25 Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

"Is there sun bathing?"

"Well, yes…sort of, but the direct sunlight will kill you, it's x-tonic!"

"Lovely. How 'bout massages?"

"Oh yes! Every variety ever is available. Says so right here in the brochure, Donna, if you just want to—"

"Are there heaps of beautiful men to wait on us and foot?"

"Ummm, I think so, probably women, androids, multiforms—whatever you fancy, I guess, but…"

"And the food; is it any good?"

"I haven't been there yet, Donna! That's the whole point. It's new. New planet, new experiences—new is good!"

"Restaurants.…"

"Yes, yes, there are dozens of them. Ohhhh, and one is anti-gravity; we'd have to use bibs!"

"Mmmm-hmmmm…delightful," she says sarcastically. "Doctor, give me the one reason you think I should let you take Rose and I—"

"And me!" Jack pipes up enthusiastically, thoroughly enjoying this sparring match. He and Rose have been sitting on the jump seat watching this little debate take place about all three of the planets the Doctor has suggested. The previous two hadn't reached this point before Donna shot them down. This one looks like a winner.

Donna rolls her eyes and continues her question despite Jack's interruption, "…And Captain Smoothtalker over there, to this…this, leisure planet you're so excited about? What's it called again?"

"Midnight, Donna. It's called Midnight," the Doctor replies with a sigh, running a hand through his hair. Tapping his teeth with the pencil he's been using to underline interesting attractions, he looks for something, anything, that will finally impress Donna.

"Oh, I've got it! The entire planet is made of diamond!" he says, a huge, happy grin splitting his face. The Doctor looks around at them all, eyebrows high and tongue between his teeth, excited—like a puppy when a treat bag rattles. This place is just about the coolest thing he's ever heard of: a diamond planet with sapphire waterfalls—brilliant!

"Well, Spaceman, why didn't you say so in the first place! Diamonds are a girl's best friend, I hear," she teases with a smirk, throwing a significant look over her shoulder back at Jack.

Rose nearly loses her tea through her nose at Donna's expression.

Jack hoots for joy, glad that they've finally reached a decision. He and Donna could really use a break, after their "time off" back on Earth. The Doctor and Rose hadn't escaped from Sylvia Noble for twenty-four hours before he and Donna were nearly killed by the Judoon and a lack of air when the Royal Hope Hospital was transported to the moon…the Moon! So much for simply picking up a prescription for Wilf.

With the help of a very resourceful medical student, Ms. Martha Jones, they had finally tricked the plasmavore into revealing herself, but he'd nearly been sucked dry in the process—and gotten into some serious trouble for kissing said medical student. As a human from the 51st century, he was just different enough genetically to alert the Judoon to an anomaly, but catching the plasmavore in the act was the kicker. Trying to convince Donna that it was just a necessary genetic transfer was like trying to convince Churchill that Hitler just wanted to be friends. They'd only made up the night before, when the Doctor explained in super fine detail why Jack's plan had worked and that it really had been the best option.

Donna was smart, funny, and had moments of dead-brilliant insight. When angry, she was the most magnificent creature around with her brazenly vocal opinions, and when the target of that anger was finally out of the doghouse the makeup sex was amazing. Jack might actually have a bit of a limp. Good thing the TARDIS soundproofed Her bedrooms. Thinking back over the previous night, he actually blushes just a touch, the tips of his ears glowing.

Recovering over her teacup, Rose catches the redness of Jack's ears and the adoring look he's giving Donna's back as she continues teasing the Doctor, chasing him around the console and grabbing at the handful of brochures. Smirking to herself, Rose wishes Jack and Donna well, glad of their happiness.

A vacation would be nice. She isn't sure what's so exciting about a planet made of diamonds, but seeing the Doctor so excited about it makes her happy in turn. She can tell that Donna was just hassling him for the sheer joy it. They really must have been siblings in some weird alternate reality. The images of a little, loud-mouthed, red-headed girl chasing a small, skinny, brown-haired boy around almost makes Rose choke on her tea again.

The Doctor must have caught a piece of the image through their bond, because he abruptly stops, Donna crashing into him, and with a muffled "Oooof!" they fall to the grating. Once Donna rolls off of him, amidst much hysterics, the Doctor, panting and still on his back on the grating, informs them that he has never, in over 900 years, ever pulled anyone's pigtails.

Still laughing, Jack helps the Doctor to his feet.

"That's good, Doc, 'cause Donna would just slug ya back!" he says with a grin, hugging Donna to his side affectionately.

"Bloody well right!" Donna replies, shaking her fist menacingly in the air. "Let's go pack!" With a mischievous glint in her eye, Donna turns, grabbing Jack and dragging him off down the hallway, laughing all the way.

Taking the few steps to the jumpseat, the Doctor flops down next to Rose, looking particularly disheveled, his suit a bit rumpled and his hair attaining new heights. Spinning around, he lays back, dropping his head into her lap, closing his eyes, and smiling at their closeness.

"Well, love, you look like you could use a vacation from the vacation planning," Rose teases him, running her hands through his hair, ruffling the spikes between her fingers.

"Ohhhh, I'm alright. How are you feeling? I think this place will be fun, but really, the point is for you to rest." Looking at her energies, the Doctor can see that the luminous golden strands that usually wrap around her are still a bit sluggish, but they're light, and she radiates happiness.

"It sounds like the perfect place to me. Pampering for Donna and me, exploration of the strange and new for you and…Hmmm. Persuading Jack to go exploring with you might take some doing. He'll like the pampering too," Rose says thoughtfully, looking up at the ceiling with its hanging cables and coral struts.

"Nahhhhh, who'd want to miss sapphire waterfalls?!" the Doctor scoffs. "It's a leisure planet, Rose. That's all there is to do—rest and see new things. I can't wait to try the anti-grav restaurant!"

Giggling, they continue discussing the things they can explore on this new planet the Doctor found for them. This will be fun!

Rose is amazed that it takes an entire day before the Doctor is completely bored. The only inhabited location on the planet—the lofted, saucer-shaped Torus hub—while enormous, only offers so many options to the usually very busy Time Lord. At least on San Helios, he has the entire planet to explore whenever he wants. Being confined by the x-tonic sunlight to either the hub or specifically designated vehicles for trips (vehicles that are all currently being repaired) has pushed him to the brink of tearing his hair out.

"All the vehicles, Rose; how is that even possible? Don't they have a maintenance schedule?" the Doctor whinges from his upside down position in a lounger as Rose languidly drapes herself in another lounge chair next to him by the enormous central pool. She's just experienced the most amazing massage of her life, performed by the six-armed, telepathically null Serlepthan. As a 12-star leisure resort (Zagat rated), Midnight has every amenity imaginable for every species likely to visit. Being able to designate that she needed a grade-zero telepath as her therapist and her room shielded and also at zero, allowed Rose to completely relax into the treatment more than even on the TARDIS.

Turning a blissful smile in the Doctor's direction, she lazily watches his agitated movements but can't bother to muster the energy to care. Smiling slowly, she shifts a hand in his direction. Not even considering his response, he takes it and grinds to a halt mid-word as Rose allows her own tranquility to transfer via the touch.

A sensation of cool honey enfolds the Doctor's mind and tongue as Rose wraps him up in her contented joy. Blinking at her a few times, he allows her touch to soothe his frenetic thoughts. Breathing deeply, he shifts around, managing to not dump himself and the lounge chair in the pool, to kneel next to her; kissing her sweetly and slowly, enjoying the shared sensations they're still exchanging through Rose's charged contact.

Reining herself in, Rose pulls the link back, seeing a busy-looking fellow approaching them from over the Doctor's shoulder. Feeling her presence recede, the Doctor looks up to see Rose's gaze has shifted to follow something behind him.

"Hello! Please excuse me," the man says cheerfully while wringing his hands in a slightly worried fashion.

Smiling at Rose, the Doctor squeezes her hand before turning and getting back to his feet, inadvertently towering over the much shorter and pale blue man. Dressed smartly in an asymmetrically cut suit, he looks every inch the consummate concierge.

"Hello!" the Doctor responds brightly. "You must be from Veltuvia. I just love Veltuvia. They have the most delicious little cakes there, Rose. They make everything into little cakes!"

The small man blushes bright blue in pleasure at the Doctor's recognition of his species and grins happily at him, momentarily forgetting why he's there. He has no idea that he would have received an entirely different sort of reception if he'd shown up only a couple of minutes earlier.

"Yes, yes, we do! Thank you very much. I always love to hear that others have enjoyed my home planet," he replies, beaming. "Oh, I came for a purpose, though! I nearly forgot, please forgive me. Did one of you register for a telepathically null massage? A…Rose Tyler?" he asks, looking at a small computer in his palm.

"Yep! That's me, Rose Tyler. It was utterly brilliant by the way, really top notch," she says with a little wave, but that's all the movement he's going to get from her for now.

"Excellent, excellent, thank you! Well, I'm Torlan, and I'm responsible for registering the guests, especially telepathic guests. We like to know so certain areas can be shielded and certain guests aren't accidentally slotted together for…errr…certain activities or reservations. Wouldn't want to sign up for a wind riding class with a Worloon now, would you?" Torlan says with a hesitant little laugh.

"Ack! No!" the Doctor exclaims, the look of distaste clear on his pinched face. "They aren't exactly telepathic, but they have absolutely no shields and they're very…well, loud and…" leaning close he whispers to Rose, "…smelly!"

Sharing a conspiratorial chuckle with Torlan, the Doctor agrees to go with him to the medical wing and register his party's species. Leaning in to give Rose a quick peck, he waves to the approaching Donna and Jack as he follows Torlan toward a section of the Torus he hasn't explored yet.

"Where's the Spaceman off to?" Donna asks as she and Jack slide into loungers next to Rose.

"Doctor stuff with the doctor staff," Rose says drowsily, not bothering to hide her yawn. "Nothin' important. Good night."

Moving down a little further in the row of loungers, Jack and Donna chat quietly about what to enjoy next. The wind riding classes sound fun.

Following after Torlan, the array of medical equipment available at the Torus' clinic impresses the Doctor. He points out pieces he finds particularly fascinating, and Torlan nods politely, humming agreement where expected, although he really has no idea what the difference between machine A and scanner B would be if his life depended on it. The Doctor is particularly pleased with one that blinks several lights and dings when a result is acquired. Reaching the main desk, Torlan gratefully releases the Doctor into the capable manipulator tentacles of Dr. Sut'ack`Rilleen. Bowing deeply to her and the Doctor, Torlan takes his leave, encouraging the Doctor to just ring if he needs anything. Exiting the clinic, he continues on about his duties, feeling both pleased and relieved.

"Aren't you gorgeous! A Terelin'A'Peth! I haven't seen one of you in ages. I'm the Doctor," he says happily, extending his right hand to her in a strangely undulant sort of fashion that somehow manages to look graceful.

Mirroring him, the large beetle-like creature rattles her wing casings and extends her left manipulator toward the Doctor, splitting it into a hand-like appendage with four fingers. Touching, they both tip toward each other slightly. The Doctor grins at her in obvious pleasure. The Terlin'A'Pethi doctor flashes green across her carapace in delight at his kind greeting.

"Many gracious days of light to you, Doctor! You may call me Dr. Rilleen. Long it has been since I was greeted properly, by one not of my own kind," she says happily through the translator hanging around her neck, the clicks, hums, ticks, and glottal gasps difficult even for a Time Lord's throat to mimic.

"And may your hive ever be warm, Dr. Rilleen. Oh, really the pleasure is mine! Last time I was on Terelin'A'Peth Major, I think Vork'Ackt'Alon was still Queen," he muses. He'd taken Jamie and Victoria with him on that trip. Eye opening experience for the Humans—talking to giant, sentient beetles that love nothing better than sweets, and luckily for him, recorder music. It had been a fun trip, one of the few where there wasn't any running. The memory slides sweetly through his mind as Dr. Rilleen gasps, her antenna quivering in excitement and her mandibles rubbing quickly together.

"Doctor! I took you to be human, but that is not possible as Queen Vork'Ackt'Alon passed to the Maker centuries ago," she says, clicking her antenna in confusion.

"Oh, no, not human, me," he says with a smile. "But I have some humans with me as part of our party. I'm here to register two humans and two telepaths," the Doctor tells her, smiling brightly and rocking back on his heels and looking around at the state of the art facility.

"And what species are the telepaths, may I ask? Your confidentiality is guaranteed, but we need to know so we may treat you accurately in the event of an accident, though that is highly unlikely," she says, spreading her soft "hands," asking for understanding.

Gazing at her a moment, the Doctor decides to be honest for once when he isn't just showing off. Not that anything will happen here, but Rose is pregnant, and they are allergic to aspirin, not that it's a common pain reliever way out here, but still, Rose would tell them.

"My wife and I are Time Lords," he says to Dr. Rilleen. "And my wife is pregnant. I don't expect anything will happen, but better safe than sorry at the moment, right?"

Dr. Rilleen's wing casings flare out in surprise. "Doctor! Your species is considered extremely endangered! Maker be praised that you increase," she blesses him, taking his hand again in both of hers and blowing over his palm in some strange form of benediction.

Eyes wide at her statement and actions, the Doctor wonders curiously if the designation is a Shadow Proclamation thing. They don't always agree on methods, but he generally has a good relationship with the Architects. He wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't Her way of trying to do him a little favour.

"My esteemed colleague is returning tonight. She is the specialist for the telepathic species. I will apprise her of your arrival. Doctor, I will add your party to our registry, and may you all have an excellent visit. We are blessed by your continued existence," she says, bowing to him again, deeper this time, and shading her carapace a deep purple in a show of respect.

Returning her bow, he's not sure how to feel about her effusive behaviour. He's generally mouthing off about being superior, but such blatant praise makes him feel uncomfortable, especially when he hasn't just finished saving their planet, or rescuing their pet, or something.

Praise for existing…Hmmm. That's a new one. Still, I got to talk to a Terelin'A'Peth! How brilliant is that? I can't wait to tell Rose! he thinks, sauntering back toward the pool and his probably sleeping wife.

Halfway back, an announcement across the hub-wide PA system states that all Crusader vehicles will be functional tomorrow and trips to all destinations will resume.

Delighted with the news, a little extra spring enters the Doctor's step as he continues toward the pool.

A/N: Happy Monday! Here is this first chapter in the new segment, and Yep, we're about to visit Midnight. If you go back to the very first chapter, and read the A/N again, this is that portion you'll need to trust me on. We loved and hated this story when it aired. Mine comes from a different direction, but still escalates toward angst. Thanks for reading! Wednesday's chapter is: Newsflash