Happy late Thanksgiving! I am so so so happy with this chapter. It flooded so easy for me. Writing Donna is fun and a sassy Harper is always a blast. I hope you guys like it. Enjoy!
Harper's POV
The Doctor had just finished saying goodbye to Rose. It was sad to watch, but now I was watching him start to mess with the console controls when he looked up and said "what?"
I looked over where he had and saw a red headed woman in a bridal gown. The woman made a noise of shock. "What?" The Doctor said again.
"Who are you? Where am I?" She asked loudly. I stood up to get a better look; neither of them seemed to notice.
"What?" The Doctor asked. 'He really needs to ask a different question.'
"What is this place?" She yelled.
"What? You can't do that, I wasn't… we're in flight!" The Doctor exclaimed. "That is physically impossible. How did…"
"Tell me where I am. I demand you tell me right now, where am I?" She yelled.
'Wow, she really likes to yell, or is that just her normal volume?' I thought as I just stayed to the side watching.
"Inside the TARDIS," the Doctor told her.
"What?"
"The TARDIS."
"What?"
"The TARDIS!" The Doctor began to fiddle with the controls trying to figure this out.
"The What?" They were both annoying the other, which made for good entertainment for me.
"It's called the TARDIS!"
"That's not even a proper word! You're just saying things."
"How did you get in here?"
"Well, obviously, when you kidnapped me. Who was it? Who's paying you? Was it Nerys? Oh my, she's finally got me back. This has got Nerys written all over it."
"Who is Nerys?" The Doctor asked.
"Your best friend." I let out a laugh, not being able to hold it in any longer, causing the bride to look my way. "Oi! So I'm not the only one." She came over to me and grabbed my hand pulling me over to her. "He kidnapped you too, didn't he? Shame on you."
"Oh, well…" I started but the Doctor cut me off, "hold on, wait a minute. What are you dressed like that for?"
"She's going ten-pin bowling," I said sarcastically.
"Why do you think, dumbo? I was halfway up the aisle," she yelled loudly. And I laughed as the Doctor slowly backed away from her. "I've waited all my life for this. I was just seconds away and then you, I don't know, you drugged me or something."
"I haven't done anything," the Doctor said.
"I'm having the police on you. Me, my husband, as soon as he is my husband, and" she turned to me and in a normal volume asked, "what's your name?"
"Umm… Harper?" It came out more as a question than I meant it to, but I wasn't sure where she was going with this.
"And Harper, we're all gonna sue the living backside off you."
'Oh, so that's where she was going.'
She turned then and saw the doors and ran towards them.
"No!" The Doctor and I both said and then the Doctor said, "wait a minute, wait a minute, don't!"
But she had already opened the doors and was looking outside. "You're in space," the Doctor said softly. "Outer space. This is my… spaceship. It's called the TARDIS."
"How am I breathing?"
"The TARDIS is protecting us."
"Who are you?"
"I'm the Doctor, you?"
"Donna."
"Human?" The Doctor asked.
"Yeah. Is that optional?"
"Well, it is for me," the Doctor said.
"You're an alien?"
"Yeah."
"It's freezing with these doors open," Donna said.
The Doctor quickly closed the door and ran back to the console. "I don't understand it and I understand everything."
"Not conceited at all," I mumbled to Donna causing her to give a small smile.
"This can't happen," the Doctor kept on talking. "There is no way a human being can lock itself onto the TARDIS and transport itself inside. It must be…" he grabbed some kind of device and got really close to Donna's face, "there's some sort of subatomic connection, something like a temporal field. Maybe something pulling you into alignment with the chronon shell. Maybe it's something macrobudding your DNA with the interior matrix. Maybe a genetic…"
Donna reached back and slapped him.
"What was that for?" The Doctor said in shock.
"I don't even care what it was for! Thank you!" I said shaking Donna's hand.
"Your not helping, Harper," the Doctor said with a sigh.
"Not trying too," I said smirking back at him.
"Get me to the church!" Donna yelled at the Doctor.
"Right, fine. I don't want you here anyway." He ran to the console starting it up, "Where is this wedding?"
"St. Mary's, Haven Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System."
"Good, it's better to be as detailed as possible with him," I said with a laugh.
"I knew it, acting all innocent," Donna said.
'What is she on about now,' I wondered.
"We're not the first, are we?" She held up a shirt that Rose had left hanging on the railing. "How many women have you abducted?"
I held my breath waiting for the Doctor's response.
"That's my friend's," he said sadly.
"Where is she, then? Popped out for a spacewalk?"
"She's gone."
"Gone where?" Donna yelled.
"I lost her," he said looking down.
"Well, you can hurry up and lose me," Donna looked as if she was in deep thought for a second and then asked, "How do you mean, lost?"
"Right," the Doctor exclaimed grabbing the shirt from Donna. "Chiswick."
The Doctor's POV
Once the TARDIS had landed we walked out looking around.
"I said St. Mary's. What sort of Martian are you?"
"Obviously a bad one," Harper said.
"Where's this?" Donna yelled. 'Does this woman do anything but yell?'
"Something's wrong with her, it's like she's recalibrating," I ran back inside to make sure she is ok. "She's digesting. What is it? What have you eaten? What's wrong?" I grabbed a stethoscope to listen to the TARDIS and called outside to Donna.
"Donna, you're really got to think. Is there anything that might have caused this? Anything you might have done? Any sort of alien contact? I can't let you go wandering off. What if you're dangerous? I mean, have you seen lights in the sky or did you touch something, like, something different? Something strange or something made out of a piece of metal? Who are you getting married to? Sure he's human? He's not a bit overweight with a zip round his forehead, is he?"
"Yeah, she's not listening to you anymore," I heard Harper say.
I turned around and Harper was standing at the door pointing out. I saw Donna walking away, "Donna! Donna."
"Leave me alone, I just want to get married," she said once Harper and I caught up with her.
"Come back to the TARDIS," I insisted.
"No way, that box is too weird."
"It's bigger on the inside, that's all," I said.
"Oh, that's all?" She asked sarcastically. "Ten past three. I'm gonna miss it."
"Why don't you phone them? Tell them where you are," I suggested.
"How do I do that?"
"Haven't you got a mobile?" I asked.
"She's in a wedding dress," Harper said as if it was so obvious.
"It doesn't have pockets. Who has pockets? Have you ever seen a bride with pockets? When I went to me fitting at Chez Alison, the one thing I forgot to say was 'Give me pockets'!" Donna yelled.
"This man you're marrying, what's his name?" I asked.
"Lance," she said all happy again.
"Good luck, Lance!"
"Oi!" Donna yelled while Harper slapped me on the shoulder. "No stupid Martian is going to stop me from getting married, to hell with you." Donna walked away quickly and Harper followed laughing.
"I'm not… I'm not… I'm not from Mars," I said to no one.
"Taxi!" Donna yelled trying to hale a cab, but he just drove on pass. "He had his light on!"
"There's another one," I said running to catch it.
"Taxi. Oi!"
"There's one."
"Oi!" Donna yelled as another one passed by.
"Do you have this effect on everyone? Why aren't they stopping?" I asked.
"They think I'm in fancy dress."
"Get off the sauce, darling!" A driver yelled as he went by.
"They think I'm drunk."
"You're fooling no one, mate," another driver yelled.
"They think I'm in drag," Donna said in shock.
"Oh just leave it to me," Harper said and walked up to the street. She stuck out her hand and a taxi immediately stopped. She turned around give us a smirk.
We all piled in with me being in the middle. "St. Mary's in Chiswick, just off Haven Road. It's an emergency. I'm getting married, just hurry up."
"That'll cost you, sweetheart," the taxi driver said. "Double rates today."
"Oh my, have you got any money?" Donna asked Harper and I.
"No, sorry," Harper said.
"Erm… no. Haven't you?" I asked.
"Pockets?" Both girls yelled at me.
"And that goes double for your mother!" Donna yelled at the taxi driver as he drove off. "I'll have him, I've got his number, I'll have him. Talk about the Christmas spirit."
"Is it Christmas?" I said looking around smiling.
"Well, duh!" Donna said making Harper laugh. 'Why did she think everything Donna says is funny?' "Maybe not on Mars but here it's Christmas Eve. Phone box!" She ran off towards it. "We can reverse the charges."
"How come you're getting married on Christmas Eve?" Harper asked.
"Can't bear it, I hate Christmas. Honeymoon. Morocco. Sunshine. Lovely. What's the operator? I've not done this in years. What do you dial, 100?" She asked.
"Just call direct," I said using the sonic to get the phone working.
"What did you do?"
"Something… Martian. Now phone, I'll get money." I ran off and over to the ATM.
Thankfully there was only one person ahead of me but he was being slow. 'This is taking forever, how do human's put up with this?' I kept looking over at Donna and Harper making sure they were fine. 'I really need to apologize to Harper when I get a chance. 'What I said… well I shouldn't have.'
Once the man left I got in close and used the sonic to get some money without anyone seeing me. But when I turned around I stopped dead in my tracks. Three Santas playing instruments, just like the once from last year, were headed my way.
"Taxi!" I heard Donna yell and turned to look over at her, "Thanks for nothing, Spaceman, we'll see you in court." She got into the taxi, pulling Harper with her, but what was so bad about that was the fact that another Santa was driving.
"Donna! Harper!" I yelled. I turned back around and saw one of the Santas had it's tuba pointed at me, so I used the sonic screwdriver on the ATM causing money to shot out. People were running everywhere to catch the money and I made a run for it. I had to get to the TARDIS to save Donna and Harper.
Harper's POV
Donna pulled me into the taxi although I had insisted we wait on the Doctor.
"I promise you, mate, I'll give you the rest when we get there," she told the driver. "Oh, I look a mess. Hurry up!"
"Donna, maybe we should pull over and wait for the Doctor. He was trying to help," I said.
"That Martian is no good, I'm telling you. Hold on a minute, I said Chiswick," she said when she looked outside. "You've missed the turning. Excuse me; we should have turned off back there. We're going the wrong way," Donna yelled.
'Her yelling is not doing my headache any good.'
"What are you doing? I'm late for the wedding! My own wedding, do you get that? Turn around! Turn this cab around right now! Are you deaf or what?"
"He's not human," I said reaching up and pulling the hood down showing Donna that it was a robot.
She gasped before she starting yelling for help, "Help me! Help me!" She yelled banging on the windows.
I leaned forward trying to find away of stopping the robot, but I must have hit the wrong thing because it grabbed a hold of my broken wrist, squeezing hard.
"Ow!" I screamed.
"What, what is it."
"Stupid… robot… let… go… of… my… wrist!" I yelled hitting it in the head.
"Are you ok?" Donna asked.
"Broken wrist. I'm fine, get help," I said through clenched teeth.
"Help us!" She said yelling again, "We're being driven by a robot! You are kidding me," I heard her said and looked to see the TARDIS flying down the motorway.
The Doctor somehow got the TARDIS to stop right next to us and yelled, "open the door!"
"Do what?" Donna yelled back.
"Open the door!"
"I can't, it's locked." The Doctor used the sonic to unlock the door and window so Donna pulled down the window. "Santa's a robot."
"Donna, open the door."
"What for?"
"You've got to jump," the Doctor said.
"What?" I yelled as Donna said, "I'm a blinking bit jumpy! I'm supposed to be getting married."
The robot noticed the Doctor and pushed the gas sending us ahead of him. But once again he got up next to us and used the sonic, this time, on the robot. It let go of my wrist and clamped both hands on the wheel.
"Listen to me, you've got to jump."
"I'm not jumping on a motorway," she said.
"Whatever this thing is, it needs you and whatever it needs you for, it's not good. Now, go on," I said.
"I'm in my wedding dress!" She argued.
"Yes, you look lovely," the Doctor, said. "Come on."
Donna opened the door but when she really took a look she said, "Oh! I can't do it."
"Trust me," the Doctor said.
"Is that what you said to her? Your friend, the one you lost. Did she trust you?"
"Yes, she did, and she is not dead, she is so alive. Now jump!" He yelled.
Donna took one last look and jumped. She landed in the Doctor's arms but both of them went to the ground. They quickly got up and the Doctor motioned for me. I took a deep breath and then jumped. I almost made it but one of my feet slipped sending me out the door.
The Doctor grabbed onto my waist pulling me back in, before the door slammed shut and the TARDIS flew away.
We all quickly exited the TARDIS as she started to smoke. The Doctor grabbed a fire extinguisher and used it while Donna and I looked around. We were on the roof of some building, and if we weren't in such a pickle I would say it was a beautiful view.
"Funny thing is, for a spaceship, she doesn't do that much flying," the Doctor said coming to stand next to Donna and I at the edge. "We'd better give her a couple of hours. You all right?"
"It doesn't matter," Donna said.
"Of course it matters," I said softly putting a hand on her arm. She gave me a smile and the Doctor asked, "Did we miss it?"
I gave him a look that said 'really?' while Donna just said, "yeah," in an exasperated tone.
"Well, you can book another date," the Doctor offered.
"Of course we can."
"Still got the honeymoon," he tried again.
"It's just a holiday now."
"Yeah, yeah, sorry," the Doctor said, as if any of this was his fault.
"It's not your fault," Donna said.
The Doctor looked surprised before saying, "oh, that's a change."
"Wish you had a time machine then we could go back and get it right," Donna said.
"Umm… yeah, that would be helpful," I said holding in a laugh.
"But even if I did, I couldn't go back on someone's personal timeline," the Doctor said and then as an after thought said, "apparently."
Donna moved to sit at the edge and the Doctor and I followed. The Doctor took off his suit jacket draping it over Donna's shoulders.
"You're skinny," She said. "This wouldn't fit a rat."
I shook my head at her; you never have to guess what she's thinking that's for sure.
"Oh, and you'd better put this on," the Doctor said holding up a golden ring.
'Why does he have a ring in his pocket? I bet it was for Rose,' I thought miserably and said, in my best sarcastic tone, "Wow, way to go and rub it in?"
"Not now," he said to me before specking to Donna. "Those creatures can trace you. This is a bio-damper; it should keep you hidden. With this ring, I thee bio-damp."
"For better or for worse," Donna said as he slid the ring on her finger. "Come on then, robot Santas, what are they for?"
"Oh, your basic robo-scavenger. The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise; they're trying to blend in. I met them last Christmas.
"Why, what happened then?"
"The great big spaceship hovering over London, you didn't notice?" I asked her.
"I had a bit of a hangover."
"I spent Christmas day just over there," the Doctor pointed. "The Powell Estate, with this… family. My friend, she had this family, well… still. Gone now."
"Your friend, who was she?" Donna asked.
"Question is what do camouflage robot mercenaries want with you?" The Doctor said ignoring Donna's question. "And how did you get inside the TARDIS? I don't know, what's your job?"
The Doctor reached inside his jacket, which was still around Donna's shoulders, for his sonic screwdriver. "I'm a secretary."
"Weird," he said as he started to scan her. "I mean, you're not special, you're not powerful, you're not connected, you're not clever, you're not important."
"This friend of yours, just before she left, did she punch you in the face?"
"No, but I wish I could," I mumbled earning a laugh from Donna before she knock his hand down yelling, "stop bleeping me!"
"What kind of secretary?" The Doctor asked ignoring both of us.
"I'm at HC Clements. It's where I met Lance," I noticed ever time Donna started talking about Lance she got a dream tone to her voice; it was sweet. "I was temping. 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 cup of coffee. I mean, that just doesn't happen, nobody gets the secretaries a coffee. And Lance, he's the head of HR. He don't need to bother with me. But he was nice, he was funny, and it turns out he thought everyone else was really snotty, too. That's how it started, me and him. One cup of coffee, that was it."
"When was this?" I asked.
"Six months ago."
"Bit quick to get married," the Doctor said.
"Well, he insisted. And he nagged and he nagged me. And he just wore me down and then finally I just gave in."
'He nagged? Yeah, ok.'
"What does HC Clements do?" The Doctor asked.
"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 trying to figure it out.
"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."
"Yeah, I'm not from Mars," the Doctor said standing up. He helped Donna up and then reached down to help me but I just slapped his hand away and got up myself. He had a funny look on his face but I just turn away following Donna.
I linked my arm with Donna's and she gave a sigh saying, "Oh, I had this great big reception all planned. Everyone's gonna be heartbroken."
The Doctor's POV
We walked in to the reception hall to a party going on. Donna was just slightly in front of Harper and I but I knew she had to be in shock. One by one everyone noticed Donna standing there and soon the music was cut off.
"You had the reception without me?" She yelled.
"Donna, what happened to you?" A man asked.
"You had the reception without me?"
"Hello, I'm the Doctor," I said leaning forward trying to break the tension.
"They had the reception without me!" She yelled at me.
"Yes, I gathered," I said leaning back.
"Well, it was all paid for, why not?" A blond woman asked.
"Thank you, Nerys," Donna said sarcastically.
"Oh, so that's Nerys," Harper mumbled beside me.
"Well, what were we supposed to do?" Another lady asked walking towards us. "I got your silly little message in the end. I'm on Earth? Very funny, but what happened? How did you do it?"
Now multiple people were asking questions and moving in on Donna when she let out a sob. Everyone let out an "oh" as a man, I'm guessing Lance, moved forward and took Donna in his arms. After a second or to of crying into his shoulder she turned her head to face us and gave a wink.
"Oh, she is good," Harper, said. "I need to take some lesson from her."
I was standing at the bar just watching when I saw a man with a cell phone beside me. I asked him to borrow it for a moment. I quickly looked up HC Clements and used the sonic screwdriver to get more information. I saw that Torchwood had owned HC Clements, and now knew something bigger was going on. I gave the phone back and looked out onto the dance floor.
I watched as Harper danced with some guy. Donna had pulled her onto the dance floor as soon as the party started again and Harper gladly went. She looked as if she was having a wonderful time out there, with all of the laughing and smiling. The guy leaned in closer to her to say something and I turned away not wanting to watch anymore. But then I saw the cameraman and when to talk with him.
"Well, I tapped the whole thing," he told me. "They've all had a look. They said sell it to 'You've Been Framed', I said, more like the news. Here we are."
I watched Donna scream and then disappear on the screen, "can't be, play it again."
"Clever, mind. Good trick, I'll give her that. I was clapping."
"That looks like Huon particles."
"What's that, then?"
"That's impossible," I said taking off my glasses. "That's ancient. Huon energy doesn't exist anymore, not for billions of years. It's so old that… it can't be hidden by a bio-damper."
I took off running from the room to the nearest window only to see two robo-Santas. "Donna! Donna, they've found you."
"But you said I was safe," she said and I saw Harper walk up behind Donna.
"The bio-damper doesn't work," I said.
"We've got to get everyone out," Harper said.
"Oh, it's all my family!" Donna cried.
"Out the back door!" I said and we three ran to it pushing it open and saw two more Santas. "Maybe not."
We ran to another window and saw the same thing. "We're trapped," Donna said.
"Christmas trees," Harper said sounding a little nervous.
"What about them?" Donna asked.
"They kill. Get away from the trees," I yelled to everyone stopping the party. Then it became I flurry of activity with Donna, Harper, and I trying to get everyone away from the trees.
"That man's an idiot," a woman, who I have found out, is Donna's mother, said. "What harm's the Christmas tree gonna… oh!" She stopped mid-sentence when the Christmas ornaments on the tree started to float.
I could feel Harper's jitters next to me as we both waited for the inevitable. Then it happened, the ornaments started to dive bomb the room setting off small explosion. People started to scream and run for cover. I ran for the PA system and saw Harper grab some little kids to get them out of harms way.
Once everything stopped I got up and saw all six of the robots standing there with the instruments pointed at me. "Oi, Santa, word of advice. If you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver," I picked up the microphone, "don't let him near the sound system."
I used the sound system to amplify the sonic screwdrivers waves cause a horrible noise to blast through it. It may have been bad for the guest but it was worst for the robots as they started to break. Once they were all down, I ran over to them to take a look.
I heard people start to move around behind me, but I paid them no mind.
"Look at that," I said showing Donna, "remote control for the decorations, but there's a second remote control for the robots. They're not scavengers any more. I think someone's taken possession."
"Never mind all that, you're a doctor, people have been hurt," Donna said.
"No, they wanted you alive. Look," I throw her one of the ornaments. "They're not active now."
"All the same, you could help."
"Got to think of the bigger picture. There's still a signal!" I yelled running out of the room. Donna followed me outside and I was using the sonic to trace the signal. "There's someone behind this, directing the roboforms."
"But why is it me? What have I done?" She asked.
"If we find the controller, we'll find that out," I said.
"Okay, so I check everyone out and no one is hurt to bad," Harper said coming outside, followed by Lance.
"Oh, thank you," Donna said giving her a hug.
"Oh! It's up there," I said as I founded the signal pointing the screwdriver up. "Something in the sky. I've lost the signal. Donna, we got to get to your office, HC Clements. I think that's where it all started. Lance! Is he Lance? Lance, can you give me a lift?"
Harper's POV
As we ran into HC Clements the Doctor started to explain, "To you lot this might just be a locksmith, but HC Clements was bought up 23 years ago by the Torchwood Institute."
"Oh, of course it was," I said letting out a sigh.
"Who are they?"
The Doctor stopped working on the computer and looked at Donna, "they were behind The Battle of Canary Wharf." When Donna did make any sign she knew what he was talking about he added, "Cyberman invasion. Skies over London full of Daleks?"
"I was in Spain."
"They had Cybermen in Spain," I said with a laugh.
"Scuba diving," Donna said as if it was obvious.
"That big picture, Donna, you keep on missing it," the Doctor said, running to another computer. "Torchwood was destroyed, but HC Clements stayed in business. I think someone else came in and took over the operation."
"What do they want with me?"
"Somehow you've been dosed with Huon energy and that's a problem because Huon energy hasn't existed since the Dark Times. The only place you find a Huon particle now is a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS. See, that's what happened," the Doctor said picking up a mug and a pencil. "Say that's the TARDIS and that's you. The particles inside you activated, the two sets of particles magnetize and wap!" He dropped the pencil inside the mug. "You were pulled inside the TARDIS."
"I'm a pencil inside a mug?"
"Yes, you are. 4H sums you up."
"He leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling after he talks, doesn't he?" I asked sarcastically.
"Lance, what was HC Clements working on? Anything top secret, special operations, do not enter?"
"I don't know I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager. Why am I even explaining myself? What are we talking about?"
"You make keys, that's the point. And look at this, we're on the 3rd floor," the Doctor said showing us the building plans. He ran off to the elevator and stepped in while Donna, Lance, and I looked on from outside the elevator. "Underneath reception there's a basement, yes? Then how come when you look in the lift, there's a button marked 'lower basement'?"
"There's a whole floor that doesn't exist on the official plan?" I asked.
"Yep, so what's down there?"
"You telling me this building's got a secret floor?" Lance asked.
"No, I'm showing you this building's got a secret floor."
"It needs a key," Donna said.
"I don't," the Doctor said holding up the sonic screwdriver. "Right then, thanks, you three. I can handle this, see you later."
"Oh, don't even start that with me," I said annoyed and got into the elevator.
"No chance, Martian. You're the man who keeps saving my life. I ain't letting you out of my sight," Donna said getting on with us.
"Going down."
"Lance," Donna said to Lance since he had yet to get on the elevator.
"Maybe I should go to the police."
"Inside!"
"To honor and obey," the Doctor said as the doors shut.
"Tell me about it, mate."
"Oi!" Donna yelled, while I punch the Doctor in the arm.
"Where are we? What goes on down here?" Donna asked as we stepped out into a long tunnel.
"Let's find out," the Doctor said.
"Do you think Mr. Clements knows about this place?"
"The mysterious HC Clements? Oh, I think he's part of it. Oh, look transport," the Doctor said spotting three segues. We got on them; Lance on one, Donna on one, and the Doctor and I sharing one. I tried to get out of sharing, saying I would walk, but the Doctor ended picking me up and up putting me on it and then getting on him self. 'How is he so strong to be that skinny?'
After a few minutes of us riding them Donna started to laugh. The Doctor found it pretty funny also and laughed along with her. I let out a small giggle but Lance did seem to find the humor in it.
We stopped beside a door that had the Torchwood symbol on it and said 'authorized personnel only'. The Doctor immediately opened it looking up the ladder that was there.
"Wait here, just need to get my bearings. Don't do anything," he said.
"You better come back," Donna threatened.
"Couldn't get rid of you if I tried," he said before climbing up the ladder. 'How is it that he is showing Donna more attention than me? His companion!'
"Donna, have you thought about this properly? I mean, this is serious," Lance said. "What are we gonna do?"
"Oh, I thought July," she said looking away from where the Doctor had gone.
"July is a great time for a wedding," I added and Donna smiled over to me.
"What about you and the Doctor?" Donna asked me.
"There is NO me and the Doctor. He made that clear," I said bitterly.
"Oh, I don't know. Once you two get over this little fight your having I could see something happen."
"What do you ship us together or something?" I asked with a laugh.
"What do you mean by ship?" Donna asked.
"It's when you think two people are going to end. Like as in a relationSHIP."
"OMG, yes!" Donna said a little too excitedly. "I do ship you two together."
"Oh no, I've created a monster," I said.
"Thames flood barrier," the Doctor said jumping down the last few ladder rungs. "Right on top of us. Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath!"
"What, there's like a secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark?" Donna asked shocked.
"I know. I know, love," he said as he walked off.
The Doctor's POV
"Oh! Look at this," I said as we walked into some kind of lab. "Stunning."
"What does it do?" Donna asked.
"Particle extrusion," Harper said, sounding bored as she looking around.
"Hold on," I said running over to one of the tubes giving it a tap, deciding not to let Harper's bad mood dampen my excitement. "Brilliant. They've been manufacturing Huon particles. Of course, my people got rid of Huons. They unravel the atomic structure."
"Your people? Who are they? What company do you represent?" Lance asked me.
"Oh, I'm a freelancer. 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," I said holding up a tube.
"And that's what's inside me?"
I activated the particles in the tube causing them to light up, along with Donna. "Genius. Because the particles are inert, they need something living to catalyze inside and that's you. Saturate the body and then… Oh!" I yelled causing Donna to jump. "The wedding! Yes, you're getting married. That's it. Best day of your life, walking down the aisle. Your body is a battleground! There's a chemical war inside. Adrenaline. Acetylcholine. Wham go the endorphins! Oh, you're cooking. You're like a walking oven, a pressure cooker, a microwave, all churning away. The particles reach boiling point… Shazam!"
Then both Harper and Donna slapped me, "What did I do this time?"
"Being a total tool!" Harper said with her arms crossed.
"Are you enjoying this?" Donna yelled. "All right, just tell me, these particles, are they dangerous? Am I safe?"
"Yes."
"Doctor…" Donna said in a calm manner which worried me. "If your lot got rid of Huon particles, why did they do that?"
I sighed knowing I would just have to tell her, "Because they were deadly." She was lost for words so I said; "I'll sort it out, Donna. Whatever's been done to you, I'll reverse it. I'm not about to lose someone else."
"Oh, she's long since lost," we heard a voice, from somewhere, say. Then the wall in front of us opened up to reveal a very deep hole. There were more robots on either side with guns pointed at us. "I have waited so long. Hibernating at the edge of the universe. Until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken me."
"Someone's been digging," I said looking over the edge. "Oh, very Torchwood, drilled by laser. How far down does it go?"
"Down and down. All the way to the centre of the Earth."
"Really? Seriously, what for?" I asked.
"Dinosaurs," Donna suddenly said.
"What?" Both Harper and I asked at the same time.
"Dinosaurs," she said again, but this time it was more of a question.
"What are you on about? Dinosaurs," I asked.
"That film under the Earth with dinosaurs. Trying to help."
"That's not helping."
"Such a sweet couple," the voice said.
"Only a mad man talks to thin air. And trust me, you don't want to make me mad."
"To late," Harper mumbled but I heard her.
"Where are you?" I yelled ignoring what Harper said.
"High in the sky. Floating so high on Christmas night."
"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?"
"I'm the Doctor!"
"Prepare your best medicines, doctor man, for you will be sick at heart."
I was surprised to see what happened next. With in seconds a giant spider-like creature appeared up above us.
"Oh, nope! No, no, no, no!" Harper said getting behind Donna. "I don't do spiders!"
'Really, she can face down anything and a spider is what she tries to get away from?' I thought with a laugh. "Racnoss," I said not believing it. "That's impossible. You're one of the Racnoss."
"Empress of the Racnoss."
"If you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss? Or are you the only one?"
"Such a sharp mind," the Empress hissed.
"That's it, the last of your kind. The Racnoss come from the Dark Times," I started to explain to the girls. "Billions of years ago. Billions. They were carnivores. Omnivores. They devoured whole planets."
"Racnoss are born starving. Is that our fault?"
"They eat people?" Donna said in shock.
"HC Clements, did he wear those, uh, black and white shoes?" I asked.
"He did! We used to laugh. We used to call him the fat cat in spats."
I motioned up and Donna let out a gasp when she saw the same shoes in the web above our heads.
"Aye! Christmas dinner?" The Empress said.
Harper gave a shudder and said, "This is why I don't like spiders. They're so creepy!"
"You shouldn't even exist," I said. "Way back in history, the Fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss. They were wiped out."
"Except for me." I saw Lance emerge behind the Empress motioning for us to be quiet.
"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 come I get all stacked up with these Huon particles? Look at me, you. Look me in the eye and tell me," Donna yelled at the Empress.
"The bride is so feisty." Lance was getting closer to the Empress and I now saw he had and axe in his hands.
"Yes, I am. And I don't know what you are, you big thing." 'Yep, that will work. It is a big thing.' "But a spider's just a spider. And an axe is an axe. Now, do it!" Donna yelled at Lance.
He had the axe raise high and the Empress turn to look at him. But he stopped and looked at us then laughed.
"That was a good one, your face," Lance said.
"Lance is funny," the Empress said.
"What?" Donna asked. Harper put a hand on her shoulder and I said, "I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what? Lance don't be so stupid. Get her!"
"She's thick," Lance said with disgust. "Months I've had to put up with her. Months! A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map."
"I don't understand," Donna said sounding so sad.
"How did you meet him?" I asked.
"In the office."
"He made you coffee," Harper said gently.
"What?"
"Every day I made you coffee."
"You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months," I explained.
"He was poisoning me."
"It was all there in the job title. The head of human resources," I spat out.
"This time it's personnel," Lance said as he and the Empress laughed.
"But… we were getting married."
"Well, I couldn't risk you running off. I had to say yes. Then I was stuck with a woman who thinks the height of excitement is a new flavored Pringle. Oh, I had to sit there and listen to all that yap, yap, yap. Ooh, Brad and Angelina! Is Posh pregnant? X Factor. Atkin's diet. Feng shui. Split ends. Text me, text me, text me. The never-ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia. I deserve a medal."
"You don't get to talk to her like that!" Harper said marching forward. "You no good, spineless…" I catch her around the waist bring her back to me, but she slapped my hand and I let her go, "no, you don't get to do things like that anymore," she snapped at me.
Lance had a smirk on his face when I turned around but I ignored both him and Harper and asked, "Is that what she's offered you? The Empress of the Racnoss. What are you? Her consort."
"It's better than a night with her."
"But I love you," Donna said quietly.
"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 Empress asked.
"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 4,000 miles down? That's just the molten core of the Earth, innit?"
"I think he wants us to talk," Lance mocked.
"I think so, too."
"Well, tough. All we need is Donna," Lance said.
"Kill this chattering little doctor man, and his assistant," the Empress ordered.
"I'm not his assistant," Harper complained and Donna stepped in front of us and said, "don't you hurt them."
"No, it's all right," I said.
"No, I won't let them."
"Ah! Now, except…" I started.
"Take aim!" The Empress yelled and the robots got ready.
"Well, I just want to point out the obvious."
"They won't hit the bride. They're such very good shots," the Empress said.
"Just hold on. Hold on just a tick, just a tiny little, just a … tick. If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship. So reverse it," I activated the small tube of particles I had. "The spaceship comes to her."
"Fire!" The Empress yelled, but it was too late. The TARDIS had already materialized around us.
"Off we go, then. Oh, do you know what you said before about a time machine? Well, I lied. And now we're gonna use it," I said as I ran around the console flying the TARIDS. "We need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up. If something's buried at the planet's core, then it must've been there since the beginning. That's just brilliant. Molto bene! I've always wanted to see this. Donna, I'm going further back than I've ever been before."
I looked over to Donna and saw she was silently crying. Harper had her in a hug trying to comfort her.
"We've arrived," I said softly. Donna had stopped crying but still looked very sad. "You want to see?"
"I suppose," she said.
I pulled the scanner over to look and said, "The scanner's a bit small. Maybe your way's best. Come on. No human's ever seen this. You two will be the first."
"All I wanna see is my bed," Donna said.
"Donna Noble, welcome to the Creation of the Earth," Harper said as I opened the door. We stood there looking out and I had to say, it was beautiful.
"We've gone back 4.6 billion years. There's no solar system. Not yet," I explained. "Only dust and rocks and gas. That's the sun, over there. Brand-new. Just beginning to burn."
"Where's the Earth?" Donna asked.
"All around us. In the dust."
"Puts the wedding in perspective. Lance was right, we're just tiny."
"No, but that's what you do," I said. "The human race; make sense out of chaos. Marking it out with weddings and Christmas and calendars. This whole process is beautiful. But only if it is being observed."
"So we came out of all this," Donna said pointing to Harper and her self.
"Me… sort of. But isn't it brilliant?" Harper said with a laugh.
Donna looked confused at what Harper said but just looked back outside not asking what she meant. A large rock floated by and she said, "I think that's the Isle of Wight." To which Harper and I laughed.
"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, everything piling in until you get…"
"The Earth," Donna finished for me.
"Now, the question is, what was the first rock?" I said.
"Look," Harper said pointing.
"The Racnoss," a Racnoss ship was flying through the clouds towards the other rocks. "Hold on," I said running back to the console, "the Racnoss are hiding from the war. What's it doing?"
"Exactly what you said," Donna said so I came back to look.
"Oh, they didn't just bury something in the centre of the Earth. They became the centre of the Earth. The first rock."
"Yep, I'm never going back to Earth," Harper said and before I could comment the TARDIS started shaking.
"What was that?" Donna asked.
"Trouble," both Harper and I said.
"What is it doing?"
"A little trick of mine, particles pulling particles. Well, it works in reverse, and they're pulling us back."
"Well, can't you stop it?" Donna asked. "Hasn't it got a hand brake?"
"Yes, and it's on all the time," Harper said, 'I need to remember to ask her what she means by that.'
"Well, then can't you reverse or warp or fade or something?" Donna kept going.
"Back-seat drivers," I mumble and then I remember something, "Oh! Wait a minute, the extrapolator."
"Why in the world do you still have that?" Harper yelled. "It's never brings anything good with it."
"Oi, it can help. It can't stop us, but it should give us a good bump! Now!" I yelled as I hit the extrapolator with the mallet. Once the TARDIS stopped we all got out and looked around. "We're about 200 yards to the right. Come on."
I stopped at a door and started to work on getting it open. "What do we do?" Donna asked.
"I don't know I'm making it up as I go along. But trust me, I've got history. Ask Harper."
"I still don't understand," Donna, said, "I'll full of particles, but what for?"
"There's a Racnoss web at the centre of the Earth, but my people unraveled their power source," I said not looking away from the door. "If Huon particles cease to exist, the Racnoss will stop. They just stayed in hibernation for billions of years, frozen, dead, kaput. So you're the new key. Brand-new particles, living particles. They need you to open it and you two have never been so quiet," I turned around only to find both Harper and Donna gone. "Oh!"
I turned back to the door and quickly opened, but luck was not on my side as one of the robots stood there.
Harper's POV
"I hate you," Donna spat at Lance.
"Yeah, I think we've gone bit beyond that now, sweet heart," Lance said.
"Well I hate spiders and heights, so can you two please shut it," I said. We were currently in the Racnoss web, on the roof, right above the giant whole leading to the centre of the Earth. 'Yep, not the best day ever.'
"My golden couple, together at last! Your awful wedded life!" The Empress hissed. "Tell me, do you want to be released?"
"Yes," they both yelled at the same time.
"You're supposed to say, 'I do'."
"No chance," Lance said.
"Say it!" She commanded.
"I do," Lance said after a minute.
"I do!" Donna cried.
"I don't!" The Empress yelled.
"Yeah, didn't see that one coming," I said sarcastically. "Hey, giant spider lady thing, I understand why these two but why am tied up here?"
"My children will be hungry," she said.
"Yeah, that not creepy at all."
"Activate the particles," both Donna and Lance started to glow. "Purge every last one! And release! The secret heart unlocks and they will waken from their sleep of ages."
"Who will? What's down there?" Donna asked.
"How thick are you?" Lance asked.
"Oi, don't talk to her like that!" I yelled.
"My children, the long lost Racnoss, now reborn to feast on flesh. The web star shall come to me. My babies will be hungry. They need sustenance. Perish the web."
"No, use one of them, not me," Lance cried. "Use her!"
"On, my funny little lad, but you were quite impolite to your lady friend. The Empress does not approve."
She cut the web and Lance feel down the hole. I shut my eyes but still heard Donna yelled, "Lance!"
"Harvest the humans, reduce them to meat. My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them. So you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor man."
"Oh, well, nice try," the Doctor said taking off a costume that looked like one of the robots. "I've got you, Donna, Harper," he said as he soniced the web around Donna.
"I'm gonna fall!" Donna said.
"You're gonna swing," the Doctor said. "I've got you." Unfortunately for Donna, the Doctor did not take into count the length of the rope and Donna swing right under him and fell down. She was fine but she did not look happy. "Oh, sorry."
"Thanks for nothing," Donna said put out with him.
"Look I don't know if I want your help of not," I said.
"Oh, don't be a big baby," the Doctor told me and soniced the web around me. And just like with Donna, my web was to long. Thankfully Donna helped catch me.
"The doctor man amuses me," the Empress said.
Once the Doctor saw I was back on the ground he turned to the Empress, "Empress of the Racnoss, I give you one last chance. I can find you a planet. I can find you and your children a place in the universe to coexist. Take that offer and end this now."
"These men are so funny," was her reply.
"What's your answer?"
"Oh! I'm afraid I have to decline."
"Then what happens next is your own doing," the Doctor said.
"I'll show you what happens next. At arms!" She yelled at the robots once again had their guns pointed at us. "Take aim! And…"
"Relax," the Doctor said and the robot all shut off.
"What did you do?" Donna asked.
"Guess what I've got, Donna. Pockets," he said pulling out the remote control for the robots.
"How did that fit in there?"
"They're bigger on the inside," Harper said.
"Roboforms are not necessary. My children may feast on Martian flesh."
"Oh, but I'm not from Mars."
"Then where?"
"My home planet is far away and long since gone. But it's name lives on," as the Doctor talked I could see him becoming the On Coming Storm and that scared me. "Gallifrey."
The Empress let out a hiss as if she was in pain, "they murdered the Racnoss."
"I warned you. You did this," the Doctor pulled out several of the ornaments for Donna's reception.
"No, no. Don't!" The Doctor though the ornaments in the air activating them, "No, no, no!" The Empress screamed as water started to flow into the room and down the hole. "My children! My children!"
Donna and I were soaked to the bone as we watched everything. The Doctor looked like a different man standing there. "Doctor, you need to stop this," I yelled but he didn't even flinch.
"Doctor! You can stop now," Donna tried and the Doctor looked down at us. If my heart wasn't broken before, now it certainly was. 'He won't listen to me, someone who has been with him for a long time, but he will listen to a woman he just met?'
"Come on, time to find a way out," he said.
"Transport me!" The Empress yelled as we ran for it.
"What about the Empress?" Donna asked while climbing up a ladder.
"She's used up all her Huon energy. She's defenseless."
We finally made it to the top of the flood barrier and looked out. The Doctor and Donna started laughing while I just sat there thinking about everything.
"There's just one problem," Donna said after a few minutes.
"What is it?"
"We've drained the Thames," this time I joined them with laughing not being able to help my self. The Doctor and Donna's laughs were just too contagious.
The Doctor's POV
"There we go. I told you she'd be all right," I said stepping out of the TARDIS in front of Donna's house. "Survive anything."
"More than I've done," Donna said.
I gave her a quick scan and said, "Well, all the Huon particles are gone, no damage, you're fine."
"Yeah, apart from that. I missed my wedding, I lost my job, and became a widow on the same day. Sort of."
"I couldn't save him," I said sadly.
"He deserved it," I raised an eyebrow at her and she said, "no, he didn't. How's your wrist," she asked Harper.
I turned sharply to look at her, 'when had she hurt her wrist?'
"Oh, it's fine. I'm all good, just fine," she said with a forced smile. "Listen, I'm going to head in and dry off. Merry Christmas, Donna, hope to see you again!" Harper gave Donna a hug before returning to the TARDIS.
"Yeah, I better get inside, too. They'll be worried."
"Best Christmas present they could have," I said before adding, "Oh, no, I forgot, you hate Christmas."
"Yes, I do."
"Even if it's snowing?" I asked reaching into the TARDIS. I push a button and it started to snow.
"I can't believe you did that!" Donna said happily.
"Oh, basic atmospheric excitation."
"Merry Christmas," Donna said.
"And you. So, what will you do with yourself now?" I asked.
"Not getting married, for started. And I'm not gonna temp anymore. I don't know, travel, see a bit more of planet Earth; walk in the dust. Just go out there and do something."
"Well, you could always…" I stopped to really think about what I was about to say.
"What?" Donna asked.
"… Come with me and Harper."
"No," she said almost immediately.
"Okay."
"I can't."
"No, that's fine," I said trying to brush it off.
"No, but really, I mean, everything we did today, do you live your life like that?"
"Not all the time," I said stretching the truth a bit.
"I think you do, and I couldn't."
"But you've seen it out there," I said not understanding why she didn't want to come. "It's beautiful."
"And it's terrible. That place was flooded and burning and they were dying, and you stood there like, I don't know, a stranger. And then you made it snow! I mean, you scare me to death," Donna said.
"Well then."
"I'll tell you what I will do, though. Christmas dinner." When I hesitated she said, "Oh, come on."
"I don't do that sort of thing."
"You did it last year, you said so. And you might as well because mum always cooks enough for 20."
"All right then," I said with a plan forming in my mind. "But you go first, better warn them, and don't say I'm a Martian. I just have to park her properly. She might drift off to the Middle Ages. I'll see you in a minute."
I walked into the TARDIS getting ready to leave when I heard Donna yelling, "Doctor! Doctor!"
"Blimey, you can shout," I said opening the door.
"Am I ever gonna see you again?"
"If I'm lucky," I said with a smile.
"Just promise me one thing, find someone," she said.
"I don't need anyone."
"Yes, you do. 'Cause sometimes I think you need someone to stop you."
"I have Harper," I said.
"Who, the girl you have ignored the whole day? Did you know she most likely has a broken wrist? Find someone."
I was in shock. 'I didn't ignore Harper all day… did I?' "Yeah," I cleared my throat. "Thanks then, Donna. Good luck, and just… be magnificent."
"I think I will, yeah." I stepped back in only to hear her call me again.
"Doctor?"
"Oh, what is it now?"
"That friend of yours, what was her name?"
"Her name was Rose," and with that I shut the door and piloted the TARDIS out of there.
I needed to find Harper. We needed to have a talk.
"I know it's broken, but why is it still broken?" I heard Harper say, in frustration, from the infirmary. "Oh this is so not good."
"Care to explain anything to me?" I asked from the doorway.
She turned around quickly looking at me with big eyes. "Nope. I'm good, but thanks for asking," she said with attitude.
"Oh, cut the attitude, Harper. When did you break your wrist?" I asked coming over to her gently taking her wrist looking it over.
"During the Battle of Canary Wharf and I think, again in the taxi with Donna."
"What? Why have you not said anything before now?" I asked.
"Because someone was being a complete douchebag," she said ripping her hand away only to hiss in pain.
I quickly took her wrist and began to cast it. "Why isn't the Time Vortex fixing it?"
"When… um… you see… it's recharging. Or at least that's how the TARDIS explained it to me in simple terms."
I just blinked at her waiting for further explanation.
"I may have used the Vortex, like you told me not too, to get free from the Cybermen."
"What!" I yelled jumping up. "Harper that was incredibly stupid of you!"
She jumped up also getting right in my face, "well it was either that or become a Cyberman. But maybe that's what you wanted me to do!"
I flinch at her words, "I didn't say that," I said calmly. "I'm just worried about you. And I'm sorry. I never should have blamed you for what happened with Rose."
"Yeah, you shouldn't have," she said crossing her arm, which was difficult with her new cast.
"Am I forgiven then?" I asked hopefully.
"Yes, you are forgiven," she said finally.
I beamed at her, "good! I'm glad everything between us can go back to normal.
"No," she said which shocked me. "You don't get to come in here say your sorry and magically everything is back to normal. I forgave you, but that doesn't mean I am not mad at you."
"But… but… why?" I asked.
"You hurt me Doctor," was all I got for an exclamation. "Now I'm going to bed."
She left the room without even a goodnight and I felt as if both my heart were torn to shreds. I don't know how, but I'm going to fix this. I have to fix this!
So… what did you think? I am super excited for future chapters and already have plans in mind for them. I hope you guys had a happy Thanksgiving and thank you so much for reading. Please leave a comment; I love reading them. Until next time my dear fellow Whovians, and always be on the look out for a mad man and a blue box!
