Love Don't Roam

by kartronthepegasus

The Doctor and Rose survive the battle of Canary Wharf, getting to stay together. Finally allowed to have their forever. But when strange things begin happening to Rose and new and old threats begin to arise they are going to discover how difficult forever truly is. As they continue to travel through time and space, trying to find their forever.

2. The Runaway Bride

Love Don't Roam

Disclaimer- I don't own anything from Doctor Who, it all belongs to BBC.

Hello beautiful people. Here is the next chapter in my series rewrite of Doctor Who. I want to thank everyone who read the first chapter, it means a lot to me. I know this story is probably not the greatest and has been done a hundred times over but I really want to do this story.

If you have anything to critique or any ideas on how to improve the story I would love to hear them. Anyways, I will stop rambling and let you read the next chapter.

Here's The Runaway Bride.

---

3.00- The Runaway Bride

"Am I ever going to see you again?" Jackie asks hopefully.

"You can't." Rose returns, effectively killing her mother's last hope. "I'm sorry, mum." She finally blurts out. "I'm sorry I left the way I did. I never said goodbye or that I love you, and I do, I do love you."

"Oh, sweetheart, I know." Jackie soothes, even as both begin to cry harder. "I love you too, so much. And I am so proud of you."

"Goodbye mum. I love you."

"I love you –"

The rest is cut off as the beach fades from view and the Doctor and Rose are once more inside the TARDIS.

Rose begins crying uncontrollably and the Doctor pulls her to his chest, rocking them gently as he lets her cry. A single tear slips from the Time Lord's eye as he morns the loss of Jackie Tyler. The two may not have been on the best of terms but he did care for the woman and is sadden by the fact that he'll never see her again. Sad for the fact that Rose will never see her own mother again.

The two remain in each other's embrace even as Rose's tears stop and she is no longer crying, just enjoying his presence.

Movement on the other side of the console draws the Doctor's attention and while still holding Rose he leans over to see a red haired woman in a wedding dress standing with her back to them, facing the door.

"What?" he asks in utter confusion.

Rose turns to see what he is staring at and the bride whips around at the sound of his voice. She lets out a yelp of surprise as she looks at the pair before her.

"What?!" the Doctor says again, his vast vocabulary failing him at the moment.

"Who are you?" the bride questions.

Rose looks down at the console before looking at the bride again, "But-"

"Where am I?!" the bride shouts at them.

"What?!" The Doctor says once again, his mind a complete blank as he tries to understand what is before him.

"What the hell is this place?!" the redhead continues, not caring about the couple's confusion.

"What?!"

"Well… This is new…" Rose says as she looks between the Doctor and their new guest.

Life with the Doctor is never boring.

The Doctor moves away from Rose and begins to work at the console. He looks up at Donna as if she is the most alien thing he has ever seen and with his life that's saying something.

"You can't do that!" he exclaims, "I wasn't… We're in flight! That is… That is physically impossible! How did-?"

"Tell me where I am!" the bride screeches. "I demand you tell me right now! Where am I?!" She points at the Doctor accusingly.

The Doctor still stares at her in confusion, "Inside the TARDIS."

"The what?"

"The TARDIS."

"The what?"

"The TARDIS!" the Doctor shouts.

"The what?"

"Calm down Doctor." Rose says, finally snapping out of her daze. She moves towards the bride while the Doctor takes a few calming breaths. "I'm Rose Tyler. The rude one is the Doctor. What's your name?"

"Donna." The bride answers. "Donna Noble."

"Donna," Rose says with a gentle smile. "Nice to meet you, sorry about all this. I know you must be scared. This place, she is called the TARDIS."

"That's not even a proper word!" Donna screams again, apparently anger is a default emotion for this woman. "You're just saying things!"

Rose has to gap at her after that outburst. This woman is being a little difficult and Rose thinks she is a lot like her mother, making the blonde like her even more. She just wishes she would stop with the screaming.

"How did you get in here?" the Doctor butts in.

Rose face palms at the Doctor's lack of tact while Donna turns absolutely livid as she turns towards the Doctor, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Well, obviously, when you kidnapped me! Who was it!? Who's paying you!?" She glares at him while the Doctor looks at her flabbergasted, "Is it Nerys? Oh my God, she's finally got me back! This has gotten Nerys written all over it!"

The Doctor looks at her absolutely confused, "Who the hell is Nerys?"

"That's what you're focused on?" Rose snaps at him.

Before the Doctor can answer however, Donna screams, "Your best friend!"

"She's my best friend!" the Doctor claims while pointing at Rose.

"Bit more than that." Rose counters.

"Tell me where I am!" Donna butts in.

The Doctor stares at her incredulously until it seems something dawns on him, "Hold on, wait a minute!" he exclaims confusedly, "What are you dressed like that for?"

While Donna stands there sputtering in shock, Rose hangs her head shocked once more by the Doctor's lack of understanding.

"I'm going ten pin bowling!" Donna shrieks, "What do you think, Dumbo?! I was halfway up the aisle!"

The Doctor continues working with the controls of the TARDIS while their new guest continues ranting.

"I've been waiting all my life for this! I was just seconds away! And then you- I dunno know, drugged me or something!"

"I haven't done anything!" the Doctor cries, a bit insulted that he is being blamed for something he didn't do, which seems to happen a lot he realizes.

Donna whirls around, "Don't try to act all innocent! I'm obviously not your first victim!" She says as she points at Rose, "We're having the police on you! Me and my husband – as soon as he is my husband – we're gonna sue the living backside off ya."

"Good luck with that." The Doctor grumbles so lowly but no one hears him.

Donna turns to Rose and puts a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry dear. You don't have to be scared of him anymore, he can't hurt you anymore."

"He didn't do anything to me." Rose says in return. "I live here actually."

"But you're crying?"

A sad smile forms on Rose's face. "I just said goodbye to my mother."

This seems to calm Donna slightly but confuse her just as much. She looks around and spots the door and starts bolting towards them before Rose can register what's happening. The Doctor's eyes widen in shock and he starts hurrying after her.

"No. Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Don't –"

His warning comes too late as Donna throws open the door and stops in stunned surprise as she stares at what is left of the super nova they had used to say goodbye to Jackie. Her mouth drops open in shock.

The Doctor comes up behind her with Rose at his side as they stare at the stunned redhead.

"You're in space." The Doctor explains gently. "Outer space. This is my… spaceship. It's called the TARDIS."

"How am I breathing?"

"The TARDIS is protecting us." Rose answers this time.

Donna turns to face the two, "Who are you two?"

"As Rose explained," The Doctor starts. "I'm the Doctor and she's Rose Tyler." Donna nods her head, for once having nothing to say. "Human?"

Both Donna and Rose roll their eyes at that one, "Yeah. Is that optional?"

The Doctor has to fight a smile, "Well, it is for us."

"You're an alien." She says relatively calmly.

"Yeah."

Donna's gaze shifts to Rose, "And you?"

"Oh." Rose blinks once then smiles. "I'm human, just as human as you."

A chill runs up her spine and Donna shivers, "It's freezing with these doors open."

The Doctor slams said doors shut and dashes back to the console while Rose wraps a comforting arm around Donna and leads her after the Doctor. He is still trying to figure out what happened.

"But I don't understand it – and I understand everything!" he explains.

"Sure you do." Rose grumbles playfully earning a mock glare from the Doctor.

"This – This can't happen! There is no way a human being can lock itself onto the TARDIS and transport itself inside. It must be-"

He is suddenly all manic energy as he rushes over to the tool belt from the console and grabs the ophthalmoscope. Then he rushes over to Donna and uses it to look into her eyes.

"Impossible." He mutters, going into one of his techno-rambles, completely forgetting everything but solving the mystery before him. "Some sort of subatomic connection? Something in the temporal field? Maybe something pulling you into alignment with the Chronon shell. Maybe something macro mining your DNA within the interior matrix. Maybe a genetic-"

Donna finally snaps out of her silent daze and slaps the Doctor hard across the face, so hard that even Rose has to flinch at it.

He reels back, holding his cheek, staring at her in surprise, "What was that for?"

"Get me to the church!"

The Doctor drops his instrument and runs back to the console. This woman is so different from his Rose, "Right! Fine." He pouts. "We don't want you here anyway! Where is this wedding?"

"Rude." Rose chimes.

He smiles at her. "That's me."

"And she's ginger, so that works." The pair share a laugh much to the confused bride's frustration, not understanding this odd pair in the slightest.

Donna focuses again on what she wants; getting to her wedding. She begins waving her hands about. "Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System."

"Right. Chiswick." The Doctor says and starts up the TARDIS.

Rose manages to catch hold of the console before she can fall to the floor and Donna barely manages to catch one of the railings as the whole TARDIS begins shaking around them.

---

Donna rushes out the doors the minute the shaking stops and looks around. It's the right time, right planet but her surroundings are completely unfamiliar to her. She whirls around to glare at the alien who is focused on the TARDIS.

"I said Saint Mary's!" she snarls. "What sort of Martian are you? Where's this?"

The Doctor strokes the TARDIS in concern, completely ignoring Donna now. "Something's wrong with her."

Rose shakes her head affectionately while Donna rolls her eyes.

"It's like she's re-calibrating!" The Doctor proclaims before running back to the console and Rose moves to stand near the door by Donna, "She's definitely adjusting to something."

Donna turns around to yell at him some more and her jaw drops open in astonishment as she finally realizes what she stepped outside of and how much smaller it is compared to its interior.

Rose leans against the door frame as she lets Donna take in the TARDIS and has to wonder if she was the same way when she met the Doctor two years ago.

She notices as fear appears in Donna's eyes as she circles the TARDIS several times, trying to figure out the trick. Donna runs her hands along the wall in utter bewilderment.

"Donna," the Doctor calls out from the inside, completely oblivious to the woman's plight at the moment. "Is there anything you know of that may have caused this? Anything you might have done? Any sort of alien contact? I can't let you go wandering off in case you're dangerous."

"Doctor!" Rose chastises, only to be ignored as he continues his rant.

"I mean, have you… Have you seen lights in the sky? Or… did you touch something? Something – something different? Something strange? Something made out of metal or… who are you getting married to?"

Donna, having finished her outward inspection of the TARDIS pushes past Rose to check the inside in case she imagined how large it is and backs up with a gasp as he hands cover her mouth. Tears gather in her eyes.

Rose raises her hands to show she isn't a threat as she approaches the woman. "Donna…"

"Are you sure he's human?" the Doctor continues, still not realizing what's happening outside. "He's not a bit overweight with a zip around his forehead, is he?"

The strangeness of the situation finally overwhelms Donna and she turns and hurries off down the alleyway.

"Doctor!" Rose calls before sprinting to catch up with the bride. "Donna!"

The Doctor looks up just in time to see Rose sprinting away from the TARDIS and grasps the situation in the blink of an eye and after locking the door he takes off after the retreating women.

The pair catch up to Donna swiftly, given that they are used to running and the bride is only walking briskly and come up on either side of her.

"Donna," the Doctor tries gently.

"Leave me alone." Donna snaps shakily. "I just want to get married."

"Believe me, I understand, I do." Rose says with a reassuring smile. "The Doctor's not the greatest with communicating but he's just worried about you and wants to make sure whatever happened doesn't happen again."

The Doctor pouts but stays focused on helping their new friend, "Come back to the TARDIS."

Donna shakes her head adamantly and picks up her pace, "No, that box is just… too weird."

"It's bigger on the inside, is all." The Doctor says, though he understands the culture shock of the bride's dilemma.

"Oh, is that all!?" Donna cries before glancing at her watch. "Ten past three. I'm going to miss it!"

"You can phone them. Tell them where you are, so they don't worry." Rose tries.

"And how do I do that, blondie!?" Donna whirls to glare at Rose.

"Haven't you got a mobile?" The Doctor asks, not liking how this woman is yelling at his Rose when she's only trying to help.

The bride stops dead in the street and all her fury is directed at the Doctor in an instant. "I'm in my wedding dress! It doesn't have pockets!" she snaps. "Who has pockets? Have you ever seen a bride with pockets? When I went to my fitting, do you think I said, 'Allison, the one thing I forgot to say is give me pockets'?!"

"Sorry." The Doctor grumbles, "Just asking."

Rose rolls her eyes and pulls her mobile out of her pocket. "Sorry, he doesn't understand the importance of weddings to most woman."

"This man you're marrying, what's his name?" the Doctor asks.

Donna gets a far off look in her eyes and a dreamy smile, "Lance."

"Good luck Lance."

"Rude." Rose chimes.

"Oi!" Donna hollers at the Doctor, completely ignoring Rose at the moment. "No stupid Martian is gonna stop me from getting married! To Hell with you!" With that she storms off down the street leaving the two behind.

"I'm not… I'm not… I'm not from Mars." The Doctor stumbles over his words, stunned by Donna's attitude.

"Can't let her wander off, yeah?" Rose reminds but he can see the concern in her eyes. She then takes off after the bride.

With a heavy sigh the Doctor goes quickly after the pair.

When they catch up with Donna she is trying to wave down a taxi with little success. "Why's his light on?" she rages.

"There's another one!" the Doctor points out as he runs to catch it.

The trio try three times to catch a taxi only to be ignored every time. After their third attempt the move out of the street.

"Do you have this effect on everyone? Why aren't they stopping?" the Doctor questions.

"Rude!" Rose admonishes.

"Well, something's scaring them off."

"They think I'm in fancy dress." Donna says slightly confused, but given everything she's seen today she doesn't understand why this bothers her so much other than the fact that she is going to be late for her wedding.

Another taxi drives by and hoots the horn at them. "Stay off the scotch darlin'!"

"They think I'm drunk!" Donna screeches.

Two more guys lean out their window, "You're fooling no one mate!"

"They think I'm in drag!" Donna says horrified, even Rose feels bad for the woman and can't help but be angry on her behalf. Donna is beautiful and she can't see how those idiots could mistake her for a man in drag.

The Doctor empathizing with the woman jumps into action, "hold on. Hold on."

He puts his fingers between his lips and whistles, long and piercing causing Donna to wince and cover her ears and Rose to cringe and tilt her head to try and drown out the noise. It does attract the attention of a nearby taxi and it grinds to a halt.

The Doctor, Rose and Donna all climb into the back seat with Rose squished in between them and the Doctor wraps an arm around her waist, pulling her close to his side. She smiles happily and leans into him, cradling her still recovering wrist in her lap. Donna's eyes flick to the wrist for a moment, noticing the brace for the first time before refocusing on the driver.

"Saint Mary's in Chiswick, just off Hayden Road." Donna says while pointing out the windshield. "It's an emergency! I'm getting married! Just… hurry up!"

The driver nods, "You know it'll cost you, sweetheart? Double rates today."

"Oh my God!" Donna exclaims, not believing how rotten her luck is. "Have you got any money!?" She turns to her companions, both of which look at her blankly.

"Um… no…" the Doctor replies, thinking again about how pointless money was to a time travelling Time Lord such as himself.

"Not enough for this ride, me." Rose chimes.

"And you?" Doctor asks and Rose elbows him in his side causing him to raise a questioning brow.

"Pockets!" Donna screeches, reminding the Doctor of the fact that she's in her wedding dress. He smiles sheepishly at her, tugging on his ear.

The taxi comes to a sudden and abrupt halt when the driver realizes they have no money to pay him, and boots the trio out. The Doctor slams the door, shocked by the man's actions and just a bit angry while Donna finishes her insult at the retreating taxi.

"And that goes double for you mother!" Donna shouts before turning to the couple at her side. "I'll have him. I got his number. I'll have him." She rolls her eyes in frustration, "Talk about the Christmas Spirit."

The Doctor blinks in surprise as a happy smile forms on his face and he looks around, Rose doing the same. "Is it Christmas?"

"Well duh." Donna snaps. "Maybe not on Mars, but here it's Christmas Eve."

"I'm sorry, but who gets married on Christmas?" Rose asks as she wraps her arms around herself, realizing this will be her first Christmas without her mother.

The Doctor, sensing her change in mood, wraps an arm around her and pulls her to him. He rubs comforting circles in her side with his thumb.

"Can't bear it." Donna states firmly. "I hate Christmas. Honeymoon in Morocco. Sunshine – lovely."

"That does sound lovely, yeah."

Rose and Donna smile at one another, for the first time Donna seeing that Rose is truly trying to help her and not just being 'nice' for the hell of it.

"Everyone must be so worried." Donna whispers.

"Call them." The Doctor suggests before the redhead sends another fierce glare his way.

"And how do I do that, Martian?"

"You can use mine."

Donna blinks and looks at Rose in surprise then at the phone in her hand. A few seconds pass before she nods gratefully and steps away to make her call.

After the bride steps away Rose turns to the Doctor. "And you can go get some money for the taxi, yeah?"

Grateful for something to do the Doctor bolts away to the nearest cash point while Rose turns to watch the bride. The man in front of the Doctor is impossibly slow and he has to shift impatiently from foot to foot as he waits, something he's never enjoyed doing.

"Oh! Answer the phone!" Donna moans. "Mum, get off the phone and listen! I'm on my way. I dunno what happened… I'm at… Oh, my god! I dunno where I am! …. It's a street… and there's a WH Smith… but it's definitely Earth!"

Rose cringes a little at that comment. She doesn't mean to eavesdrop on the conversation but she has nothing else to do at the moment and she knows that though Donna is trying her best to be reassuring her family is going to take it one of two ways. Either they are going to assume Donna has completely lost her mind or that all this is some elaborate prank. She's not sure how to feel about that.

Rose glances back at the Doctor, who is gradually getting more aggravated with the man before him in line, running his hands through his hair in frustration.

Finally, the man before him leaves and the Doctor races forward to get the money they need for the taxi. He casts a furtive look around before using his sonic screwdriver to bypass the system and get the cash.

Rose lets out a laugh at his antics and is so distracted by him she doesn't notice Donna wandering off down the street at first. When she turns back however, she does realize the bride is no longer a few feet from her and begins to run after her new friend.

Having finally retrieved the cash the Doctor turns to return to Rose when a group of robot Santas catch his eye. Watching them suspiciously, he doesn't see how far Donna and Rose have gotten from him.

"Donna!" Rose calls as the redhead begins talking to a taxi driver. A headache begins to pound behind her eyes and she stops a moment to try to clear her head.

"Oi!" Donna shouts. "Thanks for nothing Space man!" She then turns to Rose and tosses the phone back. "Thanks for the phone! I'm going to the church!"

Rose gains enough focus to see who is driving the taxi and her eyes widen in fear. "DONNA!" She dashes forward in an attempt to reach the taxi but it pulls away from the curb, knocking Rose hard to the ground, adding extra pressure to her injured wrist.

The Doctor uses his sonic on the cash point so money begins pouring out when the Santas lower their weapons and starts running down the street, "Rose!"

He ignores the people who run around him in a mad dash to get the money to stuff in their pockets and sprints full-pelt to get to Rose, who is struggling to get to her feet. The Doctor snatches her around the waist and leads her back to the TARDIS.

---

Once back aboard the TARDIS the Doctor runs full tilt to the console with Rose limping after him, trying to ignore the burning pain from both her wrist and knee. She focuses on the fact that they have robot Santas and a kidnapped bride to deal with.

She stands opposite to him at the console. "So, what's the plan?"

"Save Donna. Stop the Santas and find out why." He replies. "In that order. Hold on!" He calls right before starting the TARDIS.

Rose gasps and catches the console before she can topple to the floor, clenching her teeth as the pain in her wrist intensifies.

"Gonna need your help." The Doctor comments off-handily as he continues to pilot the TARDIS.

"What do I need to do?" Rose answers instantly.

"I'll need you to help me fly the TARDIS." He explains. "Donna got in a cab with a Robot Santa as you saw. While I get Donna out of the cab I need you to hold this lever in place and flip this switch when I say. If we need to pick up speed move the lever down."

"Seriously?!"

"Behave!" the Doctor screams while hitting the console with a mallet when it doesn't cooperate with him.

"Don't do that!" Rose growls. "You know how she hates it."

"It's fine."

He begins rushing for the door.

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Rose asks, "You said yourself that the TARDIS is acting funny."

"It'll be fine!" he calls as he opens the doors. Rose rolls her eyes and focuses on the controls and the Doctor's instructions.

"Open the door!" the Doctor calls over the howling of the wind.

"Do what?!" Donna replies.

"Open the door!"

"I can't! It's locked!"

The Doctor pulls out his sonic and uses it to unlock the door. Donna rolls down the window.

The console sparks causing Rose to scream. The Doctor glances at her over his shoulder but she holds the course.

"Santa's a robot!" Donna cries drawing the Doctor's attention back to her.

"Donna, open the door!" he says through gritted teeth.

"What for?"

"You've got to jump!"

"I'm not bleedin' flip jumping!" Donna protests, "I'm supposed to be getting married!"

The robot turns his head at the Doctor's words and speeds up, leaving the TARDIS behind as it races away with its captive.

"Rose!" the Doctor calls out, "Speed up, we're losing them!"

Remembering what the Doctor told her Rose pulls the lever down and lets out a scream as more sparks rain down on her. She shields her head with the hand not holding the lever.

"Rose!"

"Save Donna!" she calls back.

They lock eyes determinedly and the Doctor turns back to the taxi they are now alongside again. He quickly disables the robot with his screwdriver and looks at Donna.

"Listen to me – you've got to jump!"

"I'm not jumping on the motorway!" Donna snaps back at him. It is difficult to tell if it is fear or the redhead's sheer stubbornness that is keeping her in the taxi.

The Doctor growls in frustration. He doesn't have time for this and he needs to make sure Rose is okay.

"Whatever that thing is, it needs you." He explains. "And whatever it needs you for, it's not good. Now come on!" He holds his arms open for her.

"I'm in my wedding dress!"

"Yes! You look lovely!" the Doctor comments. It makes Rose smile despite the situation. "Come on!"

Donna opens the door to the taxi and looks down at the motorway speeding by beneath them. She shakes her head, tears gathering in her eyes.

"No! I can't!" Donna cries.

"Donna!" Rose calls from her place at the console before the Doctor can say anything. The bride looks up at her. "Two years! That's how long I've been travelling with 'im!" she starts. "And no matter the danger, the distance, the obstacles, time, space or anything else the Doctor has never let me down! He has always come for me and protected me! I trust him with everything I am!" She looks at the bride pleadingly. "Trust him!"

The Doctor's hearts swell with joy at Rose's words but he stays focused on Donna.

She looks hesitant for a moment before she makes the leap across to the TARDIS with a scream and into the Doctor's waiting arms with the two tumbling back onto the floor, the doors slamming shut behind them as the TARDIS takes control and flies them away. Rose stumbles back onto the jump seat and remains sitting there, cradling her arm to her chest.

---

The TARDIS thumps heavily on the building as it lands and the doors swings open with smoke bellowing out. Donna comes out coughing with Rose right behind her.

"Everyone out!" the Doctor exclaims unnecessarily since both women are already outside and he follows suit with a fire extinguisher in hand.

"It's just gone half three." Donna says as she looks at her watch her face falling distinctly.

Through her coughs Rose can see the anguish on the redhead's face.

"Funny thing is," the Doctor says, once again oblivious to the situation at hand. "For a spaceship she doesn't do much flying. We'd better give her a couple hours."

He turns to face the two woman, he finally sees the sad expression on Donna's face.

"You alright?"

"Doesn't matter." She replies with a shrug.

"Did we miss it?" Rose asks though she knows the answer from the words Donna had spoken upon leaving the TARDIS. She feels sympathy for the woman knowing how much she dreamed of this day and now due to some aliens she missed her own wedding.

"Yeah."

"You could book another date." The Doctor tries hesitantly.

"Of course we can." She answers.

"Still got the honeymoon." He tries again.

"It's just a holiday now." She says before she walks towards the edge of the roof.

Rose, looks sadly at the Doctor before following the woman and sitting down beside her.

"I'm sorry." She offers.

Donna smiles sadly at her before she looks out over the city landscape.

"Yeah. Yeah. Sorry…" the Doctor says as he comes over to the two.

"It's not your fault."

"Oh. That's a change." The Doctor says as he tries to cheer her up. Rose smiles slightly at that.

"Wish we had a time machine." Donna says in a calm but sad voice. "Then we could go back and get it right."

"Even if we did, we can't go back on someone's personal timeline." The Doctor says solemnly.

"Yeah, that wouldn't turn out well." Rose agrees.

Donna looks at them both like they are completely mad.

The Doctor watches as a shiver runs down both women's spines and he puts his brown coat around Rose and his suit jacket around Donna before sitting down on Donna's other side.

"God, you're skinny." Donna snipes as she plucks at his jacket. "This wouldn't fit a rat."

A giggle bubbles in her chest as Rose tries to cover her mouth. The Doctor pouts slightly but focuses instead on Donna.

"You better put this on." He says as he pulls what looks like a wedding ring from his pocket.

"Oh! Do you have to rub it in?" Donna asks in dismay.

"Those creatures can trace you." He states in a serious tone, "This is a bio-damper. Should keep you hidden."

"Is that all?" Rose asks teasingly.

"You know very well what this is, Rose Tyler."

"Not me, first time I've seen one, yeah."

The two smile at each other before the Doctor lifts Donna's hand and slips the ring in place.

"With this ring, I thee bio-damp."

"For better or for worse." Donna says with a sigh. She glances at Rose again. "Is your wrist alright?"

Rose somewhat jumps at the question and that is when the Doctor notices how she is favouring it and begins cursing under his breath at the fact that he didn't notice that.

"Sorry?" Rose asks.

"Your wrist, you've been favouring it this whole time, you have. Is it alright?"

The Doctor gets up from his perch and moves over to sit beside Rose and gently takes her wrist in his grasp, ignoring her attempts to swat him away. Finding the setting he wants on the sonic screwdriver he begins mending the injured flesh.

"Should be fine in a mo." Rose answers honestly. "It wasn't fully healed from another… incident we were part of, and I fell pretty hard on it earlier."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Helping you was more important." Rose says to the sullen bride. The two smile at each other once more.

"There!" the Doctor exclaims as he releases Rose's wrist. "All better… Well, I say all better but really you're back to where you were when we started this whole mess since you won't let me fix it properly."

"I may live with an alien but I am still human and I'm going to heal as one." She returns.

The Doctor opens his mouth to reply but a question from Donna cuts him off.

"So, come on then." The redhead snaps, "The robot Santas – what are they for?"

He returns his focus to the woman they rescued, "Ah, your basic robo-scavengers. The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. They're trying to blend in."

"We met them last year." Rose adds on. "Nearly killed me and my mate Mickey all to find this dolt."

"Oi, if I remember correctly – which I always do – I saved the world that day, Rose Tyler."

"What are you on about?" Donna asks the couple. "What happened then?"

The pair gap at her for a moment.

"Great big spaceship?" the Doctor asks. "Hovering over London? You didn't notice?"

"I had a bit of a hangover."

"Must have been some night then."

Both women giggle as the Doctor watches the two in slight confusion. He looks out over the landscape and stares at a very familiar building. He gestures towards it, pulling Rose closer as she sees at what he is gesturing.

"We spent last Christmas just over there, the Powell Estate." He smiles slightly at the memories that flood his mind, "With our… Rose's family…"

Rose covers his hand with hers and smiles sadly at him.

"Our family."

He returns the sad smile.

"Earlier…" Donna starts uncertainly, "When I was screeching about him hurting you, you said something about saying goodbye to your mum, she doesn't want you home for Christmas?"

Rose's whole demeanour changes and she looks like she is about to fall to pieces.

"No… it's not that… She's – she's…"

"Gone now." The Doctor finishes as he kisses the top of Rose's head.

Donna watches the pair from the corner of her eye and wonders how she could have ever assumed that Rose was with the Doctor against her will. It is as obvious as the sun being in the sky that the two love each other and she feels an ache in her chest as she thinks of how worried Lance must be about her.

"What happened to her?" Donna asks on auto-pilot.

"Question is," the Doctor says, abruptly changing the topic. "What do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you?"

"Subtly has never been your strong point." Rose grumbles affectionately.

"And how did you get inside the TARDIS? I don't know…" the Doctor continues on as if Rose hadn't spoken as he contemplates this new puzzle before him. He pulls the sonic screwdriver from his pocket and begins scanning Donna. "What's your job?"

"I'm a secretary."

"That's weird, I mean – you're not special, you're not powerful, you're not connected, you're not clever, you're not important,"

"Doctor!" Rose snaps.

Donna spares a glance at Rose before looking at the Doctor who is still scanning her with his sonic screwdriver, "Have you ever just wanted to punch him in the face?"

"Sometimes." The blonde admits.

"Stop bleeping me!" Donna cries as she slaps the screwdriver aside.

"What kind of secretary?" he asks, not at all bothered by someone yelling at him.

"I'm at HC Clements. It's where I met Lance, I was temping." Donna explains, "He made me coffee, and no one makes the secretary coffee. That's how it started him and me, one cup of coffee. We really hit it off and soon after we started dating… Even now, he still makes me a cuppa every day."

Rose smiles, "That's really sweet."

"When was this?" the Doctor asks, still trying to figure out why the scavengers wanted Donna.

"Six months ago."

Even Rose is a little shocked by that, but it's the Doctor who speaks up, "Bit quick to get married… Isn't it?"

"If they really love each other than no it's not." Rose says with a shrug. "Some people just know."

A blush stains Donna's cheeks, "Well, he insisted." She states proudly, "And he nagged, and he nagged me, until he just wore me down."

The Doctor looks at Rose who just smiles at him. He shakes his head before returning his attention to their accidental stowaway. "What does HC Clements do?"

"Oh, security systems, you know," Donna says dismissively. "Entry codes, ID cards, that sort of thing. If you ask me, it's a posh name for locksmiths."

That statement causes the gears to spin within the Doctor's mind. "…Keys…"

With a heavy sigh Donna stands up from her perch, handing the Doctor back his coat before moving toward the fire escape. "Anyway, enough of my CV. Come on, it's time to face the consequences."

The Doctor helps Rose to her feet, keeping an arm wrapped firmly around her waist.

"Oh, this is going to be so shaming." Donna says before pointing at the Doctor. "You can do explaining Martian-boy."

"Yeah… I'm not from Mars." He complains.

"Losing battle Doctor, falling on deaf ears your words are." Rose says with a giggle as they follow Donna down the fire escape.

He gives her a blinding smile, dropping a kiss to the top of her head before he reluctantly releases her so they can climb down the fire escape.

"Oh, I had this great big reception all planned. Everyone's gonna be heartbroken…"

---

After paying the taxi driver with the money the Doctor got from the cash point the trio make their way through the entrance to hear loud music coming from within. They can see as disbelief and hurt take over Donna's face.

Rose feels her heart go out to the woman even as rage claws at her as well.

They enter the room to see people dancing and chatting away as if the wedding had truly taken place, instead of the bride disappearing before it could.

Donna walks into the room with the couple right on her heels watching the merriment around them completely thunderstruck. Betrayal flashes in Donna's eyes as she looks at her friends and family enjoying themselves without her.

A woman with grey-blonde hair is the first to spot them and slowly the rest of the room follows suit and the DJ stops the music.

"You had the reception without me?" Donna asks in disbelief.

A dark skinned man who was dancing with a blonde in a blue dress looks at Donna in surprise, somehow not noticing whatever else had until the bride had spoken. "Donna, what happened to you?"

"You had the reception without me?!" her voice has raised a notch and there is an awkward pause as everyone tries to think of something to say to the fuming bride.

"Hello, I'm the Doctor." He says with his manic grin, deciding to try and break the silence and make his presence known.

"And I'm Rose." She adds with a small wave.

Donna whirls around to face them, "They had the reception without me."

"Yeah, I've gathered." The Doctor grumbles.

Rose feels a pang of sympathy for the woman. She can't understand how these people could have had the reception without Donna.

If she had been the one to disappear from her wedding Jackie would have torn the whole planet apart just to find her, not resting until she knew Rose was safe and alright. Then she would have screamed bloody murder at her daughter for ever disappearing in the first place (much like she had after she had disappeared with the Doctor for a year) before finally pulling her into a sobbing hug.

"Well, it's all paid for." The blonde in the blue dress sneers, "Why not?"

"Thank you Nerys." Donna snaps right back.

So, this is the infamous Nerys who Donna thought she thought paid the Doctor to kidnap her or something like that. Rose has to wonder if the two women are on such bad terms why the blonde is at the wedding at all.

"Well, what were we supposed to do?" the older woman who had first noticed Donna asks in frustration. "I got your silly little message in the end – 'I'm on Earth'? Very funny."

This confirms for Rose that this is Donna's mother and it at first takes her by surprise how mocking she sounds towards her daughter when she remembers the call Donna made before the whole robot Santa in the taxi thing. She believes Donna did all this as a prank.

"What the hell happened?" Mrs. Noble snaps. "How did you do it? I mean, what's the trick- because I would love to know."

The whole room erupts into a wave of noise as everyone begins talking at the same time. Not one voice is distinguishable above the other, just a bunch of voices blending together.

Donna looks around as she is quickly overwhelmed by the noise before she breaks down in tears.

The dark skinned man who had been dancing with Nerys steps forward and hugs Donna close causing the whole room to erupt in 'awes' and applause.

The bride glances at her new friends and winks at them through her fake tears to which they both smile.

"Oh, she's good." Rose whispers to the Doctor as she leans in close to him.

The party soon continues with Donna and Lance happily dancing away on the dance floor.

The time travellers move over to stand by the bar and Rose smiles happily at the reunited couple but in the back of her mind something is still nagging her about all this. A mother and daughter with blonde hair catch her attention and her smile falls as she thinks of her mother.

The Doctor, who had been watching the couple just as Rose had been noticing the change in Rose's demeanour and follows her gaze. Once he sees what has caught her attention he begins wracking his brain for a solution.

The song 'Love Don't Roam' begins playing and with a smirk the Doctor holds his hand out to Rose.

"May I have this dance, Miss Tyler?"

She looks at him in surprise.

"Really?" she questions. "We haven't done any dancing, actual dancing since the gas-mask zombies."

He smirks at her, "Well, I still have the moves so, are you up for it?"

With a genuine smile Rose takes his hand and the Doctor leads her out onto the dance floor, quickly they join in with the many others upon the floor. They look like all the others, as if they were part of the actual wedding.

Donna notices them from over Lance's shoulder and smiles, truly happy for the two and the fact that they are enjoying themselves.

Once the song ends and the Doctor is sure that Rose isn't thinking of her mother he leads her back over to the bar and holds his hand out once more, "Rose, can I borrow your mobile."

Without a word Rose fishes it out of her pocket and hands it over to him. She uses her body to shield him from view as he uses the sonic to quickly search the internet for the information.

He curses in Gallifreyan and Rose looks over his shoulder to see the screen says that HC Clements is owned by Torchwood. Rose feels her head swimming as her knees go weak.

The Doctor quickly wraps her up in his embrace and holds her close to him. "Rose."

"Is this because of us? Did they do this to Donna to get to us?" she questions as she tries to regain her bearings.

"No, no, no." he disagrees. "I don't think this is about us at all, Rose. I don't know what Torchwood is up to but there is no way they could have gotten Donna into the TARDIS. Even if they study aliens there is no way that it's possible. This is something different."

"What is it though?"

"I don't know." He answers truthfully. Gazing around the room he spots the cameraman not too far from them, filming the reception, which means he most likely filmed the wedding to. He takes Rose hand within his, "Let's find out then."

He races across the room, pulling Rose along with him and comes to a stop beside the cameraman.

"Were you filming at the ceremony as well?" the Doctor questions.

"Aye, I did."

"Can we see the bride's disappearance please?" Rose prompts.

The cameraman nods and begins to switch the tap over as the couple wait rather impatiently for him to finish.

"I taped the whole thing." He says proudly. "They've all had a look. They said 'sell it to You've been Framed'. I said more like the news."

The Doctor rolls his eyes at the man's rambling, completely missing the irony of the situation.

"Here we are."

They watch as Donna walks up the aisle then begins glowing gold, letting out a scream and disappearing from the church.

It all looks familiar to Rose but she can't seem to remember where she's seen it before. A pounding headache starts forming behind her eyes.

"It can't be." The Doctor whispers. "Play it again."

"Clever mind." The cameraman says, oblivious to the two beside him, "Good trick, I'll give her that. I was clapping."

The Doctor watches the video again with a furrowed brow. He glances at Rose, remembering exactly where he's seen it before.

"But that looks like… Huon Particles."

"What's that?" the cameraman asks, clearly confused.

Rose looks around the room and finally notices something, "Doctor."

"That's impossible…" he states, so lost in his thoughts he's not listening to Rose whose moved away from him, towards a window. "That's… ancient! Huon energy doesn't exist anymore, not for billions of years. So old that…"

His eyes lock on Donna's hand where he put the ring. "It can't be hidden by a bio-damper!" He runs as fast as he can to the same window Rose is now standing before to see the approaching the Santas, their weapons at the ready.

"They're here."

"We've got to get Donna." The Doctor says as he rushes toward the bride, Rose lagging after him, the pounding headache still very much present. "Donna!" the bride looks at him slightly miffed that he's interrupting her dance, "Donna, they've found you!"

"But you said I was safe!" she exclaims. "You said this ring would hide me!"

"The bio-damper doesn't work."

"Fat lot of good that is then!" she fumes.

Rose puts a comforting hand on the bride's shoulder. "Everything's gonna be alright Donna but we've got to get everyone out."

Her blue-green eyes widen as she looks around at the merry people surrounding them, "My God! It's all my family!"

"Out the backdoor!" the Doctor exclaims, making a dash for said door with Rose and Donna in tow. When he throws them open he comes face to face with two of the robots, "Maybe not!"

Rose helps him pull the doors closed and follows him back into the reception hall but her headache becomes too much so she doesn't come with the pair as they run to the side door. Her eyes drift to the giant Christmas trees beside her and her eyes widen.

"We're trapped!" Donna gasps, horror struck as she realizes she is once more in danger but now so is her family.

"Doctor!" Rose calls.

The Doctor glances at her and Rose gestures to the tree. Fear clutches at him as he gazes back out the door to see one of the Santas is holding a remote control. "The Christmas trees…"

"What about them?" Donna questions, completely confused. She may hate Christmas but even she liked Christmas trees.

"They kill." The Doctor states while running towards the tree, "Get away from the trees!"

"Don't touch the Christmas trees!" Rose echoes his cries as she leads some children away back to their mother.

The Doctor forces everyone away, "Get away from the Christmas trees! Everyone get away from them!"

Even Donna starts leading people away, knowing now she can trust the two who have saved her life and seem to still be saving it. "Out of the way!" she orders, "Tell them Lance!"

"Stay away from the trees!" both Rose and the Doctor cry, standing before the trees to make sure no one else approaches.

"Oh, for God's sake!" Mrs. Noble sneers. "These two are idiots! Why? What's a Christmas tree gonna – oh!?"

The trio turn around as music begins playing and the decorations float into the air. The Doctor watches them distrustfully as they hover above everyone's heads while the guests all chatter excitedly, none of them understanding the danger they're in.

And just like that the decorations start dive-bombing into the crowd and exploding causing people to scream and scatter in every direction.

"Rose!" the Doctor cries but loses sight of her amidst the chaos and he dives behind the DJ stand to take cover.

His blonde partner on the other hand is hiding beneath a table with two young children she had managed to pull into cover with her. She keeps an arm securely around them both as the cry into her chest, the screaming and explosions continuing around them.

Suddenly, everything goes quiet and the Doctor pops his head up over the controls for the sound system to find all the Santas standing there with their weapons pointing at him. He jumps up "Oi! Santa! If you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver…" he grabs the mic and twirls it in his hand then brings it to his lips. "Don't let him near the sound system."

With that he puts the sonic to the speakers causing a loud screeching sound that has everyone, save Rose who still has her arms wrapped around the children, covering their ears and crying in pain. The robots shake apart at the sound, literally falling to pieces.

Once they've all been disabled he jumps off the stage and looks around frantically, "Rose!"

The children climb out from under the table and run off in search of their parents and Rose slowly follows suit, completely dazed, her head spinning worse than when she had the headache, her ears ringing up a storm.

"Rose!" the Doctor calls again.

"I'm here." She calls back, leaning heavily on the table she had been using as shelter. A second later the Doctor is before her and cupping her face in his hands, searching her for injuries.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." She replies, her voice a hushed whisper. "But after this you're taking me somewhere relaxing."

"Your wish. My command." He says before kissing her forehead and pulling her with him as he begins examining the robots.

As he does that Rose turns to watch as people come from their hiding places and Donna, along with her family start checking people for injuries. Her heart aches for the bride. Though she was never the girl who dreamed of the perfect wedding she could never imagine this type thing happening. Her day ruined by some unknown force that seems hell bent on taking her, even if it means killing everyone she cares for.

"Look at that," the Doctor says, already in his thinking mode. Rose turns back to him and kneels at his side to see what he's doing. "Remote control for the decorations." He holds up said gizmo. "But there's a second control for the robots."

He looks thoroughly at the head in his hands.

"So, they're not scavengers anymore, are they?"

"Exactly right, Rose." He exclaims while grinning manically at her again. "Someone's taken possession."

"The question is – who?"

"People have been hurt." Donna says as she comes up behind them. "You're a doctor."

"He's not that kind of doctor, Donna." Rose tries to explain.

"All the same, you can help."

"I am!" he shouts, startling both women while bringing the head to his ear. "Gotta think of the bigger picture. There's still a signal!" He rises to his feet and starts running for the front door. "Come on, Rose!"

The blonde goes to follow but glances at the worried bride. "I'm sorry Donna. Emergency personnel should be here shortly… and if we don't stop whoever's doing this more people are going to get hurt. I'm sorry." Saying her piece she races after the Doctor.

Donna makes to follow but is stopped by her mother, "Donna, who are they? Who are those people?" She looks at her mother helplessly, unable to think of an answer but after a heartbeat she chases after her new friends.

Rose has just made it outside and is a little surprised when Donna comes outside behind her but continues running to the Doctor who is standing on the lawn. When they caught up to him he is scanning the head with the sonic.

"There's someone behind this, directing the robo-force." He says absently, still focused on his task.

"But why is it me?" Donna finally voices the question that has been bothering her since the motorway. "What have I done?"

"If we find the controller, we'll find that out. Oh!" he exclaims while pointing the sonic into the sky. "It's up there. Something in the sky." He listens to the signal.

"Could it be the Sycorax?"

"No, Rose. This isn't their style."

"The what?"

"Great big spaceship in the sky from last Christmas, it belonged to them." The Doctor explains. "I've lost the signal."

"What now?" Rose questions.

"We've got to get to that office, HC Clements. I think that's where it all started." He whirls around until he sees the man Donna had been dancing with standing behind Rose. "Lance! Is it Lance? Can you give us a lift?"

"We can take my car." Donna announces before leading them to a small blue car in the parking lot.

They all pile into the car with Rose and the Doctor in the backseat and Donna behind the wheel. The Doctor has to hunch just to sit in the car, but with Rose leaning against him he can't bring himself to truly mind.

The blonde has her eyes closed as she takes deep, calming breathes.

"You alright?" the Doctor asks.

"Been a long day."

"That it has." He agrees.

Donna glances at them through the mirror with a smile twitching at her lips.

"I don't understand." Lance says suddenly. "What's going on? Who are you two?"

"The Doctor and Rose." The Doctor answers quickly, rubbing gentle circles on Rose's shoulders as she leans against him, her eyes closed.

---

The rest of the trip is in silence as none of them know what to say. Soon enough the small group arrive at HC Clements and are racing up to the third floor, the Doctor clutching Rose's hand as he goes. Donna leads them to her 'office' and the Doctor heads straight for a computer while Rose takes in her surroundings, looking for anything out of place.

"This might just be a locksmiths, but HC Clements was brought up twenty-three years ago by the Torchwood institute." The Doctor explains.

"Who are they?" Donna asks.

The Doctor glances at the bride with a confused look, "They were behind the battle of Canary Wharf."

There is nothing but silence from Donna.

"The Cyberman invasion?" Rose tries.

Donna still looks completely lost.

"Skies over London full of Daleks?" The Doctor presses.

"Oh!" Donna says and the pair think she finally realizes what they're talking about. "I was in Spain."

"They had Cybermen in Spain." Rose giggles.

"Scuba diving."

"That big picture, Donna." The Doctor sighs in exasperation. "You keep missing it." He dashes over to another computer. "Torchwood was destroyed, but HC Clements stayed in business. I think someone else came in and took over."

Rose notices Lance looks a little squirrelly as the conversation proceeds and decides to file that away for later as she moves to the Doctor's side when he whacks the monitor in frustration.

"Enough with the violence, yeah?"

"It usually helps."

"It really doesn't." Rose teases.

"But what do they want with me?" Donna prompts.

The Doctor turns to face the redhead with a serious expression on his face. "Somehow you've been dosed with Huon energy. And that's a problem because Huon energy hasn't existed since the Dark Times." He explains. "The only place you'll find a Huon particle now is a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS. See? That's what happened!" he exclaims like it is obvious.

He picks up a mug. "Say, that's the TARDIS." He picks up a pencil. "And that's you… Hold on…" he drops both and picks up a paperclip and a paperclip holder. "Say this is you and the TARDIS. The particles in you activated. The two sets of particles magnetised and WHAM!" he releases the paperclip which is drawn to the magnet in the holder's lid. "You were pulled inside the TARDIS."

Donna blinks in confusion, "I'm a paperclip in the holder?"

"Yup." The Doctor says while popping the 'p' just as always. He moves over to another computer, "Lance? What was HC Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?"

Lance glares at the Doctor, "I don't know, I'm in charge of personnel." He says defensively. "I wasn't project manager."

"You must have noticed something strange going on." Rose prompts, watching the man carefully. "No matter how small."

"No." Lance snaps.

The Doctor waves the sonic over the screen and it instantly displays a map of the building.

"Why am I even explaining myself?" Lance continues, attacking as if he was being interrogated instead of them trying to figure out what was going on with his fiancé. "What the hell are we talking about?!"

"They make keys. That's the point. And look at this Rose." The Doctor points to the screen and Rose stares at the 3D floor plan. "We're on the third floor."

He holds his hand out to Rose, who instantly takes it and he leads her over to the lift with the couple following after them. He punches the button with a flourish and turns to explain everything.

"Underneath reception, there's a basement, yes?" the doors ping as the slide open and he climbs into the lift, Rose still by his side. "Then how come when you look at the lift, there's a button marked 'lower basement'? There's a whole another floor which doesn't exist on the official plans. So, what's down there, then?"

"Are you tell me, this building has got a secret floor?" Lance asks incredulously.

"No," Rose chimes in. "He's showing you this building has got a secret floor."

"Quite right." The Doctor agrees with a grin. He always enjoys it when Rose gets feisty.

"It needs a key." Donna argues.

"I don't." the Doctor says while using the sonic to activate the lift. He and Rose grin at each other. "Right then, thanks you two, we can handle this – see you later."

The lift door just begins to slide shut but Donna blocks it. "No chance, Martian." She growls. "You're the two who keep saving my life. I ain't letting you two out of my sight!"

"Then come on." Rose says with a happy grin, already immensely fond of the redhead. She immediately joins them.

"Going down!" the Doctor announces with a grin at Rose.

"Lance." Donna asks expectantly.

"Maybe I should go to the police." He says meekly.

This raises Rose's suspicions even more. What man would allow the woman they love go into unknown danger with two strangers and go run off to the police? He should either insist Donna come with him or he should have been in the lift before Donna had even voiced her determination to come. Something is just not right.

"Inside." Donna snaps.

Lance meekly steps inside and stands awkwardly beside Donna.

"To honour and obey." The Doctor asks.

"Tell me about it, mate."

"Oi!" Donna exclaims while Rose smacks the Doctor in the arm. He grins at her manically.

The lift pings when it reaches its destination and the Doctor is outside before the door fully open with the others trailing behind him. They are now standing in a dimly lit corridor with faint green lighting.

"A dark, scary corridor." Rose says with a teasing smile. "Nothing ever lurking down these, right?"

"Shall we investigate, Lewis?"

"Of course Sarge." She agrees. "And why do they always use the creepy mood lighting?"

"Good point." He says with a grin. "It's like they are trying to show how evil they are."

Rose giggles.

"Where are we?" Donna questions, once again reminding the pair that they aren't alone. "What goes on down here?"

"Let's find out." The Doctor answers easily.

"Do you think Mr. Clements knows about this place?" Donna asks Lance.

"The mysterious HC Clements?" the Doctor acknowledges, not realizing who Donna is actually talking to. "I think he's part of it. Oh look! Transport!"

He dashes the short distance over to the scooters that are parked just down the hall.

"Though we're one short."

"Doesn't matter." Donna declares as she climbs aboard one. "You're skinny enough that you and Rose can share. Don't think either of you will mind."

Both blush brightly at that but say nothing to the contrary as everyone climb on the segways. The squeeze is a bit tight for the Doctor and Rose but nothing they can't handle. Within moments they are heading down the hall.

It becomes obvious very quickly that the only real advantage to the segways is that they didn't have to run. Rose is fatigued. Donna is in her wedding dress and Lance's shoes are hardly made for a long jaunt. So, they are practical in that sense the group could definitely run faster than these scooters could move.

A quick glance at Donna told her the bride thought the same thing and pretty soon both women begin to laugh with the Doctor joining them a moment later. Lance looks at them like they are bloody mad and maybe some small part of them is.

They slowly manage to pull themselves together when they reach the end of the hallway.

"Oh. Look at that!" the Doctor points out.

When they come across a door that says authorized personnel only the Doctor disembarks the scooters and jogs over to it. He throws the door open swiftly. The others follow after him.

He looks up at the ladder.

"Wait here." He tells them all. "I just need to get my bearings." He points at them, "Don't do anything. Especially you, Rose."

"Promise." Rose returns with a cheeky grin.

"Believe that when I see it."

"Oi!"

"You'd better come back." Donna cuts in.

"As if I could get rid of you." He returns, "And besides, you have Rose with you. I will never leave her behind. Just be a mo." With a grin he begins to climb the ladder.

Rose and Donna move into the doorframe to watch him, the blonde staring at his butt appraisingly as he makes his ascent.

"Donna," Lance says in an annoyed tone that has Rose suspicious of him again. "Have you thought about this, properly? I mean, this is serious! What are we going to do?"

Donna looks at him blankly, "Oh, I thought July." She states happily then looks back up the ladder for the Doctor.

Lance stares at her dumbstruck while Rose giggles behind her hand.

A few more minutes pass before the Doctor suddenly drops down in front of them, a manic grin plastered on his face.

"Thames flood barrier!" he exclaims. "Right on top of us. Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath."

"What?" Donna questions in surprised confusion. "There's like… a secret base hidden under a major London landmark?"

"I know, I know!"

"Completely unheard of that is." Rose finishes his teasing thought, smiling just as much as he is.

"Then again," the Doctor says, continuing his banter with Rose. "The London Eye."

"Downing Street."

"That was inside not underneath, Rose."

"Still counts!"

"Well, technically- "

"Downing Street!" Donna exclaims, reminding the pair that they're not alone. "How do you mean, Downing Street?"

"A few years back." Rose explains. "We had to blow it up because a bunch of aliens had taken over by pretending to be members of parliament."

"You blew up Downing Street!?"

"Rose just said that Donna, get some perspective."

"Rude." Rose chastises

"Still haven't found one beneath Big Ben though." The Doctor continues as if the conversation hadn't been derailed.

"Fingers crossed." Rose says before taking his hand and the pair begin down the hallway on foot with the couple following behind them, still baffled by their conversation.

Leaving the segways where they are the group head down the hall a little ways until the come across another door with the Torchwood logo. The clear door does nothing to hide the inside to anyone so they see the laboratory long before they enter but even then it is still awe inspiring.

It reminds Rose of the lairs the mad scientists had in those morning cartoons she use to watch on the telly. She stays near the Doctor as she eyes the tubes of clear, bubbling liquid with suspicion, a pounding headache forming behind her eyes.

"OH, look at this!" he exclaims happily, running up to the tubes. "Stunning! Particle extrusion!"

"What does that mean?" Rose asks, rubbing her temple in a futile attempt to help her headache.

Instead of explaining, the Doctor just continues with his thoughts. "Particle extrusion… Hold on." He runs to another tanks and taps on it. "Brilliant! They're manufacturing Huon particles! In case my lot got rid of Huons, they unravelled the atomic structure."

Lance perks up at that statement, latching onto it, "Your people? Who are they? What company do you represent?"

"Oh, I'm a freelancer. We both are." The Doctor replies evasively, gesturing to Rose as well. "But this lot are rebuilding them. They've been using the river! Extruding them through a flat hydrogen base so they've got the end result- Huon particles in liquid form."

He picks up the small test vial of Huon particles.

"And that's what's inside me?" Donna gasps.

The Doctor turns the dial on the top of the vial and Donna begins to light up as it does.

Rose feels a thrumming in her blood and glances down, staring at her hands horrified as she sees they are glowing as well. She begins to tremble and notices in her peripheral that Lance is looking at her like she is the strangest thing he has ever seen.

"But the particles are inert. They need something living to catalyse inside and that's you." The Doctor explains.

"…Doctor…" Rose whispers, but he doesn't hear her as he puts the puzzle together.

"Saturate in the body and then… HA!" he exclaims. "The wedding! Yes, you're getting married, that's it!"

"Doctor." Rose tries again.

"Best day of your life, walking down the aisle. Oh! Your body's a battleground!" The Doctor continues, for once completely oblivious to Rose even though she is only a few feet away from him, "There's a chemical war inside! Adrenaline, acetylcholine, WHAM!" Donna jumps slightly at his exclamation. "Go the endorphins! Oh, you're cooking! Yeah, you're a walking oven, a pressure cooker, a microwave, all churning away, the particles reach a boiling point… And SHAZAM!"

Donna, finally having enough of his rambling slaps him across the face and he reels back.

"What did I do this time?"

"Are you enjoying this?!"

The Doctor looks down ashamed of himself and openings his mouth to apologize but is cut off by,

"Doctor." Rose calls again.

"You've got 'em too?" Lance snaps.

Both the Doctor and Donna look over at their significant others and the Doctor's hearts freeze in his chest as he sees the gold glow emanating from Rose's body, "That's – that's not possible…" he stutters as he walks over to her and gently cups her cheek causing her to look up at him, "I… I took them out of you…"

"Maybe you could turn that off, yeah?" Rose asks in a hushed tone, "Stop the light show?"

Without taking his eyes away from Rose's the Doctor turns the dial at the top of the vial and slips it inside his pocket before cupping her face in his hands. He watches as the gold light fades and she returns to normal, except for her eyes that still hold golden flecks within the normal hazel.

"Right," Donna gasps out, "Just tell me. These particles? Are they dangerous? Am I… are we safe?"

"Yes." The Doctor answers automatically.

His single answer was meant to reassure them but both Donna and especially Rose see right through it.

"Doctor, if your lot got rid of Huon particles, why did they do that?"

The Doctor glances between Rose and Donna who are waiting for his answer, though the blonde is pretty sure she knows what it is. He says nothing as he strokes Rose's cheek.

"Doctor." Rose pleads.

"Because they were deadly." He finally admits, not able to lie to his precious girl.

"Oh my god." Donna cries.

Despite her own fear Rose reaches out to put a comforting hand on the bride's shoulder.

"Don't worry Donna. The Doctor will sort this, he always does." She reassures.

"No matter the danger, the distance, the obstacles, time, space or anything else."

Rose smiles at the words she used to encourage the bride to jump back on the motorway and nods her head.

The Doctor strides forward and places his hands on Donna's shoulders, "I'll sort it out, Donna. Whatever's been done to you, I'll reverse it."

"What about Rose?" she asks.

"Different matter altogether." The Doctor brushes aside, though on the inside he is utterly panicked at the thought of the Huon particles being inside his Rose. He almost lost her to the void and now there's a chance he will lose her to the particles.

"I promise you Donna, everything will be alright." He continues. "I'm not about to lose someone else."

They are all distracted by loud crashes and bangs that seem to come from every direction at once.

"Oh," a creepy female voice says from the shadows. "She is long since lost."

One of the walls slide upwards to reveal a secret chamber with a giant hole in the floor.

"I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe." The voice continues.

Rose watches as Lance, his eyes wide in horror hurries through a side door.

"Until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken."

The walls of the chamber are lined with robots in black robes and they all have guns at the ready.

The Doctor walks to the edge of the hole and peers down into it, "Someone's been digging, oh, very Torchwood." He comments. "Drilled by laser. How far down does it go?"

"Down and Down." The voice replies, "All the way to the center of the Earth."

The Doctor looks up in surprise, "Really? Seriously? What for?"

Rose moves close to the hole and carefully holds her hand over it, "There's no heat."

Her Time Lord turns to her in confusion, "What?"

"Why's there no heat?" she questions, "If this goes down to the center of the Earth, shouldn't there be heat or a breeze from the molten magma at the core?"

The Doctor grins happily and drops a kiss to her head, "Oh, you brilliant girl! See! That's why I need you around! Always noticing the things I miss! But you're right, something down there is blocking the heat or isn't completely down at the center."

"So, what's down there?" Rose questions.

"Dinosaurs."

Both turn to face Donna who is standing behind them with a confident smile on her face.

"What?" the Doctor asks.

"Dinosaurs…" Donna says, a little less certain this time around.

"What are you on about, dinosaurs?" he asks, thoroughly confused.

"She's talking about that film with the dinosaurs at the center of the Earth, Doctor." Rose explains.

"Trying to help."

"That's not helping." He returns. Rose smacks his arm.

"Be nice."

"Such a sweet couple." The voice says, drawing their attention back. "And lovely bride."

"Only a madman talks to thin air!" the Doctor proclaims as he looks around the cavernous room, "And trust me, you don't want to make me mad. Where are you?"

"High in the sky." The voice says. "Floating high on Christmas night."

"I didn't come all this way to talk on an intercom!" the Doctor snaps. "Come on, let's have a look at you!"

Rose elbows him in the side. Did he always have to jump headlong into dangerous situations!?

He looks at her confused.

"And who are you with such command?"

"I'm the Doctor."

"Prepare your best medicines doctor-man," the voice advises, "For you will be sick at heart!"

Rose and Donna jump in shocked horror when a spider with a humanoid female top with two pincer like arms and eight eyes. The blonde notices when the Doctor inches in front of her slightly, gripping her hand tightly within his.

"The Racnoss." He says slowly. "You're one of the Racnoss."

"Empress of the Racnoss." She snaps.

"What's a Racnoss?" Donna asks in a whisper.

"That's a Racnoss." Rose whispers. "If you're the Empress of the Racnoss, where's the rest of your kind? Or… are you the only one?" she asks the Empress.

The Empress smiles eerily at her. "Such a sharp mind."

"That's it." The Doctor agrees, trying to divert attention from his Rose. "The last of your kind. The Racnoss come from the Dark Times, billions of years ago. Billions. They were carnivorous. Omnivores. They devoured whole planets."

The Empress smiles eerily at them, "The Racnoss are born starving; is that our fault?"

"They eat people!?" Donna screeches.

The Doctor turns to face her, a grim expression on his face, "HC Clements did he wear those – those erm… black and white shoes?"

"He did!" Donna exclaims happily, not understanding his point. "We used to laugh, we used to call him the fat cat in spats."

Rose points at the ceiling in a sluggish sort of way, at the web above their heads, having spotted what the Doctor had long ago. A pair of black and white shoes poke out of the bottom of the web.

"I think Mr. Clements knew about this for a while… to say the least…"

"Oh my God." Donna gasps while covering her mouth.

"My Christmas dinner." The Racnoss gloats.

"You shouldn't even exist! Way back in history, the Fledgling Empire went to war against the Racnoss – they were wiped out." The Doctor scolds.

Lance suddenly appears on the balcony behind the Racnoss with an axe in his hand, unbeknownst to the Empress and signals for them to be quiet.

Rose can't tell why but gets a bad feeling in her gut as she tries to keep her gaze off the groom.

"But that's what I've got inside me, the Huon energy thing!" Donna screeches at the Empress, trying to keep her gaze off Lance. "Oi! Look at me lady, I'm talking! Where do I fit in? How come I get all stacked up with these Huon particles?!"

Lance comes up behind the Racnoss with the axe at the ready.

"Look at me, you!" Donna screams. "Look me in the eye and tell me!"

"The bride is so feisty." The Racnoss says with a laugh.

"Yes, I am! And I don't know what you are, you big… thing! But a spider's just a spider and an axe is an axe! Now do it!"

Lance swings his axe and the Racnoss spins around at the last second to hiss at him but then Lance stops. He glances around the Empress at Donna and then starts laughing with the Empress joining him a second later.

Rose glares fiercely at him while wrapping a comforting arm around the bride.

"That was a good one!" Lance says as he continues to laughing with the Racnoss. "Your face!"

"Lance is funny."

"What?" Donna asks in confusion.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor says sincerely.

"Sorry for what?" Donna says with a shake of her head. "Lance, don't be so stupid! Get her!"

The man in question shakes his head, "God, she's thick."

"Wanker." Rose growls while tightening her arm around the bride.

"Months I had to put up with her." Lance states in annoyance. "Months. A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map."

"I don't understand." Donna whispers numbly.

"How did you meet him?" the Doctor asks gently, trying to help her understand.

"In the office…"

"He made you coffee." Rose adds just as gently as the Doctor.

"What?" Donna questions, still not getting it.

"Every day, I made you coffee." Lance states as if he were speaking to an idiot.

"You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months." The Doctor explains.

"He was poisoning me?"

"It was all there in the job title," the Doctor states while gesturing to the man in question. "Head of human resources."

"This time its personnel." Lance jokes with a cheeky grin.

"Shut up!" Rose snarls.

"But…" Donna gasps. "We were getting married."

Lance sneers, "Well, I couldn't risk you running off. I had to say yes. And then I was stuck with a woman who thinks the height of excitement is a new flavour Pringle. Oh, I had to sit there and listen to all that yap yap yap – 'Oh Brad and Angelina! Is posh pregnant?' X Factor, Atkins diet, Feng Shui, split ends, text me, text me, text me. Dear God! The never ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia!"

As Lance continues his verbal abuse Donna's expression becomes more and more heartbroken, tears pooling in her eyes.

"I deserve a medal!" Lance declares.

"You deserve a kick in the arse you bastard!" Rose snarls as she marches forward.

The Doctor catches her around the waist and holds her tight to his side, "Is that what she's offered you? The Empress of the Racnoss? A medal?" the Doctor questions. "What are you? Her consort?"

"It's better than a night with her!" Lance returns.

Rose fights against the Doctor's hold, "You damned –"

"Rose…" the Doctor says in a vain attempt to get her to stop.

"But… I love you." Donna whispers, her heart in pieces as she watches the man she was going to marry.

"That's what made it easy." Lance sneers. "It's like you said Doctor – the big picture – what's the point of it all if the Human race is nothing? That's what the Empress can give me. The chance to go out there. To see it. The size of it all. I think you understand that, Doctor. You and your little blonde, don't you?"

"Who is this little physician?" the Racnoss questions.

"She said Martian." Lance says.

"Oh, I'm sort of… homeless." The Doctor evades easily. "But the point is, what's down there? The Racnoss are extinct. What's going to help you four thousand miles down? That's just the molten core of the Earth, isn't it?"

"I think he wants us to talk." Lance laughs.

"I think so too." The Empress says.

"Well, tough!" Lance growls. "All we need is Donna! Or maybe your little blonde!"

The Doctor glares and tightens his grip on Rose.

"Why the blonde girl?"

"She has Huon energy to, he said so." Lance explains to the Empress, who smiles gleefully at this revelation.

"Kill this chattering little doctor-man!" she declares.

The robots point their guns at him and Rose pulls free from his grasp to stand protectively in front of her Time Lord.

"Over my dead body!" Rose snarls.

"Rose." The Doctor says as he tries to pull her back.

"No!" Donna suddenly shouts and pushes her way in front of both her friends. "I won't let you!"

"Donna – it's okay."

"No, I won't let them!" Donna declares fiercely though she shakes violently.

"At arms!" the Racnoss continues.

"Ah, now. Except."

"Take aim!"

"Well, I just want to point out the obvious!" the Doctor says in a warning voice.

"They won't hit the bride." The Racnoss states. "They're such good shots."

"Just, just, just hold on, just a tick, just a tiny – just a little – tick." The Doctor continues. "If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship. So, reverse it … and the spaceship comes to her." With that he pulls out the vial he had still within his pocket and turns the dial on the top. Donna begins to glow as does Rose and a second later the TARDIS materialized around them.

---

They can hear the gunfire outside but the Doctor ignores it in order to run over to the console.

"Off we go." He says as he flicks the switches. "Oh, you know what I said before about time machines? Well, I lied and now we're going to use it."

Donna walks over to the jump seat and sits down, tears silently running down her cheeks. Rose walks over to her.

"You okay?" Rose asks despite she knows it's a stupid question.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I'm sorry, Donna." Rose says as she wraps an arm around the bride once more. "I know what it is… to be betrayed by someone you love."

"Did he… ever…" Donna gestures towards the Doctor who is watching them from the console.

"No… not the Doctor." Rose answers, a far off look on her face. "Another bloke from a lifetime ago. He betrayed me so many times until I finally got up the courage to walk away from him… My point is… it may take some time but you will be okay… You'll find another reason to live your life. The pain may always linger but it won't be forever."

Donna gives Rose a weak smile but doesn't say anything.

"First we stop her," The Doctor says, drawing Rose's attention. "To do that we have to figure out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up. If something's buried at the planet's core, it must've been there since the beginning. Molto bene! I've always wanted to see this. Donna – we're going back further than we ever have before."

He glances at the still miserable Donna who is sitting beside his Rose and swallows slowly, "We've arrived, wanna see?"

"I suppose." Donna agrees almost mechanically.

"It'll be brilliant." Rose encourages, she knows it won't fill the whole in Donna's heart but it might make her feel a little better.

The Doctor swings the monitor around and stops to think for a minute. "Oh, scanner's a bit small… Maybe your way's best. C'mon."

Rose rolls her eyes affectionately before leading the bride after the Doctor towards the doors.

"No human's ever seen this." The Doctor explains, "You'll be the first."

"All I want to see is my bed." Donna grumbles.

The Doctor tugs nervously at his ear before throwing open the doors and standing back a little so his companions could move ahead of him in the doorway.

"Donna Noble – welcome to the creation of the Earth." He says excitedly, wrapping an arm around Rose's waist. "We've gone back 4.6 billion years. There's no solar system, not yet. Only dust and rocks and gas." He points at the star just across from them. "That's the sun over there, brand new. Just beginning to burn."

"Where's the Earth?" Donna questions, glancing at the pair beside her.

"All around us… in the dust."

"First saw the end of the Earth." Rose says, her gaze locked firmly on the sight before her. "Now I get to see its beginning."

"First human to see both." The Doctor comments gleefully.

"It's beautiful." Rose breathes.

"Yeah," the Doctor says, his gaze on Rose. "Beautiful."

Donna smiles sadly and wonders once more how she could have ever thought that the Doctor had abducted Rose and held her against her will. The look on his face says everything; that Rose is everything. She wonders idly if anyone will ever look at her the way the Doctor is looking at Rose.

"Puts the wedding in perspective." Donna whispers half-heartedly. "Lance was right. We are just… tiny."

"That wanker doesn't know anything." Rose growls with a roll of her eyes.

The Doctor giggles (something he will deny for the rest of his lives) and plants a kiss on Rose's forehead. "No, but that's what you do. The human race. Making sense of chaos. Marking it out with weddings and Christmas and calendars. This whole process is beautiful, but only if it's being observed."

"So, we came from all this?" Rose asks.

"Isn't that brilliant?"

"I think that's the Isle of Wight." Donna suddenly adds as a hunk of rock floats by the TARDIS.

They all laugh at that when the Doctor releases Rose and heads back over to the console.

"Eventually gravity takes hold." The Doctor explains. "Say, one big rock, heavier than the others, starts to pull other rocks towards it. All the dust and gas and elements gets pulled in. Everything, piling in until you get the-"

"Earth." Both women answer together.

Behind them the Doctor makes some adjustments to the flow of time outside so it moves a little faster. "But the question is… what was that first rock?"

"Look!" Donna cries pointing at the star shaped ship that suddenly comes out of the gas surrounding them.

"It looks like a… a web." Rose states.

"The Racnoss…" the Doctor states. "Hold on – The Racnoss… are hiding from the war. So why are they here? What's it doing?"

The rocks, particles and gas all begin to pull together towards the Racnoss ship as if by some kind of magnetic force.

"Rose?" the Doctor calls when he gets no answer.

"Exactly what you said!" the blonde returns. "The ship is pulling all the rocks together."

He comes rushing back over to them and watches the scene unfold before them.

"Oh." He moans. "They didn't just bury something at the center of the Earth… they became the center of the Earth. The first rock."

"So, there's no molten core then?" Rose questions.

Before the Doctor can answer her question the TARDIS gives a violent shake and nearly throws them off their feet but they all manage to catch themselves.

"What was that?!" Donna screeches from her place by the doors.

"Trouble." The Doctor replies while slamming the doors shut and racing back to the console with Rose on his tail. Donna follows them a little more slowly since she isn't as use to the rocking about as they are.

"What the hell's it doing?!" Donna screams.

"Remember that little trick I pulled?" the Doctor questions as he flicks the switches. "Particles pulling particles? Well, it works in reverse. They're pulling us back!"

"Fan-bloody-tastic!" Rose growls as she holds desperately to the console as they continue to rock violently.

The Doctor tries desperately to regain control of his ship but it is already beyond his control as they are pulled through the vortex against their will.

"Well, can't you stop it!? Hasn't it got a handbrake!? Can't you reverse or warp or beam or something?!' the bride screams.

"Backseat driver." The Doctor growls. Suddenly his eyes widen in realization. "Oh! Wait a minute!"

He moves to one of the many panels under their feet and lifts it up. After searching a minute he pulls out a surfboard of some sort (a least that's what it looks like to Donna).

"The extrapolator!" Rose exclaims happily.

"The extrapolator!" the Doctor replies before hooking it up to the console. "Can't stop us but, it should be it should give us a good bump!" he whacks it with a hammer. "Now!"

The TARDIS gives another thump as it lands on the ground and the Doctor runs for the door, Rose right behind him as always and Donna once more trailing after them.

"We're about two hundred yards to the right." The Doctor says as he runs down the hall. "Come on."

They run down the hall until they come to a door that would lead up to the Thames Flood barrier.

Donna gasps in terror, "But what do we do?"

The Doctor crouches down and listens to the door with his stethoscope. "I don't know! I make it up as I go along! But trust me, I've got a history!"

"A pretty good one at that!" Rose adds.

The Doctor winks at her then focuses on listening once more.

"But I still don't understand." Donna speaks up. "I'm full of particles – but what for?"

"There's a Racnoss web at the center of the Earth. But my people unravelled their power source. The Huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss are stuck." The Doctor explains.

A robot comes up behind Donna and grabs her, covering her mouth to keep her quiet.

Rose, having seen this opens her mouth to warn the Doctor but the same fate befalls her and the pair are dragged off down the hall without the Doctor's knowledge.

"They've just been in hibernation for billions of years. Frozen. Dead. Kaput! So, you're their new key. Brand new particles, living particles! They need you to open it… and you two have never been this quiet…" the Doctor realizes as he turns around to find the hall empty behind him. "Oh no, no, no." He turns back to the door, his gaze dark as he churns with anger. "Big mistake."

No one takes his Rose from him. The Racnoss is going to pay for that.

He rushes back to the door and opens it only to come face to face with a robot and his gun.

---

"I hate you!" Donna snaps at Lance once she and Rose are strung up in the web alongside him.

"Yeah, I think we've gone a bit beyond that now, sweetheart." Lance hisses back while glaring daggers at her.

"This is your fault." The bride continues.

"Shut up!"

"Don't tell her to shut up." Rose growls.

"Whatever sweetheart!"

"My golden couple." The Empress says happily. "And the girl with glowing eyes, together at last. Tell me, do you want to be released?"

"Yes!" all three cry.

The Empress glares at them, "You're supposed to say 'I do'." She growls.

"No way." Lance scoffs.

"Not happening." Donna agrees.

"Never." Rose hisses, trying to ignore the pounding behind her eyes.

"Say it!" the Empress hisses.

Lance and Donna glare at each other.

"I do." The both spit.

All eyes land on Rose who glares at the Racnoss.

"Why do I have to say it?" she asks, trying to buy some time for the Doctor to do whatever it is he's going to do. "I'm not even getting married!"

"Say it!" the Empress hollers.

Rose rolls her eyes, "I do."

"I don't." the Empress says with a cackle. The three in the web all roll their eyes. "Activate the particles! Purge every last one!"

Donna and Lance begins to glow as the particles begin to leave their bodies and Rose releases a blood curdling scream. The particles leave her body as they do the others.

"And release!"

The particles from the couple fall into the hole but the ones from Rose hover around her before returning to her body.

After her screams die down and the particles return to Rose's limp form a vicious, animal like snarl erupts from the blonde. The couple stare at the young woman in confusion.

"You dare to attack the Wolf and threaten my Doctor and pack." She says in a strange tone.

"Rose…" Donna whispers as she watches the blonde whose eyes are still glowing gold.

The light surrounds her body and Rose 'blinks' out of the web and suddenly appears before the Racnoss Empress.

"You fight the inevitable. You will try to escape and end up burning in flames." Rose says, her voice has a strange echoing tone, as if someone (or something) is speaking through her. "Your fate is in your hands. It is in your best interest that you take the offer of the lonely god or you will burn in flames and your children will drown."

The Empress lets out a scream of rage and backhands Rose across the room.

"ROSE!" Donna cries as she watches the young blonde skid across the floor and stop near one of the glass tanks, unconscious from the blow.

"Her life is of no consequence." The Racnoss Empress states. "My lost children are now reborn to feast upon flesh! The web star will come to me!"

Donna stares in horror as a white light comes up from the hole and she can hear hissing and skittering noises begin to echo up from miles below.

"What's that then!?" Donna asks in terror. "What's down there?!"

"Are you really that thick!?" Lance snaps.

"My babies are hungry." The Empress explains. "They will need sustenance. Perish the web!"

"Use her!" Lance declares while gesturing to Donna with his head. "Use her, not me! Use her!"

"Oh, my funny little Lance." The Empress cackles. "But you were quite impolite to your lady friend. The Empress does not approve."

The Empress rears up and with her pincers she cuts the webbing around Lance and he falls down into the hole.

"LANCE!" Donna screams, her cries and his being swallowed up by the hole and the skittering echoing off the walls. A single tear drops off her cheek and falls into the hole after her doomed fiancé.

What is taking the Doctor so long? She wonders.

"My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them." The Empress states proudly. "So you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor-man."

One of the robed robots on the staircase stops walking and pulls off their hood and the mask to reveal the Doctor.

"Oh, well." He says calmly. "Nice try." He pulls the sonic out and points it at the webbing still trapping Donna and they start to give way.

"I'm going to fall!" she cries.

"No." the Doctor laments. "You're going to swing."

The webbing gives way and Donna grabs the thick piece before her and screams as she swings over the hole towards the Doctor.

"Don't worry Donna, I've got you!" he holds his arms open but he overestimated the length and Donna slams into the wall beneath him and lands on the floor with a thud. He looks down at her. "Oh… sorry."

"Thanks for nothing." Donna growls as she struggles to get up. Once on her feet she lifts her skirts and runs over to check on the still unconscious Rose. The Doctor watches her progress.

"These men are funny." The Empress laughs.

"Empress of the Racnoss – I give you one last chance." The Doctor declares, his voice full of authority and dark promise at the same time. "I can find you a planet. I can find you a place in the universe to coexist. Take that offer and end this now."

The offer of the lonely god. Donna thinks while glancing at the blonde whose head she has cradled in her lap. Those were the words she had said when she started glowing and everything, speaking as if she were someone else.

"Oh, I'm afraid I'll have to decline." The Empress cackles, obviously not taking him seriously and thinking she's already won this day. "But my babies will grow into mighty creatures once they feed upon the bride and your blonde pet."

"Threaten them and what happens next is your own doing." The Doctor states firmly.

"I'll show you what happens next – at arms!" she cries.

All the robots lining the walls raise their guns.

"Take aim!"

They all turn to face the Doctor, guns at the ready.

"And-"

"Relax." The Doctor declares and all the robots do as he said, slumping forward.

Donna raises a questioning brow and turns to look up at him from her place at the stairs, leaving Rose lying on the floor carefully. "What did you do?" she asks.

"Guess what I've got, Donna." He counters and pulls the controller from earlier out of his pocket. "Pockets!"

"How did that fit in there?" she questions in confusion.

He shrugs, "They're bigger on the inside."

"Robo-forms are not necessary." The Empress says proudly. "My children will feast upon Martian flesh."

"But I'm not from Mars."

"Where then?"

"My home planet is far away and long since gone." The Doctor states solemnly. "But its name lives on; Gallifrey."

A roar of pure rage erupts from the Racnoss, "They murdered the Racnoss!"

"I warned you. You did this." The Doctor says before he pulls some decorations from within his pockets and tosses them into the air.

"No!" The Racnoss denies in panic. "No! Don't! NO!"

The Doctor throws several handfuls of the decorations into the air before using the controllers to causing them explode into many the walls and water begins to flood the room. His face is cold with fury and disgust, no remorse whatsoever. Fire also begins to cloud the room and Donna cringes as she watches this unfold.

"My children!"

The Doctor watches silently as this all happens before him and Donna is instantly afraid of this man before her, not anything like the man she's been with all day. Finally she can take no more.

"Doctor!?" Donna calls out as she sits at the bottom of the staircase with Rose's limp form in her arms. The Time Lord glances down at her, his eyes utterly blank of emotions other than rage, a deep haunting rage that she's never seen before. It utterly terrifies her. "You can stop now!"

The Doctor looks at Donna for a moment before looking back at the Racnoss who is screaming for her lost children as the water floods around them. He then looks back at Donna but his eyes drift toward Rose and he finally snaps out of it. "Come on! We've got to get out of here!"

He runs down the stairs, removing debris as he goes before coming to help Donna. He scoops Rose up into his arms, holding her close to his chest as he runs back upstairs with Donna right behind him.

They run up the stairs and down the hall with the Doctor leading the way. Just as they reach the door to the ladder Rose groans and rubs her head. "Rose?"

"Did anyone get the number of that bus?"

"It wasn't a bus." Donna says as she gasps for breath.

"Aware of that, ta." Rose groans. "You can put me down now Doctor."

The Time Lord does so reluctantly.

"We need to shift." He orders.

With Donna leading the way and the Doctor going last they begin climbing the ladder to the top, water still raining down upon them.

"What about the Empress?" Donna asks.

"She's used up all her Huon energy. She's defenseless!" the Doctor replies.

They reach the top and clamber out onto the top of the flood barrier and the three watch as cannons fire at the star-shaped ship and destroy it. They all cheer loudly and the Doctor hugs Rose fiercely to his side.

After catching her breath Donna looks around, "Just… there's one problem."

The couple turn to face her.

"What's that?" Rose asks.

"We've drained the Thames."

Unable to help themselves all three burst out laughing at the craziness of the situation.

---

When the TARDIS materializes Donna steps out to find herself outside her parents' home and can see them hugging in the front sitting room.

Rose and the Doctor follow her out with the Time Lord looking over his ship. "There we go." He says happily. "Told you she'd be alright. She can survive anything."

Rose rolls her eyes fondly as she turns to face their new friend.

"More than I've done." Donna says with a sigh.

"You've done wonderfully, Donna." Rose says while giving her arm a comforting squeeze.

"No, I'm be right dead after this."

The Doctor scans her with the sonic, "Nope! All the Huon particles have gone. No damage, you're fine."

"What about Rose?" she asks, glancing at her young friend.

"As I said; different matter altogether."

Donna nods though she still doesn't understand. "Apart from that – I missed my wedding, lost my job and became a widow all on the same day… sort of."

The Doctor nods solemnly. "I couldn't save him."

"He deserved it."

"No he didn't." Rose states firmly.

Donna looks at her for a moment before sighing, "No, he didn't."

Lance may have betrayed her but no one deserved what happened to him. She turns to look at her house.

"I better get inside. They'll be worried."

"The best Christmas present they could ask for." Rose says with a small smile as her sight turns inward, her mind drifting back to her mother and good mate.

"Oh no." The Doctor says sadly. "I forgot – you hate Christmas."

Rose frowns at that, still not able to understand how someone can hate Christmas.

"Yeah, I do." She agrees weakly.

"Even if it snows?" the Doctor asks cheekily. He reaches inside the TARDIS and flicks some kind of switch. A beam of light shoots into the sky and a second later the white fluffy flakes begin to rain down on them.

Rose laughs and starts twirling around. Donna also laughs in delight, lifting her hands up towards the falling flakes.

"I can't believe you did that!" Rose cries excitedly when she spins back to face the Doctor who grins widely at her in return.

"Oh, basic atmospheric excitation."

Donna laughs and shakes her head. "Merry Christmas."

The Doctor and Rose both turn to face the bride. "Merry Christmas." They both say.

"So, what will you do with yourself now?" the Doctor asks.

"Not getting married for starters." Donna tries to joke. She sobers when she sees the other two look at her worriedly. "And I'm not going to temp anymore."

"Good." Rose says. "You can do so much better, you could."

Donna grins weakly at the younger woman. "I dunno." She finally admits. "Travel… see a bit more of planet Earth… Walk in the dust… Just go out there and do something."

"Well," the Doctor says while tugging on his ear nervously. "You could always…"

"What?"

"…Come with us…"

Rose blinks and turns to face her, a huge smile upon her lips. "Oh, yes! Please come with us Donna, it will be amazing!"

Donna smiles but shakes her head, "No."

"Okay." The Doctor says as he brushes off easily.

"I can't."

"No, it's fine." The Doctor continues, trying not to show how much it bothers him.

Donna watches the pair. "No, but really… everything we did today… do you live your lives like that?"

"Not all the time." The Doctor denies.

"We kind of do." Rose admits, earning a half-hearted glare from the Doctor. "But, it's not all we do. There's so much more to it."

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't do that." Donna says sincerely.

"But, you've seen it out there. It's beautiful." Rose argues, she really wants the redhead to come.

Said redhead nods sadly, "And it's terrible." She turns to look at the Doctor. "That place was flooding and burning and they were dying… and you just stood there like… I don't know… a stranger. And then you made it snow – I mean, you scare me to death!"

"I understand." The Doctor states, and he really does.

Rose, though she knows of the darkness the Doctor has it never really bothered her other than the one time in Utah because she has seen more of the good man than the darkness and she understands that that side of him has come from many terrible things from his past and is sometimes necessary to save the universe. But, she can understand why it would scare Donna.

"Tell you what I will do though; Christmas dinner." Donna exclaims, in an attempt to make up for what she said and because she really did want the pair to join her for the meal. "Oh, come on. You might as well, my mum always cooks enough food for twenty."

The Doctor turns to Rose who is watching Donna's family through the window, a stricken expression on her face as she crosses her arms, quickly closing in on herself. He walks over and wraps an arm around her, pulling her to his side.

"Thank you for the offer, Donna but I think it's best if we're alone for Christmas this year." He answers. "It's too soon for us."

Donna nods in understanding. "Am I ever going to see you two again?"

"If we're lucky." The Doctor replies cheekily.

"Just…" Donna glances at Rose sadly before looking back at the Doctor. "Promise me one thing; take care of Rose. She is good for you and you two need each other."

"You can count on it, Donna Noble." The Doctor says with a nod. "Thank you, for everything and good luck… and just – be magnificent."

"I think I will, yeah." She says with a smile and a laugh.

The Doctor guides Rose back into the TARDIS and Donna watches as the TARDIS shoots into the sky. She laughs before walking into her house.

---

The Doctor pulls Rose against his chest as she breaks down in tears once more, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. Without a word he scoops her up in his arms and carries her back to his room, lying beside her on the bed.

"I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about."

"What about Christmas?"

"Rose Tyler, we have a time machine." He says with a small chuckle. "We can celebrate Christmas when you're feeling up to it."

"Okay." She whispers before cuddling into his chest and falling into a fitful sleep.