Disclaimer: Lily says if you don't give me Doctor Who, she'll atomize you. So there.

Ch. 10:

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS and pushed back a curtain.

"Ancient Rome." He announced, stepping out into a street with market stalls everywhere. "Well, not to them, obviously. To them, for all intents and purposes, right now…this is brand new Rome."

"Oh my god." Donna said as she stepped out, Lily following after her and closing the TARDIS door. "It's…it's so Roman. This is fantastic!"

She hugged him and then Lily.

"I'm here…in Rome." She said in wonder. "Donna Noble in Rome."

She walked down the street a little ways.

"This is just weird." She said, turning back to them. "I mean, everyone here is dead."

"Well, don't go telling them that." The Doctor told her.

Donna looked around and rounded back on them.

"Hold on a minute." She said. "That sign over there is in English. Are you having me on? Are we in Epcot?"

"It's the TARDIS." Lily explained with a laugh. "She translates languages for you. She just makes it look like English…speech as well. She automatically translates into the predominate language. Like right now, we're all speaking Latin."

"Seriously?" Donna asked.

"Yep." Lily replied.

"I just said 'seriously' in Latin." She said.

"Oh yeah." The Doctor replied.

Donna laughed happily as they wandered down the street.

"What if I said something in actual Latin?" Donna asked. "Like 'veni, vidi, vici'? My dad said that when he came back from football. If I said 'veni, vidi, vici' to that lot, what would it sound like?"

"I'm not sure." The Doctor said. "You have to think of difficult questions, don't you?"

"Of course she does." Lily said. "She's awesome."

"I'm gonna try it." Donna told them.

Donna walked up to a stallholder, glancing back at the Doctor and Lily, who was egging her on.

"Hello, sweetheart." The man said. "What can I get for you, my love?"

"Veni, vidi, vici." Donna said.

The man stared at her.

"Huh? Sorry?" he said, holding up his hands. "Me no speak Celtic." He said loudly. "No can do, missy."

"Yeah." Donna replied.

She walked back to Lily and the Doctor.

"What does he mean 'Celtic'?" she asked.

"Welsh." The Doctor answered. "You sound Welsh. There we are. That's something."

"Won't our clothes look a bit odd?" Donna asked as they walked on.

"Nah." The Doctor told her. "Ancient Rome, anything goes. It's like Soho…but bigger."

"You've been here before then?" she asked.

No one noticed the young woman dressed in red, following them.

"Hm, ages ago." The Doctor told her. "Before you ask, that fire had nothing to do with me."

"It totally did." Lily interrupted. "Maybe this time we will think before handing a violin to the Emperor and offering to teach him to play, yes?"

"Oh, shut it." He told her good naturedly. "Maybe I had a little bit to do with it, but it wasn't my fault. And I didn't get the chance to look around properly. Coliseum…Pantheon…Circus Maximus…You'd expect them to be looming by now. Where is everything?"

He stopped and looked around.

"Try this way." He said, leading them off. He ignored the look the girls exchanged before following.

They walked into a larger street and Donna stopped.

"I'm not an expert, but there are Seven Hills of Rome, aren't there?" she asked. "How come they've only got one?"

The Doctor and Lily turned and stared at the mountain as the ground began to shake.

"Here we go again!" a man called.

People ran to hold items in place and to get out of the way of debris.

"You are so dead." Lily told the Doctor. "Why can't you learn to drive properly?"

"Wait a minute!" Donna said. "One mountain…with smoke…which makes this…"

"Pompeii." The Doctor finished. "We're in Pompeii…and it's Volcano Day!"

The three ran back through the streets to the alcove where they had left the TARDIS, only to find it gone.

"You're kidding." Donna said. "Don't tell me the TARDIS is gone."

"Okay." The Doctor answered.

"Where is it then?" she demanded.

"You told me not to tell you." The Doctor replied.

"Don't get clever in Latin." Donna ordered.

"Hey, you!" Lily yelled to the man Donna had talked to earlier. "Shop boy. Where's the box? Big, blue, and wooden, just over there. Where's it gone?"

"Sold it, didn't I?" he answered smugly.

"I don't remember selling it to you, so where do you get off selling it to someone else?" Lily demanded.

You're not allowed to kill him. The Doctor told her.

How 'bout maim? She asked. Can I maim him? I promise to leave him alive. She suddenly sobered. Not that it would matter much.

"It was on my patch, wasn't it?" the other man replied, rubbing his hands together. "I got 15 sesterce for it. Lovely jubbly."

"Who did you sell it to?" the Doctor asked before Lily could say a word.

"Old Caecilius." The man answered. "Look…if you want to argue, why don't you take it up with him? He's on Foss Street. Big villa can't miss it."

"Thanks." The Doctor said, pulling Lily away.

They walked away, but then he stopped and turned back to the man, confused.

"What did he buy a big, blue wooden box for?"

They met back up with Donna in the street.

"Ha!" the Doctor said. "We've got it! Foss Street, this way!"

"No, I've found this big sort of amphitheatre I think…" Donna told him. "We can start there. We can get everyone together. Then maybe they've got a great, big bell or something we could ring. Have they invented bells yet?"

"What do you want a bell for?" the Doctor asked, confused.

"To warn everyone!" she told him. "To start the evacuation! What time does Vesuvius erupt? When's it due?"

"It's 79 AD, 23 of August." The Doctor told her seriously.

"Tomorrow." Lily added. "Vesuvius erupts tomorrow."

"Plenty of time." Donna said. "We can get everyone out easy."

"Except we're not going to." The Doctor told her, grabbing her hand and trying to pull her along, but she stayed put.

"But that's what you do." Donna told him. "You're the Doctor. You save people."

"It's not that simple." Lily told her gently.

"The hell it isn't." Donna replied.

"Look." The Doctor told her. "Pompeii is a fixed point in history. What happens, happens. There is no stopping it."

He tried to mover her again.

"Says who?" she demanded.

"Says me." The Doctor replied.

"What, and you're in charge?" she asked.

"TARDIS, Time Lord…yeah." He answered.

"Donna, human…no!" she shot back. "I don't need your permission. I'll tell them myself."

"They'll never believe you." Lily told her.

"They'll just think you're a mad old soothsayer." The Doctor added. "Now, come on. TARDIS, we are getting out of here."

Donna ignored him and stormed off.

"Well, I just might have something to say about that, spaceman!" she shouted back over her shoulder.

"Oh, I bet you will!" he shouted back.

He glanced over and saw Lily smiling.

"What?" he demanded.

She quickly hid her smile.

"Nothing." She replied. "I'll just go round her up, shall I? Yeah."

Without another word she went off in search of Donna.

They still didn't see the woman following them.

The ground began to shake again as they walked up to the house they were looking for.

"Positions!" an older man yelled.

The Doctor walked forward and quickly caught a marble bust before it hit the ground.

"Whoa!" he said, gently hitting the bust's cheeks. "There you go."

"Thank you, kind sir." The man said. "I'm afraid business is closed for the day. I'm expecting a visitor."

"Oh, that's me." The Doctor said, leaning forward to shake the man's hand. "I'm a visitor. Hello."

"Who are you?" the man asked.

"I am…Spartacus." The Doctor said.

"And so am I." Donna said.

Lily groaned and hid her face in her hand.

"Mr. and Mrs. Spartacus?" the man said, "And your daughter, I presume?"

"Oh no!" the Doctor said quickly.

"Not together." Donna added.

"Oh, then, brother and sister?" the man asked. "Yes, of course. You look very much alike."

"Really?" the Doctor and Donna said together, looking at each other.

"I'm Lily." Lily said, stepping forward. "And don't mind them, they're slow. Family sickness."

"Ah." The man said compassionately.

The Doctor poked her while Donna slapped her arm.

"I'm sorry." The man said. "But I'm not open for trade."

"And what trade would that be?" the Doctor asked.

"Marble." The man said. "Lucius Caecilius. Mining, polishing and design thereof. If you want marble, I'm your man."

"That's good." The Doctor told him. "That's good, 'cause I'm the marble inspector."

Really? Lily asked as he held up the psychic paper. That was the best you could come up with?

On short notice? Yes. He answered. And you're not very nice.

Never claimed to be. Lily replied with a smile.

"By the gods of commerce, an inspection." A woman said, quickly taking a cup from a boy who looked to be her son. "I'm sorry, sir. I do apologize for my son."

She poured the drink into the pool, causing the boy to yelp.

"This is my good wife, Metella." Caecilius told them. "I-I must confess, we're not prepared for a-"

"Nothing to worry about." The Doctor interrupted. "I-I'm sure you've got nothing to hide. Although frankly, that object…rather looks like wood to me."

He walked to the TARDIS, which was in the corner of the room, Lily and Donna following.

"I told you to get rid of it!" they heard Metella hiss at Caecilius.

"I only bought it today." He told them.

"Ah, well." The Doctor replied. "Caveat emptor."

"Oh, you're Celtic." Caecilius said. "That's lovely."

"I'm sure it's fine but I might have to take it off your hands for a proper inspection." The Doctor said, motioning towards the TARDIS.

"Although, while we're here, wouldn't you recommend a holiday, Spartacus?" Donna said.

"I don't know what you mean, Spartacus." The Doctor replied, glaring at her.

"Oh, this lovely family, mother and father and son…" Donna said, glaring right back. "Don't you think they should get out of town?"

"Why would we do that?" Caecilius asked.

The Doctor rubbed his eye as Donna tried to explain.

"Well, the volcano for starters." She said.

"What?" Caecilius asked.

"Volcano." Donna repeated.

"What-ano?" Caecilius asked.

"The great big volcano right on your doorstep." Donna told him.

"Hey, why don't we go over here?" Lily said, dragging Donna away. "We haven't greeted the household gods yet."

She pulled Donna over to the shrine while the Doctor looked around.

"Stop it." Lily told her quietly. "They don't know what you're talking about. Vesuvius is just a mountain as far as they know. The top hasn't exploded yet."

Lily gently sprinkled the shrine with water.

"There isn't a word for volcano yet." She continued. "And there won't be until tomorrow."

"Oh, great." Donna said sarcastically. "They can learn a new word…when they die."

"Stop it." Lily told her.

"How can you be okay with this?" Donna demanded. "I know you. There is no way you're okay with that boy…how old is he? Sixteen? How can you be okay with the fact that, tomorrow, he burns to death?"

"Because there's nothing we can do!" Lily hissed back. "History has to take this course. As much as I hate it, tomorrow he and everyone he knows has to burn and suffocate to death. That is the way it has to be. So stop yelling at me and stop yelling at the Doctor. It's not our fault."

"Right now it is!" Donna told her.

They stopped arguing as a servent entered the room.

"Announcing Lucius Petrus Dextrus, Chief Augur of the city government." He said.

A older man strode in. He was well dressed with a very nice cloak draped over his right side.

"Lucius." Caecilius said, stepping forward. "My pleasure as always."

Lily and Donna walked over to join the Doctor, curious.

"Quintus, stand up." Metella hissed.

Lily chuckled as he did as he was told, but not without a long-suffering sigh.

"A rare and great honor, sir," Caecilius said, "for you to come to my house."

Caecilius held out his hand, but Lucius ignored it.

"The birds are flying north…and the wind is in the west." He announced.

"Right." Caecilius said, confused. "Absolutely. That's good, is it?"

"Only the grain of wheat knows where it will grow." Lucius replied.

"There now, Metella." Caecilius said. "Have you ever heard such wisdom?"

"Never." She replied. "It's an honor."

"Pardon me, sir." Caecilius said. "I have guests. This is Spartacus, Lily, and, uh, Spartacus."

The three waved.

"A name is but a cloud upon a summer wind." Lucius told them.

"But the wind is felt most keenly in the dark." The Doctor replied.

"Oh great." Lily muttered. "A 'Let's see who can sound more insane' contest."

"Ah!" Lucius said, not hearing her. "What is the dark, other than an omen of the sun?"

"I concede that every sun must set…" the Doctor said.

"Ha!" Lucius interjected.

"…and yet the son of the father must also rise." The Doctor concluded.

"Damn." Lucius said. "Very clever, sir. Evidently a man of learning."

"Oh yes, but don't mind me." The Doctor told him. "Don't want to disturb the status quo."

"He's Celtic." Caecilius whispered to Lucius.

"We'll be off in a minute." The Doctor told them.

He took Donna arm and he and Lily began pulling her towards the TARDIS.

"I'm not going." She told them quietly.

"It's ready, sir." Caecilius told Lucius.

"You've got to." The Doctor told her.

"Well I'm not." Donna replied.

"The moment of revelation." Caecilius announced as he pulled the cover off a piece of stone. "And here it is…"

The Doctor glanced over his shoulder at the piece.

"Exactly as you specified." Caecilius said. "It pleases you, sir?"

Lily stopped and made the Doctor look at the stone.

"Is that what it looks like?" she asked quietly.

"As the rain pleases the soil." Lucius told Caecilius, studying the stone.

The Doctor exchanged a look with Lily before rejoining them.

"Oh now, that's….different." he said. "Who designed that then?"

"My lord Lucius was very specific." Caecilius told him.

"Where'd you get the pattern?" Lily asked.

"On the rain and mist and wind." Lucius replied vaguely.

"Well that looks like a circuit." Donna said.

"Made of stone." The Doctor agreed.

"Do you mean to say that just came to you?" Lily demanded. "Like in a dream?"

"That is my job…" Lucius told her. "As City Augur."

"What's that then," Donna asked, "like the mayor?"

"Oh, ah, you must excuse our friend." The Doctor told them. "She's from…Barcelona."

"This is a superstitious time." Lily told her quickly and quietly. "Official superstition. An augur is paid by the city to tell the future. 'The wind will blow from the west.' That's the equivalent of the 10:00 news."

A young girl entered the room. She didn't look at all well.

"They're laughing at us." She said, nodding to the three of them. "Those three, they use words like tricksters. They're mocking us."

"No, I'm sorry." Lily said quickly. "I meant no offence."

"I'm sorry." Metella told them. "MY daughter's been consuming the vapors."

She quickly walked to her daughter.

"By the gods, Mother!" Quintus exclaimed. "What have you been doing to her?"

"Not now, Quintus." Caecilius said.

"But she's sick." Quintus protested. "Just look at her."

"I gather I have a rival in this household." Lucius said. "Another with the gift."

"Oh, she's been promised to the Sybiline Sisterhood." Metella said proudly. "They say she has remarkable visions."

"The prophecies of women are limited and dull." Lucius said dismissively. "Only the men folk have the capacity for true perception."

"I'll tell you where the wind's blowing right now, mate." Donna said.

"I've got some prophecy for him." Lily agreed with a grin.

The ground shook.

"The mountain god marks your words." Lucius told them, glaring at the two woman. "I'd be careful if I were you."

"Consuming the vapors, you say?" the Doctor asked before the woman could insult the man further.

"They give me strength." The girl told him.

"It doesn't look like it to me." The Doctor replied.

"Is that your opinion…as a doctor?" she asked.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked.

"Doctor." She replied. "That's your name."

"How did you know that?" he asked, bewildered.

"And you, you call yourself noble. And the golden Lily of the field." she continued.

"Now then, Evelina, don't be rude." Metella rebuked.

"No." Lily said. "Let her talk."

"You all come from so far away." Evelina said.

"A female soothsayer is inclined to invent all sorts of vagaries." Lucius said, dismissively.

"Oh, not this time, Lucius." The Doctor said. "I reckon you've been out-soothsaid."

"Is that so…man from Gallifrey? The home of you and your mate."

"What?" Lily demanded.

"Strangest of images." He continued. "Your home is lost in fire, is it not?"

"Doctor, what are they doing?" Donna asked.

"And you," Lucius said, focusing on Donna, "daughter of…London."

"They can't know this." Lily said. "It's not possible."

"This is the gift of Pompeii." Lucius told her. "Every single oracle tells the truth."

"But that's impossible." Donna told him.

"Doctor, Lily." Lucius said. "They are returning."

"Who is?" the Doctor demanded. "Who are they?"

"And you, Daughter of London…" Lucius said. "You have something on your back."

"What's that mean?" Donna demanded, sounding scared.

"Even the words 'Doctor' and 'Lily' are false." Evelina said. "Your real names are hidden. They burn in the stars of the cascade of Medusa herself. You are a lord and lady…of time…"

She fainted.

"Evelina!" Metella shouted, running to her daughter's side.

The Doctor joined her. He looked up at Lily.

What the hell was that? She demanded.

He could only shrug.

A/N: First chapter of Fires of Pompeii. Sorry it took so long. My computer had to be sent back to Toshiba to be fixed. Any way. Let me know what you think.

Abbey