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

Wolf and Pond

"Bloody hell," Amy gasped as she entered the TARDIS wardrobe room, the Bad Wolf closing the door behind her. "How many floors is this thing?"

"I'm not interested in counting right this moment," the Bad Wolf chuckled, holding out her arms. "But, what's in the TARDIS is what you have. Found my coat here, so there's bound to be something here for you. Can't let everyone in history see you in your nightie."

Amy bounded up the stairs and began flipping through clothes. "So, what's it like, traveling with the Doctor so much?" she asked casually, hoping the Bad Wolf didn't take this as prying . . . even though she kind of . . . was. "How long has it been?"

The Bad Wolf smiled. "Been about seven years now," she answered. "Joined up when I was twenty, been here ever since."

Amy stared at her. "Blimey," she breathed. "How do you stand it so much?"

"A long time ago, a very powerful woman told me the Doctor was worth the monsters," the Bad Wolf answered. "And he is. We've been through hell and back - we literally met the Devil - and we've never stopped running."

Amy paused from taking a bright red top and navy undershirt off their hangers. "Sorry, did you say the Devil?"

The Bad Wolf grinned. "Yeah, the Devil. Satan. Whatever you want to call him. The Doctor sent him into a black hole."

Amy shook her head slowly. "Sometimes, it sounds like you talk nonsense."

"That's just about everyone's normal reaction to us," the Bad Wolf laughed cheerfully, pulling up a chair, sitting down, and crossing one leg over the other. "So . . . fourteen years, eh?"

Amy blushed. "Fourteen."

"Not bad," the Bad Wolf conceded. "He took me home twelve months late instead of twelve hours."

Amy nearly dropped the black leather jacket she was about to take. "He did what?!"

The Bad Wolf burst out laughing. "That spaceship crashing into Big Ben. He tried to get me home twelve hours after he picked me up. He was off about . . . " She tilted her head, most likely doing the calculations. "Eight thousand seven hundred forty-eight hours."

Amy shook her head, gathering up her clothes and heading behind a door to change. "How did your family take that?" she asked.

"Oh, he was slapped," the Bad Wolf chuckled. "Nine hundred years, and he'd never been slapped by a mother figure."

"Did you say nine hundred years?!"

"Oh, yes. Nine hundred years old compared to twenty. Eight hundred eighty year age difference. Imagine the jokes we'd get about that."

Amy shimmied into the denim short skirt she wanted to wear. "Is there anything else I need to know about the Doctor, or you?"

"I used to be a federal agent," the Bad Wolf answered as Amy pulled on her cowboy boots. "Still am, I guess. Never really quit, but since I've traveled with the Doctor so much, we're just on call if we're ever needed."

"One more thing . . . " Amy opened the door to see the Bad Wolf was now leaning against the wall. "The Doctor said he ran away twice, and he gestured at you. What was that about?"

The Bad Wolf's smile froze before it slipped from her face. "There was . . . a battle, between the Doctor's worst enemies," she answered softly, sliding her coat on. "We sent them into dead space, called the Void, except I started getting sucked in as well. I died, Amy," she said bluntly, and Amy's eyes widened in shock. "I died, but the TARDIS, brilliant girl, she brought me back." She patted the wall, and the lights brightened. "The Doctor couldn't believe it at first. Tried denying it every chance he got."

"What happened to change his mind?" Amy asked as they headed to the console room.

"I nearly died again."

Amy grinned. "Yeah, that would change a guy's perspective."

"Wouldn't it?" the Bad Wolf joked, and they burst out laughing as they entered the console room.

The Doctor frowned from where he stood at the console. "What are you laughing about?" he asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," Amy said quickly.

"Nothing at all," the Bad Wolf nodded seriously before they both burst out laughing again.

The Doctor shook his head. "Women," he grumbled, setting the TARDIS off towards Churchill's time.

He'd never understand them.

***

No headache. I'm off to a good day. :)

Hope you like the Amy/Jessie interaction here. Thought I'd put a little girl bonding time in here before Rory comes in, and Jessie turns her attention to him. ;)

"Victory of the Daleks" will be up momentarily!