Donna appeared in a flurry of gold sparkles.
The Doctor noticed her standing there, her back to us.
I walked up to his side.
"What?" The Doctor gawked.
"That's a-" I began.
Donna spun around to us. "Oh!"
"What?" The Doctor gawked.
"What the hell-"
"Who are you?" Donna demanded.
"But-"
"You're-"
"Where am I, eh?" Donna demanded.
"What?" The Doctor gawked on.
"What the hell is this place?" She screeched.
"What?" The Doctor gawked.
"What the hell?!" I yelled, running my hands in my hair.
"You can't do that. I wasn't-" The Doctor turned to the console. I walked closer to Donna, looking her over. "We're in flight. That is, that is physically impossible! How did-"
"Tell me where I am. I demand you tell me right now where am I?" Donna commanded.
"Inside the TARDIS." The Doctor answered.
"The what?" Donna asked.
"The TARDIS." He repeated.
"The what?"
"The TARDIS!"
"The what?"
Alright, now I can admit it. This was all getting me to smile. A real smile, or as real as it can be when you're this emotionally exhausted.
"It's called the TARDIS." The Doctor explained.
"That's not even a proper word. You're just saying things." Donna argued.
"I like you." I complimented.
She looked over at me. "Oh. And you kidnapped a child! A little girl! That's sick!"
"Hey!" I snapped. "That's not what happened. I ran away into this place."
"How did you get in here?" The Doctor asked Donna.
"Well, obviously, when you kidnapped me. Who was it? Who's paying you? Is it Nerys?" Donna seethed. "Oh my God, she's finally got me back. This has got Nerys written all over it."
"Who the hell is Nerys?" The Doctor asked, thrown for some many loops in the past five minutes that there hadn't been time to breathe.
"Your best friend." Donna hissed.
"Hold on, wait a minute. What are you dressed like that for?"
I smacked his arm. "It's obvious, you stupid idiot!"
"I'm going ten pin bowling. Why do you think, dumbo?" Donna snarked. "I was halfway up the aisle! I've been waiting all my life for this. I was just seconds away, and then you, I don't know, you drugged me or something!"
"I haven't done anything!" The Doctor yelled. He glared at me. "Why aren't you getting the blame for this?!"
"Because I'm not stupid enough to have done it?"
"Well neither am I!"
"I'm having the police on you!" Donna yelled at the Doctor. "Me and my husband, as soon as he is my husband, we're going to sue the living backside off you!" She reached out, taking my arm. "Come on, you! Let's get you away from him!"
Donna began dragging me towards the doors.
"Wait no-" I began. "Ma'am no-"
"No, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Don't!" The Doctor called out.
Doona threw the doors open. I was able to grab her arm, pulling her back before she could slip out.
But...the supernova was beautiful. Maybe I'm delirious but this was more beautiful than a hundred sunsets.
She was gawking at the supernova we had been burning.
"Welcome to space." I introduced, awkwardly. "You're in space-" Donna glanced my way, eyes wide. "This is my- our spaceship. The TARDIS. Like he said."
"How am I breathing?" Donna asked.
"The TARDIS is protecting us." The Doctor answered.
"Who are you?" Donna asked.
"I'm the Doctor." He answered. He slid up behind me.
"I'm Terra Johnson." I introduced. "You?"
"Donna." She answered, with some mumbling.
"Nice, nice."
"Human?" The Doctor asked.
"Yeah. Is that optional?" Donna asked, looking at us in surprise.
"Well, it is for us." The Doctor admitted.
"You're aliens." Donna glanced at me. "Even you?"
I nodded. "Same kind as him."
"Yeah." The Doctor nodded, glancing away.
Donna paused a moment, taking in the information. Not very far, considering what happens when we land on Earth, but she was taking it in. "It's freezing with these doors open."
The Doctor angrily slammed the door. I jolted, snapping my head to him as he stormed up to the console. After taking a deep breath, I followed him.
"I don't understand that and I understand everything." He began rambling. I leaned against the railing, watching him dash about with a bemused expression. "This- this can't happen! There is no way a human being can lock itself onto the TARDIS and transport itself inside. It must be."
He pulled out the ophthalmoscope, using it to look in Donna's eyes.
"Impossible. Some sort of subatomic connection? Something in the temporal field?" The Doctor mused, going too fast for anyone to make a sarcastic comment. "Maybe something pulling you into alignment with the Chronon shell. Maybe something macro mining your DNA within the interior matrix. Maybe a genetic-"
Donna slapped him in the face.
I laughed, because it was hilarious.
"What was that for?" The Doctor yelped, rubbing his cheek. "Terra quit laughing!"
"Quit looking stupid!" I laughed back.
"Get me to the church!" Donna ordered.
"Right! Fine!" The Doctor snapped back at Donna. "I don't want you here anyway!" He marched to the console computer. "Where is this wedding?"
I stood up, walking around the console. My steps stopped when I spotted it. The blouse. That Rose left behind. It'd been days, of course I noticed it before. It just...it always hit the same way.
I don't know where I am.
Only that I don't like this place-
The air- was it even air? Could it be called that? I mean, it had to be air, right, because then how was I breathing- the air was tight around me.
Monsters were all around. Not just the Daleks or the Cybermen. These...these things were abominations. The kind I would hear about it Lovecraft novels or that shit.
They scared me.
"I knew it, acting all innocent." Donna snapped.
It dragged me back to the TARDIS. My focus moved onto Donna Noble, staring at her wedding dress and veil.
See? You're back on the TARDIS. Donna Noble. This wouldn't have happened in the Void. You're back in the Doctor's World. It's all okay.
"I'm not the first, am I? How many women have you abducted?" Donna yelled. "Did you abduct her too? Make her think she's an alien?"
The Doctor stared at Donna, confused at why he was being accused again. He saw the blouse in her hands, recognition in his heavy gaze. Any light on his face faded into shadow.
"That's our friend's." He replied, voice flat.
I turned to the hand rails, leaning on them. My hands gripped them tight- letting the cold metal of it hold me down.
"Where is she, then? Popped out for a space walk?" Donna snarked.
"She's gone." The Doctor replied. His tone shifted into mourning.
"Gone where?" Donna snapped, irritated further by his incomplete answers.
"We lost her." The Doctor admitted.
"Well, you can hurry up and lose me!" Donna snapped.
I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.
"How do you mean, lost?" Donna asked, as though finally seeing our mourning. Which I guess she was. It had been a rough few minutes for her- it would take a couple minutes to get Donna going on these sorts of things.
The Doctor snatched away the offending garment. He tossed it towards the back hallway.
"Right, Chiswick."
==ROTF==
We landed soon after.
Donna was the first- running out. She swung open the TARDIS door with no hesitation.
She was greatly disappointed. "I said, Saint Mary's." She turned to glare at us, who had also just walked outside. I winced at the sunlight in my sleep deprived eyes. "What sort of Martians are you? Where's this?"
The Doctor ignored her, focusing on the fact that the TARDIS was clearly unwell. "Something's wrong with her. The TARDIS, it's like she's recalibrating!" He rushed back inside, working about the console. That's about when Donna noticed what was off about theTARDIS. "She's digesting. What is it? What have you eaten? What's wrong? Donna? You've really got to think. Is there anything that might've caused this?"
Donna rushed about the sides of the box.
"She's bigger on the inside." I explained to Donna. The Doctor continued to ramble. "She's- Martian. An alien thing. She's always been like this. We travel inside her to get places." Donna pushed past me to look inside the TARDIS, compare her to the outside. I grabbed her arms, forcing Donna to hold still so I could look in her eyes. "Donna."
Donna wasn't full on panicking yet- it was a close thing. I kept my grip firm, making overly loud deep breaths in the hopes that Donna would copy me. It took her a second but her subconscious caught on quick.
"-sky, or did you touch something like something, something different, something strange? Or something made out of a box of metal or-"
"Or a box of wood?" I snapped over my shoulder, trying to get him to realize Donna was doing 'The Thing'.
"Good point." He conceded. 'Airheaded twat-' "Who're you getting married to? Are you sure he's human? He's not a bit overweight with a zip around his forehead, is he? Donna!"
The bride pushed me off her. She had gone past panic now.
"Donna, ma'am, it's all okay. Take a deep-"
Donna ran off.
"-or start running. Cause this isn't gonna look weird." I huffed, running after her. The Doctor quick to catch up with me.
Donna was easiest to catch up with. There wasn't too far she could get in her heels.
"Donna." I began.
"Leave me alone. I just want to get married." Donna requested, voice trembling as she held back her panic.
"Come back to-" The Doctor began. I held my hand up, shutting him up.
"Alright Donna. We'll get on that. Saint Mary's Church- quick cab ride."
"Are you American?" Donna asked.
"-yes?"
"But he's English."
"...yes?"
"You said you were the same. How can you be the same if you're American?" Donna asked, confused and panicked.
"...the same kind of alien, not the same person." I corrected, actually a bit offended.
Donna shook her head. "No way. You Martians are too weird. That box is too weird."
"It's bigger on the inside, that's all." The Doctor assured.
So.
Helpful.
"Oh! That's all?" Donna snapped. She checked her watch. "Ten past three. I'm going to miss it."
"You can phone them. Tell them where you are." The Doctor suggested.
"How do I do that?" Donna snapped.
"Doc Brown it's a trap-"
"Haven't you got a mobile?"
"-you fell for it."
Donna stopped her furious marching to glare at the Doctor. "I'm in my wedding dress. It doesn't have pockets. Who has pockets?" I wasn't even bothering to hide my smile at her rant. "Have you ever seen a bride with pockets? When I went to my fitting at Chez Alison, the one thing I forgot to say is give me pockets!"
Donna you have become my favorite companion.
Really. You're the best.
I'm so tired but if I was awake I would be starstruck at the sight of you.
"This man you're marrying. What's his name?" The Doctor asked.
"Lance." Donna answered dreamily, making me wince.
"Good luck, Lance." The Doctor grumbled.
"Oi!" Donna snapped. I burst out laughing. "No stupid Martians are going to stop me from getting married. To hell with you!" She ran off.
"I'm, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not from Mars." The Doctor stumbled.
"Good save." I snarked, chasing behind him.
"Shut up." The Doctor complained.
We caught up to Donna as she reached the street. The three of us tried and failed to call a taxi. They kept driving past.
"There's one!" The Doctor called out, after a fifth failure.
"Oi!" Donna whistled.
The taxi moved past.
"Do you have this effect on everyone? Why aren't they stopping?" The Doctor asked.
"They think I'm in fancy dress." Donna huffed.
One taxi drove by, doing the 'drinking' gesture. "Stay off the sauce, darling!"
"They think I'm drunk." Donna scoffed.
Another car. "You're fooling no one, mate!" He and his buddy shouted.
"They think I'm in drag!" Donna huffed, offended.
"Hold on, hold on." The Doctor stepped forward. I braced myself. He let out a piercing whistle. A taxi pulled up.
The two of them climbed inside. The Doctor dragging me in with them.
"Saint Mary's in Chiswick, just off Hayden Road. It's an emergency. I'm getting married. Just hurry up!"
"You know it'll cost you, sweetheart? Double rates today." The driver informed them.
"Oh, my God. Have you got any money?" Donna asked us.
"It's all American." I lied.
"Er, no. Haven't you?" The Doctor asked.
"Pockets!" Donna snapped.
The driver promptly and swiftly kicked us out of his taxi. Not that I blamed him.
"And that goes double for your mother!" Donna yelled as the taxi drove off. "I'll have him. I've got his number. I'll have him. Talk about the Christmas spirit."
"Is it Christmas?" The Doctor cheered.
"You couldn't tell by the decorations everywhere?" I asked him.
"Well, duh. Maybe not on Mars, but here it's Christmas Eve." Donna snarked with me. It only made me love her more. "Phone box! We can reverse the charges!" Donna began walking towards a phone box.
"How come you're getting married on Christmas Eve?" The Doctor asked.
"Can't bear it. I hate Christmas." Donna admitted. "Honeymoon, Morocco. Sunshine, lovely."
"Well that depends on your view of the sun-" I complained.
By then we'd arrived at the plain phone box. Donna went into the booth, hesitating. "What's the operator? I've not done this in years. What do you dial? 100?"
The Doctor used the sonic on the phone. "Just call the direct."
"What did you do?" Donna asked. "What did he do?"
"Something Martian. Now phone." The Doctor ordered. "I'll get money!"
Donna began dialling. The Doctor rushed to the nearest ATM. The guy in front of us was taking a while.
"So...any ideas?" I prompted.
"Well I'm thinking we get a tenner. Saint Mary's can't be that far." The Doctor replied.
I nodded slowly. "I meant about how she appeared in the TARDIS."
"Right...course you did."
"So let's try that again. Any ideas?" I asked, more sassy than presently needed but it was funny so I did it.
The Doctor huffed, practically bouncing on his feet. He looked over towards where Donna was, then back at the ATM. "I don't know."
"That's reassuring." I snarked.
"Well I don't see you coming up with anything." The Doctor pointed out.
"Cause I haven't slept in two- three?- days!"
The guy in front of us finished. Once he was gone the Doctor stepped up. He used the sonic on the ATM. I observed around us, searching for the Robot-Santas.
"Three days?"
"Well it was before- ya know. So it may have actually been four." I mumbled, rubbing at my tired eyes. The world had gone blurry for a moment there. "Who can keep track of time like that?"
There was silence on his end. The ATM was whirring, as it gathered up the money. I spotted the Santas at least.
"Doctor." No response. "Doctor it's Christmas."
"Yeah, you mentioned that-"
"And remember what fun visitors we had last Christmas? Cause they're back."
The Doctor turned to me. I nodded my head towards the band of Santas. His eyes widened. The band made slow marches towards us- like Cybermen but more lazy.
"Got the money?" I prompted. He held up the cash. "Then we need to get-"
"TAXI!"
We whirled around.
Donna was climbing into a taxi. "Thanks for nothing Spacemen!" She shouted. "I'll see you in court!" She slammed the door.
The driver- Santa- nodded at us before driving off.
"Donna!" We yelled.
One of the band Santa's lowered his tuba at us. The Doctor used the sonic on the ATM, making it spew out money. The Londoners rushed towards us, grabbing cash out of air or from the ground. In the chaos, we ran back to the TARDIS.
==ROTF==
The Doctor moved about the console, setting the TARDIS off to fly. He was trying to track down the Santa-or Donna- I wasn't exactly waiting to ask. There was a lot of stress to be had, so it was better if I stayed quiet while he worked. I'd learned that over the past few days.
The console sparked up, as we were flying. The Doctor smacked it with a hammer. "Behave!" He scolded.
The TARDIS hummed in my mind. I sent back some panicked assurances.
While he was doing that, I got out some rope from the Bag. Well it was a bungee cord but it still counted as rope. I tied one end around the railings near the door, knotting it twice over to keep it from fraying. The other end was tied around my waist.
"Terra!" The Doctor called out, holding a spool of twine in his hands.
"Just get us close!" I replied over the loud whirring. "I'll get her back!"
The Doctor braced himself, then set about on my instructions.
I flung the door open, pushing it to stay with my leg while pressing my back on the other side. Donna's kidnapping cab was just outside.
"OPEN THE DOOR!" I yelled. "THE DOOR! OPEN IT!"
"I can't, it's locked!" Donna yelled, which was muffled from the window.
"SONIC!" I yelled back. There was a buzzing noise behind my ear.
Donna pushed down the window. "SANTA'S A ROBOT!"
"YOU DON'T SAY?!" I snarked, holding out one of my hands. "NOW COME ON!"
"WHAT FOR?" Donna yelled back.
"TO JUMP!"
"I'M NOT BLINKING FLIP JUMPING." Donna replied. "I'M SUPPOSED TO BE GETTING MARRIED!"
The cab pulled forward.
"IT'S SPEEDING UP!" I told the Doctor.
Soon enough the TARDIS was rushing forward. More sparks were going off, by what I could hear. It was taking a lot to hold me in place, keep me from flying out.
You know, when people say they want to jump out of a moving car, it's a lot less scary with a door in the way.
As the TARDIS flew along the highway it bounced off a car. I yelped, scrambling for traction before I could be thrown out. I gripped tightly to the doors, and the cord around my waist.
"QUIT BOUNCING!" I warned him.
The Doctor didn't reply. He kept holding down switches, and pushing others.
"SONIC!" I yelled again, as we got closer.
The buzzing noise came behind me again. Santa shot off sparks, his hands clasping on the wheel.
"DONNA! JUMP!" I ordered.
"I'M NOT JUMPING ON A MOTORWAY." Donna replied.
"WE DON'T EXACTLY HAVE ANOTHER OPTION!" I shouted. "BECAUSE THAT THING KIDNAPPED YOU- AND IT'S NOT FOR ANYTHING GOOD! SO! JUMP!"
"I'M IN MY WEDDING DRESS!" Donna screamed.
"YES, YOU LOOK LOVELY! COME ON!" I took the line- because it was just that good.
Donna pushed the door open. I held out my arm, holding onto the cord with the other one. "I can't do it." She admitted.
"Trust me!" I pleaded.
"Is that what you said to her?" Donna asked, cutting me to my core. "Your friend? The one you lost? Did she trust you?"
Swallowing down the self deprecation for a minute, I replied "Yes. She trusted us both. She always trusted us. She's not dead. And I promise you that you won't be either. Now JUMP!"
Donna braced herself- and jumped.
==ROTF==
The TARDIS landed on a rooftop. Donna and I walked out, ignoring the huge plumes of smoke coming from behind us. The Doctor coughed, as he fired the fire extinguisher at the console.
I stood up on the rooftop. As the panic in my head slowed, it gave me a chance to admire the skyline. Really, just really sublime. Besides that- it was proper cold. I hadn't given myself a chance to really enjoy how fucking cold it was. It was the kind of thing I needed, honestly.
Donna stood at my side. Neither of us said anything, just looked out on the skyline.
"The funny thing is, for a spaceship, she doesn't really do that much flying. We'd better give her a couple of hours." The Doctor walked up to the space between Donn and myself. "You alright?"
It took me a moment to register the silence, then to see the Doctor had been looking at me. "Yeah, fine." Then I went back to looking out on the town.
"Good, good. Donna?" The Doctor prompted.
"Doesn't matter." Donna replied, tone flat.
"Did we miss it?" The Doctor asked.
"Yeah." Donna sighed.
"Well, you can book another date." The Doctor pointed out.
"Course we can." Donna shrugged.
The Doctor was still trying to help find the bright side. "You've still got the honeymoon."
"It's just a holiday now." Donna reminded him.
"Holiday in Morocco...not bad." I hummed.
"Yeah...it's good." Donna replied.
"Yeah. Yeah. Sorry." The Doctor apologized.
"It's not your fault." Donna brushed off.
"Oh?" That actually made the both of us smile. "That's a change."
"Wish you had a time machine, then we could go back and get it right." Donna suggested.
The Doctor was flustered at the idea. Lucky me that he was blocking her from me, or else she'd have seen my knowing smile. "Yeah, yeah. But even if I did, I couldn't go back on someone's personal timeline. Apparently."
Donna settled herself down on the edge of the building.
I leaned to the Doctor, whispering to him "Good save" before the spot on Donna's left.
The Doctor took off his jacket, giving it to Donna. He settled down on Donna's right.
"God, you're skinny. This wouldn't fit a rat." Donna complained.
I snickered.
"Oh and you'd better put this on." The Doctor pulled out the bio-damper, which happened to look a lot like a wedding ring.
"Oh, do you have to rub it in?" Donna whined.
"Those creatures can trace you." The Doctor warned. "This is a bio-damper. Should keep you hidden." Donna held out her hand. The Doctor slipped on the ring. "With this ring, I thee bio-damp."
"For better or for worse."
"By the power vested in me by Queen Victoria, I officially name you Martian and Mrs Martian." I joked.
The Doctor laughed.
Donna made a face. Fond, exasperated, but willing to put up with the insanity. "So, come on then. Robot santas, what are they for?"
"Ah, your basic robo scavenger. The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. They're trying to blend in." The Doctor explained. "I met them last Christmas."
"Why, what happened then?" Donna asked, full of innocence.
I snickered again, barely hiding it by turning my head away.
"Great big spaceship hovering over London? You didn't notice?" The Doctor asked, surprised.
"I had a bit of a hangover." Donna admitted.
"Am I delirious, or is this the funniest thing ever?" I chuckled.
"I spent Christmas Day just over there, the Powell Estate, with this...family." The Doctor recalled, looking off towards Rose's home. I stared too- remembering the last time I had been in there, I passed out on the couch...what I wouldn't give to pass out right now- "My friend, she had this family. Well, they were. Still, gone now."
"Your friend, who was she?" Donna asked.
The best person we'd ever known
Rose Tyler, Defender of the Earth
The Bad Wolf
A girl who refused to let us ignore the innocent people.
A girl who could see good even in a Dalek.
Someone...better.
And now...we have you.
Donna Noble.
The Most Important Woman In All Of Creation.
"Question is, what do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you?" The Doctor asked, nonsequitur. "And how did you get inside the TARDIS? I don't know. What's your job?"
"I'm a secretary." Donna answered. The Doctor slipped his hand in his jacket pocket, pulling out the sonic.
"It's weird." I stood up, walking around to his other side. "I mean, you're not special, you're not powerful, you're not connected, you're not clever, you're not important."
I smacked his arm, hard enough to leave a bruise.
"Ouch!" He whined.
My hand reached up, gripping his ear. "I never want to hear that sentence again." I warned him in my lowest voice. "Ever. I don't care what happens, you never tell someone they're not important. Everybody is, and if I ever hear you say differently, I'll punch you hard enough to make you regenerate. Clear?"
"Terra, have you ever punched him in the face before?" Donna asked, seething herself. "Stop bleeping me!"
"I haven't. Mostly it's been slaps. I can upgrade to punches if you'd prefer." I offered.
"Lovely." Donna cheered.
I reeled my arm back.
"She didn't mean now!" The Doctor argued. He flinched away from the punch.
"Then when?!"
"What kind of secretary?" The Doctor asked Donna.
"Jeez what a cop out." I went back to my seat at Donna's left.
"I'm at HC Clements. It's where I met Lance. I was temping." Donna explained. She went into her story. Each bit made me smile- but knowingly, cause I knew where she was lying. "I mean, it was all a bit posh really. I'd spent the last two years at a double glazing firm. Well, I thought I'm never going to fit in here. And then he made me a coffee. I mean, that just doesn't happen. Nobody gets the secretaries a coffee. And Lance, he's the head of HR! He don't need to bother with me. But he was nice, he was funny. And it turns out he thought everyone else was really snotty too. So that's how it started, me and him. One cup of coffee. That was it."
"When was this?" The Doctor asked.
"Six months ago."
"Bit quick to get married." He pointed out.
"Well, he insisted. And he nagged, and he nagged me." I had to bit my lip to keep from laughing. "And he just wore me down. And then finally, I just gave in."
"HC Clements. What do they do?" I asked.
"Oh, security systems. You know, entry codes, ID cards, that sort of thing." Donna explained. "If you ask me, it's a posh name for locksmiths."
"Keys." The Doctor nodded, as if it made any sense to him.
"Anyway, enough of my CV. Come on, it's time to face the consequences. Oh, this is going to be so shaming." Donna turned to him. "You can do the explaining, Martian boy."
"Yeah. I'm not from Mars." The Doctor reminded her. He helped her up to her feet. "And neither is Terra."
"Like it matters. She's gonna keep calling us that." I told him, as he offered his hand towards me. "I'm good." Pushing myself up to my feet, I fixed up my hair. The breeze was wild up here.
"Oh, I had this great big reception all planned. Everyone's going to be heartbroken." Donna bemoaned.
==ROTF==
They weren't, by the way.
In fact everyone was having a grand ole time. Partying to Christmas music, drinking from the open bar, little kids were running about under all the colorful lights. It was really a cool party.
It would've been a cooler party with Wilf, just saying. Basically this entire party is ruined without Wilfred Mott.
Donna gawked at her family.
Steadily, one by one, people noticed. The DJ noticed too- cutting the music off. Now everybody was looking our way.
"You had the reception without me?" Donna snapped.
Lance- the bloke in the nicest tux in here- who I was fighting the urge to hit with a nearby chair- walked forward. "Donna, what happened to you?" He asked, pretending to care.
"You had the reception without me?" Donna repeated.
"Hello. I'm the Doctor." The Doctor greeted.
"I'm Terra." I introduced, waving at the large group.
"They had the reception without me." Donna repeated at us.
"What?" I asked, dropping my jaw in a dramatic show.
"Yes, I gathered." The Doctor replied to Donna at the same time.
"Well, it was all paid for. Why not?" Nerys asked, all snooty.
"Thank you, Nerys." Donna snarked.
Donna's mum walked up next. I could already tell that she wouldn't like us- something in her eyes. Oh and the glare she sent our way as she scolded Donna. "Well, what were we supposed to do? I got your silly little message in the end. I'm on Earth? Very funny. What the hell happened? How did you do it? I mean, what's the trick, because I'd love to know."
Once Sylvia started, the whole lot joined in. They began raining down questions on Donna.
It all halted when she started sobbing. Well 'sobbing'. Lance came up, pulling her in for a comforting hug. The party made sympathetic noises to her.
Donna gave us both a wink.
Honestly...I love Donna Freaking Noble.
==ROTF==
I walked up the Doctor, some minutes after the reception was back to partying. In my hands was a plate of cake. He had a lost look on his face. Clearly, he was lost in thought over Rose. Right now- there was too much going on to focus on emotions.
"Oh come off it." The Doctor scolded, but his grin and general delight ruined it. "You're supposed to let them cut it."
"I took it from the back. It's fine." I brushed off. Then I took a bite. "You're just jealous I did it first."
"...lies." The Doctor lied.
"Yep. You're jealous that I have cake, and you don't." I boasted, taking an over dramatic bite of the cake.
"Disgusting." The Doctor remarked, but he was smiling all the same.
"I'm a problem-solver. You're jealous." Was my smug, grown-up reply.
The Doctor rolled his eyes. Another bite was taken from the cake.
"Learned anything?" I asked.
"Yes." The Doctor put on his 'smart person' glasses. I say them in air quotes because he wasn't actually any smarter with them on. "HC Clements?"
"Yeah?"
"They were owned by Torchwood." The Doctor revealed.
I stared at him. "Shut up."
The Doctor hummed. He stopped. Following his line of sight, I spotted the cameraman.
We walked over to him. After barely any convincing, he was willing to show us the video of the wedding.
"Oh, I taped the whole thing. They've all had a look." He played the part of Donna disappearing. "They said sell it to You've Been Framed. I said, more like the News. Here we are."
"Can't be." The Doctor mumbled, as the video showed Donna disappearing in those same golden sparkles I had seen when she'd arrived. "Play it again?"
The man did so. The Donna on screen was screaming as she vanished in golden sparkles. "Clever, mind. Good trick, I'll give her that. I was clapping."
"But that looks like Huon Particles." The Doctor remarked.
"Mind sharing?" I prompted.
"That's impossible. That's ancient. Huon energy doesn't exist anymore, not for billions of years." The Doctor looked off towards Donna. "So old that it can't be hidden by a biodamper!"
He rushed off towards her. With a polite grin to the camera man, I followed.
"Donna! Donna, they've found you." The Doctor warned her.
"But you said I was safe." Donna argued.
"The bio-damper doesn't work. We've got to get everyone out." The Doctor warned.
"My God, it's all my family." Donna looked around at the party goers.
The Doctor grabbed her hand, pulling her off the dance floor. I rushed after them.
"Out the back door!" He yelled.
Yet once we arrived, Santas were standing guard outside.
"Or not." I huffed.
The three of us ran downstairs. Outside French windows stood more Santa bots.
"We're trapped." Donna whined, in fright.
"Doctor-" I spoke as the Santa bot held up a remote control. "The tree!"
The Doctor gawked in fear. "Christmas trees."
"What about them?"
"They kill!" I answered, running towards the tree. "Hey kids! Someone cut the cake!" I told them.
The kids cheered, rushing towards the cake.
The Doctor ran to the tree. "Get away from the tree!" He warned the people still there.
"Don't touch the trees!" Donna yelled with him.
The kids had all run off by then for cake.
The Doctor yelled towards the party crowd now. They were all grouping up on the dance floor. "Get away from the Christmas trees! Everyone get away from them! Everyone stay away from the trees! Stay away from the trees!"
"Oh, for God's sakes, the man's an idiot." Sylvia scoffed. "Why? What harm's a Christmas tree going to- Oh."
At that moment, the Christmas ornaments came off the tree. They began floating over our heads. I was tensely. My hand grabbed the Doctor's wrist, ready to drag him towards the sound stage when needed.
The first ornament flew to the ground, exploding in a loud pop.
The crowd panicked.
As soon as the panic started, I began dragging the Doctor to the side. He tried fighting me off, to pull me a safer direction. Not sure what that was, considering any other direction had exploding ornaments. We moved through the crowd, pushing around them. The Doctor conceded himself to my brilliant plan of survival.
Soon enough we were at the DJ booth. I pushed him towards it, hiding behind the speakers.
The Doctor's eyes lit up in the mad idea. He stood up tall. At one point in all of this, the Santa bots had come inside. They stood in a line- blocking the exit. I could see Donna hiding behind a table with Lance.
"Oi! Santa! Word of advice." The Doctor showed off the sonic. If you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver, don't let him near the sound system."
He pushed it down on the deck. He blasted the volume.
The volume blasted was loud. I covered my ears, trying to tune out the loud sound. The Santa bots shorted out, collapsing down.
Once it was done, I rushed back through the dance floor to the mangled robots. People were getting up on their feet, looking at the damage done. They checked on family, making sure there was life. Nobody was dead, I hadn't heard mournful cries in the episode. Besides that- this thing was kinda rushed and there wasn't time to let myself be concerned.
I held up the remote control to the Doctor. The Doctor picked up a head.
"It's like two controls right? One for the decorations, one for the bots?" I asked him.
"You've got it exactly right once again, Miss Johnson." The Doctor grinned proudly.
"Knew you would admit I was a genius someday-" I boasted, tucking away one of their robes into the Bag.
"They're not scavengers anymore." The Doctor carried on over me. "I think someone's taken possession."
"Never mind all that." Donna turned to the Doctor. "You're a doctor. People have been hurt."
"Nah, they wanted you alive. Look." The Doctor tossed an ornament to Donna. She caught it with a flinch. "They're not active now."
"All I'm saying, you could help." Donna told him.
"He is helping." I told her, rising to my feet. "He's not a medical doctor- he doesn't know how to heal them."
"Got to think of the bigger picture. There's still a signal!" The Doctor announced to me. He ran off.
Huffing, I ran after him.
We ended up outside. The Doctor was sonicking the head of the bot. I tucked the remote for the baubles into my Bag- it could be fun to mess with when I had time.
Donna came up too.
"There's someone behind this, directing the roboforms." The Doctor told us.
"But why is it me? What have I done?" Donna asked.
"If we find the controller, we'll find that out." The Doctor moved the sonic about. He soon ended up pointing upwards. "Ooo! It's up there. Something in the sky."
"Of course it's in the sky. Can't it be on Earth for once?" I complained.
The Doctor continued holding it up. Donna walked off, as Lance had walked out. The bastard.
"Seriously? Are you sure it's not on Earth?" I asked him.
"Yeah...pretty sure." The Doctor answered. He made a noise of distress, pulling down the sonic. "Bloody hell. Come on!" He rushed off towards Donna. "I've lost the signal. Donna, we've got to get to your office. HC Clements. I think that's where it all started. Lance! Is it Lance? Lance, can you give us a lift?"
==ROTF==
A quick drive- with myself driving, I was very much alright with ignoring the rules of the road for safety. Even if the Brits were terrified.
We made it there. Why are they whining?
"To you lot this might just be a locksmiths-" The Doctor ran to one of the computers, typing away. "But H C Clements was brought up twenty three years ago by the Torchwood Institute."
"Who are they?" Donna asked, completely innocent.
"They were behind the battle of Canary Wharf." The Doctor revealed. Donna stared, blankly. I grinned as it came together for the Doctor. "Cyberman invasion. Skies over London full of Daleks?"
"Oh, I was in Spain." Donna excused.
"No, no. Cybermen were in Spain too." I explained, unable to hide my grin.
Donna shrugged. "Scuba diving."
"Dude. You're the best." I complimented.
Lance looked annoyed- even better reason to hate him.
"That big picture, Donna. You keep on missing it." The Doctor complained. "Torchwood was destroyed, but HC Clements stayed in business. I think someone else came in and took over the operation."
"But what do they want with me?" Donna asked.
"Somehow you've been dosed with Huon energy. And that's a problem, because Huon energy hasn't existed since the Dark Times. The only place you'd find a Huon particle now is a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS." The Doctor picked up a coffee mug, dumping out the pens inside. "See? That's what happened. Say, that's the TARDIS. And that's you." He picked up a pencil. "The particles inside you activated. The two sets of particles magnetised and whap." He shook the mug, dropping the pencil inside it. "You were pulled inside the TARDIS."
"I'm a pencil inside a mug?" Donna deadpanned.
"Yes, you are. 4H. Sums you up." The Doctor praised.
"I correct myself. You will always be the best." I cheered.
"Lance? What was HC Clements working on?" The Doctor asked Lance. "Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?"
"I don't know, I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager." Lance explained. He scrunched up his face in confusion. "Why am I even explaining myself? What the hell are we talking about?"
"Donna said they make keys." I went over to a computer, typing at it to get where I wanted. Soon enough it showed off the construction plans. "Oh happy day. I spot a continuity error."
Jumping up from the chair, I rushed toward the elevator.
The Doctor followed behind me, laughing as he caught on.
I pulled up the elevator. Stepping inside, I waved my hand to the buttons. "See the issue, yet?" I asked the humans.
They stared blankly.
"Seriously? It's right there." I waved my hand at the buttons again.
The Doctor stepped into the elevator. "Underneath reception, there's a basement, yes? Then how come when you look on the lift, there's a button marked lower basement?" The Doctor pointed to the button. "There's a whole floor which doesn't exist on the official plans. So what's down there, then?"
"Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?" Lance scoffed.
"No, we're showing you this building's got a secret floor." The Doctor explained.
"It needs a key." Donna told us.
"I don't." The Doctor used the sonic. The button lit up. "Right then. Thanks, you two. We can handle this. See you later."
I smiled.
"No chance, Martians. You're the people who keep saving my life." Donna stepped into the elevator with us. "I ain't letting either of you out of my sight."
"Welcome aboard." I cheered. "Three going down."
"Lance?" Donna prompted.
"Maybe I should go to the police." Lance suggested.
"Inside." Donna instructed.
Lance took a step inside.
"To honor and obey?" The Doctor teased.
"Tell me about it, mate." Lance scoffed.
"Oi." Donna scolded them.
"Well you were the one who asked-"
"I said oi." Donna interrupted me.
The elevator doors closed on my smug grin.
==ROTF==
"Where are we? Well, what goes on down here?" Donna asked when we reached the floor.
"Let's find out." The Doctor cheered.
I walked out, scanning the area for the- there they are! Without hesitating I went over to them.
"Do you think Mister Clements knows about this place?" Donna asked.
"The mysterious HC Clements? I think he's part of it." The Doctor remarked.
"Hey Doc Brown!" I rolled up on the scooter. "Look what I found!"
"Oh, look. Terra's found transport." The Doctor cheered. He grinned to the humans.
There were enough for everyone- how nice. The four of us rode down the hallway on the segways. At one point, Donna seemed to realize how ridiculous this all looked. Once she started laughing, I started. Then the Doctor was dragged in. Lance was the only one refusing to enjoy this.
The adventure was soon over. We stopped at a door, where water was leaking from the walls. I had to brace myself- knowing what was coming up ahead. Not just the bit with the water later, but the fights that came before that. The Racnoss, the bots, the first formation of Earth...there was a lot to stress over.
Especially knowing that in another timeline...I might die down here.
Wasn't that a lovely Christmas thought? That I was walking to my grave, in another timeline. Fucking fucked up...but then again, in a timeline without Donna Noble? I might welcome it.
"Wait here. Just need to get our bearings." The Doctor started climbing up the ladder. I climbed on after him. "Don't do anything." He ordered the humans.
"You'd better come back." Donna scolded us.
"I couldn't get rid of you if I tried." The Doctor cheered.
Ooof- doesn't that just hit you in the chest, when you know how this ends?
Author's fuck.
That's sad.
Like...really sad.
Fucking fuck shit.
Dark jokes, Moffat, I tip my hat to you.
Also fuck you.
We climbed to the top. The Doctor opened the latch, pushing it open. I shivered involuntarily at the cold air blasting it's way down.
As we climbed out of the tunnel, I saw the Thames River.
"Good view." I complimented.
"Yeah, it is, yeah." The Doctor grinned at me. I found myself grinning back.
So we climbed back down.
"Thames flood barrier right on top of us." The Doctor explained to Donna and Lance. "Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath."
"What, there's like a secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark?" Donna asked, scandilized.
"Shocking, isn't it?" I couldn't help my smile
"Oh, I know. Unheard of." The Doctor scoffed, giving me a knowing look.
==ROTF==
The walk to the lab was a short one. I stared at all the water tunnels, all still flowing with water.
"Oo, look at this. Stunning!" The Doctor praised. He stared around one of the tubes of the water inside.
"What does it do?" Donna asked.
"Particle extrusion. Hold on." He rushed over to another set of tubes, set up to reach the ceiling. To reach the Thames above our heads. "Brilliant. They've been manufacturing Huon particles. Course, Terra, our people got rid of Huons. They unravel the atomic structure."
"How? How did you manage to make this a history lesson?!" I grumbled.
"Your people? Who are they? What company do you represent?" Lance asked.
"Oh, we're freelancers." The Doctor excused. "But this lot are rebuilding them. They've been using the river. Extruding them through a flat hydrogen base so they've got the end result, Huon particles in liquid form." He produced a small tub, in it clear water.
"And that's what's inside me?" Donna asked.
The Doctor turned a knob on the tub. The water inside glowed with golden sparkles. Donna quickly glowed the same gold.
"Oh, my God!" She gasped.
The Doctor turned the knob back. The glow faded off.
"Genius. Because the particles are inert, they need something living to catalyse inside and that's you. Saturate the body and then." The Doctor had a thoughtful look on his face. I stepped up, taking Donna back a step. Ha!"
The Doctor jumped back.
"He's about to go on a rant. Brace yourself." I advised her.
"The wedding! Yes, you're getting married, that's it! Best day of your life, walking down the aisle. Oh, your body's a battleground! There's a chemical war inside! Adrenaline, acetylcholine. Wham! go the endorphins. Oh, you're cooking! Yeah, you're like a walking oven. A pressure cooker, a microwave, all churning away. The particles reach boiling point. Shazam!"
I unleashed the beast.
Donna slapped him in the face.
"What did I do this time?" The Doctor complained.
"Are you enjoying this?" Donna snapped. The Doctor wilted- realizing that he actually had started to enjoy this. "Right, just tell me. These particles, are they dangerous? Am I safe?"
"Yes." The Doctor promised.
"Doctor, if your lot got rid of Huon particles, why did they do that?" Donna asked- getting to the point.
"...because they were deadly." The Doctor admitted.
Donna made a small noise in her throat. "Oh, my God."
I put a hand on her shoulder, patting it in consolation. "Don't worry- we're gonna find a way to fix this. It's our thing."
"Terra's right. We'll sort it out, Donna. Whatever's been done to you, we'll reverse it." The Doctor promised. "I am not about to lose someone else."
"Oh, she is long since lost."
I tensed up as the wall on our left began to rise. It revealed the hidden chamber- a gold big enough to reach Earth's center, and multiple Santa Bots (missing their Santa faces) lines up along the wall.
"I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!" The Empress of the Racnoss boasted from over the speakers.
"Someone's been digging. Oh, very Torchwood." The Doctor commented. "Drilled by laser. How far down does it go?"
The Empress "Down and down, all the way to the centre of the Earth!"
"Really? Seriously? What for?" The Doctor asked.
"Dinosaurs." Donna answered.
"What?" the Doctor asked, confused.
"Dinosaurs?" Donna tried again.
"What are you on about, dinosaurs?"
"That film, Under the Earth, with dinosaurs. Trying to help."
"That's not helping."
"I mean like it kinda helps." I told them.
"Such a sweet couple." The Empress laughed over me.
I flinched from her. Just the sound of her voice was creeping me out.
"Only a madman talks to thin air and trust me, you don't want to make me mad." The Doctor warned, glaring fiercly at the ceiling. "Where are you?"
"High in the sky. Floating so high on Christmas night." The Empress laughed in her hissing voice.
"I didn't come all this way to talk on the intercom. Come on, let's have a look at you!" The Doctor demanded.
"Who are you with such command?" The Empress asked.
"I'm the Doctor." The Doctor introduced. "And that's my friend Terra."
"Prepare your best medicines, doctor man, for you will be sick at heart." The Empress warned.
She teleported in.
At the sight of the giant red spider, I flinched away from it. The huge spider was terrifying. The very sight of her now had me frozen in place, staring at her with my body conflicting over fight-or-flight. Flight was the best option, only the TARDIS was a really far run.
Hey maybe in that other timeline I died from fright. Oh awful.
"Hello little fly." The Empress mocked, staring her eight eyes my way. I was too afraid to move. She cackled, showing off her spider arms as her laugh echoed in the chamber.
"Racnoss?" The Doctor gawked at her. "But that's impossible. You're one of the Racnoss?"
"Empress of the Racnoss." She boasted, hissing out the title in proud glee.
"If you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss?" The Doctor asked. Donna turned towards me. "Or, are you the only one?"
"Such a sharp mind." The Empress hissed.
Donna grabbed my arm. It got my attention, but I kept my eyes on the spider.
'Cause when you look away, that's when the spider strikes.'
"Terra?" Donna asked.
"That's it, the last of your kind. The Racnoss come from the Dark Times, billions of years ago. Billions." The Doctor explained to us both. He too was kept his gaze towards the spiders. "They were carnivores, omnivores. They devoured whole planets."
"Racnoss are born starving. Is that our fault?" The Empress asked, snarling. She eyed me, snarling louder.
Donna's grip tightened on my arm. "They eat people?"
"HC Clements, did he wear those, those er, black and white shoes?" The Doctor asked, wincing.
"He did. We used to laugh. We used to call him the fat cat in spats." Donna joked.
The Doctor pointed up at the ceiling, where a web had been made. Not much was left of ole HC, except for his shoes.
Donna's grip tightened again. "Oh, my God!"
"Mmm. My Christmas dinner." The Empress boasted.
"You shouldn't even exist." The Doctor told her, still probably in shock.
Who wouldn't be? It was a giant spider planning to eat us. If I didn't know this from the episode, I would assume the Void had pulled me into a nightmare realm.
"Way back in history, the fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss they were wiped out." The Doctor explained.
Lance appeared on a balcony above the Empress. It actually helped me to get out of my fear- to glare at him in full hatred. He held a finger to his lips, telling us to shut up. He held up an axe in his other hand.
"Except for me." The Empress explained in delight.
"But that's what I've got inside me, that Huon energy thing."
The Empress hissed. She turned her gaze back to me. When I tried flinching back, Donna gripped tighter to me.
"Oi! Look at me, lady, I'm talking." Donna demanded. The Empress turned to her. Lance continued 'sneaking' behind them. The Doctor turned to me- which is when he saw me. I guess I was paler now, from fear. It probably wasn't a good look on me. "Where do I fit in? How comes I get all stacked up with these Huon particles? Look at me, you! Look me in the eye and tell me."
"The bride is so feisty." The Empress laughed.
'Terra, are you alright?' The Doctor asked me, in my mind.
I took a shaky breath. 'No.'
"Yes, I am! And I don't know what you are, you big thing, but a spider's just a spider and an axe is an axe!" Donna shouted. "Now, do it!"
Lance lifted the axe- then he dropped it.
My hearts went out to poor Donna, watching him in confusion.
The Doctor put his hand on my shoulder, squeezing it in assurance.
"That was a good one. Your face." Lance laughed.
"Lance is funny." The Empress laughed with him.
"What?" Donna stared, only becoming more heartbroken.
"I'm sorry." The Doctor apologized.
"Really, really sorry." I mumbled. It had taken me a moment to pull my arms out of their respective holds.
"Sorry for what? Lance, don't be so stupid! Get her!" Donna ordered him.
"God, she's thick." Lance insulted. I glared death at him. "Months I've had to put up with her. Months. A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map."
"I don't understand." Donna mumbled.
"How'd you meet him?" I prompted her.
"In the office." Donna answered.
"He made you coffee, you said." I went on.
Donna must be getting the idea- only it was such a horrible idea she didn't want to be thinking about it. "What?"
"Every day, I made you coffee." Lance boasted.
Who- besides my sister- boasts about killing an innocent woman?
"You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months." The Doctor reminded her.
Donna was becoming properly heartbroken now. There was no more denying it. "He was poisoning me."
"It was all there in the job title. The Head of Human Resources." The Doctor mocked, glaring Lance's way.
"This time, it's personnel." Lance joked.
"But, we were getting married." Donna mumbled.
Oh Donna...
"Well, I couldn't risk you running off. I had to say yes." Lance scoffed. "And then I was stuck with a woman who thinks the height of excitement is a new flavour Pringle. Oh, I had to sit there and listen to all that yap yap yap. Oh, Brad and Angelina. Is Posh pregnant? X Factor, Atkins Diet, Feng Shui, split ends, text me, text me, text me. Dear God, the never ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia. I deserve a medal."
'You deserve that axe in your skull.' I snarled in my mind.
"Oh, is that what she's offered you? The Empress of the Racnoss?" The Doctor asked, disgusted. "What are you, her consort?"
Lance grinned.
"Ugh. Who would want to sleep with a bug?" I grimaced.
"It's better than a night with her." Lance replied.
You rude bitch.
"But I love you." Donna near whimpered.
Lance shrugged, as if that love meant nothing. As if being shown love by Donna Freakin' Noble was nothing. "That's what made it easy. It's like you said, Doctor. The big picture. What's the point of it all if the human race is nothing?" Lance asked.
Okay now I was fighting the urge to punch him. A good way to avoid giving in would be to remember the giant fucking spider between me and Lance. Yeah...yeah that was good.
"That's what the Empress can give me. The chance to go out there. To see it. The size of it all. I think you understand that, don't you, Doctor?" Lance asked.
"Screw you." I snapped at him, flinching at the Empress' gaze on me. "S-screw you too."
"Who is this little physician and his pet fly?" The Empress asked.
"She said Martians." Lance answered.
"Oh, we're sort of homeless, me and her."
"Her and I." I corrected.
"Is it a good time for that?"
"Shut up!" I hissed at him.
"But the point is, what's down here?" The Doctor carried on. "The Racnoss are extinct. What's going to help you four thousand miles down? That's just the molten core of the Earth, isn't it?"
"I think he wants us to talk." Lance pointed out.
"I think so, too." The Empress smiled wide- and just like that, I will never know peace.
"Well, tough! All we need is Donna." Lance boasted.
"Kill this chattering little doctor man and his pathetic playmate." The Empress ordered.
The androids turned their guns towards us.
"Don't you hurt them!" Donna ordered.
"No, no, Donna. It's all right." The Doctor told her.
"Yeah it's good." I nodded, stepping closer to the Doctor to avoid the Empress being in my line of sight.
"No, I won't let them." Donna argued.
"At arms!" The Empress ordered her robots.
"Ah, now. Except." The Doctor tried to speak up.
"You should know-"
"Take aim!" The Empress ordered.
"Well, I just want to point out the obvious." The Doctor tried again.
"It's an important bit."
"They won't hit the bride. They're such very good shots." The Empress boasted.
"Just, just, just, just, just hold on. Hold on just a tick. Just a tiny little, just a little tick. If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship." The Doctor pulled out the liquid Huon particles, turning the knob. It and Donna glowed bright. "So reverse it, and the spaceship comes to her."
The TARDIS materialized around us.
The Empress raged.
"Off we go." The Doctor stated, immediately turning to the console.
I walked Donna over to the pilot seat, sitting her down. She was already starting to cry.
"Oh, do you know what I said before about time machines? Well, I lied."
Reaching into my Bag, I pulled out a packet of tissues. I held them out to her. Donna took one, holding it to her eyes.
"And now we're going to use it. We need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up. If something's buried at the planet's core, it must've been there since the beginning."
Sitting by her side, I threaded my hand in her's. She accepted the hold. I squeezed her hand tight, letting out a relieved breath because being in the presence of a spider known to eat people was the worst thing that happened to me this week.
"That's just brilliant. Molto bene. I've always wanted to see this. Terra, Donna, we're going further back than I've ever been before."
"Cool, Doc Brown, real cool." I squeezed Donna's hand again.
==ROTF==
The TARDIS moved us back in time. Donna had slowed her crying by then, using up a few more tissues. I didn't give her any flack for it. She needed to let it out.
"We've arrived. Want to see?" The Doctor asked us both.
I turned to Donna. The woman shrugged.
"I suppose." Donna stood up. She let go of my hand, walking up to the Doctor.
"Oh, that scanner's a bit small. Maybe your way's best." The Doctor ran to the door, stopping when he realized nobody was following him.
I stayed in my seat- focusing on my breathing. It had only really just calmed down.
"Terra come see!" The Doctor encouraged, his tone sympathetic. It was appreciated. "Donna you too! Come on. No human's ever seen this. You'll be the first."
"All I want to see is my bed." Donna replied.
"Terra?" The Doctor prompted.
"No spiders?" I asked him.
The Doctor paused. "Terra are you scared of spiders?"
"Make fun of me and I will push you out those doors and the TARDIS will let me!" I snapped in a quick rush of breath. Shuddering, I pressed myself back against the pilot seat cushion. "That was- she was huge."
The Doctor walked away from the door, instead coming up to my side. "No spiders out there. Promise." He held his hand out.
"You could just be saying that." I stared at his hand, as if it were a spider too.
"There's not." The Doctor swore. "Come on. You're going to love this."
I hesitated, glancing between his hand and other at Donna. After another deep breath, I took his hand.
He walked me over to the doors. Donna watched us with hesitance in her eyes.
"Never knew you were scared of spiders." The Doctor commented.
"It's never come up." I replied.
"Donna Noble, Terra Johnson, welcome to the creation of the Earth." The Doctor pulled the doors open.
Wow...it was beautiful. The scenery had the gaseous pink and orange clouds floating around in nothing. Asteroids floating among each other, no clear direction in sight. The sun shone from it's distance- peeking out from behind the space clouds.
Now this was a good view.
"We've gone back four point six billion years. There's no solar system, not yet. Only dust and rocks and gas." The Doctor pointed his arm over my shoulder. "That's the Sun, over there. Brand new. Just beginning to burn."
"It's incredible." I breathed out, admiring the view. It was soothing, the peaceful way our galaxy was at its start.
"Where's the Earth?" Donna asked.
"All around us in the dust." The Doctor answered.
"Puts the wedding in perspective." Donna remarked. "Lance was right. We're just tiny."
"No, but that's what you do. The human race makes sense out of chaos. Marking it out with weddings and Christmas and calendars. This whole process is beautiful, but only if it's being observed." The Doctor explained.
"So I came out of all this?" Donna asked.
"Isn't that brilliant?" The Doctor cheered.
At the moment, a large rock drifted from below the TARDIS. It skimmed a few other asteroids.
"I think that's the Isle of Wight." Donna joked. She and the Doctor laughed.
"You and your brits with your weird humor." I playfully scolded.
"Blah. Your just an American. You've got no taste." The Doctor brushed off.
Now we were all laughing.
"Eventually, gravity takes hold. Say, one big rock, heavier than the others, starts to pull other rocks towards it. All the dust and gas and elements get pulled in." The Doctor rambled. "Everything, piling in until you get-"
"The Earth." Donna and I finished.
"But the question is, what was that first rock?" The Doctor mused.
The Racnoss ship came floating in. Thankfully there was a door I could press myself against to avoid freaking out.
"Guys." I motioned towards the ship.
"The Racnoss." The Doctor exhaled. He rushed back to console. "Hold on. The Racnoss are hiding from the war. What's it doing?"
The ship stated in one spot. The other asteroid and loose rocks began floating towards it, as if being pulled.
"Oh that's a problem." I mumbled.
"Exactly what you said." Donna told the Doctor.
The Doctor rushed back. "Oh, they didn't just bury something at the centre of the Earth. They became the centre of the Earth. The first rock."
There was a large explosion as planet Earth solidified.
Well not from the Earth.
This was the TARDIS shaking.
"What was that?" Donna asked, yelping as she grabbed onto a handrail.
"Trouble." The Doctor and I answered.
Pushing to our feet, the Doctor ran to the console. I pushed the doors shut. I helped Donna up next.
"What the hell's it doing?" Donna screamed as the TARDIS shook and tilted
"Remember that little trick of mine, particles pulling particles." The Doctor explained. "Well, it works in reverse. They're pulling us back!"
"Well, can't you stop it? Hasn't it got a handbrake?" Donna yelled.
"Well yeah but it's not worki-" I explained, running over to grab the extrapolater.
"Can't you reverse or warp or beam or something?" Donna reasoned.
"Backseat driver." The Doctor complained.
I slapped the heavy extrapolater down on the console.
"Oh Terra Johnson you beauty! The extrapolator!" The Doctor cheered.
My hands moved about, pushing in the various wires and cables needed.
"It can't stop us, but it should give us a good bump!" The Doctor explained to Donna.
The TARDIS made a heavy think when it landed.
"Now!" I yelled.
The Doctor smacked it with a hammer.
The Doctor, Donna, and I quickly ran out.
"We're about two hundred yards to the right." The Doctor explained. "Come on!"
We ran.
The Doctor, Donna, Terra. Running together as they always should.
==ROTF==
Soon enough we came upon the door from earlier, the escape hatch Lance used to sneak behind the Empress.
"But what do we do?" Donna asked us.
"I don't know. I make it up as I go along." The Doctor told her. "But trust me, I've got a history. Go on Terra, tell her."
"It's unfortunately a common thing." I told Donna. "Like seriously, it's scary how often he works on the fly and it all just magically works out."
"But I still don't understand. I'm full of particles, but what for?" Donna asked.
I turned towards the door, watching the Doctor knock repeatedly on the door. He must be in a rush if he's forgetting the sonic works too.
"There's a Racnoss web at the centre of the Earth, but my people unravelled their power source. The Huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss were stuck. They've just taken hibernation for billions of years. Frozen, dead, kaput. So you're the new key. Brand new particles, living particles! They need you to open it and you have never been so quiet."
The Doctor turned around. I sighed, lowering my head.
"Oh!"
"Yeah she got nabbed." I raised my head, snatching the sonic from his coat. Then I sonicked the door open.
To the android on the another side, I sonicked him off. The android slumped to the ground.
"One of these days, I'm just going to give you a sonic for yourself." The Doctor warned.
"Yeah- But it's more fun to steal yours." I tossed him the sonic back.
==ROTF==
We had snuck into the chamber.
'This is such a bad idea.' I thought to him, shifting nervously under the android robe.
'Yeah well it's the only plan we've got.' He glanced over at me. 'Still can't believe you took a robe from one. Or the mask.'
'It looked cool! I was gonna scare Carl with it!' I explained. 'Less cool now.'
'It's not that bad-'
'Said the spider to the fly.' I countered.
The Doctor huffed.
So we continued our trek. The sounds of the spiders in the tunnel were echoing upwards. If that was scary enough, on the way in we'd heard Lance's screams.
Yeah not great.
Really not great.
Still hate him- he's a bastard.
But I would hate being eaten alive by a spider. Much less hundreds.
The Doctor and I walked up the stairs, trying not to garner her attention. Donna was stuck to the ceiling in the web, fearfully looking down below.
"My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them." The Empress boasted. "So you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor man and my pretty little fly."
The Doctor threw off his disguise. Myself as well.
"Oh well. Nice try." He sonicked the webs around her. I've got you, Donna!"
"I'm going to fall!" Donna cried out.
"You're going to swing! I've got you!" The Doctor assured her.
The webs around her released. She swung towards the stairs like a demented Tarzan.
Except Donna hit the level below us. She fell to the ground with a clatter.
"Oh. Sorry." The Doctor apologized.
"You had one job." I held a finger at him. "Just one."
The Doctor winced.
"Thanks for nothing." Donna snapped at us. She pushed herself to her feet.
"The doctor man and the girl fly amuse me." The Empress laughed.
"Empress of the Racnoss, I give you one last chance." The Doctor warned her. "We can find you a planet. We can find you and your children a place in the universe to coexist. Take that offer and end this now."
"These men are so funny." The Empress cackled.
"What's your answer?" The Doctor demanded.
"Oh I'm afraid I have to decline." The Empress replied, not afraid at all.
"What happens next is your own doing." The Doctor warned her.
The Empress continued not to show her. Unfortunately the was the only way in which she was better than me. "I'll show you what happens next. At arms! Take aim! And-"
"Relax." The Doctor ordered.
The androids all slumped down.
"What did you do?" Donna asked, stumped.
"Guess what I've got, Donna?" The Doctor pulled out the remote for the androids from his coat pockets. "Pockets."
Donna gawked. "How did that fit in there?"
"They're bigger on the inside." The Doctor replied, plainly.
"Mine are too!" I boasted, showing off the hoodie pockets. Then I lifted up my Bag. "So is this! Remind me to show you if we survive!"
"Roboforms are not necessary. My children may feast on Martian flesh." The Empress snarled at us.
"That would terrify me if I was from Mars." I told her. Well it does terrify me but it would scare me more if she called out our actual planet.
"Then where?" The Empress asked.
"Our home planet is far away and long since gone. But its name lives on." The Doctor spoke, in his Oncoming Storm voice. "Gallifrey."
The Empress hissed, flinching back. She recoiled while snarling our way. "They murdered the Racnoss!"
"Then we'll just finish what they started!" I yelled at her. "He gave you a chance- you didn't take it!"
I pulled out Christmas ornaments, throwing them in the air.
"No! No! Don't! No!" The Empress yelled.
The Doctor used the remote to aim the ornaments. They scattered themselves around the building, in the corridors from before. They blew out the walls- exposing us to the Thames. More ornaments blew up around the Empress, making the ground burst up in flames. She screamed out in pain.
Water began rushing it. It burst from nearby pipes, filling up the room. Only they couldn't properly. Lucky for us there was space down below.
Somehow- their screams carried up from the drain.
"No! No!" The Empress screamed in agony. "My children! No! My children! My children!"
As fire and rain coated us, the Doctor and I refused to show emotion.
We stood watching the end of the Racnoss, stone faced.
We had given them a chance.
Which is what I told myself as I gripped the rails in front of me. As I made myself watch their destruction.
You watched it happen on the show. You knew they wouldn't say yes.
It's not on you.
It's on the Empress.
She was going to kill this planet.
She had a choice.
We don't.
"Doctor! Terra! You can stop now!" Donna called out.
I turned towards her. The same way a moth turned towards a light.
"My children!" The Empress screamed out her pain.
I took the Doctor's hand.
He turned to me.
"Doctor." I called out, over the water pouring onto our heads. "Allons-y."
The Doctor seemed indecisive for just a moment. He looked back to the Racnoss. I squeezed his hand once.
"Come on." The Doctor pulled me up the stairs. "Time I got you lot out."
Donna ran up the stairs, joining us in our escape.
The Empress teleported off.
==ROTF==
As we climbed up the ladder one last time, Thames water was continuously dumped on our heads.
"But what about the Empress?" Donna asked.
"She's used up all her Huon energy. She's defenceless!" The Doctor told us.
"So like- she can be taken out by a tank! Or a missile- or something!" I added.
When we reached the top, the Doctor pushed it open. Just in time to see the Racnoss ship- which greatly resembles a seven-point star- erupted in flames. A tank on the ground had fired on it.
The Empress was dead now.
The three of us climbed up on top of the building. The Doctor held to Donna's waist. I stood on the other side, observing the now empty river.
"Just there's one problem." Donna commented.
"What is that?" The Doctor asked.
"Is it that we're soaked? I have towels in here-" I began.
"We've drained the Thames." Donna informed us.
Sure enough, we had. It made all three of us burst out laughing. The boats around us began honking- complaining at being stuck. Which I guess we were too but, whatevs.
"Doctor?" I began, once we dialed down the laughing.
"Yes Terra?" He laughed.
My hand grabbed his shoulder. "You ever bring me near spiders again? I don't care what's going on. I'll leave."
The Doctor laughed. Donna too.
"That wasn't a joke." I informed them. They kept on laughing. "I meant it."
==ROTF==
At last, the Doctor and I returned Donna to her home. It had taken barely any work to get to the TARDIS once the water all washed out. Drying out had been simple too once I handed out towels.
Doesn't mean my hair wasn't a mess- and I wouldn't need five showers to get the Thames out- but it was fun.
Fun.
That's something to call narrowly escaping death.
Yes, that makes me sound like an adrenaline junkie.
I was a Gryffindor. We're all adrenaline junkies.
"There we go. Told you she'd be alright. She can survive anything." The Doctor boasted, rubbing the sides of the TARDIS.
"I wish I can tell you that this is normal behavior." I told Donna, motioning to the Doctor's heavy petting of the TARDIS. "But it's not. It's normal for him, except he's insane so it doesn't count."
"Oi!" The Doctor complained.
Donna laughed at that. "Yeah I reckon he is." She looked back towards her house. "More than I've done."
The Doctor pulled out his sonic. He gave Donna a quick scan. Donna didn't show as much as a twinkle. "No, all the Huon particles have gone. No damage, you're fine."
"Yeah, but apart from that, I missed my wedding, lost my job and became a widow on the same day. Sort of." Donna explained.
"Well. Didn't die." I offered.
Donna hummed in acknowledgment.
"I couldn't save him." The Doctor apologized.
"He deserved it." The Doctor gave her a look. I turned away, to hide that fact that I agreed. "No, he didn't." Donna sighed, looking back at her home. Her parents could be seen from the window. "I'd better get inside. They'll be worried."
"Best Christmas present they could have." The Doctor cheered.
"But you hate Christmas, right?" I recalled.
Donna smiled thinly. "Yes. I do."
The Doctor reached into the TARDIS. He stretched up high, flipping a switch. "Even if it snows?"
A burst of light came up from the TARDIS light. It shot into the sky. A moment later, snow began to fall.
The giggles couldn't have been stopped. Donna and I were loudly laughing in the street, enjoying the snow.
"I can't believe you did that!" Donna laughed.
"I can't believe he hasn't done it before!" I laughed, punching his arm.
The Doctor made a noise of pain. He rubbed the spot, looking around at the snow. "Ouch! I hate it when you do that."
"Donna suggested it."
"Yes I did." Donna grinned. I grinned back.
"It's just basic atmospheric excitation." The Doctor told me. "I'll be sure to tell you all about it later- maybe over another history lesson."
I groaned. "Just let me sleep."
"Merry Christmas." Donna cheered to us, giving us a fond exasperated look.
"To you." I nodded my head, leaning against the TARDIS.
"And you." The Doctor finished off. "So, what will you do with yourself now?"
"Not getting married, for starters. And I'm not going to temp anymore." Donna answered. She looked around at the snow, thoughtful. "I don't know. Travel. See a bit more of planet Earth. Walk in the dust. Just go out there and do something."
The Doctor glanced back at me. I gave him an encouraging nod. He turned back to Donna, a hopeful look on his face. "Well, you could always."
"What?"
"Come with us." The Doctor offered.
"No."
The Doctor's face fell. "Okay."
I kept up my grin.
"I can't." Donna apologized.
"No, that's fine." The Doctor shook his head.
"No, but really." Donna laughed, as though the madness of the day was really starting to hit her. "Everything we did today. Do you two live your lives like that?"
"Not all the time." The Doctor excused.
"Every day, mostly." I explained.
"I think you do. And I couldn't." Donna shook her head.
"But you've seen it out there. It's beautiful." The Doctor reminded her.
"And it's terrible." Donna countered. I looked down at my shoes, paying attention the snowflakes falling there. "That place was flooding and burning and they were dying, and both of you were stood there like, I don't know, strangers. And then you made it snow. I mean, you scare me to death."
"Right." The Doctor nodded, trying to hold back how much that sentence hurt. Cause it did- it really hurt.
"Sorry." I apologized, scuffing up a puff of snow.
"Tell you what I will do, though. Christmas dinner. Oh, come on." Donna offered.
"I don't do that sort of thing." The Doctor lied.
"You did it last year. You said so." Donna pointed out.
"I don't like socializing." I added in.
"Then sit in the corner, and do nothing. It'll be fine." Donna offered. "And you might as well, because Mum always cooks enough for twenty."
"Oh, all right then. But you go first. Better warn them. And don't say we're Martians." The Doctor warned. I climbed into the TARDIS, sneaking in just past him. "I just have to park her properly. She might drift off to the Middle Ages. We'll see you in a minute."
The Doctor came in, running toward the console. He pushed on the handbrake. The TARDIS noise went off.
"Doctor! Terra! Doctor! Terra!" Donna shouted.
I winced. "I'm going back." Walking outside, I opened the door enough for the Doctor. "You rang, madam?"
"Blimey, you can shout." The Doctor complained.
"Am I ever going to see you again?" Donna asked.
"Yeah- I bet we'll run into each other again." I offered, keeping up my grin. "It'll be awesome then- I bet."
Donna smiled.
"Oh if we were that lucky." The Doctor smiled too.
"Doctor. Just promise me one thing." Donna have the Doctor a stern look. "Find someone."
"I don't need anyone." The Doctor brushed off. "Just Terra."
Donna shook her head. "Yes, you do. Because sometimes, I think you need someone to stop you." She glanced at me, then glared harsher at the Doctor. "She's just a kid. It shouldn't be up to her to stop you. It can't all be on her. That's not fair."
The Doctor took in what she said, looking down at me as if to confirm. I looked down at my shoes, scuffing them on the snowy ground once again.
It...when she said it like that, it did sound really stupid that I took on so much blame for what happened to Rose. Even if I knew it was coming. I did what I could to stop it.
They had a choice.
I didn't.
I tried-
And it went so wrong.
I could still head the Void echoing in the silence.
"Yeah. Thanks then, Donna. Good luck." The Doctor praised her.
"And thank ya. Kindly. For what you did today." I complimented.
"And just be magnificent." The Doctor finished.
"I think I will, yeah." Donna hesitated. Now she was holding back tears- the Doctor too. Honestly they're both so emotional. "Doctor, Terra?"
"Oh, what is it now?" He whined.
"You ran once more, madam?" I replied, beaming now at his fake annoyance.
"That friend of yours." The Doctor tensed. His expression dropped. I braved myself, keeping myself smiling. "What was her name?"
"Her name was Rose." The Doctor answered, in a voice full of so much pain I swear every heart on this street broke.
Except mine.
I'd need a heart for that.
"And she was good." I complimented. "Until next time, Donna Noble."
The Doctor and I slid back inside the TARDIS. He set her out to flight.
I headed out a tired sigh- feeling the past week of stress and exhaustion coming towards me. "Well. I'm going to sleep until the 22nd century. Maybe 23rd. Don't set things on fire, m'kay?"
The Doctor was leaning on the console. His body language promised a man one breath away from collapsing into grief.
He had barely said his goodbyes to Rose when this had all started. No wonder the grief still hit hard.
"Good night." I turned towards the hall.
"Terra." The Doctor called me back.
I turned towards him.
He looked up at me, tears coming out from his eyes. I stood there, waiting patiently. Wherever he wanted to go. It was his show.
"I miss her."
I took a deep breath through my nose. "I know."
The Doctor nodded, swallowing his pain loudly. "Are you-"
"Doctor. I am going to be blunt with you." I admitted. "I am tired. Really tired. I will also be missing Rose. But not as strongly as you. You- your grief is different than mine. We all experience emotions in our ways. Don't think to scold me for how I cope. I need to mourn Rose my own way. Don't take it from me."
"No. No it's fine." The Doctor assured. He wiped at his cheeks, drying the faint tear tracks there. Probably just left over Thames water. Yeah. "Go get some rest." The Doctor suggested. "I kept you up for days. You should-"
"But what if-" I cut myself off, biting my lip.
He took a breath. "Right. Spiders."
"Gah." My body physically recoiled away. "Abominations of nature."
The Doctor put a hand on my shoulder. "Or we could go watch a movie until you go to sleep."
Well I mean...there were certainly worse ideas. Especially one am emotional fuck-coaster like today has been. "...I mean there's one movie I wanna watch."
"Name it." The Doctor promised, the same way he made only his most serious promises.
"You ever hear of 'The Room'?"
==ROTF==
Terra was asleep ten minutes into the movie.
All in all, the Doctor thought it was a spectacular Christmas.
==ROTF==
AN: I promised it would be soon, didn't I? I wish everyone a Happy Christmas in July!
Also can I just say- Donna Noble. She's my favorite character write. I just decided. Seriously the woman was on another level. I can't wait for Season 4...But Season 3 comes first and so must the Master...hehehe.
Thanks to SeleneAlice for favoriting and following