A/N: here comes the wedding...

Part 10

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All of the members of the Heiligtum settlement were crowded around the sacred area that Harden had previously met Jenny in. The sun was shining down strongly now, so he felt quite safe from the exposure; but the size of the crowd made him nervous. It felt like decades since he had last seen so many people in one place, even though the numbers were still relatively small. There was not the usual ornamentation for a wedding, but the general atmosphere of the crowd was of excited anticipation and a sense of gravitas for the occasion.

To comply with her customs, it was decided that the Doctor would wait by Jenny, in front of the tiny statue that stood in the sacred courtyard. Its sacredness came from the fact that this was where Jenny had previously died and been seen to regenerate. Many rumours had instantly been made up about it containing life and good luck brought by a blessed god. Harden was to escort Donna through the throng and to the Doctor's side, passing her ceremoniously over from her old life to the new. Yes, they had tried to build in as much symbolism as they could. He even got his own speech, much to his delight.

The crowd hushed as Donna and Harden appeared on its periphery. Then eager eyes followed their steady progress towards their leader standing on her portable dais by the statue and in front of the High Council members.

"She brings light, love and wisdom," they chanted at the appropriate time.

"Your turn," Donna whispered, prodding him in the side as encouragement.

"I, Harden, bring Donna, my maternal godparent, to become one in life with my paternal godparent, the Doctor. May you remain as blessed as you both are today." He then took Donna's right hand and placed it within the Doctor's.

"We thank Harden for bringing us his godparents to join together in life so that we may witness their blessing," Jenny announced, loud and carefully. "What say you, Donna Noble?"

"I, Donna Noble," she began, straining to make her voice audible for all, "am here to take Doctor John Smith as my marriage partner. I promise to respect, acknowledge and care for you for the rest of my days." Her voice then softened when she focused solely on him. "You are my friend, my best friend, and I cannot imagine living without you. You have given my life a special meaning, and I'm sure our child will benefit from your love. I freely pledge myself to you."

Moved by her words, the Doctor tenderly reached up to caress her cheek.

"I, the Doctor, also known as Doctor John Smith, take Donna Noble as my marriage partner. I promise to respect, protect and travel with you for the rest of your days." He drew in a breath. "You are my best friend, my conscience, my saviour, my anchor in life and the mother of my child. You have given me so much to be joyful about. I could not be the man I am without you. I will always need you, and our child shall know such love. I freely pledge myself to you."

Donna mouthed a 'thank you' at him.

"You may exchange symbols of your pledge," Jenny encouraged them.

So Harden held out his hand to display the two biodampers he had been given to hold. The Doctor and Donna took one each and placed it on the other's ring finger before holding hands again; clasping each other firmly.

"Rings have been exchanged, so I can now declare you both married," Jenny grandly stated, and the crowd clapped and cheered.

"You've gone and done it now," Donna mischievously whispered. "There's no going back on it this time, Spaceman."

"Good!" he retorted. "That also holds for you, Earthgirl."

They shared a pleased accomplished smile. It soon slipped off their faces when Jenny spoke to them.

"All you have to do now is spend your wedding night together in the sacred hut, and then we can set out for the TARDIS tomorrow."

"We can set out for the TARDIS straight away," the Doctor assured her.

"Oh no, that would never do," she replied. "Even if you seem to have had one already, every wedding requires a wedding night."

"Is that the law?" Donna wondered.

"It is now," Jenny answered, and inwardly chuckled with satisfaction. "Harden can spend the night in my quarters, while I go on duty; so you will have nothing to disturb your first night together as a married couple."

"I can hardly wait," Donna sarcastically declared.

Things had never been so awkward between them before as the Doctor and Donna were left alone in the 'sacred hut'. In particular, Donna was intensely aware how much of a sham their current situation was.

'Whoop-de-doo,' she thought as she eyed yet another simplistic single bed. 'Here goes another loveless marriage of convenience.' It really was doing her self-esteem no good. Sighing, she realised how much she missed and had depended upon Harden to keep her entertained.

In fact, she had spent most of her wedding night so far in Harden's company. The Doctor had been off chatting to various members of the High Council and Jenny; getting himself reacquainted with her adventures, or they had gone off together to investigate some gadget Jenny had been developing. Something about extracting pure water from the air, if Donna remembered right, or it could have been a machine to convert brick rubble into usable soil. All she knew for definite was that it would enable the remaining settlers to grow food and survive more easily on a day to day basis. It made her very proud that she was now closely associated with such a brilliant person; but it didn't make her feel any less lonely.

That was when Harden had rescued her. He found Donna sitting all on her own at the wedding reception, after he had indulged himself in a celebratory dance or two with the girls who had eyed him so positively the day before. He'd been buzzing with joy when he'd spotted Donna watching other people having a good time dancing together to a catchy tune. The music swelled all around them, played by some very talented musicians.

"All on your own?" he had asked in concern. "Come on, you have to dance at your own wedding."

With that, he had pulled her up onto her feet and encouraged her to dance along with him. At first denying the compulsion, Donna soon let him lead her to move more enthusiastically; and in no time at all she was giggling alongside him as he did his best to entertain her amongst several other people.

When the Doctor failed to appear by Donna's side, Harden continued to dance with her until she begged him to give her a breather.

"Stop, stop! I can't keep up with you," she breathily pleaded.

Laughing with her, Harden cheekily said, "You're not that pregnant yet! Anyone would think you were too old."

"You little s-" Donna swatted at his arm, delighted to share a joke with him. "It's a good job I like you, Bunker Boy."

Was this what it was like to have an almost grownup son? She could hardly wait.

"Me too," he enthused, giving her another hug. He'd been giving her lots of hugs as they'd danced together. But he was worried about and for her, thanks to the continuing absence of the Doctor. "I know you kept saying that you and the Doctor aren't really a couple, and I'm sorry I didn't believe you," he admitted. "If you ever need me, I'll step in straight away, no problem. All you have to do is ask."

His sincerity overwhelmed her, and Donna found herself brushing away unbidden tears. "I'll remember that. Thank you. Hopefully it won't be necessary, as I'm already keeping you from your little fan club."

Harden turned his head to look. "Who, them?" he queried, nodding his head towards two particular girls stood watching them. "I'm only just starting to live a normal life. If I go with you then, who knows? There'll be other opportunities but there's only one you."

"You really like making me blub all over you, don't you?" Donna mock griped, and threw her arms around his shoulders in gratitude. "Whoever ends up with you as their husband will be the luckiest person alive."

"You've already made me feel lucky," he sincerely stated, and laughed when she frantically wiped at her face again. "You're not supposed to cry on your wedding day."

"Put it this way; my weddings tend to be heavy on the disappointing side," she explained. "But I'll be fine."

Narrowing his eyes suspiciously, Harden had asked, "Are you sure?"

"I've got you, ain't I?" Donna had then smiled reassuringly at him. "Sorted."

The Doctor had snorted as he paced up down in the small hut, eyeing Donna cautiously as he wondered how best they could pretend to spend their wedding night.

"Just sit down, will you!" Donna eventually spat at him in exasperation. "You look like one of those caged bears in London Zoo! I don't know whether you're going to strike at any minute or sink into a pit of depression."

"That's not much of a choice," he noted.

"Yeah well, you get what you're given around here," she stated, averting her gaze. "Never mind. You can sneak out back to Jenny once no one will notice."

"Why would I want to do that?" he queried.

"Well, you sure as hell don't want to spend any time with me," she retorted. "Marriage obviously doesn't agree with you."

With a nod of his head, he conceded, "That's probably true."

"And don't we know it," she muttered; and turned to lie down on the bed, lying so that her back was to him. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Donna? Have I upset you in some way?" he wondered, moving nearer to sit on the bed behind her.

"Oh no, not at all," she sarcastically replied. "This is a laugh a minute."

"But I don't understand," he admitted.

Lifting her head to peer at him over her shoulder, she sighed, "Of course you don't. Why would you? It's not as if all this means anything."

His puzzled frown deepened. "Are you trying to say that this settlement isn't real? I assure you it does and that I have examined their technology and the developments they are making."

The dope! "I'm sure you have. It would explain why you spent so much time talking with Jenny and her Scooby gang."

"They make up the High Council here, and Jenny is their leader. She has been a strong influence on them and has devised many ideas." He then peered over her shoulder as she lay back down, trying to assess her expression. "Are you jealous of Jenny?" he wondered with some incredulity.

Tensing up, a snort of scorn escaped from her lips. "As if! No, nothing like that. I stupidly thought we were supposed to make the whole ceremony realistic."

"And we did, I thought." He pouted petulantly. "What part wasn't right?"

"The celebration afterwards, but as I said," she insisted, waving a hand vaguely about, "it doesn't matter because it isn't real."

"There was music; singing, dancing, and everyone had a good time. How is that not real?" he pressed.

Now having been forced to be properly angry with him, she burst out with, "Because the groom wasn't there! If it hadn't been for Harden I would have spent the whole evening sitting there like a forgotten garden gnome." She then gave her excuse of a pillow a thump to dislodge some imagined lump in it. "Alright?! Now you know! As I said, you are free to do a runner any time you like. I am going to sleep because I have a long day ahead of me."

"No you don't, Donna Smith Noble," he countered. "You won't be coming with me; you'll be staying here. I might ask Jenny to collect the TARDIS with me instead."

He was not prepared for her sudden outburst.