Donna Noble sat comfortably on her bed in the TARDIS reading the latest beauty magazine from the planet Zorg. She grimaced at the picture of the spa treatment that showed spider like germs latching onto a persons face. "No thank you!" she tisked, and she flipped the page.
Suddenly the Tardis shook, and her bed swayed for what seemed to be about 10 seconds. It was like a small earthquake. Donna paused in silence. Something was different. She frowned and tossed the magazine off to the side and made her way towards the door. She sighed. "Doctor, I told you not to mess with the chameleon arc again, she doesn't -" Donna froze. The Tardis walls outside her room were no longer corral, but cold steal hexagon patterns instead. The hallway was dark and gloomy, and the humming noise the Tardis made was somewhat muted. "Doc….tor?" She looked up and down the hall. There was one door across form her, and many to her right. She longed to read the small circular inscriptions.
A light shined to her left. She could hear someone talking. Someone with a familiar accent. Donna gathered her courage with a deep breath and marched down the corridor towards the light. She quickly found herself surrounded by racks of clothes from different planets and time periods. She pushed them this way and that, as the voice got louder.
"Ms, I think I found the space suits you were talking about. The big orange ones right?" Donna stumbled from the racks. "Ms?"
"Why do you say Ms, do I look single?"
"Heeeyyyy you're not Ms!"
"And you're not supposed the be on board the Tardis."
"Yes I am! Ms brought me here to get the old man to apologize to me!"
"I'm sorry, old man?"
"You know, the Doctor."
"I guess he is rather old."
"Do you live in the closet then?"
"Wot?! No! I have my own room here thanks!"
"So you've just been hiding about like a spinster?"
"Oi! You watch your mouth you!" Donna grimaced. She was sounding just like her mother. The girl shook with laughter. Donna rolled her eyes and took a relaxing breath. "I mean…sorry whats your name?"
"Courtney. Courtney Woods."
"And who exactly is this Ms you keep referring too?"
"Well she's my teacher, Mam."
"I think I prefer Ms, thanks." Donna crossed her arm. She was beginning to get slightly irritated. Not only was this girl having her on, but the doctor had gone and picked up people and had a little adventure with out her! He had never done that before.
Courtney stood there, waiting for Donna to speak. "Alright, well, lets go and find the Doctor than and he can explain…all…this!" She threw her hands and made her way to the exit. Courtney stopped her and offered her the space suit. Donna huffed, grabbed it form her, and exited towards the Console room.
"Did you find the suits? Whats taking so long."
"Oi Spaceman, what the bloody hell is going on?!" Donna's shrill voice echoed off the steal walls. Her mouth dropped to form a perfect O as she took in her surrounding. Her eyes landed on a tall, graying old man in a black suit. His features were sharp, and his eyebrows made him look angry. But his eyes, his eyes were old and dead. They starred at her, as if they were looking right through her like a ghost.
"It's not possible…."
"Who the HELL are you?!" Donna tossed the suit to the ground and stuck out her arms as if to shield Courtney form the old man. "Wheres the Doctor?! What have you done to him…and the Tardis!" She barked, her vibrato echoing off the walls again.
Courtney snorted. "That is the Doctor! Nothings wrong with the Tardis, are you mad? I thought you said you lived here." She strode pass Donna with pride towards the Doctor and crossed her arms.
"No its not."
"Yes…yes it is." The Doctor's Scottish voice soothed. Donna shook.
"Do you think I'm stupid or something?!"
"No….never have really." He said fondly. He strode to her. With a flick of his wrist, the sonic screwdriver buzzed about her.
"Oi stop bleeping me!" She swatted at him. They froze, practically nose to nose, or as close as they could be with the height difference. His eyes widened with realization as to what she said. He softened and a small smile formed on the edge of his mouth. He strode back to the monitor.
"It appears there has been a small tear in the fabric of the Tardis. Clara has been replaced with Ms. Donna Noble in time. It appears she will be accompanying us this time instead of your school teacher."
"Well is she coming back?….Not that I care. The school will wonder where she is."
"Eventually. The Tardis needs time to repair itself. Until then, we best get you on the moon, don't you think?" She nodded eagerly. "Go and change already then! You humans are so slow to adapt!" Courtney disappeared into the depths of the Tardis.
Donna stood in the silence as the Doctor checked on the screen. "Don't worry, you'll be back with your pin stripped friend in about 2 hours. The tear seems to have happened in your room, so after this little trip you can go back to reading your fashion magazines and see him again." He kept his glare on the screen. "You best go change too you know, no oxygen on the moon."
Donna starred at him and her surroundings in disbelief. The Tardis was so…cold to her- it was silent. There was no humming that had comforted her before. She was so different. He was so different.
"I'm in your future."
"What is really the question?"
"Wot?"
"No, the question you are looking for is-"
"How long has it been?" His glare found her eyes. "How long has is been since we've been traveling together?" He shifted uncomfortably and averted his gaze. "How long, Doctor?"
"Long enough." Donna swallowed hard.
"What…happened?"
"I already said, the Tardis-"
"Happens…to me?"
"Thats the question you were looking for! And the answer is, as you know, I can not tell you."
"Can you ell me if it was willingly? Am I happy?"
He said nothing. silence stretched between them.
She sucked in her cheeks and took in a deep breath. "Right." more silence. "I guess…I'll go get changed now.
"Donna!" she turned as he ran over to her. He put his arms up as if to hug her, and slowly dropped them. He pat her shoulder awkwardly. She smirked.
"Oh don't tell me you don't do hugs now…."
"I…no, not really a hugging person, this body doesn't do that."
"Well well well, do not worry my dear doctor, we shall soon fix that!" she laughed. And placed her hand on his resting hand on her shoulder. She smiled. "Don't look at me like that. Don't look sad. I'm not a ghost to you any more. At least not for now." She rubbed her thumb over his hand.
"Oh gross! Old people being a couple, its sickening!" Courtney disgusted. They looked at each other. Donna snorted as the Doctor cracked a smile.
"Well then, good to know we haven't lost our touch! I'll just go get changed then." She smiled and disappeared.
"Where is the gravity coming from?"
"Doctor…" Donna nodded to the giant nukes idol near by.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" A woman with two guards in space suits enter the capsule.
"Oh really are you gonna shoot us?" The woman looked stunned.
"Go ahead then! Shoot the little girl first."
"Doctor!" Donna looked appalled. Did he really just say that?
"You wouldn't want to make her watch! Shoot the little girl first and then the temp and then the old man, but you're gonna be shooting me for a while since I'll just keep coming back." He waves his hands around frantically, hoping back and forth. "I'm an alien that flies time and space. I could help, or you could shoot me." Donna swallowed hard. He had never been like this with her. Its a new body. Its not him right now…well it is but it isnt! Donna shook herself. The woman nodded her head slowly, still unsure.
"Right then. Why has the moon put on weight? Why is there gravity?" The Doctor pulls a yoyo out and begins to toss it about, up and down, up and down.
"The moon can't put on weight." Donna added
"But it has!
"Are you suggesting its alien?" The woman said.
"Could be, hows the weather on Earth? High tides, going to chaos? And what're you going to do about it?" He says, putting it back in his pockets.
"Blow it up."
The room freezed in tension.
"You're going to blow it up….because?"
"Things haven't been right on Earth. If you're going to stick around, you best follow. We have work to do." She turned and lead the way out.
Courtney pushed the guards out of the way once the door to the shuttle is opened. "Woaaah!" She jumps down on the ground.
"Well so much for history." Donna mutters.
"Look! First girl on the moon! Just like he promised! Pretty special huh?" She grinned at the Doctor. He rolled his eyes as she looked away. Donna purses her lips.
"Enough of this nonsense. Lets get to the mining facility." She led the way across the vast land.
"Mining facility?"
"Mhm. The last mission here. We were looking for minerals, but there was nothing here. People just lost interest. Until recently."
Donna reached for the Doctors hand. He bat it away, and turned around confused. "What are you doing that for?" Donna dropped her hand.
"Oh, do we not do this anymore either? Don't tell me you're not a hand holder."
"No not really."
"You've got to be joking! So cold shouldered." She tried to joke, walking in front of him.
"I'm a new man, Donna." He called after her.
She turned abruptly. "Clearly." With a sad look she began to walk away, until the Doctor caught up with her. "What, are you cross? You can't be cross about that!"
"I'm not cross. I'm just adjusting is all. You're different. I'm not." She stated matter of fact-ly. "But you're still my best friend." She smiled. The corner of his lips turned up. "But my best friend better never tell a little girl that she isn't special ever again." she mumbles.
"Care to say that again? These old ears you know"
"What happened to your superior Time-Lord senses? Hmm?"
"Stop your bickering you married couple! We're here."
In front of them laid an old base that resembles an igloo. The captain entered a code and the doors swishes open.
"Doctor, why are there cobwebs…?"
"Does it matter? Move, we need to prime the bomb." Donna pursed her lips as his rudeness. The lights turned on and the Doctor took off, looking through forgotten pictures on the desk. "Look at this!"
Suddenly a blood curdling scream sounded through out the room.
"Courtney!" Donna rushed into the flickering room next door to find Courtney stunned. In front of her lay a corpse in an abandoned space suit.
"Are you alright?" Donna grabbed her by her arms, checking her over. Courtney nodded slightly. Donna smiled weakly, knowingly. "Its fine if you're not."
"I'm fine"
"Are you sure?"
Courtney nodded once more, hiding her fear. "What did this?"
"Let's not find out." The captain said, fixing some cables. The lights stopped flickering.
"Don't we have guns? Just in case whatever did this to them comes back?" Courtney swallows.
"Not unless you brought some. Ours were fake."
"Genius." Courtney mutters ruefully.
"Air is safe." The captain announced. They took off their suits.
"They didn't find any minerals!" The Doctor exclaimed. Donna and Courtney rushed back to him at the desk.
"Wot do you mean?"
"Look! These are lines of tectonic stress. Big ones. Look at all those seas."
"Meaning?" Donna said irritably. "Focus. Get to the point."
He huffs. "The moon thats been tagging along besides your Earth for 100s of years, is about to blow to bits."
An ear splitting screech echoed through out the cabin. "Come in, are you there?" A man's scream of agony echoed.
"What the hell was that?!" Courtney squealed. She grabbed onto Donna as the lights flickered off again.
"Where'd the lights go?" the other guard gulps.
"Shh…whatever it is, its in here."
"What in he- GAAHAAHHahg-" The captain shined her light on her guard to find a spider like creature feasting on his face.
"I think we found your alien. Get back!" The Doctor ushered them towards a doorway.
"The doors locked!"
"USE the sonic thing! Honestly haven't you-"
"Stand still, it can't see, it can only sense movement." He whispers as the spider like thing finishes its meal. "Theres an exit over there, to the right. But move slowly….. Slowly!" He whisper-yelled as Courtney tries to make a run for it. " Head to the exit, slowly, slowly, slowly…" Donna ushered Courtney behind her as they moved. " gently, gently…..gently
" ." Donna hissed.
"Donna…"
"WOT." The spider screeched as it realized another prey was in the room and jumps. Donna's long legs carried her quickly to safety. "Go come on! Move get it!" The Doctor ushered her in and shuts the door with the Captain behind him.
"Doctor, Courtney!" to her horror, Courtney laid on the floor, stumbling to get out of the spiders circumference. "Go back for her!"
"It's coming!" Courtney hissed, a tear in her eye.
"Courtney, look at me!" The Doctor sonic-ed the glass free from the door. "Catch this!" The spider screeched once more and prepped for its jumped up and grabbed the spray bottle. Donna closed her eyes as another ear splitting screech echoed the halls.
"Kills 99% of all known germs" Courtney read with a shaky breath. Donna opened her eyes to find the young teenager upright with a windex bottle clutched tightly in her hands. The spider like things lay dead on the ground, its legs still kicking as a slimy substance oozed out of it.
"Good stuff, just don't try that at home." The Doctor winks and takes the bottle from her.
"She was right…this is nuts." Courtney whispered.
Donna regarded her, worry in her eye. "Doctor…"
"Look at it! One cellular germ with DNA!"
"I'm scared." She turned to Donna, her eyes watery as the fear over came her.
"But it has an unstable mass! It could make-"
"Oi! Doctor!" He snapped his owl eyes to look at his past companion.
"I'm scared." a tear dropped from Courtney's eyes. " I want to go home now" She sniffed "….Im sorry..really sorry but i'd like to go home."
The Doctor looked at her with disbelief. Donna couldn't tell if he was upset, or if it was just his new features. "We have to find out what it is!"
"Doctor." Donna says in her matter of fact tone. "lets take her home." The captain rolls her eyes.
"This way, back to the ship."
"Everything's dangerous!" He says, stomping his way through the ancient terrain.
"Doctor, really, be sensible."
"Crossing the street is dangerous, eating a bag of chips is dangerous, everything is dangerous, but you cant let it take control of you like that!" His Scottish accent boomed in the space suit. "What is she, 35?"
"15!"
He looked back at her in disbelief. "Fine." He opened the shuttle door. "We're not leaving though. She can stay in the Tardis, she'll be safe there."
"I'll wait outside." The captain says.
"Can I get reception on my phone?" Courtney bounces past them.
"Honestly!" He sonic-ed her phone. "There! Just don't touch anything! Stay put! alright?"
"Yea, yeah!"
"Talk to us on the mike if you need us, otherwise, if you really need to see us, just push this button here." He sonic-ed her space suit wrist band. "But make sure its okay with us first. You got that?" She nodded. "No funny business!" He shuts the Tardis door with a slam, and produced the key. The door clicked.
"Why are you locking her in?"
"I told you, she'll be safe there!"
"Lets just leave! The moon still exists! If its really so important to you to find out why, we can just pop her back home and come back." Donna throws her hands on her hips.
"We can't." He turned his back to her.
"Why the Bloody hell not?!"
"Because! We can't just leave in the middle of an adventure! Things to be done, science to solve!"
"She's a child!"
"Donna!" he boomed, reaching his flu height. She stumbled back, her heart racing. "We're not going back right now! It's one of those times."
She swallowed, trying to collect herself. "Don't tell me…"
"Gray area." he said with a stoic face.
Donna swallowed "Pompeii?" She whispered.
"It's going to be decided here and now. It's up to us."
"We're the last chance for Earth." The captain said, appearing in the entry way of the ship. "Why else do you think I'm on this bloody suicide mission."
"Decision made then." She stared back at the Doctor with sad eyes. He avoided hers completely.
"Lets see whats in the moon!" The Doctor almost squeals, practically skipping about on the terrain once more.
"Is it alive?" The captain asks.
"Has to be, everything dies eventually." He says matter of factly. Coldly. Donna flinches.
"Is it those germ things? Don't tell me its like a cockroach, or like an infestation." Donna worried. "I hate bugs. Unless its the bees! Tell me, do they have bees in the year 2049?"
"Donna-" A spider like thing jumped from under a rock and latched to the Doctors face.
"I don't bloody think so!" Donna increased the amount of light on her flashlight and shone it directly on the spider germs face. It screamed in pain and retreats to the rock.
"How did you-"
"Just a guess." Donna's cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she thought back to that day in the 1920's at the mansion where she tracked down a giant wasp. Luckily no one saw the pink beneath the giant space helmet. Meanwhile, the Doctor climbed up the nearest hill and threw his yoyo down into the depths of darkness. When it retracted back to him, slime splattered about the ground and on their suits.
"Disgusting…." Donna gaged.
A familiar manic look took over the Doctors face. "I'm going in!" He exclaimed, flashing Donna his bright grin. He grabbed the Captains light from her hand. "You! go back to the base and set up those bombs, just in case, I'll meet you there." He tucked his yoyo back in his pocket and climbed over to Donna. "And you, go get back in the Tardis. Back where its safe. Stay out of the way!"
"Excuse me?"
"Not now Donna!" he was getting frustrated.
"I'm not going back! Look Spaceman I know its been a while for you, but you know I don't follow your orders!" She barked.
"Donna-"
"I don't know who you've been flying with lately but-"
"DO as I say!" He roared. His gaze pierced her in place. And before she knew it, he whipped around and jumped down the pit of darkness. Her heart was racing again, but this time, it wasn't from the excitement of their adventure.
"Will he be back?" The captain looked at Donna, worry in her eyes.
"I…" She opened and closed her mouth. She closed her eyes and sucked in a breath, trying not to let her frustrated tears fall. She turned to the captain. "If he says he'll be back, then I suppose he will do just that."
Donna marched towards the base.
"He said to go back to your ship…"
"And I am going back to the base."
"Doctor come in!"
"Doctor! PLEASE! REspond!" Donna screamed into the mike. "The ship! There was an Earth…well moon-quake and the ship with the Tardis fell!"
"Donna?"
"Courtney?!"
"Where are you? What happened."
"The ship just moved, are you ok?"
"Yea, I'm fine!- Doctor-"
The Tardis landed in the base room. "TODAYS the day human kind!" The Doctor boomed as he threw the door open.
"How dare you!"
"Donna! Ah why am I not surprised to find you here." She marched up to slap him, but he danced around her. "If you would be so kind to let me explain before you kill me, the moons not breaking in half, well, actually it is, the moons infested."
Donna paused.
"With?" The captain asked
"Bacteria. Its making somethings thats living! It weighs about 3.2 billion tons. Isn't that spectacular?"
"Wot…"
"That lives under the moon?"
"No, that is the moon!"
"Wot."
"its not breaking apart its hatching!" The Doctor grinned shyly and twiddled with his fingers. "The moons an egg."
"Um…has it always been an egg?" Courtney appeared from the Tardis.
"Doctor are you sure?"
"For a 100 mill years or so, just being born!"
"so it was never the moon…"
"No, just an egg!"
"So its a chicken?" Courtney smirked.
"Don't spoil the moment!" The Doctor rued. "I think its the only one of its kind, utterly beautiful!"
"How do we killl it." Everyone froze and turned to the Captain.
"Why would you want to kill it?" Donna exclaimed.
"Its a baby!" Courtney chimed in.
"Kill the moon?" The Doctor carried on as if they never spoke. "Well you have lots of the best man made missiles here on the egg, I believe that would do it, it would kill the vulnerable creature, like a dead baby in the sky, never feeling the sun on its back or space around it. Have fun telling kids-"
"Stop!"
"Its unique only one in the universe!"
"It'll kill the Earth!" She barred her teeth.
"You can't blame it, you don't know if it will!" Donna fought back.
"Not every things nice….some things are just bad."
"You think we don't know that?!" Donna took a breath to calm herself down. "Doctor." She turned to him. "So wot do we do?"
He avoided her gaze.
"Doctor?" He looked everywhere but her. It was too much. "Oi Spaceman," She softened. His eyes softened. " Look at me and tell me-"
"Nothing."
"Wot…"
"We" he said point in between the two of them. "Don't do anything. I cant help you" He hardened again.
"Yes you can." She half whispered.
"Not my moon." He put his hands up in defense.
"Oh come on." She groaned, hands on her hips.
"There are moments in every civilization, like this. A single moment that determines the future for its race. It depends upon your choice. Right here, Right now. You don't need a Timelord to fix your problems. Kill it or let it live. I cant make it-"
"Well I CAN'T make it!" She exclaimed. He began to back up towards the Tardis.
"Who is better qualified? You're the most important woman in the universe."
" Oh shut UP! I'm just a temp! I don't know-"
"So she's special…and I'm not?" Courtney stared at the old man, sadness in her eyes.
"Oh shut up, you're as good as any! A human will do."
Silence hung in the air.
SMACK
The Doctor rubbed his stinging cheek.
"Are you done?" She raised her eyebrow in question, lips tight again. He sulked. "I can't do this alone….We cant do this alone." He inched closer and closer to his get away, his back turning to her. "I'm asking you for help! Remember Pompeii?!" She boomed. He froze.
"Pompeii was different." He stalled.
"HOW?! How was it ANY different?! One species for another!" His shoulders dropped. "I made that terrible decision with you. I TOOK half of that pain for you! I didn't let you do it alone!"
"Its different," he whispered. "Because I'm a different man."
"Oh that is cheap! You may be a different man, but deep, deep down you're still the Doctor. You're still you! You do the right thing, no matter how hard the decision is! sO don't you DARE use that as an excuse."
"And whats the right decision here, Donna?" He turned on her. Her vision was getting blurry, it was getting harder and harder to hide her fear and anger towards him. "I'm taking the training wheels off your bike. Your choice, not mine."
" OH so this whole time I've travelled with you is just you training me for what?! To be your bloody soldier? I thought we were…." she balled her fists, biting her lip. He starred as his shoes, rubbing his hands nervously. "So, wot, then…you're not going to support it?! Stand behind whatever decision we make?"
"Of course I will."
"Then why won't you stay? I may not know this new you, but I know you! Stop trying to make a run for it! Stay and help make this decision."
"You have two other humans for that."
"How dare you. Just standing there." She yelled, a tear falling. "You don't give up!"
All he could think about was her face on the day he lost her. The day he basically gave up on her until the Earth set out a single for them to follow. She looked just as lost and scared as she did then. Or would look. He couldn't make these decisions anymore. He didn't want to determine if he was good or bad, a man or a soldier. He just wanted…to be.
He turned on his heel and opened the door to the Tardis.
"Don't you DARE!" She ran after him. "Doctor!" She screamed, pounding her fists on the blue wood as the whooping began. The blue box disappeared.
Donna sniffed, wiping the tears that streamed from her cheeks with the balls of her fists. "What do we do?" her voice shook. "What happens if we let it live? No tides, no internet, no mobile, but we'll be okay right? Thats not a big deal."
"We're not going to let it live! Chunks of the moon will come to us-"
"But its not rock its eggshell-"
"FINE, lets pretend this eggshell, doesn't go into our atmosphere and won't be so much worse than what killed the dinosaurs. What is it going to do?! Its not a chicken. What if its a leach? don't you wanna have babies? Imagine they're out there, do you want it to kill them all?" Tears threatened to overspill again. Donna swallowed. It had hit her so hard….What if she did have kids down there right now? What if they had kids? She didn't know who that man was that claimed to be the Doctor, who ran away when things got tough. She breathed.
She thought of her best friend with spiky hair in his converse and pin striped suit…what would he do?
"Theres no way we can ask the Earth, is there?"
"Not really, no."
"Donna?"
"Yes Courtney…"
"Will he come back? What happens to us?" Donna didn't know. And the last thing she wanted to do was think about it.
The room shook ferociously.
"I don't think we have very long."
"So what're we going to do?!"
"Lets just…take a breath and think for a moment."
Another moon- quake.
"I don't think we have a moment. This bomb is set to kill. We have 1 minute."
Donna cries. She cant let her own race die, but she can't kill an innocent baby. If her best friend were here, he would find a way. A way to protect all of them.
But he's not here. He's so far a way she's not even sure if he ever existed after meeting the new him. She's on her own.
"30 seconds."
Donna looks at Courtney. "Its going to be ok." She reaches out for the young teenager, who huddles into Donna's protective arm.
"15 seconds."
Donna stumbles towards the device with Courtney in her arm. She puts her hand on it.
"What're you doing?!"
"10 seconds."
"I can't do it. I can't kill it."
"It's going to kill us!"
"It's going to kill us even if we don't kill it!"
"Our race…."
"5 seconds."
Donna holds onto Courtney tighter.
"3."
"I'm sorry, but I promise I will find a way to stop whatever hatches from destroying Earth if it chooses to!"
"2."
"You don't know that! You don't have that power!"
"1."
Donna slams her hand down on the button. The nukes disengage. The ground shakes so hard they stumble upon the ground.
A familiar sound fills the air amidst the ruckus.
"Quick! What're you waiting for?! Get in!" Courtney rushes past the Doctoras he throws some sort of device on the floor. Donna looks at him- a brief moment of relief until so many emotions battle inside her that she has to look away as she runs into safety.
"Tell me what happens! No. Show me!" The captain yells as the door shuts.
The old man looks at her with secretive eyes and flips a lever. He rushes past the captain onto a sandy beach. The trio follows.
They watch as a large black creature with wings erupts from the moon. Large pieces of the moon fly off in carious directions. To their amazement, it stretches it's wings and flutters. The watch in silence as the creature takes off, reducing in size as it leaves. The moon rocks Pause in their path of destruction and tremble. Slowly they start to revert to their former place, reconstructing the shape of the moon as they people of Earth once knew it. The Doctor turns. "I set a gravitational formulated back at the base. It should hold it in place, and reset an even weight resistance to get your humans currents and what not back in place." The trio starred at him in silence. The Captain, with tears in her eyes, Courtney with a breathless smile. But Donna….her face was grim with emotions. She looked away from him.
The Tardis whorls from dropping off the Captain to her family. "Will Ms be back at school soon?"
"I'll be sure to drop her back as soon as I find her!" The Doctor promises. She nods. "Thanks for everything sir! For letting me be the first girl on the moon! Pretty special huh?" The Doctor nods. Courtney's smile falters. "Well….see ya." And she leaves through the blue wood doors.
"Alright Ms Donna Noble, shall we get you back to your proper timeline?"
"The moment you knew?" she whispers.
"Knew what?"
"Don't play me any more." Donna leaned against the new jump seat in the steal cold console room.
"I told you …grey areas." He turned his back to her, fiddling with nearby switches.
"Tell me what you knew or I will slap you so hard Spaceman, you will regenerate twice!"
The Doctor sighed. "I knew eggs are not bombs. I knew that it would not destroy it's nest. I knew that you would make the right choice."
"We could have made it together. We ALWAYS do things together."
"Well we haven't been. Not for a very long time." He cut in sharp.
"You tell me how long right now."
"I can-"
"I think you owe me that much right now."
He paused. He spun around with his arms crossed. "Give or take 1100 years."
Donna's lip trembled. She bit her cheek to keep herself from crying. She stiffened up.
"So is this what 1100 years do to you? Is this how long it takes to turn you into a cold, bitter, lonely old man."
"Sorry to break your heart, but that's what I've always been." His Scottish accent rolled.
"I don't believe it for one second." She whispered. "I was with you. The younger you, all but almost 2 hours ago. And you were so alive." she clutched her arms and looked down. "But then again, that younger you wouldn't have run out on me." She rubbed her arms and gazed into his cold grey eyes. "My best friend wouldn't have done that to me."
He flinched. His "attack" brows softened "It wasn't my decision." he pleaded
"Don't give me that shit. You have walked our Earth and breathed its air. You've defended it to the very end! Its as much your home as it is mine."
"I wanted…."
"Wot." She shot.
"I wanted… believe that you were…..you….you're more than just a temp Donna."
"What, you wanted to show me that I was special? That I was…" She swallowed. It hurt using his past regenerations words. "special." she finished.
"Yes. Is that so wrong of me?"
"Is that how you show people they're special now then? Instead of telling them and hoping for their own discovery, you lie to them? You show them cheap tricks and cheat history by letting them be the first on the moon? You force them into impossible situations and hope that all you're mighty, sacred teachings have sunk into them and they'll just act out for you? Is this how you pat yourself on the back now? You force others to face your problems for you!?" Her voice was shaking. She had never been this hurt, this disappointed in her life.
The Doctor looked as if he had been punched multiple times in the chest. He was deflated.
Donna balled her fists and stood strong. "Is that tear almost done healing? I want my Doctor back… I want my best friend back." The Doctor nodded solemnly. "As you make your way back through the way you come, you should find yourself in familiar surroundings." She nodded.
"Will I remember this?"
"I don't know. Time lines are a funny thing. And your mind." He paused, his old eyes almost glowing as reminisced. "Well….Its definitely brilliant." Donna deflated, loosing her vibrato.
"There you are." She whispered, tears threatening one more to spill over. He rushed up to her, awkwardly outstretching his arms only to retract them. Donna rolled her eyes, refusing to look at him. "Oh for god's sake!" She pulled him into a tight hug. "Why do you hate hugs now?" A tear rolled down her cheek as her voice almost cracked on her.
"Because…"He tightened his grip on her. "Its just an excuse to hide your face." His eyes watered as he sniffed. He had missed her so much. He needed her so much! Tears rolled down his cheeks as he remembered the last time he held her passed out body in his arms. She rubbed circles into his back while she continued to hug him on her tippy toes.
"Have I ever told you how much I hate you?" She sniffed. She felt him nod as he chuckled. "Because I really, REALLY hate you right now." she laughed. "Seriously, i don't think i've ere hated you this much." The Doctor lost it at that. If only she knew how mad she would be if she would remember. He continued to sob silently, almost choking as she loosened her grip on him. He tightened his. She felt him shake his head no on her head. "You daft Martian." She chuckled through the tears. "I have to." She whispered.
"I miss you." He whispered back.
"I miss you too." He shook from the oncoming tears. She didn't understand, she couldn't and would need understand just how much he missed her. Donna felt drips on her head. "Sorry…promise me you'll never be like how you were today with me, to this Clara girl. OR any of your future mate that travel with you. Have you got that?" He nodded. "No, I need it in words Spaceboy."
"I promise." He whispered. "Cross my hearts….Earthgirl"
"Thank you." She gave him one last squeeze. "I have to go."
"I know…." he cleared his throat. "You see I'm not good at this hugging thing, I never quite know when to start or let go."
"Shall we count to three?"
"That seems adequate. Donna?"
"Yes?" She feigned irritation.
"Don't look at my face when we pull apart. It seems there is a fault with my…tear ducts."
She giggled and rolled her eyes.
"One." He inhaled her scent one last time. He wanted to remember this fresh memory of her forever.
"Two." She buried her face in his chest as she lowered from her tippy toes. He still smelt the same, like stardust and ginger. He gently kissed the top of her ginger head.
"Donna…." He whispered.
"Wot?"
He cleared his throat loudly. "Three!" He ripped himself from her. She stumbled back slightly as he quickly turned away from her to fiddle with the controls. She sighed and rolled her eyes making her way up the stairs towards the hallway closet. She paused at the archway. She turned her head halfway and smiled. She threw her hand up in a half wave. "See ya round, Spaceman." She whispered. She took off down the hall.
"Donna wait!" He turned abruptly, but she was gone. The Doctor released a breath he didn't know that he was holding. "I just thought that you should know that I love you. And I still do." He leaned back on the console defeatedly. "Still do to this bloody day, 1156 days, 7 hours, and 2 seconds later."
"Did you say something?" A short, brown haired girl appeared at the top of the railing, comfortably leaning on the railing. She smiled cheekily as the Doctor gazed at her. "Orrr are you just talking to your old self again?"
"Clara…"
"Shut up and show me the stars. No seriously, please shut up. Do you know how much you used to just babble on?"
Donna ran through the closet, spotting the familiar place she had emerged from earlier. She fought her way thorough the heavy winter coats. It was like bloody Narnia in here! She dug faster and faster through them at the thought of her skinny Spaceman waiting for her on the other side. Finally the coast became sparse and a door appeared in front of her. She opened it.
The TARDIS hummed happily as Donna took in the familiar coral walls and orange grating beneath her feet. The lights lit up excitedly down the hallway before her, urging her to follow it. She could cry with joy, she was so happy to be back in her timeline. In the distance, a faint voice called out for her. She ran.
"Donna?"
"I'm coming! Doctor I'm here I'm coming!"
"Donnnnnnaaaaaaaa! Donna where are you!?"
"I'm here! I'm right here! Doctor!" The Doctor turned to find his ginger companion sliding to a halt in the entry way of the console room. He lit up.
"Donna!"
"Doctor!" They ran towards each other colliding and stumbling as they gripped onto each other. He lifted her off the ground and swung her back and forth in his excitement.
"There you are! Oh I've got you!" He cooed.
"I've missed you. My god have I missed you you bloody idiot!"
"Oi!" He mocked. "I've missed you too." He gently placed her on the ground and backed up enough to get a clear view of her. "Where have you been? Suddenly you were gone and then this other girl just came wandering into the control room trying to control me and boss me around! I mean of course it didn't work, nobody can do that….wellllll" She slapped him playfully "Except for maybe a certain someone." She went in for another hug. He laughed and he squeezed her back.
"I fell through a tear in time." She stepped back and slapped him.
"Ow! oi, what was that for?" he said rubbing his arm.
"Maybe if you took better care of the TARDIS this wouldn't have happened!" The Tardis hummed approvingly
"Hey! It couldn't have been that bad spending time with me!" he joked.
Donna stilled. Her happy demeanor Doctor worried. "Donna?….Donna are you alright? What's wrong? What's happened?" He pulled out his sonic and began to scan her. She swatted it away.
"Doctor." She grabbed him by the arms, looking him in the eyes. It was so blurry. It was like she was trying to remember a dream. "I….I'm fine."
"What happened? What was I like? Was I ginger?! I do hope I was ginger. OR did you run into my past self? Look, the vegetable was very in at the time, as was the cat pin ok?-"
"Doctor." He stopped. He concentrated on her. "It was a future you." His eyebrows raised.
"Donna, Donna you can not tell me anything, do you understand?" She nodded.
"I know."
"This could be very, very important."
"I know…I just…." Her eyes started to water as she held onto the sad moments she could recall. He softened. "Donna, are you ok? Please tell me are you hurt? Did I hurt you? Please don't tell me I hurt you, I don't think I could live with myself if I-" She launched herself at him, squeezing him as tight as she could, burying her face in his chest- Stardust and ginger.
"Just promise me that when I go, IF I go, after I leave kicking and screaming or whatever… that you will be ok."
"Of course! Donna I'm always fine." He said petting her head.
"NO! Not fine! Fine is the last thing I want for you!" Her eyes were shining in her honesty and urgency. "Just promise me you'll find someone else who you'll listen to. Someone else who can stop you. Someone you-" His left eyebrow arched high like it always did when he was concentrated and worried.
"Donna where is this coming from-"
"Just promise!" she cried, digging her face further into his chest."
"I promise." He cooed, holding her tighter. "Cross both my hearts." She nodded her acceptance as he kissed the top of her head. The Tardis hummed in appreciation.
"Where would you like to go? How about a nice beach? I think you deserve it. We deserve it. A little bit of relaxation sound good to you? Better yet, how about a spa?"
"Yea….Yea I think I'd like that."