Donna and the Doctor ran into the hallway, looking frantically up and down. "Which way's out, d'you think?" Donna gasped.

"This way," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her along. He hoped he sounded as though he really had some idea and wasn't just choosing a random direction. He could hear their pursuers' footsteps behind them as they ran.

"So, they don't like Timelords," she said, clinging to his hand.

"Apparently not. I probably should have known that. If we can just get to the TARDIS," he said, pulling her down another hallway, only to stop short as another group approached them. They turned back they way they had come, to find themselves trapped between two groups of very angry aliens. "Don't let them separate us," he said, as they were each grabbed by very large insect-like creatures. Donna gripped his hand, but they were stronger and easily pulled them apart.

"No, don't hurt him," she yelled. "Get your hands off of me!" She struggled in their grip.

One of the creatures said, "You are enemies of the Mantodea. You will be held for sentencing for violation of Chapter 45 of the Shadow Proclamation. Take them to their cells."

The Doctor struggled, but looked only at Donna. "Donna, look at me. It'll be alright, I promise. I'll find you."

"Doctor!" she cried, as she was lifted and half carried down the hallway away from him. One of the guards covered her mouth to stop her from talking.

"Don't hurt her! Donna!" the Doctor yelled, pulling at the guards holding him. One of them punched him in the stomach, and he doubled over.

"You will be quiet," the guard said. "Or she will be hurt."

The Doctor could hear her screaming and struggling as they dragged him in the opposite direction. It sounded like she was giving them a good fight.

***
The creatures pushed Donna into a cell and slid the door shut with a clang. She stumbled, then turned toward them. "What have you done with him? Don't you dare hurt him, or you'll have me to deal with!" She lunged toward the bars of the door, and was glad to see them flinch back, waving their antennae in alarm.

One of them said, "We'll be back for you in the morning." He checked the lock on the door, and they left, chittering at each other. Donna pulled at the door in frustration. she could still feel her hand being pulled out of the Doctor's, see his eyes boring into hers with such intensity. He said he would find her, and she knew he would, but that didn't mean she was going to sit around waiting.

She turned and surveyed the room. Standard prison cell - a long, narrow cot, a sink and toilet, and a chair next to a low shelf. The chair didn't seem built for humans, so she sat on the cot to think. Searching her pockets, she found a bit of paper, some string, and a tiny tube of glue, but nothing useful. What were they doing to him? She felt fear, cold in her stomach, at the thought of him alone somewhere, in pain. Better not think about it, and concentrate on getting out.

She got up to examine the door. She looked through the bars into the hallway, but could only see a blank wall. She listened, but she couldn't hear anyone else nearby, so she examined the lock. She wished she had the sonic screwdriver, and hoped the Doctor had managed to keep it before they locked him away. She wondered where in the building he had been taken. Stop it, she thought. Focus on getting out. It seemed to be an ordinary lock, not electronic or magnetic or anything. She just needed something like a lockpick. She surveyed the room again, then went over to the cot and tossed the mattress aside. A bedspring, she thought, and began dismantling the bed as quickly and quietly as she could.

***
The Doctor worked frantically at the lock with the sonic screwdriver. Fortunately the guards hadn't searched him very thoroughly before tossing him in the cell. They were very superstitious about Timelords, which had worked in his favor for once. He tried not to think about Donna, locked up who-knew-where. He could still hear her screaming as they dragged her away, still feel her hand being torn from his grip. He had to get out, had to find her, before they hurt her.

He cursed at the lock. It was deadlock sealed. Nothing for it but an old-fashioned lockpick, which he really should start carrying in his pockets. He emptied his pockets, finding many things he thought he had lost, but nothing metal that would do. He set to work dismantling the bed.

He had nearly succeeded in getting one of the bedsprings off of the cot when he was startled by a noise in the hallway. He turned quickly, trying to hide the evidence of his work.

"Doctor," he heard someone whisper. He dashed to the bars of the door, trying to look down the hallway.

"Donna?" he whispered, hardly daring to hope she was in the same cell block. Instead, he saw her in the hallway, looking into each cell as she passed. "In here!" he whispered, louder.

"Doctor!" She ran up to his cell, holding a straightened bedspring with something attached to it. He grabbed her hand through the bars, feeling relief flood through him.

"Did they hurt you?" he hissed, not letting go of her hand, pulling her toward the door.

She shook her head. "No." She reached up to touch the bruise over his eye. "What did they do?" He saw tears in her eyes, threatening to spill over.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, don't worry about me. How did you get out?"

She wiped at her eyes, then grinned, holding up the bedspring. "Picked the lock, didn't I?" And she proceeded to do the same with the lock on his door. He swept her into an embrace, and she wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning on him. "Found you," she said.

He chuckled. "So you did. Clever girl."

She put her hands on his chest and pushed back to look at him. "I had to use the diamond from the ring you gave me." He examined her makeshift lockpick more closely, and found she had somehow glued the diamond to the end. It looked crazy, but it had worked. He saw tears in her eyes again. "I think I've ruined it."

He hugged her again. "Don't worry about it. I'll get you a dozen rings to replace it. I was so afraid--" he covered her mouth with a kiss, clutching her to him, and she threaded her fingers through his hair. They broke apart, gasping, when they heard footsteps in the distance.

He grabbed her hand. "Run!"

***
Back on the TARDIS, he quickly set the controls to get them into the Vortex, then turned to look at Donna. She took his hand. "Trouble does find us, doesn't it."

"Finds me, you mean. We were in danger because of who - what - I am."

"Yes," she said. "The risk is worth it, you know." She held his hand, turned his palm over in hers to stroke it.

"Is it?" he said. "What about when we have children?"

"Are we having children?" Donna asked.

"Don't you want to?" He pulled her closer.

"Of course I do. I wasn't sure if it was possible." She put her hand on his chest. "Besides, you've had children before. After Jenny..."

"It's possible. And I've never had children with you." He reached up to stroke her cheek. "I was wrong about Jenny."

"So you weren't just humouring my mother with the 'lots of babies' speech?"

He smiled. "No, not humouring her." He ran his hand down the column of her throat, rested his hand over her heartbeat.

"Good," she said, drawing closer to him and planting a kiss on his jaw. "Because I think it's time for some practice."

"Practice?" his voice squeaked as she kissed below his ear, her tongue running around his earlobe.

"Some 'happy to be alive' shagging is in order, spaceman. Don't you agree?"

He took her hand, pulling her out of the console room. "Oh, yes!"

***

Donna found him in the kitchen. He turned at the sound of her footsteps, and she yawned sleepily. "You're up early," he said.

She wrapped her arms around him where he stood by the counter. "So are you." He lowered his head to nuzzle her neck, and she lifted her chin to give him better access, sighing softly.

"Want some breakfast?" he asked.

"Mmm, tea would be nice."

He kissed her. "I'll get it - you sit down." He soon joined her at the table with two steaming mugs of tea.

"Lovely, thank you," she said, smiling over her cup at him.

He grinned at her, just enjoying the sight of her there, all sleepy and mussed looking.

"Did you do your guest list for the wedding?" she asked. "I told Mum I'd give them to her today."

"Oh, yes, yes, it's here somewhere," he said, jumping up to search the countertop. "Aha!" he handed over the list and Donna scanned it.

"They're all...human," she said, looking up at him in surprise.

"Of course they are," he said.

"I thought...surely there must be some...aliens out there, in this time, you'd like to be there?"

He shook his head. "Earth is my home, with Gallifrey gone. I've always had ties to it, but marrying you makes it official. Jack, Gwen, Ianto, Martha, the Brig, Sarah Jane - those are the people I want there. Oh, and we should see if we can find Sally Sparrow. Or she might be Sally Nightingale by now." He tried to keep his tone light, but felt the emotion burning in his chest.

"Hmm," Donna said, and added that name to the list. "I can't believe I have to spend all day with Mum today. Won't you come with me?"

"Can't. I have my own ordeal to face. Jack is making me go tuxedo shopping with him. We could swap? Oh, no that wouldn't work."

Donna laughed. "Fair enough. I'll suffer through."

He leaned down to kiss her. "I'll make it up to you," he said, sliding his hand under the collar of her dressing gown.

"Now, or later?" she asked, and nibbled at his bottom lip.

"Both, I should think," he said, letting his hand drift lower.