Season 04

Episode 07

The Unicorn and the Wasp


"Jenny! Be careful what you touch!" the Doctor cried out, following the energetic girl around the console.

"What's this one do?" the blonde girl asked, pointing to a lever.

He ran a hand through his hair. "Umm… that's the influx gauge, sets the rate that we move through the vortex."

"And this one?"

He had to move halfway around the console to keep up with her. "That's… that dial indicates the galaxy we're heading to."

Jenny ran around the console again. "And this one?"

"Where's your mum?" he moaned.

"This is gold," Donna laughed. "Someone with more energy than you, Spaceman!"

He shot her a dark look. The blonde girl, only two weeks old despite her day as an adult and the fact that she appeared to be around 10 years old or so, giggled.

"Mum's taking a nap. Or she was. She might be eating, or in the garden, or somewhere else by now."

"Then again, she might be here in the room behind you," came Rose's amused answer.

The Doctor moved to her and hugged her. "Save me!"

Rose laughed. "She's your daughter. Where are we heading next?"

Jenny peeked around the time rotor, grinning at how affectionate her parents were. When she'd felt the call to return and regenerate, she could only imagine that she wanted a chance to grow up with her parents. She didn't want to be a soldier, she wanted to be a child – their child. She looked at the woman she'd dubbed Aunt Donna, and smothered a giggle.

Donna was rolling her eyes, even though there was a smile. "I want a party. I got two wars, now I need a party."

The blonde woman grinned at her husband. "That's a good point, love. I would love a chance to dress up and just have fun."

The Doctor bowed with a flourish. "Ladies, your wish is my command. I will take you to the greatest party I can think of."

He bounded back to the console, and punched in the coordinates for where he wanted to head, watched carefully by the little blonde that called him Daddy. He found himself grinning again. Daddy…

They landed and the four of them headed for the door, stepping out in the garden of a rather stately English manor.

"Oh, smell that air. Grass and lemonade and a little bit of mint. Just a hint of mint, must be the 1920s," the Doctor declared.

Donna blinked and looked at him. "You can tell what year it is just by smelling?"

He shrugged. "Oh yeah."

The redhead smirked and pointed. "Or maybe that vintage car coming up the drive gave it away."

"Could also be that he pointed us here intentionally," Rose mentioned casually, hand on Jenny's shoulder to keep her at her side for the moment.

The Doctor groaned. "No one appreciates my delicate senses."

"I do, Daddy," Jenny piped. "And I smell mint."

He nodded solemnly, winking at her. "Thank you, Jenny."

They crept to the corner and peeked around, noting the people arriving and heading in.

"Never mind Planet Zog. A party in the 1920s—that's more like it," Donna grinned.

"Is there a planet called Zog?" Jenny asked.

Rose laughed. "We'll find out later, sweetheart."

The Doctor shook his head. "The trouble is, we haven't been invited," he reached into his pocket. "Oh, I forgot—Yes, we have."

He waved the psychic paper at them.

"Then all we need is to dress the part," Rose grinned.

Over an hour passed while they changed, and the Doctor was pacing in front of the TARDIS, feeling rather antsy. He poked his head in, calling, "We'll be late for cocktails!"

"Coming!" Rose called back.

Donna exited first, grinning in her royal blue period dress. "What do you think? Flapper or slapper?"

He smiled and shook his head. "Flapper. You look lovely."

The door opened again, and Rose stepped out, wearing a similar dress in dazzling gold. "Doesn't she though? Come on, Jenny."

Jenny stomped out, scowling magnificently in the time appropriate dress. "I don't much like dresses," she declared in childish confidence.

The Doctor fought to maintain control and not laugh at his daughter. "I don't like them much myself, and when you're my age, you won't ever have to wear them unless you want."

She beamed at him. "How old are you Daddy?"

"Over nine hundred," Rose answered blithely. "How do I look, love?"

He gave her a lingering kiss. "Beautiful. I'll be the envy of any man at this party." The Doctor offered an arm to each woman, and grinned. "My daughter, lead us to the party!"

As they approached the party, they saw the servants finishing preparations and laying out the food and drinks. The housekeeper was overseeing everything with a sharp eye.

"Look sharp! We have guests."

"Good afternoon!" the Doctor greeted with a wide smile. He sat Rose in a manner deemed courtly by any standards.

"Drink, sir? Madams?" a footman asked respectfully.

Donna smiled brightly. "Sidecar, please."

"And a lime and soda, thank you," the Doctor said, glancing down. "Make that two. And a bit of lemonade for my daughter… wait, Jenny?"

Without even looking around, Rose spoke, "If you ruin that dress, young lady, I'm gonna make you wear one on every adventure for a month."

The little blonde appeared almost instantly, eyes wide. "You wouldn't!"

Her mum grinned. "Watch me. My mum always told me the best threats were the ones that stung, and that ya always carry them out. Wanna test it?"

"No, mum," Jenny pouted.

The Doctor stared at Rose incredulously. She was a wonderful mother, even without any sort of warning or years getting to that point. It was as natural as breathing to her. He wanted to tell her how fantastic she was, but someone else spoke.

"May I introduce Lady Clemency Eddison," the butler announced in a practiced monotone.

The Lady of the house approached and the Doctor went straight to her as though they were old friends.

"Lady Eddison!"

She blinked in confusion. "Excuse me, but who exactly might you be…and what are you doing here?"

"I'm the Doctor and this is my wife, Dame Rose Tyler, and our daughter, Jenny, and a dear friend, Miss Donna Noble…of the Chiswick Nobles."

Donna affected a posh accent and curtsied. "Good afternoon, my lady. Topping day, what? Spiffing! Top hole!"

He grimaced and leaned toward the redhead. "No, no, no, no, no. Don't do that. Don't."

Rose smothered her laughter at having to tell yet another person not to try an accent and held up the psychic paper she'd nicked from the Doctor. "We were thrilled to receive your invitation, my lady. We met at the ambassador's reception."

The Doctor turned and blinked, patting his pocket before narrowing his eyes. Cheeky woman…

"Dame Rose," the Lady nodded, her tone warm and almost affectionate as she covered her social faux pas, "how could I forget you? But one must be sure with the Unicorn on the loose."

"A unicorn?" Jenny piped. "Brilliant. Where?"

Lady Eddison shook her head. "The Unicorn, my dear. The jewel thief. And nobody knows who he is. He's just struck again. Snatched Lady Babbington's pearls right from under her nose."

Donna couldn't help herself and murmured, "Funny place to wear pearls."

The butler spoke again. "May I announce the Colonel Hugh Curbishley, the Honourable Roger Curbishley."

A rather good looking younger man approached, pushing a wheelchair that conveyed an older man who was obviously his father.

"My husband. And my son," Lady Eddison said politely.

The Colonel nodded at them. "Forgive me for not rising. Never been the same since the flu epidemic back in '18."

The younger man grinned at Donna. "My word! You are a super lady!"

She beamed back at him. "Oh! I like the cut of your jib. Chin-chin."

"I'm the Doctor," the Time Lord introduced himself, holding out a hand. "And this is my wife, Rose and our daughter, Jenny."

"How do you do?" Roger smiled, shaking his hand.

"Very well, thanks."

The footman appeared with a drink on a tray, but it wasn't one that anyone had requested. He offered it to Roger. "Your usual, sir."

"Ah, thank you, Davenport. Just how I like it."

Rose turned away to hide a smile. Roger gave her the same vibe some of Jack's friends did… and some of her own had growing up. She had a feeling Davenport knew a lot more about him than just how he liked his drink. She focused on the Doctor and Donna who were whispering.

"Miss Robina Redmond," was announced next and a young woman in the very latest fashion strode toward them confidently.

"She's the absolute hit of the social season," Lady Eddison said to Rose, taking a seat near her. "A must. Miss Redmond."

The young woman smiled brightly. "Spiffing to meet you at last, my lady."

"Reverend Arnold Golightly."

The man strode toward them with all the ease of a man without a worry and the Lady smiled in welcome.

"Ah, Reverend! How are you? I heard about the church last Thursday night," she leaned toward Rose again. "Ruffians breaking in."

"My word!" Rose responded, a hand on her heart in feigned shock.

Donna leaned toward the Doctor. "Has she always been the one people just naturally take to?"

He nodded. "From the moment I met her. She's brilliant."

The colonel cleared his throat and spoke to the reverend. "You apprehended them, I hear."

The reverend bowed his sandy head. "As the Christian fathers taught me, we must forgive them their trespasses. Quite literally."

Roger sniffed. "Some of these young boys deserve a decent thrashing."

"Couldn't agree more, sir," the footman agreed readily.

Roger coughed a bit and Donna sighed softly, catching Rose's eye. "Typical. All the decent men are on the other bus."

"Or married," the Doctor added, straightening his tie.

The redhead smirked and shook her head at his preening.

Golightly sat amiably and looked to their hostess. "Now my lady, what about this special guest you promised us?"

The Lady looked up with a wide, truly delighted smile. "Here she is. A lady who needs no introduction."

A small burst of applause greeted a newly arrived guest, who ducked her head, embarrassed by the attention.

"Oh, no. Please don't. Thank you, Lady Eddison. Honestly, there's no need," the woman said honestly, turning to shake the hand of the first person she arrived at – Donna. "Agatha Christie."

Rose blinked in delighted surprise.

"What about her?" Donna asked, a bit blank.

The woman smiled a bit. "That's me."

Donna gaped. "No! You're kidding!"

"Agatha Christie!" the Doctor crowed, sweeping in to shake her hand next. "I was just talking about you the other day. I said, 'I bet she's brilliant'. I'm the Doctor and this is Donna. Oh, I love your stuff! What a mind! You fool me every time. Well…almost every time. Well…once or twice. Well…once. But it was a good once."

"You make a rather unusual couple," Agatha noted, seeming utterly confused by the man clutching her hand.

He dropped said hand like a hot poker at that. "Oh, no, no, no, no. We're not married."

"We're not a couple," Donna shook her head.

Agatha nodded. "You're not - no wedding ring. But he is."

"Oh…you don't miss a trick," the Doctor beamed. "That's my wife, over there. With our daughter."

Jenny moved closer to Rose, content to lean against her mother and watch the adults. Human interactions were absolutely fascinating!

"I'd stay that way if I were you," Agatha said off-handedly to Donna. "The thrill is in the chase, never in the capture."

Lady Eddison held out a hand, taking Agatha's tightly. "Mrs. Christie, I'm so glad you could come. I'm one of your greatest followers; I've read all six of your books. Uh, is, uh, Mr. Christie not joining us?"

Agatha raised her chin a degree. "Is he needed? Can't a woman make her own way in the world?"

Hugh laughed a bit. "Don't give my wife ideas."

Smirking a bit, Roger offered the author a seat. "Mrs. Christie, I have a question. Why a Belgian detective?"

She smiled and sat while everyone settled in a fashion they could all communicate. The Doctor leaned over and borrowed the Colonel's newspaper and drinks were handed around. Jenny sipped hers and then looked at her mother in surprise.

"What is this?" she whispered.

Rose looked at the glass. "Lemonade."

"I like it! Do we have this on the TARDIS?"

Rose nodded. "We'll make some after the party."

The girl beamed and drank her lemonade slowly, savoring the sweet and tart taste.

Agatha answered Roger, "Belgians make such lovely buns."

Everyone laughed at the silly seeming reason for choosing a character's nationality.

Roger looked around, finally registering who hadn't joined them in the garden. "Where on Earth's Professor Peach? He'd love to meet Mrs. Christie."

An unknowing murmur sidled through the group.

"Said he was going to the library," the reverend spoke up with a light shrug.

The Doctor made his way to Rose, motioning for Donna to join them.

Lady Eddison frowned. "Miss Chandrakala, would you go and collect the professor?"

The woman nodded respectfully. "At once, my lady."

The Doctor leaned down slightly and showed Rose the paper. "The date on this newspaper."

Rose read the date and immediately began to search her memory for something he'd have mentioned to her about that date.

"What about it?" Donna asked, keeping her voice low.

Finally Rose remembered. "It's the day Agatha Christie disappeared."

Jenny looked over at the author. "You mean that lady over there? Are we gonna save her?"

The Doctor shushed her gently. "First things first, we have to find out what's going on that causes it. This is a woman who's just discovered her husband was having an affair."

"You'd never think to look at her smiling away," Donna noted.

The Doctor shrugged. "Well, she's British and moneyed. That's what they do—they carry on. Except for this one time. No one knows exactly what happened—she just vanished. Her car will be found tomorrow morning by the side of a lake. Ten days later she turns up at a hotel in Harrogate. Said she'd lost her memory. She never spoke about the disappearance till the day she died. But whatever it was…"

"It's about to happen," Rose noted, looking over the group again, wondering what secrets could possibly be hidden among such normal seeming people. But that's the best cover sometimes.

Donna let out her breath in a whoosh. "Right here, right now."

As if the whole incident had been timed, Miss Chandrakala came flying out of the house, shouting in desperation, "The professor! The library! Murder! Murder!"

The Doctor and Rose immediately were running, having long been conditioned that the appropriate response when an emergency arose was to run toward it at full speed. Jenny, Donna, and Agatha were only a few steps behind. The Doctor hit the library and went straight to the body while Rose began looking over the room.

Greeves, the butler, entered to find the group there. "Oh, my goodness."

"Bashed on the back of the head. Blunt instrument," he mused aloud, tapping the late professor's watch. "Watch broke as he fell, time of death was quarter past four."

Rose is looking through the papers on the desk with a frown while Donna points something out to the Doctor.

"Bit of pipe. Call me Hercule Poirot but I reckon that's blunt enough," the redhead nodded.

"Nothing worth killing for in that lot, dry as dust," Rose noted blandly.

Donna smirked slightly to Rose and teased softly, "Hold on, the body in the library? I mean, Prof Peach, in the library, with a lead piping?"

Lady Eddison's voice shouted from the hall, "Let me see!"

"Out of my way!" Hugh burst forth.

The Lady entered the room and gasped upon seeing the body. "Gerald!"

By this point, the rest of the party had arrived and saw the body of the professor.

"Saints preserve us," the reverend moaned.

Robina shook her head mournfully. "Oh, how awful."

Agatha looked around with a thoughtful expression. "Someone should call the police."

"You don't have to," the Doctor said confidently, snatching his psychic paper from Rose who was holding it out expectantly. "Chief Inspector Smith from Scotland Yard, known as the Doctor, and my unnaturally talented partner in deduction and life, Rose. Miss Noble is the plucky young girl who helps us out."

"I say," Lady Eddison said, fanning herself.

He nodded. "Mrs. Christie was right. Go into the sitting room. I will question each of you in turn."

The author began shooing people out. "Come along. Do as the Doctor says. Keep the room undisturbed."

The room was soon emptied of everyone but the time travelers.

"Daddy! That was awesome!" Jenny exclaimed. "You're so smart!"

Rose snorted. "She's absolutely no help with your ego."

"Never mind that!" Donna exclaimed. "'The plucky young girl who helps us out?'"

The Doctor dropped to the floor, looking for more evidence. "There were no policewomen in 1926. I stretched it for Rose, but I couldn't pull it off for two of you."

"Why isn't she the plucky one?"

"Because the TARDIS turns on him when I'm angry," Rose answered knowingly.

"I'll pluck you in a minute," the redhead mumbled. "Why don't we phone the real police?"

"The last think we want is PC Plod sticking his nose in. Especially… now I've found this," he said, lifting something from the floorboards and standing. "Morphic residue."

Donna made a face. "Morphic? Doesn't sound very 1926."

Rose stepped closer, peering at the green goo the Doctor had found. "Gets left behind when certain species genetically re-encode."

"Love it when you get all scientific," the Doctor growled playfully.

"Down boy," Rose laughed.

"The murderer's an alien?" Jenny asked, standing on her toes to see what they were looking at.

"Which means that one of that lot is an alien in human form," the blonde woman said to her daughter.

Donna glanced at the door then back with a grin. "Yeah, but think about it. There's a murder, a mystery and Agatha Christie."

"So?" the Doctor shrugged, sniffing the residue. "Happens to me all the time."

He held the substance out to Rose, who sniffed it delicately.

"No, but isn't that a bit weird? Agatha Christie didn't walk around surrounded by murders. Not really. That's like meeting Charles Dickens and he's surrounded by ghosts. At Christmas," Donna insisted, throwing up her hands.

"Well—" he winced, glancing at Rose.

"It was just the once," she smiled, shaking her head.

"And technically they weren't ghosts," he clarified.

Rose grinned brightly. "And you said I was beautiful for the first time."

Donna looked between them and shook her head. "Oh come on. It's not like we could drive across country and find Enid Blyton having tea with Noddy. Could we? Noddy's not real, is he? Tell me there's no Noddy."

"There's no Noddy," the couple said together as they headed for the door.

Their daughter grabbed the redhead's hand and pulled her after them, not wanting to miss anything, while her bemused 'aunt' kept babbling.

"Next thing you'll be telling me it's like Murder on the Orient Express and they all did it.

Agatha turned, hearing Donna and quirked a brow at her. "Murder on the Orient Express?"

"Oh, yeah. One of your best," she replied with a nod.

"But not yet," Rose hissed.

Agatha smiled thoughtfully. "Marvellous idea, though."

Donna winked. "Yeah, tell you what—Copyright: Donna Noble, yeah?"

The Doctor cleared his throat and stepped toward Donna. "Anyway, Agatha and I will question suspects. Donna, you search the bedrooms, look for clues." He lowered his voice to a whisper to say, "Any more residue." He raised his voice to normal again to hand her a magnifying glass from his pocket. "You'll need this."

She blinked. "Is that for real?"

She snatched it from his hand and Rose stepped forward. "Jenny, stay with your Dad, yeah? I think I'll help Donna out."

"Be careful," her husband warned, looking not at all pleased that Rose would be leaving his side.

"We'll be back in a tick," she waved him off, ushering Donna upstairs.

The two women searched along the rooms upstairs, not finding much of anything. Donna rattled a doorknob, and suddenly the butler was just behind them.

"You won't find anything in there," he assured them.

Donna jumped. "Oh! How come it's locked?"

He raised his chin slightly. "Lady Eddison commands it so."

Rose sighed. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist you open it, Mr. Greeves. For the investigation. We'll let you lock it again once we've looked it over.

He nodded stiffly and moved to open the door.

"Why is it locked in the first place?" Donna asked.

"Many years ago, when my father was butler to the family, Lady Eddison returned from India with malaria. She locked herself in this room for six months until she recovered. Since then, this room has remained… undisturbed," he informed them stoically.

The door creaked from disuse as Rose pushed it open slowly, finding a rather dusty, cobwebby bedroom with a tattered teddy bear on a carefully made bed.

"There's nothing in here," Greeves insisted.

Rose bit her lip, looking over the room carefully. "How long's it been empty?"

"Forty years."

"Why would she seal it off?" Donna mused before shooing the man away. "All right, Rose and I need to investigate. You just…butle off."

She closed the door and looked around. She heard a buzzing and looked at Rose. "1926, they've still got bees."

Rose smiled at her. "We're going to have to investigate that one of these days. All the bees gone missing…."

The redhead nodded, moving over to the window. "Oh, what a noise! All right, busy bee, I'll let you out. Hold on. I shall find you with my amazing powers of detection."

She held up the magnifying glass and opened the drapes, then scrambled back with a small scream. Rose turned in time to see a monstrously huge wasp burst through the window.

"That's impossible!" Donna skrieked.

"That's the Doctor's favorite word," the blonde snapped, looking for a weapon. "Doctor!"

She grabbed a book and swatted the insect aside, shoving Donna toward the door. The two of them barely slammed it in time.

"Doctor!" Rose shouted again.

She heard his footsteps thundering up the stairs as the wasp's stinger drilled through the door, causing her and Donna to jump back in alarm.

"There is a giant…wasp!" Donna cried out.

The Doctor was suddenly there, wrapping his arms around his wife and looking for the trouble. Agatha and Jenny were just behind him, equally alarmed.

"What do you mean, giant wasp?" he asked.

Donna looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "I mean a wasp that's giant!"

Agatha waved her hand. "It's only a silly little insect."

"When I say 'giant', I don't mean big," the redhead snapped. "I mean flippin' enormous! Look at its sting!"

"Let me see!" Jenny exclaimed, darting forward and into the room.

"Jenny Tyler!" Rose shouted, rushing after her.

In the old bedroom, the Doctor's sigh mingled with that of the little girl's.

"It's gone," he moaned. "Buzzed off."

He moved to the window and peered out, hoping to catch a glance.

"Aww, I wanted to see it," his daughter pouted.

Rose grabbed the little blonde's shoulders. "Listen to me, you cannot just rush into danger like that! You wanted to be a little girl, so you're going to have to understand that you will wait for your dad or me to say it's safe before you go barging in!"

"But mum…"

The Doctor turned. "No, Jenny, your mum is right. You're old enough to go on the adventures, but it you can't wait until it's safe, I'll lock you in the TARDIS when there's danger."

Looking between her parents, Jenny realized they were trying to protect her, and that she had to let them. "I promise to wait from now on."

"That's fascinating," Agatha suddenly said from the door, where the huge stinger was still lodged.

Jenny looked at Rose pleadingly.

"You can look at it, but don't touch it," Rose said. As an afterthought she added, "Or lick it. Either of you."

The Doctor made a face before moving to collect a sample and mumbling to himself, "Giant wasp… Well, there are tons of amorphous insectivorous lifeforms but…none in this galactic vector."

"I think I understood some of those words. Enough to know that you're completely potty," the author declared.

"More than you know," his wife sighed. "But not about this, sadly."

"Lost its sting, though," Donna pointed out hopefully. "That makes it defenceless."

He shook his head. "A creature this size? Gotta be able to grow a new one."

Agatha shook her head. "Uh, can we return to sanity? There are no such things as giant wasps."

He stood quickly, beaming at her. "Exactly! So… The question is, what's it doing here?"

The group headed back downstairs when there was a new scream. Without even a thought, they ran toward it and found the housekeeper, Miss Chandrakala lying in the driveway, crushed by a stone gargoyle.

The woman looked up at them and moaned, "The poor, little…child."

The new mother grabbed hold of her daughter and pulled her close, worried something intended to come after her. As the woman on the ground breathed her last, there was a buzzing above them. They all looked up hurriedly and saw the wasp.

"There! Come on!" the Doctor shouted, leading them all back inside.

"Well, this makes a change. There's a monster and we're chasing it," Donna panted as they ran up the stairs.

"Can't be a monster," Agatha insisted. "It's a trick. They do it with mirrors."

At the top of the stairs, they saw the wasp, and even the low-on-faith author had to accept it.

"By all that's holy…" she gasped.

"Oh, but you are wonderful!" the Doctor crowed in his way. "Now, just stop there."

The wasp rushed them, newly grown stinger first, and they all ducked as it swarmed past.

"Oi! Flyboy! " Donna shouted, holding up magnifying glass. Unfortunately, nothing happened, and it flew away.

"Don't let it get away!" the Doctor shouted, chasing it. "Quick, before it reverts to human form!"

They followed it to a hall full of closed bedroom doors.

"Where are you? Come on! There's nowhere to run—Show yourself!" the Doctor demanded loudly.

Of course, every door opened, with a different person inside.

"Oh…that's just cheating," he pouted.

Later, as they had gathered everyone in the sitting room once more, Rose and the Doctor held a whispered conversation while their daughter sat over by Donna.

"If something's after our little girl, Doctor, it's going to have to go through me first!" Rose declared forcefully, her eyes flashing gold.

He put his hands on her shoulders. "Now just calm down, Rose. I don't think that's what the housekeeper meant, and we certainly don't want to let Bad Wolf out here in the 1920's English countryside."

"If either of you was in danger, I would," she said, relaxing slightly.

"I know what you mean," he nodded, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "When you shouted for me earlier, I thought my hearts would burst out of my chest."

"My faithful companion! This is terrible!" Lady Eddison wept.

Davenport hesitated. "Excuse me, my lady. She was on her way to tell you something."

The woman shook her head. "She never found me. She had an appointment with death instead."

Turning to look at everyone, the Doctor spoke, "She said, 'the poor little child'. Does that mean anything to anyone?"

The colonel shrugged. "No children in this house for years," he eyed his son. "Highly unlikely there will be."

The Lady looked to her guest of honour. "Mrs. Christie, you must have twigged something. You've written simply the best detective stories."

The reverend nodded. "Tell us…what would Poirot do?"

"Heaven's sake! Cards on the table, woman! You should be helping us!" the colonel exclaimed gruffly.

Agatha swallowed and shook her head. "But—I'm merely a writer."

Robina shook her head. "But surely you can crack it. These events, they're exactly like one of your plots."

Donna nodded enthusiastically. "That's what I've been saying. Agatha, that's got to mean something."

The besieged woman held up her hands. "But what? I've no answers. None. I'm sorry, all of you, I'm truly sorry, but I've failed. If anyone can help us, it's the Doctor, not me."

"You lot, leave her alone," Rose said firmly. "This has been hard for all of us to face, so let's just take a moment to collect ourselves so that we can be civil again."

Noting that the author had slipped out, Rose went after her with Jenny, shooting a look to Donna that asked her to help the Doctor. She found her out in the gazebo, staring numbly at the floor.

"Agatha?" Rose asked softly. "You alright?"

The woman nodded. "I appreciate you trying to be kind back there, but they're right—these murders are like my own creations. It's as though someone's mocking me. I've had enough scorn for one lifetime."

Rose nodded understandingly. She'd felt much the same after Jimmy… god, that felt a lifetime ago. "Yeah. Thing is, I had this bloke once, I thought he was perfect, and I loved him, I really did. Turns out he was lying through his teeth at every turn and just looking for new ways to hurt and humiliate me. But you know what? I moved on. I was lucky—I found the Doctor. It changed my life. There's always something else to live for."

The author turned cold eyes on her. "I see. Is my marriage the stuff of gossip now?"

She shrugged, sitting. She had decided to be honest on this point with Agatha, the woman deserved that at least. "Of course it is. You know how people are. Get a little bit of success and suddenly your life's not your own anymore. But at least I had the decency to talk to you about it to your face."

Agatha sighed. "No matter. The stories are true. I found my husband with another woman. A younger, prettier woman. Isn't that always the way? I do thank you for the honesty."

Rose grinned, feeling Jenny take her hand. "Well, when you've been worshipped as a goddess a few times, you stop seeing the point in gossiping and the other social idiocies."

She laughed loudly. "You and the Doctor talk such wonderful nonsense."

Rose patted her hand. "Trust me, Agatha, people love your books, they really do. They're gonna be reading them for years to come."

Just as Agatha smiled at Rose, Jenny moved a step away and asked, "Hey Mum, Mrs. Christie? What's that in the flowers? Didn't the gardening people have them all spiffed up for the party?"

Agatha rose and moved toward the flowers. "Excellent eye, Jenny. It would seem something… here we are."

She pulled out a leather case and looked it over.

"What is it?" Rose asked, joining the other woman.

Agatha shook her head. "I think we'd better share our discovery with the Doctor."

When they got inside, the Doctor opened the case happily and cooed over the array inside. "Ooh… someone came tooled up… the sort of stuff a thief would use."

Agatha gasped. "The Unicorn—he's here!"

"The Unicorn and the wasp," the Doctor agreed.

The butler entered with a tray of drinks. "Your drinks, ladies, Doctor."

The Doctor smiled at him. "Very good, Greeves."

Donna shook her head. "What about the science stuff you were doing? What did you find?"

"Hm, Vespiform sting. Vespiforms have got hives in the Silifax Galaxy," he said distractedly.

"We've not even been to the Silifax Galaxy in a while," Rose mused, taking a sip of her drink and frowning.

"Again you talk like Edward Lear," Agatha said reproachfully.

He looked up at her. "For some reason, this one's behaving like a character in one of your books."

He took a drink also as he stared at the tools.

Donna turned to the author. "Come on, Agatha. What would Miss Marple do? She'd've overheard something vital by now because the murderer thinks she's just a harmless old lady."

The author tipped her head, amused. "Clever idea. Miss Marple—who writes those?"

Cringing, the redhead mumbled. "Um, copyright: Donna Noble. Add it to the list."

The Doctor sat up, frowning at his drink. "Donna."

"OK, we could split the copyright," she conceded.

He shook his head. "No—something's inhibiting my enzymes," he said, jerking his whole frame forward. "Aaahh! I've been poisoned!"

Rose sat unnaturally still, biting her lip while their companion rushed to his side.

"What do we do? What do we do?" Donna asked desperately.

Agatha sniffed his glass. "Bitter almonds—it's cyanide. Sparkling cyanide!"

The Doctor ran from the room and Donna and Agatha followed, but Rose and Jenny did not.

Once in the kitchen, the Doctor grabbed Davenport by his jacket. "Ginger beer."

The man blinked in utter confusion. "I beg your pardon?"

"I need ginger beer," the Doctor yelled, running to the shelves.

The cook pressed a hand to her throat. "The gentleman's gone mad!"

Finding what he was searching for, the Doctor gulped half of a ginger beer and poured the rest of it over his head.

Agatha spoke loudly to him, "I'm an expert in poisons, Doctor. It's fatal! There's no cure!"

He gripped the table and stared at her. "Not for me! I can stimulate the inhibited enzymes into reversal. Protein! I need protein!"

Nodding at him, Donna and the author began searching the kitchen.

"Walnuts!" Donna offered.

"Brilliant!" he shoveled them in and tried to talk to her.

"I can''t understand you! How many words?" she asked as he held up one finger. "One. One word. Shake? Milk? Shake? Milk? Milk! No, not milk. Um, shake, shake, shake—cocktail shaker! What do you want, a Harvey Wallbanger?"

He swallowed with great difficulty and then gasped, "Harvey Wallbanger?!"

"Well, I don't know!" she snapped.

"How is Harvey Wallbanger one word?"

Agatha shouted over them, "What do you need, Doctor?"

"Salt! I was miming salt! Salt! I need something salty!"

Donna grabbed a brown bag. "What about this?"

He was breathing rather heavily. "What is it?"

"It's salt."

"That's too salty!"

She shook her head and made a face. "Oh, that's too salty."

Agatha held out a jar, "What about this?"

"Hmm," he said before opening the jar and downing the contents.

"What's that?" Donna asked the other woman.

Agatha cringed slightly as she answered, "Anchovies."

The Doctor held his hands up, palms out.

"What is it? What else? It's a song. 'Mammy'. I don't know, 'Camptown Races?"

He gaped at her. "'Camptown Races'?!"

She snorted. "Well, all right then. 'Towering Inferno'."

"It's a shock! Look! Shock! I need a shock!"

She narrowed her eyes. "All right, then, big shock coming up."

Grabbing his lapels, Donna dragged him forward and snogged him hard. The moment she let go, the Doctor threw his head back, groaning as black smoke poured from his mouth.

"Ah! Detox," he sighed, wiping his mouth. "I must do that more often. I mean the-the detox. But Rose, why did you let her kiss me?"

He looked around, expecting an answer, but Rose wasn't in the room. Jenny ran in the door at that moment. "Mummy's glowing and there's black smoke coming out of her mouth!"

He raced through the house and knelt at his wife's side as she shook herself awake. "Rose, are you alright?"

She nodded. "I'm sorry I couldn't come with you, but the TARDIS told me not to move."

He pressed a hand to her cheek. "Don't you worry, precious girl. Jenny said there was black smoke. Detox? Were you poisoned also?"

She smiled a bit. "I guess so. Someone is very upset with us."

"Several someones I would guess," he smiled back before kissing her.

"You two are impossible!" Agatha exclaimed from the door. "Who are you?"

By the time dinner was served, a thunderstorm had rolled in, and the Doctor chose to address the party while they gathered for the meal.

"A terrible day for all of us. The professor struck down, Miss Chandrakala cruelly taken from us, and yet, we still take dinner."

The Lady of the house raised her chin. "We are British, Doctor. What else must we do?"

He nodded genially. "And then someone tried to poison me and my wife… Any one of you had the chance to put cyanide in our drinks. But it rather gave me an idea."

The reverend frowned. "And what would that be?"

"Well, poison," he smiled as everyone stopped eating to stare at him. "Drink up."

No one moved.

The Time Lord smirked at them. "I've laced the soup with pepper."

The colonel wiped his mouth. "Ah, I thought it was jolly spicy."

"But the active ingredient of pepper is piperine. Traditionally used as an insecticide," he continued as thunder cracked outside. "Oh, anyone got the shivers?"

There was a huge crash of lightning and the light went out. A window blew open, the wind snuffing the candles.

"What the deuce is that?" Hugh shouted.

"Listen! Listen! Listen! Listen!" Rose instructed and everyone could hear the loud buzzing.

"No!" Lady Eddison cried out. "No, it can't be!"

"Show yourself, demon!" Agatha demanded.

"Nobody move! No, don't! Stay where you are!" the Doctor exclaimed.

The Vespiform was there in the room, and a flurry of activity as everyone made to exit the room.

"Out! Out! Out! Out! Out!" the Doctor snapped to Agatha. "You've got a long life to lead yet."

He ushered her into the hall where Greeves and Donna stood.

"Well we know the butler didn't do it," the redhead cracked.

"Then who did?" he chirped back, rushing back into the dining room with a sword from a wall display.

The lights came back on to reveal the Vespiform gone, as well as Lady Eddison's necklace.

"My jewellery…the Firestone—it's gone! Stolen!"

Davenport stood over the fallen form of Roger, his voice immeasurably sad as he said the now late man's name. "Roger."

Robina screamed prettily as her eyes fell on the body and the Lady moved closer to him.

"My son…my child!"

Rose shook her head as she took in the knife in Roger's back. "Everybody out. Come on… no good to be in here staring at him."

They ushered everyone into the sitting room, and the Doctor stood next to the fireplace, angry with himself that he hadn't been able to save the man. The others gathered at the opposite side of the room.

"Stop that," his wife said softly. "You couldn't have seen that coming. Focus on saving who you can. That's what we do, right?"

He smiled at her and nodded as Donna joined them.

"That poor footman," the former temp said. "Roger's dead and he can't even mourn him. 1926. It's more like the dark ages." She sighed and sat next to Agatha on the sofa, pulling Jenny into her lap. She wanted to hug something, and as usually, the little girl was more than happy to be of service.

"Did you enquire about the necklace?" Agatha asked Rose.

The blonde nodded. "Lady Eddison brought it back from India. It's worth thousands."

The Doctor ran a hand through his hair. "This thing can sting, it can fly… It could wipe us all out in seconds—why is it playing this game?"

"Every murder is essentially the same—they are committed because somebody wants something," Agatha said knowingly.

"What does a Vespiform want?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

"Doctor, stop it," the author admonished. "The murderer is as human as you or I."

He tipped his head. "You're right. I've been so caught up with giant wasps, I've forgotten," he grinned, wheels in his mind turning once more. "You're the expert."

She covered her face again. "Look, I told you. I'm just a…purveyor of nonsense."

He took his hands and spoke, his voice the soft, coaxing tone that made people feel his sincerity. "Oh, no, no, no, no, 'cause plenty of people write detective stories, but yours are the best. And why? Why are you so good, Agatha Christie? Because you understand. You've lived…you've fought…you've had your heart broken. You know about people—their passions, their hope and despair and anger, all of those. Tiny huge things can turn the most ordinary person into a killer. Just think, Agatha. If anyone can solve this, it's you."

She looked at him, then at the other two women in the room before sighing and nodding. She stood and addressed the others in the room. "This is a crooked house…a house of secrets. To understand the solution, we must examine them all. Starting with you…Miss Redmond."

The young woman shook her head, eyes artfully wide. "But I'm innocent, surely."

The author shook her head. "You've never met these people and these people never met you. I think the real Robina Redmond never left London. You're impersonating her!"

"How silly," the brunette dismissed. "What proof do you have?"

Agatha smirked slightly. "You said you'd been to the toilet…"

Donna piped, "Oh, I know this—if she was really posh, she'd say loo."

"Earlier today, Miss Jenny and I found this on the lawn…" She picked up the case of thieves' tools, "…right beneath your bathroom window. You must have heard Miss Noble was searching the bedrooms and you panicked. You ran upstairs and disposed of the evidence."

"I've never seen that thing before in my life," Robina sniffed.

Lady Eddison looked curious. "What's inside it?"

"The tools of your trade, Miss Redmond, or should I say…the Unicorn." She opened the case and showed everyone. "You came to this house with one sole intention—to steal the Firestone!"

The woman scowled and looked up. "Oh, all right then. It's a fair cop. Yes, I'm the bleedin' Unicorn. Ever so nice to meet you, I don't think. I took my chance in the dark and nabbed it. Go on then, ya nobs, arrest me. Sling me in jail."

She pulled the necklace out of her dress and threw it, the Doctor snatching it neatly out of the air.

"So, is she the murderer?" Jenny asked Agatha, eyes wide as she listened to her explain.

"Don't be so thick. I might be a thief but I ain't no killer," the Unicorn snapped at the girl.

Rose cleared her throat, sending a warning glare at the woman who hushed quickly.

"Quite," Agatha said in a disapproving tone before giving the little girl a smile and moving on. "There are darker motives at work, and, in examining this household…we come to you…Colonel."

The man huffed. "Damn it, woman! You with your perspicacity! You've rumbled me!" He stood from his wheelchair and glared at the author.

Lady Eddison blinked. "You—you can walk? But why?"

He sighed. "My darling, how else could I be certain of keeping you by my side?"

She shook her head. "I don't understand."

He touched her cheek. "You're still a beautiful woman, Clemency. Sooner or later, some chap will turn your head. I couldn't bear that. Staying in the chair was the only way I could be certain of keeping you. Confound it, Mrs. Christie! How did you discover the truth?"

Agatha shook her head with wide eyes. "Um, actually, I had no idea. I was just going to say you were completely innocent."

The colonel looked surprised, then flushed slightly. "Ah… Oh."

Rose bit her lip and buried her face in the Doctor's shoulder to keep from laughing aloud.

"Sorry," Agatha said quietly.

"Well, shall I sit down then?" the man asked, clearly embarrassed.

"I think you better had," Donna laughed.

Jenny looked between the colonel and Agatha. "So he's not the murderer?"

"Indeed not. To find the truth…let's return…" she took the necklace from the Doctor, who looked to be enjoying her explanation as much as his daughter, "…to this—far more than the Unicorn's object of desire. The Firestone has quite a history. Lady Eddison."

"I've done nothing!" the woman immediately cried.

Agatha shrugged a bit. "You brought it back from India, did you not? Before you met the Colonel. You came home with malaria and confined yourself to this house for six months, in a room that has been locked ever since, which I rather think means—"

"Stop, please!" the Lady begged.

"I'm so sorry. But you had fallen pregnant in India…unmarried and ashamed, you hurried back to England with your confidante, a young maid, later to become housekeeper, Miss Chandrakala," the author revealed gently.

Hugh looked at his wife. "Clemency! Is this true?"

She covered her face, tears springing to her eyes. "My poor baby. I had to give him away. Oh, the shame of it."

"But you've never said a word!"

She raised her chin proudly. "I had no choice. Imagine the scandal, the family name. I'm British—I carry on."

Now the Doctor piped up. "And it was no ordinary pregnancy."

She turned to stare at him. "How can you know that?"

"Excuse me, Agatha, this is my territory. But when you heard that buzzing sound in the dining room, you said, 'It can't be'. Why did you say that?"

"Isn't my Daddy clever, Aunt Donna?" Jenny whispered loudly.

The Lady shook her head. "You'd never believe it."

The author smiled tightly. "The Doctor has opened my mind to believe…many things," she said as she took a seat to listen.

"It was forty years ago…" the woman said, thinking back. "In the heat of Delhi one night. I was alone and that's when I saw it—a dazzling light in the sky. The next day, he came to the house—Christopher, the most handsome man I'd ever seen. Our love blazed like a wildfire and I held nothing back. And in return, he showed me the incredible truth about himself. He made himself human to learn about us. This was his true shape. I loved him so much it didn't matter. But he was stolen from me. 1885, the year of the Great Monsoon. The River Jumna rose up and broke its banks. He was taken at the flood. But Christopher left me a parting gift—a jewel like no other. I wore it always. Part of me never forgot. I keep it close. Always."

The Unicorn sniffed. "Just like a man—flashes his family jewels and you end up with a bun in the oven."

"A 'poor little child'. Forty years ago, Miss Chandrakala took that newborn babe to an orphanage. But Professor Peach worked it out. He found the birth certificate," Agatha finished.

Jenny bounced. "Oh, that's 'maiden'—maiden name."

"Precisely," Agatha praised, smiling at the girl.

"So she killed him?" the girl asked.

"I did not!" the Lady protested.

Agatha continued. "Miss Chandrakala feared that the professor had unearthed your secret. She was coming to warn you."

Jenny looked over. "So she killed her?"

Lady Eddison shook her head fervently. "I did not!"

"Lady Eddison is innocent. Because at this point… Doctor?" Agatha handed it over.

He stood. "Thank you. Because at this point when we consider the lies and secrets and the key to these events, then we have to consider…it was you, Donna Noble…"

"What?" Donna squeaked. "Who did I kill?"

Jenny blinked at the red haired woman.

"No, but you said it all along, the vital clue—that this whole thing is being acted out like a murder mystery. Which means…it was you, Agatha Christie."

"I beg your pardon, sir?"

"So she killed them, Daddy?"

He shook his head. "No, but she wrote. She wrote those brilliant, clever books. And who's her greatest admirer? The moving finger points…at you, Lady Eddison."

"Leave me alone!" the older woman cried.

"So she did kill them!" Jenny gasped, jumping up to stand next to the Doctor.

He shook his head. "No, but just think…last Thursday night, what were you doing?"

She frowned, thinking about it. "Uh, I was uh…I was in the library. I was reading my favourite Agatha Christie thinking about her plots, and how clever she must be. How is that relevant?"

He nodded, turning to face the reverend. "Just think—what happened Thursday night?"

"I'm sorry?" the man asked, shaking his head.

"You said on the lawn this afternoon, last Thursday, those boys broke into your church," Rose prompted, finally catching up to her husband.

The reverend nodded. "That's correct…they did. I discovered the two of them—thieves in the night. I was most perturbed. But I apprehended them."

"Really?" the Doctor asked, feigning surprise. "A man of God against two strong lads? A man in his forties? Or, should I say, forty years old…exactly."

"Oh, my God!" Lady Eddison gasped.

"Lady Eddison, your child—how old would he be now?" the Doctor asked.

"Forty," she whispered. "He's…forty."

"Your child has come home."

"Ha! This is poppycock!" the reverend exclaimed.

"Oh? You said you were taught by the Christian fathers, meaning, raised in an orphanage," the Doctor said, no doubt in his conclusion.

"My son! Can it be?"

The Doctor stepped toward the reverend. "You found those thieves, Reverend, and you got angry. A proper, deep anger for the first time in your life and it broke the genetic code. You changed. You realized your inheritance. After all these years…you knew who you were. Oh, then it all kicks off 'cause this…" he continued, holding up the Firestone, "…isn't just a jewel—it's a Vespiform telepathic recorder. It's part of you—your brain, your very essence. And when you activated, so did the Firestone. It beamed your full identity directly into your mind. And, at the same time, it absorbed the works of Agatha Christie directly from Lady Eddison. It all became part of you. The mechanics of those novels formed a template in your brain. You killed in this pattern because that's what you think the world is. Turns out we are in the middle of a murder mystery. One of yours, Dame Agatha."

He settled on the arm of the chair where Rose sat.

"Dame?" Agatha asked, causing Rose to thump the Doctor's leg.

"Oh, sorry, not yet," he apologized.

Jenny crawled into Rose's lap and looked up at her father. "So he killed them? Yes? Definitely?"

"Yes," the Doctor answered, tapping her on the nose.

"Well, this has certainly been a most entertaining evening. Really, you can't believe any of this, surely, Lady Eddizzz—" the reverend tried.

"Lady who?" Donna asked, picking up on the buzz.

He struggled with his words. "Lady Eddizzzon…"

"Little bit of buzzing there, Vicar?" the Doctor asked politely.

"Don't make me angry," the man snapped, surging to his feet.

"Why?" Jenny asked curiously, getting to her knees to stare at him in fascination. "What happens then?"

"Watch your knees, Jenny," Rose winced, shifting a bit.

The reverend glared at them all. "Damn it! You humanzzz! Worshipping your tribal sky godzzz! I am so much more! That night, the universe exploded in my mind! I wanted to take what wazz mine. And you, Agatha Christie, with your railway station bookstall romancezzz… What'zzz to stop me killing you?"

"Oh, my dear God!" Lady Eddison cried, reaching out for him. "My child!"

"What'zzz to stop me killing you all?" he shouted, transforming into the Vespiform.

"Forgive me!" she moaned.

"No, Clemency!" the colonel exclaimed as he and Greeves pulled the Lady toward the exit. "Keep away! Keep away, my darling!"

Agatha held up the Firestone which she still held. "No! No more murder! If my imagination made you kill, then my imagination will find a way to stop you, foul creature!"

She ran from the room, followed by the Vespiform, and the Doctor, Rose, Donna and Jenny.

They managed to get in front of the Vespiform and shut the door, trapping it in the house temporarily. Agatha pulled up in a car.

As the creature burst through the door, Agatha shouted, "Over here! Come and get me, Reverend!"

"Agatha, what are you doing?" Rose cried.

"If I started this, my friends, then I must stop it!" she cried before driving off.

The Doctor ran to another car. "Come on!"

The four of them piled in and took off after Agatha's car, which was closely followed by the Vespiform.

"You said this is the night Agatha Christie loses her memory," Donna asked.

Rose shook her head. "Time is in flux, Donna, especially just now! For all we know, this is the night Agatha Christie loses her life and history gets changed!"

"But where is she going?!" the redhead wondered.

There was a sign on the side reading, 'Silent Pool'.

"The lake! She's heading for the lake! What's she doing?" the Doctor shouted.

As they pulled up to the lake, Agatha was getting out of her car, holding up the necklace.

"Here I am! The honey in the trap. Come to me, Vespiform!"

"She's controlling it," Donna gasped in realization.

The Doctor surged from the car. "Its mind is based on her thought processes. They're linked."

The author nodded. "Quite so, Doctor. If I die, then this creature might die with me."

Rose faced the creature. "Don't hurt her! You're not meant to be like this. You've got the wrong template in your mind. We can help you."

"He's not listening," Donna said, thinking fast. She grabbed the necklace and threw it as far into the lake as she could.

The Vespiform dove into the water after it. The water bubbled and glowed purple as they watched.

"How do you kill a wasp? Drown it. Just like its father," she said quietly.

"Donna, that thing couldn't help itself," the Doctor said.

She looked at him. "Neither could I."

"Death comes as the end. And justice is served," Agatha spoke.

"Murder at the vicar's rage," the Doctor said, seeing Rose roll her eyes. "Needs a bit of work."

"Just one mystery left, Doctor. Who exactly are you?"

There was no time to answer as Agatha suddenly doubled over in pain, clutching at her head. Rose grabbed her and lowered her to the ground, eyes

"Oh! It's the Firestone! It's part of the Vespiform's mind! It's dying and it's connected to Agatha!"

The author began to glow with a purple light that faded quickly and left her unconscious.

"It let her go," Rose sighed happily. "Right at the end, the Vespiform chose to save someone's life."

"Is she all right, though?" Jenny asked, peering at the woman.

"Oh, of course! The amnesia! Wiped her mind of everything that happened. The wasp, the murders…" the Doctor reassured her.

"And us. She'll forget about us," Donna sighed.

"Yeah, but we solved another riddle—the mystery of Agatha Christie. And tomorrow morning, her car gets found by the side of the lake," he said, smiling. "A few days later, she turns up at a hotel in Harrogate…with no idea of what just happened. No one'll ever know."

They gathered the woman into the car and took her back to the TARDIS, arriving at the proper hotel in time to drop the confused woman off without her knowing how she arrived.

"Lady Eddison, the colonel, and all the staff—what about them?" Donna asked.

Rose smirked a bit. "Oh, Donna, you know how it is. A shameful story. They'd never talk of it—too British. While the Unicorn does a bunk back to London Town, she can never say she was there."

Jenny tugged at the Doctor's suit jacket. "But what happens to Agatha?"

He turned and opened the door to the TARDIS, explaining with a flourish, "Oh, great life! Met another man, married again. Saw the world. Wrote and wrote and wrote."

"She never thought her books were any good, though. And she must have spent all those years wondering," Donna sighed.

"Thing is, I don't think she ever quite forgot. Great mind like that, some of the details kept bleeding through. All the stuff her imagination could use. Like Miss Marple!" he grinned.

Donna grinned back. "I should have made her sign a contract."

"And—where is it? Hold on… Here we go," he said, lifting a section of grating and pulling out a chest. "C, for…" He pulled out a metal chestplate from a cyberman and a globe. "Cyberman, carrionites… and…"

Rose made a face as she took them from him, returning them to the chest as he pulled out a book and handed it to Donna.

"Christie, Agatha. Look at that," he said, tapping the large wasp on the cover.

Rose tucked the reminders of their pasts into the chest again and closed it.

"She did remember," Jenny said in awe, looking at the cover too.

"Somewhere at the back of her mind, it all lingered. And that's not all. Look at the copyright page."

He slid the chest back down and closed it, taking Rose's hand as Donna looked inside.

"Facsimile edition published in the year…5 billion!?" she cried.

"People never stop reading them. She is the best-selling novelist of all time," he nodded, smiling a bit.

"But she never knew," the redhead argued.

"Well, no one knows how they're gonna be remembered. We can only hope for the best," he said, letting go of Rose's hand to scoop Jenny up and head for the console. "Maybe that's what kept her writing. The same thing that keeps me travelling. Onwards?"

Donna looked at the book one last time and nodded. "Onwards."

As he began to put in the necessary directions to take them somewhere, Jenny asked a question. "Can your psychic paper talk to you by itself?"

"Not usually, but it can get messages from people who really need to talk to me. Why do you ask?"

Jenny held out the paper that she had nicked as easily and unnoticed as her mother usually did, something that the Doctor had hoped wasn't hereditary.

"Because someone apparently wants to meet you and mum at some library."


A/N: There's another done for you! I truly hope you like it. I have another surprise/mystery planned for you in the next chapter, but it's proving a bit difficult to get right, so cross your fingers and send lots of reviews to keep me motivated to keep plugging on!