Ending of the Hours (Book Four of the Bad Wolf Chronicles)

Forest of the Dead

"Must be a signal coming from somewhere, interfering with it," she replied, not looking behind her.

"Then use the red settings," River suggested.

Jessie shook her head. "It doesn't have a red setting."

"Well, use the dampers!"

"It doesn't have dampers!"

"It will do one day."

Jessie eyed the sonic screwdriver she was offered before she took it. "So, some time in future, I just give you my screwdriver," she said slowly.

"Yeah."

"Why would I do that?"

"I didn't pluck it from your cold dead hands if that's what you're worried about," River huffed.

"Trust me, she didn't," Joan told her from where she was leaning against a desk. "I was there. You weren't dead."

Jessie eyed Joan for a second before turning back to River. "And I know that because - ?" she asked.

Joan huffed, muttering something under her breath. River shook her head. "Listen to me," she told her. "You've lost your friend. You're angry. I understand. But you need to be less emotional, Bad Wolf, right now."

"Less emotional?" she repeated, her voice growing angrier and louder as she stood. "Less emotional?!"

"There are seven people in this room still alive. Focus on that," River told her with a huff. "Dear God, you're hard work young."

"Young?!" Jessie shouted at her. "Who are you?!"

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" Lux shouted. "Look at the pair of you! We're all going to die right here, and you're just squabbling like bratty sisters!"

River rubbed her forehead before taking a quick look at Joan. She nodded, and so did River before she turned to Jessie. "Bad Wolf, one day I'm going to be someone that you trust completely, but I can't wait for you to find that out. So I'm going to prove it to you. And I'm sorry. I'm really, very sorry."

Jessie frowned, opening her mouth, but River leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "Jezebel."

Her jaw dropped open, eyes widening in a mixture of terror in awe as River pulled away. The Doctor must've sensed her confusion, as he turned and stood. "Jez?" he asked hesitantly.

Jessie just stared at River. "How?" she mouthed to her.

"Are we good?" River asked, but Jessie just kept staring at her, completely floored. There was only one person who knew that name, and said person would never tell it. "Bad Wolf, are we good?"

Jessie swallowed. "Yeah," she said faintly before clearing her throat and nodding. "Yeah, we're good."

"Good," River replied simply.

Jessie took a deep breath and turned away, nodding to the Doctor. "We can trust them," she told him.

He nodded. "Know what's interesting about our screwdrivers?" he asked the others around them. "Very hard to interfere with. Practically nothing's strong enough."

"Except hair dryers," Jessie put in with a grin, tugging at her own hair.

"Yes, I'm working on that," the Doctor told her. "So there is a very strong signal coming from somewhere, and it wasn't there before. So what's new? What's changed? Come on! What's new? What's different?"

"The moon's coming out," Joan replied before anyone could speak.

The Doctor looked up at it. "So it is," he mused before turning to Lux. "Tell me about the moon. What's there?"