Experiencing The Impossible (Book Nine of The Bad Wolf Chronicles)

A Dangerous Deal

The end of "The Crimson Horror" and the prequel to "Nightmare in Silver."

Enjoy!

***

Clara snickered as she entered the Maitlands' house. "The boss. Yep, that's her."

"Is that really so surprising?" Pietro smirked. "Just remember, we never let the Doctor hear the end of it."

"Oh, never," Clara agreed with a matching grin.

"And a word of advice," Pietro raised an eyebrow. "Don't let what you've got on you get lost. The Bad Wolf will never let you hear the end of it."

Clara reached behind her cardigan and found the gun holster that the Time Lady had given her. "I'm still trying to figure out what prompted her to teach me that."

"Mrs. Gillyflower, probably," Pietro shrugged. "She's taking your protection seriously, Clara."

"And I'm glad," Clara said honestly. "Do you think it's a bit far?"

"With what we've gone through, I don't think anything's a bit far," Pietro shook his head, then kissed her cheek. "Bye, Clara."

"Bye," Clara smiled at him, closing the door as he left. She sighed, walking into the kitchen as she heard the TARDIS dematerialize. She frowned when she saw the open laptop at the table, going over to close it, when her jaw dropped, seeing the pictures that were on screen, all of them of her . . . on the adventures she had taken in the TARDIS.

"It's you, isn't it?" Angie's voice came from behind her, and she froze as Angie pointed to the picture from Caliburn House with Alec and Emma. "It's from the seventies, but it's definitely you."

"Of course it's not," she lied.

"And that's you, too, from 1983," Artie brought up a picture from the Firebird submarine, the complete TARDIS crew with Zhukov and his men. "I found it at school."

"No, that's just someone who looks like me," Clara insisted.

"And that's someone that looks like your boyfriend," Angie pointed at the Doctor.

"Or that one," Artie pointed out Pietro. "Are they aliens?"

Clara blushed furiously. "Why would they be aliens?"

"The chin," Artie pointed out the Doctor's.

"And the time travel?" Angie clicked on another photo.

Clara frowned as she saw herself in Victorian London garb. "That's not right."

"You were in Victorian London," Angie accused.

"No, I was in Victorian Yorkshire," Clara corrected, then flinched and groaned when she realized what she had just said.

The Maitlands grinned victoriously. "How come you didn't tell us?" Angie asked.

"Time travel, that's so cool," Artie nodded.

"Can we have a go?"

"Can you have a what?" Clara blinked.

"We want a shot at the time machine," Artie answered.

"No, no, no, no," she shook her head instantly. "Listen - "

"OK," Angie folded her arms. "Or we'll have to tell Dad that our nanny's a time traveler."

Terrified, Clara looked from the kids to the laptop, chewing her lower lip.

***

The TARDIS had only been in the Vortex for a few minutes before Pietro's phone had gone off. Frowning, he looked at it. His eyes widened when he saw who called, and he answered. "Clara, what's wrong?"