The four of them arrived at HC Clements and they ran into the building, Donna in the lead as she led them to her office and Romana went straight to a computer. "This might just be a locksmiths to you but HC Clements was brought up twenty three years ago by the Torchwood Institute." Romana told them.

Donna frowned. "Who are they?"

Braxiatel looked at her. "They were behind the battle of Canary Wharf." Another blank face. "...Cybermen Invasion? London Skies full of Daleks?"

"Oh, I was in Spain."

"They had Cybermen in Spain." Romana pointed out as she began to type.

"Scuba diving."

Braxiatel shook his head. Something was wrong but he couldn't place his finger on it. "Only you would miss alien invasions." He went onto the computer next to Romana. "Basically, Torchwood was destroyed in the battle of Canary Wharf but HC Clements stayed in business and I presume someone else took over the operation." He soniced the computer.

"But what do they want with me?" Donna asked, still confused as to what her part in this was.

Romana stopped typing and looked at Donna, giving Donna her full attention. "Someone has been drugging you with ancient Huon energy and that is a problem because Huon energy itself hasn't existed since the Dark times and really, in reality the only place where you can really find Huon particles is a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS so that's how you arrived in our ship. You understand?" Romana asked but Donna blinked in confusion before shaking her head. Romana grabbed a nearby mug. "Say this mug is the TARDIS." Braxiatel threw her a pencil and Romana caught it. "And this pencil is you. The particles inside you are activated and two sets of particles magnetise which then pulls you into the TARDIS." She threw the pencil into the mug.

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

"Yes and a 4H pencil at that." Romana put the mug down. "Lance, could you tell us what HC Clements was working on? Anything that looked suspicious?"

"I don't know, I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager." Lance said defensively and Romana looked at him as though there was something he wasn't telling them before she turned back to the computer, pointing her sonic screwdriver to the screen and going to the page she was searching for all along. "Why am I even explaining myself? What the hell are we talking about?"

"Your company makes keys but, look at this." On the computer was a 3D plan of the building on the screen. "We're on the third floor. Then you have the underneath reception, basement yes?" The humans nodded and they all made their way over to the lift and Romana looked inside at the controls. "But how come when you look at the lift itself, there's a button marked 'lower basement?' This floor doesn't exists on the official plans so, my question is, what is down there?" The lift door closes on them.

Lance frowned. "Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?"

"No, we're showing you Aladdin's cave," Braxiatel retorted sarcastically, making Romana laugh and Lance narrowed his eyes at him.

Donna rolled her eyes. "It needs a key."

"It doesn't when I have my sonic screwdriver," Romana replied and soniced the lock. "You two can go and get married now, we can handle this on our own. We are experts at these sorts of matters."

Donna scoffed. "No chance Mr and Mrs Martian. You Martians are the ones that are keep saving my life and I ain't about to let either of you out of my sight." She pointed her finger at them, looking at them both sternly and telling them she wasn't going anywhere.

"We're not married. I was his President and he was my Lord Cardinal though," Romana told them and Donna looked surprised at this, as did Lance. "But that's fine with us. What about your soon-to-be-husband?"

Donan looked at Lance pointedly. "Maybe you should open the doors open and I'll go and get the police." He meekly commented but Donna raised an eyebrow and he reluctantly sighed, knowing he has no choice in the matter.

Braxiatel looked at him. "To honour and obey?"

Lance looked amused. "Tell me about it, mate."

"Oi!" Donna scolded and playfully whacked Lance on the shoulders just as the lift was going down. The lift pings when it reached the lower basement and the four of them stepped out onto a long, dark dank corridor, dimly lit with an eerie green light.

"Where are we? Well, what goes on down here?" Donna asked looking around.

Braxiatel stiffened, knowing this corridor all too well. This was the corridor where he regenerated from. Where he saved Romana from getting exterminated by Dalek Sek. "This is where I died." He told them softly. "Not a place you really want to visit again."

Romana squeezed his hand. "I thank you for saving my life that day Brax. I owe you that but come on, let's find out what's going on here."

Donna shook her head, not understanding what the Time-Lord's were talking about. Died? How was that possible? Braxiatel was alive and well in front of her! But then again, these aliens could somewhat be immortal. "Do you think Mr. Clements knows about this place?" She asked as she and Lance followed them.

"I wouldn't be surprised if HC Clements was apart of this," Braxiatel replied, his moustache twitching before his eyes caught on something in the corner. "And it looks like we have transport too." They turned around to see four electric scooters and they all got on one each. Lance on one end, Braxiatel and Romana in the middle and Donna at the other and they were all trundling down the corridor on the scooters, looking extremely comical.

Donna looked at the Time-Lord's and Lance before bursting out laughing and Romana laughed delightedly and Braxiatel gave a slight chuckle but Lance merely raised an eyebrow, looking confused.

Romana stopped in front of a door which was labelled 'Torchwood' and they all came to a halt and abandoned their scooters as Braxiatel turned the wheel before opening the door and peering upwards before looking back at them. "You humans stay here. Myself and Romana just need to get our bearings and whilst we are gone, don't do anything stupid." He turned to Romana. "Ladies first."

Romana smiled pleasantly at him. "Why thank you my Lord Cardinal." Braxiatel rolled his eyes as Romana started up the ladder.

"You both better come back." Donna told them.

"Trust me, we're impossible to get rid of. The universe tried to get rid of Romana and failed." He shrugged before climbing after Romana.

Lance turned to Donna. "Donna...have you thought about this? Properly? I mean, this is serious! What the hell are we gonna do?"

Donna ignored him. "Oh, I thought July." She smiled brightly before turning her attention back to the Time-Lord's who were still climbing the ladder.

Romana reached the top of the ladder where she was confronted with the underside of a manhole. She opened it up and climbed out into day light and Braxiatel joined her. They stood, over looking the Thames Flood barrier.

"Pitiful." Braxiatel commented gazing around the area before shaking his head. "Come, let's go back down to the underground."

"Ah, the underground." Romana grimaced. She always hated the underground, especially during the Time-War when she was hunted from both sides. The underground was were all the horrors lurked underneath. "How I despise it." She jumped off the last rung of the ladder and Braxiatel did the same. She looked over at the humans. "Looks like Torchwood built the whole place underneath the Thames Flood barrier."

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

"Oh I know, completely unheard of." Romana smirked before they entered what appeared to be a laboratory, full of different sizes of test tubes that were bubbling away along with other types of chemistry equipment.

"Oh this is beautiful!" Romana couldn't help but exclaim, looking around at it with appreciation. It had been too long since she has come across a decent laboratory."What a beautiful laboratory! Ah the particle extrusion!"

"What does it do?"

Romana didn't have time to answer her question and she darted over to one of the bubbling tubes and taps on it, Braxiatel examining some of the scientific equipment that was laid upon the desk. "This is beautiful. Who ever holds this laboratory have been manufacturing Huon particles. In case our people got rid of the Huons for ever, they unravelled the atomic structure."

Lance frowned. "Your people? Who are they? What company do you represent?"

"But Romana, whoever they are," Braxiatel began, ignoring Lance. "Are rebuilding them by using the river. To me, it looks as if they have been extruding them through a flat hydrogen base so they have the end result which is to have Huon particles in a liquid form." He picked up a small test tube full of Huon particles and Romana looked through it on the other side, making her eye look bigger.

"And that's what's inside me?" Donna asked. Braxiatel turned a knob at the top of the test tube, making the contents inside of it glow which made Donna glow at the same time. She looked down at herself, shocked. "Oh, my god!"

Braxiatel nodded, his moustache twitching. "Because the particles are inert, they have to have something living to be able to catalyse inside which is you. So they saturate the body which is what happened to you at the wedding when you vanished and appeared into our spaceship." Donna nodded, understanding. "So, you're at your wedding when you have a chemical war inside you so it triggered it."

"But tell me this, Braxiatel, Romana. These particles...are they dangerous? Am I safe?"

"For now, but we don't know how long for." Romana admitted truthfully.

"But it still doesn't make any sense. If your people got rid of Huon particles, what for?"

"They were dangerous and anything dangerous, has to be destroyed." Braxiatel commented. Donna's eyes widened. "But we will sort it out Donna. Whoever done this to you, we promise we will reverse it. We are not going to lose you."

Suddenly there were loud crashes and bangs that seemed to echo all around the room and Braxiatel quickly got out his blaster, looking around and he unconsciously grabbed Romana's hand, pulling her close to him.

"Oh, she is long since lost." A voice hissed and suddenly, on one of the wall slides upwards to reveal a secret chamber with an enormous round hole in the floor. "I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe..." Lance eyes widened with horror and he hurriedly retreated through the door. "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 and Braxiatel tightened his grip on his blaster.

"Oh very Torchwood." Romana commented dryly as she peered down the hole. "Drilled by laser. Tell me, how far does it go down?"

"Down and down, all the way to the centre of the Earth!" The voice hissed again.

"But what for?" Braxiatel had to ask.

"Dinosaurs." Donna replied, shuffling forwards.

Romana blinked, looking confused. "What?"

"Dinosaurs?" Donna suggested again, hoping they would get the reference.

"Dinosaurs? There are no dinosaurs down there." Romana peered down the hole again as though to double check. "At least I don't think so."

"What are you talking about dinosaurs for?" Braxiatel asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That film, Under the Earth, with the Dinosaurs. Trying to help!" Donna shrugged, looking sheepish.

"It's really not helping." Braxiatel commented, shaking his head. He had never seen the film.

"Such a sweet friendship." The voice hissed.

"Only a madwoman would talk to thin air and if I were you, you really don't want to make me mad otherwise there will be consequences." Romana replied.

"Trust me when she says that. Her being mad is not something you want to see." Braxiatel inputted, smirking and Donna looked amused.

Romana scowled."Besides, where are you? Its very rude to hide your face when you are talking to someone. Maybe not in your culture perhaps, but in ours it's considered rude." Romana told them.

"High in the Sky, floating so high on Christmas Night."

"We didn't travel all this way to talk to you on the intercom. You're being very rude have I mentioned that?" Romana replied.

"Who are you with such command?" The voice hissed angrily.

"You really don't want to know." Braxiatel replied, smirking and Romana rolled her eyes.

"Then prepare your best medicines, strangers, for you will be sick at heart." Suddenly, a Racnoss appeared in the chamber, snarling and growling at them. But it was no ordinary Racnoss, it was the Empress.

"Racnoss!" Romana snarled. "I thought your people were extinct."

"Empress of the Racnoss." The Empress hissed, ignoring Romana's statement.

Braxiatel frowned. "Excuse me but if you're the Empress where is the rest of your people? You can't be an Empress without having to rule others."

"Unless she's the last of her kind." Romana commented grimly and Braxiatel nodded in understanding. Romana looked at Donna. "The Racnoss are from the Dark Times which was billions and billions of years ago. They were a carnivores, omnivores and devoured whole planets."

"Racnoss are born starving! Is that our fault?!" The Racnoss hissed, insulted.

Donna grimaced. "They eat people?"

"This HC Clements of yours, did he wear black and white shoes?" Braxiatel asked, looking up at the ceiling.

Donna grinned. "He did! We used to laugh, we used to call him the fat cat in spats." Braxiatel pointed up to a web on the ceiling where they could see a pair of black and white shoes still attached to the unfortunate HC Clements. Donna's eyes widened with horror. "Oh my god!"

"Mm, my Christmas dinner!" The Empress cackled.

"But the thing is, your majesty, you shouldn't exist. Let's go and take a mini history lesson." Romana began to pace up and down in front of the Empress, hands in pockets. "Remember the Fledgling Empires? They went to war against your people then they were wiped out." Suddenly, Lance appeared on a balcony above the Racnoss was ignorant of his presence and Donna and Braxiatel spotted him and Braxiatel couldn't help but frown, not liking what he was doing and Lance motions for them to stay silent.

"Except for me." The Empress snarled.

"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 come I get all stacked up with these Huon particles?" Donna asked angrily, trying to distract the Empress as Lance descended the stairs, axe at the ready. "Look at me, you! Look at me in the eye and tell me!"

"The bride is so feisty!"

"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!" Donna yelled and Lance who was about to swing the axe and the Empress swung around and hisses at the last moment but then he stopped. He glanced around at Donna before he started to laugh and the Empress laughed with him. Romana shook her head, disgusted.

"That was a good one! Your face!" Lance laughed.

"Lance is funny." The Empress hissed, laughing.

"What?" Donna blinked, looking hurt.

"I'm sorry Donna." Romana told her quietly.

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

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

"I don't understand?" Donna asked, uncomprehending.

"You met Lance in the office didn't you?" Romana asked her and Donna nodded. "He made you coffee. Back in the TARDIS, I've said someone been drugging you with Huon energy. To me, it looks like Lance has been drugging you with liquid particles over six months."

Donna looked flabbergasted. "He was poisoning me?"

Braxiatel nodded grimly. "And if you look closely at his job title, head of Human Resources." Donna looked sickened.

"This time, it's personnel." Lance spoke and he and the Racnoss laughed.

"But...we were getting married." Donna spoke.

Lance shrugged. "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. X Factor, Atkins Diet, Feng Shui, split ends, text me, text me, dear God, the never ending foundation of fat, stupid trivia." Donna listened to the torrent of abuse, looking extremely hurt and confused. "I deserve a medal."

"Is that what you offered him then?" Romana asked the Racnoss. "What are you in return? Her consort?"

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

"But I love you." Donna said plaintive. She had given him her love only for him to abuse it.

"That's what made it easy. 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...to go out there. To see it. The size of it all. I think you, Romana and you, Braxiatel, can understand that can't you?"

"Who are these strangers? They have yet to introduce themselves." The Racnoss hissed.

"They're Martians but not just any Martians. They said they were soldiers and she," Lance pointed at Romana. "Was President whilst Braxiatel was her Lord Cardinal. Whatever job that is."

"We're homeless for now," Romana glared at them. "But the main thing we want to know is, what's the point of this? What are you hiding down there?"

"I think the soldier wants to talk." Lance sneered. "Or should we say, President?" He gloated.

"I think so too." The Racnoss hissed, smirking.

Romana looked angry. "How dare you mock me you filthy, cowardly, human scum!" She spat, looking furious and Braxiatel had to hold her back. "How dare you!"

"Enough!" The Racnoss shouted. "Kill this chattering little President and her soldier man!"

"Don't you hurt them!" Donna yelled as she stood in front of the Time-Lord's protectively.

"It's all right Donna," Braxiatel replied, soothing Romana and Donna. He had to be calm.

Donna looked at him, frightened. "No, I won't let them hurt either of you!"

"At arms!" The Empress yelled and the pilot fish pointed their guns at them.

Braxiatel smirked, indicating Donna next to Romana whilst he took charge. "Ah now. If you excuse me, but may I point out the obvious?"

"Take aim! They won't hit the bride. They're such very good shots." The Racnoss told them.

"Let me explain something to you, Racnoss. If you think about it, the particles that are activated in Donna drew her inside our spaceship. So...if we reverse it, our spaceship will come to her." He once again tweaked the tube of Huon particles which causes both the particles in the tube and inside Donna to glow.

"Fire!" The Empress yelled, ignoring him and the robots fire their guns but it was too late, the TARDIS had all ready materialised round them and the three of them were safely inside.

"Braxiatel, the controls!" Romana yelled as she and Braxiatel dashed around the controls. Romana looked over at Donna. "Donna, how would you feel if we took you back in time?" She smirked and Donna blinked. "We're going back in time to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up so we're going back to the beginning of the Earth to see what she planted there. Are you ready?"

But Donna shoulders began to shudder and silent tears poured down her cheeks and she cried into her hands. Romana and Braxiatel looked at each other, unsure what to do and shook their heads and continued to fly the TARDIS towards their destination. A few seconds later, the TARDIS quietens down and they arrived at their destination. Romana and Braxiatel peered around the console at the miserable Donna who was now sat in one of the Captain's chairs. "Would you like to see something beautiful Donna?" Romana asked softly. "It might cheer you up."

"I s'pose." Donna replied, unenthusiastically.

Romana nodded and she and Braxiatel made their way towards the TARDIS door and Donna stood up and joined them. Braxiatel looked at Donna. "As far as I'm aware, you are the very first human to see this."

"All I want to see is my bed." Donna told them miserably and Romana couldn't help but laugh.

"Donna Noble, may we present you the creation of the Earth." Braxiatel opened the doors gracefully and Donna's mouth fell open. The sun shone through beautiful coloured dust and gas clouds where enormous rocks were floating by them. "We have travelled back 4.6 billion years. At the moment, there is no solar system. Just dust and rocks and gas." He pointed out towards the sun. "That's the sun over there. Just beginning to burn."

Donna frowned. "Where's the Earth?"

"It's all around us. In the dust. It has yet to form." Romana replied.

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

"Not necessarily," Braxiatel replied. "Because that's what you humans are good at. You make sense out of chaos. You balance it out and mark it with weddings and Christmases and calenders. The whole process itself can be considered beautiful, but only if it's being observed."

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

"In a way, yes." He nodded.

A massive chunk of rock floats lazily past the TARDIS and Donna watched it go. "I think that's the Isle of Wight." They all laughed lightly. It was nice, having this moment.

"Eventually, gravity takes hold. If you have one big rock which is heavier than the others, it will start to pull other rocks towards it. This will then attract all the dust and gas and elements and will pull all this in until you get the..."

"The Earth." Donna nodded.

"So our main question is now, where is that big rock?" Romana frowned when they spotted a star shaped rock emerge through the clouds.

"Look!" Donna pointed towards it.

"The Racnoss." Romana sighed heavily before going back to the console. "But the Racnoss is hiding from the war! Why is it here? What is she up to?" She turned a wheel frantically. "What it doing?"

The rocks, the particles of dust and gas were all zooming towards the Racnoss as though they were drawn by a magnetic force. "Exactly what you both said." Donna told her.

"But they didn't just bury something at the centre of the Earth. Unless..." Braxiatel looked thoughtful, his brain thinking. "She could be hiding her children down there. If she had children."

Donna was about to say something when the TARDIS suddenly shuddered violently and they were all nearly knocked off their feet. "What was that?" Donna asked, looking worried.

"Trouble." Romana shouted over as she steered the TARDIS and Braxiatel closed the door. The three of them struggling to keep their balance as the TARDIS shudders and tips.

"What the hell is it doing?" Donna yelled over the noise of the TARDIS.

"Remember the trick I pulled back with the particles pulling particles? Well, it can also work in reverse. They're pulling us back!" Braxiatel replied and he and Romana desperately tried to pilot the TARDIS and he was thankful that it wasn't sending out anymore explosions out at him as they whirled through the vortex.

"Well, can't either of you stop it? Hasn't it got a handbrake? Can't you reverse or warp or beam or something?" Donna asked, looking bewildered at them.

"Oh the joys of having a backseat driver." Romana commented as she flew the TARDIS before she dove underneath the console and appearing out of it, an object in her hand. "The extrapolator! Ha! It can't stop us but it should be safe for us to land." She used it and she and Braxiatel safely landed the TARDIS in a nearby chamber. The three of them stepped out of the TARDIS and Romana sniffed her surroundings "Seems to me we're 200 yards to the right. This way!" She began to run and Donna and Braxiatel followed behind.

They arrived at the doorway, leading up to the Thames Flood barrier and Donna stopped, panting and out of breath. "But what do we do?"

"She hasn't got a plan." Braxiatel remarked, smirking. "She's just making this up as we go along. One of the reasons why we made her President."

"Hey now!" Romana shouted, mock insulted. "Of course I have a plan. I improvise, your brother taught me that."

Donna shook her head, amused. "But I still don't understand. I'm full of particles, but what for?"

"Our people unravelled their power source. The Huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss are stuck." Suddenly a robot grabbed Donna from behind and Braxiatel noticed and he got out his blaster and aimed at it, blowing off it's head and letting go off Donna. Another one came up behind him and almost grabbed him but he too, quickly dissembled the robot and both robots lay broken on the floor.

Romana paused at her work and looked at them. "Donna! Braxiatel! Are you two okay?" She asked, concerned.

Donna looked shaken. "I'm fine. If it wasn't for Braxiatel, I would have been kidnapped by now."

Braxiatel cleaned the tip of his blaster before storing it away in his pocket. "Which is why a soldier should never venture out unprepared." His moustache twitched before he looked at Romana. "What were you saying about the Racnoss Romana?"

"Well as I was saying before we were rudely interrupted by those pilot fish," She glared at the robots. "Our people unravelled their power source. The Huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss would basically be stuck in hibernation for billions of years so you are the new key to wake them. The empress needs you to open it really." She frowned. "But no time for that we need to think of a plan!"


Donna walked into the room nervously, looking around and she saw Lance tied up on the ceiling and she glared at him distastefully. "I hate you." She told him, rather glad she had not married him and was not joined by his side at the ceiling. If it wasn't for Braxiatel saving her, she knew that was where she would be right now. "Racnoss, I have come to surrender."

"Yeah, I think we've gone a bit beyond that now, sweetheart." Lance retorted, not looking happy.

"My golden couple. Together at last! Your awful wedded life. Tell me; have you come here to rescue your beloved?" The Racnoss mocked.

"In a way." Donna replied coldly, looking at the Racnoss.

"Well, if you want him to be released you're supposed to say I do." The Racnoss smirked.

"Ha! No chance." Lance muttered darkly.

"Say it!"

Donna glanced at Lance and Lance, managing his best despite the position he was in looked at her. "I do." He spat.

"I do." Donna replied.

"I don't." The Racnoss cackled. "Activate the particles. Purge every last one!"

Donna was surprised at the fact that the Empress hadn't asked her how she got her or where Romana and Braxiatel were but she was just grateful for the fact that the plan was in place. She glanced down at herself to see the particles extract themselves not only from her but from Lance as well and they zoomed down into the hole in the ground.

"The secret heart unlocks and they will waken from their sleep of Ages."

"What? Your children?" Donna scoffed, knowing that the Empress children were down there. Braxiatel had told her that much.

"Oh she's figured something out." Lance snarled, rolling his eyes.

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

"Use her! Not me! Use her!" Lance cried desperately.

"Oh, my funny little Lance! You are all ready tied up! Besides, you are quite impolite to your lady-friend. The Empress does not approve." The web around Lance loosens and he tumbled down the hole, screaming.

Donna rushed over to the edge of the chamber, watching with horror. "Lance!" Even though she hated him now, a tiny part of her still loved him.

At that point, two robots began to ascend the stairs that were running up the side of the chamber. "Harvest the humans! Reduce them to meat. My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them!" The Racnoss hissed and turned to look at the robots. "So you might as well unmask, my clever little President and soldier or should I say, her Lord Cardinal who both have yet to reveal their names?"

"It was worth a try." Romana shrugged and both she and Braxiatel removed the mask and cloak. "Oh, all right since we have been rather rude to you and not introduce ourselves. Dear me, where are my manners? I'm Romana and this is Braxiatel by the way. Hello!" She waved before looking down at Donna. "All right down there Donna?"

"I'm fine!" Donna couldn't help but give a slight smile at the sight of them and ran underneath the stairwell they were standing on, standing far away from the Empress.

"This Romana-woman amuses me." The Racnoss hissed.

"Really? That's a first. I never knew she could be funny." Braxiatel commented and Romana rolled her eyes.

"Empress of the Racnoss, I am here by now acting President and Braxiatel is acting as my Lord Cardinal. I am giving you a chance to go somewhere that is not Earth. A place to start fresh for you and your children where you can coexist. A better future for your children, would you like that?" Romana asked seriously, full of authority.

"This man and woman are so funny." The Racnoss laughed.

"I don't have time to be made mockery of Racnoss. Do you accept our proposal? You have two chances. This is your first chance." Romana snapped.

"Oh, I'm afraid I have to decline."

Braxiatel shook his head, almost sadly. "What happens to you next is your own doing. Not ours."

"I'll show you two what happens next. At arms!" The Empress hissed and the robots raised their guns. "Take aim!" They aimed their guns at Romana and Braxiatel and Romana held her head high, looking proud. "And-"

"Relax." Braxiatel commented smoothly and the robots go limp.

Donna grinned. "How did you do that?"

"Guess what we have Donna?" Braxiatel called cheerily and he produced a remote control that one of the robots had earlier from one of his pockets. "Pockets!"

"How did that fit in there?!"

"It's bigger on the inside."

"Robo-forms are not necessary. My children feast on Martian flesh!" The Racnoss hissed.

"But that's where you are wrong, We're not from Mars." Romana replied coldly.

"Then where?"

Romana stood to her full height, looking proud. "Our home planet belonged to the shining world of the seven systems. It has long since been destroyed but it's name and legend lives on as do our people and it's children." She glared at the Racnoss darkly. "Gallifrey."

The Empress was suddenly full of anger at the mention of Gallifrey. "They murdered the Racnoss!"

"We did warn you." Braxiatel produced a handful a baubles and Romana produced more explosions.

"No! No! Don't!" The Empress cried, panicking, itching towards to protect her children.

"Do you accept our proposal now? This is your last chance." Romana asked once more. "I have no desire to harm you or your children, Racnoss. Accept our offer and no harm shall come to you and your family again."

The Racnoss glanced desperately at her children, knowing if she didn't accept, the Time-Lord's would destroy them! Murder them in cold blood like they have done the rest to her people! But if she accepted Romana's offer, perhaps she could start fresh on a new distant planet. Somewhere where her children would not be harmed by foolish humans or Time-Lord's. But these Time-Lord's weren't like the rest. They were giving her a second chance to live, something which was a rare opportunity for her kind.

"Do you accept?" Romana pressed again, more harshly.

The Racnoss looked at her, hesitant. "This new place...will any harm come to us?"

Romana smiled. "No. No there won't be. That we can promise you."

The Racnoss gave a slow, nod. "Then I accept your offer."

Braxiatel put away the baubles. "Well I'm rather glad you took the offer. It is Christmas after all and everyone should be celebrating Christmas." He commented and he looked at Romana. "Shall I go and get the TARDIS?"


After taking the Racnoss and her children to a safe, distant planet where the Empress herself swore to Romana's words and laws that she would live in peace, they took Donna back home and the TARDIS materialised across a road from Donna's house and Donna and the Time-Lord's stepped out.

"The TARDIS is fine," Romana smiled, stroking the old box. "Your brother was right, she's a tough old girl."

"That she is. The strongest, bravest, TARDIS I have ever seen in my lives." Braxiatel commented and the TARDIS hummed gratefully at the words. "She can survive anything."

"More than I've done." Donna commented.

Romana quickly scanned her. "No more Huon particles. Good news is no damage has come to you so you are completely fine."

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

"I'm sorry we couldn't save him." Braxiatel commented.

"He deserved it." Donna replied, unfeelingly and Romana raised a perfect sculptured eyebrow and Donna's face softens. "No, he didn't." She looked back at her house. "I'd better get inside. They'll be worried."

"Best Christmas present they could have." Romana smiled and they watched Sylvia and her Granddad embrace each other through the window before she winced. "I forgot, you hate Christmas don't you?"

Donna nodded, smiling. "Yeah, I do."

"Even if it snows?" Braxiatel drawled and he tweaked a hidden switch on the TARDIS and a ball of light shoots out of the top and exploded like a firework in the night sky before turning into falling snow.

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

"Very simple basic atmospheric excitation." Braxiatel shrugged gracefully and Romana merely shook her head and grinned at Donna.

"I swear you just love to show off don't you Braxiatel?" Romana asked, looking amused.

Donna grinned back. "Merry Christmas."

"And you too Donna. What are you going to do with yourself now?" Braxiatel asked.

"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." Donna replied.

"You could always come with us," Romana commented. "You're not so bad for a human.

Donna smiled at that. "No, I can't."

"That's fine."

Donna shook her head, overwhelmed. "No, but really...everything we did today...do both of you live your lives like that?"

"Yes," Romana nodded. "It's the way we live."

"I think you both could live like that, but I...I couldn't."

"It's beautiful out there, you've seen it for yourself." Braxiatel reminded her.

Donna nodded. "And it's terrible." She looked at Romana. "If you hadn't given the Racnoss a second chance, that place would have been flooding and burning and there would have been dying children. What made you change your mind about it?"

Romana looked down at the ground, not meeting Donna's eyes. "I hate to see children cry." Romana replied softly, remembering all those children she killed on Gallifrey. Leela's son, all the ones who had children on her council and the whole planet. She hated it. Couldn't bear it.

Donna looked at her sadly, wondering what was going through her head. "Tell you what I will do though, Christmas dinner. Both of you. Oh, come on."

"We don't do that sort of thing. Besides, Romana still owes me a dance." Braxiatel indicated towards Romana.

Donna laughed. "Are you sure? Mum always cooks enough for twenty."

"No thank you Donna. If we do go in there, it just gets domestics for us." Braxiatel shook his head.

"Am I ever going to see either of you again?" Donna asked, realizing that they were leaving.

"Perhaps. If you're lucky."

"Just...promise me one thing; find someone." Donna told them.

"We have each other." Romana smiled. "More than enough for us."

Donna laughed. "No, I mean find someone. Because sometimes, it might not always be this easy and I think you might need someone to stop you if it comes to that time."

Braxiatel and Romana looked at each other, realizing that Donna was right before looking back at the human. "We will."

"Romana? Braxiatel?" Donna asked, stopping them from entering the TARDIS.

"Oh, what is it now?" Braxiatel asked with mock exasperation."

"You mentioned that you were soldiers and that your planet has been destroyed. You also mentioned that you hated to see children cry," Donna began. "I may seem rude for asking...but, what happened?"

Romana smiled sadly. "There was a war. The most horrible war in the entire universe and nobody won. How about that." She looked at Donna once last time and Donna looked at them sadly and waved at them one last time before the TARDIS dematerialized and she wondered if she would ever see her two favourite aliens again and Donna hoped that one day she would.