There used to be a time when refuelling the TARDIS would be a simple two second job before running off to the next adventure. Now every time he lands to refuel, he'll be dragged out by Jack or Martha or Mickey. He should really change the locks or try to come at a time when they're all asleep.
None of them seemed to understand the meaning 'I want to be left alone', when they're not dragging him out for meals, weevil hunting, help to stop an alien invasion, etc. etc. they were subtly or not so subtly hinting he should pick up another companion.
He couldn't. Not right now, not when all he can think about is Donna, Rose and that mysterious River Song that he has yet to meet and then send to her death. He felt ill in the stomach whenever he thought of Donna and Rose, he felt like he betrayed them somehow. All her did was protect them and give them the lives they deserve. Rose has him and Donna won't fry her brain up. But then he would remember their faces. Donna's begging was out loud in screams and tears but Rose's was silent, a pleading look in her eyes.
He rarely slept before, now he needs Martha or Jack to knock him out just to get some rest.
So here he was sitting in Jack's dingy and rather damp Hub sitting there in his own world where both Rose and Donna were with him while Jack and his little gang chattered, laughed and ate pizza.
And then the sound of a phone ringing could be heard.
Everyone froze.
"Is that…is that coming from the front desk?" Gwen asked getting up slowly and walking towards the cog door.
"I think it is" Jack said in disbelieve.
The Doctor yawned "so the phone rings? Big deal"
"The front desk phone never rings" Ianto said quietly "it's only there for me to order pizza on. No one should know the number"
"Yan will you…?" Jack asks not finishing the question. Ianto nods and walks quickly to the phone, everyone following him, the Doctor lagging behind dragging his feet and complaining under his breath.
Ianto snatches the phone up quickly "hello Cardiff Docks Tourist Information Centre how may I help you?" there was a slight pause and Ianto's eyes widen "yes he is here, hang on I'll pass you on" he then turns to the Doctor and says "it's for you"
The Doctor felt confused. Who would know where he would be? Who would know that the Cardiff Docks Tourist Information Centre was actually Torchwood Three? He reached out and took the phone.
"Hello?"
"Doctor! Oh thank god I thought I wouldn't be able to get in touch with you so quickly"
"Wilf? Wilf Mote is that you? What are you doing calling me? How did you know I would be here? Actually why on earth would you call a Tourist Information Centre?"
Wilf let out an empty chuckle "I'm not the best hacker in the world but my Donna taught me enough to find the public number for Torchwood Three. I knew they would get me in contact with you. We need you. Donna needs you"
The Doctor clutched tightly on the phone "what happened?"
"Don't worry she's safe now but she won't be for long. We didn't think! We didn't realise!"
"Didn't realise what?"
"That now the paradox was completed there would be nothing to protect her"
"Hang on how the hell do you know about paradoxes? You're a twenty first century human! Only Time Travellers should know about them - wait why would a paradox protect Donna? What would it protect her from?"
"You should come round; it will be easier to explain it face to face"
"I can't come round, Donna can't see me. It would set off memories and those memories will burn her mind out"
"Donna isn't here…she's gone"
"What do you mean by gone?"
"I mean she's not in this time, this planet…I have no idea where she is! I just know that she won't be safe for much longer and she needs you. Please come round"
"I will be there in two minutes" the Doctor promised hanging up, he turned to see the confused faces of Torchwood Three. "Something's happened to Donna, I have to go"
"We're coming with you" Jack said
"I don't need any help" the Doctor argued.
"Donna is our friend as well!" Martha snapped "we're coming"
"Besides you might need a medic, a hacker and a man that can never die" Mickey said "you're out numbered here mate"
"Oi! What about me and Ianto? What are we? Chopped liver?" Gwen snarled, hands on her hips.
"You need to stay here, in case we need backup" Jack said "I need my best gal and my best man to defend and look after Cardiff"
The Doctor identified the look on Jack's face; it was the one he wore when Rose was in a dangerous situation. The one that said I can't lose you! If he wasn't mistaken Jack loved Gwen and Ianto in a far more platonic way and he wasn't going to let them go racing through time and space anytime soon.
He also knew that neither Jack, Martha or Mickey were going to let him race through time and space on his own and he might as well just let them abroad before they do something stupid like jump on the TARDIS as she leaves.
"Come on then you three" he snapped as he marches out of the door towards his TARDIS "and no guns!" he shouts over his shoulder.
DWDWDWDWDWDW
Her head hurts like hell, literally like hell. It was burning and raging like a fire, a never ending fire. She slowly opens her eyes and she can see orange, a burnt orange colour, she sits up quickly and suddenly she felt so much pain and dizziness that she cries out.
She could feel someone's arms wrap themselves round her. One hand splayed across that back of her head as they lay her back down on the soft grass.
"Shh…you shouldn't sit up so quickly, you're still recovering" a familiar female voice whispers. "It's going to take a while just open your eyes, for me…please?"
She opens her eyes to see a familiar blonde, the blonde is grinning at her and the recognition hits her.
"J-J-J-Jenny?" she stammers finally putting the name and story of the girl to the face grinning above her.
"Not staying for long" Jenny said "only here till she comes back. She didn't want to leave you on your own. Now what I want to know iiiiiiiiiiiis who's the eldest? You or me?"
"Wha…?" Donna asks blurrily her head still muddled up as it processes all of her memories.
"Well would the fact that you were thirty five when I was made make you the eldest or would the fact that I was made when the hand was still in the jar make me the eldest?"
"We're not sisters" Donna murmured.
"Yes we are! We have the same Dad that makes us sisters! I always wanted a sister, someone to talk about adventures and kicking monsters butts with"
"We're not" Donna insists "your Dad is the Doctor; my biological father is the Valeyard. Two separate people, I'm not your sister Jenny…besides aren't you supposed to be dead?"
"I'll ignore the dead comment for now" Jenny said "mostly because you need to rest and recover before I tell you a complicated story. Donna, the Valeyard is the Doctor…in a way. He's the darker side; he's what Dad would be like if he gave into all that hate and anger. They look the same, they have the same habits, the same memories…they are the same. You are my sister and I will look after you till she comes back"
"Till who comes back?"
"Her name is Valiant; she's the red cloaked person. You know your guardian angel so to speak. She's right now making false trails for the Valeyard, not that he would actually ever come here but she's being cautious"
"Where are we?"
"Doesn't matter right now." Jenny said avoiding the question "all that matters is that you're safe. Now go to sleep, I can't promise that I'll be here when you wake but I'll leave you a way to contact me"
"I'm not tired!" Donna protests, though her eyes were feeling very heavy and she would love to sleep some more.
Jenny gives her a patronising smile and strokes her hair "shh…sleep Donna. Your head will feel better if you get some sleep"
She fell asleep to the soothing sensation of Jenny stroking her hair.
DWDWDWDWDWDWDW
The Doctor, Jack, Martha and Mickey were crowding round the Noble family front door, as the Doctor knocked on the door. Sylvia answered it and she took one look at them and to the Doctor's surprise sighed in relief.
"Come in, come in" she said hustling them in "I'll make some tea and coffee, what do you prefer? You know what I'll make a tray; yes I'll make a tray. You just make yourselves comfortable"
"Sylvia are you all right?" the Doctor asked furrowing his eyebrows; she was never this polite or nice to him.
"I'm fine; I'm fine you just sit yourselves down now"
"Well that's odd" the Doctor mumbled as he led the group into the living room and settled down on the sofa.
"What's odd?" Martha asks sitting herself between Jack and Mickey who were hogging the majority of the second sofa.
"She was nice to me! Mothers are never nice to me, they slap me and shout at me and once Jackie dumped her tea on me!"
"Jackie dumped her tea on you because you insulted her" Mickey pointed out "besides I think the fact that you take their daughters round time and space in dangerous situations make them hate you"
"And you're the perfect Mummies boy are you?" the Doctor scoffed.
"Well Jackie only ever slapped me when she thought I killed Rose which was your fault." Mickey pointed out smirking. Jack and Martha sniggered quietly to themselves.
"Oh shut up" the Doctor grumbled.
Just then Sylvia came in holding a large tray cluttered with a tea pot, a small china jug of milk, a sugar pot, small tea cups and a plate of biscuits. As she bent down to put the tray on the table the Doctor noticed purple finger marks on her neck.
"Sylvia what happened to you?" he asked pulling out his glasses to examine them more carefully. "Who did this to you?"
Just then the front door slammed shut.
"I just called the Doctor, darling" Wilf called out "he should be here any min- oh good you're here"
Everyone turned to see Wilf standing in the doorway half taking his coat off.
"Wilf what happened?" the Doctor asked "what exactly happened? Why does it look like someone strangled Sylvia?"
"Because someone did strangle Sylvia" Wilf's eyes darkened at the thought of someone hurting his little girl "and that someone is after Donna. That someone is the most dangerous man alive and has access to time travel. He's been after Donna a very long time and he won't give up"
"Wilf how long have you known about aliens and time travel?" the Doctor asked "because something tells me you have known a long time before you met me"
"We know bits and pieces" Sylvia spoke up "known since the day Donna came into our lives"
"Please sit back down, Doctor" Wilf said "and we'll tell you our family secret"