Chapter Two: Red and the Spider.
Series: Three.
Episode: Christmas Special - Runaway Bride.

Rose heard the Doctor flicking a couple of switches in the silence that followed. That silence was suddenly broken by his exclamation.

"What?"

She heard a female gasp. Before the Doctor repeated his question.

"What?" The Doctor asked a little more firmly, having gotten over some of his shock.

"Who are you?" the voice of an unknown woman asked.

At this, Rose finally turned around, mascara tracked down her cheeks from crying. There stood a red-haired woman in her wedding dress in the spot her mother had stood not even moments before.

"B-." The Doctor tried to question her again before getting cut off.

"Where am I?" The woman asked angrily as if this was all a great inconvenience to her.

"What?"

"What the hell is this place!?" The woman yelled.

"What!?"

x

"You can't do that I wasn't- We're in flight! That's physically impossible! How did yo-" The Doctor exclaimed confused.

"Tell me where I am. I demand you tell me, right now, where am I!?" She yelled, cutting him off.

"Inside the TARDIS." He replied more calmly than before.

"The what?"

"The TARDIS."

"The what!?"

"The TARDIS!" The Doctor said getting more exasperated as he moved around the console flicking switches.

"The what!?"

"It's called the TARDIS."

"That's not even a proper word! You're just saying things!"

Rose stood quietly watching the scene before her unfurl with her mouth dropped open in shock and confusion.

"How did you get in here?"

"Obviously when you kidnapped me! Who was it? Who's paying you? Was it Nerys? Oh my god, she's finally got me back! This has got Nerys written all over it."

"Who the hell is Nerys?"

"Your best friend."

"Hold on wait a minute, what are you dressed like that for?"

"I'm going ten pin bowling. Why do you think, dumbo!? I was halfway up the aisle. I have waited all my life for this and I was just seconds away and you- I dunno drugged me or something."

"I haven't done anything."

"I'm having the police on you! Me and my husband - as soon as he is my husband - we're gonna sue the living backside off of ya!"

Despite the absurdity and the seriousness of the situation Rose couldn't help wonder how that would go down in court as the Doctor was for all intents and purposes a penniless, homeless alien who could change his face.

Donna spotted the TARDIS' doors and ran towards them.

"No! Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Don-"

It was too late she had pulled open the doors and stared at the supernova they were still orbiting.

"You're in space. Outer space and this is my... spaceship. It's called a TARDIS."

"How am I breathing?"

"The TARDIS is protecting us."

"Who are ya?"

"I'm the Doctor. You?"

"Donna."

"Human?"

"Yeah. Is that optional?"

"Well, it is for me."

"You're an alien."

"Yeah."

"It's freezing with these doors open." Donna commented simply.

The Doctor slammed the doors, rushing back to the console he began to ramble.

"I don't understand it. And I understand everything." Rose gave a silent chuckle at that. "This can't happen. There is no way a human being can lock onto the TARDIS and transport itself inside." The Doctor mumbled to himself trying to come up with an explanation as he grabbed an ophthalmoscope to look at Donna's eye.

Donna slapped him, as he went on and on. Mum would've liked her, Rose thought to herself. Suddenly she realised it didn't matter what her mum thought, she was gone for good. Fighting against the fresh wave of tears that threatened to overspill she stayed silent watching things play out, too overcome by the still fresh grief to intervene.

"What was that for?"

"Get me to the church!"

"Right! Fine, I don't want you here anyway. Where is this wedding?" The Doctor sniped childishly.

"Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System!" Donna answered her volume increasing with each destination.

It was then that Donna spotted Rose standing in the doorway to the console room, mascara still tracked down her face having forgotten about it in her shock at seeing Donna.

"I knew it. Acting all innocent. I'm not the first am I? How many women have you abducted?"

"He didn't abduct me." Rose said gently.

"Then why are you crying?" Not believing the younger blonde she continued. "What did he do to you, huh? Drug ya? Say he'd hurt ya if you rat him out? You can tell me because my husband and I will have the police on him." She said in a much softer voice than she'd used since arriving on the TARDIS.

"I promise you Donna he didn't do anything. To me or you." She said she swallowed back fresh tears before answering her question "He just let me say goodbye to my mum."

"Let you?" Donna's rage had returned with a vengeance at the unfortunate misunderstanding. "You're coming with me, and we're getting out of here!"

Donna grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her towards the doors. They had landed by this point having felt the tell-tale thump. The Doctor looked panicked as he watched Rose get dragged off of the TARDIS by Donna.

"Donna wait!" Rose said panicking.

Donna pulled her out of the door but stopped right in front of them looking around frowning. The Doctor joined them outside thankful that Donna hadn't whisked Rose away.

The short pause had allowed her head to clear only for her to realise she felt rather queasy. Days she'd spent holed up in the TARDIS and now she was getting sick? Typical. Weirdly enough though it felt almost as if the sensation didn't belong to her.

"I said Saint Mary's, what sort of Martian are you? Where's this?" She questioned turning to the Doctor but was looking at his box with a frown stroking the outside of it.

"Something's wrong with her. It's... like she's... recalibrating!" He said diving back into the ship, Rose heard him continue to mutter to himself about the TARDIS.

Rose bit her thumb, looking worriedly at Donna. She was staring at the TARDIS in shock. Rose understood that feeling. She placed her hands on Donna's arms trying to comfort the woman.

"Donna?" Rose asked gently.

Just then the Doctor shouted her name too.

"Donna? You've really got to think. Is there anything that might've caused this? Anything you might've done?" Donna ripped out of Rose's grip to walk around the TARDIS. "Any sort of alien contacts? I can't let you go wandering off. What if you're dangerous. I mean, have you, have you seen lights in the sky, or did you touch something like something, something different, something strange? Or something made out of a box of metal or..." Donna's head darted in and back out again. She remembered feeling like that but she didn't know how to help without igniting the women's anger again. "Who are you getting married to? Are you sure he's human? He's not a bit overweight with a zip around his forehead, is he?"

Donna's hand covered her mouth in shock. Rose went to comfort the older woman before she ran off. Rose ran after her.

"Donna!" Rose called

"Leave me alone I just wanna get married."

"Come back to the TARDIS, the Doctor will fix it."

"No way! That box is too... weird."

"I know it's bigger on the inside, freaked me out too."

Rose glanced back over her shoulder at the TARDIS, she really didn't want to be away from the Doctor right now, it'd barely even been ten minutes since she'd said goodbye to her mum. She didn't think she was quite up for this. And trying to figure out how to maneuver Donna's explosive temperament was not a task she could manage today. But she knew calling for the Doctor would set the red head off again.

Donna carried on walking as she glanced down at her watch.

"Ten past three, gonna miss it." Donna said sadly.

"Here, phone them and then come back to the TARDIS and the Doctor will fix it, I promise." She said handing the woman her mobile.

Rose then remembered what the Doctor had asked about her husband being human.

"This man you're marrying, what's his name?" Rose asked.

"Lance." Donna answered a dreamy look on her face

"Gotta like Lance." Rose said with her cheeky tongue between teeth smile.

Donna smiled dreamily before turning away and calling someone.

"Mum get off the phone and listen I'm in... Oh my god I dunno where I am, It's a street and there's WHSmith but it's definitely Earth." Donna ended the call, unable to provide any further information. "Here ya go Blondie. Thanks but I'm not going back in there it's too... Martian."

Donna ran down the street. Rose ran after her as she was trying to call a taxi. Rose caught up with her.

"Why's his light on?"

"C'mon there's another one."

"Taxi! Oi!"

"C'mon."

"Oi!"

"Why aren't they stopping?" Perhaps she'd spent too long on alien planets, but she couldn't seem to understand why they weren't stopping. But she also wasn't really in the right state of mind to think too deeply on it.

"They think I'm in fancy dress."

Another taxi drove past this one with it's window down. The driver shouted something unrecognisable in his thick accent.

"They think I'm drunk."

Two men drove past in a bright blue car.

"You're fooling no-one mate." They shouted.

"They think I'm in drag."

Rose considered her options for a minute. Donna was gonna leave with or without her help and seeing as they still didn't understand how she'd gotten on board it was probably best Rose kept an eye on her. She then remembered a trick the Doctor had taught her.

"Hold on."

She put two fingers in her mouth and let out a deafening whistle. A taxi swerved in front of them. The two girls clambered in.

"Saint Mary's in Chiswick just off Hayden road. It's an emergency I'm getting married. Just hurry up." Donna said as soon as she got into the vehicle.

"That will cost you sweetheart, double rates today."

"Oh my god, have you got any money."

"Uh no." Her bag was still at her mum's; they hadn't remembered to go back and get it amongst everything else, she was about as penniless as the Doctor right now.

The taxi braked suddenly. The girls sighed getting back out.

"And that goes double for ya mother!" Donna shouted at the driver before he drove off. "I'll have 'im, I've got his number, I'll have 'im. Talk about the Christmas spirit."

Rose suddenly became aware of her surroundings.

"It's Christmas already?" Rose asked confused.

Oh god it was her first Christmas without her mum. She hadn't even had time to consider Christmas while travelling with the Doctor, she hadn't needed to last year and now it had snuck up on her just after she'd left her mum behind. The irony was not lost on her.

"Yes! It's Christmas Eve." Donna replied frustrated.

"C'mon let's go see if the Doctor's got any money." Rose said solemnly, pointing her thumb back in the direction of the TARDIS.

The two of them walked back to the TARDIS. No running needed this time.

"How comes ya gettin' married on Christmas Eve."

"Can't bare it. I 'ate Christmas, honeymoon in Morocco, sunshine lovely."

Rose hummed in agreement.

"So if he didn't kidnap you, what are you two? It's not some sort of Stockholm syndrome thing is it? Are you an alien and all?"

"No, I'm human, London born and raised. The Doctor and I are just friends." She answered uncomfortably, it didn't matter what her own feelings were on the matter, they could never be more and she really didn't want to think about that right now.

The awkwardness of her answer was not helped by the disbelieving look Donna sent her. Thankfully they'd returned to the TARDIS so Rose called to the Doctor before stepping inside the blue box. Donna stayed outside still not quite over the whole bigger on the inside thing.

"Doctor!"

"Yeah."

"Got any money, Donna needs a taxi."

"Uh." The Doctor stood up from where he had been checking the monitor as he patted down his pockets. "No. C'mon let's go find a checkpoint, maybe getting Donna back is the key to understanding."

The Doctor ran out and Rose grabbed a black leather jacket that had appeared by the door, she sent a thankful smile towards the ceiling before following. Donna was leaning against the TARDIS looking bored and fed up. The two women followed the Doctor as he tried to find a cash point. The Doctor finally found one, Rose followed while Donna lagged behind.

The Doctor hopped from foot-to-foot as he waited for the man in front to withdraw his cash. Rose withheld her laughter as she watched the Doctor get frustrated so quickly from such a short time waiting, he really did have the attention span of a toddler sometimes. The Doctor finally made it to the cash point using his sonic to withdraw money, making Rose wonder, he spent so much time on Earth why didn't he get an account? He had worked for UNIT after all. But she couldn't deny how useful that particular setting was, especially off-world.

Rose dismissed that train of thought as she turned to look for Donna. It looked like Donna was taking matters into her own hands as she called over a taxi. She turned to tell the Doctor but spotted the robot Santas and groaned. One year. Just one goddamned year. Her attention drifted back to Donna when she shouted.

"Thanks for nothing Spaceman. I'll see you in court."

Donna clambered into the taxi. And of course the driver was a robot Santa.

"Donna!" The Doctor shouted from behind her.

They spun round to face the impending crowd of Santas. They had lowered their instruments, clearly prepared to shoot just like the previous year. The Doctor pointed his screwdriver at the cashpoint and money flooded out, passers by swarmed to grab the floating cash, effectively covering them from the Santas. He grabbed her hand and they ran back to the TARDIS together. They burst through the doors and the Doctor immediately began flicking switches and pulling various levers.

"It's Christmas? Again! What is it with this planet and Christmas?"

Rose leaned against the TARDIS doors as she watched the Doctor ramble about Christmas on Earth. A smile slowly bloomed on her face, the routine of chaos was something so normal to Rose that it distracted her from her grief and all her memories of last year. She suddenly heard the TARDIS make a disturbing grinding sound different from her usual ones. Her head snapped up to the rotor.

"Doctor? What's wrong?"

"We're flying. She doesn't like it very much."

She heard the TARDIS grumble in her mind. Something about the Doctor's driving.

"Oi!" The Doctor must have heard it as well.

The Doctor continued to flick switches, pull levers and turn knobs. Sparks flew from the console. Rose ducked slightly. The Doctor picked up his mallet and whacked the console.

"Behave!"

The TARDIS grumbled but no more sparks flew. Rose took that as a good sign.

"Rose come here." Rose rushed over to the console eager to help. "When I say, pull that lever, that lever there got it?" Rose nodded "Good." The Doctor ran to the doors, flinging them open.

"Open the door!" The Doctor yelled at Donna.

"Do what?" She yelled back.

"Open the door!"

"I can't, it's locked!" He made a frustrated noise in his throat, leaning against the side of the TARDIS, he pulled out his sonic screwdriver. Panic and fear suddenly flooded through Rose as she envisioned him toppling out, she wasn't prepared to lose him now or ever, especially so soon after saying goodbye to the last of her family. He pointed it at the door and Donna pushed down the window.

"Be careful!" Rose screamed at him just as the TARDIS jolted, showering her in sparks she ducked to avoid them, subsequently pulling her eyes away from the Doctor and his precarious position in the doorway above the motorway.

"Santa's a robot." Donna said in shock.

"Donna open the door."

"What for?"

"You've got to jump."

"I'm not blinking flip jumping. I'm supposed to be getting married!"

He made another frustrated noise low in his throat as the taxi sped away.

"Now, Rose."

Rose pushed the lever forward. She felt the TARDIS jolt and bash into things. Probably cars. Sparks flew from the console. Rose shrieked trying to avoid the second wave of showering sparks. Oh this was such a bad idea. The Doctor wasn't much better off himself as he was left clutching the sides of the TARDIS trying to avoid being thrown out.

"Listen to me - you've got to jump!"

"I'm not jumping on a motorway."

"Whatever that thing is, it needs you. And whatever it needs you for, it's not good. Now, jump!"

"I'm in my wedding dress!"

"Yes! You look lovely! Come on!"

"I can't do it." Donna cried fearfully.

"Trust me." The Doctor said much more calmly than before in the hopes of coaxing her out before things got so much worse.

"Is that what you said to her? Rose, does she trust you?" Clearly still not believing that Rose hadn't been kidnapped as she'd accused earlier.

"Yes, with my life!" Rose called from within the TARDIS.

"Now, jump!"

Donna screamed and landed on top of the Doctor in the TARDIS' doorway. The Doctor kicked the door shut and pulled them both up. He finally rejoined her at the console, taking over the controls and getting them off the motorway.

x

The Doctor landed them on a rooftop. The three of them exited coughing from the smoke. The Doctor was trying to distinguish the flames with a fire extinguisher that he kept handy for moments such as this. Donna looked down at her watch as Rose kept her mouth covered, keeping an eye on the Doctor.

"Funny thing is, for a... spaceship she doesn't do that much... flying. We better give her a couple of hours. You alright?" He asked the distressed looking bride.

"Doesn't matter." She said, shrugging.

"Did we miss it?" Rose asked coming to stand on the bride's other side.

"Yeah." She said, turning to face her.

"Well, you can book another date." The Doctor suggested as clueless as always.

"Course we can." She said, still sounding deflated.

"Still got the honeymoon." Rose said trying to help her, it just seemed wrong for the fiery woman to be so extinguished.

" 'S just a holiday now."

"Yeah, suppose so."

"Sorry." The Doctor apologised.

"It's not your fault."

"Oh! That's a change."

"Wish you had a time machine then we could go back and get it right."

"Uh ...yeah, yeah. But even if I did, I couldn't get back along someone's personal timeline. Apparently."

Donna looked at him suspiciously before sitting down on the edge of the roof. Rose plopped down beside her and the Doctor soon followed sitting on the red's other side. The Doctor draped his suit jacket over Donna's bare shoulders as she shivered between the two time travellers.

"God, you're skinny. This wouldn't fit a rat." Donna exclaimed.

Rose bit her lip and turned away in an attempt to keep her laughter at bay.

As her eyes scanned the city before her she couldn't help spot her mum's flat. And wasn't that an odd thought. She'd spent her whole life there, yet now she thought of it as her mum's rather than theirs. Briefly she wondered when that had changed but she knew that deep down she thought of the TARDIS and it's Timelord as home for a long time now.

Unwanted memories rose to the surface at the thought, she dropped her gaze, staring at her dangling feet instead.

"Oh and you'd better put this on." Rose heard the Doctor say. "Sorry, but those creatures can trace you. This is a bio-damper. Should keep you hidden." He said, wincing.

Rose turned back around to see the Doctor holding out a gold ring to Donna. Donna nodded, accepting the explanation clearly giving up on questioning anything that was too unusual.

"So, come on then. Robot santas, what are they for?" Donna asked.

"Ah, your basic robo scavenger. The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. They're trying to blend in. We met them last Christmas."

Rose grimaced at the reminder. Hadn't she just been thinking about them? Unsurprisingly, really.

"Why, what happened then?" Donna asked, perplexed.

Rose faced her, a deep frown etched into her skin.

"Great big spaceship hovering over London? Nearly 'alf of the world stood on the roof? You dint notice?" Rose asked, though she didn't think it was possible, it was worldwide after all.

"I had a bit of a hangover." Donna answered as if that explained everything.

Rose frown deepened. She had her fair share of hangovers over the years, but nothing could have made her drunk enough to not notice what had happened. The Doctor looked concerned too. But he quickly went back to their robot attackers.

"Question is, what do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you? And how did you get inside the TARDIS? I don't know. What's your job?"

"I'm a secretary." Donna answered, not noticing the worried expressions of the people on either side of her.

The Doctor whipped his screwdriver out and ran it over Donna.

"It's weird. I mean, you're not special, you're not powerful, you're not connected, you're not clever, you're not important. Just human. So what is it?"

Donna turned to Rose looking exasperated.

"Do you ever just wanna punch him in the face?" Donna whipped back round to the Doctor. "Stop bleeping me!" She shouted.

"What kind of secretary?" The Doctor asked, choosing to ignore Donna's remark to Rose, though he shot her a pointed look to which Rose smirked at, over Donna's shoulder in response.

"I'm at HC Clements. It's where I met Lance. I was temping." Donna's eyes glazed over as she recounted the memory. "I mean, it was all a bit posh really. I'd spent the last two years at a double glazing firm. Well, I thought I'm never going to fit in here. And then he made me a coffee. I mean, that just doesn't happen. Nobody gets the secretaries a coffee, right?" Donna asked Rose seemingly having chosen that she was the more normal of the two.

Rose nodded, whether in agreement or as an encouragement to continue it didn't seem to matter.

"And Lance, he's the head of HR! He don't need to bother with me. But he was nice, he was funny." Donna continued, Rose smiled despite herself thinking about the other occupant on the roof, she shook her head dismissing the thought. Now was so not the time for her childish crush.

"And it turns out he thought everyone else was really snotty too. So that's how it started, me and him. One cup of coffee. That was it." Donna concluded.

"When was this?" The Doctor asked.

"Six months ago." Donna answered.

"Bit quick to get married." The Doctor commented.

"Well, he insisted."

The Doctor shot Rose a look that depicted that he didn't believe that was the case. Rose bit her lip again, trying to control the laughter that wanted to bubble past her lips. Rose shot him a glare that was quite clearly reprimanding him for being rude. The Doctor nodded as if to say 'Yep, rude and not ginger' he turned away from her, ending their silent conversation, a pleased smile on his lips for getting Rose to laugh - well almost laugh anyway - even after having to say goodbye to her mother less than an hour ago.

"And he just wore me down. And then finally, I just gave in." Donna continued, neither of them had noticed she wasn't quite finished, too consumed in each other.

"What does HC Clements do?" The Doctor asked to cover up the fact he hadn't been paying proper attention.

"Oh, security systems. You know, entry codes, ID cards, that sort of thing. If you ask me, it's a posh name for locksmiths."

"Keys." The Doctor said in the voice he always used when he knew something was important he just didn't know why quite yet.

"Anyway, enough of my CV. Come on, it's time to face the consequences. Oh, this is going to be so shaming. You can do the explaining, Martian boy." Donna said breaking the silence that settled over the trio as she stood up.

"Yeah. I'm not from Mars." The Doctor said, offended at the comparison.

"Oh, I had this great big reception all planned. Everyone's going to be heartbroken." Donna said to no one in particular in a disappointed tone clearly ignoring the Doctor's comment.

Rose smiled getting up, following the other two. She could tell she was gonna like Donna, she had this sort of fire to her.

x

The TARDIS materialised at the correct destination this time. Her passengers spilled out into the reception decorated for the festive season, Slade was coming from the speakers and all the guests were too busy enjoying themselves to notice the timeship appear out of thin air.

While growing up without a father had left Rose with a particularly dad shaped hole in her life that no amount of boyfriends filled, it did mean that she had been particularly close to her mum. They were all that each other had in this world. And there was no doubt in Rose's mind that if she'd disappeared halfway down the aisle her mum would be organising a search party and not a single person would be partying.

After all she'd been missing for a year and her mum had never given up forcing the police to give a damn as well despite her only being another nobody from the estates in their eyes. And in that moment Rose felt nothing but anger towards - supposedly - the most important people in Donna's life for how they'd quickly abandoned her.

"You had the reception without me?" Donna spoke up, outraged at this betrayal.

"Donna, what happened to you?" A dark skinned, bald man asked, stepping forward.

"You had the reception without me?" Donna repeated.

"Hel-" The Doctor went to speak but Rose nudged him slightly in the ribs, clearly noting the redhead's upset, the fact that they weren't on the guest list and had just so happen to turn up with the missing bride. Okay there were a ton of reasons the Doctor should keep quiet, his gob got them into as much trouble as it got them out of, if not more so.

The Doctor looked down at Rose, a questioning expression filling his features. Rose just shook her head subtly. For someone who spent so much time around humans he truly was clueless when it came to social cues sometimes.

"They had the reception without me." Donna said to the two travellers in disbelief, luckily having not heard the Doctor's interruption.

"Well, it was all paid for. Why not?" A blonde woman called a sneer decorating her otherwise pretty features.

"Thank you, Nerys." Donna spat.

A look of understanding passed over the Doctor's features, while Rose wondered why on earth the woman was at Donna's wedding when they clearly didn't see eye to eye. And what it was exactly that had transpired between the two that led to her thinking the blonde would go as far as to kidnap her on her wedding day, Jackie wasn't the only gossip after all, Rose could just cover the nasty habit up as investigating, while Jackie didn't have such an excuse.

"Well, what were we supposed to do? I got your silly little message in the end. 'I'm on Earth?' Very funny. What the hell happened? How did you do it? I mean, what's the trick, because I'd love to know." Another woman pushed her way forward, she had lined skin, pale blonde hair and her features were akin to Donna's.

Suddenly, everyone started talking at once. Rose heard Lance over the loud chatter say.

"Where were you the whole time?"

At the sudden onslaught of conversation, Donna promptly burst into tears. That quickly shut everyone up. Lance stepped forward to hug her, everyone burst into a round of applause and cooing, Rose noted that Nerys wasn't among them. From over Lance's shoulder Donna winked at the two travellers and continued her fake crying burying her face in her would have been husband's shoulder.

Rose smirked. She could tell that Donna knew just what to do to get what she wanted and briefly wondered what she was like as a child.

It didn't take long after that for the ensembled guest to get back into the swing of the party. The Doctor looked down at Rose and nodded towards the bar, she followed after him.

"Have you got your phone?" The Doctor asked once they were at the bar, now that they were slightly further away from the source of the music.

Rose nodded and dug her phone back out of her pocket handing it over.

The Doctor quickly got to work searching up about this 'HC Clements'. He slid his glasses on as he read whatever it was he had dug up. Rose watched the guests dancing around and briefly thought back to the Doctor in another lifetime and how they had danced during the blitz, she looked at her own Doctor as these thoughts rampaged through her head. She saw him whip out his sonic screwdriver, probably to dig further. Suddenly he scowled.

"Of course." He said bitterly.

Rose looked at the screen over his shoulder.

'HC Clements, sole proprietor - Torchwood.' it read.

Rose turned away from the screen trying to not think of how Torchwood had ruined everything for her. She knew she couldn't blame them, they had gone looking for trouble - as usual - but it wasn't entirely their fault. After all, she thought to herself, they can't be all that bad, seeing as Mickey works for Torchwood. She didn't listen to the nagging voice reminding her it was a parallel Torchwood ran by her father making the two versions of the institution literal worlds apart.

Rose turned back towards the Doctor forcing a smile at his inquiring look as he handed the phone back to her. She slipped it back into her pocket and continued her people watching.

Unaware that the Doctor's thoughts had drifted down a similar path as hers had only moments ago, as he watched a couple dance. While the dance they had shared in his last life hadn't crossed his mind he thought back on the first adventure he had taken Rose on in this body, when she had been possessed by Cassandra. The Doctor almost considered asking her to dance before remembering that she had said goodbye to her mother for the last time only this morning and he couldn't ask her to do something like that as his companion.

It was always hard for the Doctor to put Rose in the same category as the rest of his companions. He had very strict personal rules that ensured he never became ensnared like he was with Rose or that he ever gave them the wrong idea. He wasn't sure what had gone wrong, he was usually so careful. He blamed the vulnerability of his past self for letting the human in. After all, he had been born from the love he shared for Rose. A love he could never act on. In a way he was more of a coward than his last self when it came to her. With that thought in mind he turned away from the dancers that had captured his attention by chance.

No longer focusing on the dancers or his own internal thoughts he spotted a young man stood beside a camcorder on a tripod. The Doctor strode over to him. Rose noticing the change in the Doctor's attitude followed after him.

"Oh, I taped the whole thing. They've all had a look. They said sell it to You've Been Framed. I said, more like the News. Here we are..." The man was saying when Rose made her way over, she peered over the Doctor's shoulder to see what it was that he was showing them.

The recording played and they could see a beaming Donna making her way down the aisle. When suddenly what looked like golden particles of dust danced across her skin in a way that seemed far too familiar to Rose. At first it was only a couple but they quickly grew in number and seemed to swarm around her and move in golden tendrils of light. The Doctor's eyes flickered to Rose worriedly, but Rose didn't notice too enrapt by the footage playing before her. And just as the golden light seemed to coalesce, Donna screamed and disappeared.

"Can't be. Play it again?" The Doctor said, confused.

The man did as he was told, not questioning just who exactly the Doctor was, but Rose had long since given up questioning just why people seemed to trust a hyperactive puppy with a tattered wallet and a young blonde.

"Clever, mind. Good trick, I'll give her that. I was clapping." The unknown cameraman spoke.

"But tha- that..." The Doctor stuttered in disbelief.

"What is it Doctor?"

"But that looks like Huon Particles." The Doctor said, still not believing the words he was uttering.

"What's that then?" The man asked.

"That's impossible. That's ancient. Huon energy doesn't exist anymore, not for billions of years..." The Doctor paused a thousand thoughts seeming to rush through his mind at once. "So old that it can't be hidden by a bio-damper!" He shouted, dashing off.

Rose's eyes widened in realisation as she chased after him.

And sure enough there they were. An approaching army of Santas. God her Christmases were weird. Having gotten the information the Doctor needed he ran back into the party trying to get through the throng while shouting.

"Donna! Donna, they've found you." He told her once he'd caught up with the would have been bride.

"But you said I was safe." Donna looked shocked and betrayed, and maybe that was fair enough considering the way her day was going.

"The bio-damper doesn't work. We've got to get everyone out."

"My God, it's all my family." Donna said looking appalled as the situation seemed to catch up with her.

"Out the back door!" The Doctor called.

They dashed over to the door but more Santas were approaching. They slammed the doors closed and ran back into the hall.

"Maybe not." Rose said, thinking out loud.

They looked through the french windows instead.

"We're trapped." Donna said hopelessly.

Donna and the Doctor were still staring out the window when something caught Rose's eye. Still looking off to the side she reached out behind her to tap the Doctor's arm.

"Doctor." Rose began warily.

"Christmas trees." They said at the same time, the tone of voice echoing with the reminder of the destruction they caused last time and with the thought of just how much worse it could have been.

"What about them?"

"They kill." Rose said her voice soft but her fearful expression betrayed just how bad they were, as she dashed back into the throng behind the Doctor.

"Get away from the trees." The Doctor shouted.

"Don't touch the trees!" Rose echoed, her tone severe.

"Get away from the Christmas trees! Everyone get away from them! Everyone stay away from the trees! Stay away from the trees!"

"Oh, for God's sakes, the man's an idiot. Why? What harm's a Christmas tree going to." Oh Rose was really starting to dislike the woman. "Oh." She stopped whatever she was going to say as the shiny, red baubles floated off the trees.

The Doctor and Rose eyed them warily.

They started spinning softly before zipping around the place. Suddenly several explosions were going off. The room was quickly consumed in panic. Presents went tumbling from their neatly stacked perch and one man went flying. Rose urged Donna and Lance under a table to shelter from the deadly decorations.

The Doctor looked up to spot the DJ desk and before running off towards it. Rose almost called after him to ask him what the bloody hell he thought he was doing, but any attempt at conversation would have been drowned out by the still exploding baubles.

"Oi! Santa! Word of advice. If you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver, don't let him near the sound system." The Doctor taunted.

Rose barely had time to warn the couple to cover their ears when the Doctor jammed the screwdriver into the sound deck and the air was filled with a horrible electronic screeching. The intensity of the sound shook the robots to pieces. The Doctor pulled his screwdriver out and surveyed the chaos. Rose slowly rose to her feet, as the Doctor came over to help her up.

Donna had darted off to help people and Rose went to help, needing to do something other than stand idly by while the Doctor made deductions.

Donna rejoined the Doctor seeking help from the man.

"Look at that. Remote control for the decorations, but there's a second remote control for the robots. They're not scavengers anymore."

"So someone's taken possession?" Rose asked, coming to join them, unable to be of much help.

"Looks like it."

"Never mind all that. You're a doctor. People have been hurt." Donna interjected.

"Nah, they wanted you alive. Look." The Doctor said chucking a bauble to her. "They're not active now."

"All the same, you could help."

"He's not that kind of a Doctor." Rose explained, apologetically.

"Got to think of the bigger picture. There's still a signal!" The Doctor said clutching the robot head to his ear before darting off.

Rose quickly followed after him.

"Donna, who is he? Who is that man?" Rose heard Sylvia ask from behind her, before Donna followed after them.

"There's someone behind this, directing the roboforms." The Doctor told Rose as Donna joined them.

"But why is it me? What have I done?" Donna asked impatiently.

"If we find the controller, we'll find that out." The Doctor answered distractedly. "Ooo! It's up there. Something in the sky."

The Doctor still had his sonic pointed at the sky trying to refine the signal, long after Donna had wandered away towards the approaching ambulances.

"Lost it." The Doctor muttered dejectedly.

He darted after Donna. Rose didn't follow this time. She crossed her arms across her chest as she looked skyward. Christmas Eve, She thought. Her first Christmas without her mother. And just like that, it all came crashing down all over again. All the emotions she had fought to keep at bay as they struggled to uncover the mystery that was Donna, suddenly crashed through all her barriers.

A hand flew to her mouth to stifle the sob that had escaped. She didn't wallow for long when she heard the Doctor call her. She drew in a deep breath and regained her composure before whirling around to face him. He was still a distance away so he couldn't see her face too clearly thankfully.

"We're going to HC Clements. Lance is giving us a lift." He didn't say it but he leaves it open in a question.

And once again Rose was reminded of last Christmas. Her first Christmas with this Doctor. How they were both so unsure where they stood with one another. She didn't want a repeat of that. Rose forced a smile and nodded before making her way over. They had come a long way since then she didn't want to lose all of that.

The two time travellers hopped into the back of the car. Rose rested her head against the Doctor's shoulder. All of her energy having been washed away with her tidal wave of emotion. The Doctor wrapped an arm around her and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. Easily figuring that all the emotions that came with saying goodbye to her mother had finally caught up.

x

The journey was quick considering it was Christmas eve and London but they finally made it to HC Clements. They all scrambled out. The Doctor in the lead, Rose's hand clutched in his, he immediately began rambling upon reaching the third floor.

"To you lot this might just be a locksmiths, but HC Clements was brought up twenty three years ago by the Torchwood Institute." The Doctor explained having finally reached a computer.

He still didn't relinquish his hold on Rose's hand, typing furiously. Rose squeezed his hand thankfully in between both of her own.

"Who are they?" Donna asked.

"They were behind the Battle of Canary Wharf." The Doctor explained, elaborating when Donna showed no signs of recognition. "Cyberman invasion." He added, still no change in expression.

"Skies over London full of Daleks? Big pepperpot looking things." Rose added trying to be helpful.

Still clueless, she feebly tried to explain her absence of recognition. "Oh, I was in Spain."

"They had Cybermen in Spain. " The Doctor pointed out.

"Scuba diving."

"That big picture, Donna. You keep on missing it." The Doctor added before diving back into his explanation, tugging Rose with him as he dashed to another computer. "Torchwood was destroyed, but HC Clements stayed in business. I think someone else came in and took over the operation." He said punctuating his statement by thumping the computer, reminding Rose of his treatment towards the TARDIS.

"But what do they want with me?" Donna asked exasperated.

The Doctor shoved his hands in his pockets - or tried to, still refusing to let go of Rose - he didn't immediately look at Donna. Almost as if he was stalling. Rose watched him curiously, also interested. She knew that look, whatever had been done to Donna, it was bad news.

"Somehow you've been dosed with Huon energy." The 'somehow' leaves Rose slightly wary. "And that's a problem, because Huon energy hasn't existed since the Dark Times. The only place you'd find a Huon particle now is a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS." For some reason the last statement about the heart of the TARDIS, triggered something in Rose. Frowning Rose tried to latch onto the information but it was gone before she could decipher it. "See? That's what happened."

The Doctor let go of Rose's hand to grab something off of the desk.

"Say, that's the TARDIS." He said gesturing to the mug he's picked up.

He bent down to grab something else.

"And that's you." He said holding a pencil.

Rose half watched the demonstration but also unable to entirely focus, something about Lance's reactions didn't sit right with her. Shaking it off, she continued to watch the Doctor as he explained.

"The particles inside you activated. The two sets of particles magnetised and whap."

He shook the mug and the pencil, then dropped the pencil into the mug.

"You were pulled inside the TARDIS."

"I'm a pencil inside a mug?" Donna managed to say, sounding both slightly dazed while also not completely following.

"Yes, you are." The Doctor answered, swirling the pencil around. "4H. Sums you up." He finished before grabbing Roses hand again and running to another computer. "Lance? What was HC Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?" He asked as he sonicked the computer.

"I don't know, I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager. Why am I even explaining myself? What the hell are we talking about?" Lance stuttered out quickly getting angry at the questions, sounding awfully defensive to Rose's ears.

"They make keys, that's the point." The Doctor said distractedly and Rose remembered what she had thought earlier about keys on the rooftop. "And look at this. We're on the third floor." The Doctor briefly explained running to the lift dragging Rose with him, who easily keeps up. She almost started laughing at his unwillingness to let go of her hand, but didn't as she was rather grateful that he wouldn't.

He'd already called the lift by the time Lance and Donna joined him.

"Underneath reception, there's a basement, yes?" The Doctor rushed into the lift. "Then how come when you look on the lift, there's a button marked lower basement? There's a whole floor which doesn't exist on the official plans. So what's down there, then?" The Doctor said mysteriously.

Rose grinned at him, already liking where this was going. She couldn't help but want this adventure to be over quickly so she could get back to the TARDIS. But that doesn't mean the thrill of it isn't as enticing as always, she just couldn't quite stay in the moment.

"Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?" Lance interjected unconvinced.

"No, I'm showing you this building's got a secret floor." The Doctor said simply, gesturing to the lift buttons with a nod of his head.

"It needs a key." Donna pointed out as if that ruins the Doctor's whole plan.

"I don't." The Doctor replied sonicing the lower basement button

Rose stepped inside the lift taking the Doctor's hand once more, smiling up at him. He returned her smile with a grin of his own. The Doctor turned back to address the other two.

"Right then. Thanks, you two. We can handle this. See you later." He dismissed.

"No chance, Martian. You're the man who keeps saving my life. I ain't letting you out of my sight." Donna answered sharply, joining them in the lift.

"Going down."

"Lance?"

Rose watched the man closely. She couldn't help the feeling of distrust the man brought out in her. And during her travels she's learnt to trust her gut instinct, even if her compassion occasionally clouded her judgement.

"Maybe I should go to the police." The would-have-been groom attempted feebly.

"Inside." Donna barked.

The man followed reluctantly. Rose moved closer to the Doctor to make room, at least that's the excuse she gave herself.

"To honour and obey?" The Doctor questioned.

Rose nudged him, her expression clearly telling him to behave, even as her eyes twinkled with amusement. The Doctor grinned at her in response.

"Tell me about it, mate." Lance answered waspishly.

"Oi."

The lift was consumed in an awkward silence as the doors slid shut and the lift descended.

x

"Where are we? Well, what goes on down here?" Donna asked.

"Let's find out."

"Do you think Mister Clements knows about this place?"

"The mysterious HC Clements? I think he's part of it." The Doctor responded casually before something caught his eye. "Oh, look. Transport."

Rose sighed as she too spotted the two wheeled scooters. She barely managed to withhold her fond smile at the Doctor's childish excitement. Unfortunately, there was only three scooters so Rose hopped on the back of the Doctor's at his insistence - it was more like whining and Rose had never thought the Doctor looked more like a puppy in his life - not bothering to listen when Rose pointed out that Donna and Lance were getting married and that surely it would make more sense for them to share. Rose wasn't complaining though as she clung to the Doctor's waist in order to not fall off the tiny platform.

One look at Donna from the Doctor was all it took to send her into peals of laughter at the absurdity of the situation, Rose quickly followed as she fought to muffle her giggles into the Doctor's back and the Doctor joined not long after. Leaving Lance to look at them as though they had escaped from a mental asylum.

The Doctor stopped suddenly outside of a door labelled 'Torchwood. Authorised personnel only.' Rose jumped down equally curious as to what Torchwood had hidden. The rage from their last stunt still pumping through her veins. The Doctor quickly spun the wheel, the only thing that was keeping the door locked, and finally pulled the door back to reveal a ladder. The Doctor peered around the small room quickly to see if it contained anything else but unfortunately it did not.

"Wait here. Just need to get my bearings. Don't do anything." The Doctor instructed his finger lingering at Rose when she grinned at him. He lingered on her as if pleading with her to stay put before he turned back to the ladder.

"You'd better come back." Donna called up after him.

"And leave Rose with you? No chance." The Doctor muttered disappearing out of view.

Donna and Lance had a brief conversation amongst themselves to which Rose didn't bother paying attention to.

"Thames flood barrier right on top of us. Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath." The Doctor exclaimed once he had jumped down.

Rose raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't comment further.

"What, there's like a secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark?" Donna questions.

"I know. Unheard of." The Doctor replied sarcastically, exchanging a glance with Rose who scoffed.

x

The Doctor had led them down the dark, damp corridor into a brightly lit room filled with bubbling tubes.

"Oo, look at this. Stunning!" The Doctor said enthusiastically.

Rose tried to pay attention to the bouncy, bubbly Timelord before her - normally this wouldn't be such a difficult task - but suddenly a pounding headache demanded attention. And instead of watching the Doctor, she was focused on trying to ignore the pain and concentrate on where she was going.

"What does it do?" Donna asked, allowing Rose to refrain from contributing.

"Particle extrusion. Hold on. Brilliant. They've been manufacturing Huon particles. Course, my people got rid of Huons. They unravel the atomic structure." The Doctor said innocently.

"Your people? Who are they? What company do you represent?" Lance interjected.

Even in pain Rose couldn't resist rolling her eyes. She still didn't trust Lance at all.

"Oh, we're sort of uhh- freelancers." The Doctor mumbled distractedly. "But this lot are rebuilding them. They've been using the river. Extruding them through a flat hydrogen base so they've got the end result, Huon particles in liquid form."

"And that's what's inside me?" Donna asked.

The Doctor picked up a small vial from one of the machines. He twisted a knob on the top. The effect was immediate. The dull ache became a roaring pounding. Rose bit her lip to contain the scream that threatened to burst free as her hands flew to her head, clutching at her temples.

At the same time Donna began to glow in the same golden particles as before. Rose stared, something about it seemed so familiar but she couldn't quite grasp the thought. It slipped away from her as the pain grew stronger. Rose let it go, trying desperately to rid herself of the sudden pain.

"Oh, my God!" Donna exclaimed.

"Genius. Because the particles are inert, they need something living to catalyse inside and that's you." The Doctor said as the gold faded from Donna's body, it took a couple of seconds longer for the pain in Rose's head to dull again. She frowned at that, the two seemed to be linked. "Saturate the body and then. Ha!" Suddenly the Doctor jumped backwards.

"The wedding! Yes, you're getting married, that's it! Best day of your life, walking down the aisle. Oh, your body's a battleground! There's a chemical war inside! Adrenaline, acetylcholine. Wham! go the endorphins. Oh, you're cooking! Yeah, you're like a walking oven. A pressure cooker, a microwave, all churning away. The particles reach boiling point. Shazam!" The Doctor's excited prattling is cut off when Donna's hand connects with his cheek.

The Doctor looked flabbergasted. Rose bit back a snigger as she remembered when that had been her mother and he had been another man.

"What did I do this time?"

"Are you enjoying this?" Donna demanded, before stepping closer and softening her tone. "Right, just tell me. These particles, are they dangerous? Am I safe?"

"Yes." The Doctor said weakly after a moment's hesitation.

"Doctor, if your lot got rid of Huon particles, why did they do that?"

"Because they were deadly."

"Oh, my God."

"I'll sort it out, Donna. Whatever's been done to you, I'll reverse it. I am not about to lose you."

"Oh, she is long since lost." Another voice piped up in a mixture of hissing, slurring and spitting.

The Doctor and Donna whirled around to face the divide marked 'Lab 003' as it rose from the ground exposing the hole that took up the majority of the space on the other side. Rose walked cautiously towards them as the voice spoke again.

"I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!"

Rose heard footsteps and turned to see Lance flee in the middle of the ominous voice's speech. Rose narrowed her eyes after him, before turning back to the Doctor. She definitely didn't trust him but she would give him the benefit of the doubt and hope her instincts were wrong. For now.

Several black robed robots turned to train their guns on the small trio. Donna looked panicked but Rose wasn't fazed this was normal for them. She was more worried about the headache brewing and the tingeing in her gut. The Doctor similarly ignored it and stepped forward to look over the edge of the chasm.

"Someone's been digging. Oh, very Torchwood. Drilled by laser. How far down does it go?" The Doctor questioned bitterly.

"Down and down, all the way to the centre of the Earth!"

And for a moment Rose remembered another similar Torchwood venture that led to an incident with Satan. And the blind panic from that trip still hadn't completely left her so that line of thinking definitely wasn't helping right now.

"Really? Seriously? What for?"

"Dinosaurs." Donna inputted helpfully.

"What?"

"That film Journey to the centre of the Earth, the one with the dinosaurs in. It's on the TARDIS." Rose added.

"What are you on about, dinosaurs?" The Doctor inquired.

"Trying to help." Donna explained meekly.

"Have you actually watched any of the films on the TARDIS?"

"Not the time, Rose. And that's not helping."

"Such a sweet couple." Rose raised an eyebrow at that, who exactly were they referring to.

"Only a madman talks to thin air and trust me, you don't want to make me mad. Where are you?" The Doctor threatened.

"High in the sky. Floating so high on Christmas night." The voice answered ominously.

"I didn't come all this way to talk on the intercom. Come on, let's have a look at you!"

"Who are you with such command?" The voice snarled.

"I'm the Doctor."

"Prepare your best medicines, doctor man, for you will be sick at heart."

A flash of blue appeared off to the side of the hole. As the shape solidified the light faded. There in its place stood a massive red spider with six eyes, a vaguely humanoid torso, a head shaped oddly like a crown and it's teeth were jagged and sharp which explained the hissing and spitting that Rose thought was more suited for a snake than a spider.

"Racnoss? But that's impossible. You're one of the Racnoss?" The Doctor proclaimed in disbelief.

"Empress of the Racnoss." The spider stated proudly. And maybe that was something to be proud of but Rose had not the faintest clue what the bloody hell a Racnoss was and she was far too tired to ask.

"If you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss? Or, are you the only one? " The Doctor deduced.

"Such a sharp mind."

"That's it, the last of your kind. The Racnoss come from the Dark Times, billions of years ago. Billions. They were carnivores, omnivores. They devoured whole planets." The Doctor explained to her and Donna.

"Racnoss are born starving. Is that our fault?"

"They eat people?" Donna asked, shocked.

"HC Clements, did he wear those, those er, black and white shoes?" The Doctor asked Donna, Rose had already spotted what had triggered the question. Her hand flew to her mouth, the nausea was not helping with the still present headache.

"He did. We used to laugh. We used to call him the fat cat in spats." Donna chuckled.

The Doctor pointed to the web covered ceiling were two black and white covered feet poked out.

"Oh, my God!" Donna exclaimed in horror.

"Mmm. My Christmas dinner." The Racnoss hissed, cackling.

"You shouldn't even exist. Way back in history, the fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss they were wiped out."

Rose spotted it the moment Donna did. Lance creeped along the runway behind the Racnoss, as he wielded something in his right hand. Rose's eyes narrowed distrustfully at him.

"Except for me."

"But that's what I've got inside me, that Huon energy thing. Oi! Look at me, lady, I'm talking. Where do I fit in? How comes I get all stacked up with these Huon particles? Look at me, you! Look me in the eye and tell me." Donna snapped, eyes drifting to Lance occasionally.

"The bride is so feisty."

Lance continued to creep closer to the Racnoss, Rose could now see that he was carrying a fire axe in his hand.

"Yes, I am! And I don't know what you are, you big thing, but a spider's just a spider and an axe is an axe! Now, do it!" The redhead commanded.

As Lance started to swing the axe, an expression filled with rage consuming his face as the Empress turned, spotting him, she hissed at him. Lance stopped, dropping the arm holding the axe and began to cackle, the Empress joined in.

"That was a good one. Your face." Lance laughed.

"Lance is funny." Declared the Racnoss.

"What?" Donna asked bewildered.

"I'm sorry." The blonde said coming to rest her hand on Donna's arm to comfort her.

"Sorry for what? Lance, don't be so stupid! Get her!" The bride yelled.

"God, she's thick. Months I've had to put up with her. Months. A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map." He taunted.

"I don't understand."

"How did you meet him?" The Timelord asked, having pieced the last piece of the puzzle that was Donna together3 perhaps some time ago now.

"In the office." Donna stated.

"He made you coffee."

"What?"

"Every day, I made you coffee."

"You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months." The Doctor elaborated.

"He was poisoning me." Realisation finally dawned on the red head.

"It was all there in the job title. The Head of Human Resources." The Doctor spat in disgust.

"This time, it's personnel." Lance joked.

He and the Racnoss chuckled.

"But, we were getting married." Donna said dejectedly.

Rose tightened her grip around the poor woman's shoulders.

"Well, I couldn't risk you running off. I had to say yes. And then I was stuck with a woman who thinks the height of excitement is a new flavour Pringle. Oh, I had to sit there and listen to all that yap yap yap. Oh, Brad and Angelina. Is Posh pregnant? X Factor, Atkins Diet, Feng Shui, split ends, text me, text me, text me. Dear God, the never ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia. I deserve a medal." Lance spat.

Rose's dislike for the man quickly grew to hatred, her hand slipped from Donna's arm as she moved as if to tackle the infuriating man. The Doctor stopped her, pulling her back by a hand on her waist and she suddenly remembered the gigantic hole in the floor that she'd forgotten in her rage.

"Oh, is that what she's offered you? The Empress of the Racnoss? What are you, her consort?" His hand still around her waist as if he didn't trust that she wouldn't try running after Lance again, not that she was complaining, it was a welcome distraction from her headache and rage.

"It's better than a night with her." Lance explained cruelly.

"But I love you." Donna said softly.

"That's what made it easy. It's like you said, Doctor. The big picture. What's the point of it all if the human race is nothing? That's what the Empress can give me. The chance to go out there. To see it. The size of it all. I think you understand that, don't you, Doctor?"

"Who is this little physician?" The Racnoss questioned.

"She said, Martian."

"Oh, I'm sort of homeless. But the point is, what's down here? The Racnoss are extinct. What's going to help you four thousand miles down? That's just the molten core of the Earth, isn't it?" The Doctor said dismissing the question, Rose thought it odd, it wasn't often he lied about his home planet. Perhaps it held some significance to the Racnoss.

"I think he wants us to talk."

"I think so, too."

"Well, tough! All we need is Donna."

"Kill this chattering little doctor man and his sidekick." Fury stirred in Rose's stomach at that, as well as something else.

"Don't you hurt him!" Donna shouted, stepping in front of them.

"No, no, Donna. It's all right."

"No, I won't let them." She said adamantly.

"At arms!" The Racnoss spat.

The robots turned, training their guns at the Doctor and Rose.

"Ah, now. Except." The Doctor interrupted.

"Take aim!" The Racnoss called.

"Well, I just want to point out the obvious." The time traveller attempted, again.

"They won't hit the bride. They're such very good shots." The Empress boasted.

"Just, just, just, just, just hold on. Hold on just a tick. Just a tiny little, just a little tick. If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship. So reverse it, and the spaceship comes to her."

The Doctor turned the knob on the Huon container as his arm dropped away from her waist, the golden light engulfed Donna's figure and Rose's headache returned with a vengeance. She wasn't quite able to contain the pain this time, and a whimper squeezed it's way past her lips that was thankfully, covered by the chaos surrounding them.

"Fire!"

The TARDIS built itself around them like a dark, dense cloud of smoke. Shouting and shooting continued to sound from outside the wooden doors. The Doctor darted past them to the console, dumping the vial into his pockets in the process.

"Off we go."

Rose slouched against the nearest coral strut, in her best attempt at not collapsing altogether, as she fought to catch her breath and wait for the pain to subside.

"Oh, do you know what I said before about time machines? Well, I lied. And now we're going to use it. We need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up. If something's buried at the planet's core, it must've been there since the beginning. That's just brilliant. Molto bene." The Doctor rambled as they hurtled through the time vortex.

Donna perched on the captain's chair, her back facing the Doctor as she tried to stifle her sobs. Rose noticed before the Doctor did. Thankful that her headache had dulled until it was almost non-existent, Rose made her way over to Donna. Rose wrapped her arms around Donna's quivering shoulder.

"I've always wanted to see this. Donna, we're going further back than I've ever been before." The Doctor continued, finally taking note of Donna's upset.

"We've arrived. Want to see?" The Doctor asked gently, peering cautiously around the console at them.

"I suppose." Donna replied, wiping at her eyes.

"Oh, that scanner's a bit small. Maybe your way's best." He said going to the door.

"Come on. No human's ever seen this. You'll be the first." He encouraged, in an attempt to take her mind off it.

"All I want to see is my bed." She said, disentangling herself from Rose, a sentiment she could agree with.

Rose trailed behind her as she made her way to the door.

"Donna Noble, Rose Tyler, welcome to the creation of the Earth." The Doctor exclaimed dramatically.

He pulled open the doors exposing the lumps of rocks and dust floating around a weakly burning sun.

"We've gone back four point six billion years. There's no solar system, not yet. Only dust and rocks and gas. That's the Sun, over there. Brand new. Just beginning to burn."

"Where's the Earth?"

"All around us in the dust."

Rose thought distantly back to her first trip in the TARDIS when she'd watched the planet burn, and now she got to see it be born right in front of her eyes. Time travel really was insane. Though it did make her miss her first Doctor, her eyes drifted over to the Doctor before her and she quickly dismissed those thoughts. She'd already loved and lost that Doctor no use dwelling on it.

"Puts the wedding in perspective. Lance was right. We're just tiny."

"No, but that's what you do. The human race makes sense out of chaos. Marking it out with weddings and Christmas and calendars. This whole process is beautiful, but only if it's being observed."

"So I came out of all this?"

"Isn't that brilliant?"

A larger rock drifted past the open TARDIS doors.

"I think that's the Isle of Wight." Donna joked weakly.

They chuckled.

"Eventually, gravity takes hold. Say, one big rock, heavier than the others, starts to pull other rocks towards it. All the dust and gas and elements get pulled in. Everything, piling in until you get..." The Doctor trailed off.

"The Earth."

"But the question is, what was that first rock?"

A seven pointed star, spaceship - that appears to be covered in webs - came out of the dust clouds.

"Look."

"The Racnoss."

The Doctor darted back over to the console, pulling levers he shouted over his shoulder to the two girls.

"Hold on. The Racnoss are hiding from the war. What's it doing?"

"Exactly what you said." Rose said weakly, finally speaking up, as sick realisation dawned on her.

The rocks and dust swirled around the spaceship. Trapping it.

"Oh, they didn't just bury something at the centre of the Earth. They became the centre of the Earth. The first rock."

A resounding bang echoed through the console room as the TARDIS juddered. The Doctor closed the TARDIS doors, shutting out the sight forever, before either woman could go toppling out.

"Doctor! What was that?" Rose called as she clung to the railing.

"Trouble." He answered simply.

The TARDIS continued to shake, throwing her occupants about in the process.

"What the hell's it doing?" Donna yelled.

Rose and Donna clung to the console. God, this was worse than the Doctor's usual driving. Rose thought absently. The Doctor pulled himself up from the grating and began his usual dance around the console if only slightly more manic.

"Remember that little trick of mine, particles pulling particles. Well, it works in reverse. They're pulling us back!"

"Well, can't you stop it? Hasn't it got a handbrake? Can't you reverse or warp or beam or something?" Donna demanded.

"Back seat driver." The Doctor grumbled to Rose with a pointed look, Rose chuckled. "Oh! Wait a minute! The extrapolator!" He said suddenly as he remembered.

The Doctor pulled out the odd looking surfboard that Rose knew was technology more complex than she could possibly dream of understanding.

"It can't stop us, but it should give us a good bump!" The Doctor explained.

"Now!" The Doctor yelled, hitting the extrapolator with a mallet at the same moment the TARDIS dematerialised.

The Doctor pulled back the doors to reveal the same dark, damp corridor with its eerie green light as before.

"We're about two hundred yards to the right. Come on!"

The Doctor sprinted down the corridor before Rose and Donna could properly register the instruction. Rose quickly followed after but Donna was left quite a distance behind, not used to so much running and it was not made easier by her bridal attire.

"But what do we do?" Donna asked once they had stopped in front of the same bulkhead as earlier.

"I don't know. I make it up as I go along. But trust me, I've got a history."

Donna looked to Rose questionably, Rose nodded unable to get out much more as she panted for breath, this close to the lab her head was starting to throb dully again. The Doctor whipped out a stethoscope which he proceeded to use on the Torchwood door. Rose refrained from commenting.

"But I still don't understand. I'm full of particles, but what for?"

"There's a Racnoss web at the centre of the Earth, but my people unravelled their power source. The Huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss were stuck."

A robot dressed in black garbs came up behind Donna and grabbed her. Rose whirled round in time to spot Donna being dragged down a corridor. Rose sprinted down the corridor after them on impulse unthinkingly.

"Doctor." She called over her shoulder but it was lost as the Doctor to ramble to himself.

Rolling her eyes, she continued down the corridor. Rose kept her distance and managed to stay silent as she followed behind them. She slowed down as she neared the green doors emblazoned with the Torchwood logo. She crept inside the laboratory and watched from within the shadows. It didn't seem she'd be much help to Donna at the moment, as the woman hung from the ceiling cocooned in webs.

The couple were both ensnared by webs and appeared to be bickering, if their spiteful expressions were anything to go by. The Racnoss taunted them with freedom and badly veiled wedding references. The bride and groom appeared to want nothing more than to be away from each other. Rose bit back a snort at the irony of that. Rose had been paying attention to the conversation - though something about being back in the lab brought forth her headache - when she suddenly heard the Empress call.

"Activate the particles. Purge every last one."

That was all it took to make Donna and Lance glow in that familiar golden dust. It was also all it took for Rose's headache to roar with fury. Rose grit her teeth determined to stay hidden. But then the Empress called again.

"And release!"

The Huon particles zoomed straight down into the hole so kindly dug by Torchwood. But Rose didn't notice. The pain consumed every one of her senses as she dropped to her knees. She clutched her head, lips open in a silent scream. She was burning. Every fibre of her being felt like it was being ripped apart and sewn shoddily back together again before being ripped apart again in a continuous torturous cycle. Very quickly every atom was engulfed in the unforgiving flames. The steady stream of tears down her cheeks did nothing to lessen the pain.

Rose couldn't hear anything except the screaming inside her own head. She wanted nothing more than for it to stop. She must have gotten her wish because not even five minutes after the pain had started black dots swam across her vision quickly filling her sight with nothing but darkness. She collapsed, in a dark shadowy corner against the concrete of the secret lab, her last thought of the Doctor as she'd once again wandered off and gotten into trouble.

x

A lone robot entered the laboratory and began a steady ascent of the staircase.

"My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them. So you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor man."

The robot cocked it's head in question before removing the robot mask and robe to reveal the Doctor.

"Oh well. Nice try. I've got you, Donna!"

He pointed his sonic screwdriver at the cocooned Donna, and the web started to give way.

"I'm going to fall!" Donna panicked.

"You're going to swing! I've got you!"

Screaming, Donna swung across the hole, past the Empress and stopped underneath the landing where the Doctor is standing. The strand of web she was clinging to too long as it had stretched in the process and she dropped to the ground with a clang.

"Oh. Sorry." The Doctor said apologetically from above.

"Thanks for nothing." Donna snarked from where she was led on the floor, gathering her wedding dress she stood.

"The doctor man amuses me." The Racnoss stated gleefully, drawing the Doctor's attention back to her.

With the Doctor preoccupied with the beastly alien spider, Donna's eyes roamed the laboratory. She spotted a familiar blonde crumpled on the floor.

"Oh my god." She muttered to herself as she darted over to her.

The girl's skin was glowing. Golden particles flowed across her like water, in gentle waves. Donna clutched the girl to her as she checked for a pulse. Her heart beating frantically in her chest. Donna tried to reign in her panic. The Doctor said the particles were deadly and here was the young blonde collapsed against the concrete as the golden energy moved freely. Donna whipped around to face the Doctor he must be able to help. His people destroyed Huon energy. But how had this happened?

The Doctor appeared to be trying to negotiate peace with the Racnoss. Donna realised she'd get no help from him. The young traveller's heart rate picked up as she began wheezing and tossing in Donna's hold. The particles moved more frantically, even extending from her figure in gentle tendrils.

Donna was too busy worrying over the blonde to notice the Doctor's sudden change in demeanour. She barely heard the sound of explosions as Rose wreathed in her grasp and her skin burned to the touch. Donna adjusted the girl's jacket to cover all exposed skin.

Suddenly, she took notice of the Racnoss' howls and the water sloshing around the two of them and quickly engulfing the lab. She noticed the fires and the Doctor standing indifferent above it all. And just as it became too much Donna's attention was drawn away by the blonde cradled in her lap.

The frantic movements and the wheezing has stopped. The glow was fading. Donna reached a hand to the girl's forehead. No longer burning but still higher than normal. And drenched as she was, she was likely to have a fever when she woke up.

"Doctor! You can stop now!" Donna called from where she was huddled on the floor.

The Doctor finally noticed the slumped figure of Rose Tyler in the bride's lap. His eyes widen in panic and fear. His mouth flapped uselessly a couple of times as water poured down his face. He quickly made a decision.

"Come on. Time I got you two out." He called as he descended the staircase.

Donna shifted so she was kneeling with Rose still unconscious in her lap. The Doctor reached them and scooped Rose up. Together they exit the laboratory - with Rose coddled against The Doctor's chest - out into the Thames flood barrier. They barely heard the Racnoss' final howls as they escaped.

"Transport me!"

"But what about the Empress?" Donna asked as they climbed the staircase higher and higher further away from the carnage the Doctor had wrought below with every step.

"She's used up all her Huon energy. She's defenceless!"

The Doctor watched as the army blasted the Racnoss' ship apart. A voice in the back of his head niggled at him as it demanded attention. This wasn't how he does things. It whispered. Part of the Doctor wondered if it was because he didn't have Rose to pull him back when it was too much but this part was so small that it was easily covered by all the other thoughts rushing about in his head. Had Rose been awake she may have commented that it was lucky Donna was there to put a stop to it before it got worse.

As they clambered out onto the flood barrier they whooped with delight. Donna clung to the Doctor's arm to ensure neither fell as the Doctor was unable to do much with his arms clinging to Rose's prone form. As their laughter died down, Donna spoke.

"Oh my god... There's just...Just one problem." She spoke breathlessly from the climb.

"What is it?"

"We've drained the Thames."

They looked around themselves to find nothing but muddy, marshland. Boats honked from somewhere - probably stranded - they fell into peals of laughter once more.

x

The TARDIS was parked on a quiet street in Chiswick. The doors swung open leaving a slant of light on the road. Donna stepped out of the TARDIS, the Doctor followed after leaving the door open to keep an eye on Rose from where she lay delicately on the captain's chair.

"There we go. Told you she'd be alright. She can survive anything." The Doctor said, referring to the TARDIS.

"More than I've done." Donna said bitterly.

He whipped out his sonic to give her a quick scan. The results confirmed what he had assumed.

"No, all the Huon particles have gone. No damage, you're fine."

"Yeah, but apart from that, I missed my wedding, lost my job and became a widow on the same day. Sort of."

"I couldn't save him."

"He deserved it." She paused for a second before her compassion won out and she corrected herself. "No, he didn't. I'd better get inside. They'll be worried."

"Best Christmas present they could have."

Through the window Donna's parents, Sylvia and Geoff, could be seen hugging each other.

x

While the Doctor and Donna bid farewells, Rose slept. Though it could hardly be considered a slumber as more of a healing coma. But one voice crept into her unconscious.

"Wolf..." An ethereal voice whispered coaxing Rose to arise.

"Wolf." The same voice came again.

Rose blinked open tired eyes. Eyebrows furrowed, as she took in the sight before her. There was nothing. But a realm of golden light it seemed. Rose spun in a circle. By the time she was facing the same direction again, a figure was stood there.

It was a woman. She had brown hair that floated in the golden aura surrounding her, her expression was calm and serene and she wore a loose white dress that was similar to that of a Grecian toga.

"Wolf." She whispered again, her voice a little stronger now but still the breathy quality remained. "My wolf."

"Who are you? Why am I here? I wa-" Rose's questions were cut off.

"None of that matters right now. You are here because exposure to Huon particles has awoken our connection."

"Connection? What connection? Who are you?"

"I am the TARDIS, so to speak. And the connection that was formed when you became Bad Wolf." She paused on those last two words as if they had more meaning.

Suddenly, memories Rose didn't know she had flashed through her mind rapidly. She sunk to her knees and clutched at her head as she watched the memories fly past.

Looking into the heart of the TARDIS. The TARDIS looking back into her. Their joint desire to save the Doctor. Destroying the Dalek Emperor and the Dalek fleet. Resurrecting Jack from the dead.

And that's where it stopped. Rose knew there was more but she couldn't see it, it was like it was being kept hidden from her. Rose panted as the memories cleared and looked back up at the regal figure. Her lips were pursed slightly, she appeared to be worried.

"Bad Wolf was ages ago. I haven't felt anything since so why now?"

The woman took in a deep breath.

"On the Game Station, you were dying. You had absorbed the time vortex and that should have killed anyone almost immediately. But we were bonded - if you like - allowing me to use you to save my thief, and you to use my power to fix everything. The bond was the only reason you were able to sustain that power for so long. The bond changed you, fixed you, so you'd be able to constantly access that power.

"However, Huon particles are deadly. And you had absorbed more than what came with the bond, thus it was killing you. Your Doctor removed the time vortex from your head and locked away the memories."

"But it didn't work because I remember being Bad Wolf before today, so how did that happen?"

"The memories were slowly awakened when you met that werewolf in Scotland. You needed access to those memories for when the Battle of Canary Wharf came. It wasn't always certain that both you and my Thief would make it out of it together. The timelines were in flux. Having access to the memories meant you could call upon our bond, even temporarily, allowing you to cement the timelines into what they are.

"However, at that point, the bond wasn't strong enough for you to sustain the energy for long. The Huon energy levels in your blood were too low, causing you to fall unconscious. The exposure to different Huon particles today, strengthened our bond. But that does not mean you have access to Bad Wolf."

"What? Why not? And I don't remember Bad Wolf making an appearance at the Battle of Canary Wharf."

"The different types of Huon particles must be neutralised, that's why you are currently stuck in a healing coma." She said gesturing around them before continuing. "The timelines are still in flux. Although you cemented the events at Canary Wharf, something else is coming. And Bad Wolf must not be exposed until I tell you it is safe. You must understand this my Wolf, it is important. My Thief cannot know either." The voice was stern yet still light and airy.

Rose assumed the Doctor was 'Her Thief'. Rose nodded gently as she tried to take all this information in.

"If the Doctor can't know does that mean he doesn't remember what happened at Canary Wharf, either?"

"No, he doesn't."

She looked off into the distance for a moment as if she was listening to something.

"I must go. You need to heal, My Wolf." And with that she disappeared.

"Wait! Wai-"

Darkness consumed Rose was more as her eyelids flickered, her eyes rolling back into her head and her body slumped ungracefully to the floor.

She wanted answers.

A/N I finally finished it! I said I'd do it yesterday but it was so much longer than I realised. I wrote most of this at 2 in the morning so its not the best. Because of just wanting to get it done, it hasn't been edited I will go back and do that at some point because I think I changed tense 50 times and my spelling is atrocious. I was going to do an episode per chapter but this was ridiculously long so all coming episodes will be split into at least 2.

Anyway, bye guys.

*Sorta edited now