking of rifles. "I'm very attached to my thumb," he finished, frowning.

Alex raised an eyebrow as the Redcoats surrounded them, their rifles primed and ready to fire. "This isn't 1979, is it?"

"1879," the Doctor realised. "Same difference."

The Captain trotted forwards on a glossy black steed. "You will explain your presence and the nakedness of these girls."

Rose looked down at her dungarees, affronted, but the Doctor was more concerned by the voice than what it said. "Are we in Scotland?" he asked, in the sweetest accent Alex had ever heard.

"How can you be ignorant of that?" the Captain scoffed.

The Doctor blinked. "Oh, I'm... I'm dazed and confused. I've been chasing these, these wee naked children over hill and over dale. Isn't that right, ya timorous beastie?" He nudged Alex.

"Oh, aye," Alex replied, in a better accent than she had expected. At least it didn't sound Irish. "We've been all over."

The Captain turned to the Doctor. "Will you identify yourself, sir?"

"I'm Doctor James McCrimmon, from the township of Balamory," the Doctor lied, patting his pocket. "I have my credentials, if I may?" The Captain nodded, and the Doctor pulled out his psychic paper. "As you can see, a Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. I trained under Dr Bell himself."

An upper-class English voice called out. "Let them approach."

"I don't think that's wise, ma'am," the Captain advised.

"Let them approach," she insisted.

The Captain's moustache twitched, but he didn't complain. "You will approach the carriage and show all due deference." The trio did as they were told, and a footman opened up the door to reveal an unmistakable face.

"Rose, Kez, might I introduce her Majesty Queen Victoria, Empress of India and Defender of the Faith," the Doctor said, smiling.

Alex curtsied, inclining her head politely. "Alex Tyler, ma'am, and my sister Rose."

"Our apologies for being so—" Rose shot the Doctor a glare, and he shrugged. "Naked."

Queen Victoria waved her hand dismissively. "I've had five daughters. It's nothing to me. But you, Doctor, show me these credentials." He handed the psychic paper over obediently, and her eyes widened as she read it. "Why didn't you say so immediately? It states clearly here that you have been appointed by the Lord Provost as my Protector."

"Does it?" The Doctor looked surprised for a moment, before covering it up. "Yes, it does. Good, good. Then let me ask—why is your Majesty travelling by road when there's a train all the way to Aberdeen?"

"A tree on the line," she answered.

He raised an eyebrow. "An accident?"

"I am the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland," she replied haughtily. "Everything around me tends to be planned."

"An assassination attempt, then."

Rose's eyes widened. "What, seriously? There's people out to kill you?"

"I'm quite used to staring down the barrel of a gun," the Queen assured her.

The Captain trotted closer, having sent one of his soldiers off. "Sir Robert MacLeish lives but ten miles hence. We've sent word ahead. He'll shelter us for tonight, then we can reach Balmoral tomorrow."

Queen Victoria nodded. "The Doctor and his timorous beasties will come with us.

"Yes, ma'am," the Captain agreed. "We'd better get moving—it's almost nightfall."

"Indeed." The Queen looked up at the darkening sky as the wind picked up, blowing Alex's coppery hair around her shoulders. "And there are stories of wolves in these parts. Fanciful tales intended to scare the children. But good for the blood, I think. Drive on!"

The carriage pulled away and the TARDIS trio fell into the centre of the defensive formation. "Timorous beasties?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow at the Doctor.

He made a face, shrugging. "First thing I could think of."

"It's funny though," Rose said, "'cause you say assassination and you just think of Kennedy and stuff. Not her."

"1879?" The Doctor tilted his head. "She's had six attempts on her life. Tell you what, though. We just met Queen Victoria!"

Alex laughed. "I know!"

"She was just sitting there," Rose beamed.

"Like a stamp!" the Doctor added.

"I want her to say 'We are not amused'," Alex said, putting on an accent. "I bet you five quid we can make her say it."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Well, if I gambled on that, it'd be an abuse of my privileges as a traveller in time."

She grinned. "Ten quid?"

"Done."

***

The royal party came to an eventual stop inside the courtyard of a grand old house as the sun drew close to the horizon. A well-dressed man was waiting for them, his bald servants standing respectfully behind him.

"Your Majesty," he greeted, bowing as the Queen stepped out of the carriage.

"Sir Robert," she returned. "My apologies for the emergency. And how is Lady Isobel?"

Sir Robert hesitated, making Alex narrow her eyes. "She's indisposed, I'm afraid. She's gone to Edinburgh for the season. And she's taken the cook with her; the kitchens are barely stocked. I wouldn't blame your Majesty if you wanted to ride on."

"Oh, not at all," Queen Victoria dismissed. "I've had quite enough carriage exercise, and this is... charming, if rustic. It's my first visit to this house," she told the TARDIS trio. "My late husband spoke of it often. The Torchwood Estate." After a moment, she shook herself. "Now, shall we go inside? And please excuse the naked girls."

"Sorry," Rose muttered awkwardly.

"They're feral children," the Doctor joked. "I bought them for sixpence in old London Town. It was them or the Elephant Man."

Alex shot him a look, and he grinned. "Thinks he's funny, but I'm so not amused. What do you think, ma'am?"

Queen Victoria blinked. "It hardly matters. Shall we proceed?" Sir Robert led her inside.

"So close," Alex whispered, biting her lip. The Doctor smiled, but his attention drifted away as two soldiers carried a small locked box into the house.

"What's in there, then?" he asked curiously.

"Property of the Crown," the Captain said brusquely. "You will dismiss any further thoughts, sir."

The Doctor made a face, and they hurried inside to catch up with the Queen and Sir Robert, who were entering the observatory on the top floor of the house. Inside, there was a huge bronze telescope, a great, beautiful, gleaming piece of machinery.

"This, I take it, is the famous Endeavour," Queen Victoria assumed, looking at the telescope with appreciation—nothing compared to the awe lighting up the Doctor and Alex's eyes.

"All my father's work," Sir Robert confirmed. "Built by hand in his final years. Became something of an obsession. He spent his money on this rather than caring for the house or himself."

"I wish I'd met him," the Doctor sighed. "I like him."

"That is so beautiful," Alex smiled, staring up at it. "Can we...?"

Sir Robert nodded. "Help yourself."

She was off like a shot, examining all the metalwork happily. "What did he model it on?" she wondered, glancing over her shoulder at Sir Robert.

He shrugged. "I know nothing about it. To be honest, most of us thought him a little, shall we say eccentric. I wish now I'd spent more time with him and listened to his stories."

The Doctor, who'd been peering through the lens, frowned. "It's a bit rubbish. How many prisms has it got? Way too many. The magnification's gone right over the top. That's a stupid kind of—" He caught Alex's eye, saw her mouth the words 'shut up' at him. "Am I being rude again?"

"Yes!" She rolled her eyes.

"But it's pretty," he backtracked, turning back to Sir Robert with a charming smile. "It's very pretty."

"And the imagination of it should be applauded," Victoria added.

"Hmm, thought you might disapprove, your Majesty," Rose commented. "Stargazing, isn't that a bit fanciful? You could easily not be amused or something? No?" She winced at her friends' smirks.

"This device surveys the infinite work of God—what could be finer?" the Queen pointed out. "Sir Robert's father was an example to us all. A polymath, steeped in astronomy and sciences, yet equally well versed in folklore and fairytales."

Alex grinned. "Stars and magic. I like him more and more."

"Oh, my late husband enjoyed his company," Victoria agreed, a hint of sadness colouring her tone. "Prince Albert himself was acquainted with many rural superstitions, coming as he did from Saxe Coburg."

"That's Bavaria," the Doctor muttered to the girls.

The Queen turned to Sir Robert. "When Albert was told about your local wolf, he was transported."

"What's this wolf, then?" the Doctor asked.

Sir Robert paled. "It's just a story."

The Doctor narrowed his eyes slightly. "Then tell it."

"It's said that—"

"Excuse me, sir," his butler interrupted. "Perhaps her Majesty's party could repair to their rooms. It's almost dark."

"Of course," Sir Robert agreed stiffly. "Yes, of course."

"And then supper," the Queen decided. "And could we find some clothes for the Tylers? I'm tired of nakedness."

Rose raised an innocent eyebrow. "It's not amusing, is it?"

"Sir Robert, your wife must have left some clothes. See to it," Queen Victoria ordered. "We shall dine at seven, and talk some more of this wolf. After all, there is a full moon tonight."

Sir Robert swallowed. "So there is, ma'am."

***

"Well," Alex said later as she and Rose looked through the dresses in Lady Isobel's wardrobe. "These are all... lovely."

"I don't know, what about this one?" Rose teased, pulling out a rich purple dress.

Alex rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that definitely won't clash with my hair. Tell you what, you keep looking here, I'll see if there's anything suitable next door."

"Don't get attacked by a wolf," Rose joked, and Alex flashed her a grin before going out into the corridor. Having not found anything to her liking in the first wardrobe, Rose moved on to the second. She opened the door and yelped, confronted with a young serving girl. "What're you doing in here?"

"They came through the house," she confessed, shaking with fear. "In the excitement they took the Steward and the Master, and my Lady."

Rose bit her lip, putting an arm around the girl. "Listen, I've got a friend, he's called the Doctor. He'll know what to do. You've got to come with me."

"Oh, but I can't, miss!"

"What's your name?" Rose asked.

"Flora."

Rose gave her a reassuring smile. "Flora, we'll be safe. There's more people arrived downstairs, soldiers and everything, and they can help us. I promise. Come on." She went out into the corridor, Flora following timidly. Not more than ten feet away, Alex lay unconscious on her stomach. And inexplicably, a pair of white feathery wings stemmed from her shoulder blades.

"Oh, miss!" Flora crossed herself. "I did warn you. They've killed an angel."

"Right," Rose said, her eyes wide. "That's weird." She shook her head, kneeling by her sister and checking for her pulses. "Okay, she's not dead. Must be drugged or knocked out or something."

Behind her, Flora cried out as someone grabbed her from behind. A blow came down on Rose's head, and the monks dragged the three women away.

***

Alex woke up with a headache, and a tingling feeling in her back. It felt the same way her arm did when she fell asleep on it. She saw with relief that Rose was by her side, awake and uninjured. There was a group of people in the corner all staring at her, presumably the staff and Lady Isobel. One man clutched a crucifix, whispering in prayer.

And then she caught a flash of white in the corner of her eyes. She risked a glance over her shoulder and nearly fainted. A hand touched her wrist and she whipped round to see Rose giving her a reassuring smile.

"My Lady, please," Lady Isobel interrupted, speaking softly. "Don't make a sound. They said if we scream or shout, then he will slaughter us." Alex's eyes landed on her bowed head, then went to the boy in a cage across the room.

"But he's in a cage," she reasoned. "He's a prisoner. He's the same as us."

"Forgive me, my Lady, but he is nothing like us, nor yourself," Lady Isobel told her. "That creature is not mortal. He is a demon."

Inside the cage, the young man opened his eyes, revealing deep black eyes. He hissed.

Alex got to her feet, realising as she did that while everyone else was chained, she wasn't. She edged closer to the cage, with Rose at her side.

"My Lady! Don't!" Isobel cried, but they ignored her.

"Who are you?" Rose asked.

"Don't enrage him," the Steward warned.

"Where are you from?" Alex wondered, tilting her head. "You're not from Earth. What planet are you from?"

"Oh," the boy sighed, sniffing deeply. "Intelligence."

"Where were you born?" Rose asked.

"This body? Ten miles away. A weakling, heartsick boy, stolen away at night by the brethren for my cultivation." The creatures smirked cruelly. "I carved out his soul and sat in his heart."

Alex nodded. "Alright, so the body's human, but what about you, inside?"

"So far from home," it replied.

"If you want to get back home, we can help," Rose told it.

The creature cackled. "Why would I leave this place? A world of industry, of workforce and warfare. I could turn it to such purpose."

"How would you do that?" Alex asked, knowing she wasn't going to like the answer.

"I would migrate to the Holy Monarch."

Rose blanched. "You mean Queen Victoria?"

"With one bite, I would pass into her blood, and then it begins. The Empire of the Wolf." The creature sniffed deeply again, then leapt forwards to stare at Alex. "Look. Inside your eyes. You've seen it too."

She stiffened. "Seen what?"

"The Wolf... There is something of the Wolf about you."

"I don't know what you mean," Alex lied hesitantly.

The creature snarled. "You burned like the sun, but all I require is the moon."

***

In the dining room, Sir Robert was finishing up the story of the wolf. "My father didn't treat it as a story," he explained. "He said it was fact. He even claimed to have communed with the beast, to have learned its purpose. I should have listened." He gazed at the Doctor, hoping he would understand. "His work was hindered. He made enemies. There's a monastery in the Glen of Saint Catherine. The Brethren opposed my father's investigations."

"Perhaps they thought his work ungodly," Queen Victoria suggested.

"That's what I thought," Sir Robert agreed. "But now I wonder... What if they had a different reason for wanting the story kept quiet? What if they had turned from God and worshipped the wolf?"

The Doctor's eyes widened and he turned to look at the butler, who was staring at the moon, chanting under his breath. "And what if they were with us right now?"

***

The cellar doors were flung open, and moonlight shone in onto the crate. Inside, the creature took off its cloak. "Moonlight!" An unnatural wind began blowing through the room as the creature began to transform.

Alex turned her back on it, addressing the others instead. "All of you, stop looking at it! Don't look! Listen to me, grab hold of the chain and pull! Come on! With me! Pull!" Some of the staff ignored her, and she growled in frustration. "I said pull! Stop your whining and listen to me, all of you! And that includes you, your Ladyship! Now come on, pull!"

***

"What is the meaning of this?" Queen Victoria demanded, all of them abandoning their seats. Captain Reynolds cocked a pistol, pointing it at the butler.

"Explain yourself, Sir Robert!"

"What's happening?"

"I'm sorry, your Majesty!" Sir Robert cried. "They've got my wife!"

The Doctor narrowed his eyes. "Rose and Alex, where are they? Where are they? Sir Robert, come on!" He grabbed the man's arm and they sprinted from the room.

***

The end of the chain broke free from the wall as the werewolf manifested fully. The Doctor kicked the door in, Sir Robert at his heels. Their eyes landed on Alex first, transfixed by her wings. "Oh, that's beautiful," the Doctor sighed.

"Priorities!" Alex exclaimed, starting to usher the servants out.

The werewolf broke free of its cage and the Doctor snapped back into action. "Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out!" He ducked under a flying beam, then followed the rest out, sonicing the door locked behind him. "It could be any form of light-modulated species, triggered by specific wavelengths," he said hurriedly, sonicing Rose's chains free. "Did it say what it wanted?"

"The Queen, the Crown, the throne, you name it," Rose replied, eyes wide.

He moved onto Alex's wrists next, only to realise she wasn't chained like the others. "Oh."

She shrugged. "I think they were worried about the religious implications of chaining up an angel."

"You alright?" he checked, knowing it couldn;t be easy for her to come to terms with this on top of everything else.

"Just another thing now, isn't it?" she replied. They all quietened as they heard the wolf breaking through the cellar door.

The Doctor went around the corner to investigate, then sprinted back, grabbing the girls' hands and pulling them behind the line of fire. As the werewolf came around the corner, the men fired. "Alright, you men," the Doctor said once the creature had disappeared. "We should retreat upstairs. Come with me."

The Steward snorted derisively. "I'll not retreat. The battle's done. There's no creature on God's Earth that could survive such an assault."

"I'm telling you, come upstairs!" the Doctor ordered.

"And I'm telling you, sir, I will not take the orders of a man who would touch a messenger of God with such irreverence," the Steward shot back.

Alex rolled her eyes. "I told you so."

The Steward rounded the corner to check for the werewolf and found nothing. "It must have crawled away to d—" Two clawed paws smashed through the ceiling and dragged him up, screaming.

"There's nothing we can do!" the Doctor exclaimed, heading up the stairs. Sir Robert followed, not meeting Alex's eyes in guilt.

"Your Majesty!" he called. "Your Majesty!"

The Queen emerged from an upper staircase. "What's happening? I heard such terrible noises!".

"Your Majesty, we've got to get out," Sir Robert told her. "But what of Father Angelo? Is he still here?"

Victoria hesitated. "Captain Reynolds disposed of him."

The Doctor leaned over the bannister. "The front door's no good, it's been boarded shut." He headed for a window at the other end of the corridor. "Pardon me, your Majesty, you'll have to leg it out of a window."

"Excuse my manners, ma'am, but I shall go first," Sir Robert decided. "The better to assist her Majesty's egress."

"A noble sentiment," the Queen smiled, "my Sir Walter Raleigh."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Yeah, any chance you could hurry it up?"

Alex opened the window, ducking down as the monks fired at her. The glass shattered, sprinkling on the floor. "Okay, maybe not. I think the monk's'd like us to stay inside."

The Queen harrumphed. "Do they know who I am?"

Rose winced. "Yeah, that's why they want you. The wolf's lined you up for a... for a biting."

"Stop this talk," Queen Victoria scoffed. "There can't be an actual wolf."

As if on cue, the wolf howled.

"What do we do?" Rose asked as the Doctor headed back towards the stairs.

"We run," he told her grimly.

She blinked. "Is that it?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Got any silver bullets?"

"Not on me, no."

"There we are then, we run." He turned to the Queen. "Your Majesty, as a Doctor, I recommend a vigorous jog. Good for the health. Come on!" They started off up the stairs, and the werewolf crashed onto the staircase a floor below. "Come on! Come on!"

It was just about to pounce when Captain Reynolds jumped in the way, shooting at it. It retreated, whimpering. "I'll take this position and hold it," he decided. "You keep moving, for God's sake! Your Majesty, I went to look for the property and it was taken. The chest was empty."

She nodded. "I have it. It's safe."

"Then remove yourself, ma'am," the Captain ordered. "Doctor, you stand as her Majesty's Protector, and the same, I think, does for you, my Lady Angel." The Doctor and Alex nodded tensely. "And you, Sir Robert, you're a traitor to the crown."

"Bullets can't stop it!" the Doctor protested as the Captain made to face the wolf again.

Captain Reynolds cocked his pistol. "They'll buy you time. Now run!"

The werewolf snarled, and they ran, heading straight for the library. Behind them, Reynolds was torn apart, and Alex froze in the corridor, hearing his agonised screams. The Doctor dragged her inside, and he and Sir Robert barricaded the door.

"Wait a minute," the Doctor murmured, holding a hand up to silence the others. "Shh, shh, wait a minute... It's stopped." He stood against the door and put his ear against the wood. "It's gone."

"Listen," Rose said, and they all heard heavy footsteps crawling around the outside of the room.

Alex swallowed. "Is this the only door?" she asked, barely making a sound.

"Yes," Sir Robert replied, almost as quietly. Then he rethought. "No!" He and the Doctor rushed to barricade the other door.

"I don't understand," Rose frowned. "What's stopping it?"

"Something inside this room," the Doctor mused, starting to pace. "What is it? Why can't it get in?"

"I'll tell you what, though," Alex said.

He stopped in front of her and Rose. "What?"

She grinned. "Werewolf!"

"I know!" he laughed. "You two alright?"

"I'm okay, yeah," Rose replied, smiling.

"Heavenly," Alex joked, rolling her eyes.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," Sir Robert said, making them all look round. "It's all my fault. I should have sent you away. I tried to suggest something was wrong. I thought you might notice. Did you think there was nothing strange about my household staff?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Well, they were bald, athletic, your wife's away, I just thought you were happy."

"I'll tell you what, though, ma'am, I bet you're not amused now," Rose tried.

The Queen shot her a look. "Do you think this is funny?"

She bit her lip. "No, ma'am. Sorry."

"What exactly, I pray tell me, someone, please... What exactly is that creature?" Queen Victoria asked.

"You'd call it a werewolf, but technically it's more of a lupine wavelength haemovariform," the Doctor replied.

She arched an eyebrow. "And should I trust you, sir? You who change your voice so easily and consort with higher beings as if they were mere humans? What happened to your accent?"

The Doctor blinked. "Oh, right. Sorry, that's—"

"I'm really, really not," Alex said at the same time, but Victoria cut them both off.

"I'll not have it. No, sir. Not you, not your angel, not that thing, none of it. This is not my world."

Alex wasn't really listening. Instead, she was sniffing the air and, in an instant, she was at the door, sniffing it. "Sir Robert, why do your doors smell funny?"

The Doctor joined her. "Mistletoe," he identified. "Did your father put that there?"

Sir Robert shrugged. "I don't know. I suppose."

"On the other door too," the Doctor realised. "But if we can smell it... no, a carving wouldn't be enough. I wonder..." He licked the door, and Alex wrinkled her nose.

"You're disgusting," she told him flatly.

"Viscum album," he grinned, "the oil of the mistletoe. It's been worked into the wood like a varnish. How clever was your dad? I love him. Powerful stuff, mistletoe. Bursting with lectins and viscotoxins."

Rose raised her eyebrows. "What, and the wolf's allergic to it?"

The Doctor tilted his head. "Well, it thinks it is. The monky monk monks need a way of controlling the wolf, so maybe they trained it to react against certain things."

"Nevertheless, that creature won't give up, Doctor, and we still don't possess an actual weapon," Sir Robert pointed out.

"Oh, your father got all the brains, didn't he?" the Doctor scoffed.

Alex rolled her eyes. "Rude!"

"Good, I meant that one." He gestured to the bookshelves. "You want weapons? We're in a library. Books! Best weapons in the world. This room's the greatest arsenal we could have." He threw books to each of them. "Arm yourselves."

Five minutes later, they were all—not the Queen of course, who had neglected to lift a finger to try and save her own life—leafing through books, trying to find something, anything, about the wolf.

"Ooh," Alex smiled, putting her book down on the table and showing them all a picture of a meteor. "Look at what your dad found. Something fell to Earth."

"A spaceship?" Rose guessed.

"A shooting star," Sir Robert corrected.

"In the year of our Lord 1540, under the reign of King James V, an almighty fire did burn in the pit," Alex read.

Sir Robert pointed to the pictured pit. "That's the Glen of Saint Catherine, just by the monastery."

"But that's over three hundred years ago," Rose pointed out. "What's it been waiting for?"

"Maybe just a single cell survived," the Doctor suggested. "Adapting slowly down the generations, it survived through the humans, host after host after host."

"But why does it want the throne?" Sir Robert asked.

Rose nodded. "That is what it wants. It said so, the Empire of the Wolf."

"Imagine it," Alex said, starting to smile. "The Victorian Age accelerated. Starships and missiles fueled by coal and driven by steam. Leaving history devastated in its wake."

The Doctor nudged her gently.. "You could try not looking so happy about it."

She met his eyes. "Come on, doesn't it sound beautiful?"

He glanced past her, and his eyes widened. "Speaking of..."

Rose gasped, seeing the precious stone the Queen had pulled out. "Is that the Koh-I-Noor?"

"Oh, yes," the Doctor nodded. "The greatest diamond in the world."

Beside him, Alex raised an eyebrow. "That's a lump of coal with good PR."

He made a face. "I mean, technically. It's pretty, though."

"So are steam-driven starships," she pointed out.

"Given to me as the spoils of war," the Queen was explaining. "Perhaps its legend is now coming true. It is said that whoever owns it must surely die."

"Yeah, I've heard the same about breathing," Alex joked, then held a hand out. "Can I?"

The Queen handed it over reluctantly, and the Doctor slipped on a pair of black-rimmed glasses to examine it. "Nice."

"How much is that worth?" Rose asked.

"They say the wages of the entire planet for a week," the Doctor told her.

"Good job Mum's not here," Alex said, smirking. "She'd be fighting off the wolf with her bare hands for this thing."

The Doctor snorted. "And she'd win."

Sir Robert frowned, restless. "Where is the wolf? I don't trust this silence."

"Why do you travel with it?" Rose asked, glancing across at the Queen.

"My annual pilgrimage. I'm taking it to Helier and Carew, the Royal Jewellers at Hazelhead," Queen Victoria explained. "The stone needs recutting."

Alex's brow furrowed. "But it's beautiful... Can't you just leave it be?"

The Queen sighed. "My late husband never thought so."

"Now there's a fact," the Doctor told them. "Prince Albert kept on having the Koh-I-Noor cut down. It used to be forty percent bigger than this. But he was never happy. Kept on cutting and cutting."

"He always said the shine was not quite right," the Queen remembered. "But he died with it still unfinished."

"Unfinished," the Doctor echoed, his eyes widening. "Oh, yes, there's a lot of unfinished business in this house. His father's research, and your husband, ma'am, he came here and he sought the perfect diamond. Hold on, hold on..." He clutched his head, trying to think. "All these separate things, they're not separate at all, they're connected. This house, it's a trap for you, is that right, ma'am?"

"Obviously," the Queen replied coolly, watching him in confusion.

"At least, that's what the wolf intended. But what if there's a trap inside the trap?" he suggested. Beside him, Alex's eyes widened.

"Explain yourself, Doctor," Queen Victoria ordered.

But it was Alex who spoke, her eyes lighting up in realisation. "What if his father and your husband weren't just telling each other stories? They dared to imagine all this was true, and they planned against it, laying the real trap, not for you, but for the wolf!" Plaster dust fell in front of her, and she looked up to the ceiling. The wolf was prowling over the skylight, trying to find a way in. "That wolf there..."

The glass in the skylight cracked.

"Out! Out! Out!" the Doctor ordered, ushering them all out ahead of him. Alex slammed the heavy wooden doors shut behind him, bracing herself against them while he barricaded them with a plank of wood through the handles. As soon as the doors were secure they started up the stairs after the others.

The wolf smashed through onto the stairway, and they both ducked as debris flew past them. Alex glanced back at it, then made a decision. "Run!"

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Oh, yeah, thanks, hadn't thought of that!"

"No, I mean, really," she told him, taking his hand in hers and beaming. "Run!" And suddenly they were running so much faster than ever before, catching up with the others in a matter of seconds. They slowed down, beckoning the others after them. "It's right behind us, come on!"

Sir Robert nodded. "The observatory's this way!"

"No mistletoe in these doors because your father wanted the wolf to get inside," the Doctor realised, running his hands over the doors. "I just need time. Is there any way of barricading this?"

Alex readjusted the jacket around her waist. "No need. I'll buy you some time."

"If we could bind them shut with rope or something," he continued, pretending he hadn't hurt.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. I'll be fine." She tilted her head, spreading her hands. "What other option is there?" Glowing silver energy engulfed her hands, making her blink.

Rose hesitated. "What's that?"

"Er... don't know," the Doctor said, his eyes wide.

"Me neither," Alex admitted, but she was smiling. "But it's gotta sting." She thrust her hand out over his shoulder, knocking back the werewolf as it leapt onto the corridor. "Now go!"

The humans ran in, leaving just the Doctor and Alex out in the corridor. "Kiss for luck?" he suggested, a twinkle in his eye.

She grinned. "Why not?" And they kissed and it was wonderful and then the werewolf roared and they sprung apart, breathless. "Go," she ordered, turning towards the werewolf. The door closed behind her, and she smiled sadly, remembering the boy who had been kidnapped and forced out of his own mind to house this beast. "I'm sorry," she told him, igniting her energies. "It'll be over soon." And then she unfurled her powerful wings and leapt into battle.

***

Inside the observatory, both the Doctor and Rose winced as the werewolf growled and yelped and snarled outside. But this was no time to worry—there was work to be done. "Your Majesty, the diamond."

Queen Victoria handed it over. "For what purpose?"

"The purpose it was designed for," the Doctor replied. He went over to the control wheels for the telescope, and began turning it to open the roof. "Rose, lift it, come on."

She tore her gaze away from the doors where her sister was fighting for their lives, and hurried to help. "Is this the right time for stargazing?"

"Yes, it is," he replied decisively. On the other side of the room, Sir Robert ushered Queen Victoria to stand out of the way, standing in front of her protectively. As she let him defend her, she took a crucifix into her hand and began to pray.

"You said this thing doesn't work," Rose reminded the Doctor.

"It doesn't work as a telescope because that's not what it is," he explained. "It's a light chamber. It magnifies light rays like a weapon. We've just got to power it up."

"It won't work, there's no electricity," Rose protested, before realising. "Moonlight! But the wolf needs moonlight. It's made by moonlight!"

"You're seventy percent water, but you can drown," the Doctor reasoned.

The telescope slid into place just in time as the doors burst open. A small figure crashed to the ground by Sir Robert. Her chest heaved, and she backed up against the wall as the wolf stalked toward her. The Doctor threw the diamond into the light, refracting it to catch the werewolf in its beam. The creature was raised into the air as if crucified.

"Make it brighter," the boy it had consumed begged. "Let me go."

The Doctor adjusted the magnification on the telescope's eyepiece. As the light intensified, the werewolf howled, and vanished into the light.

Rose rushed over to her sister, pulling her to her feet. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Alex assured her breathlessly, hugging her tight. "I'm fine."

"Your Majesty?" Sir Robert asked quietly, seeing her inspect a small scratch on her wrist. "Did it bite you?"

The girls went silent, all of them watching the Queen.

"No, it's... it's a cut, that's all," she assured them.

"If that thing bit you..." Alex trailed off, panting.

"It was a splinter of wood from the doors coming open," Queen Victoria insisted. "It's nothing."

"Let me see," the Doctor tried, but she snatched her hand away from him.

"It is nothing," she said firmly.

***

The next morning, the whole household had gathered at the Queen's request. The Doctor, Alex and Rose stood before her.

"By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee Sir Doctor of TARDIS," Victoria intoned, tapping him on either shoulder with a sword. "By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee Dame Angel of TARDIS. By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee Dame Rose of the Powell Estate." She stepped back. "You may stand."

They did so, each of them smiling. "Many thanks, ma'am," Alex said, inclining her head.

"Thanks," Rose agreed. "They're never going to believe this back home."

"Your Majesty, you said last night about receiving no message from the great beyond," the Doctor began. "I think your husband cut that diamond to save your life. He's protecting you even now, ma'am, from beyond the grave."

"Indeed," Queen Victoria nodded. "Then you may think on this also: that I am not amused."

Alex's face split into a grin. "Yes!" The Doctor groaned.

"Not remotely amused," the Queen continued, looking less and less amused by the second. "And henceforth I banish you."

The Doctor blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"I have rewarded you, Sir Doctor, and now you are exiled from this empire, never to return," the Queen told him. "I don't know what you are, the three of you, or where you're from, but I know that you consort with stars and magic and think it fun. But your world is steeped in terror and blasphemy and death and I will not allow it. You will leave these shores and you will reflect, I hope, on how you came to stray so far from all that is good, and how much longer you may survive this terrible life. Now leave my world and never return."

***

"The funny thing is," the Doctor was saying as they walked back to the TARDIS, "Queen Victoria did actually suffer a mutation of the blood. It's historical record. She was haemophiliac. They used to call it the Royal Disease. But it's always been a mystery because she didn't inherit it. Her mum didn't have it, her dad didn't have it. It came from nowhere."

"What, and you're saying that's a wolf bite?" Alex raised an eyebrow dubiously.

He shrugged. "Well, maybe haemophilia is just a Victorian euphemism."

Her eyebrow raised higher. "For werewolf?"

"Could be."

"Queen Victoria's a werewolf?" Rose snorted.

"Could be," the Doctor pointed out. "And her children had the Royal Disease. Maybe she gave them a quick nip."

"So the royal family are werewolves?"

He tilted his head. "Well, maybe not yet. I mean, a single wolf cell could take a hundred years to mature. Might bee ready by, oh, early 21st century?"

Alex shook her head, laughing. "Nah, that's just ridiculous!"

"Mind you, Princess Anne," Rose reminded her.

The Doctor grinned. "I'll say no more."

"And if you think about it, they're very private," Rose continued. "They plan everything in advance. They could schedule themselves around the moon and we'd never know. And they like hunting, they love blood sports."

They headed into the TARDIS, and as the Doctor threw the dematerialisation lever, Alex bit her lip, her eyes widening. "They're werewolves!"

~~~