Companions Switched Years
Disclaimer
Still don't own Doctor Who or characters
Author's note
I won't do every single episode of New Who. Only ones that focus on the companion a lot, or ones that would be interesting to see how the switched-up companion would react in that situation.
Chapter Two: The End of the World
"And where are we?" Donna asked seeing the Doctor finally stop bragging and showing off and instead make a real landing. The Doctor waved his hand to the direction of the door without speaking a word. She grinned and sprinted to the door as much as she could in her heels. She flung open the doorway stepping out into a building-like room.
Donna frowned slightly disappointed that it didn't seem like an exotic future or planet. "You are looking at the wall Donna." The Doctor spoke up behind her before grabbing and turning her around. She pulled back slightly giving him a warning look. "Hands." She warned vaguely. He ignored her caution and pointed to the large window that displayed the lovely blue planet called Earth.
The human that watched her home planet halted a bit and then approached the window slowly. "I'm on a spaceship." She mumbled.
"You were on a spaceship before." The Doctor reminded.
"No that's a teleporting blue box." She snapped. "This is a spaceship!" Her admiration for the place put the Doctor in a moody attitude.
"Spacebox same thing." He argued. He eased down when he noticed the confusion in her face when she wondered what exactly was different about the planet.
Both stood still watching the small blue planet from the large window wordlessly. "You lot, you spend all your time thinking about dying, like you're gonna get killed by eggs, or beef, or global warming, or asteroids. But you never take time to imagine the impossible. Like maybe you survive. This is the year 5.5/apple/26, five billion years in your future, and this is the day—Hold on…"
The Doctor stopped himself to check his watch while Donna continued to watch him with a horrified expression on her face. Suddenly the sun flares up in the window shining its light brighter then Donna ever seen. "This is the day the sun expands." The Doctor said looking at his redheaded companion. "Welcome to the end of the world."
"You just couldn't take me to a planet of hats could you?"
Overhead a speaker made a official sounding announcement "Shuttles five and six now docking. Guests are reminded that Platform One forbids the use of weapons, teleportation and religion. Earth Death is scheduled for fifteen thirty nine"
Donna scrunched up her face together. "What are they doing? Having a party? Are we that hated?"
"Nope they are just going to observe." He responded still with a unbothered smile.
"I don't go observe their planet dying!"
He just shrugged. "Well you're not exactly the life of the party Donna."
"You just said it wasn't a party!"
"Its a bit of a party."
Looking away to the view of space from the front and above, her face returned to normal. "Nice view though?" he asked.
"Yeah! Nice view to watch my planet burn!" She stretched out not sounding happy with the view at all.
The Doctor suddenly got defensive. "There's no one on it!"
Donna let out a single nod. "That's better I suppose. Is it just about to happen?"
"Nope still has half an hour. Then it gets roasted!" he exclaimed.
"Can you not act like you're child in a candy store!?"
"Who the hell are you?" Turning around, Donna Noble saw a blue man standing there looking very surprised by their sudden experience. She gaped for a moment as the Doctor spoke.
"Oh that's nice, thanks!"
"You're an alien!"
The Doctor turned to look at her while she continued to stare at the Steward. "That's very rude Donna."
Donna looked away quickly and muttered a quick "Yeah sorry."
Wandering around the spaceship, Donna continued to gaze up at the large mighty sun that was about to engulf her planet. It was hard to look away but just as hard to watch. Respectful silence pierced the room. At least she finally found a quiet place.
She turned her head when she spotted a young blue alien walking in with a baseball cap. Turning back at the window then back at the women she stated. "Probably not suppose to be here am I?"
"You have to give us permission to talk."
"What? Who makes a stupid rule like that?"
"... You have to give us permission to talk."
Realizing she had not yet given permission, Donna quickly restated. "Oh sorry, you have permission."
The blue woman smiled. "Thank you, and guests are allowed anywhere."
Donna noticed the woman begin to work on a some wall panel that she just unlocked. "Need help?" She doesn't know how to help at all, but she just felt like being polite to the girl who has to have permission to even speak.
"No thank you miss, I won't be long, I've just got to carry out some maintenance. There's a tiny little glitch in River Song's suite. There must be something blocking the system. She's not getting any hot water."
"River Song, that's the face? Right?"
The blue lady looked at her again but kept a polite smile. "Yes miss. The face."
Donna nodded. "Sorry, I'm just from a place where there aren't many species of alien walking around- or floating in a tank."
The young girl seemed interested. "Really" she asked still working. "Where from- if you don't mind me asking?"
"Uhhh." She looked back at the dying Earth. "Just. Far far away. You?"
"Crespallion." she responded.
Donna smiled back. "Sounds nice."
"It is- thank you for giving me permission to speak. Most people here aren-"
"I know. You shouldn't thank me. I think you should always be allowed to speak." Donna interrupted not wanting to talk about the other people on board. "I'm going to go now. Have fun."
The girl laughed as Donna exited the door. "I will!"
Sometime after the introduction of all the aliens in the ship, The Doctor found Donna back in a room staring off into the window. He watched her for a couple of seconds trying to guess the mood she was in.
"How are you?" he asked stepping cautiously closer. She looked back at him before turning to look at the window some more.
"I haven't exactly had other trips to space to compare it too-" She started with a heavy sigh "but I'm assuming any day other than the end of the world is better than this one."
"Ah…"
"Where are the people though?"
"Gone!" He replied rather cheerfully.
"What do you mean gone? What happened to them?" She asked with irritation rising in her voice. She turned away from the window once more to look at him as if to show that she was waiting for the answer.
The Doctor took a seat as well, knowing she may have many questions she would want answers for. "They sailed out into space and eventually became… Ahhh Not fully human. You know, other attractive aliens stealing their attentions."
"No! Stop right there."
"Sorry."
Donna sighed again, looking at an unparticular part of the room. "Weird thing to think about?" The Doctor asked attempting to guess what was bothering his new companion. Donna shook her head, remained quiet for a few more moments, and then finally spoke her mind.
"Everything seems just so small now…" She said. "Worrying over what's on the Telly or what some strangers may think of me." She said.
Grabbing the phone that was lying beside her and ignoring her warning stares, The Doctor tapered with it and handed it to Donna. She took it but looked mildly confused. "Go ahead. Call anyone." he insisted.
"You better not have broke my phone." she warned
Not quite sure if he was serious or not, she hesitantly began to dial a number. She placed the phone next to her ear and waited. The Doctor couldn't help but grin when a big smile broke out on Donna's face.
"Granddad!?" her voice shrilled in happiness.
"Donna is that you?" the old voice asked sounding a tad bit worried.
"Yeah its me. Wh-when is this?"
"You just left? Sort of vanished actually. Did it teleport? Where are you?"
Well then at least the phone is timed right. "I'm in space! Aliens and everything! They seem alright... Wait." She held the phone slightly away from her and mouthed to the Doctor. "Why do they speak English?"
"The TARDIS translates it for you."
"How does it do that?"
"Donna" the voice over the phone questioned.
She placed the phone quickly by her ear again.
"I'm here. I just wanted to give a quick call. See you later granddad."
"Bye sweetheart! You go meet more aliens!"
After hanging up she stared at her phone for a bit. "Think that's amazing, you ought to see the bill" The Doctor joked.
"The TARDIS translates if for me?"
"Yep!" he said happily. "Telepathic Field. Goes in your head and translates."
Donna thought about this and then asked. "What if I spoke a different language?"
Interrupting the Doctor's answer to her, the space station began to shake.
"That's not suppose to happen."
After The Doctor had ditched her to go save the day with Jade, Donna was stuck with the piece of skin. So far, it was better then Jade who had mistaken her for a prostitute. She really didn't mean to yell at her that loud and scare both of them but it sort of just happened.
"They say mankind has touched every star in the sky." Cassandra said as Donna approached her. Donna nodded politely in a attempted to have a conversation.
"Good on them."
"I am the last pure human. The others mingled. Oh, they call themselves new humans and proto-humans and digi-humans- even human-ish. But you know what I call them? Mongrels."
Donna raised her eyebrows suddenly and turned her head to looked at Cassandra, away from the window where she had previously been looking. "A bit judgmental that is."
Cassandra went back to speaking in her pompous voice. "I think not. It's a matter of truth. I kept myself pure while they did not."
"You're a piece of skin though." It was rude and she knew it but she didn't really care to impress Cassandra anymore.
"I had some operations. 709 next week. I'm having my blood bleached. You could as well, that nose is a bit pointed."
"Excuse me?" Donna gasped.
Cassandra took her shock in a different way. "It's nothing to be scared over. It doesn't hurt."
Her manners was gone and so was her inside voice. She faced the last human completely now as she shouted, "I'm not going to get a nose job! Especially if I turn out looking like you!"
"Oh well, what do you know?"
"I know I don't want to live my life as a little flake of skin." with that she stormed off.
"Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending."
"What?" Waking up, Donna noticed the bright glare that slowly but not slow enough, begin to fill the room.
Donna gasped and took off to the door. She pushed and pulled but it would not budge. "No no! Someone help me!"
"Sun filter descending."
"Help me!" She screamed. "I'm stuck in here!"
"Please someone!"
"Sun filter descending."
"Sun filter descending."
Finally a voice spoke from the other side. "Anyone in there?" The Doctor asked.
"No! There is just random screaming! Of course idiot, let me out!"
"There isn't any need for yelling." he calmly said.
Donna pounded on the door again. "Help me!"
"Hold on. Give us two ticks."
The burning light made it way to the top of the door. "Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending."
"Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising."
"Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising."
"Sun filter descending."
"Just what we need. The computer's getting clever." The Doctor said from behind the door.
Donna was breathing heavily unsure what to do in this situation. "You're just trying to get rid of me!"
"I'm not trying to get rid of you. It's fighting back."
Donna decided it wasn't safe up by the door anymore so she ran down the steps as the light continued to rise. "Doctor!" she screamed.
"Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending. Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising." Donna ran back up to the door and tried to push it open. After a few frustrated attempts she realized it wasn't going to work.
"The whole thing's jammed. I can't open the doors. Stay there! Don't move!" The Doctor ordered.
"Are you completely brainless? I'm stuck!" she shouted.
"Earth Death in five minutes."
When The Doctor caught up with Donna again he caught her staring out the window at where the earth once was. He stood by her as she continued to look out.
"You didn't have to let her die." she mumbled.
"I couldn't save the earth Donna. It was it's time."
Donna turned her head towards him. "I wasn't talking about the earth."
"Oh."
A couple of seconds of silence went by. Then the Doctor stated, "It was her time too."
Donna looked back at the window. "It didn't have to be."
"I know." he said. "I'm sorry."
Wanting Donna to forget about Cassandra he reached out his hand. "Come with me."
Landing on a lively street the Doctor brought Donna outside to look at Earth when it still existed. Donna looked around while he did the same. People walked by, they talked, and there was so much life. "You think it'll last forever, people and cars and concrete, but it won't. One day it's all gone. Even the sky." he paused momentarily before continuing. "My planet's gone. It's dead. It burned like the Earth. It's just rocks and dust before it's time"
"How are you here?"
"I'm the only survivor of the war." he answered truthfully.
"War? Why only you?"
"That's just how it is."
"And that's why you help people?" she asked with a small smile.
He smiled back and nodded. "And that's why I help people."