"Doctor! I have good news!" I shouted as I ran back into the console room.
The Doctor was typing onto the console computer. He turned towards me, stopping in his typing in order to look my way. "Yeah?"
"I can officially stay in a closed door room for four hours before I have a panic attack!" I announced.
The Doctor beamed. His smile was shaking slightly before becoming wide and proud. "That's good." I nodded in agreement. "What did you do this time, then, to calm yourself down? Read any good books? Walk in the TARDIS forest? Go for a swim?"
"I watched a horror film about children killing their parents!" I supplied. The Doctor blinked at me.
Three months ago, we crashed into the Titanic. Three long, long months. There were adventures- good and bad. Some had us nearly enslaved into a work force under a tyrannical planet of sentient land formations, which ended in me almost setting the entire planet on fire. Some had us swimming on land with canoes to escape a land-hurricane (imagine a hurricane, but instead of water it's dirt).
Some days were easier than others. I could ignore the urge to look over my shoulder. It took the Doctor having a lengthy talk with me during another viewing of the anti-grav Olympics that the Doctor accidentally signed us up for that I was trying to get out of. Apparently the multiple nosebleeds and headaches were a result of my telepathic survival skills. The Doctor talked to me a lot over the months to keep me from using them.
Bitch if I wanna use my Shine I fucking will
A trend started popping up in all those rooms. All the various times I was locked away in a space never went well. The moment the doors shut, I would go catatonic. The Doctor slapped me once to get me out of it. It wasn't pretty. So over the months I built up a tolerance to it.
Four hours was indeed the best time I ever got from it.
Not that I hadn't tried longer, oh indeed I have tried. The times I tried for an overnight shut door never worked. If I closed the door, I would stay up paranoid that someone would appear to lock it and throw away the key. If I fell asleep but asked the Doctor to lock it, I would wake up as soon as I heard the clicking of the lock. Yes I could easily pick the locks or sonic them open (with my own sonic, did , that wasn't the point- if anything that just made it worse. It was just the same as back then.
The open door didn't sit too well with me either, I liked some fucking privacy. So now I was basically uncomfortable all the time. I wanted peace back. If it meant I should get used to being in closed spaces again I would do so.
After my dark side took over so long ago, I was scared to eat anything. The idea of wanting to eat made me gag. It took time to reintroduce myself to food. I know this door-thing is just another long process. It's going to take time. I'm a Time Lady, I can work with it.
The Doctor was supportive in all of it too. He encouraged me anytime I showed improvement, and even the times I failed he would be cheering me on. He never showed disappointment in my slow progress. That's fine, I was plenty disappointed for both of us. His approval did help though...
"How exactly did they...do that, then?" The Doctor asked.
"That would spoil the movie. I'm not rude like that." I cautioned, skipping over to the pilot seat.
The Doctor watched me. "I know that. However- consider- I don't plan on watching it-"
"Yeah you do. We're watching it later." I reminded him. The Doctor looked at me in surprise and confusion. "Movie night."
He grimaced for a split second. A human wouldn't have noticed it. "Right."
One thing that helped more often than not was watching movies. Any sort, not just scary ones. The Doctor agreed to a movie night. He apparently knew a log of Earth movies, and the TARDIS had ones from other planets that were often good. We watched those a lot.
Usually the TARDIS helped coordinate a movie night. Schedules were always hard to keep in time travel. They often were at the 'end' of a 'week'. What constituted a 'week' varied. Still, the Doctor agreed to spend at least two hours watching a film with me.
He liked those artsy indie movies. They were alright. He never really stayed for the endings, always finding one excuse or another to avoid seeing it. That was just his thing, I guess. He never likes the endings.
I wonder how he could handle an M. Night Shyamalan movie. Or a thriller. Oh- oh or a Guillermo del Toro! That could be fun. Yeah he would figure it all out in like a second but it would be fun.
"No way. I learned the last time not to watch horror films with you." The Doctor dismissed.
"It wasn't even that bad!" I rolled my eyes at him. "If you stayed to the end-"
"Nope. Nu-uh. Not doing it. That movie was awful. How could you stand it?" The Doctor asked.
"Cause Saw is a classic." I argued. Yeah, watching someone being locked in a room for so many hours...they were living my nightmare and also sort of my dream? Like...they made it. Good for them. "The ending was good. You should have seen it."
"Yeah but you just tell me the ending usually. Why should I stay?" The Doctor asked.
"You're a spoiler enabler. You enable my innate desire to spoil movies for people." My hands grabbed my head, shaking like I'd just gone mad. "Make it stop!"
The Doctor laughed. He pressed a button on the console. He missed it's answering light to turn to me. "So how did they do it?"
I've cracked
Call Humpty Dumpty, someone's taking his crown
"Okay so there's this demon ghost-"
The computer pinged. Worse than that, the TARDIS started to yell out for attention.
The Doctor and I turned to it. The Doctor checked the computer. I stayed back, curious to see if it would finally start today.
I wanted to see Donna Noble, dammit
"Well guess the movie will have to wait." The Doctor told me. "The TARDIS is showing me some oddities coming from London."
"Really? Is it like...big ones or little ones?"
"Not sure." The Doctor pressed a few buttons. "She can't get an accurate read, it happened too quickly." He grinned at me. "We'll have to investigate."
I grinned right back.
==MGCB==
The TARDIS brought us to a specific building. One building that stood gloriously, a calling card for anyone investigating the weird stuff.
She was returning
Fuck yeah I wanna see Donna Noble
I wanna see Wilfred Mott from the other side of a telescope
I wanna see Adipose babies. They are so adorable, and I am owed something adorable.
The Doctor and I walked to a back door. I held up my sonic- mug very own, very pink sonic- to the door. With a quick loud buzz, the lock shot out sparks. The Doctor flinched from them. I preened.
"Mr Smith." I opened the door to him.
The Doctor smiled along with the joke. He nodded as he walked in. "Ms Brown."
We giggled at ourselves as we walked inside.
Nobody noticed us for a long while. The Doctor checked with me to be sure I wasn't using my abilities. I honestly can't tell.
The answer came when a guard started walking in the hall with us. The Doctor fished out his psychic paper. He held it up for the guard.
"John Smith and Caroline Brown, Health and Safety." The Doctor reported.
The guard nodded, never breaking his stride.
==MGCB==
The Doctor got us into the projection room. We were peeking out through a window to see the presentation.
Foster stood up on the stage. Dressed in only the classiest pantsuit. Why do people even like those? Every time I've worn them people died. It's just a bad outfit choice. Was that my cursed outfit like his suit? Perhaps.
Nah, I was never wearing that monstrosity again. The dress I made was good enough for me!
"Adipose Industries, the twenty-first century way to lose weight." Foster explained, smiling oh so perkily at the crowd of reporters and a familiar head of ginger hair. "No exercise, no diet, no pain. Just lifelong freedom from fat. The Holy Grail of the modern age. And here it is. You just take one capsule. One capsule, once a day for three weeks, and the fat, as they say."
She waved her hand to the projection screen.
"The fat just walks away."
Penny raised her hand in the crowd. "Excuse me, Miss Foster. If I could? I'm Penny Carter, science correspondent for The Observer. There are a thousand diet pills on the market, a thousand con men stealing people's money. How do we know the fat isn't going straight into your bank account?"
"Oh, Penny, if cynicism burnt up calories, we'd all be as thin as rakes. But if you want the science, I can oblige." Foster again gave control to the large screen behind her.
"Adipose Industries. The Adipose capsule is composed of a synthesised mobilising lipase, bound to a large protein molecule. The mobilizing lipase breaks up the triglycerides stored in the adipose cells, which then enter-"
The projection worker was giving us the side eye. I bumped the Doctor's foot with mine.
The Doctor quickly pulled out the psychic paper. "Health and Safety. Film department."
"One hundred percent legal, one hundred percent effective." Foster cheered when the presentation was done.
"But, can I just ask, how many people have taken the pills to date?" Penny asked.
Foster "We've already got one million customers within the Greater London area alone, but from next week, we start rolling out nationwide. The future starts here. And Britain will be thin."
'Hey...if a million people are taking it, how much of London is that?'
"1/7th their current population.' The Doctor answered. 'That's quite a lot. No wonder the TARDIS wanted us to see it.'
'Does her science back up? It sounds right but so do some terms & conditions. Or song lyrics. Or movie plotlines.'
'It's right enough...though I am concerned about where exactly the fat goes. It can't just walk away.'
Oh Doctor...but they're so cute!
'Yeah! So...we suspicious yet?'
'Oh yes, Miss Brown, I think things are very suspicious here.' The Doctor grinned at me. 'Let's go ask the people questions.'
==MGCB==
The Doctor liked talking to people. Like, really liked it. No surprise he chose the call center full of people to investigate.
Joy.
More people.
Who doesn't love just being in a room full of people?
Donna Noble was in this room. That's a plus, I suppose. I could stand being in this room with Donna Noble. I would have to, there weren't a lot of chairs.
The Doctor guided me over to a cubicle. A woman was chatting on the phone.
"That's a three week course of pills for a special price of forty five pounds." Clare was saying as we walked up.
The Doctor leaned on her desk, flashing the psychic paper again. "John Smith, Caroline Brown, Health and Safety. Don't mind us."
Clare gave a quick nod, staying with her conversation on the phone. "We deliver within three working days. The box comes with 21 days worth of pills, a full information pack, and our special free gift, an Adipose Industries pendant." She pointed to a small box.
I picked it up. The pendant inside looked like the Adipose pill, only solid gold instead of white/red. It dangled between the Doctor and I, I let it sway.
Hey if I twisted it, how many people in here would react and maybe die?
Okay that thought wasn't very nice. Putting that away to never be thought about again...
"It's made of eighteen carat gold, and it's yours for free." Clare explained with a polite smile. "No, we don't give away pens, sorry. No, I can't make an exception, no."
"It's free, I'm keeping it." I slipped the necklace into one of my dress pockets.
The Doctor grinned at me. He leaned around me to look at Clare. "Could we get a printed list of your customers?"
Clare nodded. She gave a few brief pleasantries to the person on the phone before hanging up. "The printer is that way."
The Doctor and I stood up. "That's the printer there?" He asked.
"By the plant, yeah." Clare answered. She was gathering the requested info on her computer.
"Huzzah." I cheered.
"Brilliant." The Doctor and I went back down.
We popped back up.
"Has it got paper?" The Doctor asked.
"Yeah, Jimbo keeps it stocked." Clare assured us.
"What about ink?" I asked.
"Like I said, Jimbo's got it." Clare repeated.
The Doctor and I nodded in agreement. We sunk back down into her cubicle.
Foster walked in. She had two guards flanking her. "Excuse me, everyone, if I could have your attention."
The Doctor and I stayed low in the cubicle as Clare stood up.
"On average, you're each selling forty Adipose packs per day." Foster announced. Her tone cold and clipped, enough to make any worker scared and any children she cared for pee their pants.
Well the Adipose don't wear pants. Or any clothes. Why are they always named? Is it just their species, maybe, that don't like wearing clothes? The babies are too cute to complain about it.
"It's not enough." Foster was still talking. That's important. Somebody should pay attention to that. The Doctor was peeking out from above the cubicle. I stayed low to the ground, checking that my bow tie was straight. "I want one hundred sales per person per day. And if not, you'll be replaced. Because if anyone's good in trimming the fat, it's me. Now. Back to it." She turned on her heels, walking away from her work staff.
Clare sat down with a long breath.
"Anyway, if you could print that off. Thanks." The Doctor prompted. Clare nodded.
I hopped right up to my feet. "I'll get it!" Without waiting, I ran towards the printer. I was gonna be professional, focused, determined, nothing would distract me from my path-
Hey were those chocolates?!
There was a table across from the printer. It had the coffee machine and cups, along with a jar full of singular wrapped candy.
I diverted my path from the printer to this refreshment table. The candy jar being my singular focus. Coffee was good but I would go completely insane.
"Ah butter biscuits! The candy is coffee flavored!" I pouted.
A very unforgettable Donna Noble voice went off behind me. "Oh that's sad."
"I know!" I whined.
Donna walked away. Only after she was gone did I realize she spoke to me. Donna Noble talked to me! Oh that's beautiful.
The Doctor rushed up to my side. He was panting in a rush. "Terra?"
"Hmm?" I turned to him, tilting my head in confusion. "What's up?"
"Where's the list?"
"In the print-" I pointed over to it, seeing no such document. Now: had two printed, and Donna took both? Or had the two orders canceled one out? "-where did it go?"
"No idea. Could you ask her to print it again?" The Doctor asked.
"Okie dokie...wait why can't you?" I asked.
The Doctor grimaced. "Well- it's- she-"
I tilted my head.
He sighed. His shoulders slumped. In a rush, I remembered what exactly Clare just offered in the cubicle. Now I was nervous to let him go back. I felt bad for him. Before I could stop him he was already walking.
Lifting my sonic I turned to the printer. The sonic that was mine. That I owned. It needed to stay hidden in case Foster checked the cameras. If the printer had conflicting orders, it wouldn't print. All I really have to do is 1) check to see if it had a second order or B) tell it to repeat the last order. Easy peasy, hope nobody sees me!
The sonic buzzed. The tip glowed a dark pink, like a fun Christmas light. After a second, the sonic buzzed. Some of my work over the past few weeks was learning more about what each buzz meant.
Option B!
Huzzah.
The printer whirred.
'Doctor, my sonic works great!'
The Doctor was leaning on the wall to Clare's cubicle. He turned to me, confused. I skipped to the printer, pulling out the paper. He grinned. "Oh- there it is! Nevermimd then. Sorry for the bother." He joined my side.
The two of us walked towards the exit.
"How did it feel?" The Doctor asked.
I beamed. "I'm still gonna steal yours." The Doctor laughed. "It felt really good."
The Doctor beamed right with me. The warm feeling spreading through my chest made it worth embarrassing him. "So. Where do we go first?"
==MGCB==
Despite Adipose Industries having a million customers, Clare's list was quite short. The Doctor and I searched more of the building for anything suspicious. By closing time, we'd found nothing.
So. The list!
Roger Davey was the first one. Not really, the Doctor let me choose so I made a show of drawing a name at random. This would be the closest we could get to Donna just yet.
The Doctor built a new device with help from me. It was able to trace the signals we'd picked up on. The funny y shaped device was just fun to hold.
Later that night we knocked on the door of Mr Davey. He opened it, looking confused.
"Mister Roger Davey?" The Doctor asked. The man nodded. "I'm calling on behalf of Adipose Industries. Just need to ask you a few questions."
We were invited inside. We asked basic questions, then got into the fun stuff.
"I've been on the pills for two weeks now. I've lost fourteen kilos." Roger explained.
"That's the same amount every day?" The Doctor asked.
"One kilo exactly. You wake up, and it's disappeared overnight." Roger answered. He paused then added. "Well, technically speaking, it's gone by ten past one in the morning."
"That's really specific." I noted.
Roger didn't deny it. "That's when I get woken up. Might as well weigh myself at the same time."
"Woken up?" I asked.
Roger walked us outside his home. He pointed up at the alarm system above the door. "It is driving me mad. Ten minutes past one, every night, bang on the dot without fail, the burglar alarm goes off. I've had experts in, I've had it replaced, I've even phoned Watchdog. But no, ten past one in the morning, off it goes."
"But with no burglars?" The Doctor asked.
"Nothing. I've given up looking."
The Doctor hummed. He glanced at me. 'Terra did you see a cat flap?'
'Yes but with no cat I dismissed it.'
The Doctor laughed in my mind. He did a good job covering it up as he turned to Roger. "Tell me, Roger. Have you got a cat flap?"
Roger confirmed. He walked us back in the back door. The tiniest little cat flap was waiting there.
"It was here when I bought the house." Roger explained. The three of us knelt down to look from the cat flap. "I've never bothered with it, really. I'm not a cat person."
"No, we've met cat people. You're nothing like them." The Doctor mused.
"They have more hissy fits." I remarked. The Doctor snorted.
"It's that what it is, though? Cats getting inside the house?" Roger asked.
"Well, thing about cat flaps is, they don't just let things in, they let things out as well." The Doctor pointed out.
"Like what?" Roger asked.
"The fat just walks away." The Doctor and I stated.
After giving Roger a Thanksgiving meal for thought, we decided to leave. There was enough info here for us to work with.
"Well, thanks for your help." The Doctor cheered. "Tell you what, maybe you could lay off the pills for a week or so."
The device he built let out a loud buzz. Both of us snapped towards it. Hopefully no chickens were harmed.
"Oh. Got to go. Sorry." The Doctor told Roger. He held up the device, watching for which light went off before running that direction.
Skipping up, I dashed after him. This was exciting, being on the run but not for my life. That kind of running was less fun. Running with the express purpose of almost seeing Donna Noble? I could get behind that.
So we chased the signal. The signal for the little Adipose being born- yeah they accidentally killed a lady, and yeah it was Donna that started it by accident, Foster ordered the killing blow so I'll blame her. The Adipose babies are too precious to blame.
The Doctor stopped running a few times, smacking the sides of the device. I wonder if my sonic could fix those glitches...I was trying very hard to make my sonic good at those. Glitches, slip-ups, the occasional lock pick, and a feature with a ballpoint pen.
The pen was being difficult.
It would never work on wood so I didn't bother with that.
The Doctor stopped. My mind was so far off thinking about what kind of pen I could add that I barreled into him. He stopped me from falling on the road, pulling me to the side.
The Adipose unmarked van was driving by. The device started whirring louder.
'That's got to be it!' The Doctor told me.
At my nod, we started running after it.
A fruitless chase.
Which is a shame, cause I would've killed for a strawberry or a pineapple.
==MGCB==
Returning to the TARDIS, I slipped the Doctor the gold necklace. He was busy scanning it. Meanwhile I slipped away to my bedroom.
The space was turning into a workroom. I couldn't sleep very well. Working on my next jump was the best use of my time.
It was so easy to lose time doing that work. The destinations were still up in the air. All my best ones were things stuffed into my Bag. There were a few movies I hadn't gone to yet. Darcy was still on my case about visiting Middle Earth...nah I don't know enough about that world to feel safe going there.
What about How To Train Your Dragon? I would like a dragon...plus Norse mythology was always fun. It would be fun to talk with people that believed in them. Darcy would like Vikings- pillaging and shit. Nah...I don't trust myself caring for a dragon right now.
I'm not feeling a movie universe...TV? I've been in one for five years. Did I really wanna do another? Besides, I don't have access to a lot of shows. What was left?
The TARDIS went off in my mind. I looked up at her, curious.
She hummed. With each gun, I was compelled to turn my head. She led me to the bookshelves in my room..
...books?
A book world? I mean, it's what I did before Doctor Who. I could do another one.
Darcy would insist on LOTR if she knew...fuck what world would she like? I didn't want to go to a place without her. Not this time. I wanted her around.
"What book?" I walked over to my bookshelf.
Some of the books were TARDIS recommendations. Others were ones from Home that I tucked around for a good read. Yes even those books I bought with Reighley were there. They deserved spots on the shelf.
The TARDIS hummed. Something sounded strange with it. It wasn't her normal hum. Pictures flashed in my mind too- too fast for me to place.
"Play it again?" I asked.
The TARDIS hummed again. It wasn't a hum. The image came slower. Rose Tyler, eyes glowing gold. The sound was a howl.
"Werewolf book...a werewolf book. Okay. I have those." Turning back to the bookshelf I sorted through it all.
There were a lot of werewolf books. They were my favorite kinds of books.
"Twilight is out...basic principle. No Stephen King...Darcy would have too much power there. This one? Nope, werewolves are too idiotic here. This werewolf book has friendly vampires, I can't kill them so they're out...this one has promise, if it didn't make werewolves the bad guys. Red Riding Hood did him dirty."
There weren't exactly a lot of werewolf books I liked. Or that Darcy would like.
I mean there was one book series...I could work with it.
Picking the book up, I held it up to show the ceiling. The TARDIS hummed again in my mind, excited and buzzing in delight.
"Well if you like it, then we're doing it!"
I read through the book, in Ninth Doctor style.
"Okay...there's a lot to work with here." I picked up the next books in the series. "Time to work for a living!"
Three hours later, the Doctor called out from my door. "Oi Terra! Are you in here?"
Or I saw it was three hours after checking my watch. The cork board in front of me was covered in colored notecards, various colors of ink scribbled words between them, and strings of rainbow thread connected some cards together. The first book was in my hand, ready for more notes.
Ah, I loved my hobbies.
The Doctor knocked.
I shrieked, running to the door. "Don't knock! Do not knock! Didn't I tell you to not knock?!"
The Doctor held up his hands. "You did! You did. My fault. I'm sorry."
The door was only partly opened. I stood in the gap, blocking the room from sight. Planning was delicate, private work that I don't like anyone seeing. Darcy rarely gets to see it until the end. Nobody else should see it! Especially if they knock on my door like an asshole.
"I was being extremely clever, and you were sittin' in your room?" The Doctor asked.
"I know." I replied, waving it off. "What's the point of having me around?"
The Doctor huffed. "It's fine. I can still tell you about it."
I smiled, tucking the book away in my Bag.
The real struggle would begin soon.
Stuck in a room for nine hours. Stepping out of it would mean death. Or worse.
I don't know if I'm ready for that.
"You can. What's so cool about a necklace-"
"Well it's actually-"
"-cause it looks off the chain!"
The Doctor paused. He snorted when he got the joke. "Anyway-"
He explained it. I focused more on the cork board hidden behind me.
==MGCB==
9 am. The Doctor got us back into the building. By 9:30, he's found a storage room for us to hide.
He used the sonic on the door to lock it shut. And so my wait begins...I'm like Rory Willians: spending a long time around a box waiting for a ginger.
This was gonna be murder. How did Rory not go insane?
I sat myself down on the ground. Situated, I leaned back against the wall. The cold of it deeper through my dress. It helped keep me in the moment. This room was safe to leave. The Doctor locked the door so nobody else could come inside. We would be fine. It would only be a few hours. Sure I never made it past 4 hours, so what?
The Doctor sat across from me. Seeing him helped. My hallucinations stopped months ago. The Doctor being here reminded me this was fine. I wanted to work, to finish Planning, that always worked better than sitting around doing nothing.
To settle, I pulled out my werewolf book. I turned to where I left off re-reading. That would be like Planning. Yeah. Besides, I liked the book anyway. There was an issue still of what Darcy would be doing there. She would like the chances for murder.
"Alright. We're locked in." The Doctor mused, rocking in his seated position. "Until closing. That's fine."
I turned a page. He was distracting, I could ignore it.
"Probably could've done...something else. Walk around outside, snuck in later. Gone to a little shop." The Doctor rambled on. "Or to a film. You like films- whatcha got there?"
"I'm just reading." I told him. His constant questions were usually fine, they didn't mean anything. They never came towards me with intent to hurt.
So why were my hearts racing? Why did my fingers clench so tightly around the pages?
"What book?" The Doctor asked, looking excited. He was happy. A bit bored, but happy. He was happy and fine.
No reason to freak out
There is no logical reason to freak out
"Just...a book. Nothing fancy." I replied. The page creased under my thumb. "Just something to pass time..."
"That's smart." The Doctor nodded, like I'd dropped sage advice. I shrugged. "Could I have a look?"
I mean no
But I want this over with so I can zone out.
...'focus'
"Sure." I handed the book over.
The Doctor eyed the front cover. The image was of just half a lady's face, her green eyes staring you down. He hummed in delight. Instead of reading it the way Nine had, he-
He-
He-
He tore out the last page.
"What are you doing?!" I snatched the book back, holding it protectively over my chest.
The Doctor looked at me in concerned confusion. "Just tearing out the last page."
"What kind of maniac does that?!" I eyed him, hatefully. "You're cruel. You don't do that."
"Well without the last page, the book never ends." The Doctor told me- like that was rational. Like that was something normal!
"Of course that book didn't end, it's part of a series!" I argued. "Part 1 of 5! The book has no official ending like that! Tearing out the last page just makes me confused when I read book 2!"
The Doctor winced. "Ah." He held the last page out to me.
"Yeah!" I snatched it back, setting it down on my lap. I searched my Bag for tape. He's lucky this wasn't my signed copy, or I'd've killed him outright.
"...you said part 1?" The Doctor asked.
"Yeah." Getting out the clear tape, I patched the book back up. This book would be my next jump, I couldn't be sure that the copy in this world didn't have spoilers for me. So this was my only copy in his universe.
This thing was more precious to me than gold.
He tore out the last page. I should've known. I watched Angels Take Manhattan. The Doctor did it there too. This- this was just upsetting. Ten was better than this.
"You can go back to reading." The Doctor offered.
"No. I'm too freaked out." I curled my legs to my chest, holding them together. "Zip a dee doo dah...zip a dee day..."
The Doctor winced.
We sat in relevant silence. I sang quietly, staring at pages without reading them. Or even thinking about them. Dealing with werewolves was at the bottom of my lists of concerns.
The silence broke a half hour later.
"Are you alright?" The Doctor asked.
My hearts were at a steady pace. Steady for them, anyone. The words on the page were easier to comprehend and think about, maybe even enjoy. I nodded for the Doctor.
"Do you still have 30 DVD's?" The Doctor asked.
I nodded again.
"...got a player?"
I scoffed. Me, without a DVD player. The very idea was hilarious.
"Could we watch something?" The Doctor asked.
Sitting up, I opened the Bag in my lap. The book was tucked to my side, for now. The Doctor watched as I shifted through all my belongings. "It's actually 50 now. The Haven had a bunch that I never returned, and I found some along the- the Year. Did- did you want a funny one or a drama?"
"As long as it's not a horror, I won't mind." The Doctor answered. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a banana and-
"Blueberries?" I asked.
The Doctor held the small container out towards me. "You liked these, usually had them as a late night snack." I was still staring at the offered fruit. "The TARDIS started leaving them out. I got curious"
"I ate pineapples too."
"I know, you left the outside bits in the TARDIS sink. I'll get them next movie night." The Doctor conceded. He held the fruit up again.
I accepted it. One hand held up the blueberry container, the other pulled out the DVD player. "It's just got a Disney movie in it."
"Ooh, which one?"
"Hunchback." The Doctor made a face. Then it shifted to his 'well...' frown. "I can change-"
"No, no it's fine. It's great." The Doctor lied. "I like it. It's good. Notre Dame, have you ever seen it?" I shook my head. "We can go see it, sometime."
"Out there strolling by the Seine, taste the morning out there like ordinary men who freely walk about there." The DVD player buzzed to life. "Just one day and then I swear I'll be content with my share..."
The familiar screen flashed, as the DVD began to play. I leaned back against the wall, holding my book to my chest. The Doctor sat himself beside me. Together, we started eating our fruits.
"Won't resent, won't despair, old and bent I won't care. I'll have spent one day out there..."
==MGCB==
The Doctor closed the DVD player.
I gawked at him. "I am going to kill you with my thumb!"
The Doctor put a finger to his lips. I quieted down, waiting. Time Sense hit me with what the Doctor noticed.
6:30
Closing time!
Nine hours...I made it nine whole hours. There had been mishaps, speed bumps, the Doctor always did something to help.
There was panic whenever I had to pick another film, realizing I was stuck in a closet. The Doctor tried to sonic open the control panel before seeing it was triple deadlocked. I was catatonic in both instances. Deadlocks? Storage? Me? Apparently that can trigger a bitch.
The Doctor always prioritized me to the task. If I struggled picking a movie, well then he chose from my collection at random. If him standing to leave for two minutes had me panicking about being in a deadlocked building, he started singing. Got me involved. He would ask me things about whatever film we were watching. He asked me for the lyrics.
He got me monologuing.
It...worked.
He was such a good friend. I can't wait to repay him by getting him a Donna Noble.
The Doctor walked to the door, cautious. I packed the DVD player, the DVD boxes, the snacks, and my book into my Bag. By the time the Doctor turned back I had cleaned our presence from here completely.
He blinked at the empty spaces.
I beamed. My arm went up to loop with his.
The Doctor rolled with it. He used the sonic to open the door.
As we walked down the gall, I sang 'we're off to see the wizard!'
==MGCB==
Breaking onto roofs was always fun. The Doctor and I ran to the window washer's cradle. He lowered it down to Foster's office.
We ducked when Foster walked in. Her guards behind her dragging in the journalist, Penny.
The Doctor pulled out a stethoscope. I pressed my ear against the wall.
"You can't tie me up. What sort of a country do you think this is?" Penny complained.
"Oh, it's a beautifully fat country. And believe me, I've travelled a long way to find obesity on this scale." Foster replied. Her tone was cold and calculating.
"So, come on then, Miss Foster, those pills. What are they?" Penny asked. That was a decent try, except she was tied to a chair so priorities? Maybe?
Then again if I was tied to the chair I would be asking similar questions. I was not the picture of mental health.
"Well, you might just as well have a scoop, since you'll never see it printed. This is the spark of life." Foster explained. A quick peek overhead showed her holding the golden necklace.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Penny asked.
"Officially, the capsule attracts all the fat cells and flushes them away. Well, it certainly attracts them. That part's true. But it binds the fat together and galvanises it to form a body." Foster explained.
"What do you mean, a body?" Penny asked.
'Terra get down!'
'But I wanna see what it is!'
"I am surprised you never asked about my name. I chose it well. Foster. As in Foster mother. And these are my children." Foster brought out an Adipose.
'It's like the Pillsbury doughboy had a baby with the Marshmallow Man.'
"They're both male.'
'Cloning is a thing.' I reasoned back.
"You're kidding me. What the hell is that?" Penny shrieked, horrified and (hopefully I'm getting this wrong) disgusted.
The Doctor peeked with me.
"Adipose. It's called an Adipose. Made out of living fat." Foster answered.
'They are so cute.'
'Terra we don't know how dangerous...yeah I can't even say it, they are adorable.'
'Right?!'
"But I don't understand."
"From ordinary human people." Foster
I was looking at Donna Noble. She was hiding on the other side of Foster's office door. The window was just big enough to see her face. My jaw dropped. Her's did too.
'Donna?' Doctor and I mouthed.
"Doctor?" She mouthed back. "Doctor!"
"But what? What? What?" The Doctor gawked.
"It's Donna! Donna Noble! I am EXCITED!"
"Oh my god!" Donna cheered.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
Donna's eyes scrunched up. "Who are you?"
And my good feelings are gone...
"But how?" The Doctor asked.
That brought Donna back to her joy. "It's me!"
"Yes, I can see that." The Doctor snarked. 'She's not changed.'
'Why would we want that?!' I asked him.
"Oh, this is brilliant." Donna cheered. She showed off her two upturned thumbs.
"What the hell are you doing there?" The Doctor asked.
"I was looking for you and Terra." Donna mimed most of it, until thinking that I wasn't Terra and therefore not worth pointing at.
Then again, she didn't know about regeneration. It could be excused.
"What for?" The Doctor asked.
"I read it on the internet. Weird. Crept along. Heard them talking. Hid. You." Donna explained.
'I am loving this.' I told the Doctor.
'You would.'
Donna stopped. She looked out towards the- you know- alien foster mother and fat baby.
That's not an insult, it's a baby made of fat.
Foster was looking at us all. She wasn't amused by us. Why not? We were so funny. "Are we interrupting you?"
"You are actually!" I told her. Could she head it through the windows? Maybe not. I gave my piece.
'Run!' The Doctor told Donna. She immediately started running.
"Get her." Foster ordered.
I got out my sonic, aiming it up. The Doctor aimed towards the door to the office. Our Sonics buzzed. The door locked. The cart started to rise.
==MGCB==
On reaching the roof the Doctor and I started running down the stairs. We could hear Donna's steps. Closer and closer with each floor.
I was so fucking excited.
On the final stair, I slid down the railing. Donna nearly collided with me.
"Donna!" I shouted before throwing myself into a hug.
Donna hugged back, confused. The Doctor joined the hug.
"Oh, my God. I don't believe it. You've even got the same suit! Don't you ever change?" Donna questioned. "And what are you wearing?"
"Yeah, thanks, Donna. Not right now." The Doctor chided, trying to find the Adipose guards.
"Sometimes he wears blue." I revealed.
"And who is she?" Donna asked. Damn...happiness lost again. "Did you get a ginger to replace me? What happened to Terra?"
"She's right there." The Doctor explained. We stopped, heading the heavy pounding of the guards' footsteps. The Doctor beamed at us both. "Just like old times!"
"Only without giant red murder spiders!" I laughed.
We ran back up the way we came. The three of us were running together, like we always should be.
==MGCB==
"You can change your face?" That was her big take away as we walked out onto the roof. The Doctor went to the window cart, using the sonic on the locks. "What, like on command?" Donna asked.
"No. Only when we die." I replied.
"You died?!" Donna shouted.
"Mostly." I shrugged. "But I'm still that girl you saw, purple hoodie and all. Okay yeah, purple hoodies are ugly for me now. It wouldn't go with my hair. I mean except on Halloween- no, yeah no, no purple."
"That dress was a choice?" Donna shook her head. "You can't be her. Terra was- she was just a kid." Donna dismissed, looking at me with something sad in her face.
"Donna." I stepped forward, meeting her gaze. "When you first got dragged into the TARDIS, you thought we were from Mars and the Doctor didn't know wedding dresses had no pockets, and everybody thought you were in drag and the Santas were made of robots and I gave you my hoodie but you insulted it. I'm less insulted now that I've got the new look...Actually yeah I'm still offended by that but-"
"Alright! Alright. It's you." Donna interrupted me. "That- it's still weird, but with you two I shouldn't be surprised."
"I'll take it!" I cheered. "How did you find us, by the way? All I got was 'internet'." I walked her towards the window cart. My sonic aimed at the door we came from, locking it shut tight.
"Of course that's where I started. Because I thought, how do you find the Doctor and Terra? And then I just thought, look for trouble and then they'll turn up." Donna reasoned.
"Oooh, clever!" I praised her. Donna's ideas would always get praises from me. Every time, new rule.
"So I looked everywhere. You name it. UFOs, sightings, crop circles, sea monsters. I looked, I found them all." Donna explained. "Like that stuff about the bees disappearing, I thought, I bet they're connected. Because the thing is, Terra, Doctor, I believe it all now. You opened my eyes. All those amazing things out there, I believe them all. Well, apart from that replica of the Titanic flying over Buckingham Palace on Christmas Day. I mean, that's got to be a hoax."
I hummed. "Bees? Where are they going?"
"I don't know. That's what it says on the internet. Well, on the same site, there was all these conspiracy theories about Adipose Industries and I thought, let's take a look." Donna admitted.
"Alright, enough chatting. In you get!" The Doctor ordered. He climbed into the window cart.
"What, in that thing?" Donna eyed it warily.
I happily climbed up.
"Yes, in that thing." The Doctor snarked back.
"But if we go down in that, they'll just call us back up again." Donna excused.
"No, no, no, because I've locked the controls with a sonic cage." The Doctor explained. "I'm the only one that can control it. Not unless she's got a sonic device of her own, which is very unlikely."
"Well I've got one." I pointed out.
"I gave it to you. I doubt I've given Foster one." The Doctor countered.
That was good enough for me! I hopped in, holding my hand out towards Donna. "Don't fret. We'll catch you this time if you fall."
Donna came forward. I helped her inside. The Doctor flicked the sonic at the controls. The cart started lowering.
We made it down a few floors. The Doctor stopped us at a window. He
"Hold on. Hold on. We can get in through the window." He told us. He used the sonic on it. Nothing happened. "Can't get it open!"
"Well, smash it then!" Donna reached down. Picking up a wrench, she started smashing it against the window.
I looked up. Foster stood over us. The pen in her hand glowed blue at the tip. She aimed it at the cabling.
"She's got a sonic, and she's not afraid to use it!" I warned.
The Doctor and Donna looked up. I grabbed the cable closest to me, biting on my sonic to keep a grip on it.
The cable snapped.
As I was on the side of that cable, I fell over the side. The Doctor and Donna just barely managed to get a hold on the cart. I caught myself on the fallen cable
"TERRA!" The Doctor yelled in panic. I pulled myself up enough so my hand could get the sonic from my mouth.
"TERRA!" Donna yelled but more high pitched.
"DONKEY!" I yelled. Holding the metal beam on the cable, o looked up at them. Foster was smirked down after us. I clicked my sonic at her. The sonic fell from her hands.
"Hold on!" The Doctor called down.
I glanced to my side. The window to Foster's office was right there. "I was gonna let go!"
I caught the falling sonic pen with my boot. Fuck yeah. A quick kick up had it flying into my hand.
"Doctor! She's going to fall! I'm going to fall!" Donna warned.
I used Foster's pen on the window closest to the Doctor. He looked at it then me, grinning brightly.
"Oh Terra you genius!" The Doctor pulled it open.
My hands were hurting a bit. I ignored it. There were a list of priorities.
"This is all your fault. I should've stayed at home." Donna cried out.
"It's awesome! I've got a new swing!" I cheered.
The Doctor held his hand out towards Donna. "Donna! Come on!"
Terrified, she latched onto the arm. The Doctor dragged her towards the window. "We won't be a minute!" The Doctor told me.
"Wee!" I started flinging my legs about so I could swing properly.
The Doctor nodded. "Yeah she's fine." He ducked his head back in.
That left me here alone.
...now what?
As I was swinging, the cart rotated. Not a lot, but enough to give me an idea.
With another swing my boot caught on the window. I made sure my other boot was there before I pushed myself off the cable. For a split moment I though I would fall and die.
Lucky for me, my fingers dug into the concrete wall. A relieved breath came out. I slowly lowered myself to crouch over the window.
Foster's sonic buzzed in my hand. The window unlocked with a click. I heaved it open, sliding in the room with a roll.
"Is anyone going to tell me what's going on?" Penny huffed.
I sat up. "Hey. If I untied you, would you run away?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I'm a journalist! I want answers!"
"Foster told you. She made far babies." Standing up, I aimed my sonic at her ropes. Then I saw the sonic pen. "Hey...I wanted to make a sonic pen. Oooh! I bet I could mash these together later!"
Penny huffed impatiently. "Oi!"
"I know! It's a great idea." I cheered.
The door to the office got thrown open. I smiled wide at the Doctor and Donna. They stopped in confusion to look at me.
"Hey Doctor, I can make it a pen!" I cheered, holding up the two sonics.
"Oi! Let me out!"
"She's such a downer." I pouted. Donna laughed.
The Doctor used his sonic. Penny's ropes fell away. "Sorry!" His other hand came up, taking my hand. As we walked out, I smiled. "Now do yourself a favor. Get out."
We started running again.
Author I hope this never changes...
==MGCB==
We made it to the call center level of the building. The Doctor's plan had us leaving the same exit we entered from. To his disappointment, that path was blocked by Foster and her two guards.
Foster's lips were curled into the most Cruella de Vil style of smirks. Instead of wanting skin puppies, she wanted to skin...skin. "Well, then. At last."
"Hello." Donna greeted.
"I stole your pen!" I cheered, holding up the sonic pen.
"Nice to meet you, I'm the Doctor." The Doctor cheered.
"I'm Terra!"
"And I'm Donna."
"Partners in crime." Foster remarked. "And evidently off-worlders, judging by your sonic technology."
"Oh, yes, Terra's still got your sonic pen." The Doctor noted.
I twisted it in my fingers, letting them dance. "It's so pretty. I can't wait to break it."
"Break it?" Donna asked.
"I want a pen." I answered.
"Ah that's fine." Donna replied.
"Yeah, and if you were to sign your real name, that would be?" The Doctor asked.
"Matron Cofelia of the Five Straighten Classabindi Nursery Fleet. Intergalactic Class."
"A wet nurse, using humans as surrogates." The Doctor translated for Donna.
"I've been employed by the Adiposian First Family to Foster a new generation after their breeding planet was lost." Foster
"Lost as in 'ah no we're all on fire' or as in 'somewhere with my left sock and sense of purpose'?" I asked.
Foster squinted her eyes at me, her eyebrows scrunching in confusion. "The second one."
"What do you mean lost? How do you lose a planet?" The Doctor asked.
"Oh, politics are none of my concern." Foster dismissed. "I'm just here to take care of the children on behalf of the parents."
"What, like an outer space super nanny?" Donna asked.
"Yes, if you like."
"So. So those little things, they're, they're made out of fat, yeah, but that woman, Stacy Campbell, there was nothing left of her." Donna asked.
"Oh, in a crisis the Adipose can convert bone and hair and internal organs. Makes them a little bit sick, poor things." Foster pouted.
"Oh no!" I gasped. "Are they okay now?! Is there medicine for that-"
"What about poor Stacy?" Donna pointed out, glaring at Foster.
"Right yeah- poor Stacy!" I pointed a warning, shaming sonic at Foster.
"Seeding a level five planet is against galactic law." The Doctor warned.
Foster tilted her head in fake innocence. "Are you threatening me?"
"I'm trying to help you, Matron. This is your one chance, because if you don't call this off, then I'll have to stop you." The Doctor warned.
"I hardly think you can stop bullets." Foster's guards raised their guns. N
"No wait!" I held up my hands, a sonic in each palm.
"No, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on." The Doctor asked.
"Can't we just kiss and make up?" I asked.
Oh I could feel the confused stares...
"It's a bit late for that." Donna snarked.
"We can't. They can!" I pushed the Sonics together, lighting them up.
THE POWER OF SCIENCE COMPELS ME
Donna pulled my hand down. The Doctor snatched the sonic pen from my hand.
"Hey!" I whined.
"Come on!" Donna huffed at both of us.
I ran after him to get it back.
==MGCB==
The Doctor brought us to the storage room from earlier.
"Give it back!" I demanded.
The Doctor started clearing out the closet. He was clearing the path to the hidden panel in the wall. "I know you want it but I need it!"
"It's mine! I earned it!" I demanded.
"Well, that's one solution. Hide in a cupboard. I like it." Donna praised.
The Doctor pulled off the wall panel. It revealed an intricate green lit inducer, looking like a skeleton with glow sticks for bones. He tossed the wall panel back. I grabbed it, tossing it out into the hall. Donna jumped back from it.
"I've been hacking into this thing all day, because the matron's got a computer core running through the centre of the building. Triple deadlocked." He held up the sonic pen. "But now I've got this I can get into it. So...?"
"Fine."
"She's wired up the whole building. We need a bit of privacy." The Doctor pressed the sonic against the brightly lit rib cage portion.
Donna started to close the door. I slammed it open.
"Don't close the door." I cautioned.
"But he said-"
"I know what he said thank you for helping don't close this door." I instructed.
Donna stepped back from the door. She put a hand on my shoulder. "Alright, alright. I'm sorry."
Guilt crushed me. It sucked to make Donna feel bad.
"Just enough to stop them." The Doctor was off in his own little world. "Why's she wired up the tower block? What's it all for?"
The Doctor wasn't given any immediate answers. He kept scanning at the inducer, trying to switch it off.
"You look older." Donna noted.
"Thanks." The Doctor replied. He pulled out his glasses, popping them on his nose as he worked.
Donna glanced at me. "I like the hair."
"Oh, yeah? Thanks!" I cheered. I toyed with a bright orange lock. "Made it myself."
"You said you died." Donna pointed out. My smile stayed solid. "Was it...bad?"
"It was. I've had three years to get over it." I assured her, patting her shoulder.
"Three?" Donna asked.
"Time travelers, Donna, it's been longer for us than it was for you." I reminded her.
"Wait hold on, three?" The Doctor asked.
"Eighteen months extra, Doc Brown." I reminded. The Doctor nodded, going back to the large computer system.
"Still just you two?" Donna asked.
"I love him to bits!"
"Yup. Well, no. We had this friend." The Doctor explained. I was flushed with embarrassment, my cheeks glowing pink. "Martha she was called. Martha Jones. She was brilliant. And I destroyed half her life."
"This is me getting out."
"But she's fine, she's good. She's gone." The Doctor babbled.
"What about Rose?" Donna asked.
"Still lost." The Doctor answered. "I thought you were going to travel the world?"
"Easier said then done. It's like I had that one day with you lot, and I was going to change. I was going to do so much. Then I woke up the next morning, same old life. It's like neither of you were ever there." Donna explained. "And I tried. I did try. I went to Egypt. I was going to go barefoot and everything. And then it's all bus trips and guidebooks and don't drink the water, and two weeks later you're back home. It's nothing like being with you two. I must have been mad turning down that offer."
"What offer?" The Doctor asked.
"To come with you."
The Doctor whirled over to her. "Come with us?"
Donna beamed. "Oh yes, please."
"She said yes! No takesies-backsies!" I hugged Donna. She hugged me back, squealing in delight.
"Right." The Doctor conceded that the next few trips would be difficult for him. 'Terra what just happened?'
'Donna said yes and now we get a new companion.'
'But...are you sure?'
'You want someone who will be around more often to see you being clever. Being around Donna makes me smile.'
'But she was so against it last time.'
'Well I guess she changed. She's plenty excited now. She could've kept on running when we came here. Instead she followed us to the action.'
'She did, she did...what if that's not why she wants to stay?'
'Why else?'
'To make sure I don't hurt you.'
"Inducer activated." The computer informed us. The lights went brighter.
"What's it doing now?" Donna asked.
"She's started the programme." The Doctor tried to stop it. He used the sonic pen, his own sonic, all at random to stop it.
"They're only losing weight for now. The Matron ordered premature labor, so now everybody's getting the Campbell's chicken-noodle-whole kit and kaboodle treatment." I explained.
"Is that when they convert-" Donna started.
"Skeletons, organs, everything." The Doctor confirmed. "A million people are going to die. Got to cancel the signal." I pulled out the golden necklace, giving it to him. The Doctor popped it open, revealing the inner circuitry. "This contains a primary signal. If I can switch it off, the fat goes back to being just fat."
He started working it into the inducer. Just when I started to work, the inducer flared brightly.
"Inducer increasing."
"No, no, no, no, no. She's doubled it." The Doctor ran his hand in his hair, panicking. "I need- haven't got time. It's too far. I can't override it. They're all gonna die!"
"Gah that's not what we wanted!" I panicked.
"Is there anything I can do?" Donna asked, more calm than she'd been all night.
"Sorry, Donna, this is way beyond you. Terra, maybe, not you." The Doctor told her. "Got to double the base pulse, I can't."
"Terra. Tell me. What does he need?" Donna prompted.
"A second shiny necklace." I answered obediently. "He's only got the one, and I couldn't get a second for him."
Donna held up her own pendant. I grinned. She moved it to where the Doctor could see.
He was an idiot.
"Doctor. Turn right." I instructed in a robotic voice.
The Doctor did so. He saw the pendant. All three of us shared a smile. The Doctor quickly popped it open, plugging it in. The entire inducer powered down. The lights switched off.
The Doctor Donna Terra got no time to celebrate. Nope. Instead, the whole building shuddered and a buzzing noise came with it.
"What the hell was that?" Donna asked.
"It's the nursery!" I chimed, delighted.
She stared at me for a second, jaw dropping into a perfect 'o'. "When you say nursery you don't mean a crèche in Notting Hill."
"Nursery ship." The Doctor confirmed.
The inducer whirred back on. The lights were a faded green, the stuff in the middle neon blue with alien letters flying across. The TARDIS was able to translate a couple for me. Words always took a minute, after all.
"Incoming signal."
"Hadn't we better go and stop them?" Donna asked.
Alien speech came from the inducer. To Donna it would've been gibberish, to myself and the Doctor it made perfect sense.
"Hang on. Instructions from the Adiposian First Family." The Doctor told Donna. "She's wired up the tower block to convert it into a levitation post."
The Doctor and I leaned in. We heard every word.
"That's a problem. That sounds like a definite problem." I commented.
"It is, just not for us. It's for her!" The Doctor slapped the inducer once before running out. I followed, taking Donna's hand so she could follow. The two of us gingers were laughing as we ran.
==MGCB==
On the roof, the nursery ship was hovering over the Adipose Industries building. The tractor beams were pulling up the little Adipose babies.
I stared at them, watching them float. If anyone saw my eyes they would just be two heart shaped pupils. The Adipose were just too cute!
"What are you going to do then?" Donna asked. "Blow them up?"
"They are babies. We have limits!" I argued. Not too harshly, I was staring at something cute.
"They're just children. They can't help where they come from." The Doctor agreed.
"Oh, that makes a change from last time. That Martha must've done you good." Donna praised.
"Are you like this now? The new you- just another American who likes using guns?"
"She did, yeah. Yeah." The Doctor replied. "She did. She fancied me. Terra fancied her."
"Hey!" I whined, glaring at him. The Doctor shrugged helplessly.
'Sorry.'
'You should be. I didn't want her to know!'
'It's fine. What are the chances Donna will ever meet her?'
'Still!'
Donna shook her head at us, smiling at the absurdity. "Mad Martha, that one. Blind Martha. Charity Martha. I'm waving at fat."
"But really cute fat." I reasoned.
"Actually, as a diet plan, it sort of works." The Doctor added in. "There she is!"
Foster floated below the children. She smiled up at them with pride. She was stopped just above the roof.
"Hey there!" I shouted, running to the edge.
"Matron Cofelia, listen to us." The Doctor called out.
"Oh, I don't think so, Doctor and Terra." Foster refused. "And if I never see you again, it'll be too soon."
"Oh, why does no one ever listen?!" The Doctor groaned. "We're trying to help. Just get across to the roof. Can you shift the levitation beam?"
"What, so that you can arrest me?" Foster scoffed.
"Just listen. We saw the Adiposian instructions." The Doctor warned her. "They know it's a crime, breeding on Earth. So what's the one thing they want to get rid of? Their accomplice."
"I'm far more than that. I'm nanny to all these children." Foster looked up at the nursery ship, up at her many charges.
"Exactly!" I yelled. "What do Mom's and Dad's do to the nanny when they come home? They let her go!"
Foster blinked.
So did the beam.
She fell towards Earth, screaming. Donna yelped. The Doctor held her close, blocking Donna's sight of the death.
We tried
Not very hard, but we did
I waved at baby fat. That's a victory.
==MGCB==
"You don't even need it." The Doctor argued.
I held up the pen beside my own sonic. "I want a pen though."
"Just bin it."
"What if somebody weird gets it? Huh? In my hands, it'll cause less damage."
"It's a sonic, not a Death Note." The Doctor argued.
Donna laughed at us both. "You two are-"
"Mad!" Penny shouted. All three of us looked behind us. Penny was still tied in her chair, hopping towards us. "You're just mad. Do you hear me? Mad! And I'm going to report you for madness."
Still tied up in her chair, she stormed off to the police.
"Could she do that the whole time?" Why did I even untie her earlier if she could just stand up and walk out? This was insulting and hilarious all at once.
Donna shook her head, sighing at Penny's retreating figure. "You see, some people just can't take it."
The Doctor shook his head with her. "No."
Donna "And some people can."
'She's coming with! We're gonna go on space adventures with Donna Noble!'
'Yes, it's all exciting.'
'Aren't you excited?'
'Yeah. Yeah I am. But...I'm worried.'
'Worried? About what?'
'Our last companions...things didn't go as expected. What if Donna gets hurt too?'
Flashes of the season finale came to me. They chilled me. Memories of Donna's heartbroken face, or her mournful pleas and tears. The reactions of her family after, even when she married Shaun Temple. Donna was hurt so bad she couldn't ever think about us causing...
I couldn't offer encouragement or anything to counter. He was right.
"So, then." Donna cheered- no idea of the mental conversation that just took place. "TARDIS! Come on." She grabbed my hand, dragging me off. I grabbed the Doctor's.
Behold!
The world's weirdest conga line!
Donna dragged us to a familiar alleyway. The very alleyway where- just this morning- we parked the TARDIS. Donna gasped when she realized.
"That's my car! That is like destiny. And I've been ready for this." Donna went to the trunk of her car.
'Did- did you notice this?' The Doctor asked, glancing between the TARDIS and her car.
'Well yeah but I didn't know it was her car.' I lied blatantly. 'We gotta take her along.'
'We don't-'
'Please? I'll be really good-'
'It's not that. We can't get hurt like that again.'
'We're not better off alone.'
Donna showed off the trunk full of suitcases. I tilted my head at them. "I packed ages ago, just in case. Because I thought, hot weather, cold weather, no weather. They go anywhere. I've gotta be prepared." She pulled out a case, dropping into into the Doctor's arms.
"You've got a, a hatbox." The Doctor noted.
"Planet of the Hats, I'm ready." Donna replied, walking on air. Actually she was walking to the TARDIS. "I don't need injections, do I? You know, like when you go to Cambodia. Is there any of that?"
"No, the TARDIS stops that. Wouldn't want to start a new plague in the past cause of our modern day bacteria." I assured her. Walking to her side, I unlocked the TARDIS door for her.
"That's good, then. Because my friend Veena went to Bahrain, and she-" Donna dragged on, looking in confusion at the Doctor. "You're not saying much."
"No, it's just." The Doctor lowered all the bags to the ground. He looked at Donna where she stood in the TARDIS doorway. "It's a funny old life, in the TARDIS."
Donna frowned, trying to hide how much to hurt. "You don't want me."
"I'm not saying that." The Doctor replied.
"He's not! We've been chatting in our heads. He really, really wants it." I assured Donna.
"But you asked me." Donna reminded him. "Would you rather it just be the two of you?"
"No. Actually, no." The Doctor answered. "But the last time, with Martha, like I said, it, it got complicated. And that was all my fault. He signed. "I just want a mate."
Donna narrowed her eyes. "You just want to mate?"
The Doctor stared in surprise. "I just want a mate!"
Donna scoffed. "You're not mating with me, sunshine!"
"Aww, I remember when I said that!" I laughed, leaning on the wall to keep from falling.
"A mate. I want a mate." The Doctor insisted.
"Well, just as well, because I'm not having any of that nonsense." Donna snapped. She waved her hand at him, disgusted. "I mean, you're just a long streak of nothing. You know, alien nothing."
"Okay- okay- I'm gonna regenerate from laughing." I stepped between them. "We're good."
"There we are, then. Okay." The Doctor replied, eyes still side from that awkward conversation.
"I can come?" Donna asked.
"Yeah. Course you can, yeah. I'd love it." The Doctor said.
"Everything would be boring without you now." I told Donna.
Donna smiled wide, holding open her arms. "Oh, that's just-" Sge stopped just before we could hug. "Car keys."
"Non sequiturs! She'll fit right in." I cheered.
The Doctor blinked at her. "What?"
Donna reached into her pocket. She pulled out a key ring. "I've still got my mum's car keys. I won't be a minute." She rushed up the alley back where we came.
If I strained myself to see, like really did, I could see a familiar blonde head of hair looking out over everything. It would be too late to tell the Doctor, Rose Tyler would fade off before I could manage.
Besides...I want Donna Noble to stay. I'll keep her from getting hurt like last time. She'll be better.
The Doctor blew out a breath. "That's decided then. She's coming with."
Laughter came back to me. It was a small window where I could really laugh at what happened in front of me. "She thought you wanted to mate with her." I giggled.
"And you've started laughing." The Doctor sighed. "Really?"
"She thought- you- and her- Ha!" I laughed. Picking up some of her bags, I walked towards the TARDIS.
"It wasn't that funny." The Doctor lifted up the other bits of luggage.
"The look on her face!" I laughed, stumbling into the TARDIS.
The Doctor followed after me. He was smiling too, a light laugh coming from him. "That was funny."
We were both giggling when Donna ran in. The Doctor stopped giggling out of a sense of politeness. I had no such inclinations.
"Off we go, then." Donna cheered.
I dropped myself into the pilot seat. My whole body was keyed up, full of energy. I just wanted to run, to buzz around the room like a Looney Toon hopped up on sugar.
"Here it is. The TARDIS." The Doctor introduced Donna to her in a more official way. It's bigger on the inside than it is on the outside."
"Oh, I know that bit." Donna dismissed, smiling anyway. "Although frankly, you could turn the heating up."
"Terra likes it colder." The Doctor replied.
I waved. "It's fun when it's chilly!"
Donna shrugged. "Alright then."
"So, whole wide universe, where do you want to go?" The Doctor asked her.
"Companions get to choose it on their first go!" I hopped out from my seat, going to Donna's side.
"Oh, I know exactly the place." Donna answered.
"Which is?" The Doctor walked to the console, getting her ready to fly.
"Two and a half miles that way." Donna answered.
==MGCB==
We were floating miles and miles above Donna's house. She said we were waving to her grandad. He was a big believer according to her.
Well of course Wilf was a believer. He's met us! Course he believed before even meeting us, still. He was getting the gift of a lifetime!
I waved at Wilf, excitedly. Donna stood in the open TARDIS doors. The Doctor stayed by the console to keep us floating. He was waving too.
After a long while waving, the Doctor set the TARDIS off to fly. Off to the stars with us three!
The Doctor pointed at me. "You have to finish your film."
I rolled my eyes, feeling nervous.
"Movie?" Donna asked.
"We were watching a film earlier. Terra never got to finish it. Gets a big squirrelly if she doesn't." The Doctor explained.
"Before or after you tore apart my book?" I asked him.
"After."
"Ah! Yes. We were watching Wall-E."
"That movie about the rubbish robot?" Donna asked.
"He was not a rubbish robot, he was the best ever robot!" I scolded.
"Terra. Donna meant a robot that picks up trash." The Doctor told me. He gave Donna a firm stare also.
"...my bad Donna, you got it exactly right." I praised her.
Donna glanced at the Doctor then to me. She looked a bit lost but willing to go along with it. "Right. Yeah. First a child's movie, then space. Exactly what I signed up for."
"Well it's close to human bedtime. We don't wanna run you ragged." Looping her arm with mine, I led Donna towards the back.
Her eyes widened. "There's more back here?"
"Course there is! Where did you think you'd be putting all this?" The Doctor asked.
"Oh shut up!"
"Children! Please." I couldn't be too mad at the two of them. "We can hash this all out after the movie!"
The Doctor and Donna stopped arguing. They just let themselves be dragged around by me.
The Doctor Donna Terra. Together at last...
==MGCB==
AN: Here we go everybody! Happy, light hearted adventures with Donna Noble! She is beauty, she is grace, she is willing to slap you in the face! Donna I feel will also be a great friend for both the Doctor and Terra. The kind of friend they need right now.
Not that Terra won't make other friends...whoops, spoilers...
Thanks to Kylie Winchester for favoriting/following!