Arcadia's Love (Book TWO)

The Unknown Girl

The Doctor

Nothing. I searched through so many places and there was nothing. Seraphina was gone, again and I was left alone. River was coming close to the Library, so I'd dropped my visits to practically never with her, and I was so, so alone.

I'd spent nearly 3 years here in London, and Vastra, Jenny and Strax had spent most of that time trying to stop me, bring me out of retirement but I didn't care. Phi was gone, the only woman I had truly loved besides my daughters and why should I care what happened in the Universe now? If time suddenly ran out, would it matter? She was time, my time and without her it went on forever.

But they were relentlessly trying, calling me to see them every week to try and tempt me with some new case, anything that would get me off me cloud and back into the real world. The real world was nothing without her.

"I'm so glad you came" Vastra smiled, as I came towards them through the fog that the winter had brought. "We have news, I think, of particular interest to you. There was a meteor shower in the southwest, unexpected timing and density. I've calculated there is a thirty four percent chance it is the result of alien intervention." So, so pathetic. "Twenty four percent." Still wrong. "Well, they could just be meteors but it is worth looking in to. There is a very pleasant tea room in the area." Phi loved tea.

Jenny was the next to try. "Also, there's a Professor Arasmus Pink who's claiming he's going to split the world open with a giant drill through the thinnest part of the Earth's crust. I think we should investigate." A drill in this period? "I mean, he doesn't actually have a giant drill, and he's not really a professor, and he was a bit drunk at the time and singing a bit, but you know it is never too early to investigate a drill."

"I've declared war on the moon." Oh, great, the potato was talking, and he seemed to think that it had any relevance.

Even Vastra was a little frustrated. "Do be quiet, Strax."

"Too long the moon has hung unmonitored and unsuspected in the sky. It has gained an enormous tactical advantage."

"There's no one living there." Jenny told him, while I just shook my head. This was getting harder and harder, I just wanted them to stop.

"Then it is clearly time to act." Strax strategized, and his friends were getting very annoyed. "They won't suspect a thing."

Jenny blinked, not understanding. "Who won't suspect a thing?"

"Moonites."

"Why do you keep doing this?" I asked eventually, lifting my head up to look at them properly. "What is the point? I have told you. I keep telling you, I don't do this any more. I've retired. I don't care any more."

The only human had one last desperate plea. "There's a man on Praed Street with an invisible wife." I stared her down. "Maybe he just doesn't have a wife."

"You're wasting my time." I grumbled, walking past them and pulling my tattered old hat down over my eyes.

I heard Jenny tell me Merry Christmas as I went, but I kept going, walking until I was out of sight. I kept going until I found myself in some woods, walking through the darkness until I saw a fire ahead of me, as well as a girl screaming until it cut off.

That was something I had not yet gotten myself out of, running towards danger when I saw it, meaning that the second the scream started I ran towards the source, picking up speed the moment the scream stopped and found a woman lying naked in the middle of the flames near a large lake, her hair looking purple in them.

She looked unhurt, but the fire was getting closer to her, and her form was starting to sweat and become marred by the ash. I grabbed her quickly, and managed to pull her unscathed though once I was out of range, I doubled over, coughing smoke.