A/N: So if anyone's been wondering about all my Mattex fics, they were deleted. But meh, i don't care really. I moved them all to AO3. Personally, i'm beginning to like that more than . If it could get approved or what ever it is it has to do, and does fuck around with lagging and crap, i'd probably move over to there. But oh well...
I had thought of a way to save Donna, and then as i was writing i thought, 'Hey, this could double, and i could save River at the same time!'... So here we have it.. A Fix It fic...
Disclaimer: Don't own it.
Just, Trust Me
It took exactly four days, thirty-two minutes, and twelve seconds for him to think of it. How could it have taken him that long? He'd been sitting in the TARDIS, watching as River spoke softly to his Sexy girl.
"And of course you're going to have to keep a close eye on him lovely. He has a copy of himself now. Who knows what he could do with it!"
The Doctor rolled his eyes, glancing at the decommissioned Tesselector standing in the corner of the room.
Copy...
Who knows what he could do with a copy of himself?
He frowned as a thought entered his mind.
What if the copy wasn't of him? Then, he could do just about anything...
Donna!
He could save Donna! Do for her what he did for himself! His widened eyes must have caught River's attention, because the next thing he knew, she was standing directly in front of him.
"What are you planning now Sweetie?"
He grinned up at her, sliding off the seat to stand. He gripped her shoulder's, laughing manically as the idea cemented in his head. Instead of simply telling her, he walked toward the Tesselector, frowning at the damage he saw.
Why did they have to set him on fire?
Clearing his throat, he thanked the captain silently for giving him unrestricted access.
"Access personal records, Donna Noble."
River frowned, stepping forward slightly. Donna Noble?
"Personal records available."
"Show me her."
The Tesselector slowly morphed in to the image of perhaps his best friend, he grinned, the cringed edges melting away to reveal dark denim jeans. Spinning to the side, he threw his arms open, as if presenting a project to a science fair judge.
"Ta da!"
River cocked her head to the side, a small frown gracing her face. She looked from the newly changed machine to her new husband, confused momentarily until she finally understood what he was getting at. With a small smile, she shook her head slowly.
"Oh you brilliant, brilliant man."
He grinned once again, a plan formulating.
Change the Tesselector in to Donna.
Replace real Donna with machine Donna.
Donna is safe!
But... Who'd drive the Tesselector? It couldn't be him could it? That'd be interfering with his own time stream. So then...?
He glanced up, catching River's smirk and a glint in her eyes.
River...
Oh! Oh-hoe-oh! Yes! Yes, he was a brilliant, brilliant man!
He could save Donna... And he could save River!
His manic grin slid back on to his face, and he lifted a finger to point at River.
"River. Could you do me a huge favour?"
She narrowed her eyes, pursing her lips.
"And killing you on your request and being sent to jail with twelve thousand consecutive life sentences is a small favour I suppose."
He coughed awkwardly, licking his lips and scratching the side of his face.
"Of course not, and I love you for doing that for me. Just... Just one more thing."
She raised her eyebrow, as his eyes flickered toward the Tesselector Donna.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
"I'm sorry… Who the hell are you?"
The Doctor grinned as her pushed the loud, struggling red head through a door on the other side of the TARDIS.
"I'm the Doctor."
Donna spun around, frowning with narrowed eyes at the floppy haired, baby faced boy standing in front of her.
"What?"
The Doctor grinned again, wincing slightly at the loud voice of his best friend.
"The Doctor, Donna. I'm the Doctor."
She blinked at him, mouth gaping open and still frowning.
"What?"
The Doctor sighed, turning Donna around and pushing her forward.
"I see my past self has rubbed off on you. Really should look out for that."
Donna turned her head, staring at the Doctor with confused eyes.
"Look. Something bad happens to you soon, but I have an idea on how to stop it… Sort of. Just… Just trust me okay?"
Donna stared in to the Doctor's eyes, searching for something, anything, that could tell her something. A darkness swelled there, pain leaking through, and she realized. He cared for her. His best friend. Whatever it was that happened to her, it hurt him. She nodded, agreeing to whatever plan the Doctor had in mind.
He grinned, pushing her through another door where she came across…
Her…
"What the hell? Spaceman!" She roared, turning with narrowed eyes.
He shrugged his shoulders, smiling sheepishly.
"It's a robot."
She gaped at him, spluttering as she attempted to come up with something to say. As it were, she didn't have too.
"Too be more specific, it's a Tesselector."
She spun, eyes widening as she saw the woman standing in the doorway. Lighter hair, no space suit and younger looking eyes… But it was still her.
"Professor Song?"
River cocked an eyebrow, smirking from Donna to the Doctor.
"Professor? Well, that's a far cry from prisoner isn't it."
The doctor rolled his eyes, sighing as Donna continued to stutter.
"But… How?"
The Doctor grinned once again, turning to River and back.
"Spoilers." He said giddily, turning back to River in time to catch her own eyes rolling.
"Not enough time Sweetie. Come on, I'll explain it to her inside. You've got to go."
The Doctor nodded, turning back to Donna slowly. HE smiled sadly, clearing his throat.
"This'll work Donna. I know it will. And River… River will take good care of you. I promise."
All Donna could do was nod, as she was pushed toward River. The woman grabbed her wrist, turning them to the 'robot' and pressing some sort of button. The next thing she knew, she woke up on the metal ramp. Standing slowly, she turned, trying to see the Doctor.
"Where are we?" She said, her voice echoing down the empty halls.
She'd turned back to River when she felt something snap around her wrist. Yelping, she jumped back, staring down at the green light.
"You need that."
Donna looked up, gaping at River before running forward, attempting to catch up with her as she ran.
"Where are we going?" She called out, turning her head from left to right as she looked around the hall.
"The control room. The bridge if you want to get technical. We're inside the Tesselector."
"Inside the Tesselector? Are you telling me we're inside a robot version of me?"
River nodded as she swung herself in to the control chair.
"Basically… The Doctor's regeneration energy gets transferred in to you, making you part Timelord part Human. Which is all well and good until it screws around with your brain, after all, you're a human. Brain's not as strong as a Timelords. The Doctor's forced to wipe your memories. But not of that moment, but of all your adventures. Everything you've ever done with the Doctor. Gone!"
Donna stared at her in horror, her breathing ragged as she tried to picture it. Forget the Doctor? She couldn't forget the Doctor! He was the best thing that ever happened to her. Slowly, she nodded at River, finally understanding why the Doctor did this.
"Okay. And you're here… Why?"
River shrugged, pressing buttons on the control near her chair.
"The Doctor said to be here… Also… I'm a better pilot. No offence."
Donna cocked her head to the side, pursing her lips.
"Yeah, none taken."
"Basically… We're going to follow everything exactly like the Doctor remembers it. The Tesselector will touch the energy, therefore regenerating a whole new Doctor, I'll tell you about that experience later, and you'll have that Doctor mind. If what the Doctor has planned works, he'll be able to save your mind by transferring the latent energy in here outwards. Meaning you won't have to forget. The reason he needs you here, is because I don't know anything about your characteristics and mannerisms. You've got to speak."
Donna swallowed nervously, nodding along to River's explanation. She looked down at the chair River gestured too, taking a deep breath before sitting down. She picked up the crystal River pointed at, clearing her throat.
"Okay then… You know… You are vastly different to when we last met."
River glanced back at her, smirking as she typed on a keyboard.
"Spoilers."
Donna nodded, flashing back to the library.
"Right."
"We should get back. The Shadow Proclamation might notice the difference, so we should try and get back on the TARDIS as soon as possible."
Donna nodded slowly, cracking her neck.
"Let's go then."
XXXXXXXXXXX
Donna breathed deeply as they watched the screen. That could've been her… Actually her. She knew she was safe, sitting inside this metal machine version of herself, but she still felt somewhat terrified. And she wasn't even technically in danger. She glanced down at River, feeling a pang of jealousy. She was so calm, and collected. As if this barely even worried her. How? How could she be so detached?
Shaking her head, Donna turned back in time to see her own arm, though technically not her arm, reaching forward. Her fingers brushed the canister, and a bright golden light exploded around them. Donna closed her eyes, flinching away from the brightness.
When she felt it dim, she slowly opened her eyes, marvelling at the sight around her. A golden glow, like what they'd watched appear surrounding the Doctor, drifted through the air around them. Looking down at River, she smiled softly at the intense wonder on her face. But it wasn't the usual wonder. Like what she'd felt when she first watched the Doctor prepare to regenerate. It was like a longing. Shaking her head, she looked back up, watching as the severed hand grew and grew into the body of the Doctor. Speaking, she lifted the crystal, having no trouble whatsoever trying to think of what to say.
"It's you!"
"Yeah."
"You're naked!"
"Oh yeah!"
XXXXXXXXXXX
The blue lightning shot out of Davros' hand, hitting the Tesselector and sending it flying backwards. Donna and River gripped their chairs, wincing as they were thrown about. The energy floating around them shifted, rushing around the room. Some quickly entered Donna, forcing her to sit rigid in her seat. The rest, much to her surprise, ran in to River, causing her to shiver as she felt a small piece of home settle in her bones.
"That bloody brilliant man!" She muttered, as the regeneration energy exploded from their bodies.
It filled the Tesselector, the light escaping the only possible opening.
The Tesselector's eyes glowed, time energy y sifting throughout it's internal space. The two woman gasped as it dimmed, eyes wide and mouth gaping.
"I hate him sometimes."
"No you don't"
River gaped up at Donna, her eyes meeting Donna's widened ones. They shook their heads, the countdown echoing throughout the robot. They staggered to the chairs, frantically pushing buttons. Donna spoke in to the crystal, grinning down at River as she smirked up at her. Turning back to the controls, River smiled softly.
"That bloody idiot." She whispered, looking up to watch as the countdown discontinued.
XXXXXXXXXXX
"I'm sorry… I'm so, so sorry."
River watched as the Doctor gripped the Tesselector's head, pulling it closer towards him. She smiled up at Donna, nodding reassuringly at her. Donna looked down at her, worried and confused. He's going to take it back. Her memories!
The damage to the Tesselector had been what caused the malfunction. The repeating of words. Not her! Golden flashes exploded around them, causing Donna to black out momentarily.
Waking up, she glanced around the controls, only to find River standing directly above her.
"I still remember."
She nodded, holding out a hand to help her stand.
"Of course you do. Normally, the Doctor would have been correct. All that energy from the regeneration, when spilled in to a human mind… It would have caused a massive overload. But because only half went in to you…"
"Right. He took back the energy, thinking it was my memories." She said softly with a smile.
He may have taken away all that Timelord inside of her, but she still remembered a few things. Like why River was there. Why the Doctor made her pilot. She grinned, nodding at River.
"What'd you call him again? Bloody idiot?"
River nodded, laughing softly.
"But he's my bloody idiot."
Donna raised her eyebrow, smirking. Human instincts remember? She could think of things no Timelord could. And she knew exactly what River Song was to the Doctor.
XXXXXXXXXXX
River materialized inside the TARDIS, grinning at the floppy haired Doctor sitting in the chair near the console.
"Well?"
She rolled her eyes as she bounded up the stairs.
"You know very well that it worked." She said.
As she walked past him, she slapped him upside the head.
"I know why you put me in there with her."
He grinned, standing up to wrap his arms around her waist.
"Did it work?"
River nodded, turning in his arms. Closing her eyes, she concentrated. Regeneration energy spilled out of her body, circling them. The Doctor responded, pulling his wife into a kiss as their energy intertwined.
River could regenerate.
XXXXXXXXXXX
Several years later, to them at least, and not that they'd tell how many, River left the Doctor standing in his TARDIS as she ran off in a white spacesuit.
Not long after, a sonic screwdriver was inserted into a computer database, downloading the imprint of River Song, also known as Melody Pond.
But River wasn't gone.
At exactly the moment that River connected the wires, the Doctor teleported her via the manipulator strapped to her wrist, onto the TARDIS floor. Golden energy surrounded his wife, her eyes flew open and she gasped for air. The energy settled, surprising the Doctor with the same old River. Suppose, as her body didn't technically die, she didn't fully regenerate… Her hair was back to blonde though.
The next day, a blue box appeared in the living room of the Noble family. Wilfred Mott stared in disbelief as Donna grinned, standing straight so quickly, she knocked the pot of tea off of the coffee table. He watched as Donna pounded on the door, calling out 'DOCTOR!'. Shaking his head, he stood straight, saluting the man standing in the doorway as Donna pushed past him. New body… Same old Doctor. Donna hung out of the TARDIS doors, pushing the Doctor inside behind her. Waving at her grandad, she winked, before the TARDIS slowly dematerialised. Turning, she grinned at the two standing at the console.
"Well Spaceman, Spacegirl… Where to now?"
A/N: There it is. Hope you liked it. Please, reviews would be awesome. Imma go attempt to upload it to AO3 as well...