With the money The Doctor had been able to obtain, getting another taxi (sans a robot Santa) was relatively easy. Arriving to the church, however, Donna was turned away by a bemused priest, who informed her the rest of the wedding party had already 'moved on' to another location. Rose could sense Donna's ire, and had a feeling that things were not going to go well.
Donna's irritation only seemed to grow as they reached the wedding reception hall, and Rose grimaced as she could already hear 'Merry Christmas Everybody' echoing from the hall. She shared a glance with The Doctor, who raised his eyebrows in response, and followed after the clearly fuming red-head. Ah, this was sure to be… interesting.
It just didn't make sense. Rose glanced around at all of the wedding guests and Donna's family members as they entered the room, seeing how happy they all looked, how they all danced and laughed, as though nothing was wrong at all. Rose knew that if she'd disappeared on her wedding day, her mother would've torn London apart in order to find out what happened to her. Well, John too, actually. He would've likely torn apart the entire universe in order to find her. It seemed like Donna's family, however, just… didn't care at all.
Donna herself seemed to come to that realization, as she stood, glaring at everyone dancing. After a moment, everyone seemed to notice her, and the shock on their faces would have almost been laughable, if the situation wasn't so awful.
"You had the reception without me?" Donna asked in disbelief, as a man Rose could only assume was the groom, stumbled forward in the front of the crowd.
"Donna, what happened to you?" He asked, at least having the decency to look semi-sheepish, considering he'd just been dancing with another woman only seconds earlier.
"You had the reception without me?" Donna repeated, her annoyance only rising, and Rose glanced to the side as The Doctor pointedly leaned forward with a cheery smile.
"Hello. I'm the Doctor!" He offered, and Rose lightly hit him on the arm, shaking her head at him. Honestly, he really wasn't helping things, and Donna seemed to think so too, turning to look at them both, clearly irritated.
"They had the reception without me." She repeated once more, and Rose offered her a sympathetic glance. She'd be upset too, given the circumstances.
The Doctor's eyebrows shot upward at that. "Yes, I gathered."
"I'm sorry, Donna," Rose offered instead, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth, only to glance over at the blonde woman who quickly spoke up with a snide comment about everything already being paid for. She narrowed her eyes even further as who she could only assume was Donna's mother piped up with a comment of her own.
"Well, what were we supposed to do? I got your silly little message in the end. I'm on Earth? Very funny. What the hell happened? How did you do it? I mean, what's the trick, because I'd love to know!" She demanded, and Rose couldn't help surge of protectiveness that rose up inside of her as everyone began to demand answers from Donna all at once. Perhaps it was simply because she'd been an older sister in another life, but Rose moved forward, stepping away from The Doctor in favour of wrapping an arm around Donna's shoulders.
"Would you all just SHUT UP?!" She demanded as loudly as she could, prompting the heckling crowd to fall silent for a moment, startled by the interruption. "She goes missing on her wedding day, comes back to find out you're all acting like it doesn't even matter if she's okay or where she is, and you've got the nerve to yell at HER over it? You should be ashamed of yourselves, all of ya!"
"Who are you even supposed to be, exactly? I don't like being told what to do by some random tart that Donna found on the street!" Sylvia snapped in response, though she did look the tiniest bit flustered. The Doctor found himself offended by the remark, and almost moved to step forward to defend her, but Rose cut him off before he even had the chance.
"Funny how some random tart cares more about how she feels than her own family do," She shot back, glaring at her. As though on cue, Donna let out a sob, covering her mouth and ducking her head, more sobs quickly following. Rose turned to her in concern as the crowd let out soft coos of sympathy, Lance moving to embrace her. Rose stepped back, worried that she'd crossed a line, only to pause as she noticed that Donna actually wasn't crying at all.
"Oh, she's good," Rose muttered quietly as Donna turned her head to shoot the two of them a little wink. "She's really good."
The Doctor smirked as Donna's family flocked around her, applauding the happy couple and how 'sweet' the reunion was. "Too good, I think. It was nice of you to stick up for her like that." He wasn't surprised, of course – Rose's compassion never knew any limits. She would always stick up for what she thought was right, consequences be damned.
"Someone had to. If I went missing on my wedding day, mum would've been a terror, and she'd slap anyone who tried to get in her way of finding me," Rose offered in response, letting out a short laugh. She moved away from the dance floor in order to lean against the bar, and The Doctor quickly followed suit. "I mean, you should know all about that, right Doctor?" Her smile was mischievous, and The Doctor solemnly rubbed his cheek, as though remembering a past pain.
"Definitely not a mistake I'd want to make again," He agreed, though he glanced at her, checking her reaction. Mentioning her mother so soon after saying goodbye to her… It had been brought up twice now, and she seemed okay, at least. But… Was she just staying strong? She'd been so broken up about her mother before…
You had it all figured out somehow, didn't you?
Jackie's words… he couldn't shake them. Rose had known something, enough to leave her mother a letter and a bag full of momentos, it seemed. None of it made any real sense, and in a small way, he was glad to have the distraction from it all. Rose had developed a sort of evasiveness lately, and coupled with the shift in her timelines, well; it worried him.
A good old adventure was just what he needed to shake himself out of his confusion and frustration, at least. That thought in itself was enough to bring his mind back to the situation at hand – how did Donna end up in the TARDIS? Why was she being hunted?
"Have you got your phone?" He asked suddenly, and Rose glanced up, but didn't question him, pulling out her mobile from one of her pockets, holding it out. He slipped on his 'brainy specs' and Rose couldn't help but smile at the sight. Little things like that made her stomach flutter… made her feel as though she were home.
"What are you doing?" She asked, peering over his shoulder curiously as he typed out the name of Donna's workplace on the internet, and pressed his sonic to the screen, starting an immediate, rapid fire search. It moved too fast for Rose to follow, so she simply averted her gaze up to The Doctor's face, instead.
"There's got to be some reason Donna was pulled onto the TARDIS, some sort of link that could explain it. I'm not sure what it might be just yet, but HC Clements is a good starting point, I think." The Doctor offered by way of explanation, only to fall silent as the words 'Sole Proprietor: Torchwood' appeared on the screen.
Of course. Of COURSE Torchwood were involved in all of this. He didn't know why he should be surprised. So soon after Canary Wharf… it was like an insult, a slap in the face, and he closed the phone with a snap, his expression grim.
Rose, for her part, was quiet, and she let out a long, slow breath. She held no anger towards Torchwood any longer, after all, she'd spent several years working and building her way up in the Torchwood in Pete's world. That didn't mean it didn't sting, though. After all, if it wasn't for Torchwood, then she might still have her mother. She never would have had to leave her behind.
"Suppose we shouldn't be too surprised that they're involved in all of this, seems like they were involved in some pretty dodgy stuff anyway, right?" Rose asked, taking her phone from The Doctor and slipping it back into her pocket.
"They just couldn't leave well enough alone, could they?" The Doctor pulled off his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose and rubbing his fingers along his eyes with a heavy sigh. He focused his attention on Rose then, concerned. "You okay?"
"I'm fine, Doctor. I just… Let's make sure Donna's safe, yeah? Everything else can come later." Rose countered quietly.
The Doctor looked like he was about to argue, but Rose shook her head, focusing instead on a man with a camera nearby, filming the dancing and the merriment. An idea came to her then, and she gestured over towards him with a hand.
"Reckon he caught anything interesting? A disappearin' bride or two?" She asked, and The Doctor turned to look, before he let out a short puff of air at the question.
"Brilliant! Though, I really hope it's just the one, not sure I could handle another Donna," he admitted, and Rose let out a laugh in response, shaking her head with a grin.
"I like her, honestly." She admitted, looking up to watch Donna as she danced with Lance, finally laughing and having a fun time. It did seem as though it were too soon to meet her, but then again, she didn't know just how long Donna had travelled with The Doctor. He still had Martha to meet too, judging from what she could remember.
Without John's memories from the bond to help guide her, things were bound to be a little more complicated than she'd initially expected. Not know what was coming made things a little nerve-wracking, but at the same time, it was almost a relief. Knowing how the battle of canary wharf would turn out had been incredible anxiety-inducing, and being able to just run with things and see where events would take them was like taking a deep breath of fresh air.
She followed The Doctor as he made his way over to the camera-man, requesting to look at the footage he'd caught of the wedding, and peered over his shoulder as he re-wound the recording to the right moment, turning the screen of the camera so they could see it.
"I taped the whole thing. They've all had a look," He said, a droll smile on his face. "They said sell it to You've Been Framed. I said, more like the News. Here we are..."
Rose watched in some fascination as the recording began to play, showing Donna with a smile walking down the aisle, only to begin to glow gold and scream, disappearing into thin air. There was something familiar about it, and from the way The Doctor immediately tensed, she had a feeling he felt the same way.
"Can't be. Play it again?" He requested quietly, leaning forward in order to get a better look.
"Clever, mind. Good trick, I'll give her that. I was clapping." The camera man snorted, re-playing the clip as requested. The Doctor's frown only grew, and he glanced at Rose, who lifted her eyebrows at him in response.
"What're you thinkin'?" She asked, and let out a breath. "It almost looks familiar, somehow, like… I dunno."
"It looks like Huon Particles." The Doctor said simply, before he looked sharply at Rose once more. "What do you mean it looks familiar?" There was a surge of panic beginning to rise up within him, and he didn't like it. The golden glow, the link to the TARDIS… it was too reminiscent of BAD WOLF, but Rose wasn't supposed to remember that… any of it. Yet, she could remember destroying the Dalek emperor. If those memories were coming back, somehow…
"I dunno, it just… feels like I know what that is. What are Huon particles, anyway?" Rose asked, shrugging off the initial question to focus on the task at hand. The Doctor wasn't best pleased, but he had to focus on Donna. Right now, she was the one in immediate danger.
"They're impossible, and they're ancient. Huon energy doesn't exist anymore, not for billions of years." He explained, before a realization seemed to dawn upon him, and his eyes widened. "So old that it can't be hidden by a biodamper!"
The Doctor turned on his heel and ran for the nearest window, heading out of the reception hall with Rose hot on his heels. Robot Santa's were slowly marching towards them, and Rose didn't hesitate a moment longer before she turned and sprinted back towards Donna, The Doctor only pausing for a second before he moved right along behind her.
"Donna! We need to get out of here!" Rose called out as she reached the other woman, lightly holding onto her arm, pulling her slightly away from Lance to look at her, and Donna seemed confused.
"What? What're you talkin' about?" She asked, and The Doctor moved up behind Rose.
"They found you, the bio-damper doesn't work. We've got to get everyone out." He offered quickly, by way of explanation. There was no real time to get into it, and he turned, gesturing towards a set of doors nearby. "Out the back door!" He ordered, and the three of them quickly rushed towards them, pushing them open, only to stumble to a stop at the sight of two more robots inching closer towards them.
The Doctor immediately closed the doors, pushing the women backwards with a hurried; "Maybe not!" He turned to run to another window, grimacing as he realized that they were well and truly surrounded. There was no way to get out of here now.
"We're trapped," Donna gasped, looking between The Doctor and Rose,
"Isn't there some way to de-active them?" Rose asked, tucking some of her hair behind her ear as she watched one of the robots slowly raise up what seemed to be a remote control device.
"Maybe," The Doctor replied suddenly, before something seemed to strike him, and he turned to stare at the trees in the reception area with wide eyes. "Christmas trees," He realized, looking to Rose, who immediately understood, her mouth falling open in horrified realization. The trees had almost killed Mickey, her mum and her one Christmas.
"What about them?" Donna asked, and Rose's fingers moved to her belt almost instinctively, reaching for a gun it no longer held.
"They can kill. Last year, the robots almost killed me and my family using a Christmas Tree," Rose hurriedly explained, before she rushed forward, immediately wanting to save as many civilians as she possibly could. "Get away from the trees!"
The Doctor and Donna immediately joined in, ushering as many people as they could away from the trees, much to everyone's clear confusion. Rose gently ushered a bunch of children away from touching the decorations, wanting them in particular to be as safe as they possibly could be. While she wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice herself for the sake of a child again, she didn't want that to be necessary.
Donna's mother let out an annoyed huff as Donna tried to push her backwards, rolling her eyes. "Oh, for God's sakes, the pair of them are idiots. Why? What harm's a Christmas tree going to... Oh." Sudden awe filled her voice, and Rose turned, feeling immediately apprehensive, and for good reason.
The baubles on the tree had started to float in the air, turning slowly. They hovered aimlessly for a moment, and Rose watched them closely, stood protectively in front of the children, who were trying to peer around her in excitement. The suspense didn't last for too long, though, and as the first baubles dropped to the floor, causing huge explosions and immediately prompting pandemonium, Rose acted instinctively, turning and shielding the now screaming children with her body.
"EVERYONE, GET DOWN! UNDER THE TABLES, QUICKLY!"
She ushered the hysterical children down, directing them to hide underneath the tables for their own safety. Though panicking, they did what they were told, though some of them were crying in fright. Rose covered her head as another bauble exploded close by.
"ROSE!"
The Doctor's frantic cry was enough to force Rose to lift her head, and she pushed herself into a crouched standing position, looking around wildly through the smoke and the dust of the debris, and the frantic, screaming crowd. Where was he?
"Doctor!"
She longed to crawl forward, to try to find him, but she couldn't bring herself to leave the children unattended. Luckily for her, she didn't have to. She spotted The Doctor emerging from the dust, looking around frantically, and he squinted to try to find her, the panic evident in his eyes. He'd already come too close to losing her, and he wasn't about to let that happen for a second time. Rose ducked slightly as another explosion occurred close by, The Doctor taking refuge behind the DJ booth.
She tried to peek out, wanting to find some glimpse of Donna, but her eyes locked onto The Doctor instead, and as his own eyes found her, she could see the relief that washed over him. He looked away after a moment, and Rose followed his gaze, spotting the robot Santa's stood in a line in the middle of the dance floor.
The Doctor stood up straight once he realised no more baubles were exploding, staring down the robots with barely concealed anger.
"Oi! Santa!" He called out, pulling his sonic out of his pocket. "Word of advice. If you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver, don't let him near the sound system." He turned the sonic upside down, sticking it into one of the ports on the speakers, and immediately, a high pitched noise echoed out across the room. The screeching prompted Rose to covered her ears, cringing at the sound and sensation.
The robots clearly didn't like the sound either, convulsing in place, their bodies jerking and moving erratically, before piece by piece, they began to fall apart. Eventually, The Doctor removed the sonic, and the sound mercifully stopped.
Slowly, Rose uncovered her ears, and pushed herself to stand up, only to find The Doctor's arms around her immediately. She returned the hug tightly, clinging to him as Donna's family and friends began to emerge from their hiding spots.
"Are you okay?" The Doctor asked after a moment, pulling back from her in order to get a look at her face, and she offered him a small grin.
"Coulda' done with a warning, but I'm alright." She teased, playfully giving her ear a rub, and he shot her a small smirk in response, some of the tension in his shoulders easing up.
"Had to keep you on your toes somehow! C'mon!" He turned, heading over to the fallen robots, and bent down, beginning to fiddle with the electronics and his screwdriver. Rose could only watch him, a small smile on her face. While she didn't enjoy that Donna was in danger, being with The Doctor, when there was a mystery to solve and adventure to be had… it was an indescribable feeling.
"Look at that..." The Doctor called out, holding up the remote control they'd seen in the hand of one of the robots, before picking up one of the robot's heads. "Remote control for the decorations, but there's a second remote control for the robots. They're not scavengers anymore. I think someone's taken possession."
"Pilot fish always mean somethin' bigger is comin' anyway, right?" Rose asked, folding her arms, and The Doctor nodded once.
"Never mind all that. You're a doctor, people have been hurt." Donna's voice caught Rose by surprise, and she turned to look at the red-head, checking her over quickly to make sure she wasn't injured. She seemed fine, shaken, but okay.
"Nah, they wanted you alive," The Doctor dismissed, shaking his head slightly, tossing one of the baubles over towards Donna, who fumbled but caught it. "Look, they're not active now."
"All the same, you could help!"
"Got to think of the bigger picture." The Doctor replied, holding up the robot's head against his ear, listening. "There's still a signal! Rose, come on!" he jumped to his feet immediately, taking off running for the doors, and Rose only glanced back at Donna once with a smile, before she took off running after him.
OooOoOoOoOoOoOo
Rose had a feeling that Donna would follow after them, and she had been proven right, as Donna was close on their heels as they left the reception hall.
"There's someone behind this, directing the roboforms." The Doctor explained, his gaze fixed on his sonic, turning slowly to try to get a link to the signal where it was coming from. He narrowed his eyes slightly, and Donna watched him, her confusion only growing.
"But why is it me? What have I done?" She demanded, and The Doctor let out a thoughtful hum.
"If we find the controller, we'll find that out." He explained, before he brightened, the signal seeming to grow stronger as he held his sonic up to the sky. "Ooo.. It's up there. Something in the sky." He noted, and Rose let out a long suffering sigh, though there was a smile pulling at her lips.
"Aliens, then? Always aliens at Christmas, eh?" She teased, and The Doctor smirked, though he didn't look away from the readings he was getting from the sonic as ambulances began to pull up, and people began to stumble and limp out of the reception hall in order to get aid.
"I think i've had my fill of bloody martians, thank you very much," Donna retorted, rubbing her temples slightly as The Doctor suddenly frowned. Lance came up behind the group, looking both curious and wary, and somewhat shaken by what had just happened.
"I've lost the signal." The Doctor admitted. "Donna, we've got to get to your office. HC Clements. I think that's where it all started." He turned to look at the groom to be, and his expression brightened slightly. "Lance! Is it Lance? Lance, can you give us a lift?" He asked.
"What? A lift where? Who are you exactly?" Lance demanded to know, looking between the three of them with a look in his eye that Rose couldn't quite place.
"Don't ask so many bloomin' questions, just get in the car Lance!" Donna demanded, and Lance's expression soured, but he moved over to his car, unlocking it for the group to pile inside.
Donna and Lance sat in silence for the most part, with the groom-to-be seemingly bemused by the whole thing, and Rose and The Doctor were cramped in the back together, with The Doctor still scanning the robot head, his mind moving a mile a minute.
"I just don't understand how Torchwood fit into all this," Rose admitted after a moment, keeping her voice low so only The Doctor could hear her. "I mean, I know they're fond of nicking alien technology, but if huon particles are s'posed to be that old and impossible to find, how did they get more of 'em? How'd they even get inside Donna?"
The Doctor merely frowned in response.
"That's the million pound question here. It wouldn't be impossible to re-create huon particles, theoretically, but to do that you'd need the knowledge of how they work, which leads me to believe Torchwood are definitely not the only ones involved. I don't even think they're really behind it, they're just a foothold for something else. They may have been.. once, but they're long gone now."
"Do you think some part of Torchwood might've lasted? Or d'you think someone else just took control when it all fell apart?" Rose asked, and The Doctor simply shrugged in response.
"I'm not sure… not yet. Here we go!" He pushed open the door immediately as the car came to a stop, and Rose scrambled out after him, following him as he ran towards the office doors, Lance and Donna close behind them. "To you lot this might just be a locksmiths, but H C Clements was brought up twenty three years ago by the Torchwood Institute," he explained on the way, rushing into one of the offices and heading to the nearest computer.
"Who are they?" Donna asked, her eyebrows pulling together in confusion.
The Doctor shared a look with Rose, and she simply offered him a short nod in response.
"They were behind the battle of Canary Wharf," He explained, and there was a darkness in his voice that Rose knew all too well, and she stepped beside him, resting her hand on his arm gently. A balm in the heat of his anger.
"It's… how I lost my mum," Rose explained, her voice quiet. The Doctor's eyes glanced to her, checking she was okay, and Donna was instantly sympathetic, moving over to take hold of Rose's hand in a show of solidarity. Rose offered Donna a smile, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"I don't know what that was, but.. I'm sorry." She offered, and The Doctor immediately looked nonplussed.
"Did you not see the skies over London, full of Daleks?" He asked in disbelief, and Donna tilted her head, before something seemed to dawn on her.
"Oh, I was in Spain."
"They… had cybermen in Spain."
"Scuba diving." Donna offered, as though that were the only logical conclusion. Rose bit back a smile at the look at The Doctor's face as he stood up straight and moved past Lance.
"That big picture, Donna, you keep missing it."
He moved over to another computer and began to type, hitting the top of the screen as he spoke, and Rose shook her head fondly. Always hitting things..
"Torchwood was destroyed, but HC Clements stayed in business. I think someone else came in and took over the operation." He admitted, and Donna peered over his shoulder, trying to see what he was working on.
"But what do they want with me?"
Taking a breath, The Doctor stood up, looking at her seriously as he began to explain. "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'd find a Huon particle now is... a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS." His voice was quiet, and Rose looked up sharply as he mentioned the TARDIS, noting how he refused to even glance at her as he said it. Then… the reason the glow was so familiar to her... "See? That's what happened. Say, that's the Tardis, and that's you," He picked up a mug and a pencil to use as visual tools.
"The particles inside you activated. The two sets of particles magnetised and whap!" He shook both the mug and the pencil, dropping the pencil into the mug as he did so. "You were pulled inside the TARDIS."
"I'm a pencil in a mug?" Donna asked in disbelief, and The Doctor gave her a brief grin in response.
"Yes you are, 4H, sums you up!" He announced, before moving to another computer, scanning it quickly with his sonic. "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 the hell are we talking about?" Lance demanded, watching The Doctor, a hint of anger in his voice.
"Alrigh', no need to get testy," Rose lifted her eyebrows slightly at the defensive note in the man's tone. Huh. Weird. She didn't exactly have the best feeling about this guy, but then again, he hardly seemed trustworthy, dancing with another woman while his wife-to-be was missing. Lance shot her a small glare, and Rose simply narrowed her eyes at him response.
Ignoring the brief interaction between them, The Doctor kept his focus on the computers in front of him. "They make keys, that's the point." He said simply, watching as a plan of the building appeared on the screen. "And look at this. We're on the third floor."
"What's your point?" Rose asked, tilting her head, and The Doctor stood, gesturing for them to follow him as he headed for the closest lift.
"I noticed it on our way up. Underneath reception, there's a basement, yes? Then how come when you look on the lift, there's a button marked lower basement?" He stepped forward after the doors opened, nodding to the button in question, Rose stepping in behind him. "There's a whole floor which doesn't exist on the official plans. So what's down there, then?"
"Not a bitchy trampoline, I hope." Rose quipped, and The Doctor smirked in response, turning his sonic over in his fingers.
"Ah, yes, I'd like to keep you from having your mind and body taken over if I can, that'd be brilliant, so no wandering off, you." He warned, and Rose's eyes became large and innocent.
"Me? Wander off? Doctor! I'd never!" She pressed a hand to her chest, defensive, and the two of them shared a quick giggle, before Lance interrupted them, and Rose shot him a small annoyed glare.
"Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?" He asked, and the disbelief was clear in his voice. The Doctor simply looked at him, before speaking in a voice that indicated he thought Lance was a bit slow on the uptake.
"No, I'm showing you this building's got a secret floor."
"It needs a key," Donna pointed out, and Rose scoffed.
"The Doctor doesn't," She said, and to prove her point, The Doctor pointed his sonic at the button, unlocking it so they could take the life down.
"Right then. Thanks, you two. Rose and I can take it from here! See you later." The Doctor turned to face them, taking hold of Rose's hand with ease. Donna let out a soft noise, immediately picking up her skirts to join them on the lift.
"No chance, Martian. You two are the ones who keep saving my life. I ain't letting neither of you out of my sight." She informed them, turning with a huff, expression set in determination. The Doctor glanced at Rose, lifting up his eyebrows and prompting her to fight back a smile.
"Lance?" Donna asked, and Rose wanted to snort at how fidgety the other man looked.
"Maybe I should go to the police..." He offered meekly, but Donna wasn't having any of it.
"Inside!"
Grimacing, Lance joined them in the lift, making it a tighter squeeze, and Rose pressed her back against the lift wall as best as she could. The Doctor, meanwhile, leaned forward to mutter to Lance (whilst making no effort to be quiet) "To honour and obey?" and received a jab in the stomach from Rose's elbow for his trouble.
"Tell me about it, mate." Lance mumbled bitterly.
"Oi!" Donna snapped in response as the lift began to descend.
Down into the unknown. Rose was uncertain what they'd find, but as the lift moved closer, she couldn't help the sinking feeling in her stomach. There was something… strange underground here. She wasn't entirely sure what it was, but she could feel it, almost like a pull at her very core.
Suddenly, this all felt like a bad idea.