Love the reviews! Thanks! :) Interesting idea, SPACER8000, I guess we shall have to wait and see!
"Well, Amy, I think...Isn't there some place you'd like to go?" The Doctor looked bright eyed from one companion to the other.
"But don't you think he would look so cute with one, just right there?" Amy asked, pinching Rory's upper arm. Rory winced and rubbed his arm, but didn't say anything. He looked at the Doctor worriedly.
The Doctor scratched his forehead. "You know, I always say if you have a problem of this magnitude to solve, you should..." He walked over to the TARDIS console and started pulling on levers. "Leave it completely alone and definitely find a different problem to solve."
"When do you ever say that?" Amy asked sharply.
"Right now! I'm always going to say it right now and from now on whenever you ask me if Rory should get a tattoo. That is exactly the right response to that question." He nodded and ducked under the console.
"That's not an answer!" Amy challenged.
"Exactly!" The Doctor called out.
Rory just looked relieved.
Amy folded her arms and frowned. "I was only asking. I do think you'd look cute with one." But she let it drop because she could see Rory wasn't entirely happy with the idea. She lightly kissed him as a loud knocking sound started up.
"Doctor, what's that?" Amy asked as she pulled back from Rory.
"It sounded like the door..." Rory pointed out the obvious. They were still parked just outside of their flat, waiting for the Doctor to take them on their next adventure.
The Doctor popped back up and looked over at the door. "Why don't you answer that?"
"Who, me or him?"
"Anyone not named the Doctor will do." The Doctor replied, ducking behind the other side of the console.
Amy rolled her eyes. "Rory, go answer the door?"
The knocking became more insistent.
"But why me?" Rory asked.
"Because you're still the newest." She reminded him.
"Right." He stepped over to the door, wondering if the Doctor knew just how ridiculous it was to hide from a knocking door! He pulled the door open and an elderly woman reached in and grabbed his arm, pulling him out.
Amy ran over to peer out and see what was going on. "What-"
She, too, vanished.
The Doctor couldn't wait around while his friends disappeared on him. So he made his way over and glanced timidly out the door.
A group of elderly people were surrounding Amy and Rory. A couple of the woman were grinning at Rory and one was placing her hands in...Awkward places. Rory was flushed and jumped at these invading hands. Amy was eyeing an older man who kept looking at her legs.
Fearful of what she might do to the old man, the Doctor stepped out.
"Have I missed a party invitation or something?" He asked, looking at each of them.
"You're the Doctor."
"Yes, but who are all you?"
"I'm Margaret! That's Millie, Ralph, Joseph, Catherine, and Theresa. It's nice to meet you." She batted her eyelashes at him.
He adjusted his bow tie and cleared his throat.
"Hello Margaret, is there any particular reason why you were looking for me?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, there was! Some friends of ours near Cardiff sent out word they were looking for a man called the Doctor who hangs out in an old police box. They're friends of a man called Wilfred."
The Doctor paused at the name.
"Ralph here was just lucky enough to spot this police box of yours and we thought we'd see if you were here. The word is, that Wilfred fellow is looking for you and says you can help his granddaughter. I don't know about all of that, but, if you'd like to come eat lunch with us, you're more than welcome?" She offered, trying to flirt even though now the Doctor was far too distracted to be awkward about that.
"Thank you, I'd love to, but I've got another place I have to be, but my friends here." He took Amy by one hand and Rory by the other and pulled them over to the group of seniors. "Would be more than happy to."
"We would what?" Amy turned to glare at the Doctor.
"Yeah, we would what?" Rory added, not looking terribly thrilled as Margaret grinned at him.
"You two would be happy to join them for lunch!"
"But, we're supposed to go with you." Amy reminded him as he let go of their hands.
"Oh, you can go with me any time. In fact, you go have lunch with them, and I'll go...See about something else, and then we can go see about a third thing together!" He pointed at her as he started to back away. "Later!"
"But Doctor-" Amy began to protest.
"You won't miss me! I'll be back before you know it!" He turned and ran into the TARDIS, closing the door behind him. He couldn't let them be in on whatever was going on with Donna. This was something he felt he needed to do alone even though he was positive both Amy and Rory would disagree.
He couldn't worry about that now. He had other things on his mind. Namely, Donna.
This was the second time in a very short amount of time, that Wilfred Mott had reached out to him because of something that was going on with her. It was as he had originally suspected. Something else was most definitely going on with her. He knew he'd missed something. He only wished he hadn't been right.
He quickly set the TARDIS on the right path to Donna's house, his mind going over every single detail of their last encounter in the hopes of figuring out just what was happening to her, and why.
The Doctor moved with lightening speed. This was happening too much, too soon. That Donna was having another reaction so soon told him this was urgent. Whatever was going on was something he couldn't put off dealing with any longer.
When the TARDIS landed, the Doctor ran out without waiting a single moment. He headed straight for Donna's home and burst in without knocking.
He looked around the living room. He saw Wilf, standing right by him, startled at his sudden appearance. Wilf had been pacing back and forth across the living room. Wilf was looking for all the world like he was about to burst into tears. The elderly man was clearly terrified.
The Doctor should have answered his phone. He'd been too busy with Amy and Rory and too confident in the fact that he'd resolved whatever was going on with Donna. He'd been dead wrong.
The Doctor noticed Shaun standing by the sofa, having just risen at the commotion. His hands were together, fidgeting nervously as he looked from Wilf to this new stranger. He glimpsed Sylvia in the kitchen behind them. She was on the phone speaking in hushed tones and not paying a bit of attention to any of them.
The one thing he didn't see, was Donna.
With as much calm as he could muster, the Doctor asked the only question that mattered to him just now.
"Where is she?"
Wilf and Shaun exchanged a look that made the Doctor's anxiety rise to new levels.
"Where?" His voice rose, causing Sylvia to flinch and glare out from the kitchen at the man she didn't recognize. Apparently her hostilities toward the Doctor were instinctive.
Wilf knew the former version of the Doctor was often hollering, though not nearly as much as his grandchild, of course. But this newer version was soft spoken from what he'd seen. So having him raise his voice in the least little bit was somehow more intimidating since it was so unexpected from him.
"She's...She's not here. She's gone missing again, only it's been since yesterday! She disappeared yesterday morning. We can't get her on her mobile. We think she went out shopping, but then something happened, like another of them episodes. We called all the open shops, and a few that aren't open and a couple of them said they saw her yesterday around lunch time, but not since. Something's wrong. Please, you've got to help her!"
"How can he know where Donna is when we don't?" Shaun didn't sound as accusing as the Doctor would have expected from his best friend's husband. He thought a man whose wife went missing and a strange man appeared, would be quick to blame him. He'd thought wrong once again.
Shaun walked over to the Doctor, then looked from him to Wilf and back. "If you know how to find her, please help?" He sounded almost as heart breaking as Wilfred did when he pleaded with the Doctor for help. "If Wilf trusts you, then I trust you, but please help us find Donna?" At this point, much to the Doctor's horror, Shaun actually did break down. He started to shake and cry.
"She doesn't do this! She...Doesn't just...Go off on her own with no word!" Shaun was really upset and that reassured the Doctor at least that this man did, indeed, love Donna. He liked that. He'd needed to know that. He had always been a little worried about that.
The Doctor placed a calming hand on Shaun's shoulder and looked right into his watery eyes. "Can you tell me, Shaun, has she said anything odd or unusual lately? Or acted at all out of sorts?"
Shaun slowly regained control. He sniffled and thought a moment. Then he nodded. "Yes, yes, she has. I mean, she's Donna. But...She's been real quiet lately. Kind of off. Like...Like the day before yesterday when we were out for tea in Leadworth," The Doctor's breath caught in his throat. "She just kept staring off and didn't seem right. Maybe she's ill? What if she's gone walking again?" He asked. "She stares off and gets up and starts walking like she's having some kind of seizure or sleep walking episode. It happens sometimes!" He was starting to upset himself all over again.
"Shaun, I will find her, but I need you to calm down so you can help me to help her." The Doctor spoke in a soothing tone that did the trick. "Now what do you mean it happens sometimes? Has it happened very often, this 'sleep walking'?" It was one thing when her grandfather talked about it, but he figured her husband would have a better idea of things than he did only because he spent more time with her.
"Yes. Its happened at least a dozen times this past year, and it's been happening more and more frequently. In the past month and a half she's had it happen nearly every day." He noted, making Wilf gasp and look at him in shock.
Shaun gave Wilf an apologetic look. "She didn't want me to tell you how bad it's been. She didn't want you upset about how often it's been happening. She always seems just fine afterwards and doesn't see a reason to get anyone else worked up."
The Doctor was frowning. This wasn't good. This was as very far away from good as things could get as far as the safety of Donna Temple-Noble was concerned.
He hadn't realized the presence he'd found in her mind was that persistent. The defense mechanism he'd set up in her mind was only meant to handle keeping her alive, but it wasn't meant to handle a constant barrage of internal attacks. He'd only given it to her in the case of extreme emergencies like what the Master had done. And it had worked like a charm. But this wasn't something his fail-safes were able to prevent. If it was happening to her more and more frequently, then perhaps it was some sort of alien virus that he'd failed to recognize. Or maybe something else he must have missed.
He had one more question.
"How often have you two gone off to Leadworth? It's a bit of a drive from here. Why Leadworth?"
"We've been there a few times over the past year, but more so in the last couple months. Donna insists. She loves this little shop they have there with tea and antiques."
The Doctor nodded thoughtfully. There were plenty of shops right here near Cardiff where they lived with a lot more intriguing things to buy then anyone could find in old Leadworth. Why would she be going to Leadworth at all? Something just didn't seem right.
He needed to find her. She'd been out there for over a full day on her own. Who knew what was happening to her. She needed him and he couldn't let her down.
"You two stay here in case she comes back. I'll look for her." He stopped to look back at the two, and even to glance in at Sylvia. "I will find her." He reassured them once again.
He ran out the door before anyone could protest, not that they would have.
He thought about Donna being lost and alone, possibly in great danger out there somewhere.
He had to find her. Now.
Now, I realize you all are waiting to see what is going on with Donna. She will be in the next chapter, which I am working. Please review!