She had asked the Doctor to hide the fobwatch for her and she knew that there wasn't a hope in hell of finding something he had hidden with her safety in mind. But the machine could help her. Somehow she was certain of that.

The hub was quiet. The commotion from the vaults didn't reach up here or maybe it was quiet because something had happened. She looked around uncertainly. The whiteness of the place still looked so wrong. Every screen was blank. The yellow machine was the only thing that looked awake. It was quivering slightly, little lights flashing at the base. She stared at it, mesmerised by the flashes of colour. They lit up the area around it, seemed to stretch, further and further toward the next desk...the next screen...

...The TARDIS

There it was, standing peacefully in the middle of the room. Donna walked towards it, reaching for the key around her neck. She knew that once she opened the door, the same little lights would show her where she needed to search. She would find the watch. And then...

What?

She'd save everyone, that was for sure. Just as she'd done on the Crucible, she'd know everything that needed to be done. Her Granddad would be safe and so would The Doctor and Jack. She'd know how to help Jack's team recover their memories, and what best to do for Moira, Keira and John. She'd see the lost world they'd described. She'd share the Doctor's pain as he talked about his own. Beyond that... But surely there might be a way of keeping herself alive. The machine could do anything.

She stopped and looked back at the machine. The little lights were still travelling alongside her. In fact, they were ahead of her now. But the machine itself was shaking. It looked set to jump off the table as if something were pulling it. Maybe it was imagination but she could feel it too...a faint tug...

The Feyad. She was communicating with the machine. Could she summon it?

"No!" Donna turned and threw herself across it, holding it down against the table it had been placed on. For a second, it was still under her hands and then the movement started again, almost dislodging her. A fierce heat emanated from somewhere in its centre, burning her hands and wrists as she pressed firmly down.

"Doctor!" she screamed.

"I'm here, Donna!" She closed her eyes in relief at the sound of his voice. She could hear his footsteps dashing across the hub towards her but she dared not move, even to look up, as long as she had any sort of hold on the machine.

"Hold on," he said, pulling out the screwdriver.

"What the bloody hell do you think I'm doing?!"

"Ok!" She heard the soft whirr of the screwdriver. The movement of the machine lessened slightly.

"That should hold it for a few minutes," the Doctor said. "We need to get it and its owner back home. I'm not handing it over to her until I know how to get her well away from here."

"Right." She straightened slightly, as he leaned on the machine, helping her to keep it still. The trail of lights was fading. She watched the last glimpse of them disappear from the TARDIS door as she turned back and forced herself to meet the Doctor's steady gaze.

"You didn't?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Is Gramps ok?"

"He's unconscious, Donna. No!" He held up a hand as she started to move. "It's ok. That pull between her and the machine releases a gas. Knocks out anyone who isn't one of them so no one can interfere. They'll all be out for the count. Except for us and Jenny. The TARDIS is watching our backs." He smiled affectionately at his ship. "And Jack. Well...maybe not. Jack is a bit of a mystery these days. But, first things first! Can you hold it for another minute? I'm going to need the TARDIS for this. Got to make sure the machine has its instructions from us rather than her."

Donna nodded.

"Will they be ok?"

He looked at her seriously.

"They'll be ok for another ten minutes and that's all we need. Believe me, it's better for them. She can't manipulate them while they're knocked out. Especially Moira...did you hear what she said?"

"No."

"Here," he added, handing her his jacket, "put this under your hands so it won't burn you again. When the lights come on again, we grab the machine and carry it down. I'll give it to her and she'll disappear."

"Be quick then," she said.

He nodded at her and ran into the TARDIS.

She heard the faint purr of the ship and a series of clattering that could have been someone preparing dinner in a hurry.

"Oi! Hurry up in there! What are you doing?" The machine was getting hard to hold once again. And even through the Doctor's jacket, the heat was building. The TARDIS seemed to glow and for a moment, she thought it was about to disappear. Then the Doctor appeared at the door. A faint blue light flickered behind him.

"Look!" he shouted, pointing at a screen in front of her just as it lit up.

The screen showed a view of the vaults. Donna swallowed as she saw her grandfather lying on the ground beside the others. Jack and Jenny knelt beside them, talking to each other.

"They're ok?" she asked faintly.

"Look at the Feyad's cell," the Doctor said.

She followed the viewer as it moved across the scene.

"Moira! Moira's still conscious?"

"Yes."

"But you said they'd all..."

"Exactly! Come on! Quick!" He ran to her side and helped her to scoop up the machine. They ran awkwardly out of the hub and back towards the vaults.

Everything was deadly silent. Donna had a brief impression of what looked like some sort of very surreal battleground with prone figures lying together and what was worse, the form of the Doctor inside the cell, staring almost accusingly at her.

"Don't look at her," her Doctor said.

Then she heard Jack's voice.

"Woke up in bed with both my executioners. Very nice couple! Are you sure the Doctor never told you this story?"

"No," Jenny's voice was shaky, but this time with laughter.

"Well, believe it or not, there's another part to it. You see..."

"Jack!" Donna crept up beside them. "There's a time and a place!"

"You said it," Jack replied, "if now isn't the time to telling funny stories, I don't know when is! You alright?"

"Yeah." Donna looked back nervously to where the Doctor was scanning the Feyad with the screwdriver. Now that looked surreal.

"Setting the co-ordinates," he told the Feyad, "it'll take you back to where your people are." He looked over and nodded at Jack and Jenny, then gave Donna a significant look. She understood he was telling her to keep them back. He took hold of Moira's shoulders and gently steered her towards them. She looked dazed.

"Come over here," Donna called quietly to her.

Moira took a few steps towards them.

"You're sending it away?" she asked tremulously, all the former authority in her voice gone.

"Yeah." Donna stopped, unsure of what was best to say to the woman. The Doctor approached the glass and called over to them.

"Open the vault."

In one moment, Moira and Jack pressed buttons on devices on their wrist. Jack dropped his first with a frustrated sigh.

"I still haven't forgotten that you've stolen my job," he told Moira.

"I still haven't forgotten what you really are," she replied, "any of you. You're all wrong. You can't do any good here, you know that. It's a joke. Torchwood, run by people who are anything but human!"

"We do ok," Jack said smoothly and Donna realised that he was trying to keep her talking while the Doctor eased himself into the open vault.

"Do you?" She raised an eyebrow. "The truth is that each of you knows how wrong you are. Especially you. You know what this life has done to you and you'd do anything to change back to the way you were."

"Still talking about us?"

There was a steady humming now and the sound of the Doctor's voice.

"Ok...that's my part of the bargain. Press the button and go."

The humming sound increased.

"Do you think he's ok?" Donna whispered.

Then, a harsh thud and a muffled cry, cutting through the loaded silence.

"Doctor!"

Dimly aware of the others moving beside her, Donna tore down the corridor and back to the cell.

The Doctor was lying on his back in front of the Feyad (still in the Doctor's form...she tried not to look), his eyes closed and a small gash above one eye. Jack pushed her out of the way and dived forward but just as quickly, stumbled back.

"What the hell? Let me in there!"

Something was pulling them back, like magnets repelling each other.

"Ok." Donna took a deep breath, still trying not to look at it. "Go on. Do what the Doctor said. There's still five of us against one of you."

"We have weapons here," Jack said, "and believe me, sweetheart, there's nothing beautiful about them."

Sweetheart? What the hell did he see?

The Feyad was listening though. Slowly she bent and picked up the machine as if it was weightless. Her fingers brushed against the button, once, twice.

"Press it," Jack said warningly.

There was a rush of air and sound. For a second, Donna thought it was merely beginning the process. Too late, she realised it was coming from behind her as Moira pushed her way through them.

"Moira! Stop! Get back here!"

Jack tried to pull her back, his fingers missing the back of her jacket by inches. Nothing stopped her getting in. With a cry, she threw herself into the creature's outstretched arms.

"No!" Jack shouted."Don't! Wait!"

The lights flickered twice and a gust of wind rattled through the hallway. Then the air was clear and the cell was empty, apart from the still figure of the Doctor on the dusty floor.