Any kind of optimism Zana might have heralded the night of her best friend's untimely departure from the TARDIS seemed to fade by the time she awoke the next morning. She felt a tight knot in her chest the second her eyes opened and it nearly took all the air from her lungs. Her throat was scratchy and raw from her night of tears and sobs. Her sheets were on her floor, as she had thrashed around in her sleep. She was miserable. She felt no joy in the spaceship she called home. Without Rose, she wasn't sure if the TARDIS could ever feel like home again.

The only reason the mourning companion pulled herself out of bed was the constant thought that, if she was this distraught about the sacrifice made by her beautiful friend, then the Time Lord the two of them called a best friend must be absolutely and utterly inconsolable.

The brunette teenager, who had only just celebrated her nineteenth birthday on Mars not too long ago with her two friends, stood before the mirror in her bathroom, studying her features. Her hair fell past her shoulders in braids, which had become matted from the night of unrest. Her eyes were red and swollen, while her cheeks bore the stains of the tears she shed. Sadness never looked good on Zana, but unfortunately, she was rather familiar with the reflection before her. Yet this sadness was different. It was deeper than she had ever felt. It was unbearable.

How would her life ever be the same without Rose Tyler?

The TARDIS was trying desperately to lighten the spirits of its two remaining inhabitants, making sure the corridors and the console room were brightly lit. She was conscious of the wheezing of her engines and the sounds of her time rotor, as she knew just how much her Zana adored hearing them. But her Time Lord...she has not seen him this broken inside since the day they had escaped The Great Time War. He felt more alone now than ever before. The TARDIS knew, and in many ways, felt, the pain the Doctor holds in his hearts, but never like this. This pain wasn't going away anytime soon. Rose had saved his life. She had given him purpose after the extinction of his race and his world. She made him happy again. She made him smile. She made him feel like the Doctor again, and not just another soldier in the Universe's deadliest war.

"Hey, Old Girl," Zana's voice was weak, but she put on a smile as if the ancient ship could see it. Zana wasn't exactly aware of the extent of the TARDIS's telepathic abilities. If she had been, she wouldn't have gone through the trouble of faking a smile. The TARDIS could feel her emotions too. Nevertheless, she whirred in response and lit up the console in a warming manner. For a split second, her inhabitant's smile wasn't just an act. "Where is he? Is he okay?"

In response to her question, the TARDIS lit up the corridor Zana had just entered from. She knew Zana was clever, so it came as no surprise when her human friend started down the path she was making. About halfway to their destination, the Old Girl felt Zana's singular heart clench in her chest with realization. She had figured out where their Time Lord was. Her breathing became slightly more ragged as she eventually came to a stop in front of the bedroom of Rose Tyler.

"Oh, Doctor..." Zana's voice broke as she pressed her forehead against the door before her. The door slowly began to open at the TARDIS's command and the brunette quietly eased the door open at the encouragement.

There he was.

The Time Lord was fast asleep on Rose's bed, clutching a familiar purple and blue shirt in one of his hands. Zana felt a calmness go through her after seeing the peaceful look on his face, but it soon vanished as she reminded herself of the reality that awaited him when he finally woke up.

Rose's room was just as she had left it. Her clothes were scattered across her floor while various trinkets from her many adventures decorated her walls. Pictures of Jackie, Mickey, the Doctor, and even a few of Zana were taped to her vanity mirror. Zana felt herself walking up to it, quietly looking over the familiar photos before looking down and seeing her friend's makeup just as she had left it yesterday morning before going to see her mum.

Gone in an instant. Zana couldn't understand it.

Before her thoughts could overtake her, she heard a shuffling behind her and turned to see the Doctor rousing from his sleep. Zana felt a moment of panic, fearing how he would feel seeing her in Rose's room when he woke. Just as she went to hurry out of the door, the Doctor murmured her name. His voice was rough from sleep and tears.

"I'm here," she responded softly as she stood in place. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

She watched as his hand loosened around Rose's shirt, letting it lay on the bed beside him. He laid there in silence for a few moments, only deciding to open his eyes to look at his remaining companion a few minutes later, "You didn't."

Zana frowned at his words, watching as he got up and sat on the side of the bed, "Are you okay?"

Silence again. He rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together, as if in deep thought. She almost missed the quiet "no" that passed through his lips.

For once, she had nothing to say to comfort him. She was in just as much distress as he was. She was of absolutely no help to the Time Lord.

"I..." she couldn't even begin to think of the right words to say to him. She felt herself start to crumble. "I miss her so much."

The Doctor watched with sad eyes as his friend began to weep and instinctively stood from his spot. He took a few steps forward and instead of offering a comforting hug, he allowed his own emotion to come through and fell into her embrace, defeated. He felt her arms wrap around him tightly and immediately pulled her closer as he allowed himself to mourn his Rose in the safety of Zana's arms.

"Get up, now!" the Doctor yanked Zana's duvet off of her sleeping body abruptly, startling his human companion into consciousness with a shout. Before Zana could even ask him what was wrong, he had instructed her to get dressed and dashed out of her room.

Zana allowed herself to sit on her bed in a post-sleep daze before working up the will to climb out of bed. She unenthusiastically slid on a pair of jeans, opting to leave her pajama shirt on, which was just an old t-shirt she had snuck from Rose's closet, and pulled on her socks and trainers before making her way towards the console room. She worked at pulling her hair up in a ponytail as she allowed the TARDIS's whirring to comfort her.

The past two weeks have been spent on board the TARDIS. Admittedly, Zana had fallen into a state of depression that could only be soothed by sleep. She hadn't felt like this since before that fateful Christmas Day that led her to Rose and the Doctor, and it was an almost foreign feeling to the teen, but she couldn't deny what it was. While sleep was all Zana did, it was quite the opposite for the Time Lord. Zana wasn't sure he had even slept since the night Rose had been pulled away, which filled her with concern, but due to her own state, she hasn't done a single thing about it. He was mourning. So was she. They were good about being there for each other when one of them needed solace, but admittedly, they were even better at staying away from one another the rest of the time. They couldn't seem to accept the fact that it was just them now.

"What do you need, Doctor?" Zana's voice hardly caused the Doctor to look up from what he was doing. She watched as he rushed around the console in an almost frantic manner. Zana frowned. "Doctor?"

"A star," he began, his tone surprising Zana. It held a tone she hadn't heard from him, or anyone, for weeks: hope. "Oh, you're brilliant, you are, Zan!" At his words, he stopped and gripped Zana's shoulders in excitement. "You said it, you said it that same night! I'm just thick! Thick! Thick! Thick!"

"What the hell are you going on about?" Zana's eyes held amusement, but part of her felt guilty for feeling some sort of joy without her friend being there to experience it with her. "What about a star? It was a daft idea-"

"Don't you start with that, because you're wrong," he gave her a pointed look before pulling her towards the scanner. "Look! What do you see?"

"A supernova," she replied bluntly, studying the celestial mass. "Well, technically, it's a binary cluster of white dwarves, on the verge of a supernova."

"Exactly," he nodded excitedly before rushing around the console to pull a lever. "A supernova, a big giant explosion, that when used right, can be used as a transmission device, stong enough to cross universes. And it just so happens that I've managed to find the last crack between our universe and Rose's."

It took a few seconds for the Doctor's words to click on her head, but the second they did, her eyes widened and she felt hope rise in her chest. "So you're saying we can use the supernova to get to Rose? We can save her?"

The Doctor's shoulders dropped slightly at her words. "No. That's not possible," his voice was solemn. "But we can project ourselves into her Universe, and her into the TARDIS. We can talk to each other again, one last time."

"The goodbye we didn't get..." Zana looked up at him and their eyes met.

He nodded at her words and gulped nervously. "Are you ready?"

"I can't wait another second," she answered hurriedly.

The Doctor quickly began to work at the console, occasionally asking Zana to help him when he needed an extra hand. Zana was bubbling with excitement and disbelief. She couldn't believe this was happening! She gets to hear Rose once more. She gets to say goodbye.

After a few moments of frantic work, a silence fell over the two of them.

"Now what do we do?" Zana asked quietly as she looked around in the hopes of seeing Rose.

"We call to her," he took Zana's hand into his own and led her around the console. His grip stayed as he closed his eyes and whispered his lost companion's name softly. He called out to her a few more times before Zana spoke up as well.

"Rose..." she called wistfully as she too closed her eyes. "Come on, Rose, come on..."

"Where are you?"

Zana's eyes snapped open the millisecond that all too familiar Cockney accent filled her head. She gasped as her friend appeared in front of them. She never thought she would ever see her again...

"Inside the TARDIS," the Doctor answered Rose's question gently, overcoming his own emotions in order to do so. He knew they didn't have much time. "There's one tiny little gap in the universe left, just about to close, and it takes a lot of power to send this projection. Zan and I in orbit around a supernova," he gave Zana's hand a squeeze, reminding her that this is reality. Rose was really before them. "We're burning up a sun just to say goodbye."

"She looks like a ghost..." Zana breathed as she studied her friend's appearance, longing to reach out and embrace her tightly.

"Zana," Rose let out a small laugh in an attempt to keep the tears at bay. Seeing her brunette friend alive and well relieved her tremendously. She was so scared that she hadn't let go in time, that she had caused Zana to slip into nothingness. She was scared that she had left the Doctor to face the Universe alone.

"Hold on," the Doctor quickly pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pressed the button, and seconds later the image of Rose solidified. It was like she was right there in front of them.

"Can I?" Rose stepped forward and reached out a hand, wanting to feel the Doctor once more. She wasn't the same without him.

"I'm still just an image," he spoke softly. Zana could tell it pained him just as much as it pained Rose. "No touch."

Rose let her hand fall back to her side, defeated. "Can't you and Zana come through properly?"

"The whole thing would fracture. Two universes would collapse."

"So?" Rose and Zana replied in unison, causing them to smile longingly at each other.

"Where are you?" Zana decided she needed to speak up more. She needed this closure.

"Where did the gap come out?" the Doctor added.

"We're in Norway," Rose informed softly.

"Norway," the Doctor nodded as if he had planned it. Zana knew, and she knew Rose knew, that he didn't. "Right."

"About fifty miles out of Burgen," she continued. "It's called 'Darlig Ulv Stranden'."

"Dalek?" Zana frowned worriedly.

"Darlig. It's Scandinavian for bad," she smiled knowingly at the Doctor. "This translates to Bad Wolf Bay." Zana felt her chest warm-up as Rose and the Doctor shared their moment of humor and happiness. It soon dissipated the second Rose asked, "How long have we gone?"

"About two minutes," the Doctor's words made Zana's heart ache. Two more minutes with Rose Tyler.

"I can't think of what to say!" Rose once again laughed in an effort to mask her tears, but there was no hiding what the three of them were feeling.

"How's Mickey, then?" Zana pondered as she smiled warmly. Rose's last memory of Zana needed to be strong. It needed to be happy. "Still brilliant?"

Rose chuckled as she reached up to wipe the tears from her cheeks, "He is, yeah. He misses ya, Zana. We all do. All five of us. Mum, Dad, Mickey, and the baby."

Both Zana and the Doctor's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're not..." the Doctor breathed.

"No," Rose smiled, amused. "It's Mum. She's three months gone. More Tylers on the way."

Zana's eyes widened at the news, "That's absolutely brilliant!"

"And what about you?" the Doctor cleared his throat, studying her intently. "Are you..."

"Yeah, I'm back working in the shop," Rose nodded with a disappointed sigh. Zana frowned at her words. There was no way.

"Oh, good for you," he nodded supportively, but Rose waved him off with a small laugh.

"Shut up. No, I'm not," she shook her head. "There's still a Torchwood on this planet. It's open for business. I think I know a thing or two about aliens."

Pride filled Zana at her friend's words."I can't even begin to put into words just how much I miss you, Rose," Zana felt her own tears creep up on her. Time was running out. "Oh, Rose...don't ever forget about me, okay?"

There was no holding it back anymore. A sob escaped Rose's lips as she covered her face with her hands, "I love you, Zana. You're my best mate, you remember that, okay? Always, You're gonna be so amazing, more than a match for 'im," she nodded at the Doctor, who smiled and glanced at the brunette beside him at her words.

"I promise to keep him out of trouble for you, Rose," Zana wiped her tears away as she chuckled,

"Rose Tyler, Defender of the Earth," the Doctor said proudly before meeting the blonde's gaze. "You're dead, officially, back home. So many people died that day and you've gone missing." Zana closed her eyes at his words. Her mum had called and informed her of that news a week ago, unaware of what had happened to the woman. The news had hit her like a ton of bricks. "You're on a list of the dead," the Doctor attempted to lighten the mood. "Here you are, living a life day after day! The one adventure I can never have."

Rose just shook her head, still struggling to contain her tears, "Am I ever going to see you again?"

The Doctor finally dropped his facade and shook his head, "You can't."

"What're you two going to do?"

"Oh, I've got the TARDIS. I've got Zana," he smiled and squeezed his companion's hand. "Same old life, last of the Time Lords."

Zana looked up to see Rose looking at her with desperate eyes, and Zana instantly knew what she was struggling to say. Rose had been trying to say it long before her departure from the TARDIS.

"You can do it," Zana gave her one last smile, letting her tears fall freely as she released the Doctor's hand and stepped back, taking in her best friend's appearance for the final time. "Goodbye, Rose."

She laid a comforting hand on the Doctor's arm before walking past him, giving the two of them the privacy she knew they craved for their final farewell. The second she was out of sight, she slid down the wall of the corridor and held her head in her hands as she allowed herself to cry. For the first time in what feels like an eternity, her tears didn't steam from sadness, but of a bittersweet nature. She felt a sense of contentment fill her.

"I..." Rose's nervous voice made it's way to Zana as she closed her eyes and listened to her. She had watched the Doctor and Rose adore each other from afar and up close for so long. Despite the feelings Zana herself has grown for the Time Lord, she knew that the Doctor and Rose would forever hold an unbreakable bond that she could never replace. Frankly, she didn't want to. She knows she never could. "I love you."

"Quite right, too," the Doctor replied, his voice cracking ever so slightly. Zana felt her heart break for him. "And I suppose, if it's one last chance to say it...Rose Tyler-"

Zana sat there, anxiously awaiting to hear him utter those words, but he never did. The TARDIS grew eerily quiet. Too quiet. She quickly stood from her spot and rushed back into the console room only to be greeted by the sight of the Doctor staring into nothingness, tears streaming down his face.

"No, Doctor..." Zana's voice was full of sorrow as he closed his eyes, trying to come to terms with what had just happened to him. "Doctor, I'm...I'm so sorry..."

He shook his head at her words and wiped the tears from his face. Zana couldn't see him break, not again. Not after they just got to say goodbye to their long-lost friend. He needed to start rebuilding himself, he needed to be the Doctor again. For her.

"I'm fine," he assured before turning back to the console to pilot them away from the star they had burnt up.

Zana nodded knowingly at his words. There he was. There was her Doctor.

"How about..." Zana stepped up to him, deciding not to press into the matter at the moment. After all, nothing would ever return to how it was if they didn't put in the effort. She linked her arm through his and smiled up at him, their eyes meeting each other. "You and I-"

Before the words could leave her mouth, the two time travelers' attention was forced away from one another when a bright light filled the console room. Zana instinctively covered her eyes at the overwhelming light, but just as it started, it faded to reveal a woman with striking red hair, dressed in a beautiful wedding dress. It was safe to say that the woman wasn't too thrilled with her sudden appearance.

"What the hell..." Zana breathed as she released herself from the Doctor and stepped towards her. How in the hell did she just...appear? Could the TARDIS do that with people, just make them appear out of absolute nowhere?

"What?" the Doctor's disbelief was enough to answer the brunette's internal questions.

"Who are you?" the woman finally asked the two strangers in front of her. Well, more like demanded.

"But-"

"Where am I?"

"What?"

"What the hell is this place?"

"What?" the Doctor finally snapped into action and started rushing around the console, searching for an explanation for their newest passenger. "You can't do that. I wasn't...we're in flight! That is-that is physically impossible! How did-"

"Tell me where I am!" Zana flinched at the woman's loud tone, "I demand you tell me right now, where am I?"

"Inside the TARDIS," the Doctor informed absently as he worked.

"The what?"

"The TARDIS," Zana reiterated, trying to calm the frantic woman. She moved to step towards her, but the bride stepped back.

"The what?!"

The Doctor huffed, "The TARDIS!"

"The what?!"

Zana finally met the woman's gaze and offered her a comforting smile, "It's called the TARDIS."

"That's not even a proper word!" the bride scoffed. "You're just saying things!"

"How did you get in here?" the Doctor asked the woman hurriedly.

"Well, obviously, when you two kidnapped me!" the redhead glared at the two travelers. She was tired of them staring at her like she was some sort of circus act. "Who was it? Who's paying you? Is it Nerys?" she groaned in disbelief. "Oh my God, she's finally got me back. This has got Nerys written all over it!"

"Who's Nerys?" Zana frowned at the unusual name.

"Your best friend!"

Zana shook her head at the woman's words and let out a frustrated huff. There was no talking sense into this woman, that much had become apparent to the teen.

"Hold on, wait a minute," the Doctor stopped what he was doing and let his eyes look over the new occupant, "What are you dressed like that for?"

"Are you joking?" Zana turned to the Time Lord and gave him an exasperated look. His disbelief was clouding his common sense, apparently.

"I'm going ten pin bowling," the woman replied simply, actually earning a laugh from Zana. "Why do you think, dumbo?! I was halfway up the aisle! I've been waiting all my life for this! I was just seconds away, and then you, I don't know, you drugged me or something!"

The Doctor looked directly at the woman, "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 going to sue the living backside off you!" the bride huffed before looking around the odd room she had appeared in. The second her eyes spotted a set of doors, she dashed towards them.

"No, no, don't!" Zana took off after her, not wanting her to run out into the emptiness of space. The last thing they needed was to lose someone else. The woman managed to pull the doors open, and just as she went to step out, the sight of the burning star in front of her stopped her dead in her tracks. Zana and the Doctor shared a concerned look before the two of them stepped towards the distressed bride.

"You're in space. Outer space," the Doctor said calmly, watching as Zana became entranced by the sight in front of them. "This is my space...ship."

"It's called the TARDIS," Zana spoke softly as she turned her head to meet the woman's gaze. She could only imagine the panic the woman was feeling, being torn away from her wedding day only to appear in the middle of an alien spaceship with two complete strangers.

The woman gulped as she returned her gaze back to the vastness of space, "How am I breathing?"

"The TARDIS is protecting us," the Doctor informed.

"Who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor."

"And I'm Zana," she introduced gently. "And you are?"

"Donna."

The Doctor looked Donna up and down, "Human?"

Donna rolled her eyes but answered nonetheless. "Yeah. Is that optional?"

The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, "Well, it is for me."

"You're an alien," she nodded, processing the new information for a second before turning to look at the young woman beside her. "Are you an alien too?"

"Human as they come," Zana assured with a chuckle. "Trust me, it's preferable."

Donna didn't seem to notice Zana's attempt at humor, "It's freezing with these doors open."

At her words, the Doctor reached over both her and Zana to close the wooden doors before rushing back toward the console. "I don't understand that and I understand everything. This-this can't happen! There is no way a human being can lock itself onto the TARDIS and transport itself inside." Zana and Donna watched him as he grabbed an ophthalmoscope from a doctor's bag on the console, moving to stand before Donna so that he could look into her eyes. "Impossible. Some sort of subatomic connection? Something in the temporal field? Maybe something pulling you into alignment with the Chronon shell," Zana couldn't help but grin at his rambling, "Maybe something macro mining your DNA within the interior matrix. Maybe a genetic-"

Suddenly, Donna reached up and planted a solid slap on the Doctor's left cheek, effectively silencing him. Zana quietly laughed to herself in amusement. Whoever the hell this Donna was, she certainly wasn't going to tolerate the Doctor's usual quirks.

"What was that for?!" the Doctor exclaimed in disbelief.

Donna simply glared at him, "Get me to the church!"

He snapped into action at her words, "Right! Fine! I don't want you here anyway! Where is this wedding?"

"Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System," Donna listed off in annoyance as she watched Zana sit down on a seat next to the control panels, casually watching the madman work as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Her eyes wandered from Zana before landing on a shirt that was tossed over the railing, seemingly forgotten. She instantly snatched it up, "I knew it, acting all innocent! I'm not the first, am I? How many women have you two abducted?"

Zana and the Doctor turned to face her at her odd words, and instantly their faces dropped at the reminder of their departed friend. Rose's shirt was clenched in between the stranger's fingers as she angrily waited for their response.

"That's our friend's," the Doctor answered brokenly, as Zana simply couldn't find the words to say. Just as her mind had drifted from her loss, the thought was abruptly pulled back to the forefront.

"Where is she, then?" Donna pondered sarcastically, "Popped out for a spacewalk?"

Zana shook her head at the woman's words, "She's gone."

"Gone where?"

"We lost her," the Time Lord murmured.

"Well, you can hurry up and lose me!"

Zana began to feel sick. She was starting to grow a disliking for this Donna. Couldn't she see that they are hurting? Couldn't she tell they weren't a threat?

As if she heard Zana's thoughts, the woman's tone shifted to one of concern, "How do you mean, lost?"

The Doctor, having had enough, quickly grabbed the shirt from Donna's grip and tossed it onto Zana's lap, who neatly folded the item of clothing and set it beside her. "Right, Chiswick!"

He made quick work of piloting the ancient ship to Earth, the wheezing of the engines slowly fading out as they landed. Zana was right behind the anxious redhead, pulling the doors open and stepping out onto the Earth below them. She hadn't been back to her home planet since the Battle of Canary Wharf.

"I said, Saint Mary's," Donna huffed as she looked around the alley that they had landed in. "What sort of Martian are you? Where's this?"

"Something's wrong with her. The TARDIS," Zana turned to see the Doctor studying his ship with worrying eyes, "It's like she's...recalibrating! She's digesting!" He dashed back inside the police box, oblivious to the complete shock Donna had gone in after noticing the size of the TARDIS. "What is it? What have you eaten? What's wrong? Donna? You've really got to think. Is there anything that might've caused this?" Zana watched with pure amusement as Donna walked around the parameter of the blue box. Something was always so fascinating about watching someone make this discovery. "Anything you might've done? Any sort of alien contacts? I can't let you go wandering off..."

The Doctor's ramblings from inside the TARDIS faded from Zana's ears as she noticed Donna shift from amazed to frightened. It was too much for her, and Zana didn't blame her one bit when she turned and started in the direction opposite of the TARDIS. Out of instinct, she started following after her. She couldn't just let Donna walk off alone on her wedding day. What if something bad had happened to her? How in the hell did she transport herself onboard the TARDIS? Zana had so many questions but hardly any answers. It was like traveling with the Doctor in a nutshell, she thought to herself.

They were nearly to the road when the Doctor yelled Donna's name, dashing towards them. Donna didn't even bother turning around.

"Donna," the Doctor tried, glancing at Zana in a silent plea for help.

"Leave me alone," Donna shook her head. "I just want to get married."

"Come back to the TARDIS," he insisted.

"No way. That box is too weird."

Zana shrugged at Donna's declaration. She couldn't disagree, the weirdness of the TARDIS is what she loved most. "It's bigger on the inside, smaller on the outside. That's all, really."

"Oh! That's all?" Donna huffed and glanced down at her watch. "Ten past three. I'm going to miss it."

Zana felt for the older woman, she really did. "You could give them a ring? Tell them where you are now?"

"How do I do that?"

"Haven't you got a mobile?" the Doctor frowned.

Donna stopped in her tracks and turned to face the Doctor, "I'm in my wedding dress. It doesn't have pockets. Who has pockets? Have you ever seen a bride with pockets?" Zana actually thought about it for a few moments. "When I went to my fitting at Chez Alison, the one thing I forgot to say is 'give me pockets!'"

"This man you're marrying," the Doctor tugged at his ear, "What's his name?

Donna smiled, the first smile Zana and the Doctor had seen from the woman, "Lance."

The Doctor nodded in contemplation, "Good luck, Lance."

"Oi!" Both Donna and Zana exclaimed at the Doctor's quip.

"No stupid Martian is going to stop me from getting married!" Donna started towards the crowded pavement. "To hell with you!"

Zana watched her run off and glanced up at the Doctor, who was still seemingly stuck on the bride's statement. "I'm..I'm not, I'm not...I'm not from Mars."

"Don't I know it, Time Boy," she took his hand, pulling him in the direction of their latest adventure. "Come on!"

Once they caught up to the distressed bride, she was calling for a taxi, but to no prevail.

"Why's his light on?" Donna huffed as the two time travelers joined her.

"Look, there's another one!" Zana pointed out and the trio rushed forward.

"Taxi!" Donna shouted. "Oi!"

The taxi continued on, seemingly ignoring them.

"There's one!" The Doctor ran forward, pulling Zana with him.

"Oi!"

"Do you have this effect on everyone?" the Doctor turned to Donna in disbelief as they were ignored once again. "Why aren't they stopping?"

Donna shook her head, "They think I'm in fancy dress."

Just as the words left her mouth, a car drove past them, the driver yelling, "Stay off the sauce, darling!"

"They think I'm drunk," Donna scoffed.

"You're fooling no one, mate!" Another car passed, its two passengers laughing at the woman in white.

"They think I'm in drag!" the redhead rolled her eyes.

"This is insane," Zana couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. "Doctor, can't you do something?"

"Hold on, hold on," the Doctor raked his brain for an idea before sticking two fingers in his mouth and letting out a shrill whistle. Zana's hands flew to her ears instinctively in order to block out the noise, letting out a breath of air when a taxi finally came to a stop in front of them. Donna was quick to pull open the door and get inside, the Doctor and Zana close behind.

"Saint Mary's in Chiswick, just off Hayden Road," Donna informed, pulling off her veil as Zana pulled the car door closed. "It's an emergency! I'm getting married! Just hurry up!"

"You know it'll cost you, sweetheart? Double rates today," the driver informed her as he pulled back onto the road.

"Oh, my God," Donna looked at the Doctor and Zana, the latter of which was already digging in her pockets for any cash. "Have you got any money?"

"Uh, no," he glanced at Zana, who shook her head. Nothing. "Haven't you?"

Donna gave him an annoyed look, "Pockets!"

Without a second thought, the taxi driver turned around, making Zana lean her head by with a sigh. She had a feeling that the entire day was going to be this insane.

"...And that goes double for your mother!" Zana had long since tuned out the rantings of their new redheaded acquaintance. She closed the door behind her as the three of them climbed out of the cab. The second the door was closed, the driver sped off.

"I'll have him. I've got his number. I'll have him! Talk about the Christmas spirit," Donna huffed with annoyance.

"Is it Christmas?" the Doctor looked around at her words, finally taking a notice of the holiday decor that surrounded the three of them.

"Oh, my mum is not going to be happy that I'm roaming the streets of London on Christmas again," Zana groaned as she pinched the bridge of her nose, oblivious to the back and forth going on between the Doctor and Donna.

"...can't bear it. I hate Christmas. Honeymoon, Morocco. Sunshine, lovely!" Donna's voice pulled Zana to the present, only to notice her two friends dashing towards a phone booth. "What's the operator? I've not done this in years. What do you dial? 100?"

"Just call them direct," the Doctor pulled his sonic from his jacket pocket and flashed it across the phone.

Donna looked at him, confused. "What did you do?"

"Something Martian. Now phone. I'll get money!" the Doctor moved to dash off towards the closest ATM before stopping and looking around in a hurry. "Zana!"

"Here," she called as she finally jogged over to her friend, having regathered her thoughts and her will to continue with this seemingly odd adventure. "Sorry-"

He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the queue, bouncing back and forth on his feet as he impatiently waited their turn. Zana simply stood still beside him, her hands in her pockets as her eyes scanned the world around her. She would usually have some sort of remark for the Doctor's antics, but her mind was in a much different place. She was startled back into reality when her alien friend tugged her closer to the ATM.

"You're good," Zana signaled to the Doctor, having made sure the coast was clear. He nodded and pulled out his sonic to use it on the machine.

As she watched the Doctor work, an inkling in the back of her mind told her to look beside her, that someone or something was watching her. The sound of God Rest Ye Merry being played and only growing louder filled her ears, which filled her with more unease. It took her a few seconds to work up the nerve, but she finally turned to look at the source of the problem.

"Doctor," she instantly grabbed his arm, pulling his attention from the machine in front of him. Her pulse instantly sped up. "Doctor, look!"

He looked down at her before following her gaze. Instinctively, he brought his arm up to keep his companion behind him.

"It's the same ones from last Christmas," Zana gulped, her eyes glued on the robotic Santas that stood across the road from them. It was like deja vu. She remembered all too clearly her last encounter with the robots. She was almost burnt to death.

"Thanks for nothing, spaceman! I'll see you in Court!" Donna's yelling pulled their attention away from the Santas. They watched in horror as Donna climbed into the back of a taxi, oblivious to the fact that her driver wasn't human, but rather another robotic Santa.

"Donna, no!" Zana shouted, moving to run to the woman, but the Doctor gripped her hand.

"Wait," he turned and flashed the sonic at the ATM, causing bills to fly out of the machine at an insane rate. They watched as people flocked to the area, joyfully gathering the money that was flying through the air, oblivious to the robots that had backed down from the excitement.

"Come on!" the Doctor and Zana instantly took off towards the direction that the TARDIS was parked. The two of them rushed inside and the Doctor immediately got to work.

"How are they back?" Zana demanded as she followed the Doctor around the console, not paying any mind to what he was doing while avoiding the sparks that shot from the control panels. "I thought we got rid of them when the Sycorazx left-" her eyes widened. "Are they back? The Sycorax?"

"No, they wouldn't have any need to target Donna individually, no less transport her into the TARDIS," he grabbed Zana's shoulders and positioned her in front of a lever. "When I tell you to pull this, pull it."

"Why? What are you doing? How are we going to get Donna back?" the Doctor ignored her, instead rushing towards the TARDIS doors and pulling them open. Zana's eyes widen when she realized they were mid-flight above a motorway. "Oh blimey..."

"Open the door!" the Doctor shouted loudly as to be heard over the roaring of the nearby cars.

Surprisingly, Zana could hear Donna shout back. "Do what?"

"Open the door!"

"I can't, it's locked!"

The Doctor carefully pulled his sonic screwdriver from his pocket and soniced the car door holding Donna in the taxi from hell, or Zana presumed. She couldn't see past the Doctor in the doorway. "Santa's a robot!"

"Donna, open the door!"

"What for?"

"You've got to jump!"

"I'm not blinking fliping jumping!" Donna shouted harshly. Not that Zana blamed her. "I'm supposed to be getting married!"

Before the Doctor could respond, Zana noticed the car the Doctor had been yelling at speed up, passing the TARDIS. Her eyes widened with worry.

"The lever!" the Doctor called over to her, and she pulled it without hesitation. What she wasn't expecting was to be thrown to the ground from the sheer force of the TARDIS flying to catch up to Donna. Sparks flew from the console, a sporadic few landing on the brunette and singeing the flesh of the hand she was using to cover her face.

"Listen to me," the Doctor yelled, steadying himself. "You've got to jump."

Donna shook her head, "I'm not jumping on a motorway!"

"Whatever that thing is, it needs you," the Doctor spoke with purpose as Zana climbed back onto her feet with a painful groan. "And whatever it needs you for, it's not good! Now, come on!"

"I'm in my wedding dress!"

"Yes, you look lovely!" he held out his arms. "Come on!"

"I can't do it," Donna shook her head as she looked down at the roadway below her.

The Doctor's voice grew soft, "Trust me."

"Is that what you said to her? Your friend? The one you lost?" Zana let her body weight rest against the console as she tried to regain her footing."Did she trust you?"

"Yes, she did. And she is not dead. She is so alive," the Doctor's voice was filled with determination, something Zana hadn't heard from him in a long time."Now, jump!"

Moments later, Zana saw Donna leap into the Doctor's arms and safely into the TARDIS. The Doctor was quick to kick the doors closed as the ancient ship took them away from the motorway and back towards the sky.

Smoke was billowing out of the TARDIS as Donna stepped out on the rooftop that the Doctor had landed them on, checking her watch. Zana was soon to follow, waving the smoke away from her face as the Doctor used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames that had taken over the console.

"The funny thing is, for a spaceship, she doesn't really do that much flying," the Doctor closed the TARDIS doors and sat the fire extinguisher down. "We'd better give her a couple of hours. You all right?"

Donna shook her head, "Doesn't matter."

"Did we miss it?"

"Yeah," she sighed.

"Well, you can book another date."

"Course we can."

"You've still got the honeymoon."

"It's just a holiday now."

"Yeah...Yeah. Sorry."

"It's not your fault," Donna looked up at him before glancing over at Zana, who was staring at the London skyline, paying no attention to their conversation.

"Oh?" the Doctor smiled down at Donna. "That's a change."

"Wish you had a time machine, then we could go back and get it right," the redhead spoke wistfully.

"Yeah, yeah," the Doctor nodded slowly. "But even if I did, I couldn't go back on someone's personal timeline," he paused, "Apparently."

Zana finally tore her gaze away from the Powell Estate, the home of her long-gone friend, and turned to see Donna take a seat on the ledge of the building. The Doctor shrugged off his jacket and laid it on the woman's shoulders when he caught sight of her shivering, making the brunette smile softly. Same old Doctor.

"God, you're skinny," Donna commented, which earned a laugh from Zana, who was watching the two of them from her spot beside the TARDIS. There was no way she was going to join them on the ledge of the building, her fear of heights was too strong. "This wouldn't fit a rat."

"Oh, and you'd better put this on," the Doctor pulled a gold ring from his trouser pockets and held it out to the bride.

Donna rolled her eyes, "Oh, do you have to rub it in?"

"Those creatures can trace you," the Doctor told her seriously. "This is a bio-damper. Should keep you hidden." Donna reluctantly held out her hand to him. "With this ring, I thee bio-damp."

"For better or for worse?" Donna pondered, earning a smile from the two time travelers. "So, come on then. Robot Santas, what are they for?"

"Ah, your basic robo scavenger. The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. They're trying to blend in," the Doctor turned and looked back at Zana, who had yet again become entranced by the skyline. "Zan and I met them last Christmas."

Donna frowned, "Why, what happened then?"

"Great big spaceship hovering over London? You didn't notice?"

Donna thought for a moment, "I had a bit of a hangover."

"I spent Christmas Day just over there, the Powell Estate, with this family," the Doctor's words drew Zana's attention to him. "Our friend, she had this family. Well, they were..." his voice trailed off. "Still, gone now."

"Your friend, who was she?" Donna asked softly, having noticed the hint of sadness in his voice and the longing look Zana held in her eyes. They were hurting, she knew that now.

"Question is, what do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you? And how did you get inside the TARDIS? I don't know." the Doctor bit his lip as he studied Donna, deep in thought. He quickly reached over and started digging in his jacket pockets for what Zana assumed was his sonic screwdriver. "What's your job?"

"I'm a secretary," she answered proudly.

The Doctor flashed the sonic towards 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-"

"Oi," Zana frowned at the Doctor's words. She knew that he didn't mean it in such a rude way, he just wasn't the best when it came to manners.

"This friend of yours, just before she left, did she punch you in the face?" Donna huffed before pushing the sonic screwdriver out of her face. "Stop bleeping me!"

"What kind of secretary?"

"I'm at H.C. Clements," Zana's attention snapped to Donna in an instant. "It's where I met Lance. I was temping."

"H.C. Clements?" She asked quickly, walking up to her. "Do you really work there? "

"Yeah, why? Does it matter?" Donna frowned at Zana's response.

"No, it's probably nothing..." Zana murmured as she glanced at the Doctor, who was studying her with confusion. "I uh, I'm just going to call my mum and let her know I'm back in town, yeah?"

Without waiting for a response from either of them, she turned and made her way back to the TARDIS, leaving the Doctor and Donna to talk. She instantly stepped inside, waving the remaining smoke from her face as she hurried past the console room and towards her bedroom.

There was no way that Donna working at H.C. Clements was just an odd coincidence. Not after what she had learned just a few weeks prior. Not after learning who was really behind H.C. Clements. She immediately grabbed her phone off of her nightstand and dialed her mum's mobile number. The line rang for only a moment.

"Zana!" Cynthia Kline's voice was joyful. "How lovely of you to call on Christmas."

"Mum," Zana started back towards the console room. "Tell me about Donna."

"Donna?" her mum frowned. "Who's Donna?"

"You tell me, you're the one in charge of H.C. Clements."

"I'm not familiar with everyone who works there, certainly not those who have no idea about Torchwood's research. It's a liability, Zana."

Zana frowned at her mother's response. Her tone was defensive.

"Everything alright?" Zana looked up to see the Doctor and Donna step back into the TARDIS.

"Gotta go, Mum," she spoke into the phone, ignoring the Doctor's question.

"Wait, Zana," her mum said. "Are you going to be coming by? Your father and I miss you terribly with it being the holidays-"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be by soon, Mum," Zana assured before pulling the phone from her ear and ending the call. The Doctor was studying her intently. "I have quite the favor to ask you, Doctor."

The TARDIS materialized a block away from the Kline residence, and seconds later Zana and the Doctor stepped outside into the cool winter air. Zana looked around her neighborhood of eighteen years and let a small smile form on her lips. She did miss it sometimes.

"Are you sure about this?" the Doctor pondered aloud as he watched his companion. "Zan-"

"Doctor," she looked up at the Time Lord as she took his hands into her own. "I know that you're going to help Donna. I know that you're going to fix her. The only way I can help you do that is from here, from home."

"But why?" His eyes bore into hers, looking for an answer. "What aren't you telling me?"

Zana shook her head, looking for the right words to say. The Doctor wouldn't react well to the news that her mother was not only a part of Torchwood, which he believed was responsible for the loss of their Rose, but a senior advisor that was the head of multiple extraterrestrial experiments on behalf of the organization. Hell, Zana was still having a hard time coming to terms with it herself. After nineteen years, she was just now getting to know who her parents were. "H.C. Clements, my mum used to tell me that's where she worked, but we both know that's not the case, don't we? There's something she's not telling me, Doctor, and I've got to figure it out. I'll likely get more answers out of her if you aren't standing over my shoulder."

He sighed, "They still don't trust me, then."

"I'm afraid it's going to take a lot more than saving the world to impress them," she smiled warmly, squeezing his hands and letting them drop. "I'll give you a ring if I find out anything that might help us."

"Right," he nodded, sliding his hands in his pockets. There was something he wanted to say, she could sense it. "It's just...you're coming back, right? To the TARDIS? "

Zana felt her chest flutter at his words. "Only if you don't forget about me," she teased lightheartedly.

"Oi," Donna poked her head outside the spaceship, making the Doctor and Zana face her. "I've got a reception that is waiting to start, spaceman! Let's go!"

"You had better get her there," Zana nudged the Doctor. "I'll see you soon, Doctor. Be careful, yeah?"

"Always," he assured with a faint smile before turning and making his way back into his TARDIS. He gave Zana one last look before closing the door behind him. The TARDIS disappeared seconds later.

Zana stood there a moment, taking in the fact that she had sent her Doctor off on his own to save yet another life. She felt like she should be there, by his side, but she knew deep down that there was something her mother wasn't telling her. Something important. Something that could help her save Donna.

And with that, she inhaled deeply, turned, and started towards her parent's house.

A/N: Ayyyy! It's been a while, but Zana is always on my mind. I hope you still want to hear her story!