Time's Great Healer

by Paradoxicality

The Doctor and Donna land in a small village, where even the wind carries a deep, dark secret. Morals are challenged as the question of who lives and who dies is brought to the surface.

Doctor Who – Time's Great Healer

Abby couldn't breathe. Her heart thumped inside her chest, begging to be let out. She tried to breathe through her nose, to close her eyes and concentrate hard in a hope to calm herself down, but nothing worked. She could feel her head get lighter, her body sway and the acidic taste of sick in her throat.

She thought through the last few moments in her head as the last few sparkling pieces of dust brushed past her. This wasn't her fault. This definitely wasn't her fault. There was surely something wrong with him. She'd heard of spontaneous combustion before, maybe this was what it was like. But then there was no fire, no real explosion actually. He just separated into billions of pieces of dust, each sparkling in the gentle breeze that flew in through the open window. Most particles simply collapsed to the floor, while the rest floated casually past her.

The air was finally returning to Abby's lungs, and just as she felt the tinniest bit stable she heard the front door go downstairs.

"Abby? Abby are you home dear?" Abby's breathing picked up pace once again, and she contemplated just how long she had if she responded to her mum.

"Yeah, mum, I'm...I'm just upstairs." She responded, her voice regularly fluctuating. She had to clear up the pile of dust somehow; even if he did combust explaining it would be a hard job when she didn't even know what had happened herself.

Abby grabbed two sheets of paper from her desk and scraped what dust she could with one sheet onto the other. In everyday life Abby thought she could handle gore, but sweeping up your friends' sparkling remains was another story. Abby heard the familiar creak of the middle stair; she didn't have long. She carried what she could of the dust over to the window and threw it out, along with the sheets of paper, letting it all sweep away in the increasingly swift wind.

"Hiya, are you alright? Have you made yourself some lunch yet?" Abby's mum, Angela, peered in through the door.

"Na, I was just going to." Abby let out a sigh of relief. Trying not to meet her mum's gaze, she simply walked briskly past her and down the stairs. Angela sighed, and was just about to close the door when she noticed the open window. She shivered slightly, as the wind picked up even more, and pulled the window closed. A shimmering on the window sill caught her eye. With a tentative, slightly shaky finger, Angela brushed the sill and examined her skin. She had picked up several shining pieces of dust.

"Not again Abby." She whispered to herself, blowing them gently away and closing the door as she left the room.

....

"This. Is not. London!" Donna's voice boomed inside the TARDIS. The Doctor was flicking the last few switches to make the TARDIS secure, and voice instantly put him off his work. With one last twist of a knob the Doctor grabbed his coat and ran outside.

"Doctor- you said I could go shopping, get some clothes you said. This," Donna pointed towards a quaint village a few metres away from where they were stood "Is not London. This is some two-bit farm town."

"Yeah all right Donna, maybe I was a bit off-"

"A bit! How is it I travel with an alien who knows everything other than how to control his space ship?"

"I'm sure we can get a taxi or something, I love taxis, well, a bit slow and don't travel anyway in space but they're so...human. Love 'em." The Doctor grinned and as ever, Donna stared at him in boredom.

"Can't we just pop back in a zoom off again?"

"Oh Donna Noble you're getting lazy. I'm sure the nearest city can't be far, c'mon."

The Doctor started off in the direction of the village along a deserted country road, and Donna, trudging through the wet field they'd landed in, followed dejectedly.

The village seemed small both from the outside and within. A few streets of small, charming cottages were connected to what appeared to be a street of amenities; a small grocer's, a newsagent's and, of course, an estate agent's.

"Isn't it adorable? So small, how do you cope?" The Doctor asked, somewhat rhetorically.

"I don't. I live in a perfectly normal two-story house. These are from the middle-ages."

"Oh, Donna, embrace your culture. I'd live here any day rather than those smoke-spewing cities."

The Doctor soon jumped up onto the kerb near the newsagent's. He peered in and gave the shopkeeper a cheery wave before continuing on. Towards the end of the street was a reasonably large cafe, but it was the person outside that caught the Doctor's attention. She was a middle-aged woman with long, brown hair, and held several sheets of paper under her arm. But it was her distressed face that drew the Doctor in.

"Excuse me," the Doctor gently touched the woman's shoulder "Are you alr-"

"I'm looking for Simon. Simon Barton. We're kind of new in town and...oh, please just take one of these," the woman handed the Doctor one of the pieces of paper "That's him there, the best photo I could get, it's a bit blurry but I think you can see what he looks like. And that's our number and our address and-"

"Ok, Ok, of course we'll look out for him. Where did you see him last?" The Doctor asked, studying the photo and taking in the image.

"I...I...I-" Tears overwhelmed the woman, and Donna immediately put an arm around her.

"Hey, c'mon let's go get some tea, yeah? The Doctor can pay." Donna threw the Doctor an evil look and guided the woman into the cafe.

....

"Thanks." Donna gave the waitress a smile as she brought over the three cups of tea. The Doctor immediately began to shake open at least six packets of sugar and one of salt, stirring them all in vigorously and finding the strange looks he got from Donna rather confusing.

"I guess we haven't even introduced ourselves. I'm Donna, Donna Noble and this is the Doctor. Don't bother asking Doctor what, I don't even know." Donna smiled as the woman wiped the bleeding mascara from her face.

"I'm Sarah, Sarah Barton. You didn't have to do this, you know, these people regularly bring me cups of tea; I've been out there all morning."

"Well, even with cups of tea no one should have to stand for hours on end," the Doctor took a sip of his tea, seemed to taste it for far too long, before taking another salt packet from the pot and stirring it in.

"So, can you tell us what happened to your...son I presume?"

"Yeah, he's my youngest. He's 17 now, turning into an adult fast. The last I saw of him was Tuesday, two days now."

"I don't mean to seem rude Sarah but teenagers do this a lot. They run off for...attention or whatever. I did a couple of times even." Donna said, drifting off in thought.

"But Simon would never do this. There were no problems at home, he was happy and bright and..." Tears began to trickle down Sarah's cheeks again, and she wiped them away swiftly.

"Do you know where he was last?" The Doctor asked, in between rapid, content sips of his strange liquid concoction.

"He went around to a friends' house, uh, Abby, Abigail Weston. Since we were new here I think Abby was the first proper friend he made. She's a lovely girl but she just said he left to go home, nothing strange about him. I called the police but they don't seem to want to do anything. Doctor, I just want him back. You lose your house keys, your phone your wallet, how can I be so stupid as to lose my son?"

"Now Sarah, look at me, you are not stupid, OK? Donna and me, we'll find Simon, safe and sound, and you'll wonder why you worried, alright? Now, do you think you could show us where Abby lives, maybe we can trace where Simon went once he left there."

"Yes, yeah, OK. Thank you Doctor. The villagers here are lovely but, of course, it takes the outsider to help me out." Sarah managed a smile, and got up to leave, followed tentatively by the Doctor and Donna.

....

"This house here," Sarah nodded towards a house on the end of the road. "I best be off, check back at home, see if anyone's rang. Thank you for helping you two. The kindness of strangers, eh?" Sarah managed a smile and a slight wave as she headed back towards the cafe. The Doctor and Donna watched her go before approaching the house, stopping just on the gravel path.

"So, what's the plan? Do we just check when he left? I mean... I can't see how it can lead us any further."

"Don't be so negative Donna; we have technology on our side. Alien technology, even better," the Doctor stared aimlessly into the distance before almost shouting "Oh yes! Donna I've got it!"

"Got what? Don't tell me you know what's happened to Simon; you can't be that clever can you?"

"No one's that clever Donna. Well, unless you cheat. Anyway, no, I reckon I can cobble together something just for this occasion. Be right back."

The Doctor immediately hastily walked off back in the other direction.

"Doctor, wait! What do I do whilst you're off doing your mad-professor routine?"

"Oh you'll think of something. Go investigate or something."

"I'm not Scooby-blooming-Doo." She yelled after him. Seeing that he was clearly locked in his own mind, Donna sighed and turned back towards the house. She knocked briskly on the door several times, and jabbed the doorbell with her finger.

"Anyone there?" Donna called into the letterbox. No answer. Just as she removed her hand from keeping the flap open she heard a loud thud within.

"Hello? Is someone there?" Still no answer, but the noise intrigued Donna, so much so that after taking a few steps back from the house and seeing an open side gate, Donna made her way around the side, pushing the gate open and sticking a head in the gap. She still couldn't see anyone, but felt it was her civic duty, and nosey need, to check out the noise, just to be sure. Donna crept swiftly around the gate, pushing it shut behind her. She noticed that the back door was also slightly ajar, and although she knew as soon as one of her feet met the inside of the house she was breaking the law, she at least knew she couldn't be charged for forced entry.

"Hello? Oh!" Donna tripped slightly as a large collie dog brushed past her and into the garden.

"I broke the law for a dog. Typical. Nice house though." Donna thought aloud, drifting her way through the many, traditional rooms. She eventually made her way to the mostly wooden hallway, and was just about to let herself out of the front door when she made out colourful shapes through the frosted glass, rapidly increasing in size.

"Oh God." Donna said aloud, sighing to herself, but finding her heart pounding and her movements frantic. She grabbed the banister and pulled her way up the swirling stairs, just out of sight as the front door flew open. Donna could make out at least two muffled voices. At the top of the stairs Donna rushed into the room straight in front of her; a small room with the windows wide open and the curtains ruffling in the breeze. But the noises were following her. They creaked up the stairs, slowly, but in Donna's direction none the less. She gritted her teeth, pulled open a large cupboard by the door, and pushed aside some clothes to give her space. She backed in, wondering why she ended up in situations like this all too often.

....

The door crashed open near Donna. She immediately held her breath. In the slit between the two wardrobe doors, Donna could make out two figures; a middle-aged, short woman and a young, teenage girl, desperately holding on to the older woman for support.

"Mu....Mum." The girl managed, her eyes barely staying open.

"It's alright Abby, love, not long now. You just lie down here." Angela gently laid her daughter on the bed, and left the room. Donna continued to stare as Abby lay on her bed, her eyes closed and her chest barely moving up and down. She wanted to creep out of the wardrobe, to see how she was, what she could do, but she surmised jumping out of the closet like a strange stalker wasn't the best remedy. Donna could make out muffled noises from downstairs, which slowly moved closer and eventually back in the room.

Abby's mum came in, again supporting someone, this time a tall man, crudely dressed in dirty clothes and hardly looking aware of where he was. He had a small layer of stubble, and smelt quite strongly, leading Donna to hold her breath at first. An unfortunate mixture of sweat and alcohol.

"Here you go love. He was hanging around outside the supermarket, this one. I kept him ready for you though." Angela said, way too cheerily. Abby didn't respond, her limp head falling further into the pillow.

"Right then, here you are." Angela guided the man beside her bed, and bent down to her daughter. She took one of her lifeless arms, and quickly yet violently thrust it at the man. As soon as Abby's hand hit the man, he began to convulse; slightly at first, but gradually more vigorously. Angela dropped her daughter's arm and took a step back. The man shook, and several blades of light shot out of him. And, all of a sudden, the man collapsed into a small pile of sparkling dust. Donna gasped, and felt a large pang of disgust and morbid shock run through her body. There was nothing left; no clothes, no bones, just dust, gradually picking up and travelling off in the gentle breeze.

"You do make a mess Abby." Her mum sighed, before walking towards Donna. Donna's breathing became erratic as the callous woman approached her. She closed her eyes and heard a door opening. Donna slowly opened an eye, and realised the cupboard next to her had been the one Angela had gone to. She smiled in relief, before realising the situation she was in.

"There we go." Donna looked back through the gap and saw Angela standing up from a crouch with a dustpan full of glittering dust. She immediately threw it out of the open window, dusted herself down, and headed out of the room.

Donna swallowed once more, still feeling sick from what she had just experienced. Abby still lay lifeless on the bed, and Donna didn't want to leave until she was sure she wouldn't be caught. But she had to check on Abby, who knew what had just happened to her. Donna sighed once more, and had one hand on the wardrobe door as Abby woke up in one violent jerk. She gasped and wiped a few drops of sweat from her head. She casually got off of her bed and left the room.

"Mum, I thought I told you to wake me up if I fell asleep again. I think I should go to the doctor's or something." Abby yelled as she walked down the stairs.

When Donna felt it had been long enough she sheepishly pushed open the wardrobe door and peered out. The room was still empty, the door still closed, and the window still open. Thinking that jumping out of the window wasn't a wise choice, Donna reluctantly headed towards the door to the landing. She crept out, walking on tiptoes at best. She looked over the landing, checking to see if anyone was around. There didn't seem to be anyone about, and the doors seemed to be closed, and as such Donna chanced it, silently walking down the stairs and gathering pace as she neared the bottom. She opened the front door, not caring how much noise she made now, and ran off back towards the TARDIS.

....

Donna sped around the corner, and instantly ran into a tall lanky figure.

"Ah, Donna, great timing."

"Doctor! You'll never guess what I've just-"

"-Look what I cobbled together." The Doctor held up a handheld video camera with several multi-coloured wires sticking out and connecting in various glued on ports. At the same time he gently put one arm around Donna and guided her back towards Abby's house.

"What is it?"

"This, Donna Noble is my newly upgraded time detecting video camera." He said with a large grin.

"Yeah, well, great, but Doctor listen-"

"-Hang on, hang on, have a look at this." The two had arrived outside Abby's house once more, at which point the Doctor flipped open the screen of the camera and pressed a few random buttons.

"What? It's just showing 'recording' like any other camcorder."

"Not recording Donna, detecting. There we go!" The Doctor pointed at a yellow trail that had appeared on the screen, floating in mid air directly above the gravel path.

"Great, a blur, well done."

"Donna this is you; your time trail that you left behind. Fantastic eh?" The Doctor grinned once more but Donna remained unimpressed.

"Let me rewind this a bit," The Doctor pressed a few more buttons. "There, see, those red and blue blurs must be Abby and her mum entering. And there's your blur again and...hang on let me speed this up a bit." The Doctor hit even more buttons, holding one down for a lengthy period of time.

"Doctor, listen, can you just let me tell you what I s-"

"-Ah, there we are, Simon must be the green blur. Right, if I fast forward it now...we see he enters at 4.21pm and then..." Donna continued staring at the screen, waiting for something substantial to happen, but nothing did, other than yet more red and blue blurs.

"What's your point?"

"He never left Donna. No green blur leaving the house at 6pm or 8pm or even the next day. Something happened to him right here Donna. And I would guess Abby knows what."

"That's what I've been trying to say you bumbling idiot," Donna slightly yelled, composing herself after the Doctor seemed a little hurt.

"I was there, in Abby's room, in her wardrobe-"

"-What were you doing in there?"

"Well Abby and her mum came home and I was in the house and-"

"-You broke in?"

"No, I just...let myself in. Anyway, I was in the wardrobe and Abby's mum half-carried Abby into the room, she looked like really sick, and put her on her bed. Then she brought in this homeless guy, got Abby to touch him and he just turned to dust. Nothing was left behind he just disintegrated. Then Abby's mum swept up, left the room, Abby woke up, and seemed like she couldn't remember anything." The Doctor was silent for a moment, staring at Donna intently.

"That's rather odd."

"That's all you can say? That it was rather odd? She killed him, Doctor."

"Yes, well, inadvertently I'm sure, if anything her mum's to blame. Definitely sounds alien at least which is good isn't it?" The Doctor smiled.

"You're the odd one."

"We best go investigate then." The Doctor headed towards Abby's house, Donna unenthusiastically following behind.

....

"Doctor, do you think that's what happened to Simon? I mean, do you think he turned to dust too?"

"It's looking that way. Poor boy." The Doctor once again seemed in deep thought before knocking his fist against the front door.

After a few seconds the door was opened by Angela who looked at the two warily.

"Hello, you must Mrs Weston, I'm the Doctor and this is Donna Noble, pleased to meet you." The Doctor stuck out a hand and Angela begrudgingly took it.

"Hello. Was there something you wanted?"

"Well, we're new to the area, just moved in over, uh," The Doctor looked around the nearby streets but couldn't spot any obvious signs "Over there, and we just thought we should meet the neighbours, get some sugar, you know how it is, do you mind?" The Doctor pushed past Angela into her house, taking a brief looking around but keeping a cheery smile.

"Do you have any biscuits? I'd love a good biscuit, any old one will do, just have a craving for a biscuit. Do you fancy a biscuit Donna?"

"Please stop saying biscuit." Donna sighed at him heavily.

"I'm sure we can get you a biscuit Doctor. Abby, can you bring in the biscuit tin, love?" Angela called through, and guided the Doctor and Donna into the living room. The two sat on the white leather sofa, the Doctor shuffling wildly on the slippery surface, and Angela sat opposite them.

"So, where have you two moved from?"

"From, uh, Chiswick. Bit far but, you got to love the countryside." Donna said, looking at the Doctor for support.

"And do you have any children?"

"Oh, we're not together." The Doctor and Donna said almost simultaneously.

"You just live together?"

"You know what I look forward to; the day when men and women can live happily together without people getting suspicious. I think it's rather modern of us." The Doctor said with a large grin.

"Yes, quite." Angela managed. Abby appeared in the door carrying a small tin, which she offered to Donna and then the Doctor. They both obliged, the Doctor taking a small handful.

"So you must be Abigail, pleased to meet you." The Doctor wiped the crumbs from his hand before offering it out to Abby.

"Oh, uh, Abby's a bit of a germaphobe Doctor, you'll have to excuse her." The Doctor nodded and began biting a biscuit.

"We heard about your friend Simon, Abby," The Doctor said between mouthfuls. "Quite a sad story," Abby nodded.

"You can't bear to imagine what could've happened to him. Kidnapped. Murdered."

"Vaporised." Donna chipped in. There was a sudden, uncomfortable silence.

"Excuse me?" Angela asked, leaning in closer.

"Donna said 'vaporised', Mrs Weston. The act of changing an object from one state to another. Separating its' atoms and what not, I don't want to get into the specifics."

"I think you better leave, Doctor." Angela stood and pointed out of the door.

"Oh no Mrs. Weston," The Doctor said, standing to meet Angela's height. Donna quickly followed, since everyone else seemed to be stood. "I think you better get explaining. The both of you." The Doctor said, looking at Angela and Abby in turn.

"Silence Time Lord!" Abby boomed out of nowhere, taking Donna and Angela aback somewhat.

"Ah, here we go. The alien presence I assume, nice to meet you finally. Now tell me who you are."

"I am a Vitanex." Abby hissed, her head swaying as she gazed at the Doctor.

"Sounds like a blooming health product." Donna said under her breath.

"Silence!" Abby yelled once more. "I want to converse with the Time Lord."

"Oh, but Donna doesn't know about your lovely species. And I doubt Mrs Weston does either, do you?"

"Uh, well-"

"You see Donna, the Vitanex are rapidly dying, constantly struggling to stay alive. To survive they feed off the life force of others, vaporising them in the process. But what you saw wasn't dust Donna, it was Vitanex spawn; the process has a by-product. Now, on Earth the spawn can't survive in the atmosphere, but back on the Vitanex home world they rapidly grow, going on to suck the life force of others and being killed themselves. Beautifully balanced system really, bravo."

"You kill your children?" Donna asked, clearly disturbed.

"They are no one's children." Abby spat.

"You can't love anyone that you're more than likely going to kill Donna. A sad life, but it works. But you, you're hundreds of light-years from home. Why are you in a human host?"

"I...do not know."

"Oh, I reckon I can take a guess. I bet, and bare with me here, your people came to Earth at some point, but swiftly left again due to air, leaving behind some of their spawn. Now most died, but due to the brief atmospheric change thanks to the Sontarans you, one single tiny egg, were reawakened, and started to grow. And it would seem young Abby simply breathed you in and you hastily set up home, not able to grow now that the atmosphere is back to normal, but large enough to require a constant supply of life force. Does that sound plausible? Stuck on this grotty planet, struggling to keep alive. Your race really doesn't like itself, eh?"

"I will find my way home, Time Lord," Abby said, edging towards the Doctor and Donna. "And I will take you with me. My race could feast off of you for eternity, no need for genocide. Observe my power, Doctor." Abby screeched, pouncing at Donna.

....

The Doctor swiftly pulled Donna to one side, and she instantly hid behind him in feAbby was on the floor, looking dazed at confused.

"Ow. What-what happened?"

"I take it you're back in control, Abby. It's a young Vitanex, probably with limited strength." The Doctor mused, giving a reassuring smile to the cowering Donna. Abby lifted herself up and brushed off her knees.

"I don't understand. What's a...Vita-thing?"

"Ah, yes. It would seem our next monster to contend with is Mrs Weston." The Doctor said, staring at her with wild eyes.

"You don't understand, Doctor. Would you not do anything to protect your children?"

"I draw a line at murder. It seems you've known all along what's been happening. And now it seems you just pop to your local shop and get yourself a homeless person."

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Abby begged, becoming slightly teary eyed. Donna moved over to her and warily put an arm around her.

"It's OK, Donna; she can only take a life force when she desperately needs it. You can come into contact for now." Donna didn't wait and hastily fully embraced the sobbing teen.

"Doctor, they have no life; my daughter has goals to reach, opportunities to fulfil. Should she not be allowed that opportunity?"

"But you didn't give her the option!" The Doctor yelled.

"Please. Please someone tell me what's happening." Abby sobbed, lifting her head from Donna's shoulder.

"You've been...draining people, of their life," Donna struggled how to word what had been happening as delicately as possible. "There's an alien life living in you, it takes the life of others to survive. But you've done nothing wrong, remember that OK?" Abby looked sickened.

"I've been...killing people? Is that what happened to Simon, I...killed him? But...no, no." Abby ran out of the room, and the front door clattered open. There was a short spate of silence, the Doctor still staring intently at Angela.

"She killed her father, you know. That's how it began. She came home, collapsed onto him and turned him to dust." Angela stated coldly. The rage built in the Doctor's eyes and he stormed out, followed closely by Donna.

....

"That woman's sick she's just so cold, how can you become like that?" Donna asked furiously, slamming the front door behind her.

"She's just a mother, Donna, protecting her young, more than can be said for the Vitanex."

"But you said yourself its murder. No one should decide who deserves to live and who doesn't, it's inhuman."

"We are dealing with aliens, Donna. Desperation can change the best of us." As the two of them left the street they spotted Abby sitting alone on a corner, curled up on the floor. Donna rushed to her side and the Doctor knelt down to them.

"I'm going to do it again, aren't I? I'm going to have to kill someone else, and then someone else and it's just going to keep going and going but...I don't want to die Doctor. Is that selfish of me?"

"No Abby, not by a long shot. Like Donna said, you've done nothing wrong; this is all against your will."

"Doctor we must be able to help her, to extract the alien somehow." Donna asked, looking up to him in desperate hope. The Doctor took a deep breath in through his nose.

"If nothing else we can try. I suggest we head to the Vitanex's home, if that's OK with Abby?"

"Where-where is it?" Abby asked timidly.

"Oh, uh," The Doctor licked his finger and held it up to the wind, following the breeze. He pointed out towards the darkened sky. "If you head a few light-years that way, then take a few dozen lefts, cross past the Nebula, you should be there in a jiffy." The Doctor grinned and Abby felt obliged to smile back, wiping the tears from her cheek.

"He's not serious, is he?" Abby asked Donna.

"You haven't seen the half of it. Wait until you see his spaceship."

....

"This is just...impossible." Abby remarked, stroking the coral pillars of the TARDIS.

"I know, everyone says that. Nice though, isn't it?" The Doctor smiled, beginning to flick and bash the console.

"You may want to sit down; it can get a bit rough at times." Donna suggested, nodding towards the seats next to the console.

"Now, when we get there, naturally we'll seem like new food to them, especially me. But just stay behind me and I'll negotiate to see the queen, she should be less one track minded."

"Uh, Doctor, what do they...look like? You know, so Abby knows what to prepare for."

"Oh, yeah, of course, you wouldn't have seen the little thing. They're like large worms with stick-like arms, pretty ugly really, but just imagine you're looking at a caterpillar through a microscope."

"So I have a bug travelling around my body?" Abby asked, slightly aghast.

"Oh don't worry he's probably just buried into your brai-" The Doctor looked at Donna who was hastily trying to get him to shut up.

"-Into your brave...your brave, courageous heart, well done you." Donna quickly added, hugging Abby into a confused embraced.

"It's in my heart?" Abby asked, clutching her chest.

"Well, I think Donna meant your whole bloodstream so, you know, your heart every now and again..." The Doctor saved the situation, winking at Donna who rolled her eyes.

The Doctor pulled yet another switch. "Not long now, Abby, we're taking that third left."

"Doctor, I...I don't feel so well." Abby said quietly, closing her eyes in what seemed like shame.

"Probably just some time turbulence, everyone gets it on their first journey."

"No I mean, I feel dizzy, and light-headed and...lifeless."

The Doctor and Donna looked at each other in slight worry, before looking back at Abby.

"Just stay with us Abby, OK?" The Doctor said, hurriedly pushing and pulling even more controls at a much greater speed.

"But what do I do, Doctor? I don't know how to fight it."

"We're nearly there, OK?"

"And what then Doctor?" Donna asked, her arms crossed, appearing quite solemn.

"Well, uh, she'll have to...uh..."

"I'll have to kill someone, won't I?" Abby asked, her face morbid.

"Maybe." The Doctor looked at her straight on, and then at Donna who remained still. After a while Donna walked up to the Doctor, who ignored her and remained banging random buttons.

"You're letting her kill someone?" Donna asked under her breath.

"I don't know, Donna, I'm sorting it, OK?" The Doctor said sternly.

"She's a child, Doctor. Can't you quickly go find a cure before she has to do this herself?"

"I'm trying my best." The Doctor replied instantly, and Donna instantly felt cold and detached, walking back towards Abby and focusing on the low hum of the TARDIS.

....

The TARDIS landed with a thump and the Doctor instantly ran over to Abby.

"Are you alright to walk?" The Doctor asked, bending down to her.

"Yeah, I'm fine I think." She said, rising slowly and heading down the ramp towards the door.

Donna was still stern, following after Abby and ignoring the Doctor. She opened the TARDIS door and peered out. The landscape was bleak; no real sign of housing or buildings of any kind. Instead was a dark purple landscape, with a burning red sky. There was vegetation of some sorts, but most was either dying in black heaps or wildly overflowing. What surprised Donna most, however, was the sheer number of aliens, scuttling around on near invisible legs, pouncing on one another. They seemed to have no real place to go, no direction, simply wandering aimlessly, and attacking the nearest person as a knee-jerk reaction, like a sneeze or cough. This wasn't a race, Donna noted, this was several thousand forms of a species thrown together.

Donna took a step out of the TARDIS, and noticed the large breeze that seemed to be constantly flow. She shivered, clutching herself tightly, and saw Abby doing the same, particularly since she was only in a shirt.

"Donna." Abby said, her voice morose.

"What, what's wrong? Are you feeling faint?" Donna asked quickly.

"No, Donna, look." Abby pointed to a large group of around ten Vitanex a few feet in front of them. Donna had not spotted them before since a wild plant had blocked her view, but now she could see them, staring at them intently, their heads bending and turning slowly. Gradually they edged towards the girls; the dust of the purple dirt flew up from between their stick legs and carried itself away in the violent wind.

"Doctor!" Donna yelled. The TARDIS door swung open and the Doctor jumped out, as the Vitanex picked up speed, beginning to walk, then run, then sprint. The Doctor instantly spotted this, and raised his sonic screwdriver in the air, twisting the rings until it glowed brightly and screeched into life.

....

The Vitanex stopped and stared at the strange device, turning their heads even more rapidly.

"I wish to see the Vitanex queen." The Doctor shouted over the noise. The Vitanex group stared at one another. One creature swiftly touched and killed another, but none of the others batted an eye, as if it was to be expected, which it naturally was. The group looked at each other for a good minute, before all turning their heads to the sky and letting out a high squealed pitch. Donna and Abby covered their ears but the Doctor seemed unaffected, simply lowering his arm and looking at the girls.

After a few moments Donna felt the ground rumble. She looked hastily at the Doctor who seemed to take it in his stride. The purple ground ripped open in front of them, and a creature, easily twice the size of the others but coloured a light lilac colour, slithered out and stood on her twig-like legs. Abby's face turned pale as she stared at the creature intensely.

"I am hungry!" She screamed. Almost automatically the small gang of Vitanex behind her, now down to seven creatures, ran towards her. They placed their hands on what they could reach of her body and all disappeared; nothing left behind, not even dust.

"What does she mean she's hungry?" Donna asked under her breath.

"The Vitanex queen doesn't actually need life force; she's immortal. She just chooses to feed off of the creatures instead. And they'll willing do what she says, they can't kill her." The Doctor replied.

"Time Lord! We meet again." The queen hissed.

"Oh do we? I don't think we've met in person before, that's something to look forward to then, lovely to meet you again."

"Why have you come here? The perfect prey; why venture into the predators' lair?"

"I have an issue I'm hoping you'll help me with."

"You did help us before Time Lord. I owe you this, I suppose."

"Oh, did I? That's lucky, I was just betting on the kindness of your species." The Doctor grinned at Donna.

"What do you want Time Lord?"

"I have a friend, Abby, she's a human from Earth. One of your people has infected her; I was wondering if there was something you could do."

"Human, how do you feel?"

"A little weak actually. Please, can you do something?"

The queen stared at her for a few seconds before squealing a number of high pitched noises. Two Vitanex rushed towards her. She pointed towards the plants, and the Vitanex nodded in acknowledgement. They swiftly picked several leaves from a bush, and presented equal amounts to the Doctor and Abby, both of who took them warily, trying not to make contact with the thin, alien hands.

"These, human, are Tropice plants. They grow naturally on our home planet, and are a...back-up resource of sorts. If an inhabitant is in dire need of life source but can find no creature to feed from they can use these."

"So they have a green life force instead then?" Donna asked sheepishly

"No, human, they simply repress the desires; they do not fulfil the need for life force. If anything they can make the need...greater."

The Doctor looked at Abby, who examined the plants in her hand.

"A small piece from one leaf is all that is needed human." The queen said, plucking a small section off of a nearby plant herself in demonstration. Abby followed in suit and tentatively chewed on the piece. Her brain instantly felt like it was pushing against her skull, trying to break free. She clutched it, throbbing in pain. The pain began to drift all of a sudden, and inexplicably Abby felt better than she had done in months.

"Are you OK?" Donna asked, putting an arm around her.

"I'm fine. Great actually, thank you, uh...your majesty."

"We are even, now Time Lord. No more favours. Be gone, I'm sure there are many lusting after your life force."

"Yes, yes of course, come on." The Doctor said, opening the TARDIS door for Donna and Abby.

....

"See, the Doctor is like some magician, fixing any problem. He needs a calling card really." Donna said, clutching Abby as they walked into the TARDIS. Abby smiled broadly.

"He is quite amazing. Thank you Doctor." Abby ran up to the time lord and hugged him, taking him somewhat off kilter.

"Not a problem Abigail, all in a day's work for me." He grinned, and began banging yet more controls.

The TARDIS dematerialised back in the same field as before, and Abby leapt out, looking around herself in slight amazement.

"I cannot believe I left the planet. I mean...the planet. Not the country, the actual whole planet." The Doctor and Donna both smiled broadly.

"Are you thinking what I am?" Donna said quietly to the Doctor, and they both grinned at the thought.

"Abby, do you fancy a coffee? I think me and Miss Noble here have a proposition for you."

....

"Shall I ask her or do you want to? I guess you're in charge." Donna said, quite excitedly.

"Oh, I think you can handle this one."

"Ask me what? You two have been grinning like Cheshire cats since we got back." Abby said, staring at the two of them intently, but not being able help a smile appearing on her own face.

"Right, well, Abby, the Doctor and me, we were wondering if you wanna come travelling with us. It doesn't have to be for long, and we'll take you home if you get scared or homesick or whatever, right back as if you never left. But you'll see some amazing things, trust me."

"Are you serious? You'd let me come, just...travel with you? Isn't there some kind of protocol?"

"No, course not. Well, I do like captivating people mainly, and you've passed that test." The Doctor said proudly.

"Well...I'd love to!" Abby said exuberantly. "But...what about my mum? I know she wouldn't even know but I would. She's done some bad stuff but she's still my mum. I...can't face her but I want to know that she knows, just in case."

"Yeah, we understand. How about me and the Doctor go and tell your mum, and then we'll get going. We'll grab a few clothes if you want, but the Doctor's got like seventeen wardrobes so I think you'll be fine."

"OK, thanks you guys this...this means the world to me, the universe, in fact," Abby smiled.

"Don't worry about it, c'mon Donna. We've got some recon to do." The Doctor and Donna got up and left, waving as they walked past the window.

"Wow I feel so...happy, like I've given someone the gift of life! Is that why you do it, because it feels so good?" Donna said, jumping up and down a little.

"There are loads of reasons but...yeah that feeling is great." The Doctor said, amused at Donna's bubbly nature.

As soon as Abby's house came into view Donna felt a wave of calm wash over her; her laughing stopped and her smile sank. The house itself seemed dark and morbid, and Donna felt glad in the fact that Abby wouldn't have to return there any time soon.

"I'll go first." The Doctor said, sensing Donna's wary nature.

"Thanks." She said, and almost instantly dropped her speed, following the Doctor rather than walking by his side.

The Doctor knocked loudly on the door, and Angela soon answered, looking solemn and lifeless.

"What?" She seethed, barely looking the Doctor in the face.

"We thought you might like to know about Abby." The Doctor said, his face showing no emotion. Angela prised the door open slightly. It was clear she had been crying; black mascara marks skewed across her cheeks.

"Where is she?"

"She's in the cafe down the road now but she's going to be coming with us for a while."

"What are you, child protection or something?"

"Look, it's hard to explain, but I guess by now you're slightly exposed to it all; I am an alien, a Time Lord, with the ability to travel through space and time. I took Abby to the home planet of the alien that's infecting her, and we managed to find something to repress it. But we all decided that it's not best that Abby comes back. At least for a while."

Angela looked morose, holding back even more tears.

"But, uh, it could be like a couple of minutes of something. We could go now, and arrive back in a couple of minutes having travelled all over the universe, that's the beauty of it." Donna chipped in, finally feeling sorry for the woman.

"Why are you telling me this?" Angela questioned, still doing her best to stop tears.

"Because, naturally, there are dangers. Anything could go wrong at any point and you should be aware of that. But Angela," The Doctor took her hand. "I will do my best to protect your daughter at all costs. And the things she'll see; I can't even begin to explain some of them."

Angela looked the Doctor squarely in the eyes, no longer being able to hold back the tears.

"Protect her, Doctor. Because I tried, I really did. And it seems you're what she needs right now."

And with that Angela removed her hand from the Doctor's grip and closed the door. The Doctor was taken slightly aback, before correcting himself and giving a complacent look to Donna.

"You did your best. And like I said, it can be like she never left. C'mon, let's go have some fun." Donna said, smiling at taking the Doctor's hand, as they walked off back towards the cafe.

....

"So you think Baxil is a starter planet?"

"Well, there's no such thing as a 'starter planet' Donna, but yes, Baxil is pretty harmless. Although it did have a bad case of blood-sucking flies a couple of decades ago. It should be fine now though."

Donna rolled her eyes. "I'll trust you on this one," Donna smirked. Her smile slowly faded. "Oh God, Abby are you OK?"

Donna bounded up to her as she sat on the pavement, her head buried between her legs, just outside of the cafe.

"Abby. Can you hear me?" The Doctor said, kneeling down to the other side of Abby.

"Yeah." She replied bluntly.

"Are you OK, did something happen?" Donna blurted out at an intense speed.

"I felt funny so I came to find you guys and uh," The Doctor and Donna looked at each other, knowing what came next.

"I only bumped into him. That was all. I think he lived down our street, I didn't even notice his face," Abby swallowed and lifted her head up. Her eyes were red and full of tears as she stared at the Doctor directly, just as her mother had done not five minutes ago.

"Just a bump, Doctor. That was all it took. And I killed him. I killed someone." She spat, her anger growing.

"Abby, don't speak like that. It was one mistake; just remember to take those plants, yeah?" Donna said as comfortingly as she could.

"How can you be so cold? I killed someone Donna, took their life. What right do I have to do that, just so I can live a bit longer? If this is what happens when you go travelling with him, maybe I shouldn't come. I want to keep my humanity." Abby looked at Donna intensely. Donna could feel herself welling up now too, and looked away, brushing the tears from her own eyes.

"Look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. You've been great to me and," Abby sighed heavily "Look at me."

"Don't worry Abby, I can't imagine what it's like in your position, and maybe I have become a bit cold. But I've also grown up. That's what the Doctor does; he gives you a second chance at life, a chance to be who you've always wanted. I still want you to come with us, and I think the Doctor does too."

The Doctor nodded in agreement. Abby wiped her face and pushed a hand through her hair.

"OK. I'll come. As long as I get to choose the destination." Abby smiled and Donna and the Doctor matched this.

....

The Doctor danced around the TARDIS console like a loon while Donna and Abby chuckled in delight.

"Where to then?" He called over to Abby.

"Better be somewhere hot, I need to top up my tan. But preferably not burning, alright?" Donna said through her continuous chuckles.

"I uh...I wanna go back. Back to the Vitanex home world."

A silence dropped harshly and suddenly on the room. The Doctor stopped moving and Donna stopped chuckling. And they both stared at Donna with equal measures of amazement and fear.

"But why?" Donna said, breaking the silence, her voice echoing more than usual "You're cured, you're fine, and we've got enough of the plant to last for-"

"To last for the next year? Next decade, maybe at a stretch? There's still a time limit, still only a matter of time we can hold it back. And if we do hold if back for the next ten years what's it going to be like then? The need will have built up so much I could kill hundreds in one fell swoop. Just so I can live a few years of 'normality'. I have no right to decide that. I want to go back to the home world, Doctor, take me there. Please."

"Doctor." Donna looked at the Doctor sternly, subliminally telling him not to touch any controls.

"Abby we can help-"

"Just stop, OK. I've heard it all. In the last 24 hours my life has changed beyond belief. I can never go back to that, and I can't live in the knowledge that I'm a killer at heart, and that there's no escaping that, no matter how many sedatives I take. The problem here is you two. You're so caught up in saving everyone, in doing good, that you don't see that sometimes it's not the right option. Sometimes you have to pick what's best rather than what's right."

Silence fell once more, as tears began to trickle down both Donna and Abby's faces. After a few moments the Doctor began flicking switches and the TARDIS whirred into life.

"Doctor. Please, tell her. She's seventeen." Donna begged.

"Exactly. If a seventeen year old is that mature to know her own mind she deserves to be respected. I'm giving her what she wants; I think she knows better than us." The Doctor didn't looked up, simply flicking and banging as tears streamed down Donna's face.

The rest of the journey was spent in unease. Donna stared through bloodshot eyes, both angrily at the Doctor and sorrowfully at Abby. Abby kept her head down, biting her nails in agitation. The Doctor simply flicked and pounded.

....

The TARDIS surrounded itself in a purple haze as it materialised on the planet. No one had talked for a notable time now, and they all realised they'd have to. This was goodbye.

"I guess I should get going. The queen probably isn't happy you've come back again." Abby said, slowly walking down the ramp towards the door. She gave a disheartened smile towards the Doctor and Donna before turning her back and walking more briskly. Donna wiped her eyes one more time and ran after her, taking her surprise in a large embrace.

"I'm...sorry." She managed, as they both sobbed onto each other's shoulders. The Doctor gave them a moment before making his own way down and placing a hand on Donna's shoulder, both as a sign of support and a reminder to let go.

"Thank you. Thank you both. And please, don't blame yourselves; you've given me everything I wanted." The Doctor and Donna nodded.

"And...I know she's done wrong but please check on my mum. Tell her goodbye."

"I may have only known you for a day out of...well, hundreds of thousands but you're definitely a stunning example of your race. And I thank you, Abigail Weston." He gave her a broad smile and a slightly less emotional embrace.

Abby wiped away the tears, gave another smile, and left slowly out of the door.

Silence.

The Doctor and Donna stared at the door for what seemed like forever. The Doctor eventually moved away, back towards the controls, and the TARDIS was soon moaning into life once more. Donna closed her eyes, and soon followed, hugging herself tightly.

"How long do you think she'll..." Donna trailed off.

"Don't ask. Any answer will upset you more. Just know that this was the safest option."

"But was it really the best?" Donna said, a twinge of anger bubbling inside her.

The Doctor looked at her and nodded solemnly. Donna took a deep breath in and nodded back.

"So where to?" The Doctor asked, trying his best to act chipper.

"How about Baxil?" Donna asked, smiling slightly.

"Baxil sounds perfect." The Doctor smiled back, nodding towards buttons that needed pressing. Donna lurched forward, rolling her eyes at the Doctor as he danced around the console, the sound of his comforting chatter filling the air.

EPILOGUE

Sarah came into the room and offered Angela a biscuit from the tin.

"Hobnob?" She said cheerily.

"This is why I like having you live here. You know a good biscuit." Angela said, taking one and chuckling, as she so often did nowadays.

"It was a tough choice but they narrowly won out against Jammy Dodgers." Sarah responded through laughs.

She sat down next to Angela and picked the thick album up from the coffee table.

"My one regret," she said, running her hand down the cover "Is that I wish I'd taken more photos. You never think do you?"

Angela gave a comforting smile, and took Sarah's hand as she flipped open the first page. The typical baby photos lined both sides, and Angela couldn't help but smile and coo in joy and the adorableness of the young Simon.

Just then the letterbox snapped. They both looked up, and tried to look out of the window in hope of seeing who it may be, but the pathway was empty. They both shrugged their shoulders, and Angela rose and entered the hallway. There was a small piece of thin paper on the floor, folded in half.

"Anything important?" Sarah called from the other room.

"Don't know, just a note by the looks of it." Angela called back, bending down and unfolding the note.

She read it. Then read it again. Then checked the other side before reading it once more. The handwriting was sketchy but she could make the words out quite clearly. And she immediately burst into tears. Sarah heard this and immediately jumped to her feet, putting an arm around Angela and guiding her back into the living room.

"What's wrong, what does it say?" Angela let the note go from her hand into Sarah's. Sarah read it, her face immediately changing into one of confusion.

"What does it mean? Is it good?"

Angela nodded brushing away her tears. "Yeah, yeah, it's uh....its good. It's comforting." She let out a sigh of relief and placed the note on the table.

"So, where were we?" Angela said, picking up the album and giving it to Sarah. Sarah still remained confused but brushed it off and began talking about Simon, aged 6 months, in the bath.

The note simply stated: We understand now

We're sorry