A/N hi guys! I typed this up as quickly as I could, just for you and all your wonderful reviews. Thank you! (Be thankful guys, I wrote most of this at eleven o'clock at night after watching the episode 'Midnight', which is the fricking scariest thing I have ever seen. And I'm one of those people who watch horror movies alone at night and still get peaceful sleep.)

And oh my god guys another thing about the Christmas special- in those pictures Clara is wearing a cardigan with bow ties on it. BOW TIES. What if the Doctor gave it to her for a present? Or she wore it cos she knew he'd like it? But then twelve probably won't wear a bow tie. WHY MUST THERE BE MORE THINGS FOR ME TO CRY ABOUT?

God sorry guys I'm whouffle deprived. Enjoy and thank you so much for reviewing! (betcha can't get to 200...jks ignore me)

•••

THE DOCTOR

When he first spotted the flash of golden-red out of the edge of his vision, the Doctor thought he was going funny in the head. Or, at least, more so.

When the figure came close enough that he could see her face, he decided he was hallucinating.

When she stopped a metre from him, he blinked several times and simply stared.

Donna Noble.

Amazing, brilliant, important Donna Noble was standing just there, giving him a funny look.

"And who the bloody hell are you?"

Even her voice. Donna.

"Look, mate, are you just gonna stand there gawping at me or tell me who you are?"

"I'm... the Doctor," he said. That was all he could say.

"Right. Course you are, mister. I know the Doctor and he doesn't have clown hair and a...bow tie!"

"He doesn't does he?" Donna Noble.

"Darn right he doesn't. So you gonna tell me your real name? Cause I really would like to find the real Doctor. You seem 'im?"

"No," he said. But he wanted to say so much more.

"Sure? Pretty hard to miss. Space hair, trench coat, skinny as a stick."

"I haven't seen him."

"Can you make yourself useful and tell me where I am, then?"

He smiled. "It starts with V, I think."

"Fat lot o' help that is. Are you going to be a gentleman and offer to help me find the Doctor or keep on standing there with that depressing smile?"

Snap out of it. This wasn't Donna Noble. It couldn't be. It could never be. This Donna Noble was a trick. Another clever little trap to mess with his head.

"Donna Noble," he cleared his throat.

She stepped forward sharply. "How ...how the bloody hell do you know my name?"

He fished the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket. "You..." he stopped. Took a breath.

Don't say it. Don't say it. This isn't really her. She's a doppelgänger. A trick.

He couldn't stop himself. "I'm so sorry."

The buzzing of the sonic dimmed away into silence.

•••

CLARA

A cold, bony hand clenched around her wrist, she was too shocked to react quick enough, was pulled out into the chilling air.

Two tall soldiers took hold of her arms, and another stood in front of her with a very big, very black, very real looking gun. The soft click that sounded when he cocked the safety switch stilled her struggles.

"Very good, very good," a sharp voice commented, the same one she had heard before. The owner of this voice strode into view, with a face to match the sneering voice.

"Clever enough to know the value of your own life, too. Some of his previous pets had very little of that particular virtue."

"Who are you and what do you want with the Doctor and I?" she demanded, but her voice was shakier than she liked and the line felt much too weak and cliche to make much of an impact.

"All we need from you, my girl, is to stand there and scream. I'm afraid we demand a little more from the Doctor."

"And where is he, then?"

"Oh, he's coming. He's just having a chat with some of his old friends. A little bit of...fun."

She couldn't try anything now. Not without the Doctor. She'd have to wait, not that she had much of a chance of escaping now anyway.

She closed her eyes for a moment.

And didn't say a word.

•••

THE DOCTOR

"Hey, hey, you, mister!"

The Doctor spun around on the jagged crystal underfoot, spinning his arms to keep balance.

"Sorry, could you tell me where I am?"

Martha Jones.

"I-I..." He looked at her. Young and bright and brilliant Martha Jones.

Not this again. What did they want? Why were they doing this?

"You alright?"

"Yes, fine. Fine."

She raised an eyebrow. "Alright. Sorry, where am I, exactly? I've just got a bit lost."

He smiled, because here was Martha Jones. How he'd missed her.

"You're looking for the Doctor, are you?"

"Yeah, how'd you know that?"

"Lucky guess," he slid the sonic through his fingers, held it before him.

"What's that?"

"A little contraption of mine."

"Looks a little familiar. Different colour. It isn't, by any chance, a sonic screwdriver?"

"Indeed it is."

Stop it. Shut up. She's not real. She's not here.

"How'd you get it? You aren't...are you a Time Lord? Sounds crazy but... couldn't help but notice you've got some similarities with a friend of mine." Martha looked a little suspicious now. Brilliant Martha. Curious Martha. Stubborn Martha.

Stop.

"Martha Jones..."

Don't. She's not real. She can't hear you say it. It's fake. It won't make a difference.

Again, he could not seem to stop the words tumbling from his lips.

"You're a star."

He was smiling, even as she fell to the ground before him, just a puddle of sickly white. At least he thought he was smiling. But he was sure it looked more like a grimace, or a pained frown.

•••

He spotted Amy before she spotted him, out over a little ridge in the crystal. And, of course, there was Rory. Just by her side.

He tried heading away from them. He even started to run. He couldn't face this. He couldn't let them continue to revel in the torture they knew they were inflicting upon him. He couldn't let them win.

But, in the end, he just wanted to see them both together one last time.

"There you are! Do you mind not running off on us on unknown planets again?" she yelled, her voice strong and melodically Scottish.

The genuine tangibility of her, of Amy Pond, picking her way over the crystals made him look away for a moment.

"Look, if you want to ditch us, at least ask nicely and choose somewhere with warmer weather," she continued. "Aaand, you're not even listening. Men."

"Hey!" Rory protested, somewhat halfheartedly.

He had to turn away again, each of their words twisted and writhed in his stomach.

They stood before him, now. Looking at him. But he couldn't look at them.

"Is something wrong?" Rory asked casually.

He couldn't look.

Rory Williams.

Amelia Pond.

He just pressed the button. Listened to the buzz. Glanced at the Flesh coating the crystal shards.

And walked away.