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

The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith

"All normal, Master Clyde," K9's voice answered.

Clyde huffed, putting down the tablecloth. "Yeah, so far," he grumbled.

"You brought the dog?" Luke demanded.

"Well, what did you think was under there, the wedding cake?" Clyde retorted.

Jenny blinked. "Do they put wedding cakes under tablecloths?" she asked.

Rani smiled at the innocent woman. "No, they don't," she assured her.

"There's something wrong about this," Clyde insisted.

"Good afternoon, everyone," the registrar announced, and everyone turned forward, Peter and Sarah Jane standing side by side. "I'm the Superintendent Registrar. We are here today to witness the marriage of Sarah Jane Smith and Peter Anthony Dalton. In each other's company, they have found happiness, fulfillment, and love, and they wish to affirm their relationship with this marriage." Jenny frowned, her ears perking up at the sound of engines from nearby. Those sounded familiar . . . "Now, I have to ask this question. If any person can show just cause or impediment why they may not be joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

Jenny's eyes shot wide open when the sound of engines overwhelmed the registrar's voice. She knew those engines! She turned in her chair -

Just when the doors to the room banged open, and a thin man in a blue suit with brown hair that looked like he'd been electrocuted ran in, a blonde woman in a black trench coat with a raven on her shoulder right behind him. "Stop this wedding, now!" her father shouted.

"What?" Sarah Jane gasped.

"What's going on?" Rani's mum asked.

"Who the hell are they?" her father asked.

Luke, however, grinned. "I don't believe it!"

"Who's he?" Rani asked.

Jenny grinned. "Mum! Dad!"

"Master!" K9 called out.

"He said stop this wedding!" the Bad Wolf demanded.

Jenny grinned, standing, about to run over, when a sharp wind nearly blew her off her feet. "Alert!" K9 called, coming out from underneath the table. "Alert! Danger, Mistress!"

"Stop!" the Doctor shouted, pointing at the two at the altar as the Bad Wolf struggled to get a grip on him. As agile as she was, she was still not as tall as her husband and able to balance correctly. "Get away from him!"

"No!" Sarah Jane cried, trying to wrench away from Peter when he kept grabbing onto her. "Peter, no!"

"Don't be afraid, Sarah Jane," he told her. "It's the Angel!"

Jenny's eyes widened when a faceless figure with sharp teeth in white appeared in the corner of the room. "What is that?" she gasped.

"The Trickster!" Rani answered, whether she meant to or not.

"Mum!" Luke cried. "Mum!"

"Sarah!" the Bad Wolf shouted.

"Trickster, let her go!" the Doctor demanded.

"Too late, Time Lords!" the Trickster laughed, floating over to the couple at the altar. "You're mine, Sarah Jane Smith. Mine forever!"

"Sarah!" the Time Lords shouted in unison.

"Doctor!" Sarah Jane screamed. "Bad Wolf!"

Sarah Jane, Peter, and the Trickster vanished without a trace. As soon as they did, the Bad Wolf ran forward, the first to recover, beginning to search around the altar. "Sarah?" she called worriedly, as if trying to find something, the raven on her shoulder hopping off. "Sarah!"