Living In Time And Space (Book Six of The Bad Wolf Chronicles)

Closing Time

I learned things this past week. First and foremost, I am NEVER delaying cleaning out my shower again. What I found down the drain . . . *shudders*

Second of all, I was soft on the Doctor. That was a miss. Hopefully, what happens in this chapter is believable. I was definitely excited to get back to Craig, and how Jessie would handle this being the final adventure before she dies. Also, it's been 200 years, so hopefully that helps . . . a bit.

Thirdly, I've decided that I want to finish this book so I can start into Series 7. This is the only book so far this year I have not finished, and I want it done. Plus, I just want to see reactions as to how the finale plays out. ;)

Anyway, enjoy "Closing Time!"

***

One thing the Doctor learned about Jessie Nightshade in the past two hundred years was that she knew how to hold a grudge.

She had been getting better, over two hundred years, but as those years passed, she started avoiding him more and more. He didn't know what it was, but she spent more time awake than she did asleep. There were times when she wouldn't sleep for weeks, and when she did sleep, she only caught an hour or so, and then she was back up and rolling. He kept a close eye on her, but there were times when she gave him a stink eye for who knew what reason, but he knew that as two hundred years went on, she was starting to feel the weight of him forcing his mind on hers. He certainly hadn't forgotten, and he could feel the weight, too. Not only that, but he was watching her for any signs of her going to Lake Silencio. So far, she hadn't shown any signs of leaving, but he had caught her on the phone a few times, talking in hushed tones to someone. He couldn't tell who, and as if she knew what he was up to, Jessie always cleared her phone history when she was done.

The Doctor was getting tired of it, but he knew he deserved it. Truthfully, he'd been expecting Jessie to find a dampening bracelet from nowhere and stick it on him to torture him that way. At least she was speaking to him . . .

But the light bantering was gone. The flirting, the innuendo, that was gone, too. In a way, it was just like Manhattan: they spoke to each other, but eventually, their conversations ended up dead or cold. And he hated it.

He would have preferred Pietro trying to kill him.

But in two hundred years, they were nearly done spreading thank yous to all who had helped with Demons Run. There was only one more stop left, with a convenient problem they thought needed to be fixed, and as they stood in front of the house, they exchanged small smirks, hearing the man inside shouting. "This seems familiar," Jessie snickered.

Sure enough, Craig Owens flew open the door and shouted at them, not realizing who they were, "I'm coping on my own!"

"Hello, Craig!" the Doctor grinned as Jessie waved at him. "We're back!"

Craig stared at them, then looked at the phone he was holding. "She didn't . . . how could she phone you?"

"How could who phone us?" the Doctor tilted his head. "Nobody phoned us. We're just here."

"Nice house," Jessie looked around.

"Oh, you've redecorated," the Doctor looked inside, then said bluntly, "I don't like it."

"It's a different house, Doctor," Jessie rolled her eyes. "They moved."

"Yes, that's it," he winced.

"What are you doing here?" Craig scowled.

"Social call," the Doctor shrugged. "Thought it was about time we tried one."