On the planet Shan Shen, The Doctor, Zara and Donna made their way down an alley, decorated with banners and choked by stalls.
"Ooh, you are gonna love this..." The Doctor grinned, handing Donna a tumbler from a stall. "One two three!" The two of them drunk from the tumblers filled with foam, Zara watching in amusement. The Doctor snorted and Donna laughed.
"It's lovely!" Donna said in delight.
They turned and carried on, The Doctor and Zara looking at separate stalls. Donna smiled at the two of them, walking down the market place before passing a woman - a fortune teller, sitting in a doorway, dressed in black and gold.
"Tell your fortune, lady!" The Fortune Teller called after Donna. "The future predicted, your life foretold!"
Donna smiled, shaking her head, "Oh, no thanks."
"Don't you want to know? If you're going to be happy?"
Donna glanced back at The Doctor and Zara as Zara inspected something on a stall, The Doctor watching her with lit up eyes. She turned back to the woman, "I'm happy right now, thanks."
"You got red hair. Uh, the reading's free for red hair."
Donna laughed, giving up, "Alright then."
The Fortune Teller pushed back a red curtain for her, letting her walk in. As she walked past, the woman gave a look of disgust before smiling slyly, following Donna into the room.
...
Donna sat opposite the Fortune Teller inside a small tent, the two at a table, incense burning around them, as the woman gently traced her finger over Donna's open palm.
"Oh, you're fascinating!" The Fortune Teller gasped. "Ah, no, but you good. I can see a man and woman. The most remarkable man and woman. How did you meet them?"
Donna smiled, "You're supposed to tell me."
"I see the future. Tell me the past. When did your lives cross?"
"It's sort of complicated. I ended up in his spaceship on my wedding day. Long story."
A strange, insect-like noise filled the room and The Fortune Teller peered over Donna's shoulder, "But what led you to that meeting?"
"All sorts of things." Donna shrugged. "But my job, I s'pose. It was on Earth. This planet called Earth, miles away. But I had this job, as a temp. I was a secretary at this place called H.C Clements." Images suddenly flew threw her head of her at H.C Clements, sitting inside the building. She blinked with a small gasp, back into the present, disturbed by what she saw. "Sorry..."
"It's the incense. Just, uh, breathe deep. This job of yours. What choices led you there?"
"There was a choice. Six months before. 'Cause the agency offered me this contract with H.C Clements."
Donna and Sylvia stepped out of the house, walking towards the car.
"But there was this other job. My Mum knew this man."
The two of them got into the car, talking as Donna got into the driving seat.
"Jival, he's called." Sylvia said. "Jival Chowdry. He runs that little photocopy business, and he needs a secretary."
"I've got a job!" Donna emphasised.
"As a temp, this is permanent! It's twenty-thousand a year, Donna!"
"H.C Clements is in the city. It's nice, it's posh, so stop it!" Donna turned the key in frustration.
"Your life could have gone one way or the other." The Fortune Teller remarked. "What made you decide?"
"I just did." Donna gulped.
"But when was the moment? When did you choose?"
A lorry passed the car at a junction as Donna stared into the distance, Sylvia still nagging.
"It won't take long, just turn right, we'll see Mr. Chowdry so Suzette can introduce you." Sylvia nagged.
"I'm going left, if you don't like it, get out and walk." Donna snapped.
"If you turn right you'll have a career not just filling in!"
"You think I'm so useless!"
"Oh I know why you want a job with H.C Clements, lady. 'Cause you think you'll meet a man with lots of money and your whole life will change. Well let me tell you, sweetheart, city executives don't need temps, except for practice."
"Yeah. Well they haven't met me."
She turned left.
The Fortune Teller gripped Donna's hand tighter, "You turned left. But what if you turned right? What then?"
"Let go of my hands." Donna panicked.
"What if it changes? What if you go right? What if you could still go right?"
The indicator flashed left before suddenly changing to right.
"Stop it!" Donna exclaimed before suddenly gasping, feeling something on her back. "What's that? What's on my back? What is it? Wha-" An antenna creeped up over her shoulder.
"Make the choice again, Donna Noble, and change your mind." The Fortune Teller insisted. "Turn right."
"I'm turning..." Donna breathed, hypnotised.
"Turn right!" Another antenna crept over Donna's other shoulder. "Turn right. Turn right!"
"Well let me tell you, sweetheart, city executives don't need temps, except for practice." Sylvia said.
"Yeah." Donna sighed, defeated. "S'pose you're right." She turned the car indicator to right as Sylvia smiled smugly.
"Turn right, and never meet that man! Turn right, and change the world!"
...
In a pub at Christmas time, Donna squeezed through a crowd of people singing 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas' and wearing Christmas headgear up to the bar. She eventually reached it and pulled out her purse to find it empty, letting out a small groan before turning on her heel and heading for the door in hope of finding a cash machine. As she took a step forward a shoulder lengthed, blonde woman wearing red jumper, black jeans and brown combat boots sitting on a blank trench coat that covered the stall. She reached into her jean pocket and took out a silver ring with blue swirls on it and a 20 pound note, dropping the two to the floor, the ring making a clang as it hit the ground. Donna turned round at the sound, looking down. She frowned, looking at her open purse then at the money on the floor. She shrugged, assuming she'd dropped the money and picked it up with the ring. She peered at the ring, turning it in the light before shrugging again, putting it on the bar. She turned to a barman, ordering drinks as the woman stood up, put on her jacket and took the ring, slid it onto her ring finger on her left hand and walked away, Donna unbeknown that the First Zara Saxon had just walked past her, taking a PDA out of her pocket as she pulled open the door.
...
Donna squeezed through the crowd carrying the tray as the crowd carried on singing. She smiled, setting down the tray on a table with a group of girls around her age.
"Here we are." Donna said.
"Mooky says let's go down to the boardwalk, it's two for the price of one." One of the women, Veena called over the noise.
"On Christmas Eve? It'll be heaving."
Mooky cackled, "Well exactly, get in and grab 'em!" Everyone laughed at her.
"Hey, that's the second round of drinks you've bought, it was my turn." Veena said, nodding at the tray of drinks.
"I can afford it, promotion!" Donna said proudly. "You are talking to Jival Chowdry's Personal Assistant, I'll have you know!" The blonde woman next to her, Alice, stared at her back, confused and slightly scared. "Capital 'P', capital 'A', twenty-three thousand pound per anum, merci beaucoup!"
"Here's to Mr. Chowdry!"
Everyone toasted their glasses, laughing as Donna turned to Alice who still stared at her back, scared.
"What's wrong? What is it?" Donna asked.
Alice shook her head, looking at her, "Sorry?"
Donna tried to look at her back, "Someone spill a drink on me?"
"Why?"
"Why d'you keep looking at my shoulder? What's wrong?"
"I don't know."
Donna rolled her eyes, "Well don't tell me you're getting all spooky again. It was bad enough when you saw the ghost of old man Batton at the boat show! What are you looking at? What is it?"
Alice gulped, "It's like... it's like there's something I can't see."
Suddenly a man ran into the pub shouting, "Look! Shut up!" He shouted, gaining everyones attention. "All of you, come and see! Just look at the sky, it's a star! It's a Christmas star!"
Everyone began to filter out of the pub to look.
"Well come on then!" Veena said.
...
Everyone stood in the middle of the street, staring up at the sky.
"What the hell is that?" Mooky asked.
"Ken Livingstone, that's what." Veena snapped. "Spending our money on decorations!" In the sky the Racnoss' webstar floated across the sky. "How much did that cost?"
"Don't be so stupid, it's flying! It's really flying!"
They all ran round the corner, following it when Zara appeared out of nowhere, still carrying the PDA and running through the crowd, smacking into Donna as she ran, not flinching.
"That's not a star." Donna said as she watched Zara run off, brushing herself off. "That's a web." She looked back at the star. "It's heading east, middle of the city."
Suddenly, the Webstar began to shoot, making the people who had been in the pub start to scream and run away. Alice came up behind Donna, staring at Donna's back in horror.
"Alice, there's a great big web star thing shooting at people and you're looking at me?" Donna gasped.
"There's something on your back!" Alice croaked as Donna ran off in the direction of the webstar.
"Donna, where you going?!" Veena shouted. "You'll get yourself killed! Donna!"
...
Donna ran down a street as tanks fire shots at the webstar, destroying it, when she reached a crowd of people being ushered away by police. The police officers shouted at the crowd, ordering people to keep away from the river. Donna moved around, sneeking behind a landrover and peering over to see a UNIT soldier speaking into a radio.
"Track 1 to Greyhound 15." The soldier on the other side said. "What is your report, over?"
"From the evidence I'd say he managed to stop the creature." The soldier replied. "Some sort of red spider. Lowered the base underneath the barrier, flooded the whole thing. Over."
"And where is he now? Over."
"We found a body, sir. Over."
A body bag was lay onto a stretcher, Zara standing next to the doors of the ambulance it was being loaded into, although Donna was too focused on the body to see her.
"Is it him? Over."
"I think so. Just didn't make it out in time."
As the body was loaded onto the ambulance, an arm wearing a brown pinstiped suit fell from under the blanket, hanging over the edge of the stretcher, the sonic screwdriver falling from his hand, Zara catching it in a soft and fluent movement.
"The Doctor is dead. Must've happened too fast for him to regenerate." They put the body into the ambulance as Zara pocketed the sonic, looking back at her PDA and walking off towards the river, nobody seeming to notice her. "Let's get the ambulance back to UNIT base."
Donna walked away from the ambulance and away from the scene when a blonde woman, Rose Tyler, in a purple jacket came running towards her.
"What happened?" She asked breathlessly, stopping next to Donna. "What did they find? Sorry, did they find someone?"
"I dunno." Donna shrugged. "Um, bloke called the Doctor or something."
"Well where is he?"
"They took him away. He's dead."
Rose turned away, heartbroken.
"I'm sorry, did you know him?" Rose just stood, silent. "I mean, they didn't say his name. Could be any doctor."
"I came so far..."
"It could be anyone."
Rose looked up suddenly, "What's your name?"
"Donna. And you?"
"Oh I was just passing by, I shouldn't even be here, this is wrong." She mumbled, distracted. "It's wrong. This is so wrong." She stared at Donna's shoulder. "Sorry, what was it, Donna what?"
Donna frowned, "Why d'you keep looking at my back?"
"I'm not."
"Yes you are, you keep looking behind me. You're doing it now! What is it, what's there? Has someone put something on my back..." She turned to look at her back, only to turn back around to find Rose had disappeared. She shook her head and walked away.
...
"You can't sack me, I'm your Personal Assistant!" Donna shouted.
She stared at her boss, Jival, dressed in a shirt and trousers, standing in an office amongst her coworkers.
"You don't have to make a scene, just come downstairs and we can have a little talk." Jival said frantically.
"Oh I'll make a scene alright, right in front of the tribunal, and the first thing I'm gonna say is wandering hands!"
"Now come on, Donna, you know what it's been like for the past few months, ever since that Christmas thing. Half my contracts were on the other side of the river, and the Thames is still closed off! Look, I can't deliver. I'm losing a fortune!"
"Well sack one of this lot!" She pointed to her coworkers sitting around the room. "Sack Cliff! He just sits there, dunno what he does all day!" She turned to a man sitting behind her, who'd been filing his nails. "Sorry, Cliff. Actually, I'm not sorry, what do you do all day?!"
He opened his mouth to reply when a massive bang went off and the whole building. Everyone ran over to the window except for Donna, who unfolded the letter given to her by Jival.
Everyone stared out at the Royal Hope Hospital.
"It's like an earthquake!" Jival breathed. "That's weird. Funny sort of clouds..."
Donna looked up from the letter, "Who typed this? I'm your PA! Did you get someone else to type this?!" She looked over at another woman as she shared a look with Jival. "BEATRICE!"
...
"It sounds impossible, but the entire hospital has vanished." A female reporter said on the television. "The Royal Hope no longer exists, it's not been destroyed, there's no wreckage, it's simply gone. Reports from bystanders say that the rain lifted up from around the hospital."
The office workers crowded round a small tv, watching as Donna packed a box of her things, unbothered about the televison.
"Holepunch, having that." She snapped, dropping things into the box. "Stapler, mine. Toy cactus, you can have that Beatrice, catch." She threw a squeaky toy cactus to Beatrice. "Cliff, I'd leave you my mousemat, but I'm worried you'd cut yourself."
"Alright, Donna, have some respect." Jival snapped. "There's two-thousand people in that hospital, and it's vanished."
"Oh I'll show you vanishing. Thanks for nothing! Oh, and you know when that money went missing from the kitty? Anne-Marie. That's all I'm saying. Anne-Marie!" The building suddenly shook again. "Well don't tell me." She said sarcastically. "The hospital's back. Well isn't that wizard?" She kicked a drawer shut behind her.
...
"Just to confirm, the Royal Hope hospital was returned to its original position, but with only one survivor." The female reporter continued. "The only person left alive is medical student, Oliver Morgensten."
The screen flickered over to Oliver Morgensten, Martha's friend from the hospital.
"Um, there were these creatures, um, rhinos, talking rhinos in black leather." He gulped.
Donna and Wilf frowned, watching the television.
"Rhinos?" Donna asked.
"Those could be aliens." Wilf frowned.
"Sssh!"
"We couldn't breathe, we were running out of air." Oliver gulped. "A colleague of mine gave me the last oxygen tank, Martha, Martha Jones. And she disappeared." He blinked, shaking his head. "There was this woman, Martha was losing the air. And she spoke to the rhinos, argued with them. And then she took Martha and dissappeared..."
"Martha Jones was a medical student who worked along side Oliver Morgensten who's body was found in an alleyway next to a pub in London where later that night she'd visit to celebrate her brother's 21st birthday, an hour after the return of the Royal Hope."
Sylvia sat at the dining table, unpacking Donna's box, "At least you've got a holepunch." She muttered, eyeing it. "And a raffle ticket."
"Yeah well they can keep the raffle." Donna called over. "I won't take a penny off that man."
"Honestly, you two, there's aliens on the news, they took that hospital all the way to the moon and you're banging on about raffle tickets." Wilf sighed.
"Don't be daft, Gramps, it wasn't the moon, it couldn't be."
"Yes, well I am telling you it is getting worse these past few years. It's like all of a sudden, they suddenly know all about us, and there's keen eyes up there, and they're watching us and they're not friendly."
Sylvia eyed a stapler with a frown, "This stapler says 'Bea'."
"I can't believe how well you're taking this, me getting sacked." Donna said. "I thought you'd hit the roof."
"I'm just tired, Donna. What with your father and everything. To be honest, I've given up on you."
Donna sighed, looking away.
"There was this woman who took control, said she knew what to do, said she could stop the MRI or something." Oliver stammered on screen. "Sarah Jane, her name was. Sarah Jane Smith."
"Sarah Jane Smith was a freelance investigative journalist, formerly of Metropolitan Magazine." The female reporter said. "Her body was recovered from the hospital late this afternoon."
"What's for tea?" Donna asked.
"I've got nothing in." Sylvia mumbled.
"I'll get chips. Last of my wages. Fish and chips, yeah?"
Sylvia just ignored her.
...
Donna walked along a street at night, hands in her pockets when suddenly, a bright flash of light came out from an alleyway. She kept walking, when suddenly! Rose came running out from another flash.
"Blimey!" Donna gasped. "Are you alright? What was that, fireworks or something?"
"I dunno," Rose frowned. "I was just... walking along, that's weird."
Donna stared, recognising her, "You're the one... Christmas Eve, I met you in town."
"Donna, isn't it?"
"What was your name?"
"How are you doing?" Rose said quickly, glancing at her back. "You're looking good. How's things? What you been up to?"
"You're doing it again."
She shook her head, "What?"
"Looking behind me. People keep on doing that. Looking at my back."
"What sort of people?"
"People in the street. Strangers. I just catch them sometimes, staring at me. Like they're looking at something. And then I get home, and I look, and there's nothing there!" She began to desperately hit at her back. "See, look, now I'm doing it."
"What are you doing for Christmas?"
"What am I what?"
"Next Christmas. Any plans?"
"I don't know, that's ages away, nothing much I s'pose. Why?"
"Just... I think you should get out." She shrugged. "You and your family, don't stay in London, just... leave the the city."
"What for?"
"Nice hotel, Christmas break?"
"Can't afford it."
"Well, no, you've got that raffle ticket."
Donna frowned, "How do you know about that?"
"First prize. Luxury weekend break. Use it, Donna Noble."
"Why won't you tell me your name?" Rose stared back at her. "I think you should leave me alone." She turned and walked away from her. The alleyway began to light up again and Rose walked into it, disappearing.
At the bottom of the road stood Zara, holding her PDA, watching Donna walk away. For a moment, Donna stopped, looking back to see her.
"Every time that woman appears, I have a chance to try and do what the Doctor did to save the world." Zara called over. "And a chance to try and wake you up. It's a split second crack between this world, and our home world."
"What?!" Donna spat, annoyed from Rose still. "Who the hell are you?!"
Zara looked at her PDA, "Just turn around Donna, you'll forget me as soon as you do." She gave her a soft smile. "I couldn't wake you up this time. But I will always be there, you just can't always see me."
Donna stared at her, disturbed, and turned around to rush off. She frowned, forgetting what had happened and carried on walking.
...
Donna, Wilf, Sylvia and the rest of the hotel guests stood outside the hotel that Donna won a trip at Christmas for, looking out across the horizon at a destroyed Southern Coast, destroyed by the Titanic.
"I was supposed to be out there selling papers." Wilf breathed. "We should've been there, we all should. We'd be dead."
"That's everyone." Sylvia gulped. "Every single person we know. The whole city."
Donna frowned, "Can't be."
"But it is. London's gone."
"If you hadn't won that raffle..." Wilf gasped.
Donna turned to find Zara standing a few metres away from her, looking torn and tired, burn marks across her, like she'd escaped an explosion.
"DONNA!" She shouted at her, typing on her PDA. Donna stared, scared, backing away slightly, the only person who could see her. "I TRIED. I TRIED TO SAVE THE TITANIC. I COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT HIM." She stared at her, tearily, shouting as if she was shouting over noise. "PLEASE WAKE UP." Suddenly, she flickered away like a hologram.
...
Donna, Wilf and Sylvia sat in a shack opposite a woman, a long line of people behind them.
"Leeds?!" Donna exclaimed. "I'm not moving to Leeds!"
"I'm afraid it's Leeds, or you can wait in the hostel for another three months." The woman argued.
"All I want's a washing machine." Sylvia muttered, tired.
"What about Glasgow?" Donna asked. "I heard there was jobs going in Glasgow."
"You can't pick and choose, we've got the whole of Southern England flooded with radiation, seven million people in need of relocation, and now France has closed its borders, so it's Leeds, or nothing!" The woman snapped. "Next!"
She stamped 'LEEDS' onto a piece of paper.
...
Donna, Wilf, Sylvia and the man they shared a house with, Rocco, rushed out of the house at the sound of gunshot to find a soldier shooting at a car exhaust pipe, fumes clouding out of it.
"Are you crazy or what?" Rocco cried at the soldier.
"It's this ATMOS thing, it won't stop." The soldier said feebly. "It's like gas, it's toxic."
"Well switch it off!" Wilf snapped.
"I have done, it's still going. It's all the cars, every single ATMOS car, they've gone mad." Suddenly he noticed Donna's back, he and another soldier aiming thier guns at Donna. "You, lady, turn round! You, turn around!" Wilf and Rocco began to shout at the soldier as Donna stared, stunned. "I said turn around!"
"Just do what he says!" Sylvia cried. "Turn around!"
"Show me your back! Turn around, now, show me your back!" Donna put her hands in the air shakily, turning around for the soldier to stare, suprised, nothing on her back. "Sorry. Thought I saw..."
"Call yourself a soldier!" Wilf snapped. "Pointing guns, at innocent women!"
Donna turned, relieved, to see a flash of light at the end of the street, around the corner and walked off towards it.
"Donna?! Where are you going?" Sylvia shouted after her. "It's not safe at night! Donna! Donna!"
Donna turned the corner to see Rose standing there.
"Hello." She said solemnly.
"Hi." Rose gulped.
...
"It's the ATMOS devices." Rose explained, the two of them sitting on a park bench. "We're lucky here, Britain hasn't got that much petrol. But all over Europe. China, South Africa. They're getting choked by gas."
"Can't anyone stop it?" Donna asked.
"Yeah, they're trying right now, this little band of fighters. On board the Sontaran ship. Any second now."
Suddenly, the light illuminated with a bright red light, the sky on fire, before quickly fading again.
"And that was... ?"
"That was the Torchwood team." Rose gulped. "Gwen Cooper, Ianto Jones, they gave their lives. And Captain Jack Harkness is transported to the Sontaran home world. There's no one left."
"You're always wearing the same clothes. Why won't you tell me your name?"
"None of this was meant to happen. There was a man. This wonderful man, and he stopped it. The Titanic, the Adipose, the ATMOS, he stopped them all from happening."
"That 'Doctor'."
"You knew him."
"Did I? When?"
"I think you dream about him sometimes. He's a man in a suit, tall, thin man, great hair." She smirked, remembering. "Some really great hair."
"Who are you?"
"I was like you. I used to be you. 'Cause you've travelled with him, Donna. You've travelled with the Doctor and uh," She waved a hand at her. "This woman. You've travelled with the Doctor on a different world."
"I never met him. And he's dead."
"He died underneath the Thames on Christmas Eve but you were meant to be there. He needed someone to stop him and that was you, you made him leave. You saved his life."
Donna blinked, remembering a dream of The Doctor, surrounded by fire and water, killing Racnoss children and her shouting, "Doctor, you can stop now!" up at him. She shook her head, getting up and walking away from the bench.
"Stop it!" Donna snapped. "I dunno what you're talking about, leave me alone!
"Something's coming, Donna!" Rose shouted after her, standing up. "Something worse."
Donna looked back at her, "The whole world is stinking. How could anything be worse than this?"
"Trust me, we need the Doctor more than ever, I've..." Rose gulped, holding back tears. "I've been pulled across from a different universe because every single universe is in danger. It's coming, Donna. It's coming from across the stars and nothing can stop it."
"What is?"
"The darkness."
"Well what do you keep telling me for?! What am I supposed to do?! I'm nothing special! I mean, I'm, I'm not... I'm nothing special, I'm a temp! I'm not even that, I'm nothing!"
"Donna, you're the most important woman in the whole of creation!"
"Oh, don't." Donna chuckled dryly, fed up. "Just don't. I'm tired. I'm so tired." She turned to walk away.
"I need you to come with me."
"Yeah? Well, blonde hair might work on the men but you ain't shifting me, lady."
Rose smiled, "That's more like it."
"I've got plenty more."
"But you'll come with me. Only when you want to."
"You'll have a long wait then." She began to walk away again.
"Not really, just three weeks, tell me does your grandfather still own that telescope?"
Donna turned back, shocked, "He never lets go of it."
"Three weeks time. But you gotta be certain. 'Cause when you come with me, Donna. I'm sorry, so sorry, but... you're gonna die." Rose faded away, leaving a tearful Donna standing alone. She began to back away before briskly turning and heading off as at the same time, Zara came running through the park, arriving in the empty area.
"Donna?" Zara called into the silence, looking around frantically. "Donna!" She kicked the ground furiously, realising she'd missed her. She sat on the bench in frustration, looking up at the sky. "I need you Theta!" She gasped tearfully. "I need you. Martha and Sarah Jane are dead, Jack's gone... I can only just hold onto my real memories. There is no paradox to keep me together. I'm an echo. And when I wake Donna up, I won't remember any of this and neither will she." She stood back up again, kicking the ground. "DOCTOR!" She shouted at the sky, throwing her PDA to the ground, teleporting off, the PDA teleporting with her.
...
Donna and Wilf sat on a hill, huddled round a small fire, outdoors at night, Wilf's telescope next to him.
"You know we'd get a bit of cash if we sold this thing." Wilf remarked, pointing to his telescope.
"Don't you dare." Donna said warningly. "I'd always imagined your old age, I'd of put a bit of money by. Never did. I'm just useless." Wilf peered through the telescope. "You're supposed to say 'no you're not'."
"Ah, it must be the alignment." He muttered.
"What's wrong?"
"Well I dunno, I mean it can't be the lense, 'cause I was looking at Orion, the constellation of Orion..." He pulled back. "You take a look. And tell me what can you see."
"Where?"
"Well up there, in the sky!"
Donna peered through the telescope to find darkness, "Well I can't see anything, it's just black."
"Well I mean it's working, the telescope is working."
She pulled back and looked up, "Well maybe it's the clouds."
"There is no clouds!"
"Well there must be!"
"There's not! It was there! An entire constellation." He pointed out to show her where when suddenly, the stars disappeared into blackness. "Look... look there! They're going out. Oh my god, Donna look! The stars are going out."
Donna stared before turning around, "I'm ready." Stood in front of her was Rose.
...
Donna sat in the back of a UNIT jeep, driven by a UNIT soldier, Rose sitting next to her, staring out of the window as it stopped outside a warehouse.
...
Rose lead Donna in, towards a bunch of mirrors and wires, set out in a wide circle. Rose walked over towards a woman in a UNIT uniform who stood next to The TARDIS, wires attached to it.
"Ma'am." The woman - Captain Magambo saluted.
"I've told you, don't salute." Rose muttered.
"Well if you're not going to tell us your name."
Rose walked past her and over to a panel of computers.
"What, you don't know either?" Donna asked.
"It costs too many different realities, trust me, the wrong word in the wrong place can change an entire causal nexus." Rose called over her shoulder.
"She talks like that." Captain Magambo said. "A lot. And you must be Miss. Noble."
"Donna." Donna gave a weak smile.
"Captain Nerisa Magambo. Thank you for this." She shook Donna's hand.
"I don't even know what I'm doing."
Rose turned back from the computer, "Is it awake?"
"Seems to be quiet today." Captain Magambo replied. "Ticking over. Like it's waiting."
Rose stepped forward, watching The TARDIS. She folded her arms and turned to Donna, "D'you wanna see it?"
Donna frowned, "What's a police box?"
"They salvaged it from underneath the Thames, just go inside."
"What for?"
"Just go in."
Donna cautiously stepped inside, Rose watching. "No. Way." She exclaimed from inside. She stepped back out, mouth wide open as Rose chuckled. Donna walked around the outside in awe before stepping back in, looking around and the dark, dead console room. She quickly shut her jaw and stepped back out to Rose.
"What d'you think?" Rose asked.
"Can I have a coffee?"
...
The two of them walked round the console, Donna nursing a mug.
"Time and relative dimension in space." Rose sighed. "This room used to shine with light. I think it's dying." She reached out and stroked the rotor, earning a small noise. "Still trying to help."
"And... and it belonged to the Doctor?" Donna asked.
"He was a Time Lord." Rose nodded. "Last of his kind." She shook her head. "And uh, well there was this woman. But she died before he met you again. In this universe, because he wasn't alive... she never existed."
"But if he was so special, what's he doing with me?"
"He thought you were brilliant."
"Don't be stupid."
"You are! It just took the Doctor to show you that. Simply by being with him. He did the same to me. To everyone he touches."
Donna stared, "Were you and him... ?"
Rose looked at her for a moment, but stayed silent. She looked at Donna's back, running a hand down it.
"D'you wanna see it?" She asked.
"No!" Donna exclaimed before thinking a moment. "Go on then."
...
Rose led Donna into the centre of the circle of mirrors, "We don't know how the TARDIS works, but we've managed to scrape off the surface technology. Enough to show you the creature."
"It's a creature?" Donna asked.
"Just stand here."
"Out of the circle, please." Captain Magambo called.
"Yes, ma'am." Rose nodded, walking out of the circle and over to the computer.
"Can't you stay with me?" Donna asked nervously.
"Ready." Captain Magambo called. "And... activate."
Lights began to illuminate the circle and Donna squeezed her eyes shut.
"Open your eyes, Donna." Rose said.
"Is it there?" Donna asked nervously.
"Open your eyes, look at it."
She shook her head, "I can't!"
"It's part of you, Donna, look."
Donna cautiously opened her eyes to see a giant, iridescent beetle on her back. Donna turned frantically, panicking.
"It's okay, it's okay, it's okay! Calm down, Donna. Donna, Donna! S'okay."
Donna gulped, "What is it?"
"We don't know."
"Oh. Thanks!"
"It feeds off time. By changing time, by making someone's life take a different turn, like, uh, meetings never made, children never born, a life never loved." She gulped. "But with you it's..."
"But I never did anything important!"
"Yeah you did. One day, that thing made you turn right instead of left."
"When was that?"
"Oh you wouldn't remember, it was the most ordinary day in the world, but by turning right you never met the Doctor and the whole world just changed around you."
"Can you get rid of it?"
"No I can't even touch it. It seems to be in a state of flux."
"What does that mean?"
"I dunno." She laughed. "Sort of thing the Doctor would say."
"You liar!" Donna screamed. "You told me I was special! But it's not me, it's this thing! I'm just a host!"
"No, there's more than that." Rose reassured her. "The readings are strange, it's... like reality's just bending around you."
"Because of this thing!"
"No, no, we're getting separate readings from you. And they've always been there. Since the day you were born."
"This is not relevant to the mission." Captain Magambo said sharply.
"I thought it was just the Doctor we needed. But it's the both of you. The Doctor and Donna Noble. Together. To stop the stars from going out."
"Why? What can I do?!" She gasped, turning to look at the beetle in the mirror. "Turn it off! Please."
"Captain." Rose said.
Captain Magambo nodded, "Power down."
The lights turned off and the beetle disappeared, Rose hurrying into the circle and over to Donna, taking her arms.
"It's... still there though?" Donna asked nervously, Rose nodding in response. "What can I do? Get rid of it."
Rose smiled, "You're gonna travel in time."
...
Rose and Captain Magambo stood in front of Donna, who wore a wired up coat.
"The TARDIS has tracked down the moment of intervention, Monday the 25th, one minute past ten in the morning, your car was on Little Sutton Street, leaving for the Eden Road, but you turned right heading towards Griffon's Bridge, you need to turn left." Rose explained. "The most important thing, you gotta go back, turn left, have you got that, Donna? One minute past ten, make yourself turn left, heading for the Chiswick Highroad."
"Keep the jacket on at all times, it's insulation against temporal feedback," Captain Magambo ordered as a technician put a big metal watch on Donna's wrist. "This will correspond to local time wherever you land," She held out a glass of water to her. "This is to combat dehydration."
...
A group of UNIT soldiers and Rose led Donna into the circle of mirrors.
"This is where we leave you." Rose said.
"I don't wanna see that thing on my back." Donna said nervously, eyeing the mirrors.
"Oh no, the mirrors are just incidental, they bounce kronon energy back into the centre, which we control and decide the destination."
"It's a time machine."
"It's a time machine." Rose smiled.
"If you could..." Captain Magambo called. Donna moved forward into the centre of the circle. "Powering up!" The lights shone brightly around the circle.
"How d'you know it's gonna work?" Donna asked.
"Hm?" Rose asked. "Oh. Oh, yeah, yeah, we don't. We're just... we're just guessing."
"Brilliant." She nodded sarcastically.
"Just remember, when you get to the junction, change the car's direction by one minute past ten."
"How do I do that?"
"It's up to you."
"Well... I'll just... have to run up to myself and have a good argument."
Rose grinned, "I'd like to see that."
"Activate lodestone." Captain Magambo
"Good luck."
Donna breathed in sharply, "I'm ready."
"One minute past ten."
"'Cause I understand now. You said I was gonna die but, you mean this whole world is gonna blink out of existence. But that's not dying. 'Cause a better world takes its place. The Doctor's world. And I'm still alive." Rose stared back at her sadly. "That's right, isn't it, I don't die. If I change things, I don't die, that's... that's right, isn't it?"
"I'm sorry." Rose gulped.
"But I can't die!" Donna gasped. "I've got a future! With the Doctor, you told me!"
"Activate!" Captain Magambo called.
The whole room flooded with light.
...
Donna reappeared in a street full of people, courched on the floor. Suddenly she looked up and got to her feet, cheering and raising her arms in the air.
"Hold on..." She suddenly said, looking around. "But this is... I'm not... this is Sutton Court! I'm half a mile away. I'M HALF A MILE AWAY!" She looked at her watch, showing 9:57. "Four minutes? Oh my god!"
She turned and ran off when suddenly Zara appeared at the other end of the road.
"DONNA!" She shouted, running after her.
Donna and Sylvia stepped out of the house, walking towards the car.
The two of them got into the car, talking as Donna got into the driving seat.
"Jival, he's called." Sylvia said. "Jival Chowdry. He runs that little photocopy business, and he needs a secretary."
"I've got a job!" Donna emphasised.
Donna bolted along the street, Zara at the other end, unable to hear her shouting.
"H.C Clements is in the city. It's nice, it's posh, so stop it!" Donna turned the key in frustration.
Donna stopped to catch her breath, glancing at the metal watch before continuing to run as Zara turned the corner, watching her run away.
"Don-" She shouted again before giving up, sprinting after her.
A lorry passed the car at a junction as Donna stared into the distance, Sylvia still nagging.
"It won't take long, just turn right, we'll see Mr. Chowdry so Suzette can introduce you." Sylvia nagged.
Donna kept running, Zara still chasing after her.
"I'm going left, if you don't like it, get out and walk." Donna snapped. "You think I'm so useless!"
"Oh I know why you want a job with H.C Clements, lady. 'Cause you think you'll meet a man with lots of money and your whole life will change."
Donna stopped, panting. She gasped, red in the face, and looked at her watch showing: 9:59.
"I'm not gonna get there." She breathed.
"You're gonna die." Rose said.
Donna glanced, watching a lorry pass in her direction.
"Well let me tell you, sweetheart, city executives don't need temps, except for practice." Sylvia said.
"Yeah." Donna sighed, defeated. "S'pose you're right." She turned the car indicator to right as Sylvia smiled smugly.
The lorry grew closer to Donna as Zara appeared, running towards her.
"Please..." Donna breathed, stepping out.
It screeched to a halt as Zara screamed, disappearing into nothing.
Sylvia and Donna looked up at the sound of a scream
"Can you hear that?" Sylvia asked.
The driver jumped out of the truck, stopping the traffic.
The traffic grew longer in front of Donna and Sylvia.
"The traffic's stopping." Donna remarked.
"Something must've happened." Sylvia shrugged.
Donna lay on the concrete, blearily trying ot open her eyes when a blurry Rose came into sight, kneeling beside her.
"Tell him this." She said. "Two words." She whispered something in her ear before her eyes fluttered shut, dead.
"Well that decides it." Donna said. "I'm not sitting in a traffic jam." She indicated left. "I'm going left."
...
The beetle came flying off Donna's back, the Fortune Teller cowering on the floor, staring at her.
"What the hell is that?!" Donna exclaimed, staring at the beetle.
"You were so strong." The Fortune Teller gasped. "What are you? What will you be?" She turned and crawled away as Donna looked at the beetle, writhing on the floor when The Doctor and Zara appeared through the curtains.
"Everything alright?" The Doctor asked with a smile.
Donna gasped, running over pulling the two into a hug.
Zara laughed, surprised, "What was tha-"
"I don't know!" Donna gasped.
...
The three of them sat round the table, The Doctor poking the beetle with an incense stick.
"Can't remember." Donna sighed. "It's slipping away. You know like when you're trying to give a dream and it just sort of goes?"
"Just got lucky, this thing." Zara explained, nodding at the beetle. "It's one of the Trickster's Brigade. Changes a life in tiny little ways. Most times the universe just compensates around it, but with you... great big parallel world."
Donna frowned, "Hold on, you said parallel worlds are sealed off."
"Well they are." The Doctor said. "But you had one created around you. Funny thing is, seems to be happening a lot; to you."
"How d'you mean?"
"Well, the Library and then this."
"Just... goes with the job, I s'pose."
"Sometimes I think there's way too much coincidence around you, Donna. I met you once, then I met your grandfather then I met you again. In a whole wide universe, I met you for a second time. It's like something's binding us together."
"Don't be so daft. I'm nothing special."
Zara grinned at her, "Yes you are, you're brilliant!"
Donna smiled.
"He thought you were brilliant." Rose shrugged.
Donna frowned, "She said that."
"Who did?" The Doctor asked.
"That woman. Oh, I can't remember."
Zara reached out and squeezed her hand, "Well, she never existed now."
"No but she said... the stars. She said the stars are going out."
"Yeah but that world's gone." The Doctor reassured her.
"No but she said it was all worlds. Every world. She said the the darkness is coming, even here."
The Doctor and Zara shared a worried look.
"Who was she?"
"I dunno."
"What did she look like?"
"She was... blonde."
The Doctor's eyes widened as Zara stiffened, "What was her name?" Zara asked.
"I don't know."
"Donna, what was her name?" The Doctor asked frantically, trembling.
"But she told me..." She gasped. "To warn you. She said two words."
"What two words, what were they, what did she say?"
"Bad Wolf." The Doctor and Zara's eyes widened. "Well, what does it mean?"
The Doctor jumped up, Zara chasing after him into the street. Donna ran after them as they ran up to a wall, posters plastered across every surface all with the words 'Bad Wolf'. They looked round, all of the banners on shops and building saying 'Bad Wolf'. The Doctor and Zara bolted round the corner, reaching The TARDIS to see all the writing on the door and the 'Police Public Call Box' at the top replaced with 'Bad Wolf'. The two ran inside, Donna following to find The TARDIS bathed in a red light.
"Doctor, Zara what is it?" Donna asked. "What's Bad Wolf?"
"It's the end of the universe." The Doctor replied.