.com/banners/
Lucy drummed her fingers on the table top absently, her eyes closed as she drank in all the other senses around her. The diner was almost completely empty, save the four of them.
She was sitting next to Juliet whom she could feel cross and uncross her legs under the table. On the other side of the red plastic were the Doctor and Captain Jack Harkness. In the air hung the aroma of classic diner food; greasy chips enough to make Lucy's mouth water. The lot of them had ordered fish and chips and the smell was intoxicating.
The air was a little cool for Lucy's taste, and she wished she'd brought a jacket instead of wearing the three-quarter sleeve, brown and white striped crocheted tee. The table beneath her was cool as well, and the overstuffed leather couch probably needed to be replaced.
From the kitchen came the sounds of clanking dishes, spattering liquids, noisy machines and even some yelling.
Less than twenty-four hours ago, Lucy, her twin and their two friends were trying to single-handedly defeat the Stratomorphs, shape-shifting beings who wished to use people as a means of fuel. Jack had opened the heart of the T.A.R.D.I.S., contained it in an Energy Neutralizing Capsule. He'd then opened the ENC and aimed it at Lucy, who had been promptly shoved to the ground by Juliet, who in turn, absorbed the heart of the T.A.R.D.I.S. In her infinite power, Juliet had sent away the Stratomorphs, and almost causing their own means of escape to crash to the ground. Once Jack had absorbed the Heart back out of her, died and come back to life, all was right again.
They'd all fallen asleep quickly afterwards and in the morning headed straight for a place where none of them would have to cook or think. Lucy couldn't help but think though. What next? Would Juliet give this life another shot and actually travel with her and the Doctor? Did Lucy want that? She knew she wanted whatever made her sister happy. But she also wanted the Doctor all to herself. Not that she thought Juliet would ever try to steal him; just that she loved it being the two of them.
And for that matter, would Jack stay with them for a while, or would he leave right away? They never seemed to be without him for long, though conversely, he never stayed long. Lucy really liked Jack despite his overenthusiastic flirting and his Juliet-like ability to leap without looking. Well, he could afford to, she supposed. Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" leaked out of the ancient speakers in the diner.
The Queen of the Lunabelsey had once told Lucy that she was destined to survive, had been the first to mention this little trait, in fact. The only ones left standing that night had been the Doctor, Jack and Lucy herself. Though her identical twin, Juliet apparently did not hold the same ability. What did all of this mean, then, for Juliet? What was it that set the twins apart? Fate? Lucy had told herself so many times she didn't believe in fate, but something, many things, kept tugging at the back of her mind. She felt that she and the Doctor were meant to meet. Meant to travel worlds together. But why would fate choose to make Lucy able to withstand anything, and leave Juliet to…to what? Was fate really so cruel? Lucy didn't need to ask twice.
She thought back to a time when they were little and felt invincible and like time would stop right where they were. They were…well that was strange. Where were they? Had they been at the beach? Perhaps in Greece? Lucy knew that she'd thought of the memory often, but couldn't seem to recall it. Had she really felt invincible? Maybe only relief? Now that was strange, Lucy had just been thinking about how the memory made her feel, and now she couldn't even recall that. Her memory had never been elephant-like, but surely something like that would be hard to forget? Unless there was never really anything special about that day at all?
"Lucy!" Lucy's head snapped up at the sound of her voice being called. The voice was female, could only be her sister's and her tone suggested that this was not the first time she'd had to call her name. Lucy shook herself slightly and looked over at her twin. Juliet furrowed her brow for a moment, discerned nothing outwardly wrong and then gestured to the table in front of her. The red plastic was now occupied by a basket containing juicy fish and chips. How could she have missed that delicious scent?
Steeling a glance across the surface of the table, Lucy saw that the Doctor and Jack were returning to their own food. Her absent-mindedness had not gone unnoticed at all. Spearing some chips on her fork, Lucy took to staring out the window. Even though she'd always liked rain, the gloomy day still gave her the chills. Drizzle was the only thing coming down from the sky though, and nothing was going up.
There was something that caught her eye though. A flash of red had grabbed at her attention and now she was staring at a woman across the street. She looked vaguely familiar, though Lucy couldn't remember ever meeting her. Perhaps her memory was just particularly faulty today. When the woman looked over the way and straight at Lucy, however, the latter knew exactly who she was. Though the woman across the street had already turned her gaze elsewhere, gotten into a taxi, Lucy Blake was fixed.
"Doctor, I-I can't believe it, I-I just saw…"
The Doctor looked up, one end of a chip hanging ridiculously out of his mouth. Juliet laughed, but when she turned and saw Lucy's stony face, all traces of mirth ceased. Even Jack leaned forward in anticipation, silent and still, but ready to strike, like a coiled snake.
"Lucy, what it is, what did you see?" The Doctor asked urgently. He knew that look. Lucy's eyes widened and she stared at only the Doctor. Her lower lip trembled, and she couldn't keep her voice from doing the same when she said, "I saw Donna Noble."
The Doctor's face fell and Jack's mouth dropped open. Only Juliet was clueless as to what that could mean. "What, is she an old friend of yours?" she asked of the Doctor. Lucy only fought back tears and Jack shot her a look that clearly said, don't. Juliet was trying hard not to be impatient, looking back and forth between her table companions. The Doctor would say nothing. His jaw was clenched and he stared absently in the general direction where Lucy had been staring. Lucy took it upon herself to explain to Juliet who Donna Noble was. Everything from her meeting the Doctor twice, to traveling with him, to becoming a human/Time Lord hybrid and losing her memory.
"So you see it's not just that she doesn't remember; it's that she can't. Ever. Her mind would collapse." The twins looked at each other, sharing similar lines of thinking. All those wonderful things she did, and if she remembered even for a second, it would kill her.
"That's just awful. I'm so sorry, Doctor." Juliet said to him, adding, "I can't imagine not being able to remember such a part of my life." That stirred something up inside Lucy.
Putting her hands on the table, folding them carefully she said, "Funny thing is, I had this train of thought going. And then I tried to remember something. Only I couldn't. I think it had something to do with you and me, Jules, but now I can't even be sure of that. I knew before I was thinking about New Year's Eve, about the Lunabelsey. And then, then I tried to bring up this memory. I could feel it slipping away though. It was so bizarre."
Jack looked over at Lucy, one dark eyebrow raised. "The same thing happened to me this morning. I was trying to think of…well, just like you said, I can't even remember what I was trying to remember."
"What about you, Jules, any memories disappearing?" Lucy asked, half interested, half terrified.
Juliet nodded slowly. "Yes, yes, I know I was thinking about the Heart of the T.A.R.D.I.S. At least I think I was, but the same as you and Jack said. It's gone now, all of it."
The Doctor's head snapped up from looking out the window. "No. First Stratomorphs and now this?" He rose from the table, leaving the other three in his wake, confused. They all followed him quickly out the door, Juliet remembered just in time to throw some money on the table.
Outside, the drizzle persisted in its lazy attempt to make Lucy's hair frizzy. It succeeded. The Doctor was searching for something though, sonic screwdriver out and humming away. Jack was looking round too, though Lucy suspected he didn't know what he was looking for. He was tensed, however, ready for battle. As for Lucy and Juliet, they stood in the middle of the deserted street and waited.
"Doctor, are you gonna tell us what exactly is going on?" Lucy asked at last. She could only take so much waiting. Presently, he came over to her, tucking the screwdriver back into his trench coat. The way it hung perfectly on his shoulders reminded Lucy of the suit she still had to finish for him. She was making progress, but recent events had slowed her down.
"I've run into these before, a long time ago. They're called The Speichera Diebis, loosely translated as the Germanic-phrase Memory Thieves. Pretty self-explanatory, though potentially dangerous. You see, they can make you forget anything; your name, where you live; where you were going; how to breathe; who is friend and who is foe. You've all already had memories stolen from you. Thankfully, they've been memories that won't impugn your safety. So far, anyway."
"But why do they steal memories? More alien life forms living off of potential energy?" Lucy queried.
"Not this time. Each Dieb is born alone and in the dark. Their mothers lay eggs and then leave. They raise themselves, but they are lonely and bitter their whole lives. They can't steal each other's memories because they have none. So they find cozy little planets like this and take good and bad memories and use them to comfort themselves."
They sounded a lot like the Isolis, the child-like aliens that the Doctor had told Lucy about. These Diebis had stolen a memory she was pretty sure had been wonderful, and she couldn't help but feel bad for them. What must it be like to be bitter your whole life? She thought she'd feed off other people's happiness and pain as well.
"So how do we stop them?" piped up Juliet.
"Yeah, and for that matter, how do we get our memories back?" asked Jack.
The Doctor's face froze and he was running his hands through his hair again. Pacing back and forth, he started muttering under his breath. After a moment of this, he rushed over to Lucy, placing his hands round her arms. "Lucy, tell me you follow this. The Speichera Diebis take memories from people, good and bad. If we stop them and somehow find a way to get them back…"
Lucy knew where he was going with this. "You think they could give Donna her memory back? But they didn't steal hers in the first place."
"Just suppose we couldn't control it and everything came flooding back to everyone. Everything they'd ever forgotten, they suddenly remembered. That would be a lot to handle for anyone. But it would kill Donna. She can't remember."
"I know, Doctor. But what about people who have forgotten things like how to eat or drive? We can't just leave them like that."
"I know, Lucy, and I have an idea. We need to find Donna and you need to convince her to step outside. We'll, we'll knock her out or something and keep her in the T.A.R.D.I.S. and keep it away from the Earth, or at least away from London. Then we can get everyone's memories back and send them on their way. And then, we can deliver Donna back to her family."
"Okay, how do you plan on getting the Sp-Speichera Diebis to give everything back? Just…ask nicely? And how will you keep Donna safe and sound in the T.A.R.D.I.S. at the same time?"
"Leave the Diebis to me. You are going to handle Donna. Like I said, get her out, get her unconscious, into the T.A.R.D.I.S. and then fly away until I tell you to come back down." Lucy frowned.
"Brilliant. Except for a few holes. I can't fly the T.A.R.D.I.S., for one." The Doctor gave her a pointed look. He had showed her how, sort of and she sort of remembered. She was sure he'd give her some reminders and have Juliet help her. After all, Donna couldn't see Jack either. "Also, if we're keeping Donna away from the Earth so that she doesn't get her memory back, and I'm inside, I won't get mine back either." Another look told her everything she needed to know. "And that's exactly what you're asking of me."
"I'm so sorry, Lucy, really I am, but I don't see a way around it." He looked pained, hurt at having to deprive her of something like that. Oh well, Lucy thought. It was one memory, and she would do this for him. Juliet took her hand and looked her dead in the eye. Lucy knew that Juliet was just as willing to sacrifice; proof of her love for Lucy, if not for the Doctor.
"You sure, Jules?"
"Yeah, twin. Anyway, I don't really need to remember about the Heart of the T.A.R.D.I.S. It wasn't meant for me anyway." There goes talk of fate and meant for again, Lucy thought.
Minutes later, Lucy and Juliet were flying the afore-mentioned ship, with help from the Doctor. It was even more shaky and bumpy than usual, but they got the job done, with only a few casualties, namely scratched cars and scared cats. They dropped Jack and the Doctor off, both of whom would go looking for the Diebis. After making the Doctor promise to be careful, Lucy and Juliet made sure that the ship was in a secure place. They weren't far from Donna Noble's house and had a plan.
Lucy strode up the walk, heart beating a violent tattoo against her throat. She was about to meet the most important person in the universe. How could she ever keep from crying, or worse, confessing everything? She knocked against the door, praying that Donna would answer. No need to deal with the relatives. Luck is in, she thought, as she saw red hair approaching in the small glass window. Smiling brightly as the door opened, Lucy extended her hand and said, just as she had rehearsed it, "Hello there, Donna Noble? My name is Lucy Blake, with Elle Magazine. We're doing a special spot this issue about the local working class. There's a section for temps, and several of your previous employers have nominated you as a prime candidate." She tried to beam excitement from every pore. Donna gave her a suspicious look and said, "Sorry, what is it you want exactly?"
"Oh, nothing too stressful, my love, just a quick photo shoot, some Q and A and then, bam! You're in a magazine!" She even added a flirty little giggle at the end. Donna seemed to perk up when Lucy had said "photo shoot." Brilliant.
"Well, sounds alright to me, let me just get-"
"Nonsense, you're fine as you are!" Lucy said, grabbing Donna by her wrist and leading her toward her car which Juliet was crouched behind.
"You know, you sure are strong for such a tiny little-" and then Donna's voice cut off as Juliet did her part, slipped behind her and covered her mouth with a cloth soaked in a moderate sedative. Not chloroform, which had seemed too drastic. Wordlessly, the twins lifted Donna and carried her back to the T.A.R.D.I.S.
The Doctor had his screwdriver out again, looking for traces of spent memory and Diebis aura. Warmer, warmer, cooler again, cold, frigid, okay back the other direction, warmer, hot, boiling! He took off East, Jack hot on his tail. The Doctor was taking a more aggressive route than he normally liked to in these situations. Lucy and Juliet would have to sedate Donna in order to ensure her safety. She couldn't even look at the T.A.R.D.I.S., let alone know that she was there. And as for the Speichera Diebis, he was going to do something cruel. He had to. Aside from killing them, it was the only thing he could do. He'd whipped up a concoction that could fit inside an attachment on his screwdriver and would turn to vapour when he pressed down on the button. This vapour would essentially give them a taste of their own medicine. Back would be projected the images or loneliness, abandon, hurt, images from their childhoods, forcing them to relive it. Experiencing these memories as he increased the intensity on the screwdriver would force them to expel everything they'd taken in, or even remotely picked up on. When even Jack had frowned at this method, the Doctor only stated again that he knew how cruel it was. After all, they couldn't help their lot.
And there, at the end of the avenue stood three beings, hooded and cloaked in black. They held hands, as if bracing themselves for what was to come. The Doctor felt a horrible stab of guilt. He had to force himself to remember that despite their child-like need for affection, they had caused great suffering. They were capable of killing, and didn't care who they hurt as long as they got what they wanted.
Behind him, Jack said, "You don't think we should have invested in some tin hats? They can still mess with our minds, right?" The Doctor looked over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow at Jack. Tin hats? Really?
He turned back to the Speichera Diebis and as they stepped forward, he knew he couldn't even give them a chance to speak. He slid home the vial of memory-inducing liquid into the open portal of the sonic screwdriver. Pressing the button, the viscous material instantly vapourised and shot directly at the three Thieves. The look of shock on the three faces was enough to wrench at the Doctor's hearts. Their hands clasped tighter as they tried to fight off the onslaught of wavelengths threatening their fragile psyches. Simultaneously, they all went utterly rigid, their hands still clenched tight. An almost perceptible wave flowed out from them in thousands of sinewy tendrils. The Doctor saw one of these tendrils latch onto Jack. Jack's face clearly explained that he was receiving the memories they'd taken and ones long since forgotten. He even saw three tendrils reach out to the sky, searching for their targets. They couldn't last long however, all memories must fade, and the tendrils dissipated into the drizzly air. The Thieves themselves were fading. The Doctor caught their last echo and turned to Jack.
He could see a thousand emotions on Jack's face. "It's a lot to deal with, I know."
Jack looked up at him, uncharacteristically shaken and said, "Yeah, it is. You said everyone would remember everything they'd forgotten. A lifetime of memories come back to them. Well, I've lived longer than most. What about you, Doctor? You don't seem…different."
"I've never really forgotten anything, Jack. It's all up here." He said, tapping his head. Jack smiled that boyish grin of his and the two of them set off on foot for Donna's house. En route, the Doctor sent a call to Lucy's mobile and she assured him that all had gone according to plan.
He watched the T.A.R.D.I.S. come into view, colliding into buildings and threatening to blow off course. But the twins managed to land her safely and came outside, carrying the still unconscious Donna. Jack rushed over and relieved the two women of their burden. The Doctor went up to the front door and aimed the screwdriver at it. The lock clicked open and the four of them crept inside. The Doctor directed Jack to Donna's room and he left to place her there. When he came back out, he and Juliet headed back to the ship. Lucy looked over at the weary Time Lord, sorrow etched in his face. "We should go, Doctor, before she wakes up." He nodded, still leaning against the door frame, unable to bring himself to actually walk back out of it. Movement coming from the kitchen spurred the two of them, but the Doctor stopped when he saw that it was Donna's grandfather.
Wilfred was looking at a face he thought he'd never see again. As always, the Doctor didn't look a day older than the last time he'd seen him. This time he was with a pretty young woman. She looked uncomfortable and shifted on her feet, clearly debating whether or not to go. Wilfred stuck out his hand to her. "Wilfred Noble, Miss."
"Lucy Blake. The Doctor told me all about you and Donna." Wilfred nodded, flattered that the man had mentioned him. The man in question spoke softly, not wanting to wake Donna.
"Something happened that threatened to give Donna's memories back. But don't worry, we took care of it. She's under a mild sedative now, she should wake up soon." Wilfred nodded, never quite sure what to say to this man. He looked instead over at Lucy Blake and saw that there were tears in her eyes.
"Now, now, pet, don't cry. I know it seems terrible that Donna can't remember any of this, but she's good. Her life is good. And there are people out there who are better because of her, and there are people like you who know about her." The Doctor had told him something very like this, the day he'd showed up on the doorstep, in the rain. All the same, Lucy's pain reminded him of the reality of it all. It was surprisingly easy to act like everything had always been normal. But here were living reminders of the life his granddaughter had had.
The sound of stirring came from Donna's bedroom and the three in the entryway made their hasty but heartfelt goodbyes. Lucy and the Doctor walked hand in hand back to the T.A.R.D.I.S., Lucy with her free hand wiping at her eyes. Juliet gave her a sympathetic look, and Jack stiffened his jaw and nodded knowingly at the Doctor.
It was days like this that made Lucy grateful for all the wonderful days she had with the Doctor. Because today, she had felt unwavering empathy for a seemingly helpless enemy. Today she had met the most important person in the universe, who had one of the saddest stories she'd ever heard. Today, Lucy Blake had gotten a glimpse of her potential future. Life with the Doctor was fleeting, or so she'd been told, and never quite ended the way you wanted it to (because it ended at all). Though she wasn't sure what this hag called Fate had in store for her, something was about to change, she could feel it. She had those dreams about clocks every night. The Life Matter's words always echoed in her head long after she woke up.
But as the Doctor pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and holding on tight, she couldn't help but think that it was all worth it.
