Anna knew what she had to do now. Donna was important to the Doctor and for reasons Anna couldn't understand or categorize the Doctor was important to Anna. That meant that Anna had a duty to help protect Donna for the Doctor.

"You are making a mistake," Anna told her smiling brander.

Her tone was level, so soft that it made him pause what he was doing…if only for a moment.

"Quiet," he told her.

"Listen," she told him, drawing in a breath that she hoped would give her confidence. Never let it be said that she was a coward. "If you really need to do this for whatever reason, then just do it to me. Look at him, he doesn't want to do it, and Donna doesn't want it done, so let them be."

Donna spoke out from her spot on the other side of the cell where it looked like Benid had turned on an electric brand. "No, Anna."

Anna did her best to smile at her and then returned her gaze to the man before her. She was glad to see that he looked like he was wrestling doubt.

"Those men are coming," Anna told him, lowering her voice to just include the two of them. "My husband and hers," she was surprised when she didn't struggle with the word husband. "And they won't be happy. But her husband, well he might lean more towards violence so you better just do me."

He nodded at her and turned to Benid, "Leave her."

Donna was speaking but it all faded to the background as he moved around the back of the chair with the brand in his hand. She had honestly hoped that a seed of doubt would be enough to stay his hand as well but apparently it wasn't. Still, if she could save Donna some pain Anna would bare it as best that she could.

"Step away from my wife," a voice came, low and full of something dangerous and it took Anna a moment to realize that it was the Doctor.

She couldn't see the commander for a moment but he seemed to take the Doctors words to heart and moved back around in front of her. The Doctor was giving her a look she didn't understand and she feared that maybe some of that anger was directed at her. Maybe she had done something wrong.

The cell was open and Jack and the Doctor entered and Benid and the commander vanished as quickly as they could get away. Anna could feel the Doctor untying her and Jack was doing the same for Donna.

The Doctor helped her stand, but then released her and stepped back. Looking up into his eyes she saw the full storm that she had only seen a hint of in the short time she had known him. And she was suddenly certain that he was upset with her. She didn't know what she had done, but perhaps he blamed her for them being her.

"Come on you two," he told her and Donna, looking at her for only the length of a heartbeat and then he looked at Donna where his gaze lingered.

Anna dropped her gaze to the dirt floor, and tried not to cry. She didn't cry often but she knew that this meant that she was going home and that broke her heart. She hadn't meant for any of this to happen, but she supposed that if someone had to be blamed it wouldn't be Donna.

She followed and though the Doctor walked at her side, there were no words this time. He didn't look at her or smile, and it was nothing like this morning had been. She had just become and obligation and though it hurt her she knew that taking her home would be best if he was going to think of her as that.

They reached the TARDIS again and they all walked in, the Doctor leaving her by the door without a glance and moving up to start flipping switches.

She swallowed hard, and decided it was best to just go to her room and wait. She had nothing to pack, so he wouldn't have to wait to be rid of her.

DW

The Doctor knew that he couldn't avoid her leaving by not giving her the chance to ask but maybe it would buy him a couple of minutes. It seemed all he could do was lose those he loved, and though he wouldn't say he loved her he couldn't deny that he could have. Given a little more time, he didn't doubt she would have a complete hold on his hearts.

Maybe it was best she was going now though, because he knew from experience if she was the reason they beat it would destroy him if he lost her then.

"Doctor," Donna's voice was so soft, and cautious he looked up at her quickly.

"Donna," he spoke softly, looking his best friend up and down.

Silly him, so caught up didn't even think to check if they had been injured.

"Did they hurt you two," Jack asked running his hands up and down her arms as if fighting off the cold. She let him do it but she was looking at the Doctor and he tried hard to read the look in her eyes.

"No," Donna shook her head, "But Doctor where did Anna go?"

The Doctor spun around to look at the door where he had left her and she was in fact gone. They were in the vortex so she didn't leave the TARDIS but she could be anywhere. But no, the TARDIS informed him with a tone that was borderline impatience that she was in her room.

"What is it?" He rubbed the console soothingly. She was upset and he wasn't sure why.

The pressure in his mind grew and he knew that he needed to get to Anna and he needed to do it now.

"Are you okay, Donna?" He moved to her, Jack steeping out of the way. He pulled her to him, knowing that he had to do this too. "I'm sorry, you know I am. So sorry."

Donna's chuckle came out as warm breath against his neck and he thanked everything out there that nothing worse had happened. He may not be in love with Donna but he loved her completely.

"I'm fine, spaceman. Check on her."

He nodded and released her, kissing her cheek and then walked off, the TARDIS leading him to the correct room. He listened outside the door but could hear nothing but silence, but he knew that she was in there.

He knocked at heard what he thought was a 'come in' and he did. She was sitting on the bed, leaning against the headboard and she didn't exactly look at him when he came in.

"Anna," he started but he didn't know how to follow that up. He could tell her that he was sorry, and oh how he was, but that didn't seem like it would do it justice.

"I'm sorry," she said softly and he didn't miss the catch in her choice though she didn't let any tears fall.

"No," he told her, his voice taking on a glimpse of anger, but that was only for him.

She looked at him, and a single tear slipped down her face, and he wanted to pull her into his arms and never let her go again. He was in over his head with this girl and he knew it.

"No," he tried again; lowering his voice and he moved to sit on the bed, thankful when she didn't ask him not to. "You don't need to be sorry, it was all my fault. I'm sorry Anna. This sort of stuff happens to me a lot. "

"It wasn't your fault," she told him, her tone so sincere he looked into her eyes and found absolute trust in him. He had known her for such a short amount of time, but she didn't doubt him and he didn't deserve such trust.

"I brought you there," he disagreed, but he didn't want to. He was going to bring down his own image but better to do it now.

"So?"

She gave him the smallest of smiles, and he didn't catch himself in time, and his thumb was brushing away the tear that rested on her cheek. She didn't pull away from him or seem bothered, though she did blush a little.

"Do you want to go home, Anna?"

"No," she shook her head, "But if you don't want me here, I will."

"I want you here," he replied quickly, probably too quickly. Perhaps he could do better with his feelings this time around. Less wasted time because he was a coward.

She smiled again and looked down at the bedspread. He reached out, fingers doing their best not to tremble as they raised her face gently by her chin. "Please stay Anna. I can't promise bad things won't happen, but I will always try to protect you. And there isn't a prison out there that could keep me from coming to get you. I will always come for you."