Please forgive me for any mistakes as I am an American fan of Doctor Who and this is also my first fan fiction story.
THE UPSIDE OF ILLEGAL CLONING
Dear Granddad,
Your girl Donna here, well sort of. How do I even start this letter? In the last month I have tried at least four times to write this. Well today I made up my mind. I'm going to do it. It's funny that I am so worried about this. After all it's not like you're ever going to read it.
I bet you would love the planet the Doctor and I are on now. It's beautiful. I am sitting under what the natives call a gatha tree. It reaches almost five stories in the air with branches that spread out like wings. The field in front of me is covered with strange red, yellow and blue flowers. Of course the really weird thing is the dragonfly like creatures that are flitting around, there actually as big as small cats. They're completely harmless though.
It's peaceful, the Doctor and I have really needed some peace lately. It's been crazy the last couple of months. And not our usual kind of crazy, with people chasing us and trying to kill us. No believe it or not it has been even weirder then that.
I better begin at the beginning. Awhile back the Doctor suggested we visit the Otan Star Empire. He said I would love it, the number one tourist spot in that part of the galaxy. It even had great shopping, well how could I turn that down. Of course Martian boy hadn't been there in like three hundred years. He didn't know that a few things had change since his last visit. You see the empire's wealth is based on the mining of some strange mineral, the name of which I can't even remember. And over the years it was getting harder and harder to mine and more dangerous. The Otan people were no longer willing to do the work and I guess robots couldn't mine the stuff because of the radiation the mineral gave off messed up their circuits or something. So the Otans, who were known for their pioneering and advanced work in genetics, decided to make good use of that knowledge. As a tourist hub they got a lot of visitors so they started cloning the people that came to their empire and put the clones to work in the mines. Pretty sick huh? Tourist would go back home never knowing there were exact copies of them being used as slaves.
I guess you know where this is going. Yes I am one of those clones, so is the Doctor, though when I "woke up" I didn't know that. That's the weird thing about it, you still think you're you, after all you look like you, think like you, still have all you memories. The Doctor tried to explain to me how that last part worked, still having my/her memories. I still don't understand really. Though it got me thinking about a lot of things, stuff like if clone can have a soul or not. Well the Doctor said of course we did, but he couldn't explain how. Now you know I have never been that religious, but this experience has got me wondering. Even if cloning us was wrong would that mean we wouldn't get a soul from somewhere or someone. I guess the Doctor would say we have one and leave it at that, but I wonder if there is more to it than that. It certainly gives a girl something to think about. Maybe that 's another reason I am writing you to convince myself that I'm still part of you and Mum even if I'm not the "real" Donna Noble.
Well to continue on with my story, the Doctor and I were sent to two different mines on two different planets, but as you can imagine cloning the Doctor wasn't the brightest idea the Otans ever had. He, when he figured out just what was going on, started a rebellion and after breaking into the empires main database found out where I was. I was never so glad to see anyone in my life. Under the Doctor's guidance the rebellion of the slaves kept spreading from mining colony to mining colony and even some of the Otans themselves started to wonder about what their government was doing. In the end the old government collapsed. Get this, the new government wanted to elect the Doctor and I president and vice president of the New Republic of Otan. The Doctor turned them down, though he showed them safer way to mine without using slaves. But just think I could have been a vice president, and not of a country or even a planet but a whole bunch of planets. The one thing the Doctor did agree to accept was the gift of an Otan Imperial Cruiser. After all we needed something to get around in. Those Otan's had their faults, but they sure knew how to build a ship. No little blue box here.
Speaking of the TARDIS though, I was really worried about the Doctor for awhile. It was hard on him losing the TARDIS. I know he didn't really lose the TARDIS; it is with the real Doctor. But even if you're not the real thing it feels like you are, like said I wish I could see you and Mum, but the Doctor and I both agreed having two Donna Nobles around was too much even for you Granddad. He is doing better now. He fixed the Otan cruiser up so it can travel in time as well as space. He complains it's still rather crude, I haven't told him, but I can't really tell the difference. And he had to have a new pair of trainers, which took him forever to find, we went to hundred different shops before he found what he wanted.
The cruiser is a sweet looking ship, though she doesn't have the endless changing rooms and corridors of the TARDIS she is still amazing. The bridge, I guess that is what you would call it, is the size of a ballroom. And there are windows everywhere, and I don't mean portholes, but windows, some like two stories high.
Well I probably should get back to the main part of my story. Yeah. It didn't end there. After the getting the ship squared away and new trainers. The Doctor said we should go for a real vacation. You would think by now I would realize that such things don't happen with him, or maybe I thought the clone thing would make a difference somehow. "A fairytale like world", he called it "with trees that climbed to the sky like skyscrapers and three moons that hung in the sky like colored jewels." We arrived just in time for some legendary festival that drew sentient being from all over that part of the galaxy. It all sounded a little over romanticized to me, something about the uniting of the spirits of those destine to be together and truly in love, a little over the top, huh? Though the Doctor declared it was all really just legend and myth, but that it should be fascinating to witness just the same. That being said there seemed to be a lot of couples who believed in it. I met a Catkind female and a Vinvocci male that declared that it was definitely true and that they were certainly going to be one of the chosen couples. I maybe should have realized after all this time that no matter how smart he is sometimes the Doctor misses some very important information. In this case the fact that there was some truth to what was going on and second that it was going to get the two of us in trouble. Doesn't it always?
You see what the festival is based upon is the actions of these silly fuzzy royal blue and red caterpillars. Okay they're not really caterpillars, but they look like them though a little larger, and it is easier for me to write it this way then trying to write out their actual name. For some reason that was never really explained to me every so many years each individual caterpillar divides in two and then, I guess each half gets lonely and they want to reunite again. Don't ask me why they don't stay together in the first place, no one I talked to seems to know. Anyways to get back together the halves need host bodies and unite them some way telepathically, hence our couples. So all well and good except for one of these things, or is it two, of these fuzzy caterpillars gets the crazy idea that the Doctor and I should be a couple. Next thing I know I feel something on my neck, my ear, and then inside my head and all these people are gathered around me and the Doctor congratulating us like we just won the lotto. Oh and there is something else, it was like I could hear this voice in my head saying, "what is going on!?", then I realize it's not me thinking this, but I am hearing the Doctor's own thoughts. Yeah, that right, that is one of the things these little guys do. I can now hear what the crazy spaceman is thinking! And also he can hear my thoughts.
I guess it could be worse. I've since learned that we don't have to hear each other's thoughts, one either has to work to do it or it happens automatically when the thoughts are really strong, which is why I heard his thoughts so clearly when this first happened. Yes, he was just as shocked as I was.
Well at first the Attendants, that is the humanoid like aliens that take care of the caterpillars, could not understand why we were both so upset. They admitted that the caterpillars had never chosen a couple before that was not among the candidates, but they still declared that the caterpillars were never wrong. Both the Doctor and I pointed out that they had to be, because we were definitely not a couple in any sense of the word.
The bad news is there is no way that we can reverse what they did to us. Even the Doctor has not been able to find a way. He says, "That the little guys are so hardwired into our brains that if we tried to get them out we would either end up severely brain damaged if not dead". The good news is that after talking to the Attendants and investigating for himself he assures me that they can't make us do anything we don't want to do. So I haven't swooned with love for the skinny alien and I never will. Though there are some things we both have to get use to, I have all ready told you about the reading each other's thoughts thing, the other thing is that I am how sort of a human/time lord hybrid and the Doctor is a time lord/human hybrid. See that is the other thing the caterpillar does for the couple. It makes them more biologically compatible if they are not all ready. I even have two hearts and everything. At first this freaked me out, but the Doctor thinks that this means that I'll regenerate just like he does, so I guess I won't have to worry about aging at least for awhile. Of course his being able to regenerate is something you don't know about I don't think.
Well, if I am sounding a little too calm about all of this for me, just realize it wasn't like that at first. At first I yelled at the caterpillars, the Attendants, and yes the Doctor, just a legend, my ass But two things have change my thoughts: one I've had some time to get use to the idea, I suppose it is no worse than finding out one is a clone and second, well you could say the little fuzzy in my head convinced me maybe I have a few things to be grateful for even if I am not crazy about him taking up residence. You see I started having these strange dreams. What was really weird about them was right from the beginning I somehow knew they were not just dreams. That somehow I was seeing things that had actually happened. The long and the short of it is, Granddad, I know what happened to her, the other Donna I mean. I know it all, the whole Doctor/Donna thing, how she defeated the Darleks, how the Doctor wiped her mind, all of it. To think for awhile there I was the smartest person in the whole universe, well she was. The Doctor thinks that among the caterpillars other attributes they have some way to telepathically step outside the time stream so they could reveal all of this to me. My Doctor did get slapped a couple of times for what he did to her. Yes I know he technically wasn't the one who did it, but you know he would have done the same thing. And I didn't do it too hard, I can't any more since another thing the caterpillar did is make us feel each other physical pain.
Well, that's my story. I'm sorry you'll never read this. But I still wanted you and Mum to know I was thinking about you both and that I'm still out here traveling in time and space with the Doctor.
Love,
The other Donna Noble, your granddaughter
"You finish your letter?"
It was the Doctor. She hadn't even heard him walk up. Those new trainer were just too quiet. After the initial shock and condemnation and explanations of the Attendants there had been relief to know that they were not committed to anything. That the caterpillars couldn't force them to make choices they normally wouldn't, that being said it had still been a little awkward between them for the last few weeks. Well finding out what the other Doctor had done to her other self hadn't really helped either, if so he wasn't ready to talk about these elephants in the room than neither was she.
She held up the letter, "I know I can't send it, can't have two Donna Nobles running around."
His face broke into a large grin, "heaven forbid."
"Oy, you don't have to be so cheeky about it." Still it was so good to see him smile again. She was still a little worried about the whole TARDIS thing. After all the TARDIS was more than a ship, it had been like his family. How that actually worked was beyond her and it wasn't like there was a card out there that said "sorry you lost the companionship of you living sentient ship!".
He paused for a second and then sat down beside her, "I know you miss them a lot.
"I tried to write Mum too, just couldn't think what to say, kind of silly worrying about that seeing that she will never see it anyways."
"I think I understand", responded the Doctor.
"Do you?"
"Yeah, it makes a lot of sense, a way to still stay connected to them."
She had to admit she was glad he had said that, she had been feeling a little silly about the whole thing some reassurance was comforting.
"I do miss them a lot. I know Mum and I were hard on each other, but it is really odd thinking I will never see either one of them again."
The Doctor refrained from pointing out that it was usually Sylvia that was hard on her daughter and not the other way around.
Pausing he said, "Are we okay? You know this could happen to anyone," he gave a tentative smile, "right?"
Donna just rolled her eyes, but before he could comment something along the lines of Donna Noble being speechless she said, "Yes, we are okay. I guess I can live with my little caterpillar as long as he is a good tenant and doesn't play his music to loud," she added with a grin.
Then she got serious though and pausing stared into his faced for a long minute, "But how are you doing?"
He looked puzzled.
"The TARDIS?" she added.
Now he looked uncomfortable, "You know me, I'm always fine. Always go on."
"No really," she said, "if you need to talk."
In fact for a split second she was even tempted to poke around in his thoughts, but she didn't. That would really mess things up between them if they both started that, even if they thought they had good reasons.
He got a serious smile on his face and said, "No. I really am fine. After all I have something the other Doctor doesn't have that I consider very valuable."
She was puzzled as she trying to think of what he could be talking about.
"What?"
He gave a soft smile, "You".
Donna felt the color rising in her cheeks. They probably matched her hair by now.
"I know you're probably still mad at me."
She continued to stare at him, hadn't they just gone over this.
"About the other Donna I mean and what happened to her."
At this point he got up and stood in front of her, maybe afraid that if he stayed too close to her she would whack him again even though fuzzy would cause her to feel it too.
"I admit I would have done the same thing her Doctor did. I wouldn't have been able to just let you die. A universe without Donna Noble in it just wouldn't be right."
She gave him a reassuring smile and said, "I'm not mad anymore."
Also she supposed she should be nice to him after all he had taken quite a few whacks for something he technically didn't do. Yes, when she had first found out she couldn't resist, even if she made her own ears ring.
"I guess I'm just really sad for her that's all. You know, going back to her unimportant self."
A furious look suddenly came on the Doctor's face. "You…she were never unimportant, I don't want to hear you say that ever again!"
Donna let out a sigh, "you didn't think that when you first met me."
"If that was true then I was wrong, dead wrong."
It suddenly got quiet. He dug the toe of one of his trainers into the dirt like a little boy. When she looked back up he was staring at her with a strange look on his face. This had been happening on and off lately and it didn't seem to be related to the things that they had just been talking about. An honestly it was starting to freak her out.
Finally in exasperation she said, "what?! Do I have a bug on my face or something?"
"No! It's just that…" He stopped stumbling for words.
This was new, the Doctor not knowing what to say.
"I have been thinking about the Dkjeojian choosing us."
"Why don't we just stick with calling them fuzzy", said Donna. "It is much easier to pronounce." That and the new translator that the Doctor had given her could not decide on a good English word for the caterpillars like things, anyways.
"Like I said, we're okay now, though I don't think it says much for their smarts that they thought we were a couple, cause we are definitely not," added Donna.
When she finished this statement the Doctor almost looked pained for some reason.
"Well about that…" the Doctor rubbed the back of his neck. "I have been studying the telepathic abilities of the Dkj…fuzzy."
He was now talking really fast even for him.
"They really are quite remarkable creatures, with more sensitivity then one would think. I found out they are related to the telepathic Balzic of Altin IV and they also have similarities to the Kadivians who are noted for their telepathic abilities and mind reading skills in twelve systems or more…"
When he stopped to get a breath, which by now even he needed, she asked, "What are you babbling about?"
For some reason he started down at his feet again and just when Donna thought that he was not going to answer he looked up and said, "I think fuzzy is right about us."
He then stepped back quickly as if he thought she was going to jump up and clout him one. Instead she just sat there and tried to gather her thoughts. The truth was she had been thinking the exact same thing, but hadn't let her mind go there. After all it was ridiculous, he didn't think of her that way and she certainly wasn't his type. Rose Tyler she wasn't and never would be. Also she had never given him any reason to think she was interested in him. All those skinny alien comments, and she had meant them at the time, she just wasn't sure when that had started to change.
She slowly rose to her feet, as scared as he was by the way he took another step back.
And you're sure Dkj…fuzzy is not playing tricks on our minds?" she asked.
"Well..." then it seemed to dawn on him what she had said. "Our minds? Does that mean that…I mean you're thinking the same…?" he stopped.
"What are you thinking?" returned Donna.
"Well…I…I have not found any reason or evidence that the Dkj... fuzzy are influencing our thinking, they just don't have the physical capacity to do that. And also after interviewing the Attendants, their history with them shows nothing like that."
"All right, all right," he certainly did talk a lot thought Donna. "I get that part, but are you really saying that you think we should be a couple?"
"Well?" he hesitated, still looking scared, and he took another step back.
She stepped forward until there was a mere inches between them and said quietly, "Would you like that?"
He gulped and said, "How would you feel if I did?"
"Surprised I guess," that was an understatement though Donna.
He paused, "just surprised?"
"Well it is not like you and I haven't had feelings or other people." She didn't go into the fact that in her case at The Library maybe the person hadn't even been real, but right now didn't seem the time to explore that.
"You and Lee McAvoy." She was glad he had the decency not mention that might not have been real, it had certainly felt real.
"And you and Rose."
"I'll probably always care about Rose, but it doesn't seem the same now. You and Lee?"
"The same I guess." Donna paused; another thought occurred to her, "do you think the clone thing has something to do with this?"
"Honestly, I'm not sure?" With that he seemed to gain courage and leaning in closer and giving her a wicked smile, "does it really matter?"
They stood like that studying each other for several seconds when the Doctor finally broke the silence.
"Oh heck I'll just say it, I love you Donna Noble. I don't know when it happened or how it happened, maybe it is the whole friend thing, you know they say that friends make… , well anyways I love you."
"Well I guess I love you too."
"You guess?" said the Doctor indignantly.
In answer to that Donna pulled him towards her planting her lip's on his. However when the long lingering kiss ended and she pulled back to look into his eyes she said, "There's just one thing Martian boy if you think you are going to get out of making an honest woman out of me you have another thing coming."
The Doctor grinned that goofy grin of his and said, "I suppose you want me to get down on one knee?"
Regally she answered, "But of course."
Even before she finished speaking, with a serious expression he lowered himself down on one knee and speaking just within her mind he said, "Would you, Donna Noble, do me," and to her surprise he gave her a great gift, his real name, "of becoming my wife?" But somehow clone or not, husband or not, he would still always be the Doctor to her.
Dear Grandd,
I got married yesterday, and would you believe Jane Austen was my maid of honor. The Doctor made the handsomest groom. The only drawback was that in the early 1800's the groom was not allowed to kiss the bride, so we snuck out of the wedding breakfast early and headed back to the ship. I guess something good can come out of something bad.
Love,
Your other Granddaughter and your new grandson-in-law