When the Doctor told her that he had a special trip planned with Jay in mind, Jay was extremely suspicious. Still, as the Doctor pranced and jogged around the controls, she and Donna hung back to watch, not questioning it. They'd not gone anywhere in some time, taking a break after the events of the Library and Midnight. Jay sometimes suspected it was at Donna's request, for it was Donna who oftentimes commented on the shadows beneath Jay's eyes.
Not that all the rest did anything. If anything, it made it worse. She had to sit there remembering the nightmares. Had to sit there and remember how the Vashta Nerada had feared her, how the humans aboard the transport had tried to throw the Doctor out into the toxic atmosphere. She shivered at the mere thought, instead choosing to listen to the TARDIS's wonderful song.
"Wherever we're going," Jay commented aloud. "The TARDIS likes it."
The Doctor beamed at the console. "Of course she does. Clever old girl."
The TARDIS hummed, and then sparked playfully when the Doctor slapped a button, pulled a lever, and spun a dial. He scolded her gently as he darted around for another control and within moments, the TARDIS was rocking beneath their feet and they were on the move. The familiar soft vworp-vworping of the TARDIS soothed the lingering fears in Jay's soul, and she braced herself against railing as the TARDIS changed location in space and time.
And when it landed, the Doctor spun around, eyes gleaming. "Who wants to go first?"
"Me," Jay said immediately, and the Doctor laughed as if he'd known she'd demand as such. Donna's lips tugged into a grin, and Jay got the feeling she knew where they'd gone, too. In fact...with the way her eyes were locked on Jay...Jay thought Donna might have been the one to plan this trip, not the Doctor. He'd merely agreed, delighted with Donna's thoughts.
Not that it mattered who planned the trip. Whatever it was, both of them thought she'd like it. So, Jay swiftly made her way to the doors and yanked them open, nearly bouncing with impatient interest. She paused to look over her shoulder at her friends before she turned and threw the doors open, trusting that the Doctor had - hopefully - put them somewhere that was safe enough.
She stopped dead when she saw the flowers. The expensive, carefully cared for rows of flowers. The lazy hum of summer nearly sent her spinning along with the explosive heat that beat down from the large sun above her head. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the rows upon rows of roses.
She knew precisely where she was and it scared the hell out of her. "Doctor," she gasped, whirling around. She grunted when she bumped into him as he ducked out of the TARDIS, her fingers trembling. Donna was a step behind him, her eyes wide and curious as she peered around the gardens.
"You're sure this is the right place?" Donna asked incredulously, wrinkling her nose at the heat. She swept her hair over her shoulders to try and rid herself of some of it. "Kinda hot, isn't it? You didn't land us in some desert oasis, did you, spaceman?"
The Doctor huffed. "I know exactly where I put the TARDIS," he grumbled.
Jay didn't believe him usually, but this time…
Her lips trembled as she seized the lapels of his suit and jerked him to a rather abrupt halt, her entire body trembling. "Doctor," she rasped, and he stopped, stilled in shock. "You're not...you're not going to leave me here, are you?" She knew that he'd debated it here and there. How could he not? Usually, he seemed to think about it after particularly severe attacks in which she was knocked off her feet for a few days, or when they'd been in nasty danger that was worse than normal. And on a scale of one-to-ten, Midnight had hit one hundred in her books. Her fingers tightened. "You won't leave me here?"
Because as much as some of their trips scared her...as much pain as they caused...she couldn't imagine being left behind.
The Doctor frowned briefly, but offered a reassuring smile as he gently pried her fingers from his suit. "We just thought you might like to visit Lucas," he said, and Jay relaxed, sucking in a shaken breath. "And if I was going to leave you somewhere," he continued, "which I promised I wouldn't without warning you first, it wouldn't be here. I'd take you to Martha. Or Jack." He made a face at the idea.
Jay nodded, biting her lip. A little embarrassed, she patted where she'd grabbed affectionately. "Sorry," she mumbled, hastily turning away. The Doctor opened his mouth to say something else, but she hurried away, instead focusing on something in particular he'd said with a hint of excitement. "We just thought you might like to visit Lucas."
Her brother. From the look of the gardens, she'd guess they were coming around the same time as they had last time - hopefully no earlier. The last thing she wanted was to come across her father.
"Come on," said Jay with a glance over her shoulder. She pretended not to notice the way the Doctor was frowning at her, still unhappy with what she'd thought. "This way. We're in one of the more public gardens, I think. Otherwise there'd not be anyone else here." She nodded at a pair across the way walking swiftly with one another, heads bent close together.
"How many gardens are there?" asked Donna as she followed Jay. The Doctor trailed along behind them, looking around curiously at all of the flowers and pretending he wasn't as bothered by the heat as his companions were. Jay's lips twitched as she fought back a smile. She could see the grimace that he gave when he thought they weren't looking.
"Quite a few," Jay admitted. She ticked off her fingers as she marked them all. "Several public gardens, like this. Each of us had our own private garden that we could do whatever we wanted with. It was one of very few places I could go whenever I wished. Then there's Mother's special gardens and orchards, and the formal gardens, and-"
Donna sighed. "A lot of gardens."
"A lot of gardens." Jay nodded with a brief grin. As she passed an arch, she identified the garden they were in at last. "This is an invitation-only garden. You would submit a request to visit it to the O'Connor household, and my mother or father would grant permission. Normally, they only allowed people who would benefit them, or higher-ups who we needed to stay on good terms with."
She paused suddenly as they approached what appeared to be an exit to the garden. "Doctor," she said, "we might need to re-park the TARDIS. This place is quite far from where my family lives." She hoped to the heavens above that she didn't have to see her father again. The idea of it sent chills down her spine. Her mother was enough; her father was something else.
And Lucas…
God, she just wanted to see her brother. Now that the idea had been put in her head, all she could think about was seeing him. He'd always been her rock among a sea of calamity, and she missed him dearly. She'd have let him tag along on their travels if the Doctor would allow it, but he was so young-
"Watch out!" a voice suddenly shouted, and Jay blinked as something massive came swinging out of nowhere. Donna dragged Jay back with a yelp when it nearly caught them all. The Doctor uttered something under his breath, sonic screwdriver already in hand, but by the time they'd all realized what was happening, the situation was over.
Someone came running over, their eyes wide with horror. "Are you alright?" the woman frantically asked, her hands fluttering. Wildly, tightly curled black hair bounced around her face as it snapped to each one of them. Her face was smeared with oil and dirt, her hands covered with thick leather gloves. Overalls had been thrown over what might have been extremely nice clothes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to almost kill you. Did the O'Connors family give you permission to be here?"
Her mouth ran a mile a minute, and Jay found her head spinning just trying to keep up with what she was saying. "Um, yes," she said, glancing curiously at her companions. Neither of them had answers about who this woman was. "Can I ask who you are and what you're doing that almost killed us?"
The woman winced. "Sorry," she repeated sincerely. "I'm designing a system to provide a false wind of sorts. It's gotten so hot in the last few years that a lot of people don't like to come here; so instead of encapsulating the area in a dome like most people did, I was given permission to try and design something that would create the same effect without taking away the natural beauty. If I can get this thing working, then there'll be a natural breeze that flows through, only enhanced by some cool air that's pumped through."
"So...air conditioning?" muttered Donna, and the Doctor cracked a grin, though he looked inclined to agree.
The woman tipped her head back and laughed, too. "I guess. That's a bit of an old-time phrase, but I suppose it's akin to outdoor air conditioning." She removed a thick glove from her hand and offered Jay her hand. "I'm Sonya. I apologize again for almost killing you, but it's nice to meet you."
"I'm Jay," Jay answered. "These are Donna and…?" She glanced at the Time Lord, not sure how he wanted to introduce himself. He inclined his head a little. "The Doctor," she finished. "We're friends of the O'Connors family."
"Me, too." Her eyes twinkled. "Anyways, you look like you want to say something about my work." Sonya eyed the Doctor with interest. "Any suggestions?"
The Doctor thought it over, studying a device a short distance away she pointed to. His gaze followed the massive pendulum-style machinery she'd created, noting that there was no one else around except for Sonya. "A few."
"Oh?" Sonya's eyes shone with delight. "Why don't you tell me about it over a nice cup of lemonade? I'm sure Hazel would have prepared some by now." She waved for them to follow her, and Jay furrowed her brow when she wasn't looking, wondering just who Sonya was.
It took them about an hour to get to the main house, and with each step closer, Jay's suspicions grew. Sonya was clearly comfortable enough around her family to be able to just walk in the front door, right past security. It had decreased since her father's imprisonment, noticed Jay. Neither person guarding the front door acknowledged them, even when Sonya greeted them in a friendly manner by name.
"It's my goal," said Sonya as they entered the large foyer. "To some day get them to answer me. Oh!" She beamed as something lumbred in, tail flying. "Hello, J.J…." She knelt to greet an ancient-looking black dog, who blinked bleary, aged eyes at Sonya and whined happily. Sonya gently stroked its head, scratching white-speckled ears fondly.
The world screeched to a sudden halt. J.J.? That had been Lucas's dog. Youthful dog, if she remembered correctly. Suspicious and suddenly very aware of what they could be walking into, Jay turned a slow look on the Doctor. His eyes were widened with shock, and he grimaced guiltily when she glared at him.
"Whoops," he muttered sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.
"Whoops?" Jay hissed back.
Donna's gaze darted between them. "What's wrong?"
The Doctor leaned in to whisper an explanation to Donna while Sonya rose to her feet. Brushing her hands off on her pants, Sonya told them, "J.J.'s real friendly. You're welcome to pet him if you want. He's a good boy. Just don't get too rough; he's rather ancient, as you can see."
Donna eyed the dog warily, even as the Doctor calmly stepped forward to do just that. Jay longed to pet the dog, but didn't bother to try as the Doctor crouched down and ruffled the old dog's ears. J.J. panted heavily, tail flying as he seemed to grin up at the Doctor mischievously. She doubted he'd let her pet him. She was a little disappointed about that; it was unlikely she'd be capable of getting anywhere near an animal for the foreseeable future.
The source of the dog's mischievous look was revealed a few moments later as a tall, lanky man with blond hair came striding swiftly from the hall. "Don't praise him," he huffed, though there was some fondness on his face as he frowned severely at the dog. "He stole all of the cook's pastries from the counter. I don't even know how he got up there; look at him! He's ready to fall apart at any moment."
Sonya grinned impishly. "Oh?" She threw Jay a wink that told the other side of the story. Sonya had likely stolen those pastries and shared one here or there with the happy dog.
The man turned to them, mouth open to greet them, and paused in surprise. "...Jay," he breathed a moment later, blue eyes rounding, and it took Jay a moment to realize who she was looking at.
"Lucas?" She shot the Doctor a glare. He grimaced apologetically as he stood, capturing Lucas's attention.
Lucas gaped at him, too. "Doctor? So you're still traveling with him?" Lucas looked pleased, and then came to a sudden realization. "You met Sonya, right? Sonya, this is my sister, Jayden, and her friend the Doctor. Though you don't look like Miss Martha," he said with a playful, wary grin to Donna.
"I'd hope not. Donna. Miss Donna Noble," said Donna firmly.
"Donna," muttered Jay warningly, though a smile danced over lips.
Sonya's eyes rounded in surprise. "You're an O'Connors? I didn't realize...sorry, I would have tried harder not to kill you if I'd known you were Lucas's sister."
"And because she doesn't ever say it," Lucas continued as if he'd not been interrupted by them all, "this is my wife."
"You're...you're married," said Jay faintly, not sure of what to think. She could easily remember the little nine year old boy she'd loved so fiercely, the boy who'd thought it his job to take care of her when she couldn't worm her way past their father's fierce grip like he could.
Sonya flushed, her eyes downcast. "A few years now," she admitted. She cast them all a curious look. "But you don't look any older than the images Lucas has shown me. How's that possible? Did you figure out some secret you'd care to share?"
Jay glanced at the Doctor, uncertain. Lucas knew about the "star-man," but she wasn't sure he'd ever fully understood what that meant. The Doctor looked comfortable enough that she made the decision for herself. "Well, the ship we use...she travels through time."
"And space, right?" Lucas nodded to himself. "You can't come from the stars and not travel through space. Speaking of which...we should get moving," he told Sonya. "That viewing party should be starting soon and after all the effort you put into your project, we need to be there. You three can come, if you'd like, you'll just need to dress up a little fancier."
Donna perked up at the idea. She was always willing to "get fancy" for their adventures, loving to dress up in expensive clothes. She glanced hopefully at the Doctor, who shrugged and looked to Jay for an answer. This was her brother, her trip, and her decision. Jay bit her lip uncertainly. There would likely be people who'd known her years back, before she'd disappeared, and that was what worried her. She didn't want to create a spectacle.
But Lucas's hopeful look had her sighing heavily. "Alright, we'll come, but what's the viewing party for? Something big, I presume."
Sonya beamed with pride. "Five years ago, an asteroid began circling the planet. It was huge, you know? Everyone thought it was going to crash into the planet, destroy life, the likes. Well, I used it for studying in school. Every project I could, I was trying to take advantage of what no one else understood. It never hit the planet, and I guess I must have caught someone's attention, because today is the first time anyone's going to set foot on it, and I'm the one who got to plan the entire mission." Her smile was so wide, Jay thought her face would break in half.
Donna furrowed her brow, a little confused as to how doing school projects would get someone into such an important position, but only said, "We'd love to go to the viewing in that case. We'll just need to run back to the TARDIS to change, yes?" She looked to the Doctor expectantly.
Even as the Doctor nodded, however, Lucas waved them off. "Nonsense. We've got plenty of stuff here. Doctor, you can borrow one of my suits. It should fit close enough. Miss Donna, you can go with Sonya, you look about the same size, and Jay, I didn't touch any of your things. They're a little out of style, but your clothes from here should still fit."
Jay bit her lip unhappily. She wasn't sure how to feel about the idea of wearing her old clothes - except that she most certainly wasn't excited about. "Right," she muttered, and the Doctor frowned, recognizing the discomfort on her face. She noticed his look and forced a brief, reassuring smile to her face. She'd hate it, but she'd be fine. They were just clothes, after all.
Sonya whisked an excited Donna away, and Jay fumbled with the necklace at her throat as the Doctor and Lucas started off, exchanging pleasant conversation. Neither seemed uncomfortable with the other. The Doctor even seemed rather fond of her brother, something that warmed Jay's heart. She liked that two of her favorite people got along.
J.J. chose to tag along with her, eyeing her warily when she headed off for her own old bedroom. Why Lucas hadn't messed with it was beyond her. Then again, she supposed there were enough rooms that he didn't have to. When she reached the door, she pushed it open reluctantly and looked around. "Well," she muttered aloud to the dog. J.J. blinked quietly at her, tail still. "It hasn't changed. At all."
And it hadn't. The bed was even made in the same exact way it had been the day she'd left for the party that had changed her life. She ran her fingers over the blankets thoughtfully. She'd not come to this room the last time she'd come home; she'd been too busy trying to figure out what was wrong with Iovita and Jovita.
Sighing, Jay went to the closet to drag out something to wear. J.J. sunk to the carpet with a loud moan, body aching with the effort, and Jay wished she could rub the aches out of his hips and shoulders. She remembered doing so for him when he was a puppy, the first time she and Lucas had ever touched a dog. She missed it.
It didn't take long for Jay to select her clothes. Within the hour, she was returning to the foyer, hair and makeup done to complete the look. A shimmering black formal gown hung off her shoulders, rippling like the midnight sky with every step she took in matching black heels. It fit just as well as it had the last time she'd looked at it.
The Doctor and Lucas were waiting, of course. She'd not doubted that they'd finish quickly. The Doctor looked as uncomfortable as ever in his suit, fidgeting unhappily with the bowtie at his neck. "I hate these," he grumbled as Jay stepped up to help him fix it, her blue eyes gleaming with playful amusement.
"I don't know," said Jay casually, stepping back when she was satisfied with how it looked. "I think it's more of the trouble that comes with it that I don't like. You always look rather dashing in a bowtie." The Doctor looked pleased with the compliment, and Jay fought the urge to laugh as she bumped him fondly with her shoulder before turning her head to look when Sonya ushered Donna into the room. She ignored the way Lucas watched her closely with interest as she greeted, "You look wonderful, Donna!"
Donna looked smugly down at the glittering purple gown she'd donned, her eyes gleaming with pride. "Thanks. You, too, Jay."
Jay smiled, and then faltered when she caught Sonya staring at her arm in shock. Lucas was eyeing the black veins warily, too, and it made her lose her smile immediately. Uncomfortable, she muttered to the Doctor, "I should have grabbed something to throw over top though."
The Doctor frowned. "Ignore the looks," was all he said, though there was a hint of a sympathetic grimace on his face. Hoping to distract Sonya and Lucas from what clearly marked Jay as not entirely human, the Doctor said, "We should get going. Wouldn't want to be late, right?"
Lucas shook his head to clear it. "Right," he said confidently, flashing his sister an apologetic smile. "Let's go." He took off at a brisk walk for the door. Donna and Sonya walked after him, chatting in a friendly way with one another, and the Doctor playfully offered Jay his arm. She took it with a hint of a frown on her face.
"Are they that noticeable?" she asked quietly as they followed the others.
"I don't know," he replied with a reassuring grin. "I think they're quite dashing."
Jay couldn't help but laugh, delighted by his words.
"This reminds me of the Titanic," commented Jay as they looked around at the various people decked out in fancy attire. They were clearly of money and wealth. It was somewhat disappointing to Jay, who'd always thought her brother to be above money. Yet...she supposed he'd inherited a significant amount, even after their father's arrest. It made her wonder yet again where her mother was.
"Hopefully it doesn't end up the same way," the Doctor said.
Jay hummed her agreement, her arm tightening on his. She kept close as they trailed after Lucas, who launched into introduction after introduction. He was cautious in how he introduced Jay, simply introducing her as just that: Jay. Not Jayden, his lost sister, nor a member of the O'Connors family. Simply Jay, who she wanted to be.
She liked it.
They continued doing such things for some time. Lucas eventually went to join Sonya and Donna, who seemed perfectly happy to continue befriending Jay's sister-in-law. The Doctor and Jay were just as pleased to have been left to their own devices. It was easier than socializing with a bunch of people they didn't know. Jay was even more pleased to not talk with others when she realized they were all from groups her parents had gone with. Lucas had kept up the O'Connors name, apparently, repairing it after their father's failures. Jay was impressed.
"Look at these calculations," said Jay softly as she leaned over a display that had been put out. The glass casing held several pages of handwritten notes Sonya had made. "She worked so hard...it's incredible. And look, she even noted what could happen with quite a few variables. People don't normally note those. They assume the machinery will fix it for them."
The Doctor beamed, pleased she was taking advantage of the knowledge she held. She didn't do so often, only making comments here or there about various spacecraft. He liked when she did so. "It's quite impressive," he agreed.
"Lucas married quite the woman." Jay rocked back on her heels, sighing softly. He glanced at her questioningly and Jay frowned at him. "You didn't mean to put us down over a decade after we last saw him, right? You didn't put us here on purpose?"
He grimaced guiltily. "No," he muttered. "That was an accident." He rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry."
Jay shook her head and nudged him with her shoulder, clearly forgiving him for making such a mistake. "You need to improve your ability to land," she teased, and then went to look at a small prototype of a ship that Sonya had decided on to take the people that were stepping out onto the asteroid. The Doctor gave her a playful pout, and then looked over when Donna called for his attention, her eyes gleaming with excitement as she bustled over. Jay abandoned the model when she saw Donna, cocking her head.
"They're about to start the viewing bit," Donna told them, gesturing to a large screen on the wall behind her. "Are you coming?"
"Of course." Jay linked her arm with Donna's, flashing her friend a smile, and Donna grinned back. The Doctor ushered them forward, looking happy that they were happy. Jay grimaced, a little uncomfortable when a crowd formed in front of the screen, eager. People bumped against people, but she held her ground, refusing to let them push her back. A glare from Donna shooed them away.
Sonya took a stance at the front of the crowd, on a small stage beneath the large screen. Her eyes glowed with pride as she said, "Welcome to this small, exclusive little gathering to celebrate my biggest project to date - and thank you all for coming. It really means a lot to me, as well as to all of the others who participated in it. We put our hearts and souls into this project, and we're truly grateful that you've come to witness it. Months of hard work will culminate into one single triumph for humankind. We've lived upon the Earth for a countless amount of time. Then, we moved to the moon. Now, we set foot on what some have dubbed the Beta Moon - an asteroid that had circled our planet for some time now. This is only one step in our continued efforts to create a way to travel the stars. It is the hope of all of us who worked on this project that within the next few decades, we will join those who have come to visit with us. Now, without further ado…" Sonya grinned as the screen over her head flickered on, revealing live footage of a group of people preparing themselves to land their spacecraft. "Enjoy."
Everyone politely applauded. Lucas was beaming at his wife when she stepped down to join him, and Jay smiled a little, her eyes softening. He clearly loved his wife. Jay was happy he'd found some happiness in that way, and didn't doubt that she'd be an aunt before long.
Donna leaned in and whispered, "Alright, Jay?"
"Just fine." Jay shot her a quick grin and then looked up to the screen.
Things went well on that spacecraft...until they didn't.
Shouting suddenly exploded from the screen, accompanied by loud explosions and beeps.
Jay had enough time to look at the Doctor with wide eyes before the world went white.
"-going," Jay commented aloud, "The TARDIS likes it."
The Doctor beamed at the console. "Of course she does. Clever old girl."
The TARDIS hummed, and then sparked playfully when the Doctor slapped a button, pulled a lever, and spun a dial. He scolded her gently as he darted around for another control and within moments, the TARDIS was rocking beneath their feet and they were on the move. The familiar soft vworp-vworping of the TARDIS soothed the lingering fears in Jay's soul, and she braced herself against railing as the TARDIS changed location in space and time.
And when it landed, the Doctor spun around, eyes gleaming. "Who wants to go first?"
"Me," Jay said immediately, and the Doctor laughed as if he'd known she'd demand as such. Donna's lips tugged into a grin, and Jay got the feeling she knew where they'd gone, too. In fact...with the way her eyes were locked on Jay...Jay thought Donna might have been the one to plan this trip, not the Doctor. He'd merely agreed, delighted with Donna's thoughts.
Not that it mattered who planned the trip. Whatever it was, both of them thought she'd like it. So, Jay swiftly made her way to the doors and yanked them open, nearly bouncing with impatient interest. She paused to look over her shoulder at her friends before she turned and threw the doors open, trusting that the Doctor had - hopefully - put them somewhere that was safe enough.
She stopped dead when she saw the flowers. The expensive, carefully cared for rows of flowers. The lazy hum of summer nearly sent her spinning along with the explosive heat that beat down from the large sun above her head. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the rows upon rows of roses.
She knew precisely where she was and it scared the hell out of her - and confused her. She could have sworn she'd seen these flowers recently. The fear faded, entirely replaced with that confusion, and Jay turned to look at the Doctor as he stepped out of the TARDIS, nearly bumping into her. "Doctor," she began, but he didn't answer. Donna was a step behind him, her eyes wide and curious as she peered around the gardens.
"You're sure this is the right place?" Donna asked incredulously, wrinkling her nose at the heat. She swept her hair over her shoulders to try and rid herself of some of it. "Kinda hot, isn't it? You didn't land us in some desert oasis, did you, spaceman?"
The Doctor huffed. "I know exactly where I put the TARDIS," he grumbled.
Jay didn't believe him usually, but this time…
"Doctor," Jay repeated, frowning. She seized his arm gently and tugged. He stumbled to a halt, glancing at her in curiosity. She was nervous, she realized. Something was making her skin crawl. They'd been here. They'd done this. Did the Doctor and Donna not realize this? "Something's wrong," she said. "Really wrong. I don't know if you can feel it, but…"
Her friend jolted a little, startled. "You're noticing it, too?"
Relief flooded her. Jay wasn't the only one who'd noticed. "We've done this before, haven't we?"
"I thought so," he admitted.
"What are you two going on about?" demanded Donna, hands on her hips. She'd stopped looking around and was now frowning at them. Jay winced. Did Donna not notice it, too? "I know you like your secrets, but honestly…"
"No secrets here, Donna," Jay reassured. "Just...some repetition, I suppose?" She looked at the Doctor, puzzled. "What do we do? Do we just...go along with it? Is some alien doing this?"
"I don't know," he muttered, running a hand through his hair with a look of confusion. "We could head back to the TARDIS, scan the area and see what we can find…"
Jay bit her lip, looking in the direction she knew they'd go. Her muddled brain recognized that they were repeating events, but couldn't latch onto what would happen next. "You go back," she decided. "You do the scans. Donna and I'll keep going. I don't know what's happening, but my brother...I don't want him caught up in it, Doctor. He can't be. He's the only one who cared for so long, I can't turn and leave him stuck in this mess."
The Doctor agreed, albeit a little reluctantly, and Donna threw her hands up, confused and frustrated. Jay promised to explain while they walked, and then turned to the Doctor when he returned his attention entirely to her. "Take note of everything," he told her firmly. He shoved a hand into his pocket, seeking. "Write it down, if you need to. Do you have Martha's phone?"
"Yes, with the TARDIS's phone number at the top of the call list," Jay said confidently. She'd been practicing how to use that phone with the Doctor's assistance. He'd ensured she could use it swiftly if she got into trouble, something she appreciated immensely. "I'll use it if we find anything particularly noticeable, Doctor."
"Good." He flashed her a grin, and she touched his arm fondly before he turned and rushed back for the TARDIS. Donna glared at Jay impatiently, and Jay drew her over, leading her further into the gardens.
Donna was concerned by the time Jay had finished explaining. "I've noticed it, too," she admitted with a delicate wince. "Now that you've mentioned it. Where are we, by the way?" She looked around, furrowing her brow. "He didn't bring us to some alien planet, right? This is your Earth?"
Jay nodded her agreement. "One of the more public gardens. Otherwise there'd not be anyone else here." She nodded at a pair across the way walking swiftly with one another, heads bent close together.
"How many gardens are there?" asked Donna.
"Quite a few," Jay admitted. She ticked off her fingers as she marked them all. "Several public gardens, like this. Each of us had our own private garden that we could do whatever we wanted with. It was one of very few places I could go whenever I wished. Then there's Mother's special gardens and orchards, and the formal gardens, and-"
Donna sighed. "A lot of gardens."
"A lot of gardens." Jay nodded with a brief grin. As she passed an arch, she identified the garden they were in at last. "This is an invitation-only garden. You would submit a request to visit it to the O'Connor household, and my mother or father would grant permission. Normally, they only allowed people who would benefit them, or higher-ups who we needed to stay on good terms with."
Jay continued listing various pieces of information about her family as they walked. She noticed the Doctor's absence like a thorn in her side, admitting that she didn't like it when he was out of sight. It usually meant trouble. For her, or for him. Sometimes both. It was like double the trouble when he split away to do his own business. Donna, too. It was like that with all of them, actually.
A gut feeling suddenly wrenched her back into the present, and before she knew it, she was dragging Donna back a few steps. Something massive came swinging out of nowhere, accompanied by a latent, "Watch out!"
Someone came running over, their eyes wide with horror. "Are you alright?" the woman frantically asked, her hands fluttering. Wildly, tightly curled black hair bounced around her face as it snapped to each one of them. Her face was smeared with oil and dirt, her hands covered with thick leather gloves. Overalls had been thrown over what might have been extremely nice clothes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to almost kill you. Did the O'Connors family give you permission to be here?"
Her mouth ran a mile a minute, and Jay found her head spinning just trying to keep up with what she was saying. "Um, yes," she said, glancing curiously at Donna. A name struck the tip of her tongue, and Jay found herself saying, "You're Sonya, right? Lucas's wife?"
She paused, staring at Jay with wide eyes. "Yes. I'm Sonya O'Connors...do you know Lucas?"
"You could say that." Jay waved at the large device that had almost hit them. "What is this thing?"
Sonya smiled sheepishly, wincing. "Sorry, I'm designing a system to provide a false wind of sorts. It's gotten so hot in the last few years that a lot of people didn't want to come anymore, so instead of encapsulating the area in a dome like most people did with their own gardens, Lucas gave me permission to try and design something that would create the same effect without taking away the natural beauty. If I can get this thing working, then there'll be a natural breeze that flows through, only enhanced by some cool air that's pumping through."
"So...outdoor air conditioning?" muttered Donna. Jay ignored her, though a small grin tugged at her lips. The Doctor would have been impressed, Jay thought, with Sonya's work.
Sonya tipped her head back and laughed loudly. "I guess. That's a bit of an old-time phrase, but it's akin to an outdoor air conditioning unit." She removed a thick glove from her hand and offered Donna her hand. "Right. As you know, I'm Sonya, and I'm sorry for almost killing you, but it's nice to meet you."
"I'm Donna," said Donna, shaking her hand with a friendly smile. She clearly liked Sonya.
"Jay," echoed Jay when Sonya turned to her. She also shook Sonya's hand. "And we've got another friend running around, the Doctor. He might show up later. We're friends of the O'Connors family. Lucas is expecting us, I think."
Sonya looked even more horrified. "And to think I almost killed you! Come, I'll have Hazel prepare us some lemonade. She makes the best. And Lucas will be relieved to know you survived despite my best efforts." She cracked a grin at her own joke, and Jay found herself smiling back. She liked Sonya.
Sonya took off at a brisk walk, leading them in the directions of the O'Connors home, and Donna bent her head near Jay's. "How'd you know she was Lucas's wife? I thought your brother was nine."
"He was, and then the Doctor put us down a good decade or so late," murmured Jay in response with a hint of annoyance. That annoyance soon faded. The Doctor wouldn't have done so on purpose. "Don't..do you not remember any of this, Donna?" Sure, Jay's memory wasn't working entirely, but Donna had to remember at least some of it...right?
But Donna shook her head. "I don't think we've ever been here before," she said, and Jay frowned. The Doctor she understood...but why would Jay remember things, too? Maybe it was the black that slid through her veins, she thought, glancing uncomfortably at the crease of her elbow.
Sonya chatted about everything and anything as they walked, and Jay let Donna step up to walk beside her so she could call the Doctor. Jay was incredibly proud of herself when she put the ringing phone to her ear, and even prouder when the Doctor actually answered. "Anything?" Jay said in response to his cheery greeting.
"Everything," was the Doctor's concerning answer. "Everything's all wrong. The TARDIS can't lock down onto anything specific though...what do you remember?"
"Nothing until it's happening," admitted Jay. She bit her lip, wishing her memory was more helpful than it was being. "But you said the TARDIS can see what we see, right? Is there some way to enhance that?"
"Yes!" the Doctor said immediately. "I'll meet you at the house. Right beside the front door."
"Too close," Jay denied, a smile tugging at her lips. "Foyer sounds better."
She could hear the laugh in his words. "Foyer it is." He hung up, and Jay shoved the phone back into her pocket. She hurried to catch up with Sonya and Donna, listening to their contented chatting as she walked and trying to puzzle out what she could do to help herself remember. Or stop whatever had happened from happening again. It was frustrating.
They reached the estate fairly quickly and Jay found another stab of displeasure racing through her. She hated this place, where she'd felt trapped. Where she'd lived with a father who'd sold her off. But then...she supposed she should visit him wherever he was and thank him. Had it not been for her father, she'd have never met the Doctor or anyone else she cared for.
There was far less security then there had been the last time Jay had visited, back when Martha had still been with them. At least some things had been improved. Sonya was comfortable enough around the pair of security personnel outside the house; both of which nodded at her, and she smiled back. Jay furrowed her brow. She didn't remember that happening last time. Such little things were changed...what else might have changed?
The second they were through the door, Jay was looking. "Ah ha," she whispered, nudging Donna and pointing. The TARDIS was parked nearby, just within the door as promised. Donna furrowed her brow, but shrugged. "Doctor," Jay called when she saw him already out and waiting for them. He was knelt by the TARDIS, greeting an ancient J.J. as the dog wagged its tail at him and stared in adoration. The Doctor glanced up when they entered and beamed in greeting as Sonya faltered.
"Was wondering when you'd show up," said the Doctor teasingly, and J.J. lumbered over to greet Sonya with a happy, cracked whine. She stroked his white-speckled ears fondly.
"You must be the Doctor," Sonya greeted, offering a hand when he came over. The Doctor shook it warmly. "Jay said you'd be around here. I'm Sonya O'Connors."
"Lucas's wife," recalled the Doctor thoughtfully. Donna huffed softly, confused as to why everyone seemed to remember things she didn't. Jay bumped her shoulder reassuringly. He nodded at the dog. "Someone looks guilty."
Sonya winked. "That would be me," she said smugly. "He's as into pastries as I am. I share here and there." She ruffled J.J.'s ears happily, face softening. "Who's a good boy?" she crooned, and J.J.'s tail wagged harder.
"Don't praise him," said a confusingly familiar tall, lanky man with blond hair as he strode swiftly into the foyer. He was adjusting a cuff on his suit sleeve, and Sonya rolled her eyes, stepping forward to help. "He stole from the cook-" He stopped, staring at the TARDIS, and then snapped his attention onto the guests in his foyer. "Jay?" he breathed, and Jay offered her brother a hesitant smile.
"Hi," she said quietly, and a small grin tugged at his lips.
"And the Doctor," Lucas greeted, smiling broadly at the Time Lord. "You're still traveling with him? Good. Sonya, this is my sister, Jayden, and her friend the Doctor, though you seem to have already met. Although you certainly don't look like Miss Martha," he added playfully when he turned to Donna.
"I'd hope not. Donna. Miss Donna Noble," said Donna firmly.
"Donna," muttered Jay warningly, though a smile danced over lips.
Sonya's eyes rounded in surprise. "You're an O'Connors? I didn't realize...sorry, I would have tried harder not to kill you if I'd known you were Lucas's sister."
"Hold on, you tried to kill them?" muttered Lucas, confused, but Jay turned her attention onto other matters. She could socialize with her brother and his wife when they'd figured out what was going on.
Jay sidled closer to the Doctor. "Anything?" she asked quietly, and he nodded curtly. "There's signs of a potential time loop."
"Time loop?" She furrowed her brow. "As in, time repeating itself over and over?" She'd heard of time loops before; the Doctor had mentioned them here and there, explaining how complicated they could get. In fact, he'd made the explanation so complicated she couldn't remember much of what he'd told her outside of the simple explanation Martha had come up with. Time repeated itself. Again, and again, and again. "How'd we get stuck in a time loop? What about - Doctor, is Lucas going to be okay?"
Rather than answering, the Doctor flashed Lucas a bright, shining smile. "You're looking rather impatient. Have somewhere to be?"
"A viewing," said Lucas with an excited grin. "Sorry, I do want to hang around and see what you've been up to since I last saw you years ago, but Sonya's work's being put on display and we have to be there."
Donna, having come to join her two friends, leaned in and whispered to Jay, "He sounds a little upset about that."
"Yes, well, maybe if someone hadn't landed us in the wrong decade," grumbled Jay, earning a small annoyed glare from the Doctor, who hissed back that he'd apologized for that. "What kind of work, Lucas?"
"There's an asteroid," said Sonya, her eyes lighting with excitement. "It's been circling the earth for years. At first, people thought it would smash into it, but it just...basically became another moon. I've been obsessed with it for years, ever since it first showed up and I worked my way up until I impressed the right people. I was asked to design the expedition that would take people out to the asteroid. The first steps are going to be made on that asteroid today."
Donna gave a low whistle, impressed, and Jay found herself smiling. "Congratulations," she said sincerely. Jay quite liked Sonya. She hoped that whatever was happening with this time loop they seemed to have entrapped themselves in wasn't going to hurt her or Lucas. She'd make sure of it, actually.
"You're welcome to come," said Lucas, making a gesture at nothing in particular. "You'll have to get a little fancier dress-wise, but you're welcome to join us." He grinned at his wife, adoration clear in his eyes. Jay watched them as he pressed a fond kiss to her forehead. "Sonya deserves all of the support she can get. She put her heart and soul into this."
Sonya looked flustered as she said gruffly, "I'm going to go get changed. Donna, Jay, do you need to borrow anything to wear?"
"We're good," said Jay, gesturing to the TARDIS. "Thank you though, Sonya." She grabbed the Doctor's and Donna's arms. "We'll meet you back out here." She wanted desperately to have a proper conversation about what was happening, and the only way to do that was in the TARDIS. The Doctor looked amused as she ushered him and Donna into the TARDIS, ignoring Sonya's clear confusion about how they were going to get changed in a police box - something she couldn't recall ever bringing into her home.
"In, in, in," muttered Jay, pushing them in, and then slammed the door shut behind her. "Is Lucas safe?" she demanded immediately as the Doctor strode for the screen on the console, knowing she'd want to see the scans the TARDIS had done. Not that she could read them. "And Sonya? Are they safe, Doctor?"
"As safe as we are," he answered.
"That's not a good answer," said Donna unhelpfully. "We're never safe."
"What do you call this then?" muttered the Doctor, gesturing to the TARDIS. Jay grinned when the TARDIS's song rose to a high pitch in her ears. The TARDIS appeared to have gotten offended by Donna's comment. "Anyways, see this?" He tapped on the screen, and Jay leaned in beside him. "This is the moment in which the time loop appears to end. Seven-thirty-two in the evening."
"Seven-thirty-two in the evening," echoed Donna, peering over their shoulders to look. "What does that mean?"
"There's something that happens at precisely that time to create the time loop?" Jay guessed, and the Doctor beamed, proud.
"Exactly. We need to figure out what happens at seven-thirty-two," declared the Doctor. "What do you remember from last time?"
Donna snorted. "Nothing," she said at the same time as Jay, though Jay winced unhappily at the matter. "What happens if we try to leave this time loop?" Donna asked suddenly.
"The TARDIS can't. We're stuck - a part of events now," the Doctor replied. He didn't look happy about it. "Did we go to the viewing last time?" He squinted, thinking, and Jay nodded slowly. "Perhaps it's something there...Jay, you and Donna go to the viewing. I'll stay and keep an eye on the scans. If anything weird happens, let me know."
"Right. Then we need to go get ready." Jay bit her lip, not excited about attending the viewing. She'd left this life to escape such functions. Yet, here she was, getting ready in the same house she'd lived in to go and mingle with what she was going to assume was a group of people similar to those from before. But this time, she reminded herself as she let Donna tow her off to the TARDIS closet, she wasn't alone. The Doctor would ensure she could escape, and Donna was there to back her up. This was entirely unlike those other times.
Besides. The Doctor hadn't let her down yet.
The soft skirt fluttered around Jay's ankles as she carefully picked her way down the TARDIS corridor and into the console room. She eyed the holes in the floor warily. The last thing she needed was to snap her ankle while wearing heels. "Doctor?" she called, peering around. "Are you still in here?"
"Right here," he answered, and she found him sitting on the captain's seat, bent over his sonic screwdriver and something else. She edged closer, curious about what he was doing, and he began promptly explaining without question. "I'm going to have you put this over your ear," he said, the sonic ringing out as he continued working. "It'll record everything you see and hear, for the next time the time loop starts. It'll help retain your memory, too."
"Donna's not going to want to wear that," Jay commented, arching a brow.
"She'll be fine." The Doctor rocked to his feet, and Jay stilled as he went to work on placing it properly over her ear. "It's not fancy, but it'll work."
Jay eyed him out of the corner of her eye, a smile tugging at her lips. "That would be enough to get us kicked out of most events in this century, Doctor," she teased, touching her ear thoughtfully and feeling the device with care when he stepped back, nodding in approval. She felt a soft flush of heat in her cheeks where his hands had brushed. She quickly pushed her attention onto the device. It was small enough to not be noticed by too many. "Is it on?"
"Not quite." He flashed a sudden grin, leaning in to flick a small switch.
Jay jolted away in shock when a small pain shot through her head, blinding her momentarily. "Ow!" she cried, instinctively trying to kick him in the shin. He managed to avoid the blow, still grinning, and she wanted to swat at him for the amusement on his face. "You could have said something," she grumbled, rubbing her temple. "Donna's going to smack you, and you're going to deserve it."
"Why am I going to smack him?" asked Donna as she swept into the console room, and Jay sidled away to make room for her when the Doctor beckoned her over. The Doctor shot Jay a small look, and she smugly smirked at him, simply waiting.
As expected, Donna was reluctant to begin with, and Jay found herself laughing when Donna really did slap him, furious for the lack of warning. "How's that without a warning, space man?" seethed Donna irritably. The Doctor held his cheek with a hint of a pout on his face, insulted, and Jay's smile widened when the TARDIS gave a soft ringing sound, as if she were laughing at him, too.
The Doctor, still grumbling, glared at them and then said, "We can't stop the time loop from happening without knowing what's causing it. So we need to understand what's happening."
"Which is why you gave us these, right?" asked Jay, touching her ear again. "Because we're going to have to remember when we start over again...do you have one?"
The Doctor nodded curtly, showing them. "The TARDIS is caught this time. If it can get inside the TARDIS, it's better to be safe. You two need to go to the viewing and look at everything. It could, potentially, be something there. If it's not, we know we need to look somewhere else."
Hesitantly, Jay said, "What do we tell Lucas and Sonya?"
"Nothing. If we change the wrong thing, it could be catastrophic. We'll explain once it's over," he promised. When Jay searched his gaze anxiously, worried about her brother and sister-in-law, he promised, "If they're in danger, we'll help them in the next loop."
"Okay," she agreed. She turned to Donna. "Well, we better get going, or Sonya's going to learn really quickly what Lucas meant by traveling the stars." She took Donna's arm in hers and carefully started for the doors.
"Be careful," the Doctor called firmly after them.
Jay flashed a bright smile over her shoulder at the Time Lord. "We will," she promised, and then stepped out of the TARDIS with Donna, hoping that everything went as smoothly as they wanted it to. Then again, she supposed, she was with the Doctor.
Nothing ever went as they wanted it to. But, at the very least, everything always ended at least sufficiently well.
Jay wasn't sure how to feel about the fact that her brother wasn't introducing her as his sister. She did appreciate that he was letting her determine who she was in this group of people who didn't recognize her as an O'Connors. But still, did he not appreciate that she'd dropped in like this?
That wasn't what she needed to focus on, Jay scolded herself as she wandered the area, inspecting each thing Sonya had crafted for the expedition. She studied them in detail, not doubting that the information was somehow being transferred back to the TARDIS. The Doctor needed everything they could find, and exploring seemed to be the way to go for now. It was better than schmoozing with a bunch of people who were aggressively into displaying their status and putting those around them down - like Donna was doing, though one quick glance told Jay that she'd need to rescue Donna soon. Donna was not pleased with the conversations he was currently having.
Jay finished inspecting the items on display, noting a side note that didn't seem to fit with the other notes that had been taken, and then went to go join the others at the bottom of a platform when Sonya called for everyone's attention. She took a stance beside Donna, exchanging an unhappy grimace with her friend. Neither of them were enjoying their time at the viewing.
"Anything?" whispered Jay as Sonya launched into a beautiful speech about the time and effort she and several others had put into this expedition. The screen above her head flickered to life, displaying footage from the spacecraft that was landing upon the asteroid that had been circling the planet for years. Jay cocked her head. Live footage. That was difficult, even in this century.
"Nothing," confirmed Donna with a sigh, looking disappointed. Jay patted her arm comfortingly and then glanced up as commotion broke out across the screen. Shouting exploded, voices crying out as something seemed to rip through the spacecraft. There was a loud explosion.
And then white.
Merry Christmas! An original chapter I was happy to write. Always struggle a little with original chapters (which is why there's large gaps in updates), but. Hope you enjoyed!
Thanks to reviewers (bored411, LuciferRedeemed, brmngirl, and savethemadscientist!) as well as those who favorited and followed!
