Chapter 13: a noble returns

In the main room, Enaya found the Doctor, pacing in circles.

"Doctor?" She called.

"It can't be her." he said, still walking with his hands in his pockets. "It CAN'T be her. He's mistaken. Tell me he's mistaken. We can't trust his magic, because he's afraid it would be his friend. Tell me I'm right."

"Doctor…"

"TELL ME I'M RIGHT!" He yelled.

Enaya didn't answer, and sighed. Furious, he gave a big kick to one of the furniture, breaking its door. He took a deep breath.

"I refuse to put Donna's life in danger." he said. "You know what would happen if she sees me. I can't do that to her."

"I know."

"But we can't give up, and if we don't do anything, they're gonna find her."

"I know."

"So what do we do?"

"We'll find a solution. I promise."

"I know one."

It was David who just talked.

"We have to take the Time Lord's mind out of Donna's body." he explained.

"How do you know about that?" Enaya asked with curiosity.

"I asked my magic."

"You're a quick learner, I'm impressed!" She said sincerely.

"But I've locked the Time Lord's mind." the Doctor retorted. "Getting it out would mean we'll first have to unleash it."

"I can do it." Enaya maintained. "I can. I've done it before."

"Can you guaranty it's safe for her?"

"No. but what I can guaranty is that I'd do anything I can to make sure she's all right."

The Doctor took his head in his hands, and gave an angry whistle.

"Right, he finally said. Let's do it now."

He left the flat, followed by David, and then by Enaya, who closed the door with great delicacy. As soon as she entered the Tardis, the Time Lord, with a closed face, started the engine. They soon landed in Cheswick, in front of Mrs. Noble's house. When they reached the door, the Doctor hesitated.

"I can't do it." he said.

So, it was David who rang the bell. They waited for a short moment, and the door opened on Donna's mother. When she saw the Doctor, she opened wide eyes, got out and closed the door.

"What are you doing here?" She yelled in a low voice.

Then, she noticed David.

"And why are there two of you? Is that a clone?"

"I'm not a clone, madam, I'm David Tennant. I've played the Doctor for four years in the series."

"Series? What series? Never heard of it."

"That's quite normal." Enaya explained. "Torchwood controls it. They make sure no one who knew the Doctor can access it."

"So torchwood really exists…" David noticed.

"Course. And by the way, Captain Jack really appreciates John Barrowman. What is it, he say? Oh yeah! He says Barrowman "really caught the deepest part of him". That's why he chose him. Well, not officially, of course. Barrowman doesn't know him."

"Good old Jack!" the Doctor smiled.

"Good old John!" David replied.

Mrs. Noble cleared her throat.

"What are you doing here?" She repeated.

The Doctor took a serious face again.

"We need Donna to help us."

"What? You know she can't. You know she can't even see you! You told us the price if she does!"

"I know! And I'm really sorry! And believe me, if I had any other solution, I wouldn't have come here. But that girl," he explained, pointing to Enaya, "she can solve the problem! She's able to take away the Time Lord's mind that burns your daughter. I know you don't like me, I know you feel like I'm responsible of everything, I feel the same, but please, just for this once, please, you've got to trust me!"

She stared at him with a pursed face, and then the door opened again, on Wilfred Mott.

"Doctor!" He said joyfully.

"Wilfred!" he replied the same way.

They both hugged like two old friends.

"What's going on, here?" he asked then.

They explained him everything and he listened carefully. When he heard his grand-daughter descended from Guinevere, he smiled and said:

"I always knew my Donna was someone special."

When the explanation was done, he turned to Enaya.

"Can you really do it?" He asked. "Can you really make her back?"

"Yes."

"If the Doctor trusts you, then so do I."

Mrs. Noble sighed, but let them in.

"Donna!" she called. "Someone wants to talk to you."

Donna got up of the couch where she was sitting, and came to meet the new comers.

"Hello…" she said, not recognizing anyone.

"Hi, Donna. I'm the Doctor."

"The Doctor?" She whispered, confused. "Oh! My head!"

She started falling, so his husband and David ran to her to support her, while Enaya got closer to her.

"Trust me…" she whispered.

She put her left thumb on Donna's forehead, and the ginger woman opened wide eyes. Enaya grimaced of pain, but didn't let go, and press her thumb more strongly. She shouted out of pain, and finally took her thumb away. Then, she placed her right hand above Donna's heart. Her hand started to shine, and she got paler, while Donna seemed to get better. When she was finally satisfied, she let her arm fall.

"She'll be fine." she declared.

And then, she collapsed, while Donna lost consciousness.

"What's wrong with her?" David asked, designating Enaya.

The Doctor ran to her, and took her pulse.

"She's been spending too much energy. She'll be fine, she just needs to rest."

"How about Donna?" His husband asked.

"She should wake up in an hour."

So, they put the two women in a large bed, and the Doctor stayed to look after them. The first to wake up was Donna. She blinked, and saw her old friend.

"Doctor…" she called.

Lost in his thoughts, he jumped.

"Donna!"

He left his chair to come sit next to her, on the bed, and took her hand.

"How do you feel?" He asked, concerned.

She sat on the bed.

"What happened?" She asked.

"We had to take away the Time Lord's mind inside you."

"I had a Time Lord's mind?"

"It was burning you so I had to lock him up and block your memory."

"Okay. I remember, now."

"This is all my fault." he said raucously.

He looked away. Feeling his pain, the ginger woman took him in her arms. Then, he started to cry for good, so she held him strongly, rocking him and stroking his hair in a maternal way.

"Hoi, space man, you don't need to get that bad…" she gently said.

And she kept rocking him until he calmed down.

"Is she your new companion?" She asked then, pointing to Enaya.

"Let's say we're travelling together for a while. I owe her a lot."

"Really?"

"She saved my life, and now she brought you back."

"Why did she, Doctor?"

Once again, he looked away, but she took his face and forced him to look at her, putting all the kindness she had for him in her eyes.

"I need your help, Donna." he finally admitted.

"What for?"

So he told her the entire story, without forgetting any detail.

"You can count on me." she said when he was done.

This was when Enaya woke up. The Doctor smiled at her.

"You're making a habit of this." he said.

"Of what?"

"Saving a life by absorbing something dangerous and staying unconscious for hours."

"Yeah… maybe I should stop doing this."

"Maybe, yes."

She laughed, and asked:

"Can you give me a syringe, please?"

"You should take some rest."

"Negative. I slept too much. Let's not waste our time."

"Can't agree more." Donna said. "Let's go and kick some Atlante's bottom."

The Doctor gave Enaya a syringe so that she could get her energy back, and she got up, as Donna did. They got out of the room, and found the others in the living room, waiting around a cup of coffee. When he saw them, David immediately joined them, while Donna headed to her husband.

"Got to go, love." she said. "The Doctor needs me, but I promise I won't be too long."

And she kissed him.

"What are you gonna do?" He asked.

"Find king Arthur." she replied. "Punish bad people, save innocents; put justice back in place… and a lot of running. It's madness how much you run when you travel with the Doctor… and god, I missed it!"

"Go on, my girl!" Wilfred shouted with enthusiasm. "Go save the world, that's my Donna!"

"Thank you grandpa!"

Then she joined the others, and looked at them.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" She asked. "Let's move on!"

"Can I say it?" David asked.

The Doctor smiled and nodded.

"ALLONS-Y!" The actor shouted.

And they went out of the house, to get in the Tardis.