Lost in Forever
Author's Note: I can't think of anything. R+R!
Chapter 2
Donna woke up, and found herself in a plush chair. The room, or rather auditorium, she was sitting in was dark. There were rows and rows of empty chairs, and the huge movie screen in front of her was blank. She reached for her purse, and was shocked to find it tucked along side her. Both of her mobiles were dead.
"That's impossible." She murmured to herself. She'd fully charged them before leaving for the bonfire.
The bonfire. Where am I?
"Popcorn?" Came a voice from the back of the theater, accompanied by a swishing of the doors.
It was the man from the cliffs. He was still wearing the black suit and tie, but he'd loosened the neck a bit. She watched him come down the steps to her row, place the bag between them, and sit down. She smiled nervously. Having woken up from drinking binges in some rather strange places she knew how to handle herself, but this was just weird.
"Now, I brought you here because I wanted to show you something." The man said quietly, as if revealing a dark secret.
Donna felt the impulse to take her purse and smash him with it, but found herself soothed by his voice.
"I know you don't remember the last year. You haven't told anyone else how much it bothers you, but I can see, Donna. I want to show you what happened."
"How can you know, if I don't?"
"Just watch." He said, snapping his fingers. The screen lit up.
"I like what you've done." Remarked the Eighth Doctor.
"Thanks." Said the Tenth. "Although at the risk of sounding repetitive, this was my previous incarnation's design."
"Ah." The Eighth murmured, manipulating the TARDIS's control display. He looked up to find the Tenth Doctor leaning on one of the columns. He was staring intently at the time rotor.
"At what time do you believe we could contact my next regeneration without damaging this time line?"
The Tenth continued to stare. Finally, he spoke. "Right after I traveled to Satellite 5 for the first time, I recall my companion taking a rather long nap. I put down on Tetraval for dinner to wait her out."
"To Tetraval then." Said the Eighth, drawing the previous coordinates from the TARDIS's computer system. He reached out to the console to start the desynchronization process, and found his hand held by the Tenth Doctor.
"If there's one thing I really can't tolerate, it's people not giving me the full story. Well, that and hair dryers disrupting my sonic screw driver. But that aside, you haven't offered a single good explanation as to why to need me, or good old big ears."
The Tenth Doctor removed his hand as the Eighth began to speak, but cut him off.
"The only, the absolutely only reason I've given you my trust is that I can feel who you are. But I don't think my previous regeneration will be so kind about it, and you need to be prepared for that." The Tenth said quietly.
"Have both of you gone insane? Lost your sense of what is and is not yourself?" The Eighth asked incredulously. "There is no reason whatsoever that my next regeneration will refuse to listen to me, and I assure you, I will explain fully what has happened when I can speak to both of you." He took a sharp breath. "And may I remind you, this would be much, much, much easier if there were one of you."
The Tenth Doctor smirked. "With an attitude like that, don't waste your time with Northern boy."
The Eighth stared at his counterpart. Anger flashed, but was quickly subsided with concern.
"Did something go wrong with my ninth regeneration?" He asked quietly.
"Oh, you know, nothing much, just that little Time War." The Tenth replied, voice dripping in sarcasm.
"Then I suppose he will be less than pleased to discover that issue is key to why I am here." The Eighth sighed. "But please tell me, we've lived through wars before. Suffered insurmountable losses, even the loss of Gallifrey before this war with the Daleks. Why did this war cause so much damage?"
"Gallifrey lost in flames, the result of my – rather, our actions?" The Tenth said. "The fabric of space and time irreparably damaged?"
The two Doctors stared at each other in silence.
"I need you to listen, carefully." Said the Eighth. "Gallifrey has not been lost. Not yet."
The Tenth Doctor was slack jawed. He stared at his previous self, barely keeping his composure.
"Now, from my cursory examination of your computer system, your rendezvous coordinates have been locked by your previous incarnation with a biometric seal. We must have him to unlock those, so that we may return to Gallifrey and tell the High Council that your mission, our mission, was a success."
The Tenth Doctor's mind was aflame. "What do you mean, 'mission'?"
"You don't remember, even after being prompted." The Eighth said sadly. "That's more than likely your previous incarnation's doing. In fact, he may have forgotten himself."
"But amnesia doesn't progress through multiple incarnations. You're walking proof." The Tenth said, quickly adding, "No offense."
"Not amnesia, but information specifically locked away." The Eighth said. "And that can easily pass from one regeneration if the previous personality was strong enough."
"Well, my last personality would have been strengthened by unrelenting anger over the war and absorbing the heart of the TARDIS so..." The Tenth trailed off.
From the console the Eighth Doctor looked over his shoulder at the Tenth. "That wasn't very clever of me, was it? I'm sure it was for a good reason."
The Tenth nodded. "Did it for Rose."
"Companion?"
"The best."
The Eighth raised his eyebrows slightly but said nothing, returning his attention to the console. He reached for the dematerialization circuit.
"Do you mind?" He asked politely.
"Not at all," The Tenth said cheerfully, "Assuming you give me – us, the full story when we get there."
"Of course." The Eighth responded as he sent the TARDIS on it's way.
Cardiff was bustling as darkness began to fall. Throngs of people crowded the sidewalks, browsing shops and stopping for drinks. This was Donna's natural habitat, but she felt detached from it now. It's not my world anymore, she thought to herself glumly as she walked down to the wharf.
"At least it's still half yours." Came a voice in her head.
Yeah well half isn't good enough for me mate. She responded. So where is this place anyway?
"Keep following the docks. There is a small tourist shop, a fake front they've set up."
She nodded to herself, quickening her pace.
"Please do try to put on a good show. Convince them."
Yeah yeah yeah. Chat up the guy, get the necklace. Like a bad spy movie. She thought with a smirk.
"But with aliens!" The man said cheerfully.
Donna reached out to open the door to the little shop. She paused for a half second, wondering if perhaps she'd gone mad. Still, in a strange way, it made her feel special. She was half-human. No one else. And only she could save the alien trapped in a ring, and defeat the monster that changed her.
"Very Harry Potter." She murmured as she opened the door.
Ianto Jones sat up, hearing the door creek open. Brushing the beads aside, he took half a step before realizing who shared the room with him. He went to speak, but his voice was gone.
"Hello Ianto." Donna smiled. "Is Jack in?"
"Of course," Ianto stammered, attempting to regain his composure. "Please, follow me."
He lead her down through the corridors to the heart of the complex. The rift generator hummed quietly, sending small ripples through the standing water. It was exactly like what she'd seen in the theater. From above, Donna heard a door shut. Standing above her was Jack Harkness, and from all appearances, he seemed less than pleased to see her.
"What is she doing here?" Jack asked, his gaze set on Donna the entire time he descended the stairs.
"She just came right in." Ianto said. "She knew my name, which wasn't at all what I was told to expect."
Jack looked at Donna more intently. "So what's my name?"
"Captain Jack Harkness." Donna responded, smiling. "So would you like to know why I know that, or do you just wanna keep on scowling?"
"Tell me." Jack said simply.
"The Doctor came back. His new companion - " She did her best to fake sad jealousy, "is a telepath. But it was more than that. Her species could actually change a person's DNA with their mind."
"And so he fixed you?"
"He didn't have much to do with it, really. It was the girl. Oh, you would have liked her Jack."
A smirk slowly started to cross Jack's face. "Why's that?"
Donna gestured to her chest. "Three."
"Three?"
She nodded, giggling. "I thought the whole 'midlife crisis' was just for us humans, but oh no."
Jack's smirk became a grin. "Sounds like he's having one."
"So what does that make you now?" Asked Ianto.
Donna turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "Human, for the most part. What's left is there by choice, and it cost me 20 years off my lifespan."
"20 years?" Jack echoed. "Hope it was worth it."
"That's up to you. I can't sit around temping when I've got at least a fourth of the universe up here." She said, pointing to her forehead. "I came Jack, because I'd like a job. With Torchwood."
How was that? She asked.
"Perfect. Get him up to the office." Came the response. He sounded restless, excited.
Jack considered only for a second, and extended his hand. "Done. But understand, you sign on with us, we'll take another 20 years, if you're lucky."
"It'll be worth it, I'm sure." Donna smiled, taking his hand and shaking firmly.
Jack's smile froze for an instant. "That's what I keep telling myself." He said quietly.
"Forgive me for interrupting," Said Ianto, "But there is the matter of the required paperwork."
"Bring it up to my office, along with some coffee." Jack said to him, then turned back to Donna. "And you can come up and tell me all about this new companion."
Donna smiled, feeling sinister. How easy was that? She gloated. The voice in her mind must have felt the same way, because she could hear him cackling ever so softly.
She let herself be guided up to the office. She sat down across from Jack, who poured himself a glass of what smelt like whiskey from a carafe on the desk.
"So, give me the scoop. Blond, I'm guessing?"
"Oh yeah," Donna said. "Honestly, it's white. I mean, perfectly white, like snow. But her skin is deep blue, like the color of your coat."
Jack took a slow sip and nodded. "Sounds like quite a catch. She say where she was from?"
"No, although I want to say she mentioned the Orion system. Something with an 'o'". Donna giggled. "Jack, you should have seen her! I mean, she had this dress on, the most gorgeous thing, practically see-through."
Jack smiled. "Total midlife crisis."
There was a pause. Jack twirled his drink. "So why didn't you go with him?" He asked.
"He didn't ask me to, and to be honest, I don't think I would have said yes. I want to use what I've got here, to be a part of something just not someone's companion, you know?"
"Yup." Jack said simply. He was having a very hard time maintaining eye contact with Donna, not because of her blouse but because of her ring. He didn't want to ask about it earlier, but now he knew without a shadow of a doubt she was lying to him and that with the ring equaled trouble. The Doctor would have asked her to come with him, no matter what alien bimbo he'd set his eyes on, Jack was sure of it.
"So what happened, really?" Asked Jack, the mirth gone from his face. He stared deep into Donna's eyes.
"I... I just told you!" Donna protested. Nuts. She thought.
"Yeah, you told me what I wanted to hear, and you did a fantastic job." He said. "But now I'd like to know what's really going on, and why you're wearing that." He pointed to the ring.
"What? This?" She faked surprise. "It's just some ring! Picked it up at a shop."
"No, you didn't." Jack said, standing up. "When you feel like telling me the truth, let me know. For now, enjoy the holding cells."
Ianto entered, not with paperwork and coffee, but with a set of handcuffs and hobbles. He smiled weakly.
"I'd really rather not, so if you'd just come with me..." He said.
Donna turned back to Jack to find his pistol leveled at her head. "I'd suggest you go, unless you have something truthful to say."
Within the rage of emotions Donna was experiencing, he found his opening. The human mind was truthfully so simple, and all it took was a little distraction, a little fear, and they were putty in your hands. The perfect weapons.
Jack's world slowed down into a frame by frame review as Donna swiftly knocked the weapon to the floor. She stood up and seemed to take her time with Ianto, who was diving for the weapon. Grabbing the back of his suit, she flung him into the filling cabinets that lined the wall. He crumpled to the floor, motionless. Jack reached for the gun, but found Donna's knee instead. It caught him in the jaw, and sent him backwards into the couch. Stunned, he pushed himself up to find his own weapon pointed at him. Strangely, or perhaps because he'd been shot so many times, he found himself focusing not on the gun, but on Donna's eyes. They were completely black, reflecting nothing. She was grinning ear to ear.
She brought her lips to his ear, keeping the gun trained on him the entire time. "I'd really rather not..." She said, mocking Ianto's accent.
"Then don't." Jack said, eyes on the barrel.
"Oh who am I kidding? I'd absolutely love to." She said wickedly as she pulled the trigger.