"What was that all about?" Amy asked walking into the console room.
"Nothing, it was nothing." The Doctor said slowly turning away from the door.
Rory walked into the room a few seconds later.
"So where are we now?"
"2031, November 2nd. Year of the worlds' largest fair known in history. It takes up almost the entire continent of Europe." The Doctor responded flipping switches and the TARDIS's engines started rumbling.
"We're here for a fair?" Rory asked.
"Yeah. What? Fairs are cool."
"How come we're not getting out here?" Amy asked walking over to the door.
"Um... it was all mushy and muddy. I don't want my shoes dirty." He lied.
At that moment his scanner started beeping and lights started flashing on it.
"What's this?" Amy asked picking it up.
The Doctor grabbed it from her hands before she could read the writing on it. "Nothing, just a scan."
"What's up Doctor? Your acting all... secretive and edgy."
"What? Amelia Pond, nothing is wrong with me." He said shaking the box.
"Well, you only call me by my full name when something's wrong, Doctor."
Rory stood and watched, not really knowing what to say. The box clicked, and then shut off.
"No, no, no, no!" The Doctor shouted running from the TARDIS.
"What is it?" Amy asked running out after him.
Rory grabbed his coat and followed out at a slower pace.
"I'm losing the signal!"
"Of what?"
He was silent as the box started clicking once more at a fast pace.
"Where are we?"
Silence.
"Doctor, where are we?" She asked again. "These homes are huge!"
The Doctor looked up. It had become nighttime, and the TARDIS was only a few feet from where it had been earlier. He turned to the TARDIS.
"I thought we'd moved..." He said as if speaking to the TARDIS.
"Hey, what's that?" Rory asked, the only one actually looking at their surroundings.
The Doctor and Amy turned to what Rory was pointing at. A shadowy figure was exiting one of the houses holding something over it's shoulder, something very human looking, and making it's way towards a rather small metallic pod.
"Hello!" The Doctor shouted making his way over to it.
"Doctor!" Amy shouted exasperated.
"Amy!" Rory shouted after her while trying to wrap his coat around her shoulders. She shrugged him off and ran after the Doctor.
"Well hello there." The Doctor said again as he neared the thing. "What's that you got there?"
Amy gasped. "Doctor! It-it looks like... like a person!"
Rory was still trying to put his coat on Amy as he eyed the figure of the girl draped over its' shoulder.
"It's not just a person. It's Diana. Diana Rose Temple."
"A friend of yours?" Amy asked, her voice questioning, her hands on her hips.
"Well, not really, but I guess you could say so. She's the daughter of an old friend of mine. I ran into her, literally, earlier-"
"That's nice, but what's that thing doing with her?" Rory asked.
"Be nice Rory." The Doctor said. "It has a name... I think."
Rory gave up on the jacket and instead took it upon himself to stand in front of Amy, as if protecting her from the creature.
At that moment, the creature let out a strange gurgling noise. The metallic pod gave a beep and part flew open like a door. The Doctor, Rory and Amy were standing in the way of it.
"Well. I see you'd clearly like to take off now. I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that. Please set the girl down." The Doctor said in a rather cheery voice.
The creature gurgled again, but didn't release Diana.
"Alright, Now mind you-" The creature took a swipe at the Doctor, hitting him in the stomach. The Doctor flew back a few feet. Amy let out a little squeaky gasp. Rory forced her back a step away from the thing.
Diana began to stir.
Rory stepped forward. He cleared his throat, "Mm... Excuse me, mister er, creature man? Er, could you um, set the girl down please?" He turned back to Amy, "Is he going to be alright?"
Amy, whom had hurried to the Doctor's side, had a look of surprise that Rory was standing up to the creature, but nodded her head. Her eyes widened as she looked beyond Rory's shoulder, Rory turned back around.
"Oh my head..." A faint voice came from the creature. "Oi! Where am I?"
The creature slowly put Diana on the ground. She stumbled around for a moment, trying to decide what was going on. She tripped over something, possibly herself, and fell backwards into Rory's arms. She turned herself around and clung onto Rory in a strange hug. She blushed, unnoticed in the dark, and pulled herself up again.
Rory pushed her behind him and looked once more at the creature.
"Well that was-" A light strung down on the creature and it began to disappear.
The light disappeared and they were again in somewhat darkness.
"What was that all about?" Diana asked becoming fully conscious again. "And who exactly are all of you?"
The Doctor sat up and rubbed his head. "Ouch. That thing sure can pack a punch."
"But it hit you in the stomach." Amy said.
"Oh... Well, Diana!" He changed the topic quickly and hurried over to Diana.
"Hey!" She yelled as he started sonic-ing her.
"What did he want with you...?" He questioned to himself.
"What was that-that thing, and what did it want with me? And who are you? You better not say 'The Doctor'" She swatted his screwdriver away.
"Well, you answered your own question, Diana." He said turning back to the TARDIS.
She followed after him continuing her questions, Amy and Rory at a farther distance hoping to not be part of the questioning. Diana stopped as the Doctor searched his pockets for his key and turned around to Rory.
"Thank you for catching me, and, well, getting that thing to drop me." She said.
Rory was taken aback; he normally wasn't the center of attention. "It-it was nothing." He said smiling shyly.
"Well, I believe that it will be back. The Yar-Ralos don't give up that easily, particularly if they want something."
"Yar-Ralos? Wha-" She stopped looking at the key the Doctor pulled from his pocket. "Hey!"
"Hm?" The doctor turned around.
Diana walked past him holding her necklace. She took the key and slid it into the lock. The door on the right swung open. The Doctor looked at her in surprise and grabbed her key.
"This is the one I gave Donna..." He said to himself, "How'd you get it?" He asked not looking up.
"My great-grampa. You might've known him. Wilfred... He talked about you a lot." She said silently as Rory slid into the TARDIS.
"Wilfred... Is he still-"
"About seven years ago. Actually, seven years exactly in about three months."
He handed the key back to her, "He was a great man... you should keep it." He said and walked into the TARDIS.
Amy, whom had been silent this entire time, had a rather jealous look. She had known the Doctor longer, yet he gave some girl he just met a key to the TARDIS. Why hadn't she given her one? She also walked into the TARDIS. Diana stood outside.
The Doctor poked his head out the door, "Coming?"
She slid the necklace back on, "Yeah."
The Doctor was looking excitedly at her face. "What?" She asked looking around.
"Well? Any comments?"
She smiled, "Hm... nope. A little different then my gramps described. You regenerated recently?" She asked.
He smiled wider, "How much did he tell you about me?"
"Everything he knew I guess. Every time I saw him he told me a new story. But he was carful not to around my mother."
His smile faded a little, "Yeah, that would be on my request." He walked up to the console and rubbed it for a moment.
Amy was sitting on a chair and Rory stood by her side, both looking at the Doctor.
Diana turned around and closed the door. She gave a little gasp and slid to the floor clutching her chest.
"Doctor!" Amy and Rory yelled.
The Doctor turned to them as they ran over to her. "Diana!" He called also running over.
"Doctor what's wrong with her?" Amy asked.
"I-I don't know-"
Rory was holding her wrists checking her pulse as the Doctor grabbed out his stethoscope.
Her hands moved back up to her right side and she cried out.
"Lets get her off the ground." Amy said almost shouting.
They began to pull her up and made it over to the chair before she cried out again.
"Doctor what-what's happening to me?" She grimaced.
The Doctor sat speechless. He spoke in a soft voice, "Oh, Donna..."
She looked up at him bewildered, "My name's not-" She winced again.
"No, no, your mother. A long time ago she was crossed with my DNA and-well, long story, I had to block her memory so she wouldn't... burn up... it appears you have inherited some part of her, or my, genes. The same thing will happen to you if I don't-"
"Doctor?" Amy asked confused.
"I'll explain later." He said frowning placing his hands on Diana's head. He closed his eyes.
Diana pulled his hands off her head slowly. "Diana, I have to do this-"
"-No-"
"-I can't just let you do this-"
"-Yeah? Well I'm an adult. I can make my own-"
"-But I can't let you die-"
"-Well that's not your problem-" She cried out again and the Doctor looked furious not being able to stop her pain.
"-Diana-" He placed his hand on her head again.
"-NO!-" She exclaimed, struggling to her feet.
"-I'm not letting you die because of me!" He shouted at her. "Too many..." The Doctor wished that Amy and Rory weren't in the room. "I have to do this, Diana. You don't have a choice... I'm sorry..."
Diana looked into his eyes for a moment before nodding.
The Doctor they both closed their eyes. A few seconds later, Diana went limp and fell over. The Doctor caught her and turned away from Amy and Rory, whom had very shocked and confused expressions, but neither spoke.
"We can't just leave her at her house now. I'll have to lock her somewhere in the TARDIS..." He walked up the stairs and down the hall.
"What just happened?" Rory asked Amy as the Doctor's footsteps faded away.
"I-I don't know." She said. "But we probably shouldn't talk about it unless the Doctor bring it up, okay?"
"I've never seen him so... upset before."
"Neither have I, Rory." Amy was just dying to ask the Doctor what just happened.
~To Be Continued~