A/N

So I know I said I was discontinuing this story, but I can't do that to you people… I felt too guilty. So I'm going to try and finish this… I really will try to update more than every 6 months! Promise! :D

Just then, they were interrupted by a series of crashes and bangs that seemed to come from all around them. They all spun around, looking for the source of the noises. Behind them, one of the walls slid upwards, revealing a secret chamber with a very large, round hole in the floor. As they stepped in to investigate, a voice greeted them.

"I have waited so long hibernating at the edge of the universe…." Lance with his eyes wide in terror, hurriedly retreated out the door. "…Until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!" The voice continued. The Doctor, Rose and Donna looked up to see that that walls of the chamber were lined with the robots all wearing black hoods. The Doctor stepped closer to the hole, and peered over the edge.

"Someone's been digging… Oh, very Torchwood." He said. "Drilled by laser.

"How far down does it go?" Rose asked, also peering over the side.

"Down and down, all the way to the center of the Earth!" The phantom voice replied.

"Really?" The Doctor asked. "Seriously? What for?" Here Donna shuffled forward to also look over.

"Dinosaurs." She said. The Doctor looked over at her.

"What?"

"Dinosaurs?" Donna repeated. It was a question now.

"What are you on about, dinosaurs?" The Doctor asked, confused.

"That film. Under the Earth, with dinosaurs." Donna explained. Seeing the Doctor's skeptical look, she defended herself "Trying to help!"

"That's not helping." The Doctor told her.

"Being rude again?" Rose asked him.

"Was that rude?" The Doctor turned to her. Rose opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by the bodiless voice.

"Such a sweet couple."

"Only a madman talks to thin air and trust me, you don't want to make me mad. Where are you?" The Doctor demanded to know.

"High in the sky, floating so high on Christmas night." The voice replied.

"I didn't come all this way to talk on the intercom!" The Doctor called back. "Come on, let's have a look at you!"

"Who are you with such command?" Came the answer.

"I'm The Doctor."

"Then prepare your best medicines, doctor-man for you will be sick at heart." The voice said, then there was a flash out light. Standing there in front of the trio was a giant, red spider. Rose and Donna shrunk back a bit, but the Doctor was too shocked to move.

"The Racnoss…" He whispered. "But that's impossible! You're one of the Racnoss!'

"Empress of the Racnoss" the spider said.

"If you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss?" The Doctor demanded to know. "Or…. Are you the only one?"

"Such a sharp mind." The Empress said, hissing and clicking her pincers together.

"That's it, the last of your kind. The Racnoss come from the Dark Times." The Doctor said, turning to explain to Rose and Donna. "Billions of years ago, billions. They were carnivores, omnivores. They devoured whole planets."

"Racnoss are born starving. Is that our fault?" The Empress said.

"They eat people?" Rose asked quietly.

"HC Clements." The Doctor said to Donna. "Did he wear those… those, erm, black and white shoes?"

"He did!" Donna said. "We used to laugh; we used to call him the fat cat in spats." The Doctor nodded sadly, then pointed to the ceiling. There a pair of black and white shoes could be seen attached to what was left of the unfortunate late HC Clements. "Oh my God!" Donna exclaimed, covering her mouth. Rose slipped her hand into The Doctor's which he squeezed reassuringly.

"Mmmm…" The Empress said, cackling. "My Christmas dinner."

"You shouldn't even exist!" The Doctor protested. "Way back in history, the Fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss. They were wiped out!" Just then, Lance appeared on the balcony above the Racnoss. Thankfully she didn't notice. However, Donna did and Lance motioned for her to stay silent.

"Except for me." The Empress told the Doctor. In an effort to distract the Racnoss from noticing Lance, Donna spoke up.

"But that's what I've got inside me, that Huon energy thing. Oi! Look at me lady, I'm talking!" She yelled when the Racnoss started to turn away. "Where do I fit in? How comes I get all stacked up with these Huon particles?" Meanwhile, Lance continued descending the stairs, an axe now in his hand. "Look at me, you!" Donna continued. "Look me in the eye and tell me."

"The bride is so feisty." The Racnoss hissed.

"Yes, I am!" Donna replied. "And I don't know what you are, you big…thing. But a spider's a spider and an axe is an axe! Now do it!" She screamed at Lance. Lance swung the axe up above his head, ready to strike. The Empress swung around and hissed, finally seeing Lance, poised to strike. But then… he stopped. Lance glanced at Donna then… started to laugh, the Empress joining in.

"That was a good one!" Lance said to the Empress. "Your face!"

"Lance is funny." The Empress hissed in agreement.

"What?" Donna exclaimed, clearly confused.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor said softly and Rose put her arm comfortingly on Donna's shoulder.

"Sorry for what?" Donna asked, shrugging of Rose's hand, still not getting it. "Lance, don't be so stupid!" She called. "Get her!"

"God she's thick." Lance said, almost pityingly, staring at Donna. Donna looked right back at him, still bewildered. "Months I had to put up with her." Lance said. "Months! A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map."

"I don't understand." Donna said uncomprehending.

"How did you meet him?" The Doctor asked her gently.

"In the office." Donna told him.

"He made you coffee." Rose said gently.

"What?" Donna was not getting the connection.

"Every day I made you coffee." Lance said slowly, as if addressing an idiot.

"You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months." The Doctor explained.

"He was poisoning me?" Donna asked softly, realization finally dawning.

"It was all there in the job title – Head of Human Resources." Rose said with a slight ironic smile.

"This time it's personnel." Lance said, then he and the Racnoss laughed.

"But…we were getting married!" Donna protested.

"Well I couldn't risk you running off." Lance said. "I had to say yes. And then I was stuck with a woman who thinks the height of excitement is a new flavor of Pringle! Oh, I had to sit there and listen to all that 'Yap, yap, yap…' Oh Brad and Angelina…Is Posh pregnant? X Factor, Atkins Diet, Feng Shui, split ends, text me, text me, text me. Dear God, the never ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia." Donna stood there listening to this torrent of abuse, with an expression of increasing hurt and confusion. "I deserve a medal." Lance finally finished.

"Oh is that what she's offered you?" The Doctor broke in. "The Empress of the Racnoss? What are you? Her consort?"

"It's better than a night with her." Lance said coldly.

"But I love you." Donna said brokenly."

"That's what made it so easy." Lance said hardly.

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