Speech key:
'Telepathic communication'
"Holding Earth stability..." the New Doctor said flicking some switches, "Maintaining atmospheric shell."
"The prophecy must complete," Caan speaks up.
"Don't listen to him," Davros shouted.
"I have seen the end of everything Dalek, and you must make it happen, Doctor."
"He's right," the New Doctor realised agreeing with the statement, "Because with or without a Reality Bomb, this Dalek Empire's big enough to slaughter the cosmos. They've got to be stopped!"
"Just...just wait for the Doctor," Donna reasoned with him hurriedly, the other humans around them shifting uneasily
The New Doctor countered, his eyes hard as steel, "I am the Doctor," before continuing back to work.
Ariana's eyes snapped back open, "Doctor!" she moaned in pain as he ran to her side, "No, not you the other one!"
The new Doctor's eyes widened as he ran to the doors.
"Maximising Dalekanium power feeds," he now said, "Blasting them BACK!"
Hitting the button all the Daleks exploded with a scream. Everyone in the Vault is sent flying from the force of the explosions, "What've you done?!"
"Fulfilling the prophecy," the New Doctor stated.
"Do you know what you've done?" the Time Lord glared at him.
"Doctor!" Ariana called with a strained voice from inside the TARDIS.
Looking over his shoulder he sees the orange light shining brighter and he knew that it only meant one thing, "Now, get in the TARDIS!" he looks to the others, "Everyone! All of you inside, run! In, in, in, in, in!"
They all run into the TARDIS, as the New Doctor now ushered them in quickly, "Sarah Jane! Rose! Jackie! Jack! Mickey!"
The Doctor squints through the fire as he urgently made a last minute decision, "Davros?" he held his hand out, "Come with me! I promise I can save you!"
"Never forget, Doctor, YOU did this! I name YOU, forever, YOU are the Destroyer of Worlds!" Davros shouted just he slammed the TARDIS doors shut.
Everyone suddenly gets startled by the bright light as Ariana threw her head back and arms out as the energy converged around her body, it almost blinded everyone in the room. The Doctor rushed over past his friends to the front, just as the energy faded Ariana fell out of the regeneration.
The Doctor just managed to catch her by the shoulders in time before she fell, straightening her up, "You ok?" he asked, hand reaching out to brushing her cheek, turning her head to meet his, "Ari?"
She blinked a few times adjusting her eyes before meeting her mates, he noticed her hair was still the same length as Alice's had been and was now black, her eyes were a deep inviting chocolate brown. Her russet coloured skin was beautiful to him and it brought out her eyes. Opening her mouth about to speak a wisp of regeneration energy left. She laughs and smiles at him, "Hello you," her accent now had become an soft American twang.
"Hello," he grinned back and wasted no time pulling her into an embrace, which she gratefully accepted as he clung on tightly to her, "I've missed you so much Ari you have no idea."
She returned it without hesitation, "I've missed you too Doc."
"Mind you that accent will take getting used to," he muttered into her neck as he continued to hold her.
"Do you think it suits me?" she asked rather uncertain.
"Yes it sounds perfect," he pulled away to look at her again, "But all that matters right here, right now is that you're alive," he affectionately kisses her forehead. The Doctor was just happy, she was wonderful, beautiful and strong again. Just then Rose looked away.
"I knew that we find our way back to each other someday," she spoke softly to him pressing their foreheads together.
Sarah Jane smiled fondly at the Doctor happy he has found another like his own again wanting to give the Time Lords all the time in world to reconnect...but there were more pressing matters at hand, "Speaking of finding our way back..." she called hating that she had to interrupt them, "The Earth? It's stuck in the wrong part of space!"
"We're on it," The TARDIS gives a slight jolt. The Doctor pulls out of their embrace, took Ariana's hand pulling her over to the console, "And! Off we go!" he looked at her, still finding it hard to believe she was standing there before him as she pulled a lever.
"Bet that brings back memories for you?" the Doctor asked seeing how happy she looked to be touching the a TARDIS console in a long time.
"It felt so good to do that again you have no idea," she said shuddering with excitement.
"Torchwood Hub, this is the Doctor," he grinned. Both the Time Lords went to the monitor, Donna hugging Ariana without warning which was rather awkward but she returned it anyway, "Are you receiving me?"
"Loud and clear," a young dark haired woman appears on the screen, "Is Jack there?"
"Can't get rid of him," he glanced over to Jack and pointed back to her, "Jack, what's her name?"
"Gwen Cooper," Jack replied to him.
"Tell me, Gwen Cooper, are you from an old Cardiff family?"
"Yes..." she returned slowly, "All the way back to the 1800s."
"Mm, thought so!" he nodded
"Spatial genetic multiplicity..." Ariana came over to give him a hand, remembering a brief surface memory of him telling Alice about meeting Charles Dickens. Donna watched with a curious smile.
"Yeah, yeah! It's a funny old world!" the Doctor laughed, turning his attention back to the monitor, "Now, Torchwood, I want you to open up that Rift Manipulator, send all the power to us."
"Doing it now, sir," the young man with Gwen called.
"What's that for?" Martha asked curiously.
"It's a towrope," he replied to her, "Now then, Sarah, what was your son's name?"
"Luke, he's called Luke," she grinned joyously, "And the computer's called Mr Smith."
Ariana nodded typing something in, "Calling Luke and Mr Smith!"
"Come on, Luke, shake a leg!" the Doctor called.
"Is Mum there?" the young boy asked happily.
"Oh, she's fine and dandy..."
"Yes!" Sarah laughed with relief at hearing his voice, "Yes!"
"Mr Smith, I want you to harness the Rift power and loop it round the TARDIS, you got that?" the Healer asked him.
"I regret I will need remote access to TARDIS basecode numerals," Mr. Smith stated.
"Oh, blimey," the Doctor remarked, running a hand through his hair, "That's gonna take a while."
"No, no, no," Sarah Jane darts around to the Time Lords at the monitor, "Let me! K-9, out you come!"
"Affirmative, Mistress!" the robot dog rolled onto the screen.
"Oh, good dog!" the Doctor laughed with delight, "K-9, give Mr Smith the basecode!"
"Master. TARDIS basecode now being transferred. The process is simple."
Ariana scoffed, "Makes sense why that your dogs ego would be big as yours."
"Now then, you lot..." he rolled his eyes before turning to everyone. As he guided Sarah Jane back to the place she had been standing, "Sarah, hold that. And Mickey, you hold that. Because, you know why this TARDIS is always rattling about the place?" he goes past Rose.
"That's not a valid excuse for the horrible driving," Ariana supplied knowingly.
"Really you don't say," he replied sarcastically to his mate, still putting people into position, "It was designed to have six pilots and I have to do it single handed..." Ari cleared her throat, "Well I'll have, Ari to help me out now anyway," he grinned at her.
She nudged Martha to the side to help her, "Martha, keep that level. But not anymore! Jack, there you go, steady that."
"Now we can fly this thing..."he reached Jackie and hesitated, "No, Jackie. No, no. Not you," he patted her shoulder, "Don't touch anything, just... stand back..." he spun around to look at the console, "Like it's meant to be flown! We've got the Torchwood Rift looped around the TARDIS by Mr Smith. We're gonna fly planet Earth back home," he went to take his place at the console, Ariana across from him, "Right, then! Off we go!"
The Doctor pulled a lever and they were off, flying smoothly as the TARDIS tugged the Earth along. As the team worked flawlessly, Rose looked on from the side, leaning against the railing, her mood solemn, the Doctor having obviously lost his trust in her.
Donna gives a smile of appreciation to Jack as she and the New Doctor walked around the console, observing, "That's really good, Jack. I think you're the best."
Jackie giggled, coming to stand by her daughter as the New Doctor and Donna stood the opposite side, leaning against a support, chuckling.
And soon, the Earth was back in its rightful place. As they all whooped and cheered with joy, Ariana watching on with a small smile gracing her lips as everyone hugged
-Doctor Who-
The TARDIS materialised on Bannerman Road that was rather nice looking suburban street, as the Doctor, Ariana, and Sarah Jane emerged from the ship, taking a peak around.
"You know..." Sarah Jane eyed him as he held Ariana's hand refusing to never let go of it again, "You act like such a lonely man. But look at you! You've got the biggest family on Earth! And..." she smirked, teasing him.
"Let's just say girlfriend shall we," the Doctor grinned at the woman beside him.
Sarah laughed pulling him into a fierce hug, "Gotta go!" she pulls away to quickly hug Ariana, "He's only fourteen! It's a long story. And thank you!" they smiled warmly as she ran off down the road, waving back to them.
-Doctor Who-
The Doctor just stood outside the TARDIS in Cardiff with Ariana, disabling Jack's manipulator with his sonic, "I TOLD you, no teleport. And Martha, get rid of that Osterhagen thing, eh? Save the world one more time."
Martha confirmed with a smile, "Consider it done," she nodded startling Ariana with a hug, which she gladly returned, while Jack saluted them both.
Both the Time Lords turn and walk away, the Doctor smiling after them just as Mickey stepped out of the TARDIS and made to follow after them.
"Oi! Where are you going?" the Doctor called after him.
"Well, I'm not stupid," the man remarked back to him, "I can work out what happens next. And hey, I had a good time in that parallel world but my Gran passed away. Nice and peaceful. Spent her last years living in a mansion. There's nothing there for me, now. Certainly not Rose."
"What will you do?"
"Anything! Brand new life. Just you watch," they both knock fists, "See you, boss, nice to have met you Ariana," he winked at the Healer, "Hey, you two!" Mickey turned and chased after them.
The Doctor shook his head and made there way back inside the TARDIS, walking to the console. Ariana went to the monitor to check progress of the holes the TARDIS was closing up that Rose had made with her device. He briefly looked to her as she returned a nod, "About five minutes left to go," she remarked as the screen blurred, rubbing her temples just as her head started to throb.
The Doctor frowned with concern, seeing this and opened his mouth, "It's ok Ariana, I've got this," the other Doctor cut in before him, seeing he was about to speak.
He glanced at the New Doctor as he returned a subtle nod in the direction of Rose who was leaning against a Y-beam, arms crossed over her chest, with a look that said she wanted to have a word alone with him. He returned a nod to the New Doctor.
"Come on Ari," the New Doctor insisted with a nod, "Let's get you checked over."
"Honestly I'm fine," she offered, but not convincingly enough, "And don't call me 'Ari' he only gets to call me that not you," she bit back at the New Doctor who winced.
"Sorry," he apologised.
"Oi madam," Donna turned to her pointing a threatening finger at her, "Get moving, now!" now gesturing to the gantry, "Medical Bay! Chop-Chop!"
Ariana rolled her eyes and shook her head, but went up the stairs anyway, the New Doctor and Donna not far behind her.
"Hey!" Jackie called, following the trio, "I want to have a look!" she hadn't really seen much of the TARDIS when she had last been inside it.
The Doctor watched them go up, waiting until the door closed before returning his attention to the controls. He could feel Rose's eyes boring into him now it was just them, just waiting for him to say something but he couldn't bring himself to.
She pushed off the Y-beam and approached him, feeling her near he walked around to another part of the console playing it off as if he was adjusting something. But she just follwed, "Are going to continue to ignore me or are we going to talk?"
"What else is there I need to say Rose?" he turned to her with a hard gaze.
"You don't have to say anything, I just need you to hear me out," she tells him, the Time Lord crossed his arms, waiting with baited breath, "I'm sorry ok. All of this, it's my fault, I know, this is my fault for the Daleks getting through the walls of the Universe as they collapsed, I got that. But Doctor," she shakes her head, "I wanted to get back to you. I've...missed you so much."
All he could do was stare back at her in silence.
Rose blinks, tears coming to her eyes, voice cracking as she asked, "Did...did you miss me at all?"
The Doctor sighed deeply, turning away to face the console, bracing his hands on it, "Yes, Rose of course I missed you."
With how angry he was at her for what she did, he was never good when it came to others crying.
"Well clearly not enough, huh?" he could sense all that emotion in Rose right now, the hurt and betrayal...that was shifting into anger, "How long did it take before you moved onto her?"
Having enough he turned to meet her, "Don't start Rose."
"No," she glared back, hands on hips, "I have a right to know! I spent all those years with you, and you didn't..."
"Of course I didn't!" he shouted with frustration, "Rose, remember what I told you once, things are different with humans that..."
"That we wither and die," she abruptly cut in, "Yeah, I know that, heard all that before," Rose shook her head, "That humans die and you change. But she did, didn't she? She regenerated before everyone! Like you've said, your different. What if that new version of her dosen't even love..."
"Don't," the Doctor challenged with a glare, his tone harsh just as he started to tremble with rage he could barley contain.
"She's a stranger you barley know her! She can't love y..."
"Rose!" his breathing had now become heavy, finally having enough of her tirade against Ariana, "Don't you dare finish that sentence Rose Tyler or I will through you out right of those doors."
Rose swallowed harshly, she had never heard him speak with such darkness in the Doctor's voice before, or see a glint of it in his eyes. She stepped hesitantly away, knowing she has just crossed that she can't take back. He's not just angry with her, not fuming, he was bloody furious...
"You don't understand what she's just been through or anything else that she's been through," he went on, clenching his fists, trying to keep his anger under control, "How far she's come. You don't know what she's feeling, hearing, you just have no idea about anything..."
"What I know is you could never love someone like her," she muttered quietly.
"You know that do you?" hardening his gaze, "I've loved her long before the name Tyler existed and I'll will love her long after you have died and after your family line ends. Also I didn't 'move on' to it just happened," he finished off, "I Linked to her. In human terms, she's my girlfriend."
But even before Rose can form any words from her shock, they hear Ariana's voice filter out from behind the door to the gantry, "The TARDIS should be good and ready for one final trip," she said, a moment before the door opened, "Our last destination, Dårlig Ulv Stranden."
The Doctor put on a false grin, not willing for the others joining them again to see his rampant emotions, to know what had just gone on between him and Rose just now. He turned pulling a lever, "Better known as..."
-Doctor Who-
The TARDIS materialised on the sands of Bad Wolf Bay, the sun above was shining proudly in the sky on a day like any other. Jackie stepped out first, followed by the New Doctor and Rose.
"Ugh, fat lot of good this is!" Jackie comments crinkling her nose, "Back of beyond, bloody Norway! I'm gonna have to phone your father. He's on the nursery run," Rose looks around confused as her mother turned to the New Doctor, "I was pregnant, do you remember? Had a baby boy!"
"Ah, brilliant!" The Doctor, Donna and Ariana now stepped out of the TARDIS, "What did you call him?"
"Doctor."
"...really?"
"No, you plum. He's called Tony!"
"Hold on," Rose interrupted, turning to the trio standing by the TARDIS, "This is the parallel universe, right?"
"You're back home," the Doctor nodded.
"And the walls of the world are closing again..."Donna explained, "Now that the Reality Bomb never happened. It's dimension retro-closure," she shared a smile with the New Doctor, "See, I really get that stuff now."
Ariana briefly glanced at her knowing why she knew that because of the metacrisis, something she tried to stop but failed to. Now Donna was soon going to pay the price.
"No," the young woman shook her head, on the verge of tears, "But I spent all that time trying to find you."
"And released Daleks in the process," Ariana reminds her firmly.
"I'm not going back now!"
"You've got to," he agreed with his mate, "Because we saved the universe, but at a cost. And the cost is him," he nods at the New Doctor, "He destroyed the Daleks. He committed genocide. He's too dangerous to be left on his own."
"You made me!" the New Doctor exclaimed with anger.
"Exactly, you were born in battle, full of blood and anger and revenge," the Doctor continued to force himself to look Rose in the eye, "Remind you of someone?"
Rose knows who he means, but she won't say it.
"That's me. When we first met. And you did make me better," he conceded, "And now you can do the same for him."
"But he's not you," Rose said, with tears of frustration.
"He needs you," the Doctor replied as he shook his head, "That was very me."
Rose flinched at the past tense.
"But it's better than that, though," Donna added, "Don't you see what he's trying to give you?" she looked to the New Doctor, "Tell her, go on."
"I look like him and I think like him..." Rose turned to the New Doctor, "Same memories, same thoughts, same everything. Except, I've only got one heart."
"Which means?" she asked, trying not to get her hopes up.
"He's part human," Ariana answered, "Specifically the ageing part."
"I'll grow old and never regenerate," the New Doctor nods, "I've only got one life... Rose Tyler. I could spend it with you. If you want."
"You'll grow...grow old at the same time as me?"
"Together."
Rose puts a hand to his chest, feeling his one heart beating.
The TARDIS made a grinding noise from behind them, drawing everyone's attention, "We've got to go," the Doctor announced, "This reality's sealing itself off. Forever."
"But it's still not right!" Rose shouted as they turned to leave, they turned back, she had to give it one last shot and wasn't giving up easily, "Because... the Doctor's... still you."
"And I'm him," he nodded at the New Doctor.
"All right," she nodded her head, knowing there was one last thing she could try to get him back, her Doctor, "Both of you, answer me this. When I last stood on this beach on the worst day of my life... what was the last thing you said to me?" she looked at the Doctor, "Go on, say it."
"It dosen't matter anymore," he told her resolutely, "I'm sorry Rose."
Rose blinked, as her heart shattered watching as he pulled Ariana to him, wrapping an protective arm around her waist.
She really has lost him.
"My end was this..." the New Doctor called gently, reaching for her to whisper in her ear. Rose pulled away from him, gazed into his eyes a few seconds before tugging him by the lapels of his blue suit jacket, kissing him firmly, being able to pretend, that just for a moment, it was the Doctor.
The Doctor nodded guiding Ari with his hand on the small of her back as Donna followed with them towards the TARDIS.
Ari paused in the doorway as the Doctor steps past her to the console, glancing at Rose and the New Doctor. She prays that Rose will be happy and remain so for the rest of her days in this other world.
-Doctor Who-
Ariana stood to one side of the console, setting up some of the controls while briefly looking over at Donna, who was making adjustments to the monitor on the other side, as the Doctor leaned against a support watching them.
"I thought we could try the planet Felspoon... just 'cos," Donna shrugged, "What a good name, 'Felspoon'. Apparently it's got mountains that sway in the breeze. Mountains that move. Can you imagine?"
"And how do you know that?" the Doctor asked his voice quite and solemn.
"Because it's in your head! And if it's in your head, it's in mine."
"Wow, must be crowded in there," Ariana offered with fake enthusiasm, turning to lean against the console, throwing her mate a look of concern.
'We need to do something and quickly. Because she's going to burn and I don't want that guilt on my shoulders.'
'I know I'm trying think of something.'
"Brilliant!" Donna grinned, moving around the console with a skip in her step, "Fantastic! Molto bene! Great bit of universe packed into my brain. You know you could fix that chameleon circuit if you just try and hotbind in the fragment links and superseding the binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary..." she gasped nearly falling over, closing her eyes wincing both, not seeing the Time Lords share a cautious look, "I'm fine! Nah, never-mind Felspoon. You know who I'd like to meet? Charlie Chaplin. I've heard he's great, Charlie Chaplin. Shall we do that? Shall we go and see Charlie Chaplin?" she picked up the telephone, speaking into it, "Shall we? Charlie Chaplin? Charlie Chester, Charlie Brown. No, he's fiction, friction, fiction, fixen, mixen, rixten, brixton..." she doubled over in pain again, hands going to her temples, "Oh, my God."
'Ari I know what needs to be done.'
'Kas, are you sure you want to do this?'
'I have to, if it means her forgetting everything, even Alice then yes it's going to have be.'
"Donna," Ariana slowly made her way over to Donna's side, placing a delicate hand on her shoulder, feeling guilty of what she was about to do, "You know what's happening, right?"
Donna hesitated, but nodded, "Yeah."
"There's never been a Human-Time Lord metacrisis before now," the Doctor stated as he came to stand beside Ariana.
"And you know why," the other Time Lord added.
"Because there can't be," Donna's voice broke tears filling her eyes. She moved away Ari's hand slipping off her shoulder as she turned away, moving back over to the controls, pushing a button here or there, "I want to stay."
"Look at us," the Doctor called to her, but she refused to look at them both and it was breaking the female Time Lords hearts as a tear travelled down her cheek, "Donna, look at us."
She swallowed now turning to look at them, with a defiant stance, trying to be strong even if she was shaking, "I was gonna be with you... forever."
"We know," the Doctor nodded, whispering gently.
"The rest of my life... travelling... in the TARDIS. The Doctor-Donna," she sniffs, "Ariana too," she tried to joke with them, but sees them both staring back at her solemnly, having heard herself speak she realised what was about to happen, "
No. Oh, my God..." she backed away from him, tears threatening to spill from her eyes as he reached outside towards her taking her by the shoulders "I can't go back. Don't make me go back. Doctor... please. Please, don't make me go back."
"Stop," Ariana stepped beside her, "Don't do it."
"Ari..." he looked at her, taken aback that she'd stopped him, knowing fully well what it meant for Donna. She was the one that told him they needed to do something about this but here she was stopping him.
"Let..." she swallowed trying to speak, feeling it would only be more right and merciful that she done it instead, "Let me do it."
'Ari,' the Doctor's frowned, seeing the sadness in her eyes, tears in them, 'You don't have to do this then let me...'
'No, I want to do this I owe her so much,' he took her hand giving it a brief understanding squeeze. He knew what she meant, Ariana had felt the love of family again from one she had lost long ago. What it had been like to have a sibling again and she couldn't be more grateful. To her, Donna would always be her sister.
Letting go of her hand he lets Ariana take his place, looking at sadness upon Donna's face, "I'm so sorry Donna...I really am," she whispered to her, as not only do her tears spill over but Donna's too, "Goodbye, thank you for everything."
Donna shook her head just as the Time Lord placed her fingertips at Donna's temples, closing her eyes to concentrate, "No," Donna desperately pleaded, "No, please! Please! No, NO!"
The Doctor watched his mate as she winced, knowing she was getting rid of every single moment they have endured together rewinding it backwards across the woman's mind, erasing...
"No!"
Donna suddenly pitched forward, unconscious as Ari struggled holding her up, the Doctor coming over to help sustain her, they gazed at each other for a moment before they lifted her over and laid her onto the seat, going to the controls to get her back home.
-Doctor Who-
Ariana charged out into the rain and hammered on the Nobles front door, as the Doctor followed holding Donna in his arms, "Oh, that must be them!" She heard Wilf call from inside the house, bracing herself for him to open the door, "Donna? Alice?" he laughed joyfully, only to stop to see a dark-skinned woman standing there, the Doctor and an unconscious Donna almost giving him a heart attack.
"Help us," the Doctor whispered urgently.
"Donna? Where's Alice?" Wilf reached out to help, as he wondering why his youngest granddaughter wasn't there.
"Let's get inside and I'll explain."
-Doctor Who-
As Donna slept peacefully in her bedroom the Time Lords sat in the Nobles sitting room, explaining everything. Sure it was hard for them to get their heads around the idea that Alice was no longer with them and they would let them grieve for her in peace once they had gone. Now there was also the matter of Donna to attend to.
"She took my mind into her own head," the Doctor explained, as he and Ariana sat on the sofa across from the Nobles, holding the other Time Lords hand trying to keep her at ease, "But that's a Time Lord consciousness. All that knowledge - it was killing her."
"But she'll get better, now?" Wilf frowned with some concern.
"No she won't," Ari replied, "In order to save her... I had to wipe her mind, completely. Every trace of us, Alice or the TARDIS... everything we did together, anywhere we went... had to go."
"All those wonderful things she did..."
"I know," the Doctor whispered nodding his head, "But that version of Donna is dead," he now leaned forward, "Because if she remembers, just for a second, she'll burn up. You can never tell her," thunder rumbled from outside, "You can't mention us, or any of it... for the rest of her life."
"But the whole world's talking about it," Sylvia shook her head, "We travelled across space!"
"It'll just be a story. One of those Donna Noble stories, where she missed it all again," the Doctor shrugged, voice cracking slightly as Ariana squeezed his hand.
"But she was better with you," Wilf cried.
"Don't say that..." Sylvia snapped at her father.
"No, she was!"
"We just want you to know that there are worlds out there, safe in the sky, because of her," Ariana told them, "That there are people living in the light, singing songs of Donna Noble, a thousand million light-years away... they will never forget her. While she can never remember."
"And for one moment..." the Doctor added, tears now in his eyes, "One shining moment... she was the most important woman in the whole wide universe."
"She still is," Sylvia remarked shortly, "She's my daughter."
"Then maybe you should tell her that once in a while," Ariana snapped abruptly, everything now getting too much for her.
Only for the room to now go silent as they heard footsteps on the stairs. As Donna burst into holding her phone seething, "I was asleep, ON my bed, IN my clothes, like a flippin' kid! What did you let me do that for?!" she glanced briefly to the pair on the couch, "Don't mind me. Donna."
"John Smith," the Doctor stood and they shook hands.
"Abbie..." Ari began, standing as she bit her tongue, knowing well that saying Noble wasn't an option, so she swallowed, "Smith."
The Doctor gave her a surprised look as she shook Donna's hand.
"They were just leaving," Sylvia told her daughter, sending the Time Lords a harsh glare.
"My phone's gone mad!" Donna continued, "Thirty-two texts, Veena's gone barmy, she's saying planets in the sky, WHAT have I missed now?" She turned to leave, throwing a, "Nice to meet you," over her shoulder to them.
"Like I said," Sylvia glaring harshly at them, "I think you should go."
"Not without saying goodbye one last time," Ari returned the glare.
-Doctor Who-
Donna is chatting away on her mobile phone in the kitchen, putting a jug of orange juice back into the fridge, "How thick do you think I am? Planets?! I'll tell you what that was, dumbo, that's those two-for-one lagers you get down the offy 'cos you fancy that little man in there with the goatee. Haha! Yes, you do! I've SEEN ya!"
"Donna?" the Doctor called as he and Ariana appeared in the doorway, "We were just going."
"Yeah," she returned carelessly, "See ya," Ari squeezed her mates hand and they turned around heading back towards the door, "I'll tell you what, though, you're wasting your time with that one, because Suzie Mayor, she went on that dating site and she saw him! No, no, no...no, listen, this is important... Suzie Mayor wouldn't lie... not unless it was about calories! Ha ha!"
-Doctor Who-
With heavy hearts, the Time Lords headed to the front door, where Wilf was waiting to let them out. It was storming outside and still pouring down with rain on the other side of that door, as the thunder clapped with an echo in the distance. It seemed the weather fitted well with their mood and the events of losing Alice and Donna Noble.
"Ah..." the Doctor began breaking some tension in the air, "You'll have quite a bit of this. Atmospheric disturbance. Still, it'll pass. Everything does," he turned to Wilf, "Bye then, Wilfred," he shook the man's hand.
He nodded as they both stepped out into the rain, "Oh, Doctor...Ariana..." they turned back to look at him, "What about you, now? Who've you got? I mean, all those friends of yours...?"
"They've all got someone else. Still, that's fine," he looked at Ariana, with a hint of a smile, "I'm fine."
It was true. He had come so close to losing her, thinking he might lose her...but she was back by his side, he would be fine.
I'll watch out for you," Wilf told them.
"Remember, you can't ever tell her," Ariana stressed seriously to him.
"No, no, no. But every night, Doctor... when it gets dark... and the stars come out... I'll look up. On her behalf. I'll look up at the sky and think of you two," his voice brakes.
"Thank you," the Doctor nodded before they turned to walk back to the TARDIS, blending into the night.
-Doctor Who-
The Time Lords watch the rotor gently rising and falling, standing there soaked to the bone, tired, and so, so depressed. Ari reached out helping him out of his his sodden suit jacket. She eyed him over, seeing him gazing at the console with nothing but sorrow in his eyes. He's had to say goodbye to a lot of Companions in one fail swoop...she knew that it couldn't of been easy on him, she feels it now that human emotion called empathy...
He allowed his mate to take his hand, guiding him to follow her. Up the gantry steps and through the door, down the many hallways and to his room, she had forgotten what it was like to sleep but maybe now she needed it. They both did.
She leads him over to the bed, getting him to lay down, taking of her boots and slinging her leather jacket on the floor she come to lay beside him, letting him get used to her comforting presence, giving what strength she could even if she was feeling just as broken inside.
But she had to be the one to give them both strength. Give him that much needed support whatever necessary, in anything he did, be there for him night and day.
Ever, so slowly, he had fallen asleep to Ari brushing her fingers softly through his hair, getting comfort from the fact that she was there, living and breathing, the beats of her hearts, sending him into his dreams. With the thought that he used to one of the last Time Lords but not anymore becauause he had her for the rest of his days
To Be Continued in...Broken Hearts
Coming in
2019