Struggling To Adjust (Book Three of The Bad Wolf Chronicles)

The Oncoming Storm and the Goddess of Time

"And then he decides to start going on about 'wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff' for some reason," Martha laughed as she and Jessie told the SHIELD team, the Avengers save Thor and Steve, and Jack all about their adventures with this version of the Doctor.

Jemma grinned and shook her head. "It's like you never left him," she commented.

"I never really did," Jessie told her, looking up at the black sky. "But it was . . . tough," she admitted with a sigh, leaning on her palm. "Those times when the Doctor wasn't seeing me."

"But he does now," Coulson told her, nodding to her rings. "I'm telling you, I've seen odd stuff in my time as a SHIELD agent . . . but an ex agent of mine transformed into an alien marrying the alien she ran off with in the first place? That is something."

Jessie snorted loudly at the same time as Jack. "That's surprising you, Agent Coulson?" Jack asked with a laugh. "They've had dibs on each other way back to when they were Big Ears and Whiskey."

"Whiskey?" Jessie repeated as Clint and Tony coughed into their hands. "You're calling me Whiskey?!"

"First thing I noticed about you, whiskey colored eyes!" Jack protested, holding up his hands as May cracked a grin.

Jessie rolled her eyes. "I would've thought it had been something else," she muttered, and this time, the four Avengers really did burst out laughing.

Jack mock glared at her. "But still," he complained, folding his arms and leaning back. "It's true. You did have dibs on each other."

"I knew it then, too," Jemma admitted with a sigh. "That's one of the reasons why I was so dead set on getting to the Doctor. I couldn't believe he would've let that happen to you because of what he felt for you."

Jessie beamed at her. Ever since the Valiant, the SHIELD team had been adjusting to her, much like the Doctor had been adjusting to her since Manhattan in the 1930s. May had gone back to threatening to kill the Doctor after hearing about what had taken place in 1913, but Jemma had beamed when Jessie told them what had happened on Asgard. Fitz had been completely taken about the Weeping Angels ("They send you back in time?!") and Coulson had just . . . listened.

And she had missed it. And unfortunately, every spot she'd planned for the wedding had been taken, but they had still been invited as witnesses.

Speaking of weddings . . .

She looked up at the sky, frowning. "I'm gonna go check on him," she decided, standing up and dusting off her pants. "Don't go killing each other now."

Jack mock faked throwing a punch at Bruce, who ducked jokingly, much to the amusement of Natasha and Clint. Jessie rolled her eyes and started off in the direction she knew the Doctor would be lighting the Master's funeral pyre. She'd offered to stay with him, but he'd said he wanted to do it alone.

Now, she wasn't giving him a choice.

She saw the flames when she was just a few yards away, and the lone figure watching it burn. She walked up silently and reached for the Doctor's hand, and he stiffened. She frowned. "What's - ?"

He merely turned, grabbed her face, and gave her the fiercest kiss of her life. She gave a squeak of surprise and looked at him wide-eyed when he pulled away. "Not that I didn't enjoy that, but what was that for?"

"One year and one day," the Doctor reminded her, arm around her as they watched the Master's funeral pyre burn out. "That's how long it's been since I've kissed you."

"Fair point," she admitted, leaning into his embrace. "It was hard living underground, too. Poor Martha. But she still . . . sort of had me."

The Doctor nodded. "She was from my last self's time, wasn't she?"