A/N: Disclaimer: This chapter's plotline is from Doctor Who's comic stories. Most of the dialogue is directly written from the comic. The plot is NOT mine.
The Doctor was honestly baffled right now. He'd been working on a new device meant to eventually upgrade his sonic when he'd heard the terrible screams from Renata. His first thought was that she was hurt, or that Donna was hurt, so he ran. He ran out of his workshop and down the hallway as fast as his legs could carry him. Coming into the console, however, he just saw Renata and Donna with really pale faces and, frankly, breathing hard as if they'd just ran for their lives.
"What - what is going on?"
Renata had the pinkest face he'd ever seen. Her hair was disheveled - probably the most since he'd ever met her - and her clothes were skewed. It was the same situation with Donna.
"What happened to you both?" the Doctor hurried up to the two women to inspect them upclose.
"There's a monster in New York City, that's what!" Donna shouted abruptly, startling back the Time Lord...until he realized something else.
"When did we land in New York?"
"Not the point!" huffed Renata, making the Doctor turn around to her. "We were just attacked by some creepy monster who turned out to be a human!"
"What?" the Doctor's blank face was, admittedly, adorable but Renata was more upset than she thought to pay him full attention.
She groaned and threw her hands into the air. "Gah! Just listen!"
Renata had really just wanted to show Donna some sights in New York now that they were there. She lived for a couple years in New York so she knew some places that might still be around. She also knew how to take the subway and so she brought Donna along for the ride, thinking it would be a nice experience too.
Donna wasn't really a fan of the crummy subway, but she wouldn't burst Renata's bubble. The blonde had finally seemed to get the idea that they could in fact be friends. Plus, it was kind of adorable. Renata was not the Doctor at all, but in her domain Renata could be just as good as the Doctor. Before coming to the subway, Renata had shown Donna a couple shops she swore were so great. They were family owned - big shocker - and sold handmade things. Things with sentimental value. Renata was so animated about the entire community. It was endearing.
So, Donna let her lead them to Subway to see Central Park. But on their ride in the sub, a commotion started.
There was a big monster - no doubt alien, though - that burst through the compartment ahead of them. People screamed, terrified, as the creature growled and snarled at them. It nearly attacked one young woman had Renata not pulled her - harshly, she'd add later - away.
"What is that thing?" the girl shrieked. "And why does it look like me!?"
It was then that Renata and Donna realized the woman was right. The creature was bigger, almost wolflike, but essentially wore the same clothes down to the yellow scarf just like the girl. The face was the same, along with the dark brunette hair.
"Oh, oh God she's right," Donna couldn't stop blinking. "But how'd that happen!?"
"I have no bloody idea!" Renata exclaimed. "How would I know that!?"
Donna threw her a look. "Because you're a Time Lady! The Doctor always knows!"
"Cos he's stupid smart and half the time he just gets lucky!" Renata frantically argued. She looked at the windows and saw the beginnings of the next stop. "Okay, we just gotta jump!"
"But that's what the Doctor did with me when we first met!" Donna almost laughed at the irony when Renata snapped at her to be serious.
"We can't jump!" the woman, who was still clinging to Renata's hand, fervently shook her head. "It'll just follow! And it could hurt others!"
Renata only paused to look at the woman in surprise. The woman was about to be eaten by a version of herself and she was thinking about others? That was refreshing.
"And that's the look the Doctor gets when he's fascinated by someone!"
Renata groaned loudly. "Donna!"
"Just saying!"
"Um, hello?" the woman pointed them at the incoming monster. "It's getting closer to us…"
Renata shook her head to get herself focused. "Right! Okay! It looks like you down to the same scarf - which mind you, could stand to be hemmed a little-"
Now it was Donna who groaned. "Not the time for Mum talk!"
"So, it looks like you, have the same faces you, and…" Renata looked between the two in question, racking her head for a quick solution, or at least a temporary solution that would guarantee their survival. "Okay!" she grabbed the woman by the shoulders and turned her around. "Do me a favor and don't look at it!"
"What!?"
"Don't look at it! Don't think about it!"
"But how am I going to do that!?"
"By jumping first!" Renata promptly pushed the woman towards the back of the compartment where the door would naturally open for them since it connected them to the next compartment of the train.
Donna scurried behind them before the creature could get them, but it was hot on their trail. Renata made the woman jump on the next stop's platform and then had Donna do the same. She barely made it herself but that also meant the creature had the same luck.
"It's still coming!" the woman had taken a peek after landing on the ground.
"I said don't look at it!" Renata snapped, making the woman flinch and quickly duck her head. "Now run!" She practically picked the woman up and shoved her forwards to start that run.
"Renata! That thing's getting too close!" Donna shrieked from behind. The creature was swinging its arms to to throw anything at them, whatever was in its reach.
"It's probably following her!" Renata deduced as the creature continued to look like the strange woman running in front of her.
"How do we stop it!?"
Renata had no bloody clue. The creature had to have been using some sort of psychic connection with the woman - no idea how it was doing that, but it was - so they needed to break it and then hopefully the creature would either disappear or revert back to its original shape. "Do you have a mirror!?" she suddenly shouted to the woman.
"Huh!?" the woman looked over her shoulder, almost regretting it because she'd gotten a glimpse of the nearing creature.
"A mirror! A compact mirror! You have one!?
The woman had no idea what Renata could possibly want with a compact mirror, but if it helped stop this creature from eating them…
"Here!" she tossed her mirror over her head, leaving Renata to jump and catch it.
Donna was utterly confused. "A mirror!?" she bellowed. "What the hell are you going to do with a m-"
Renata had stopped running all of a sudden and raised the compact mirror over her head. The creature got sight of its reflection and in two seconds flat it collapsed on the ground.
Both the woman and Donna skidded to a stop and turned around to see just a regular man lying on the ground.
"Hold on, so this creature was just a man? A regular, human man?" the Doctor scratched the side of his head. "Well that doesn't make sense."
"What usually does around you!?" Renata threw her hands in the air again.
"Oi, I wasn't even near this when it happened!"
"It had the ability to change this guy's entire appearance and styled it after that girl. I doubt it's the only one out there."
"So what you're saying is…?" a strange smile came to the Doctor's face all of a sudden, "...you want to go back and investigate?"
Renata looked away, clearly not wanting to admit it. "Don't start with me," she warned, but it was too late. The Doctor was smiling so widely, so smugly, Renata wanted to smack it off him.
"What's happening? What are we doing?" Donna's eyes flickered from one alien to the other. "Are we going back there? To get our faces eaten?"
"Well, first, we need to do a couple exams before we go on and investigate," the Doctor turned swiftly for the console, one finger raised in the air as he listed off the things they needed to do first.
To put it shortly, those small things took them an entire day. At least by then, they had somewhat of an idea about what they might be dealing with. Though honestly, if someone asked Renata, they really didn't have a clue yet. Even as the Doctor followed a trace of the same psychic ability of the creature to a random laundromat, Renata was sure he knew next to nothing about what was going on.
"You realize we're breaking in, right?" Renata groaned as the Doctor used the sonic to get them inside the laundromat. "This is a legitimate business that you are breaking into!"
"For good reasons, mind you," the Doctor tapped a knuckle against the odd metal helmet strapped to his head.
"There is never a good reason to break in!"
"Even less so when you look like a weirdo," Donna had to remark about the odd helmet. "Those wires look like something out of Frankenstein's story."
"Oi!" the Doctor threw both women looks for being so rude.
They walked into the laundromat and looked around for anything obvious that would stand out. But, it just looked like a regular laundromat.
"I'll go search in the backroom," the Doctor pointed at the shut door at the end of the room. "There's always things in the backrooms."
"Oh, Doctor, don't go touching stuff, alright?" But even as Renata warned him not to, she was already following him.
Donna smiled to herself and followed too. She wouldn't say it, but Renata and the Doctor tended to act like some married couple.
"There's nothing here," Renata sighed as she took in the rather crummy room full of supplies.
They then heard the front door opening, indicating someone had walked in.
"Is it the monster?" Donna whispered in fear.
The Doctor doubted a monster would just casually walk in like nothing. He still cautioned the two women to stay back while he went to go check it out first. Just as he'd gotten to the backroom door, someone opened it and swung a bat at him.
"Doctor!" Renata cried as the Doctor fell to the ground. She dashed forwards and dropped to his side. "Oh my God, Doctor, are you alright?"
"It's you," they heard Donna say.
Renata paused for a second to look up and see the same woman they'd ran into in the subway now standing in front of them with a bat tightly in her hands. "It is you."
"It's you," the woman blinked.
"Oh, we get it, it's all of you," the Doctor groaned and rubbed the side of his head. His helmet had fallen off but even then that whack really gave it to his head.
"Did you three break in?" the woman demanded. "A detective should know better!"
"A detective?" blinked Renata, quickly glancing back at Donna. "You think I'm a detect-"
"Well, how else would you have known how to take down that creature from yesterday?" the woman swung the bat so that its top was pressed against the ground. "But I don't get it, who's him?"
"Oh, sweetie, we're not-" Renata had began to say when the Doctor flashed his psychic paper at the woman.
"Special agents Doctor, Cartwright and Noble of UNIT!"
"UNIT?" repeated the woman, though didn't appear to be that confused. "You mean that organization that goes after extraterrestrials?"
"Yup! That's the one! And you are?"
The woman folded her arms and took a moment to study the three intruders. The ginger looked just as confused as she was while the blonde woman seemed more authoritative than the man who seemed far happier than what he should be. "Gabriella Gonzalez," she finally spoke after a minute of silence. "Gabby."
"Alright, Gabby," the Doctor said with a far wider smile than before, "So sorry about the whole breaking-in. Didn't mean to, we just sort of ended up here. We'll be on our way!" he picked up his helmet and swiftly yanked Renata by the arm. "Donna!"
Gabby was left blinking while the trio left in a hurry. "Hold on," she crinkled her nose. She ran out the laundromat and followed them down the sidewalk. "I don't know who you are!" she called after them. "Nor why you would break into my family's laundromat!"
"Really sorry about that!" Renata apologetically looked over her shoulder since the Doctor was still dragging her with him. "I try to keep him out of places with locks but he sort of does the opposite of what I say!"
"Hey!" went the man in question. "You wanted to investigate!"
"So investigate!" Gabby's choice of words stopped the pair and Donna. The two aliens turned around, wearing similar expressions...one that would be described (by Donna) as awed.
"What did you say?" the Doctor blinked.
Gabby seemed to exhale in annoyance. "I said to investigate! Have you taken a look at our streets lately?" she made a gesture at the sidewalk, making the trio realize there weren't a lot of people outside. Maybe just two or three. "Everyone's terrified lately because of these weird things that are happening. The only people out are those who need to work."
"What kind of weird things have been going on?" Renata had to ask, even surprising the Doctor since she hardly ever wanted to keep digging on these matters.
"Sometimes people's skin just start to, I don't know, bubble?" Gabby shook her head. "And then there's this feeling of dread. It's palpable in the air, can't you feel it?"
"I...I guess," Renata frowned.
"Keep investigating, please," Gabby pleaded. "You-" she pointed at Renata, "-weren't so scared yesterday when the monster attacked us. If someone can figure out what's going on, it has to be you."
"Oh c'mon," Donna stepped up to be next to Renata, "We gotta help, right?"
"Well of course!" the Doctor let Renata's arm go. "I've got somewhat of an idea. Do you believe in ghosts, Gabby?"
Gabby made a face at the question, but the Doctor motioned for her to follow along with them. "I don't...really know…"
"I sure don't," huffed Donna. "They can't be real!"
"Then how would you explain what you say yesterday?" challenged the Doctor. He was looking quite smug, indicating that he already knew exactly where he was going now. He was leading them down the sidewalk, towards the park where the TARDIS was waiting for them.
"I don't know," Gabby shrugged. "All I know is that it felt like that creature was reaching into my mind…"
"Probably how it connected to you," Renata muttered. "It's how it knew what you were thinking of, knew your fears…"
"So you fear yourself?" Donna said out of confusion since the creature had taken after Gabby's appearance.
"Oh don't start," the Doctor waved a hand at her. "The creature was in fact a non-corporeal being. A very powerful one judging by the traces it left."
"Non-corporeal…?" Gabby repeated, obviously not familiar with the term. It just looked like a monster, really.
"The creature wasn't really a creature. It was just inside the man's head and messing with yours," Renata explained in what she hoped was a better way than what the Doctor usually would give. "It projected a telepathic impression of your worst fear."
"Ah, so totally not local," Gabby pursed her lips together. "But then how'd they get to New York?"
"That's what we were trying to figure out back in the laundromat before you gave this-" the Doctor raised his helmet, "-a good whack. You've got some strong arms."
"Sorry," Gabby said quietly, even lowering her head in guilt.
"Don't worry," Donna gave the young woman a light nudge on the side. "I would've done the same thing if I found him like that too."
The Doctor deadpanned Donna, but felt even more offence when he heard Renata snicker. When Renata felt his gaze, she quickly stopped with wide eyes.
Eventually, the Doctor moved on and stopped just a few feet away from the TARDIS. He planted the helmet on Gabby's head, startling the woman since it was pretty heavy. "You damaged the ocular circuit but I've made some adjustments. You should be able to see the locals."
Gabby didn't understand what he was talking about but she soon got her answers when she looked ahead.
They were like ghosts. Silver, glowing creatures flying in the air with elongated arms.
"I call them pranavores," the Doctor said. "They're benign, harmless, invisible creatures that magnify empathic fields. They feed off the excess of positive emotions, like excitement."
"They feed of human emotion?"
"Empathy, mostly. It's an exchange. They're the archetypal good vibe. You give out, they give back."
"I want to see!" Donna exclaimed.
Gabby chuckled and took the helmet off so that Donna could take a turn. Donna was instantly fascinated by the glowing creatures. "You mean to tell me these things are always here? Just floating in the air?"
"Yes, Donna," the Doctor smiled. "But they're harmless."
"Well yeah but that doesn't mean they're not creepy!"
"Oh, they're part of this world, actually."
Now Gabby and Donna - even Renata - looked at the Doctor as if he were crazy.
"They're local?" Renata said quietly. "But...you mean Earth actually births these creatures?"
The Doctor's smile changed with her. It was like he was happier explaining to her and her curiosity. Perhaps it was due to the fact they spent the better half of their time bickering with each other. "You know all planets have them. Earth is no exception, Reneé."
"I didn't know that," Renata's eyes looked up to the sky as if she could see the creatures. There were a lot of things she didn't know and it mostly stemmed from stubbornness. The Doctor had offered to teach her what he knew - which was probably everything - but she had refused with the reason being she wasn't interested and it didn't do her any good.
"Who are you?" Gabby's question drew the pair's attention to her.
"Doctor, Renata and Donna," Donna had introduced them all while she busily gazed at the creatures. "Don't worry, you get used to the nonstop talk from the Doctor."
"Hey!" the Doctor scowled.
"And when you say 'other planets'..." Gabby scratched the top of her head, clearly still trying to make the connections. "You actually mean...like...space...and…"
"It's all out there, Gabby," Renata smiled at the woman. "Part of UNIT, right?"
"Aha…" but Gabby still didn't look like she completely understood. "So these creatures…"
"Ah! One just tried touching me!" Donna had swiftly took the helmet off her head, nearly tossing it in the air.
"Donna, it won't hurt you," the Doctor reminded her, but Donna didn't care.
"Here, spaceman," she promptly held the helmet for him to take. She was done with it.
The Doctor took it, rolling his eyes, but he then looked down at Renata. "Reneé, would you like a try?"
Renata eyed the helmet with clear dislike. It was big, odd and - being honest - kind of ugly - but Renata's expression suggested she was more curious than ever. The good thing was that the Doctor knew it, so he put the helmet on for her. She winced as the weight of the helmet settled on her, but once she opened her eyes and saw the creatures…
She was mesmerized.
They were beautiful. They were like silvery ghosts floating in the air. She had never seen anything more peaceful than this. They were minding their own business, going on about their lives…
She found it beautiful.
"They're like giant butterflies, huh?" Gabby's voice pulled Renata back to the present. The blonde turned sideways and was able to see Gabby's knowing smile.
"Butterflies?" Renata repeated, letting the new name test itself as she said it again. "Butterflies? I'm not sure…" She turned her attention away and gasped when she saw a horrible darker gray creature - not at all like a butterfly - floating in the air. "Ah! Doctor, what the hell are those things!?"
"What?" frowned the Doctor since he couldn't see anything.
"They're attacking the Pranavores!"
"Oh! Oh keep an eye on them for me, will yah? I'll be back!" the Doctor rushed towards the TARDIS, disappearing as he said.
"What - Doctor!" Renata practically stomped a food like a child would. "What's me 'keeping an eye on it' supposed to do!?"
"He just went into that box?" Gabby tilted her head at the blue box, eyes wide as she wondered what could possibly be inside that tiny thing.
"Hold on!" the Doctor re-appeared but came up to Renata, snatched the helmet off her head and placed it on his own.
"Seriously!?" the blonde whirled around, her hair messy on top due to the helmet. She saw he'd brought something new this time, almost like a metal microphone that he attached its curly wire to the back of the helmet.
"What are you going to do, spaceman?" Donna watched him turn a knob on the helmet.
"Just talk and try to reason with them, of course," the Doctor smiled like an idiot would before he addressed the creatures. They really looked more like arachnids with glowing red eyes. "Hello! I'm the Doctor! Under the convention fifteen of the Shadow Proclamation, I request congress. You are warned that this world is protected. Please identify yourselves."
'Who dares disturb the silent hunt?' responded a gruff, slow voice.
"Are they talking now?" Renata assumed judging by the Doctor's expression. He seemed relieved which could only mean something in this crazed plan had gone right.
'Who dares breach the holy veil of quiet?'
"Sorry about your, uh, holy curtains," the Doctor paused but he wasn't really sure what that meant so he would skip asking the question, "They patterned or plain? My home furnishings are full of holes! Just want to have a little chat."
"Deliberately annoying them is a tactic, right?" Gabby whispered to Donna.
"Eh, it's a new thing every time," Donna admitted.
'You are substance. You have the inferior, crude density of flesh and yet I can sense your psychic communications. How dare you speak to us? You defile our sacred silence with your disgusting nose.'
The Doctor would ignore that hurtful comment about his nose due to the matter at hand. Though he might take a good look at his nose in the mirror lately. "Why are you here?" he demanded. "Where are you from?"
'The prey dares question the hunters? In our place of origin, the fleshkind also tried this and now they and everything they knew have been consumed! Your world is honored with being the second place - the new hunting grounds!'
"Oh dear, slight ego problem," the Doctor remarked.
"Oh, so maybe you might get along then," Renata blurted and earned herself a sharp glance from him in response. She blushed in embarrassment after realizing she hadn't said that in her mind like she planned to.
"You have committed acts of aggression upon residents of this planet, both psi-form and flesh, stop immediately or face the consequences!"
'All psi-forms are our prey! All flesh! This world is ours! You are ours! We will devour you!' one of the creature moved forwards, making the Doctor step back as he assumed he'd be attacked. Instead, each of the creatures latched onto the community workers in the park.
"What's happening?" Donna noticed how each of the workers yelped then progressively became more and more languid in their work. That couldn't be normal.
"What are they doing, Doctor?" Renata demanded. "What they say?"
"Well, first there's a telepathic attack-" the Doctor pulled half of the helmet off to see the transformation from both perspectives, "A magnification of a person's worst fear."
Because slowly, each of the humans' skins started bubbling like a hot soup. Afterwards, their bodies would elongate and their eyes would glow red.
"Then, if the person is susceptible, the Cerebravores use them as a Host to manifest physically."
"And thus we get the creatures," Renata blinked with wide eyes as she watched the humans turn into the Cerebravores. "That's what attacked on the subway. They feed on fear, then? Dark emotions?"
That did not settle right with her.
Because she was always scared…
Fearful…
"They turn people into their own worst fears?" Gabby blinked in horror.
"It looks like that but it's just a psychic projection," the Doctor explained, though it didn't make anything better. "Ingenious. They generate fear both inwardly to the Host and outwardly - visibly - to potential new Hosts."
"Whatever happens, I don't want to end up like that,' Donna meant that as a warning for the Doctor.
"Th-this is a lot to take in…" Gabby dug both her hands into her head, truly looking like she might just run away from it all.
"Hey," Renata turned to the young woman and walked up to her. She gently brought Gabby's hands back to her sides and offered Gabby a kind smile. "I understand, but right now...being in the loop...it's far better than being blissful. Plus, if you know then...you can help us put a stop to it."
Gabby felt like the warm smile on Renata's face was one of a mother's, like one that would lift your spirits after a bad day. Actually, that's the whole vibe Renata gave off right now. And after what she'd been through, Gabby could relish in it. "Okay," Gabby exhaled after a moment. She nodded to herself, willing herself to be brave and do something extraordinary for once in her life. "What do we do, then?"
Renata's smile widened. She turned back to the Doctor, meeting the man's fond gaze. He'd watched her do what she did best: make someone feel better. And it was done in such a delicate way. A way that only she could do.
"Ahem, what are we going to do, exactly?" Donna was no fool. She'd seen the little exchange between the aliens and almost scoffed at herself for not getting it sooner. But right now wasn't the time to make fun of them. She could say that for a later time. Right now, it was time to get rid of those ugly invisible monsters.
"Well," the Doctor cleared his throat when he realized he'd dozed off about Renata. That was definitely an error. "It would definitely help if we could pinpoint where these creatures are getting through. That's why we were at the laundromat," he looked at Gabby. "Thought I'd detected an interdimensional flaw in the psychosphere."
" The psycho what?" Gabby repeated in a weary manner. She was beginning to think this was a usual theme for this man.
"It's the place where the Cerebravores are from," Renata, once again, simplified it. Gabby was really thankful for that woman. "We thought the portal might be in your laundromat."
"Oh," Gabby's eyes suddenly widened. "Hold on, it might be. The night before last, I was in there with a friend and the washing machines started acting crazy. And I don't mean like the typical crazy, I mean like your typical swirling alien crazy. It was like a crazy spin cycle."
"They came... through the washing machines?" Donna looked, and sounded, rather unimpressed.
"Sorry, should we ask the villains for a better entrance next time?" Renata sent her a reprimanding glance, one that Donna rolled her eyes to.
"Of course," the Doctor brought a hand to his hair, now thinking more about the portals. "That's brilliant! Space time apertures in the local osychosphere attuned to the kinetic energy and rotary motion of washing machine drums! They've even got a decleration hydro-cushion and they'd only register fully when active!"
"I don't understand what he just said but do we go back to the laundromat now?" Gabby specifically looked at Renata, which was honestly surprising for the Time Lady. It was like Gabby was looking at her for directions when it really should've been the Doctor. He knew best.
"They could have come through car wheels, fans anything rotary but linked washing machines what have given them a more stable at entrance!" the Doctor took off to the presumed laundromat.
"That would be a yes," Renata told Gabby before following the Doctor.
~0~
The ran back to the laundromat was even creepier than leaving it. The streets were almost desolate and the only things that were on the street were more Cerebravores in the bodies of humans.
"How many of those Cerebravores do you think there are?" Gabby asked once they neared the laundromat. She would like to know how many they were going to encounter in that small building, how many she'd have to watch out for…
"Dunno," the Doctor admitted. "Could be a bridgehead squad, could be an invasion force. We'll know more if I can measure the power behind that interdimensional gateway."
"I know it's a dumb question to ask but...what would happen if those things actually got ahold of everyone?" Donna inquired next.
"There's no such thing as a 'dumb question'," Renata started off first, her warm smile back on her face.
"Well thanks for that-" Donna playfully rolled her eyes, "-but my question still stands. What would happen?"
"Well, once your reason and your hope are gone...what do you got?" the Doctor poked his head into the next street, the street where their destination would be. "If they gain a further foothold and spread, they'd bleed dry the intelligent beings first...but primates have the greatest emotional capacity…"
"So bad, very bad," Donna pursed her lips together. "Got it."
Gabby sure seemed to think so too. Her face had morphed into utter terror. A panic flashed across her eyes as she realized she could be next on that list. "I don't - I don't want to die never having done anything!"
Renata turned to the woman and gently pulled her down the sidewalk since the Doctor had started the way again. "Gabby, that's not going to happen."
Gabby didn't seem to be listening as she went on with her ramble, "I want to see things, go places and make things. I want to leave something behind, to contribute to be...to be remembered."
"She's having her first space mental breakdown," Donna's eyebrows rose together, genuinely surprised it would take only this to instigate it.
"Seriously, Donna?" the Doctor threw her a look from ahead.
"It's a real thing," she argued. "You think travelling with you doesn't leave something on us? Not to be rude or anything but this is a real part of being with you guys."
The Doctor wouldn't even attempt to argue there. It wasn't his intention to scar a lot of his companions. Things happened and he couldn't control them. But he did always have the best intentions.
"Okay, Gabriella, just calm down," Renata tried dealing with Gabby's meltdown as best she could given the circumstances. She didn't want Gabby to get too loud and attract unwanted attention, but she didn't want to shut Gabby down without dealing with the woman's fears.
"I don't want to be trapped," Gabby came to a sudden stop, almost as of something had taken ahold of her. "I want to be remembered…"
Renata stepped back from her, eyes searching for something invisible. "Doctor…" came her fear stricken call.
The Doctor turned around and saw Gabby standing there. He pulled his helmet back on and saw one of the Cerebravores behind her, one claw on her shoulder. "Oh no! You get away from her!"
"It's got her, hasn't it?" Renata exclaimed.
"What can we do?" Donna quickly asked. The girl looked so afraid and if that creature was manipulating her he'd get a piece of them alright.
"Fight it, Gabby! It's trying to get into your head!" the Doctor urgently said.
Gabby seemed to react and looked over her shoulder, but of course she couldn't see anything. "No! It's fear but it's my fear!" she clutched her head. She wouldn't let some monster devour her mind like she was nothing.
The Doctor grabbed the microphone from the helmet and brandished it at the Cerebravore. A golden energy jetted from it and hot the creature. It fell backwards, allowing Gabby to run from it. Of course in attacking it, it brought the unwanted attention on them. All the Cerebravores in their Hosts' bodies had heard the commotion and started wandering towards them.
"And run!" the Doctor gave the order before taking off. The three women ran after him, directly into the laundromat. Soon as everyone was inside, he sonicked the front door.
"You can't expect a simple deadbolt to keep all those creatures out, do you?" Renata eyed the doors with wear. It only took a massive collective hit from the other side. It was just glass after all.
"We'll work fast!" the Doctor hurried to the washing machines. "Gabby!" his call turned the woman around. "You saw come through these?" she nodded her head. "Can you get them going?"
Gabby had no idea what his plan could possibly entail but if it meant getting rid of all these creatures, she'd do anything. "Give me a moment!" she dashed for the nearest washing machine and pulled out loose change to put into each slot. When the others caught on, they helped her start the rest of the washers.
A few seconds later, the ground rumbled. The machines seemed to be turning faster and stronger...until a bright gold and purple energy started swirling into existence. The portal had been opened.
"That's been hiding in our washers?" Gabby's face fell in horror. How could she and her family miss that?
"Kind of pretty," Donna's remark earned herself quite a look from Gabby. "What? It does! Kinda spirally, stripey...candy…"
"Donna, that's not it at all," Renata laughed lightly. "It's a bridge from our world to the Cerebravores'. Not at all candy," she threw the ginger a sharp look for her poor choice of words.
"There's a power source at the other end that's keeping the portal artificially cloaked," the Doctor took a couple steps towards the portal, his head tilting as he examined it. "It's hitched itself to these washing machines. When they spin in formation, the combined tension dilates it, keeps it open. That's incredibly clever. Very stealthy."
"Do not compliment the enemy," Renata said with a sigh. "Feeds the ego."
The Doctor smile but it was hidden as he had his back to her.
"Now what, spaceman?" Donna stared into the void that seemed endless from their spot. "Do we have a plan now?"
"Oh yeah," the Doctor turned around all of a sudden and moved for his helmet that he left on top of one of the driers. "Use this in case there's any more telepathic attacks. Maybe take turns between you two." His warning went specifically to Donna and Gabby.
"That sounds like a goodbye," Gabby was smart as she picked it up. "Are you - are you going in there?" she nodded to the portal, growing more alarmed at the idea. She turned to Renata, almost seeming frantic. "Is he really going to go in there!?"
Renata wasn't at all surprised, just when they'd fought the Sontarans.
"Someone's got to stop them," the Doctor said, completely missing Renata mouth the same thing at the same time he said it.
She knew him far too well.
"I have to cross the bridge, see if I can shut down that power stores at the other end. No power, no bridge, no invasion!" the Doctor turned around and looked directly at Renata. He didn't want this to turn into another Sontaran incident. He didn't want to just leave her without explaining to her what would happen. "I have to go," he said, unintentionally quieter.
Renata couldn't help it and rolled her eyes. "Well, at least this time you're actually telling me straight-first."
"Yeah, I know the last time I royally screwed up-"
"-that's just it, you didn't," Renata sighed. She walked up to the Doctor, giving him one of her warm smiles he came to like so much. It actually relieved him of his fear that she'd lose it again. "I can't be mad when you have good intentions, especially when those intentions involve saving the damn world again. But I really hate you doing this, you know? And you expect me to be happy about it each time you decide to jump through God knows what."
"Yeah," the Doctor agreed with a small nod. "Guess it's not that fair-"
"-yeah," Renata put her hands on his shoulders, the action quite surprising for him since she hardly touched him more than she needed to. He chalked it off to her way of being back: super cautious. "So let's just do this the right way. While you're gone in that thing, what do you need me to do?"
A big grin came to the Doctor's face. He felt a little extra ping from his hearts - it stopped him for a second but seeing Renata's readiness pulled him right out. "Keep the Cerebravores out as long as you can and keep the machines going."
"Got it," Renata accepted the tasks with a firm nod. "Be careful. And get back in 5 minutes! That's your limit or I'm jumping in, you got that?"
The Doctor chuckled. "Of course."
Renata wanted to give him a hug but she thought that'd be too much. She let him go and stepped back. When the Doctor jumped into the portal, Renata turned around to Donna and Gabby. She was taking control, no matter how odd it felt taking control during an alien invasion.
"That was nice," remarked Donna, though that little knowing smile didn't make Renata happy one bit.
"Don't you even dare, Donna Noble," the Time Lady pointed a firm finger at the woman.
"I haven't said anything," Donna said ever-so-innocently, but her smile contradicted her greatly.
"I swear you humans are so frustrating!" Renata groaned and moved towards the drier where the Doctor left his helmet. She picked it up and was about to debate who to start first with when she noticed Gabby's gaze on the walls. She looked even more terrified, if it was possible. "Gabriella?"
"It's my friend Cindy," Gabby raised a finger to point at one Host body pressing their face against the glass. It was a young Asian woman, around Gabby's age, with long dark hair and matching eyes. Gabby slowly walked up to the wall, forgetting that it was the only thing barricading them from a horde of aliens. "She's my best friend and…"
But 'Cindy' snarled at her like a true monster, scaring the hell out of Gabby.
"Gabriella, do not look at her!" Renata sounded like a mother scolding their child, but really she was just preventing Gabby from following into Cindy's steps. She ran to the young woman and turned Gabby to her. She planted the helmet over Gabby's head and grabbed the woman's shoulders. "Donna! Let's barricade that wall!"
"On it!" Donna exclaimed and started looking for anything to put against the wall.
"Do not look at them, alright?" Renata brought Gabby away from the wall.
"Oh no! I forgot the back door!"
Renata's eyes widened and Donna froze at the same time. The two hurried towards the back door to barricade it as well. Renata's hands moved swiftly as she wrapped a chain around the handles meanwhile Donna brought a wooden bar to stick through the handles.
"I'm so stupid, how could I forget about the backdoor?" Gabby would have face-palmed had the helmet not been on her.
"Gabby, we're fine!" Donna wanted to point out that they were still indeed not Hosts, but Gabby clutched her head.
"Oh for goodness' sake," Renata strode back to Gabby and forced the young woman to look up at her. "You're not dying. We are here to help you but listen, being afraid? That's okay. What's important is you push through to quench those fears."
"But I don't know how to fight aliens!"
"Neither do I," Donna waved a hand from her place by the backdoor. "But these two-" she nodded at Renata, "-teach you so many things. Renata is right, it's okay to be scared but we gotta keep fighting."
"Because if we don't, then who will?" As Renata asked the question, she began to understand more about the Doctor than she ever had. They had the tools to put up a fight against creatures who would crush humans the first chance they got. If they didn't fight, then who would help the humans? The Shadow Proclamation hadn't proved itself to be useful since each time they got into trouble, the Doctor solved the problem while the organization was a no show.
She may love him a bit more now.
"You think I can put up a fight?" Gabby's voice had gone soft.
"I know you can," Renata smiled at the woman. "So let's start by keeping those machines going, alright?"
Gabby nodded slowly. She took in a deep breath and helped keep change flowing through the washing machines.
'Hey you, my bright star…' she sung quietly as she helped, missing Renata's soft smile in the process. The more Gabby sang, the more comfortable she got. 'Shine on me, shiiine on me…'
After a while, Donna was the first one to admit their fight wasn't going to last forever. She saw the front door and its glass wall begin to crack. She had put as much furniture as she could there but it was just furniture in the end.
"Last quarter," Gabby held the coin for Renata to see.
The Time Lady was a bit discouraged, honestly, but she was not losing hope. "Put it in," she instructed Gabby.
Gabby swallowed hard and slipped the quarter into the last slot. She then turned to Renata and Donna, wondering how they were keeping up despite what was at stake. But suddenly, the portal started to rumble and out toppled the Doctor along with an even more frightening creatures.
"Doctor!" Renata was about to go forwards when the creatures barred her. She screamed and fell back, just as the Doctor landed opposite from her.
The creatures dangled from the ceilings, threatening anyone who wanted to come near them. The Doctor was awake, but he was in terrible pain. His telepathic abilities may not have been the best versus these creatures.
"Doctor!" Renata wanted to crawl forwards but one creature was adamant to keep her in place, though it was probably to devour her mind.
Donna was stuck in her place at the front door now with one creature coming towards. "Oh, dammit!"
Gabby looked at the helmet around her head and decided that the only one who save all of them was not her, but the Doctor. If she wanted to put up a fight then she had to be strategic right? And that meant being aware of each other's skills. Right now, the Doctor's skills were the ones needed.
She yanked off her helmet and rushed to the Doctor, ducking when one creature tried grabbing her. She slid to a stop next to the Doctor and planted the helmet on him. "There you go!"
Once the helmet was on him, the creatures disappeared. Renata was allowed off the ground and Donna was given way to the group.
"How come we could see them without the helmet?" Donna asked once the three women helped the Doctor get up from the ground.
"The portal did it, plus you were a hell of a lot scared right?," the Doctor groaned from his fall.
"Tell me you have something," Renata said.
"Of course, but right now let's go somewhere where we're not barricaded," he turned away and spotted a small corridor with staircase. "To the roof, I presume?"
Gabby nodded her head. "Yeah, it's to the roof. But what if the portal opens again?"
"We've closed it from the other side."
"We?" repeated Donna.
The Doctor's face turned grim, letting them make their own assumptions.
As they retreated to the top of the building, the Doctor explained the world he found on the other side. It was the home planet of the Cerebravores, or at least for these creatures. As it turned out, the Cerebravores were part of the Primavores but were weaponized for another species' war. Since the connection to their hive mind was removed, all they knew was to hunt.
"Once again war," Renata muttered as she looked out to the streets infested with Cerebravores. "We can't let this world fall prey to a foreign world, not this time."
The Doctor set a hand on her shoulder, knowing exactly what she meant. "We won't," he promised. "We need to get back to the TARDIS. I've got something that might help us inside."
"TAR-DIS?" Gabby repeated in confusion.
"Wait till you see it," Donna mused at the woman's possible reactions. That had to be funny to watch from the other end.
The group took the fire staircase down the building and made their way back to the blue box as quietly as possible. It was a relief being able to return to the box that could keep them safe from almost anything.
Being the last one in and therefore seeing three people just walk into one small box was flabbergasting for Gabby. "How are you all fitting in…" but she lost her words the moment she stepped inside and saw the large console room, "...inside…?"
Her eyes raked over the golden glow of the room. Her body turned in circles as she tried to take in the high ceiling, the second floor, the CONSOLE console…
"Careful there!" Renata caught Gabby as the latter had nearly fallen backwards. "Last thing we need is for you to get a concussion right now."
Gabby laughed happily - the first genuine happy laugh Renata and the others had heard since they met her - until something hit her. "Wait, this cannot be human." Her eyes widened as she kept thinking about it and soon her gaze landed on the trio by the console. "You three...you're not...you're not humans, are you?"
"I am," Donna stuck a hand in the air. "Very human, thank you very much. It's those two that aren't very local."
Renata seemed more worried than the Doctor, but then again Renata had spent a good part of her life in hiding amongst humans while the Doctor went gallivanting through the world without a care.
"So you're like the Cerebravores? Do you wear perceptual filters too?" Gabby looked Renata over then the Doctor.
The Doctor was hard at work with the helmet but he still had to answer, "If I had been, you would've knocked it for six when you belted me with that baseball bat."
Gabby made a face at the reminder. "Sorry," she felt the need to say again.
"We really do look like this," Renata said, though she wanted to laugh at the Doctor's words.
"So why are you helping us, then?" Gabby folded her arms, rather confused now that she thought about it more. "You're aliens, why would you want to help humans? It's not your problem."
"Let's just say I'm very fond of you," the Doctor shrugged, though that was a clear understatement.
"It's more like this is a home for him," Renata said, though there was a sad smile that Donna seem to catch.
"Yeah," the Doctor agreed, none the wiser.
"Are you two from the same place? The same species?"
"Yes," Renata nodded. "And let's not worry where we're from right now. Just know that we're going to do everything we can to help New York out."
"Pretty sure we can do it with this," the Doctor raised the helmet that now bore new additions. "I've altered it a bit so now it'll work as an empathic field amplifier. All we need now is an abundance of...good vibes to magnify and project it at the Cerebravores."
"Good vibes?" Donna didn't look very convinced of the new plan. "That's it?"
"Yup," the Doctor said with a usual goofy grin. "Any ideas?"
"Oh," Gabby raised a hand, but Renata told her she didn't need to do that so Gabby put the hand down and went ahead and explained. "Green-wood cemetery. There's a Day of the Dead celebration. If anyone's still around, that's where they'll be."
"It's the Day of the Dead?" Renata blinked.
"Aha! C'mon!" Gabby, rather excitedly now, led the way to the doors.
"Remind me again why we couldn't just take the TARDIS?" Donna voiced her thoughts midway through their run for the park.
"Because they'd detect the telepathic abilities of the TARDIS, why else?" Renata gave her a look that indicated it should've been obvious, but of course no one had actually explained to Donna the extent of the TARDIS' abilities.
"I think you two should just make a welcome packet or something," Donna remarked with a huff. Had it been another, less dangerous, time the Doctor and Renata would've laughed.
Gabby led them to a park where, as soon as they stepped onto mushy grass, they began to hear live music.
"Human beings," the Doctor mused from the hillside. They were gazing down a festival indeed, with everyone singing and dancing along to a mariachi. "Indomitable! Even in the face of certain tragedy, chaos all around…."
"Honestly, that's just kind of looks like you're tempting the fates," Renata folded her arms, not looking as happy as the Doctor. She didn't understand why these people would deliberately go outside when there was a clear danger.
"C'mon," Gabby insisted as she rushed down the hillside, completely ignoring Renata's warning that she might trip over her feet.
"Gabriella!" a young woman called almost immediately after the group had come over. She looked like Gabby, which led the others to presume they were sisters.
"Oh, Blanca…" Gabby blinked, suddenly aware that she had no explanation for her disappearance and much less an introduction of the travelers.
"We were so worried about you," an older woman - probably their mother - moved over to hug Gabby.
Gabby pulled away with a flushed face. "Right, right, I'm fine. Um…" she looked back at the group.
"Who are they?" Gabby's father eyed the group suspiciously since he'd never seen them before.
"We're Gabby's friends," the Doctor gave a wave but his presence was a bit troublesome considering he still had his helmet and was now carrying a metal, box-like object with him.
Renata cleared her throat and stepped forwards, hoping to ease the family's obvious concerns. "I'm Renata, this is Donna-" she gestured to the ginger who waved, "-and this is the Doctor. Don't mind his devices. He's a builder... engineer...of some sort…"
The Doctor just grinned. It was part of his life description.
"Miguel González," Gabby's father introduced himself, now looking a bit easier. "And my wife, Maria," he gestured to Gabby's mother.
"Since when are they your friends?" Blanca looked at the trio with the same degree of suspicion her father had.
Gabby frowned. "I have friends, you know." Blanca didn't seem so convinced.
"Um, Doctor…" came Donna's uncharacteristically shaky voice. "...I think the Cerebravores are here…"
The Doctor followed her gaze and saw the Cerebravores - in the humans' bodies - storming down on the festival. The Mariachi was just about to stop playing when the Doctor hurried over with a simple (maybe not so simple) request. "Listen to me, everyone. Whatever you do keep singing! Keep your spirits up! Don't give into the fear!"
The Mariachi band looked at him like was crazy, as well as most of the crowd.
"Just do it!" Gabby exclaimed. "He's the only one who can stop that! Sing!"
While Gabby sang to the tune the Mariachi had been playing, Renata moved towards the Doctor. "Whatever you're doing, it needs to be done now!"
"Right!" the Doctor turned to her and dumped the metal box into her arms. "I need you to box them in and keep them here." He started pulling the wires from the object to connect them.
"Okay, but is it going to be fast?" Renata didn't want to point out how quickly the Cerebravores were moving in on them.
"Of course!" the Doctor said a bit too fast. "Donna!" the ginger hurried to help put the wires in the right plugs, with his indication of course. While she did that, the Doctor reached for something inside his coat which happened to be a smaller metal device, resembling a controller, although there was a big red button in the center of it.
"One big red button - could you be more obvious?" Renata gave him such a scolding look that the Doctor had to laugh just for a second.
"C'MON!" Donna screamed, almost looking as if she was about to press the button herself.
"Right!" the Doctor raised the controller over his head and slammed his hand over the controller. As soon as he did that, a golden energy was released from it. It was like a pulse that extended to the depths of the city but it did eradicate the Cerebravores...and threw everyone to the ground in the process.
"Ah, my head," Donna was the first to react but had good reason to since she'd collided with a metal trash bin.
"Donna, are you alright?" Renata pushed herself up, ignoring a small cut on her left arm. She helped Donna stand up and quickly examined her for any surface injuries.
"And what about you, Gabby?" the Doctor offered the young woman a hand. Gabby seemed shaken but a bit...happy? Like maybe the happiness one would get after saving the city?
"Ah, yeah!" she laughed as she took his hand. She was pulled to her feet and looked out at the crowd of the festival. "Everyone's saved, then?"
The group followed her gaze and saw the crowd of Cerebravores were now humans again, all waking up from a terrible nightmare.
"Oh yes!" the Doctor grinned. "Let the party go on!"
"How do I explain this to my family, though?" Gabby scratched the top of her head as she stared at her family getting together to make sure they were alright. "We, um, we don't really see eye to eye."
"The truth would probably be the way to go," Renata offered. "Trust me."
"I don't...know…"
"Could just do it for you," Renata said after a moment then turned towards Gabby's family. "Excuse me?" she raised a finger and approached them. "Hi, just want to let you know that your daughter, Gabriella, just helped save the city. Please don't be upset with her. I think she's an exceptionally brave and resourceful woman."
Gabby was red in the face. She stared at Renata as if she couldn't believe the Time Lady would think that of her. It was even more when the Doctor and Donna joined in on her aid.
"Brilliant, she is!" the Doctor added. "Couldn't have done it without her!"
"Seriously!" Donna laughed.
"And very smart," Miguel truly surprised Gabby. He was smiling so genuinely too. "I think it's about high time you start following your heart. I know I've gotten in the way of that."
Gabby looked down. Her choice of career had always been the center of their arguments. She wanted to pursue an art career but her father wanted her at their restaurant. The same restaurant that Renata and Donna unknowingly visited for breakfast.
"Follow your dreams, my dear daughter." Miguel came forwards to put a hand on Gabby's shoulder. "Art school, design degrees, whatever you want. We'll find a way to make it work."
"Dad!" Gabby exclaimed and hugged her father tightly. He'd never acted like this before.
"Aw, that's so sweet," Renata raised a hand to brush some hair from her face.
"Reneé, your arm," the Doctor noticed the cut on her arm but she shooed his hand away.
"It's a scratch, literally!"
"Okay, what did you do to my dad!?" Gabby came rushing up to them, really taking on the appearance of a child. "He's so different now!"
"Not us," the Doctor raised his free hand to indicate his honest. "Take a look at your personal fan club."
Before Gabby knew it, the helmet was plonked on her head, allowing her to see the swarm of benign Primavores in the sky. It was so ethereal, Gabby felt like she could watch them for ages.
"The Primavores might have affected your father's outlook a little," the Doctor explained to her. "I think you earned yourself a lifetime of good karma."
"Me?" Gabby raised a hand as if to touch one of the creatures. She gasped when her hand actually went through a tail, but it didn't hurt. In fact, she just felt a warm tinge on her skin.
"You earned it," Renata smiled softly at the woman. Even Donna had the same expression. "Your singing with the band, keeping the fear down...you were like a beacon."
"Really?" Gabby pulled the helmet off her head, allowing the trio to see her doubtful expression. "Everyone here was scared stupid. I thought 'no way was there enough goodwill to blast the Cerebravores' - not even with one of your space gizmos."
"You'd be surprised what he can actually do with those," Donna folded her arms. "Kind of shocking, I know, but it's the truth."
"Oi," the Doctor frowned at her.
"Thank you!" Gabby laughed and gave the trio a simultaneous hug.
When she pulled away, the group got requests from most of the crowd to stay for the rest of the festival. It was impossible to refuse.
"Are you sure you're okay, though?" the Doctor was still on Renata's arm after about an hour or so, much to her dismay.
She strolled down the path in the park, stopping by a couple stands to see what they offered. The cut the Doctor was so persistent about had already stopped bleeding so there was nothing to do about it. "If I repeat the answer for the 100th time, will that be the end of this?" she picked up a couple herbs tied together by the root and sniffed it. "Mint. These would be nice for a tea."
"I'm serious!" the Doctor exclaimed beside her.
She put the herbs back in their place and continued to walk. "So was I. It's just a cut, why are you exaggerating?"
"I just want to make sure that you're fine!"
"But I am. In what fits."
"What's that mean?"
Renata stopped walking and turned towards the live music. The mariachi was still going strong. "We're in a festival honoring the dead, Doctor. What do you think is wrong with that? With us being here?"
The Doctor nodded silently. He knew what she meant. They certainly had a lot of people to honor, with a few important ones amongst them. "I didn't think about it," be admitted, his voice quiet now. "But then again, I've trained myself not to think about it. Her." Renata side-glanced him, her lip now becoming her gum again. "Just the way it's been."
"We accustom ourselves to bury our loved ones in the deepest corner of our minds to avoid feeling the pain. But the truth is," Renata paused to sigh, "No matter how hard you try, the pain is still there. It'll always be there."
"Yeah," the Doctor exhaled, his hands finding their way into his coat's pockets. They watched the festival go on for a few silent minutes before the Doctor spoke again. "Maybe it's time we go home."
"Yeah," Renata agreed with a nod.
~0~
Gabby offered to walk with the trio back to the TARDIS after they told her it was time for them to go.
"This was one of the best day of the dead celebrations!" Donna exclaimed but paused for a moment to think. "Well, it was the first Day of the Dead celebration I ever went to but it's definitely really good."
Gabby chuckled at her. She liked Donna a lot.
"Your mother and grandmother are amazing cooks," Renata had to remark before they would part. "They definitely have the same style of your ancestors when they first started the restaurant."
"What - you were there when the restaurant first opened!?"
Renata nodded. "I had to accustom myself to eat human food and this place was amazing."
Gabby thought that was amazing. "Well, I'm sure my family would be open to showing you some recipes!"
"Oh yes!" Renata gasped with delight. "I could add that to my dinners."
"You make dinners in that thing?" Gabby pointed to the TARDIS they were nearing.
"She's not an 'it'," the Doctor frowned. "The TARDIS is a sentient box, you know. She's a she. And an endless box too."
"So you've got a kitchen in there?" Gabby stopped with the trio in front of the TARDIS and gave the box an odd look.
"And a swimming pool," Donna was happy to add.
"And a library," Renata gave Donna a pointed glance. "Could spend a few more hours in there than doing some irrelevant laps in a pool."
"I don't understand half your books!"
Renata rolled her eyes, which then made Donna huff.
Gabby looked between the two with an expression that could only be described as fascination. "So do you all live together? In that thi - the TARDIS?"
"Yeah," the Doctor smiled at Renata and Donna. "Kind of like one a little family." Now it was Renata's turn to smile. It had been automatic too which, when she caught herself, she blushed for and looked away.
"Do you...take more passengers?" Gabby started biting her lower lip like one Time Lady would often do.
"Well, I suppose," the Doctor went on, not understanding what Gabby was trying to say. "I mean, we could but…" And then he got it. "Oh," he blinked and quickly exchanged a look with Renata. She was just as surprised as he was.
Donna, however, had known straightaway what Gabby was trying to ask. "I thought it would take you a bit shorter to ask." Gabby sheepishly smiled. "I asked the moment I saw him - well, the second time I bumped into him."
"You really want to come along with us?" Renata asked, making Gabby's smile falter a bit. The Time Lady didn't seem so eager to accept. "I thought your father said you could go to art school. What happened to that plan?"
"I'd like to, I would, but...I don't think any art school would teach me half the things you know."
Now Renata was utterly stunned. "You want me to teach you? Wait, hold on, you'd want to travel with us...for me?"
Gabby's face flushed. "Well, you seem to know a lot. Plus, you seem, I don't know, so eloquent and elegant."
"Are you sure you're talking about me?" Renata shook her head fervently. This had to be a mistake. If anyone wanted to travel in the TARDIS it'd be because of the Doctor. "He-" she pointed a finger at the Doctor, "-know things. I just tag along cos he stole me."
The Doctor deadpanned her. "Are we really bringing that up right now?"
"It's the truth!"
"Look, I don't understand what that means but I mean what I say," Gabby went on even though the embarrassment was killing her. "I could learn so much from you and besides, time travelling? Doing more of this? I would love to. Can I please come?"
"Oh can we please take her?" Donna slung an arm over Gabby's shoulder. "I'd love to even the odds of Time Lords vs. humans here. It's only fair."
"She's not a pet," the Doctor playfully remarked. "And it's really fine with me. I like you, Gabby." Gabby beamed at his response. "Reneé, what do you think?"
"I'm still...so confused!" Renata waved a hand. She'd need more time to process this.
"Why?" the trio asked with the same tone of confusion.
"Because I don't have anything to offer you," Renata told Gabby. "I don't know the things the Doctor knows. If you want a teacher, that's him and not me."
"Oh no, you are definitely a good teacher," the Doctor walked on over to her side. "You've taught me several things and that's an accomplishment." She playfully rolled her eyes. "C'mon, Reneé," he put an arm around the waist - an action that made her flinch -you have an aspiring art student begging for your attention-"
"-I don't think I'm actually begging," Gabby's remark flew over their heads.
"-and you are more than qualified to teach someone. You helped a foundation back then, remember? Helping is in your DNA."
"I've never taught a human before," Renata said through gritted teeth.
"It's just as easy! C'mon!"
"Please?" Gabby tried one more time before it was considered begging.
Renata couldn't take Gabby's overly hopeful face. It was touching, on some level, that someone would take such an interest in her like this. Someone actually wanted her help. Her. And to be honest, she actually really liked Gabby. She was kind of like one of the people she used to help back on Gallifrey. Teenagers who had no idea what to do with their lives in the Academy. Gabby was no child but Renata viewed her a youngster.
Dammit. With a sigh, Renata. "Gabriella Gonzalez, you are more than welcomed in the TARDIS."
As soon as the words left Renata's mouth, Gabby squealed and rushed up to the Time Lady for a tight hug. "Thank you!"
"Guess we should probably show you around, then," the Doctor backtracked to the TARDIS. He was excited for a new passenger, but even more so that Gabby would specifically be Renata's companion. He thought it'd be a good way to help Renata heal like he had. Humans had that knack of ability.
Hopefully Gabby Gonzalez would not be an exception.
Author's Note:
Aaaaand I present to you Doctor Who's only Latin (like me!) companion, Gabby! I started reading her arc and I found it so good! Her character, in general, is someone I can truly identify with. I really wish Doctor Who would finally have a Latin companion in the show as well but at least I have my Gabby! I really hope you guys like her - she's here to stay for a good while and she's going to be helping Renata a lot!
For the review:
savethemadscientist: Yeah I loved writing Renata and Donna finally being able to talk like friends. They need that! And yup! I've gotten into the habit of introducing some comic stories/arcs since some of them are just too good to ignore! I think I did answer before but now that I've written more ahead I can say that the secret will definitely be out before Rose comes back!