Donna was tied to a chair in a dark dank cell…again. The numbers of times it had happened had been climbing steadily since she met the Doctor but she chose not to think about that right now. She wasn't alone this time; she could feel Anna's fingers resting gently against hers and knew that she must be tied to a chair facing the opposite way.

"Are you all right," she asked her, hoping that she was and that this wouldn't be enough to drive her away from them.

"Um," she paused. "Yes, I suppose so, are you?"

"Me," Donna grinned to herself. "Oh yes, this is nothing. Kind of a been there done that by now."

"So this sort of thing happens a lot."

Donna could kick herself…still honesty was best. If Anna stayed she was bound to face this situation again, and probably worse.

"I wish I could say that it is rare," Donna admitted to her.

"Right," Anna agreed and then resumed her silence.

She seemed to really excel at not talking and she was honestly content not to be heard. Donna had seen it on her face before.

"You don't say much," Donna ventured.

"No," Anna agreed, "I suppose…"

She stopped there, letting the sentence fade into the darkness. Donna probably should have left it alone, unsure of if Anna wanted to talk about it, but that wasn't how Donna worked.

"Suppose what?"

There was a long pause and just when she felt certain that she wasn't going to get an answer, "Suppose that if no one is listening there is no point in talking."

Donna felt honest shock. She could understand why people hadn't listened when she spoke, but Anna wasn't like her. She was smart and would make great conversation.

"Why wouldn't they listen to you," she wondered aloud, hoping that didn't sound rude. "You're brilliant…oh my…I've turned into the Doctor."

She heard a soft laugh come from the girl on the other side and she smiled a little. She had faced the problem of no one listening but she had chosen to speak louder. To force them to hear what she had to say, and Anna had chosen to make it so they didn't have to pretend. Two different reactions to the same situation but really in the end they were both the same.

"Well," Donna tried, "We will all listen to you, Anna. Me and Jack and the Doctor we talk a lot…some more than others…but that doesn't mean we don't listen. And we will always, so you just talk away, okay?"

"Okay," she heard the soft reply. "Thanks."

Donna didn't respond at first unsure of how to continue. Then she leaped ahead wanting to keep the silence from getting a good hold on the room again.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty five."

She didn't see any harm in doing a little recon for the Doctor even if he was too stubborn to admit that he was interested in her.

"Any men you left behind?"

"No," Anna told her with a tone that suggested there was a story but Donna wasn't surprised when the story didn't follow. Oh well, they would work on that.

"So what are we doing here," Anna asked her after another moment. "Are we actually waiting or are we escaping?"

Donna smiled again, wishing that she could see the sparkle she knew must be in her eyes. "Well, I suppose we should just wait. The Doctor told Jack to tell me not to fight."

"Okay," she heard an exhale. The quiet girl clearly had some fight in her. "So this branding thing happened to you before as well?"

Donna thought back and she had to admit that this particular custom hadn't been forced on her before. She had come with the Doctor for new experiences but this was pushing it.

"No," Donna told her. "But whatever they do the Doctor can reverse…if he doesn't get to us first."

She suspected Anna was going to speak when the light in the cell came on and Donna looked around. She found herself wishing that it would go back off. At least in the darkness she could ignore the poor conditions.

It was only a moment longer when two of the soldiers from before came into the cell. One was the commander, with a look of arrogance on his face Donna wanted to slap off, and the other was a younger man who looked very much like he would rather be just about anywhere else.

"It is time for your branding," the commander told them with a hint of glee.

Donna opened her mouth but Anna beat her to it. "I really don't see why you have to do that. We have taken our punishment, but we aren't from here so what good is a brand going to do us?"

Logical but full of fire, Donna was proud.

"Rules of the land," was the reply, the voice a little more unsure than before, but it recovered quickly.

"Benid," the commander instructed the young man. "Pull your female out and…"

Donna let loose now, "My name is Donna and hers is Anna, and if you call us females again…like you are better than us…so help me I will…"

"Benid," the commander instructed seemingly ignoring Donna but she didn't miss that he didn't use the word female again. "Pull her out and get her ready for the branding."

The commander walked around to Anna's side and Donna wished that he had come to her instead. This branding was no doubt going to hurt, and if the Doctor didn't get to them in time then it was going to happen. But Benid seemed like he might try to be gentle and Donna would trade the pain with Anna if she could.

She really liked the girl.

DW

The Doctor had been arguing with the man at the desk for at least ten minutes. He and Jack had been all over town following their chain of command and they were both fed up. His hearts were racing with fear, scared of more than he really could keep up with.

Anna was going to leave, he just knew it. And he wouldn't try to stop her, hadn't this been what he had wanted to avoid in the first place? He shouldn't have gone back for her... but sitting with her in the observation room he had felt so good that he knew that he couldn't regret it completely.

But none of that mattered, because despite his best intentions, she and Donna were going to be branded if this guard didn't let him back. Jack was pacing, clearly reaching the end of his rope and though the Doctor knew he wouldn't use violence he also knew he wanted to.

And to be honest, he was considering it himself. No, that was just worry talking. He could get what he wanted…what he needed without it. And right now he needed those two back in the safety of his arms and back in the TARDIS. And with a lot of luck without a silly brand on their hands, and he better have some luck.

"I'm telling you…as nicely as I can manage…and really, honestly this is the last chance…open that door and give me them back!"