Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, all content below is mine though. Except most dialogue.

Chapter 2: The Runaway Bride

Previously:

Rose rubbed her hands over her eyes, wiping the tears away. She took a deep breath and then turned her attention to the TARDIS console, pushing the buttons and levers as she walked slowly around it without any of her former enthusiasm. Suddenly, she looked up, eyes wide with shock. Standing by the door, with her back to her, was a bride.

"What?" Rose asked, astonished.

"Who are you?" The bride asked disdainfully.

"But-" Rose was dumbfounded as she looked around the TARDIS.

"Where am I?" The bride demands.

"What?!"

"What the hell is this place?" The bride yelled.

"WHAT?!" Rose cried out.

"What? You can't do that. I wasn't- We were in flight! That is-that is physically impossible. How did-" Rose stammered, absolutely stumped. Being a Time Lord meant she had knowledge beyond humans. She knew every planet and star and galaxy by heart. But she didn't know how a human could enter the TARDIS when she was in flight.

The bride didn't pay any attention to what the stumped Time Lord was saying. "I demand you tell me right now, where am I?"

Rose answered, "Inside the TARDIS."

"The what?"

"The TARDIS." Rose repeated, trying to figure out what was going on.

"The what?"

Rose sighed. "It's called the TARDIS." This could go on all day.

The bride angrily said, "That's not even a proper word. You're just saying things."

Rose chose to ignore that. Instead she asked, "How did you get in here?"

The bride, now rigid with rage, started ranting, "Well, obviously, when you kidnapped me. Who was it? Is it Nerys? Oh my God, she's finally got me back. This has got Nerys written all over it."

Rose watched her rant, looking her up and down with utter confusion. "Who the hell is Nerys?" she asked.

The bride snapped, "Your best friend."

Rose noticed her dress. "Hold on, wait a minute… what're you dressed like that for?"

The bride replied, her voice laced with sarcasm, "I'm going ten-pin bowling." She yelled, "Why do you think, Blondie? I was halfway up the aisle!" Rose fiddled with the TARDIS controls while the bride walked around continuing her earlier rant. "I've been waiting my whole life for this. I was just seconds away! And then you… I dunno, you drugged me or something!"

Rose's ears were starting to hurt. She protested, "I haven't done anything!"

The bride payed no attention. "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!" She shouted as she noticed the doors and rushed down the ramp.

Rose looked up in alarm and ran after her. "No, wait a minute. Wait a minute! Don't-"

Too late. The bride opened the doors and looked at the supernova. Her mouth hung slightly open. Rose stood next to her. "You're in space. Outer-space. This is…my…spaceship. It's called the TARDIS." She said, still finding it hard to call the TARDIS just hers.

The bride snapped out of her trance and asked, "How are we breathing?"

Rose said, "The TARDIS is protecting us."

"Who are you?" The bride asked, now a little scared of the Time Lord.

Rose answered, choosing to use her human name, "My name's Rose, Rose Tyler. You?"

The bride replied, still stunned, "Donna Noble."

"Human?" Rose asked, thinking it impossible for a human to get into the TARDIS while it was in flight.

"Yeah. Is that an option?" Donna said, mesmerized by the burning supernova ahead.

Rose replied nonchalantly, "It is with me."

Donna realized what she was saying and said, "You're an alien."

"Yeah, pretty much."

Donna turned her attention back to the supernova. She shivered. "It's freezing with these doors open."

Rose slammed the doors shut and walked to the console and asked, "Right. Now where is this wedding?"

Donna walked over and snapped, "St. Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System." She then grabbed one of the Doctor's pinstriped coats off the railing. "I knew it! Acting all innocent. I'm not the first one, am I? How many people have you abducted?"

Rose looked at it. "It's my friend's."

Donna could swear she almost heard the blonde's voice crack. "Where is he then? Popped out for a spacewalk?"

Rose looked away as her eyes filled up with tears. "I lost him."

Donna snapped, "Well you can hurry up and lose me then." Her eyes softened as she saw a tear roll down Rose's cheek. "How do you mean 'lost'?" Rose quickly wiped it away and took the coat and flung it through a door.

"Right then, Chiswick, London." She said with a fake smile but Donna saw the broken look in her eyes.

Donna came out of the TARDIS, the right time, the right planet, but unfamiliar surroundings. She said "I said: Saint Mary's. What sort of Martian are you? Where's this?"

Rose stroked the TARDIS with concern. "Something's wrong with her," She said as Donna rolled her eyes. "It's like she's... recalibrating!" She rushed back into the TARDIS and over to the console. "She's digesting." Rose continued. Donna was standing outside with her mouth open. She'd finally noticed what she'd stepped out of and how small it was in comparison to its interior.

Rose, with one hand on the rotor, said, "What have you eaten? What's wrong? Donna?" She called. "You've really gotta think. Is there anything that might've caused this?" Donna wasn't listening, she wass pacing around the outside of the TARDIS, feeling the walls in bewilderment.

"Anything you might've done? Any sort of alien contacts? I can't let you go wandering off in case you're dangerous. 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 a sort of metal or... who're you getting married to?" Rose started ranting. All the while, Donna completed her circuit of the TARDIS and popped her head back inside, as if to check whether she wasn't just imagining how big it was. Having confirmed this, she stumbled backwards, hands over her mouth. "Are you sure he's human? He's not a bit overweight with a zip around his forehead, is he?" Rose asked in a panic.

The strangeness of the TARDIS was too much for Donna, she ran. Rose ran after her. "Donna!" She fell into step beside her. "Donna." She tried to get her attention.

"Leave me alone. I just want to get married."

"Come back to the TARDIS." Rose tried to persuade her.

Donna refused, "No way. That box is too... weird."

"It's... bigger on the inside, that's all." Rose said.

"Oh! That's all?" Donna said sarcastically and sighed as she checked her watch. Suppressing tears, she said, "Ten past three. I'm gonna miss it."

Rose handed Donna her phone and said, "You can phone them. Tell them where you are." Donna took it and made a call.

She talked for a bit and then Rose asked her, "This man you're marrying, what's his name?"

Donna, suddenly all lovey dovey, replied, "Lance."

Rose muttered, "Good luck Lance."

Donna, changing her manner with terrifying abruptness, said, "Oi! No stupid Martian is gonna stop me from getting married. To hell with you!" And she ran off.

Rose feebly said, "I'm... I'm not... I'm not... I'm not from Mars." Then realized something and she ran after her. "Oi! You still have my phone."

Rose was running after Donna, who was hopelessly trying to hail a taxi. She looked on the side and saw a brass band of Santas much like the one she and the Doctor had faced last Christmas. She saw them aiming their instruments at her and she sonicked an ATM machine. Bills of money came flying out and hordes of people rushed between Rose and the Santas to grab at them. Rose saw Donna getting into a taxi driven by a Santa.

"Thanks for nothing, Spacewoman! I'll see you in Court." She shouted out the window. Rose ran back to the TARDIS and made preparations to rescue Donna.

Rose pulled up alongside the taxi and shouted out to Donna, "Open the door!"

Donna shouted back, "Do you what?" Rose repeated, "Open the door!"

Donna said desperately, "I can't, it's locked!" Rose sonicked the door, allowing Donna to push the window down. Donna, like she didn't already know, shouted, "Santa's a robot."

Rose was getting impatient, "Donna, open the door."

Donna shouted, "What for?"

Rose explained, "You've got to jump!"

The robot driver turned his head slightly at this. Donna shrilly screamed, "I'm not bleedin' flip jumping, I'm supposed to be getting married!" The robot put his foot down and the taxi overtook the TARDIS.

Rose pulled on the string, causing random explosions from the console once more and the TARDIS banged the roof of the car of a distressed man before pulling itself back in line with the taxi. The children, still watching, muttered to each other excitedly. Rose struggled to regain her balance, then sonics the robot, disabling it. Rose yelled, "Listen to me, you've got to jump."

Donna obstinately yelled back, "I'm not jumping on a motorway."

Rose said, "Whatever that thing is, it needs you. And whatever it needs you for, it's not good. That I know. Now, come on!"

Donna yelled to match her, "I'm in my wedding dress!"

Rose was now exasperated, "Yes! You look gorgeous! Come on!"

Breathing heavily with fear, Donna opened the door and positioned herself ready to jump. Rose held out her arms to catch her. The children were chanting "Jump! Jump!" from inside their car.

Donna fearfully said, "I can't do it."

Rose calmly said, "Trust me, Donna. Trust me. You will be alright. Okay? Now, jump!"

Donna said, referring to the Doctor, "Is that what you said to him? Your friend? The one you lost? Did he trust you?"

Rose felt tears streaming down her face now. But she didn't care. All she wanted to do now was save this woman. It's what the Doctor would have done. She took a deep breath and said, "Yes, he did. And he is not dead. He is so alive. Now, jump!"

So Donna, with a scream, jumped and landed on top of Rose in a heap on the TARDIS floor. Rose groaned and smiled her signature smile up at Donna, "Hello."

On a rooftop, Donna looked at her watch. It had just gone half three. Rose had landed them on the roof of some high rise building and was now coughing and spluttering as she tried to extinguish the smoke billowing from the TARDIS doors.

Rose joined Donna and said, "The funny thing is, for a spaceship, she doesn't really do that much flying. We'd better give her a couple of hours. You all right?"

Donna shrugged, "Doesn't matter."

Rose said in sympathy, "Did we miss it?"

Donna replied, "Yeah."

Rose tried to comfort her, "Well, you can book another date,"

Donna agreed, "Course we can."

Rose continued, "Still got the honeymoon,"

Donna said, "It's just a holiday now."

Rose ashamed, blamed herself and said, "Yeah... yeah... sorry."

Donna comforted her, "Hey, it's not your fault."

Rose mumbled, "Oh. That's a change."

Donna said, "Wish we had a time machine. Then we could go back and get it right."

Rose, sheepishly said, "Yeah, yeah. But... even if I did, I couldn't go back on someone's personal timeline. Apparently." Donna gave her a suspicious glance before going to sit on the edge of the roof.

Rose sat next to her, giving her the coat Donna had found earlier in the console room and draped it around her shoulders. Donna, shocked, said, "God, your friend's skinny. This wouldn't fit a rat."

Rose laughed and said, "Oh and you'd better put this on." She brought out what looked like a wedding ring from her pocket.

Donna, exasperated, said, "Oh, do you have to rub it in?"

Rose explained, "Oi! I'm not like that! Those creatures can trace you. This is a bio-damper. Should keep you hidden." She slipped it onto her finger." Rose joked, "With this ring, I thee bio-damp."

Donna mumbled, "For better or for worse." Rose smiled at her. Donna changed the subject, "So, come on then. Robot Santas, what are they for?"

Rose rambled off, "Eh, your basic robo-scavenger. The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. They're trying to blend in. I met them last Christmas."

Donna, completely oblivious asked, "Why, what happened then?"

Rose was shocked that Donna didn't know about what happened last Christmas, "Great big spaceship? Hovering over London? You didn't notice?"

Donna dismissively said, "I had a bit of a hangover."

Rose decided not to pursue this. She scanned the landscape and noticed the Powell Estate. She nodded in the direction of it, "I spent Christmas Day just over there, the Powell Estate. With my... family. My friend, he was there, he had dinner with us." She paused for a moment, lost in thought. She snapped out of it and said, "Still... gone now."

Donna looked at her, "Your friend... who was he?"

Rose ignored the question and said, "Question is, what do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you? And how did you get inside the TARDIS? I don't know," She contemplated Donna who rolled her eyes. Rose pulled out her sonic screwdriver out of her jacket pocket and tried to find out what happened. What's your job?"

Donna replied, "I'm a secretary."

Rose scanned her, "It's weird, I mean, you're not special, you're not powerful, you're not connected, you're not clever, you're not important."

Donna asked, "This friend of yours, did he leave because you're rude?"

'She's right. I sound like the Doctor.' Rose thought. Donna whacked the screwdriver aside and, now annoyed, said, "Stop bleeping me!"

Rose asked, "What kind of secretary?"

Donna explained, remembering everything, "I'm at HC Clements. It's where I met Lance. I was temping. I mean, it was all a bit posh really. I'd spent the last two years at a double glazing firm. Well, I thought, I'm never gonna fit in here. And then he made me a coffee. I mean, that just doesn't happen. Nobody gets the secretaries a coffee." She looked at Rose, who was listening intently and continued, "And Lance, he's the head of HR! He don't need to bother with me! But he was nice, he was funny. And it turns out he thought everyone else was really snotty too." "So that's how it started, me and him, one cup of coffee. That was it." She finished.

Rose asked, "When was this?"

Donna said, "Six months ago."

Rose said, "Bit quick, to get married, if you ask me."

Donna said, "Well... he insisted. And he nagged... and he nagged me. And he just wore me down and then finally, I just gave in."

Rose scoffed, compensating for it with a few forced coughs when Donna heard her and looked at her, something told her it was Donna who did the nagging. She asked, "What does HC Clements do?"

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

Rose murmured, trying to figure it out, "Keys..."

Donna continued, "Anyway, enough of my CV. Come on, it's time to face the consequences. Oh, this is gonna be so shaming. You can do the explaining, Martian-girl."

Rose said, "Yeah. I'm not from Mars." Donna nodded.

Rose stood up and lent Donna a hand to help her up, who said, "Oh, I had this great big reception all planned. Everyone's gonna be heartbroken."

However, it looked as though everyone had decided to go on with the reception without Donna. 'Merry Christmas Everybody' blared out at full volume, everyone was dancing, drinking, eating and laughing. Rose and Donna walked in. Donna looked around at the merriment, thunderstruck. She folded her arms.

Donna's mother, Sylvia, spotted her first and froze. The rest of the room soon followed suit until all was silent and all eyes were on Donna and Rose. Donna asked, "You had the reception without me?"

Lance asked, "Donna... what happened to ya?"

Donna asked again, raising her voice a notch, "You had the reception without me?!"

An awkward pause. Rose said cheerfully, "Hello! I'm the Vixen. But you can call me Rose."

Donna said, turning to her, "They had the reception without me."

Rose nodded, "Yes, I gathered."

A blonde said, "Well, it was all paid for, why not?"

Donna snapped, "Thank you, Nerys."

Sylvia approached Donna. "Well, what were we supposed to do? I got your silly little message in the end: 'I'm on Earth'? Very funny. What the hell happened? How did you do it? I mean, what's the trick because I'd love to know..."

The whole room started talking at the same time until all Donna could hear is an incomprehensible babble of voices, so she burst into tears, at which their anger melted into pity. Lance hugged her and she cried into his shoulder. Everyone applauded, and Donna winked at Rose through her fake tears. Rose smirked.

The reception party continued as before, except now Donna had joined in with the dancing. Rose, leaning against the bar, smiled slightly as she watched her. She noticed a man with a mobile phone and gestured to borrow it. The man nodded and handed it over. Rose did a WAP search for HC Clements. She cast a look around the room before using her sonic screwdriver to speed the process up; the result "Sole Prop. TORCHWOOD" was displayed on the screen.

Rose's eyes flashed as she closed the phone and gave it back to the man, memories now flooding back to her. The music became more prominent as she watched the dancing. Her eyes fell onto a couple dancing. The man threw the woman backwards over his arm and Rose was reminded briefly of the moment on New Earth when she fell into the Doctor's arms after Cassandra left her body. She swallowed thickly and looked away.

Rose noticed the cameraman in the corner, who was recording the proceedings. She went to the cameraman's side as he put a tape in the camera to show Rose. He said, "I taped the whole thing, they've all had a look. They said: "sell it to You've Been Framed". I said: "more like the News". Here we are..." He played the tape, the camera captured Donna as she seemingly disintegrated into golden particles with a scream.

Rose licked her lips. "Can't be! Play it again?"

"Clever, mind! Good trick, I'll give her that. I was clapping."

Rose watched the video again, brow furrowed incredulously. "But that looks like... Huon Particles!"

The camera man asked, "What's that?"

Rose said, "That's impossible, that's... ancient! Huon energy doesn't exist anymore, not for billions of years! So old that..." Her eyes were suddenly drawn to the ring/biodamper she earlier placed on Donna's finger. "...it can't be hidden by a biodamper!" She ran as fast as she could to a window, and sure enough, there were the Santas, making their way slowly to the house.

Rose rushed back to Donna and said, "Donna! Donna, they've found you."

Donna said, "But you said I was safe."

Rose said urgently, "The biodamper doesn't work. We've got to get everyone out."

Donna breathed, looking around at everyone, "Oh, my God, it's all my family..."

"Out the back door!" Rose and Donna ran out the back door, only to be confronted with two of the Santas. "Maybe not." They ran back inside.

Rose darted over to another window and saw two more Santas. Donna said, "We're trapped."

The Santas were holding some kind of remote control, which they raised. Rose looked at the Christmas tree in the middle of the room. She murmured, "Christmas trees..."

Donna asked, "What about them?"

"They kill." Rose ran into the crowd. "Get away from the tree!"

Donna said, "Don't touch the trees!"

Rose said, "Get away from the Christmas trees, everyone get away from them!" The Santas were at the ready with their remote controls.

Donna ushered a group of little girls away from the Christmas tree. "Out! Lance, tell them!"

Rose said, "Stay away from the tree! Stay away from the tree!"

Sylvia said, "Oh, for God's sakes, the woman's an idiot! Why? What's a Christmas tree gonna... oh!" She trailed off as she observed the baubles float away from the tree in some kind of weird dance.

Rose watched them mistrustfully as they hovered above everyone's heads. Everyone chattered excitedly until they started dive-bombing around the room and causing small explosions. Everyone started screaming and running for cover. Donna pulled Lance down to hide under a table with her.

Rose ran over to the DJ's stand. The Santas were lined up opposite. Rose called, "Oi! Santa! Word of advice: if you're attacking a woman with a sonic screwdriver..." She spoke into the microphone, "...don't let her near the sound system." She held her sonic screwdriver next to the amplifiers and it made a horrible, high-pitched screeching sound.

Everyone covered their ears and the Santas vibrated violently until they fell to pieces. Rose removed her sonic screwdriver and then ran to examine the mechanics of the Santas. Everyone began to get up off the floor. Rose picked up the consoles which the Santas were using. She murmured as Donna knelt by her, "Look at that, remote control for the decorations..." She showed Donna the hand that held the consoles. "...but there's a second remote control for the robots." She examined the head of one. "They're not scavengers anymore. I think someone's taken possession."

Donna said, "Never mind all that, people have been hurt."

Rose replied, "Nah, they wanted you alive, look," She threw her a bauble. "they're not active now."

Donna said, "All I'm saying, you could help."

Rose said, holding the head to her ear, "Gotta think of the bigger picture... there's still a signal!" And with that, she took off.

Donna made to follow her when Sylvia asked, scared, "Donna... who is she? Who is that woman?"

Donna didn't have an answer for her. She followed Rose, leaving Sylvia and Lance staring after her.

Donna followed Rose outside where she stood scanning the helmet with her sonic screwdriver. "There's someone behind this, directing the robo-force."

Donna asked, "But why is it me? What have I done?"

"If we find the controller, we'll find that out. Oh!" Rose raised her sonic screwdriver into the air. "It's up there. Something in the sky." Her screwdriver beeped. "Crap, I've lost the signal. Donna, we've got to get to your office, HC Clements. I think that's where it all started." Lance came out. "Lance, is it Lance? Can you give me a lift?" She darted off without waiting for an answer.

Rose, Donna and Lance arrived at HC Clements. They ran into the building and then into Donna's office. Rose went straight to a computer and said, "This might just be a locksmiths, but HC Clements was brought up twenty three years ago by the Torchwood Institute."

Donna asked, "Who are they?"

Rose replied, "They were behind the battle of Canary Wharf." Blank silence from Donna. "...Cyberman invasion." Donna looked at her inquiringly. Rose asked, "Skies over London full of Daleks?"

Donna said, "Oh, I was in Spain."

"They had Cybermen in Spain."

Donna explained, "Scuba diving."

Rose sighed, "That big picture, Donna, you keep on missing it." She darted over to another computer. "Torchwood was destroyed, but HC Clements stayed in business. I think... someone else came in and took over," She whacked the monitor. "the operation."

Donna asked, "But what do they want with me?"

Rose turned to her, giving Donna her full attention. "Somehow you've been dosed with Huon energy. And that's a problem because Huon energy hasn't existed since the Dark times. The only place you'd find a Huon particle now is a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS. See? That's what happened. Say... that's the TARDIS," She showed Donna a mug. "And that's you." Rose picked up a pencil. "The particles inside you activated. The two sets of particles magnetised and whap!" She threw the pencil into the mug. "You were pulled inside the TARDIS."

Donna asked, weakly, "I'm a pencil inside a mug?"

Rose replied, "Yes, you are. 4H. Sums you up." She turned to Lance. "Lance? What was HC Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?"

Lance replied defensively, "I don't know, I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager." Rose held her sonic screwdriver to the screen and it instantly displayed the page she was looking for. "Why am I even explaining myself? What the hell are we talking about?"

Rose said, "They make keys, that's the point. And look at this..." A 3D plan of the building came up on the screen. "... we're on the third floor."

Rose, Lance and Donna waited for the lift to come down to their floor. "Underneath reception, there's a basement, yes?" The doors pinged open and Rose went inside and looked at the controls. "Then how come when you look on the lift, there's a button marked "lower basement"? There's a whole floor which doesn't exist on the official plans. So what's down there, then?

Lance asked, "Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?"

Rose replied, "No, I'm showing you this building's got a secret floor."

Donna said, "It needs a key."

"I don't." Rose sonicked the lock. "Right then, thanks you two, I can handle this. See you later."

Donna said, "No chance, Martian. You're the woman who keeps saving my life, I ain't letting you out of my sight." She joined Rose in the lift.

Rose sighed, "Going down."

Donna said pointedly, "Lance?"

Lance stammered, "Maybe I should go to the police."

"Inside." Lance meekly joined them in the lift.

Rose smirked and asked, "To honour and obey?"

Lance agreed, "Tell me about it, love."

Donna snapped, "Oi!" The doors closed and the lift descended.

The lift pinged when it reached the lower basement and Rose, Donna and Lance stepped out into a long, dark, dank corridor, dimly lit with an eerie green light. Donna asked, "Where are we? Well, what goes on down here?"

Rose replied, "Let's find out..."

Donna asked, "Do you think Mr. Clements knows about this place?"

Rose shrugged, "The mysterious H C Clements? I think he's part of it." Her eye was caught by something. "Oh, look, transport."

Rose, Donna and Lance trundled down the corridor each standing on their own electric scooters, all looking extremely comical. Donna looked at Rose and Lance and burst out laughing. Rose joined in, but Lance didn't get it. They came to a door which said "Torchwood - authorised personnel only", so naturally they abandoned their scooters as Rose turned the wheel that would open the door to reveal a ladder. She peered upwards and pointed at them both sternly and said, "Wait here. Just need to get my bearings. Don't... do anything." She started up the ladder.

Donna said, "You'd better come back."

Rose smiled at her cheekily and said, "I couldn't get rid of you if I tried."

Donna smiled. She and Lance watched Rose climb the ladder. Lance said, "Donna... have you thought about this? Properly? I mean, this is serious! What the hell are we gonna do?"

Donna, who wasn't really listening, replied, "Oh, I thought July." She smiled brightly at him and then turned her attention back to Rose climbing the ladder.

Rose reached the top of the ladder where she was confronted with the underside of a manhole. She used her sonic to open it and climbed out into daylight, she was overlooking the Thames Flood barrier. Rose went back in and climbed back down quickly. She jumped off the last rung of the ladder and said, "Thames flood barrier! Right on top of us. Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath."

Donna asked, "What, there's like a secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark?"

Rose got excited and said with a smile, "I know! Unheard of."

They entered some kind of laboratory, full of massive test tubes bubbling away and chemistry equipment. Rose, glad to get her understanding of science back again, happily said, "Oh, look at this! Stunning! Particle extrusion!"

Donna asked, "What does it do?"

Rose said, "Particle extrusion. Hold on," She darted over to one of the bubbling tubes and tapped it and said, "Brilliant. They've been manufacturing Huon particles. In case my people got rid of Huons, they unravelled the atomic structure."

Lance, who was confused, asked, "Your people? Who are they? What company do you represent?"

Rose realized what she said and quickly covered it up, "Oh, I'm a freelancer. 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." She picked up a small test tube full of the Huon particles.

Donna asked, "And that's what's inside me?" Rose looked at her and gently turned a knob at the top of the test tube, making the contents glow gold, and Donna with it. Donna panicking, shrieked, "Oh, my God!"

Rose explained, "Because the particles are inactive, they need something living to catalyse inside and that's you. Saturate the body and then... Ha!" Donna jumped out of her skin as Rose figured it out. "The wedding! Yes, you're getting married, that's it! Best day of your life, walking down the aisle, oh, your body's a battleground! There's a chemical war inside! Adrenaline, acetylcholine, wham go the endorphins, oh you're cooking! Yeah, you're like a walking oven! A pressure cooker, a microwave, all churning away, the particles reach boiling point, SHAZAM!" Donna slapped her. Rose indignantly asked, "What did I do this time?"

Donna asked, "Are you enjoying this?" Rose relaxed, ashamed of herself.

Donna walked towards her, breathing heavily in her distress. "Right, just tell me, these particles, are they dangerous? Am I safe?"

Rose sincerely said, "Yes! No! I don't know. Huon particles haven't been around for a long time."

Donna asked, "Rose... if your lot got rid of Huon particles... why did they do that?"

Rose quietly said, "Because they were deadly."

Donna, shocked, gasped, "Oh, my God..."

Rose comforted her, "I'll sort it out, Donna. Whatever's been done to you, I'll reverse it. I've lost everyone, I'm not about to lose someone else."

They were distracted by crashes and bangs that seem to come from all around them. A voice said, "Oh, she is long since lost." One of the walls slid upwards to reveal a secret chamber with an enormous round hole in the floor. The voice said, "I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe..."

Lance's eyes widened in horror and he hurriedly retreated through the door. The voice continued, "Until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!" The walls of the chamber were lined with the armed robots wearing black hoods. Lance ran as fast as he could down the corridor back to the door concealing the ladder, he opened it.

Rose peered down the hole and said, "Someone's been digging... oh, very Torchwood. Drilled by laser. How far down does it go?"

The voice said, "Down and down, all the way to the centre of the Earth!"

Rose, surprised, asked in disbelief, "Really? Seriously? What for?"

Donna shuffled forwards and answered, "Dinosaurs."

Rose asked, "What?"

Donna answered, "Dinosaurs?"

Rose asked, "What are you on about, dinosaurs?"

Donna said, "That film, Under the Earth, with dinosaurs. Trying to help!"

Rose whispered, "Donna, not right now. That's not helping."

The voice spoke again and said, "Such sweet friends."

Rose said, "Only a madman talks to thin air and trust me, you don't want to make me mad. Where are you?"

The voice said, "High in the sky, floating so high on Christmas Night."

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

The voice asked, "Who are you with such command?"

Rose said, "I'm Rose Tyler. The Vixen. Also known as Bad Wolf. I'm sure you've heard of me."

The voice said, "Howl your last cry then, Bad Wolf, for you will be sick at heart." Donna swore she heard some fear in that last sentence. She looked at Rose. Who could she be? That even creatures from beyond were afraid of her.

A giant spider-humanoid creature teleported herself into the chamber, snarling and growling. Rose's eyes widened as she murmured, "The Racnoss... but that's impossible, you're one of the Racnoss!"

The Racnoss corrected, "Empress of the Racnoss."

Rose said, "If you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss? Or... are you the only one?"

The Empress talked, ignoring Rose's question, "Such a sharp mind in such a young child."

Rose said, "That's it, the last of your kind." She turned to Donna and explained. "The Racnoss come from the Dark Times, billions of years ago, billions. They were carnivores, omnivores, they devoured whole planets."

The Empress said, "Racnoss are born starving, is that our fault?"

Donna said in disbelief, "They eat people?"

Rose asked, "HC Clements, did he wear those... those erm, black and white shoes?"

Donna answered, "He did! We used to laugh, we used to call him the fat cat in spats." Rose nodded and pointed to a web on the ceiling. A pair of black and white shoes still attached to the unfortunate HC Clements could just be seen poking out.

Donna cried out, "Oh, my God!"

The Empress licked her lips and said, "Mm, my Christmas dinner." She cackled.

Rose said, "You shouldn't even exist! Way back in history, the Fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss, they were wiped out." Lance appeared on a balcony above the Racnoss, unbeknownst to her. Donna spotted him and Lance motioned for her to stay silent.

The Empress explained with pride, "Except for me."

Donna, in a bid to distract her, said, "But that's what I've got inside me, that Huon energy thing. Oi! Look at me, lady, I'm talking. Where do I fit in? How comes I get all stacked up with these Huon particles?" Lance descended the stairs, axe at the ready. Donna continued, "Look at me, you! Look me in the eye and tell me."

The Empress said, "The bride is so feisty!"

Donna said, "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 swung the axe, the Empress swung around and hissed at the last moment, then he stopped. He glanced round at Donna and started to laugh and the Empress laughed with him.

Lance said to the Empress, "That was a good one. Your face!"

The Empress said, "Lance is funny."

Donna shouted, "What?"

Rose realizing what happened quietly said, "I'm sorry. Donna, I'm so, so sorry."

Donna asked her, "Sorry for what? Lance, don't be so stupid! Get her!"

Lance stared at her pityingly and said, "God, she's thick." Donna looked right back at him, so confused. Lance continued, "Months I had to put up with her. Months. A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map."

Donna said not understanding, "I don't understand."

Rose asked, "How did you meet him again?"

Donna replied, "In the office. I told you that."

Rose said, "He made you coffee."

Donna stared at her, "What?"

Lance said as though addressing an idiot, "Every day, I made you coffee."

Rose explained, "You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months."

Donna asked, "He was poisoning me?"

Rose said, "It was all there in the job title, the Head of Human Resources."

Lance said, "This time, its personnel." He and the Racnoss laughed.

Donna said, on the verge of tears, "But... we were getting married."

Lance said, "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."

Donna listened to this torrent of abuse with an expression of increasing hurt and confusion. Lance spat, "I deserve a medal."

Rose asked, "Oh, is that what she's offered you? The Empress of the Racnoss? What are you? Her consort?"

Lance sneered, "It's better than a night with her."

Donna, now with tears streaming down her face, looked up and said, "But I love you."

Lance nastily said, "That's what made it easy. It's like you said, Rose, 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, don't you, Rose?"

Rose spoke, "Well, I'm sort of homeless, but I do know one thing, and that's the fact that you're not hurting anyone while I'm here."

The Empress asked, "Who is this girl?"

Lance answered, "What she said, Martian."

Rose said, eyes flashing, "My name's the Vixen. And I'm Bad Wolf, Defender of the Universe." The Empress flinched. "A little child? Easy. The protector of the Universe? Now you're scared. Now answer me, what's down here? The Racnoss are extinct. What's gonna help you four thousand miles down? That's just the molten core of the Earth."

Lance said, "I think she wants us to talk."

The Empress said, "I think so too."

Lance said, "Well, tough! All we need is Donna!"

The Empress hesitated a bit before saying, "Kill this chattering child!"

Donna stood in front of Rose and said, "Don't you hurt her!"

Rose gently said, "No, no, it's all right. Donna, look at me, standing in front and protecting the Universe is most probably my job, not yours, okay?"

Donna, despite being frightened, shook her head and said, "No, I won't let them!"

The Empress ordered, "At arms!"

The robots pointed their guns at Rose. Rose calmly put Donna behind her and said, "Ah, now. Except."

The Empress continued, "Take aim!"

Rose said, "I just want to point out the obvious..."

The Empress said, "They won't hit the bride. They're such very good shots."

Rose said, "And even if they were going to, I would take a bullet for her and anyone in the universe any day. Just... just... just... hold on, just a tick, just a tiny... just a little... tick. If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship. So, reverse it... the spaceship comes to her." She tweaked the tube of Huon particles which caused both the particles in the tube and inside Donna to glow.

The Empress shouted, "Fire!" The robots fired their guns, but too late, the TARDIS had already materialised around them and Rose and Donna were safe inside. Rose darted to the console and said, "Off we go!"

Rose caught Donna looking at her and asked, "What?" Donna hugged her and said, "I can't believe you were going to protect me, even if it killed you."

Rose pulled away and said, "Oh, you know what I said before about time machines? Well, I lied. And now we're gonna use it." The TARDIS spun through the vortex. Rose said, "We need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up. If something's buried at the planet core, it must've been there since the beginning. That's just brilliant. I've always wanted to see this. Donna, we're going further back than I've ever been before." It's only then that she notices Donna's shoulders are shuddering with the silent tears pouring down her cheeks.

The TARDIS having arrived at her destination, clicked quietly as she cooled down. Rose peered around the console as a miserable Donna sat in one of the chairs. Rose said, quietly, "We've arrived... want to see?"

Donna unenthusiastically replied, "I s'pose."

Rose swung the monitor round and said, "Oh, that scanner's a bit small. Maybe your way's best." She went to the door and waited for Donna and said, "Come on." Donna stood resignedly and joined her. Rose said, "No human's ever seen this. You'll be the first."

Donna said, "All I want to see is my bed."

Rose said, "Donna Noble, welcome to the creation of the Earth." She opened the doors onto a spectacular sight. Donna's mouth fell open. The sun shined through beautiful coloured dust and gas clouds, enormous rocks floating around. "We've gone back 4.6 billion years. There's no solar system, not yet. Only dust and rocks and gas." She pointed. "That's the Sun over there, brand new. Just beginning to burn."

Donna asked, "Where's the Earth?"

Rose replied, "All around us... in the dust."

Donna muttered, "Puts the wedding in perspective. Lance was right. We're just... tiny."

Rose said, "No, but that's what you do. The human race. Making sense out of chaos. Marking it out with weddings and Christmas and calendars. This whole process is beautiful, but only if it's being observed."

Donna asked, "So, I came out of all this?"

Rose said, smiling, "Isn't that amazing?" A massive chunk of rock floated lazily past the TARDIS.

Donna joked, "I think that's the Isle of Wight." They laughed.

Rose explained, "Eventually, gravity takes hold. Say, one big rock, heavier than the others, starts to pull other rocks towards it. All the dust and gas and elements get pulled in, everything, piling in until you get the…"

Donna finished for her, "Earth."

Rose said, "But the question is... what was that first rock?" A star shaped rock emerged through the clouds.

Donna pointed it out, "Look."

Rose breathed, "The Racnoss..." She rushed back to the console and turned a wheel frantically. Rose warned, "Hold on, the Racnoss are hiding from the war! What's it doing? The rocks, the particles of dust and gas, they're all zooming towards the Racnoss as though drawn by a magnetic force."

Donna said, "Exactly what you said."

Rose ran back to the door to look, realization dawning on her face as she said, "Oh, they didn't just bury something at the centre of the Earth... they became the centre of the Earth. The first rock." The TARDIS suddenly shuddered violently and they were nearly knocked off their feet.

Donna asked, "What was that?"

Rose replied with a grim face, "Trouble." She slammed the doors shut.

Rose and Donna struggled to keep their balance as the TARDIS shuddered and tipped. Donna said, yelling over the noise, "What the hell's it doing?"

Rose said, "Remember that little trick I pulled, particles pulling particles. It works in reverse, they're pulling us back!" She desperately tried to pilot the TARDIS but it was beyond het control as they whirled through the vortex.

Donna asked, "Well, can't you stop it? Hasn't it got a handbrake? Can't you reverse or warp or beam or something?"

Rose said, "Backseat driver. Oh! Wait a minute!" She pulled out the extrapolator from underneath the console. Rose continued, "The extrapolator! Can't stop us, but it should give us a good bump!" The TARDIS materialised back in the chamber.

Rose whacked the extrapolator and said, "Now!"

The TARDIS disappeared and reappeared down the corridor. Rose and Donna emerged. Rose said, "We're about 200 yards to the right. Come on!" They ran.

Rose and Donna arrived at the doorway leading up to the Thames Flood Barrier. Donna asked out of breath and scared, "But what do we do?"

Rose who was listening behind the door with a stethoscope said, "I don't know! I make it up as I go along! But trust me, I've got friend who's got a history."

Donna said, "But I still don't understand. I'm full of particles, but what for?"

Rose explained, "There's a Racnoss web at the centre of the Earth, but my people unravelled their power source. The Huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss are stuck."

A robot grabbed Donna for behind, covered her mouth so she can't scream and dragged her away. Rose, who hadn't noticed, continued, "They've just been in hibernation for billions of years. Frozen. Dead. Kaput! So you're the new key. Brand new particles, living particles! They need you to open it and you have never been so quiet." She finally looked behind her and noticed that she had gone. She sighed and looked up and down the empty corridor. She opened the door with her sonic screwdriver, only to be confronted with an armed robot.

Donna who had joined Lance tied up in the web on the ceiling said, "I hate you."

Lance said, "Yeah, I think we've gone a bit beyond that now, sweetheart."

The Empress said, "My golden couple. Together at last, your awful wedded life. Tell me; do you want to be released?"

Donna and Lance said together, "Yes!"

The Empress said, "You're supposed to say "I do."

Lance scoffed and said, "Ha. No chance."

The Empress shrieked, "Say it!" Lance looked at Donna fearfully and said, "I do."

Donna opened her mouth and said, "I do."

The Empress said, "I don't." She cackled. "Activate the particles. Purge every last one!" Donna and Lance both began to glow again. The Empress ordered, "And release!" The particles extracted themselves from Donna and Lance and zoomed down the hole in the ground.

The Empress said, "The secret heart unlocks. And they will waken from their sleep of Ages."

Donna asked, "Who will? What's down there?"

Lance asked, "How thick are you?"

The Empress said, "My children, the long lost Racnoss. Now will be born to feast on flesh!" The chirping of the spiders and the patters of their feet could be heard coming up the hole. The Empress said, "The web-star shall come to me. My babies will be hungry. They need sustenance. Perish the web."

Lance pleaded, "Use her! Not me! Use her!"

The Empress laughed and said, "Oh, my funny little Lance! But you are quite impolite to your lady-friend. The Empress does not approve." The web around Lance loosened and he tumbled down the hole.

Donna screamed, "Laaaaaance!"

The Empress shouted, "Harvest the humans! Reduce them to meat." One of the robots ascended the stairs and ran up the side of the chamber. The Empress continued, "My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them!" She hissed and turned to the robot. "So you might as well unmask, you clever little girl.

Rose said, removing the mask and the cloak, "Oh well. Nice try. I've got you, Donna!" She aimed her sonic screwdriver up at Donna and the web loosened.

Donna screeched, "I'm gonna fall!"

Rose replied, "No! You're gonna swing!" Sure enough, Donna swung right over the hole on one of the strands of web and towards Rose. Donna screamed and swung right underneath Rose and smashed into the wall with a dull bang.

The Empress smirked. Rose apologized, "Oh. Sorry."

Donna was sprawled out on her back below her. Donna said, "Thanks for nothing."

The Empress said, "This Fox-girl amuses me."

Rose faced the Empress and snarled, eyes glowing gold, "Empress of the Racnoss, I give you one last chance. 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 Empress laughed, "This child is so funny."

Rose asked, "What's your answer?"

The Empress said, "Oh, I'm afraid I have to decline." She laughed again.

Rose said, "What happens next is your own doing."

The Empress shouted, "I'll show you what happens next." She hissed. "At arms!" The robots raised their guns. The Empress ordered, "Take aim!" The robots aim. "And..."

Rose said quietly, "Relax." The robots went limp.

Donna asked, "What did you do?"

Rose said, "Guess what I've got, Donna?" She pulled out the remote control from one of her pockets. "Pockets."

Donna, amazed, asked, "How did that fit in there?"

Rose grinned and replied, "They're bigger on the inside."

The Empress said, "Robo-forms are not necessary. My children may feast on Martian flesh."

Rose said, "Oh, but I'm not from Mars."

The Empress inquired, "Then where?"

Rose said, "My home planet is far away and long-since gone. But its name lives on. Gallifrey!"

The Empress shrieked, suddenly full of anger, "They murdered the Racnoss!"

Rose spoke with a dark look in her gold eyes, "I warned you. You did this." She brought out a handful of baubles.

The Empress, panicking, yelled, "No! No! Don't! No!" Rose threw several handfuls of the baubles into the air.

Some surrounded the Empress and some smashed into the walls of the corridor, destroying them and letting the water from the Thames rush through in torrents. Another bauble exploded causing a fire at the Empress' feet. She wailed as water flooded into the chamber and down the hole. The Empress screamed, grief-stricken, "My children!" Rose stood watching in silence, surrounded by fire and water, while the river swirled down the hole like a plughole.

The Empress, now hysterical and in torturous pain as she is consumed by flame, wailed, "No! My children! My children!"

Donna saw the dark look in Rose's eyes and said, "Rose! You can stop now!"

But Rose couldn't stop, she watched the Racnoss writhe and wail in agony with dark eyes, full of some secret pain and then, Rose said to Donna, "Come on! Time I got you out!" The two girls ran up the stairs, soaking wet. The Empress wailed behind them, "Transport me!"

The TARDIS materialised across the road from Donna's house. She and Rose stepped outside. Rose said, "There we go. Told you she'd be all right. She can survive anything."

Donna said, "More than I've done."

Rose scanned her and said, "Nope. All the Huon particles have gone. No damage, you're fine."

Donna said, "Yeah, but apart from that... I missed my wedding, lost my job and became a widow on the same day. Sort of."

Rose enveloped Donna in a hug and said, "I'm sorry, so sorry, I couldn't save him."

Donna pulled back and unfeelingly said, "He deserved it." Rose raised her eyebrow. Donna's face softened. "No, he didn't." She looked round at the house and said, "I'd better get inside. They'll be worried."

Rose said, "Best Christmas present they could have." They watched Sylvia and Geoff embrace each other through the window. "Oh, no, I forgot, you hate Christmas."

Donna said, "Yes, I do."

Rose looked at the sky and asked, "Even if it snows?" She tweaked a hidden switch on the TARDIS and a ball of light shot out of the top and exploded like a firework in the sky into softly falling snow.

Donna laughed with delight. "I can't believe you did that!"

Rose replied casually, "Oh, basic atmospheric excitation." She grinned at her and Donna smiled back.

Donna said, "Merry Christmas."

Rose smiled and said, "And you. So... what will you do with yourself now?"

Donna answered, "Not getting married for starters. And I'm not gonna temp anymore. I dunno... travel... see a bit more of planet Earth... walk in the dust. Just... go out there and do something."

Rose started to say something, "Well, you could always..."

Donna asked, "What?"

Rose tentatively finished, "... come with me..."

Donna smiled and said, "No."

The Time Lord answered quickly, "Okay."

Donna tried to explain, "I can't..."

Rose said with false indifference, "No, that's fine."

Donna spoke, overwhelmed. "No, but really... everything we did today... do you live your life like that?"

Rose unconvincingly said, "... Not all the time."

Donna put a hand on Rose's shoulder and said, "I think you do. And I couldn't."

Rose said, "But you've seen it out there. It's beautiful."

Donna added, "And it's terrible. That place was flooding and burning and they were dying and you were stood there like... I don't know... a stranger. And then you made it snow. I mean, you scare me to death!"

Rose spoke after a short silence, "Well then."

Donna spoke up, "Tell you what I will do though, Christmas dinner. Oh, come on."

Rose said, "I don't do that sort of thing."

Donna pointed out, "You did it last year, you said so. And you might as well because Mum always cooks enough for twenty."

Rose gave in, "Oh, all right then. But you go first, better warn them. And... don't say I'm a Martian." She indicated the TARDIS. "I just have to park her properly, she might drift off to the Middle Ages. I'll see you in a minute." She disappeared inside the TARDIS and it began to dematerialise, and that's when Donna realised she's never going to see her again.

Donna yelled, "Rose! Rose!" The engines stopped and the Rose popped her head outside the door. Rose said, "Blimey, you can shout."

Donna took a deep breath and asked, "Am I ever gonna see you again?"

Rose answered, "If I'm lucky."

Donna said, "Just... promise me one thing, find someone."

Rose said stubbornly, "I don't need anyone."

Donna replied quietly, "Yes, you do. Because sometimes, I think you need someone to stop you."

Rose answered just as quietly, "Yeah." She paused. "Thanks then, Donna, good luck, and just... be magnificent."

Donna smiled and laughed, "I think I will, yeah." Rose smiled and retreated back into the TARDIS. Donna called, "Rose?"

Rose opened the door and said, "Yeah?"

Donna started, "That friend of yours... what was his name?"

Rose answered with a lump in her throat, "The Doctor, just the Doctor, and I loved him." She closed the door for the last time, and instead of its usual dematerialisation, the TARDIS shot up into the night sky. Donna watched with a sad smile and then walked back home.

A/N- Done finally, Next chapter, Tyler and Jones. Please Review.