Shattered Family
By Raditus
Part 1
'So, can we go to Calvert Cliffs together?" Donna Noble asked The Doctor. He was bent over the controls of the Tardis.
"Where's that?" He began, shooting a glance over his shoulder. "I've never been,"
Donna looked thunderstruck. Putting her hands on her hips, she demanded," You've never been? A Time-lord, cavorting all about time and space, and you've never been?"
Feeling ashamed, and getting slightly pink in the face, The Doctor replied, "No, where is it?"
Smirking, Donna replied, "In America, in a state called Maryland." Dropping the smirk, she added, "I've been with my family once or twice. Cliffs where you can go on the beach and carry off Fossils, as many as you can hold in your hands."
"Sounds interesting to me; I've probably seen these 'fossils' when they were still living."
"I thought you said you've never been?"
As The Doctor set in the course for Earth, he replied, "You didn't ask about any other cliffs." Now it was Donna's time to feel foolish. Suddenly, he Tardis started acting up. It was shaking, and every once in awhile, it would shudder wildly, bucking and sending the Doctor and Donna to their feet. "It's taking us of the new course!" the doctor shouted over the noise of the Tardis.
The console started making this weird noise which Donna took it to mean it was being overtaxed. She swore loudly and vehemently when she lost her grip on the small seating and tumbled to the ground. She hit her head on the corner of something and felt pain then a stinging flow of blood! The Tardis finally stopped altogether.
'Are we in the time vortex?" Donna asked weakly as she stood up. She put her hand up to her forehead and pulled away with blood on her fingers!
"No, we are stopped, dead in space." then he added, "Well, not dead, the Tardis is working." He fiddled around with some dials. "It seems that the Tardis took us to the safety point near that collapsing star I told you about: The one where Mother of Mine is scattered."
"Scattered, what do you mean scattered?" Donna asked. The Doctor looked at her and saw that she was bleeding. Not a lot, but he continued his discussion as he guided Donna through the Tardis.
"Yes, scattered. She's sub-atomic particles riding the event Horizon for eternity." He looked sad as he continued. "Her Husband was bound in chains forever two years ago, her son is in time stasis, and her daughter is trapped in mirrors." While he stated this, he led Donna to the infirmary of the Tardis. He quickly bandaged her wound. "But I have no idea why the Tardis would bring us here."
"Maybe this Mother of mine is planning something."
"Nah," He dismissed it, jumping up in a rather jovial manner. They headed back to the control room." Besides, atomic particles, not being able to do anything, she's as good as dead." Donna didn't know if she imagined it, but she thought she saw a sad haunted look cross his features quickly. The expression was already gone and the Doctor was already giving her ones of his beaming smiles. "Back to Earth, shall we?"
The Doctor was once more running around the console, as if he was running laps instead of piloting a time ship. Donna saw him quickly tweak switches here and there as he did so. Before long, this warning came on. Not any of the danger warnings, but an alarm for something. The Doctor stopped running, going over to the 'computer' screen.
"Proximity alarm, something is near the Tardis; A ship." He explained. He and Donna crowded around the screen. The ship came into view. Donna looked over watching his reaction. "What," The Doctor asked in a short of shock. The way that one word sounded terrified Donna. It sounded heavy and filled with a fear. The Doctor's face didn't help; it went pale, like all of the blood had been drained from his face!
"You know the ship then?" Donna demanded an answer. She crossed her arms as she studied the ship on the screen. It was small, only for three or four people or so. It was a dull black color, with radioactive colored green pieces here and there. It reminded Donna of a skewed rendition of, she drifted in thought. Puddle Jumper; A puddle Jumper from Stargate Atlantis.
"IT'S IMPOSSIBLE," The Doctor actually bellowed at the viewer while franticly punching in keys. "THERE IS NO WAY IT CAN BE!"
He was scaring Donna now, holding a panicked look she'd never seen before; not even when they went against all that they have before. "What is it? Why can't it be whatever is it?"
"Because Donna," He said, voice weak with horror, "that is the ship of the Family of Blood!"