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Danni heard the commotion before she'd even found her bearings. She appeared to be in a stately manor of some kind, dark wood furnishing and panelling on the walls showing just how rich the owners must have been. She'd landed in a bedroom, apparently. She frowned, scratching her arm just above the manipulator absently, not the first time, not the last. Why would the Doctor be here? She didn't recognise it at all, the setting completely foreign to her. She smiled to herself despite the screaming, she always liked something new.
She then frowned, chastising herself mentally as she headed towards the door, knowing if there was screaming the Doctor wouldn't be too far behind. She shouldn't be happy, the Doctor wouldn't be when he saw her. They may have danced, and they may have headed off to the Orient Express in space and he may have rented a carriage on it just for them after they'd captured the Egyptian Queen, but she was still sure it was a high from actually existing once again. After all, how could have forgiven her? How could anyone forgive her?
The door burst open just as she almost reached it, barely missing her face as a young woman in a maid outfit appeared, out of breath and clearly terrified. She opened her mouth to scream but Danni waved her hands, panicking a bit herself.
"No, no, it's okay!" She exclaimed, "What's going on?" The young woman took in Danni, looking her up and down, confused, before obviously deciding she wasn't a threat.
"Men." She exclaimed in a sob, "They've taken the Master and My Lady." Danni nodded as footsteps rang through the hallway outside. The young woman looked over her shoulder, "They're coming!" Danni reached out, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the room.
"Come on, the wardrobe!" She directed, opening the large wooden box and pushing the maid in first, before climbing in after her and pulling the door shut. The young woman was sobbing and Danni shushed her firmly, "Just try and calm down, we need to be quiet!" She whispered and the girl nodded, taking in short, sharp breaths. Danni reached into her dress pocket and fished out her phone, holding it to her ear as the young woman was suddenly amazed at the glowing metal box she'd produced. It rang, but the Doctor didn't answer. Great, must not be in the TARDIS!
"What is that?" The girl breathed and Danni shook her head, pocketing it again.
"Nothing of impor..." She trailed off as the door to the bedroom creaked open. The two girls clung to each others hands, both holding their breath but the door creaked again, clicking shut. Neither of them dared to speak a word, but after a while it seemed like whoever had come in had left. Danni squeezed her phone through her dress pocket again, nodding to herself.
"Right." She whispered, "I'm going to go get help."
"They'll kill you!" The young maid whimpered. Danni gently pushed the door open, letting the light stream into the wardrobe. Thankfully, the room was empty.
"What's your name?" Danni asked her gently.
"F-Flora." She stuttered out and Danni shot her a warm smile.
"Flora," She repeated, "I have this friend, called the Doctor. He can help us, but I need to find him first. You have to stay in here. It'll be uncomfortable, but it will be safe."
"You're mad." The maid whispered and Danni nodded.
"Completely." Danni agreed sincerely, "But it's the best chance we've got. Stay in the wardrobe."
"It's dark." Flora whimpered and Danni looked around. With a maid dressed like that, and candle holders around the room, there was nothing much Danni could do about... She suddenly reached into her pocket, an idea jumping out at her. She grabbed her phone, popped the battery out and then the SIM card. She pocketed the SIM and put the back back on, turning the phone back on again. No signal, but the screen lit up.
"Here." She handed the girl the phone, "Press this button," She pointed at the Home button on the front, "and the screen will light up for a little while. Try not to do too much, you'll draw attention to yourself." The girl did what she was told, her mouth falling open in amazement.
"This is magic." She breathed and Danni shrugged.
"Right, I have to go. Stay in there, don't come out until I come get you." Flora nodded, settling back into the wardrobe, the phone clutched tightly in her hands.
"What's your name, Miss?" she asked and Danni shot her a bright grin.
"Danni." She told her, "Be safe." She shut the wardrobe door before heading the bedroom one, opening it slowly as she looked into the hallway. She glanced up both ends, but no one was there. She shrugged, deciding to head right for no real reason and quietly made her way down the hallway. She tried to hear the screaming, but it had died down. So, she needed to head downwards. Well, she had no idea where she needed to head, but it was the best plan she had so that was what she decided to do. She had her TARDIS key around her neck, at any rate, so at least if she found the time machine she could get it and work from there.
Around the corner was another hallway, a set of stairs at the end. She headed towards them just as a bald man in red clothing headed up them, spotting her. Her eyes widened in fear and surprise, the man looked like something out of a martial arts movie, and then he growled. She yelled, turning to run but he was too fast, pouncing on her and taking her to the floor with a loud thud. She tried to fight him off, but he just twisted her arm behind her back and marched her down the stairs.
~0~0~0~
Rose half-curtsied awkwardly at the butler who had let her to the Lady's bedroom, where she'd been informed that there were dresses that would suit her stature. Also known as 'the Lady is short and so are you'. She opened the door with a creak and stepped in, seeing the ornate furniture and nodding her approval. Not exactly to her own taste, but she could appreciate the craftsmanship and the money that went into it. She headed straight to one of the wardrobes, which may have seemed a lot but she had seen the TARDIS wardrobe and she smiled at how her perception of everything had changed. She began pulling out dresses and held them up against herself whilst looking in the mirror. Most of them were met with either a grimace or a laugh, not to her taste although fitting for the Victorian period if she remembered anything from school.
She laughed again in disbelief. She'd met Queen Victoria! The woman was exactly how she pictured her to be, all calm and collected. Her head held high, and in the mourning attire she'd seen her depicted in all her childhood in textbooks. She hadn't liked History much at school, but she remembered the times they'd have to go in dressed as urchins for 'Victorian Day', where they'd spend hours learning about how the people lived and about the Queen the period was named after. She'd found it fascinating, although she also remembered at the flare of anger she'd get in sympathy of all the working class children like her, forced to work instead of play. Even now she could feel the rise of indignation at it.
So, it was with a sense of duty that she just knew she'd need to get the Queen to say it. Her infamous catchphrase 'We are not amused'. That and the tenner the Doctor would have to pay up.
She picked out a lovely TARDIS blue velvet dress, holding it against her and swaying it absentmindedly. It reminded her of Danni, and the blue dresses she was known to wear. If she had a bag, she'd have 'borrowed' it and taking it back to the TARDIS to give to her. She'd always felt the need to cheer Danni up, because the Doctor had been quite cruel to her the last couple of times she'd appeared. It seemed to have started after he regenerated, but neither of them would tell Rose what had happened on Satellite 5 and so she was destined to grump around, sorting out their messes.
Either way, she placed the dress on the bed as the start of what was going to be her 'maybe' pile and headed over to the other wardrobe to see what dresses it held. She opened it up and jumped back in surprise as a woman, who Rose had no idea had been in there, screamed in terror. She blinked at the sight of the maid cowering in there, clutching something to her chest tightly as she stared back at Rose wide-eyed.
~0~0~0~
Rose managed to coax the poor girl out of her hiding place with gentle, reassuring words. She moved them both to the bed, and sat her down before perching on the edge next to her. The maid looked terrified, and was still clutching whatever it was close to her chest.
"I can help you." Rose reassured her, "but you have to tell me what's happened." The maid nodded.
"They came through the house. The incitements, they took the Steward and the Master. And my Lady." She whispered in reply, her voice choking on her sobs. Rose reached out and rubbed her arm comfortingly, giving it a little squeeze.
"Listen - I've got a friend, he's called the Doctor - he'll know what to do." Rose told her firmly.
"That's what the other girl said." The maid interupted sorrowfully and Rose frowned.
"The other girl?" The maid nodded, "Ginger? Blue dress?"
"Yes, Miss." The girl confirmed, "She said that she was going to get her friend the Doctor, but then she never came back." Rose nodded vaguely, now concerned because Danni hadn't appeared so far. So, unless she was downstairs with the Doctor now, whatever had taken over the house must have gotten hold of her. She looked at the object the maid was clutching.
"Did Danni give you that?" She asked gently and the maid nodded, holding it out.
"It's wonderful." She breathed, "It lights up when you press this, and it keeps the time like a clock, but with numbers instead of dials." Rose sighed sadly, staring at the phone. So, she couldn't ring Danni.
"Okay..." She trailed off, wondering how to proceed, "You've gotta come with me." The maid shook her head, obviously still quite scared.
"Oh, but I can't, Miss. Danni said to wait." She protested meekly.
"What's your name?" Rose asked her and the maid smiled.
"Flora."
"Flora, we'll be safe." She promised, "There's more people arrived downstairs - soldiers and everything, and they can help us. I promise. Danni would be okay with this, she's my best friend." Rose smiled happily as Flora seemed to come around, "Come on. Okay? Come on." She quietly encouraged Flora to take her hand and lead her to the bedroom door. She stuck her head out, looking left and right and deciding the coast was clear lead her out into the hallway. Once they got to the Doctor, Flora could explain what was going on and they could save Danni. She didn't like the thought that she'd have to convince the Doctor to find her, she wish she knew what had changed his opinion of her so completely. He'd always been a bit wary of her, but to actually hate her was ridiculous. It must have been something to do with what she knows about the future, because Rose couldn't think of anything else that would make him so angry all the time.
They turned around the corner and Rose felt her heart clench at the sight of the guards on the floor, dressed up in fine red uniforms, but very much unconscious. She dropped to the floor next to one as Flora backed up.
"Oh, Miss. I did warn you!" She exclaimed as Rose checked for a pulse. She sighed in relief when she felt his neck pulsate under her fingertips.
"He's not dead... I don't think - he must be drugged or something." Rose leant back on her heels as she pondered on whether or not she could wake him as Flora screamed. She spun her head to see her being dragged away by one of the butlers who had lead her to the room. Another grabbed her, chucking a hand over her mouth and began dragging her away from the solider as she tried vainly to fight them off.
~0~0~0~
Rose and Flora were dragged to the cellar of the large manor house, where a group of the staff as well as a very well-to-do lady were chained to the wall. Sensing their fate was going to be the same, Rose began struggling anew. She wasn't going to be chained up.
"Rose!" Danni cried and Rose looked over, relieved to see her friend in the middle of the group, "Rose, calm down!" She told her. Rose complied and she and Flora were added to the group of people huddled in the corner. With great difficulty, the two then hugged, both very glad to see the other, although Rose was slightly worried at how tightly Danni clung to her.
"Thank God you're all right." Rose breathed anyway, "What's going on?" Danni let her go, the chain holding them together going slack and nodded to the corner of the room where she could barely make out a cage.
"I forgot." She admitted guiltily, "I didn't recognise the setting, or what Flora told me. But you've just met Queen Victoria, which means he's sorta a werewolf."
"He?" Rose asked, confused and Danni nodded slowly as a growl came from the cage, whatever it shifting towards them, "Wait, did you say 'werewolf'?" Danni tilted her head, making a face that showed she wasn't entirely sure.
"It's not a werewolf exactly." She explained, "It's an alien, I'm sure of it. But the lad's human. I think. I never really liked this episode." Rose faked a look of indignation.
"Oh, you don't like my story?" She teased and Danni nudged her.
"Hey, you're the one that keeps trying to get the Queen to say 'we are not amused'. It's embarrassing to watch." She then looked down at her hands, "After what I've just done, I'd give anything to change it for this." Rose reached out, placing a hand on her hand.
"What's wrong?" She asked quietly and Danni shook her head, "What have you just done?"
"Nothing, it's not important." Danni told her. She'd tell her later, but now they needed to get out, "We need to contact the Doctor somehow." At this, Flora scooted a bit closer and held her hand out, the phone in her palm.
"Thank you." She offered, "I was so scared, this kept me calm. You must be so brilliant." Danni shook her head, taking it off her.
"Oh no." She replied, "If you want to put faith in anyone, let it be Rose. Savour of Universes, this one." Rose nudged her back, blushing slightly.
"She always says that." She offered as an explanation at Flora's confused look.
"It's because it's true." Danni insisted and the woman in the finery leant forward towards the little group.
"Don't make a sound." She hissed fearfully, "They said if we scream or shout, then he will slaughter us." Rose frowned, glancing at the cage then back at the woman.
"But... he's in a cage." She pointed out, "He's a prisoner. He's the same as us." Danni shook his head.
"He's not anymore." She whispered, "They cage him to contain him, but he is very much on their side." The man in the cage looked up, opening his completely black eyes. The woman and a few of the staff whimpered, and Rose stared at him suddenly very scared.
"So, werewolf?" Rose whispered to Danni, who shrugged.
"Werewolf-ish?" She offered and Rose nodded slowly.
"Let's find out." She started to stand, Danni following her. They headed as far as they could towards the cage, Rose making it slightly nearer as she was at the end of the line and Danni was hindered by Flora being between them. The pair knelt on the floor, staring into the cage at the lad inside.
"Don't, child." The woman whispered urgently but neither of them paid attention.
"Who are you?" Rose asked loudly.
"Don't enrage him." One of the staff members warned.
"Oh hush." Danni scolded before smiling gently at the man in the cage even though in the dim light coming from the few candles scattered across the room, she doubted he could see her, "We know you're not from Earth. We have a friend who can help you get home, but we need to know where you're from first." She explained.
"Ohhh... intelligence..." The creature drawled in a sing-song voice, sending a shiver down Danni's spine. Such an evil-sounding voice, gave her the creeps.
"Where were you born?" Rose tried.
"This body?" He asked, "Ten miles away... a weakling, heartsick boy. Stolen away at night by the brethren from my cultivation. I carved out his soul and sat in his heart." He was snarling triumphantly at the end.
"A child?" Danni gasped in horror, "You took a child and turned him into you?" He nodded once.
"And how he screamed." Her fists clenched at her sides. Another child forced into something terrible by the adults who were supposed to look after them. Just like Kos... the Master. Why couldn't they just leave people alone? Instead, they inserted things into their minds, their souls and turned them into destructive forces.
"All right... so the body's human?" Rose turned to Danni, looking for confirmation. She nodded, and Rose turned back to the creature, "But what about you? The thing inside?"
"So far from home." He called almost mournfully.
"We can help." Danni offered, "Like I said, our friend can take you back home."
"Why would I leave this place?" He replied, sounding almost alarmed at the notion, "A world of industry, of workforce and warfare. I could turn it to such purpose."
"How would you do that?" Rose dreaded to ask, but she did anyway. They needed to find out what they were up against.
"I would migrate to the Holy Monarch." He declared happily and Rose frowned.
"You mean Queen Victoria?" She asked and he nodded.
"With one bite, I would pass into her blood. And then it begins. The Empire of the Wolf! So many questions..." Suddenly, he lurched forward and they all jumped back in fright, "Look! Inside your eyes! You've seen it too!" He cried.
"Seen what?" Rose asked and he grinned manically.
"The Wolf! There is something of the Wolf about you!" He told her and Danni's gaze hardened, knowing what he was referring to.
"That's enough." She snapped angrily. He kept his gaze on Rose, who was shaking slightly, confusion written over her face at the unfounded feeling of recognition she felt when he said that. What did that mean.
"You burnt like the sun, but all I require is the moon." He replied and Danni tried to move forward.
"I said, that is enough!" Rose looked at her.
"What does he mean?" She asked and Danni shook her head, sending her a wavering smile.
"Nothing of importance." She repeated, unsure of what would happen if Rose was to remember being Bad Wolf.
"Oh, but it is so important." The creature cried, "The Wolf will bring the end of the universe, you shall see."
"I have seen." Danni retorted, recalling the final days of Donna Noble. Her friend, who saved them all at the sacrifice of herself. "And the Wolf failed once again. The moon sets, the sun rises."
"You have such great knowledge of the future." The creature proclaimed and she nodded.
"I do." Danni warned, "So be careful." She grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her back to the group, "I don't like him." She declared and Rose nodded.
"Yeah, I gathered. What did he mean, the end of the universe?" Danni opened her mouth, ready to tell her an edited version of the truth with some very important details cut out, when a couple of the women gasped in shock as two large wooden hatches on the other side of the room opened, shining the moonlight from the full moon that appeared to be outside onto the boy in the cage. He crawled over to the side of his cage, pressing his face between the bars.
"Moonlight." He let out in a pleasure-filled drawl, causing Danni to shift uncomfortably on the spot. She knew that sound, that lust-filled relief that was very evident in his voice. She'd begged for the drumming in very much the same voice, and she hated the fact that it reminded her of the relief she received from Kos... from him afterwards.
Rose watched her bit her lip and looked down, away from the caged man across from them. What was going on with her?