Purple Vortex [II]

Tooth & Claw Pt1:

"What do you think of this? Will it do?" Rose asked Galaxy and the Doctor after she walked into the console room once she had changed into some denim mini-dungarees. "In the late 1970s? You'd be better off in a bin bag. Hold on, listen to this." The Doctor said and he placed a disc into the Tardis' player. "Ian Dury and the Blockheads. No.1 in 1979." Galaxy added and she smiled when she heard the Doctor singing along. "You're both punks," Rose said to them. "It's good to be lunatics." The Doctor told her smiling.

"That's what you two are. Two big old punks with a bit of rockabilly thrown in." She told them. "Do you want to go see him?" Galaxy asked her as she leaned against the console. "How'd you mean? In concert?" Rose asked them. "What else is a Tardis for? We 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 told them smiling. "Hold on tight then." Galaxy told her before she and the Doctor sent the Tardis off and Galaxy shook her head fondly as she watched the Doctor hit a hammer against the console in the beat of the song though she could imagine the complaints the Tardis would probably be saying to Astro about it. "Stop!" Rose told them and when the Tardis stopped the three of them got thrown to the floor while Astro managed to stay upright.

"1979. Hell of a year. China invades Vietnam. The Muppet Movie. Love that film. Margaret Thatcher. Urgh. Skylab falls to Earth, with a little help from us. Nearly took off my thumb." The Doctor said as Galaxy and Rose followed him to the doors, "And I like my thumb. I need my thumb. I'm very attached to..." Galaxy looked before the Doctor's shoulder when she heard the sound of rifles being cocked, "My thumb." The Doctor finished when he turned to look as well. "1879. Not 1979." Galaxy noted as she looked at the Redcoats, the one time she wasn't able to dress up for the period. "Same difference." The Doctor told her and she shook her head, she really shouldn't be surprised by his view on the times anymore.

"You will explain your presence. And the nakedness of this girl." The officer, Reynolds, declared as he pointed to Rose since she was showing more skin than Galaxy was. "Are we in Scotland?" The Doctor asked the officer with a Scottish accent. "How can you be ignorant of that?" Reynolds asked him. "Oh, I'm, I'm a dazed and confused. Me and my wife here been chasing this, this wee naked child over hill and over dale. Isn't that right, ya timorous beastie?" The Doctor asked Rose and Galaxy could feel her cheeks heating up at how easy he referred to her as his wife, not that it was the first time but this regeneration seems to blush a lot easier than her other ones.

"Oh, aye! I've been out and about." Rose said in her own Scottish accent but it wasn't as good as the Doctor's. "Rose, don't do that." Galaxy whispered to her. "Hoots mon." She tried again and Galaxy shook her head. "No, really don't. really." The Doctor told her this time. "Will you identify yourself, sir?" Reynolds requested. "I'm Doctor James McCrimmon, from the township of Balamory and my wife Lilith. I have my credentials, if I may." The Doctor said and pulled out his psychic paper. Lilith is actually Galaxy's alias name like the Doctor has John Smith, her full alias name is Lilith Knight. "As you can see, a Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. I trained under Doctor Bell himself." The Doctor said as he showed them his psychic paper.

"Let them approach." An upper-class English accent came from the carriage that wasn't far from where everyone was. "I don't think that's wise, ma'am," Reynolds spoke as he kept his focus on the three. "Let them approach." The voice repeated. "You will approach the carriage, and show all due deference." The three walked up to the carriage and a foot opened the door. "Rose, might we introduce her Majesty, Queen Victoria. Empress of India and Defender of the Faith." The Doctor said as they came face to face with Queen Victoria. "Rose Tyler, ma'am. And my apologies for being so naked." Rose apologised as she bowed a bit. "I've had five daughters. It's nothing new to me. But you, Doctor. Show me these credentials." Queen Victoria requested and he handed her the psychic paper.

"Why didn't you say so immediately? It states clearly here that you and your wife have been appointed by the Lord Provost as my Protectors." She told them and Galaxy took back the paper. "Yes, it does. I have to ask Your Majesty, why are you travelling by road when you could a train all the way to Aberdeen?" Galaxy asked her with curiosity. "A tree on the line." "An accident?" The Doctor asked her. "I am the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Everything around me tends to be planned."

"An assassination attempt?" Galaxy asked she wasn't surprised to consider she was royalty. "What, seriously? There's people out to kill you?" Rose asked her with eyebrows. "I'm quite used to staring down the barrel of a gun," Victoria informed her. "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." The officer spoke up behind the three, still on his horse. "This Doctor and Lilith and their 'timorous beastie' will come with us," Victoria informed the officer. "Yes, ma'am. We'd better get moving...it's almost nightfall." "Indeed. And there are stories of wolves in these parts. Fanciful tale intended to scare the children. But good for the blood, I think. Drive on." Victoria said and the footer closed the door and the carriage was off and the Doctor, Galaxy and Rose all walked with the soldiers behind said carriage.

"It's funny though because you say assassination and you just think of Kennedy and stuff. Not her." Rose noted to the two as they were walking. "1879 and she's already had 6 attempts on her life." Galaxy informed her. "And I'll tell you something else. We just met Queen Victoria." The Doctor added and Galaxy chuckled when he jumped a little. "I know!" Rose laughed. "What a laugh." Galaxy added. "She was just sitting there." "Like a stamp." The Doctor said. "I want her to say 'We are not amused.' I bet you five quid I can make her say it." Rose betted to the Time Lords. "Well, if we gambled on that, it'd be an abuse of our privileges of travellers in time." The Doctor said as he indicated to him and Galaxy, who nodded her head.

"Ten quid," Rose said. "Done." Galaxy and the Doctor both said accepting the challenge.

-9-

They soon arrived at a large house and Galaxy's interest went to the large astronomical observatory she could see on the roof, she also liked the look of the house in general but that observatory interested her more. A man walked out from the house and went toward Victoria as she got out of the carriage. "Your Majesty." The man said as he bowed to her and the others watched in silence. "Sir Robert. My apologies for the emergency. And how is Lady Isobel?"

"She's indisposed, I'm afraid. She's gone to Edinburgh for the season. And she's the cook with her. The kitchens are barely stocked. I wouldn't blame Your Majesty if you wanted to ride on." Robert said and Galaxy thought that he sounded a little nervous but brushed it off for now since he was talking to royalty. "Oh, not at all. I've had quite enough carriage exercise. And this is charming, if rustic. It's my first visit to this house. My late husband spoke of it often. The Torchwood Estate. Now, shall we go inside? And please excuse the naked girl." Victoria told him and gestured to Rose. "Sorry." She apologised.

"She's a feral girl. I bought her for sixpence in old London Town. It's was her or the Elephant Man, so..." The Doctor trailed off. "Thinks he's funny but I'm so not amused. What do you think, ma'am?" Rose asked as she looked at Victoria. "It hardly matters. Shall we proceed?" "So close," Rose whispered to Galaxy and the Doctor as Victoria went inside the house. "Makerson and Ramsey, you will escort the property. Hurry up." The three saw one of the soldiers take a small locked wooden box from the carriage and carried it into the house.

"So what's in there, then?" The Doctor asked and Galaxy slightly regretted not having Astro with them, he'd be able to scan what's inside the box without making it look obvious. "Property of the Crown. You will dismiss any future thoughts, sir. The rest of you go to the rear of the house. Assume your designated positions." Reynolds ordered but him saying that just had Galaxy even more curious as to what was in the box and she had a feeling the Doctor felt the same. "You heard the orders. Positions." "Sir." The soldiers them made their way to their positions while Galaxy, Rose and the Doctor made their way inside.