I"m sorry for the delay in the update, but I wanted to wait until after the hoildays; I hope that everyone had a nice festive time!!!!
Disclaimer: I wrote Santa a letter, but the rights for Doctor Who was not under my tree, so I don't own it. *Sigh* Well my birthday is coming up :)
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Promise's apartment was nearby, but not as close as the Doctor wanted it to be. He had been holding the handkerchief to her neck; the once white material was now a deep red color.
They had stopped in front of a fairly large building it looked like an old worn down ware house, one that should have been condemned years ago.
The Doctor was unsure that this was actually the place they intended to enter.
Promise walked up the three steps and pulled French style doors; and beckoned them to follow her.
Jack carefully walked up the short steps, the Doctor by the captain's side; his blood free hand clutched Donna's limp one, his thumb pressing on the pulse point, reassuring that she was still alive and with him.
Promise rushed into the grand hallway, the warehouse was definitely not what the Doctor thought it was from the outside.
She quickly ran to the other side of the house taking off her coat and throwing it on one of the high backed chairs that was placed under a long table that could easily sit twenty people.
"Doc!" Her voice echoed off the walls; she turned around and looked at the Doctor's quizzical expression, "Not you."
"Doc!" She shouted.
They heard a sudden crash and Promise seemed pleased, with her lighting flash speed she was next to them once again, she ushered them to a room that was directly to their right. The room was rather large as well, but it was only furnished with a bed and dresser opposite of the end of the bed.
"You can put her here." Promise indicated to the full sized bed before leaving the room.
They heard her shout 'Doc' again.
With almost rehearsed ease, the two men managed to set the unconscious form of Donna on top of the blankets. Her head rolled off of Jack's arm and fell softly onto the pillow, her red hair contrasted against the black color of the pillowcase; her pale skin almost seemed to glow.
The Doctor sat on the bed, his hand clenched the fabric; liquid rubies squeezed onto his hand, oozing between his fingers. The smell of iron had been strong before, but without the subtle breeze from outside, the aroma was so overpowering that he could almost feel his nostrils burn.
The Doctor heard Jack sigh, and he looked up, meeting the captain's brown eyes.
"She's going to be alright." Jack told him, his voice steady and full of hope.
The Doctor nodded; trying to feel as confident as his friend did, "She has to be."
A moment later Promise came back into the room, her hand filled with a black, leather bag. Behind her was a man, who they assumed was 'Doc', he looked as if he was in his late 40's, his brown hair had begun to sprout rows of grey, and his fine trimmed bread also echoed the pattern of the salt and pepper from his hair.
"Doc, this is the Doctor." Promise introduced the two men that had almost the same name.
"I'm sorry, I don't know…" She was looking at Jack and the ex time agent helped her.
Promise went towards the bed, "She was attacked, but I can't tell if it was more than one."
The vampire and her friend walked over towards the bed, the Doctor got up immediately and shuffled to the end of the bed, watching as Doc pulled away the blood soaked material. He opened the jar that he had concealed from them and placed it within the container, screwing the top on tightly. He set that on the floor and bent hit head closer to Donna's neck, his brown eyes examining the wound.
Taking the bag from Promise, Doc opened it and withdrew a brown bottle, the Doctor could read the peroxide label from where he stood and watched as the man placed it on the bed.
Turning for the first time to the Doctor, the man asked him, "What blood type is she?" His voice was neither panicked nor calm.
The Doctor knew that the question was directed at him, but he found himself completely without speech, he shook his head, in all honesty; he didn't know what her blood type was. He never needed to know in the past.
Doc sighed and shook his head and the Doctor felt his stomach clench; the sick feeling that all was indeed lost rose within him. But, instead, another feeling replaced sickness almost instantly, Doc was looking at Promise; and the self named vampire was eyeing Donna's neck like a starving man would to a piece of steak.
One of Promise's long, pale fingers reached out and ran up along the wound. The Doctor watched almost horrorstruck as she placed the digit inside her mouth and sucked the blood away. Swallowing it as if it was a droplet of cream.
Promise looked at Doc for a second before rushing out of the room before anyone could see her do so. She returned even quickly with the sound of a door slamming somewhere in the house as she stood back next to the bed, in her hand two clear bags of blood.
"A positive." She said.
"Are you sure?" Doc asked her, his eyes serious and unmoving.
Promise only nodded, and handed him one of the bags.
The Doctor watched as the older man inserted a needle that was connected to the bag of extra blood into Donna's pale arm.
The Time Lord watched as Donna lay motionless as the needle punctured her skin, the red liquid poured into her body, filling her back up with the necessary nutrients to keep her alive and with him.
"Is she going to be alright?" It was Jack that asked, and no one answered him.
Doc was wiping away the blood away with a clean cloth that had been dabbed with peroxide; from his place at the foot of the bed the Doctor could see that the bleeding had slowed immensely. He could feel his blood pressure come down and his fears seem to almost disappear.
But, Donna hadn't opened her eyes yet. She was still locked away in her mind, far away from the Doctor and the world around her.
An hour had past by before Doc stood from the bed, the empty bags in his hand; he reached down and gently pulled the needle from her arm.
"Is she going to make it, Doc?" Promise's velvet voice filled the silent room.
Doc looked directly into the Doctor's eyes, "If she survives the night, then yes; she'll be perfectly fine."
"If she survives the night?" Jack asked, hoping that no one could hear the desperate tone in his voice.
Doc nodded, "Yes, she's still very weak," He looked down at Donna, "But, I have high hopes for her."
The man named Doc walked over towards the Doctor and Jack, he smiled at both of them, "Come on, let's get you two settled, she's going to be sleeping for a while."
The Doctor went to the side of the bed, bending low; he placed a kiss on her forehead and he gently stroked her cheek, the color returning back to normal. Promise was at his side and she eased him up her arm had looping into his and pulled him out of the room, she whispered into his ear; no breath escaped her lips, and yet the Doctor could swear that he felt an icy chill as she told him that Donna just needed sleep, and he should as well.
There was no need to feel threatened. Since the first instant they stepped into the house, the Doctor had the impression that if they were going to be killed, it would have happened by now, and with the efforts of the vampire and the man named Doc, it was apparent that Donna was going to live.
Which, in the end, was all that counted.
The Doctor and Jack found themselves in a vast sitting room; it was long in length and it stretched until it reached a large fireplace, the white marble of the hearth matched the exact shade of Promise's skin.
It amazed the Doctor that within this atmosphere, they were still in the city. It almost reminded him of Torchwood, the estate owned by the late Sir Robert; with immense wooden columns that reached the cathedral vaulted ceiling and a grand staircase they had past by that led to the upper floor; the house was very warm and comfortable, unlike the outside features that were obviously meant to keep strangers away
But, with the awkwardness of being in a strange place, and the worry for Donna, the Doctor couldn't get his mind to rest. In addition to the disappearance of the TARDIS, he was sitting on the edge of the cushions, his forearms resting on his knees and his hands clenched together. He only registered after a while, Jack's soft and friendly touch on his shoulders.
They met eyes and the Doctor knew that everything was going to be alright, somehow, they were going to be fine.
Both Jack and the Doctor watched as Doc rubbed Promise's neck, the man's actions consisted of both of worry and love.
"I'm fine." She hissed, answering Doc's question, she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, she smiled at the both of the time travelers; "I want to formally introduce ourselves, my name is Promise Luntoya, and this my roommate Charles Villion, he goes by Doc."
"What exactly happened to Donna?" Jack asked, the question had been burning inside of him for the last hour, and he had been quiet, but now he wanted answers.
"She was bitten by a vampire." Promise told him honestly, without any pauses or hesitation.
Jack blinked, "A vampire?" He looked at the Doctor, "A vampire? As in Dracula, as in bats flying, coffin sleeping, "I'm going to drink your blood"; vampire?"
"Hey, don't knock Dracula." Promise said earnestly, "He's a pretty mean dude."
The two men swallowed.
"And besides, I already tried the 'I'm going to drink your blood' bit, and the Doctor here didn't buy it." She said with a smile, her fangs showing proudly for a moment before shifting back into the normal set of canines that less worried them.
Jack nodded slowly, his face a tad whiter than Promise's, "Okay then." He smiled as well, but instead of feeling confident, the lingering sensation of doom filled him.
The ex time agent's eyes went wide, "Does this mean that she'll be a vampire too?"
The Doctor felt his hearts stop, he hadn't thought of that, with the whole commotion to keep Donna alive; he hadn't considered that there was a possibility that she too would take on vampirical traits.
"No." Promise said tersely, "No, she did not drink her attacker's blood, she will remain human."
The Doctor calmed once more, and closed his eyes briefly; concealing away his relief.
"With that being said," Promise began as she left Doc's side, "You both are welcome here, as long as you need." She told them as she unfolded her arms and sat down in a black wingchair that easily looked as if it could be a hundred years old. The detailed mahogany legs curved and twisted; resembling vines growing on a tree, all four of them met on the hard wood floor below. The back of the chair was high, but small when Promise sat in it, her perfect posture made the antique chair invisible; as if she was sitting on nothing but air. Her pale hands rested on the leather arms, her bony fingers playing with the raised sewn lip at the end of each arm. She looked as if she were a china doll, that if she was merely touched by the fondest caress, she would have tipped over and would have been broken into a million and a half pieces.
"Thank you ever so much, but, I have to find my TARDIS." The Doctor told the helpful strangers.
Who exchanged looks of puzzlement at the word, before returning their stares back at the Time Lord.
"What is that, your pet?" Doc asked, as he leaned up against the chair; his tired, lanky arm draping over the back of it.
"No," The Doctor shook his head with the tiniest of smiles on his face, "No, it's my home, it looks like a police box, it actually
says 'Police' on it. And it's blue, a big blue box."
Promise leaned forward a tiny bit, "Sort of like the kind they had in the 50's in England, am I right?" She asked.
The Doctor nodded, "Yes, exactly like that." He didn't bother to ask her how she knew that, it probably had been the kind of thing she had seen first hand; however old she was.
Sadly, she shook her head, "I have not seen it." She looked up at Doc, who in turn, shook his head as well. "I don't understand, I've seen those police boxes; how could you possibly live in one?"
"I've told you that I am a Time Lord, I'm an alien, that box is my spaceship." The Doctor told her.
She smirked, but it was not one of disbelief, she looked back up at Doc, "Haven't had an alien in the house before."
They both chuckled softly.
Doc nodded, "Yep, certainly a welcoming surprise alright."
"And you?" Promise motioned her head towards Jack, "You are an immortal aren't ya?"
Jack nodded instantly, "How did you know?"
The vampire only smiled, "I can sense it." She said simply, "We'll you can put your mind to rest, no vamp is going to touch you."
"Why not?"
The Doctor couldn't tell if Jack's tone was one of disappointment or interest, if the Doctor didn't know the captain better than he did he would assume the latter, but Jack was Jack and the Time Lord guessed that it was most likely total disappointment.
Promise smiled, "Well, to tell you truthfully, it takes the fun out of the killing." Her dark eyes sparkled, the light having nothing to do with the glow from the blaze in the fireplace.
"That's—that's good to know." Jack replied, suddenly aware that his curse was actually his salvation against the newfound creatures of the darkness.
"And as for your home, Doctor," Promise addressed, "I will have my friends keep a look out for it; someone, somewhere must have seen it."
"Thank you." The Doctor said.
Jack bent forward from where he was sitting, "When you say 'friends' do you mean, other vampires?"
"Yes. Do you have a problem with that? She asked.
"Nope, just wondering."
The Doctor noticed that Doc had checked his watch for a second time before the man excused himself, telling them that he was going to check on Donna. Actually he used the term 'patient' and the Doctor found that a bit daunting; after all this was no hospital and Doc; although well trained in medicine, was not a doctor as Promise had said once Doc had left the room.
It was all but 30 seconds for the Doctor's world to be thrown back into complete hell. From the room in which Donna lay unconscious and injured came a scream; one that was filled with sheer pain.
The three of them raced towards the bedroom, the Doctor and Jack being beaten by Promise; they were not ready for the scene that was transpiring before them.
Donna was thrashing violently on the bed, her arms and legs flailing about, as her upper torso was being restrained by Doc, who was trying to take her pulse. Promise leapt up on the bed her hand grabbing Donna's shoulders so Doc could concentrate on fixing whatever was happening to the red haired companion.
"Doc, wait a minute." Promise's voice rang out, "Jack, Doctor, hold her legs." She instructed.
Instantly they did what was asked of them, the Doctor knew that Donna was a strong person, and that attribute held true even when she was asleep. Both he and Jack had to use just enough pressure to keep her in place, but not so much that it would injure her.
They watched as Doc brought his hand up and place it on the pulse point of Donna's neck; he shook his head, and muttered something that no one could hear.
"Doc, look." Promise was pointing to a spot on Donna's upper arm, the Doctor wanted to rush over there and see for himself what had caused the man's eyes to bulge incredible in 3 seconds.
"Dear God." He whispered, as he crouched down and began sifting through his bag that he had left on the floor by the bed.
"What is it? What's wrong?" The Doctor managed to get out over Donna's grunts and groans.
Promise met his eyes, "She has been injected with Triust." Her voice was solemn and the Doctor could hear the anger teetering on the edge of it.
"What's Triust?" The Doctor asked as he watched Doc take out a syringe filled with a clear liquid.
He was about to insert in into Donna's arm when Promise immediately stopped him, "You can't do that without his consent." She gestured her head towards the Doctor.
Doc blinked, "Are you mad, I'm sure he wants her to live." He said briskly.
The Doctor nodded, but his action went unnoticed.
"But, that could kill her baby." Promise said, causing Doc and everyone else, besides Donna to freeze.
Jack's eyes went to the Doctor, who was staring at the invisible words that hung in the air.
Doc looked at the Doctor and the two men made eye contact, "Look, if I don't do this now, she will die. You can always have more children."
Logic was the Doctor's strong suit, he quickly worked out that Donna was more important to him than the baby growing within her, he nodded his head; he had lost her once and he wasn't going to go through that pain again.
Doc caught the simple nod and quickly; with practiced ease he dabbed at the freckled skin with alcohol, and slid the needle into Donna's arm, slowly he injected the antidote into her body, and almost immediately Donna stilled.
The Doctor, Jack, and Promise had been taken off guard when Donna stopped flailing that they each fell on top of her, causing Donna to moan softly.
Promise looked down at Donna's now serene features before placing a hand on the unconscious woman's stomach, the vampire's eyes narrowed for a moment, before a smile crept onto her face. She glanced up at the Doctor, and nodded.
The Doctor sucked in a breath when he realized that he was going to still be a father, so many emotions ran through him, all of them jumbled.
"Well, that was a close one." Doc said, as he stored away the syringe into his black bag.
"Is she…?"
"She's going to be fine, and according to Promise, the baby's going to be alright too." Doc said with the first genuine smile on his face.
Promise lifted herself off the bed and the Doctor took her place, he didn't notice that he was alone in the room and that was alright. Donna was alive, their baby was alive. A baby that managed to come in their lives without their knowledge. They had only made love once, and he guessed that was all that was needed.
He wondered if Donna knew. He thought about how he was going to tell her. Did she want children? What if she didn't? Would she leave him? Would she stay?
Through his ramblings the Doctor failed to notice that Donna was now shifting in her sleep, it took the soft moan from her lips to bring him back to the present and look down at her.
"Donna?" He called out tenderly, his fingers stroking her red locks before moving down to touch her skin, the deathly pale color had fully left her face and she was his Donna once again, "Donna, can you hear me?"
He kissed her forehead when she murmured quietly, her eyes fluttered for a moment before they opened, revealing the sparking blue that he loved so much.
"Hello there." He whispered, an uncontrollable smile etched on his face.
"My body hurts." She muttered.
The Doctor chuckled, "I'm sure it does."
"Thank you for helping me ease my pain." She replied, her sarcastic wit was back in full force, but a trace of a grin was seeable just below the surface.
They shared a kiss, it was careful and limited. The Doctor wanting her, but wanting her to recover first; he had to make sure that his priorities were in place.
"Gave me a scare you did." The Doctor told her, "But you're going to be just fine."
Donna shook her head, "It's all a bit fuzzy." She tried to lift her arm, but it proved impossible, and the Doctor wasn't surprised; after all that was the arm that had been put through a lot of stress in the last couple of hours.
"What happened?" She asked.
The Doctor swallowed, "You were attacked outside the club you and Jack were at."
"Oh." She said, "So where are we?"
"At a safe place."
"Where's the TARDIS?" She questioned, her eyes now being able to focus on the Doctor's face clearer and she noticed his nervous expression, "Doctor, where is it?"
"I…"
"You lost it didn't you?" Her voice wasn't angry, but actually scared.
"I…"
Donna sighed, "Oh, Doctor, what kind of trouble did you get us in now."
"Hello, there."
They both looked up and standing at the foot of the bed was a tall blonde, her green eyes were directly looking Donna, and the Doctor could see that there was murder in the strange woman's eyes.
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Okay people, I want to see some reviews! do you know how long this took me to write???? Well....not long, but still!!