Author's Note:

Merry Christmas!

Here's a little bonus chapter to celebrate! I hadn't originally planned it, so the story isn't important, but it's hopefully a little fun to read. I should post the next official chapter, Justice League, on the first of January, like I've been doing. Well, not the first of January, but the first of each month.

On a side note, I saw the latest Narnia movie, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I am… disappointed. The movie itself was good, but strayed so far from the book that the Narnia chapter of this story that I had started would make no sense to those who've only seen the movie. With that in mind, I would like to know what current readers (as few as there are) think I should do. Should I continue writing based on the book (and BBC movie), base it on the movie which more people are likely to have seen, set it in another point in time entirely, or abandon it altogether. I'm not likely to do the last one, but I figured I'd throw it in there.

Anyways, I hope you're all having a great end to this last year! Enjoy!

The depths of time and space pulled back, allowing her passage into another universe. She stared into yet another Earth, of which most any universe seemed focused upon. All of time opened to her, and she wrapped herself in its existence.

The Bad Wolf felt no answers would be found in this universe either, and began to move on.

But there was something specifically special about this world, and it caused her to pause in her retreat of it. Like most she had been to, this Earth was similar to her own in many ways. A great many ways. Including what might have happened on her own world.

There, on this world, in this universe, was another version of her Doctor.

He didn't physically look anything like how he did when she last saw him, and Rose Tyler may not have recognized him. But the Bad Wolf saw more than physical appearance, and this was her Doctor. Her Doctor, living life without her.

She focused on him, seeing him truly. His life flashed before her eyes, time unraveling just enough for her to see what happened, before snapping back into place. In this world, there had been no bump. The Bad Wolf had been temporary, and the Doctor brought his Rose back. There was no disappointment. There was no death, except for the captain's, and her renewal of him was forgiven.

But that Rose was not here either. She was trapped in another universe, trying to get back to her Doctor.

The Bad Wolf smiled, though haltingly. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same.

And yet, the mighty Bad Wolf found herself sobered at the sight below, if it could be said she had been anything but. There was trouble that the Doctor couldn't see, and it could cost him another life. As well as that of his fiery companion. His time was open to the Wolf like a book, and she peeked ahead to see that she didn't like the ending.

But she couldn't intervene.

No matter what happened, this wasn't her world or her time. She had already determined when her journey began that she could only intervene on behalf of the multiverse. And this would not affect anything on that scale. In this world, it was meant to happen.

There was nothing that could be done about that.

"Oi, spaceman!" Donna Noble felt nervous and was anxious to get out of metallic braces. "Are you gonna get me out o' this or what?"

"I'm working on it, Donna!" the Doctor ground through his teeth as he strained once more, facing her a few feet away. They were both held up straight against a large circle of wood, a few feet above the ground, fastened to the strong board with braces against their upper arms and legs. He had managed to pull his sonic screwdriver from his pocket with his teeth, which wasn't as easy as it sounds, and then barely got his hand to reach it from there. "These restraints are bolted thick, and the sonic doesn't work on wood."

"Yeah, yeah, excuses. But if I end up as a shish-kebob for these... uh, power...corks...eons, whatever, I'll kick your skinny butt back into our century!"

The Doctor gave an exasperated sigh as he rolled his eyes.

"The palacoraxions are known for their competitive games primarily due to the role given to guests of the planet. The participation of guests is considered an honor among their people, and whether or not the participants survive, makes a peace treaty between other peoples easy. Good sportsmanship inspires trust, you know."

"Yeah, okay, so guests are required to play the games. Got it. Except we're not playing we're being played! What's up with that? A good peace treaty starts with throwing spears at the ambassadors?"

"Well, the point is to miss..."

"Yeah, all the best players are going to hit that small space in between us, I saw how those other target boards are set up. All the worst players are going to hit around us. So, what about the players in the middle?"

The Doctor remained silent, hoping she didn't realize he'd been wondering the same thing. He was still going through his options, but they were getting slimmer and slimmer. Sure, he could use the sonic to alter the course of the incoming spears, but to do that too often would raise suspicions. Then they'd die for sure, having disrespected the games. Should he leave it to chance?

The Doctor grimaced. No. Definitely not. The chances of survival were too slim He couldn't risk Donna like that. He had to get her home safely. Although, it would make it easier if she would shut up for a moment and let him think.

"-tell you another thing. 'Soon as you get us out of here, I'm going to march right up to that smiling, self-righteous, pompous, windbag of a ruler and-"

The Doctor had to tune her out again, closing his eyes to focus his mind. He may have just gotten an idea.

After carefully calculating, his eyes jerked open and he smiled widely. "Donna, do you still have that necklace you stole from the Deckari?"

His companion stopped abruptly in her rant and glared at him. "I didn't steal it, it was a gift."

"Not according to their traditions."

"Well, he handed it to me and didn't protest when I walked away. What was I supposed to think? You didn't tell me anything until after we left, and I sure wasn't going back there where they were shoving those sharp confetti sticks at me!"

"Kinvente sticks."

"Whatever!"

The Doctor took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "I need you to pull out your necklace and hold the gem over the brace on your arm."

"Which arm?"

"Doesn't matter."

Donna nodded and proceeded to make very awkward attempts at pulling the golden chain hung around her neck with her teeth. After using her chin to get it far enough down her shoulder for her mouth to reach it, Donna successfully grasped it between her teeth. She then stretched her head out for her hand to bend back and grab the necklace, though it took several tries and she was in pain by the time she managed it. Shifting the necklace so that the beautiful, glowing gem was right over the brace, she announced, "Okay, I'm ready!"

"All right, now listen carefully because this is going to be difficult. That gem, the reason why it glows, contains very special chemicals, most of which can't be found on Earth, or even most planets in your galaxy. Three of those chemicals, when mixed, which they are, obviously, eat metal. They ignore flesh and clothes and all of that, so don't worry, but they eat metal and those braces don't stand a chance. Now, I w-"

The Doctor stopped and they both turned in worry, listening to something that sounded like a mix between a trumpet and a flute. "The games will be starting in a few moments, then we may be out of time." Donna looked at him as he said that, the fear present in her eyes urging him on.

"Right, anyways, long story short, I'm going to use my sonic screwdriver to break that gem. As it's eating through the metal, here's the hard part, you're going to have to push and break it off, then catch it."

Donna blinked. "What?"

"Like I said, that's the hard part. You have to break it as it weakens and then catch it. You can't let it fall. Catch the brace as it's disintegrating, and hold it up against the brace on your leg. Some of the chemicals will move onto that one, starting its own disintegration. I want you to then toss me the arm brace, and use the leg brace, once its free, to free your other leg. Then, use that one to free your arm."

Donna took a deep breath, before nodding. "Well... all right, then. Here goes nothing. Whenever you're ready."

The Doctor took careful aim and activated his sonic screwdriver. It took a little bit because he had to keep adjusting the settings with one hand without dropping it, but a crack eventually appeared.

Donna let out a relieved laugh. "It's working, Doctor!" She bit her lip, waiting for the crystal-like thing to bust.

The Doctor stared intensely at the gem, willing it to break before they ran out of time. It almost surprised him when it finally obeyed, cracking into a thousand little cracks before quietly shattering all over the arm brace. "YES!" With the victorious shout, the Doctor urged Donna on in her goal of breaking the thing off the target board behind her.

Gritting her teeth, the Chiswick temp pushed her elbow forward as hard as she dared, not wanting to lose it when it popped off. With a final grunt, it loosened and fell.

The Doctor held his breath as things moved almost slowly for him. He restrained from yelling, "Get it!" but felt his hearts racing. This was rather nerve-wracking.

But, Donna came through like usual. She made a magnificent catch and quickly stuck it to the brace on her leg, looking up at the Doctor for more information.

The Doctor nodded excitedly. "Good, that's good. The chemicals that rubbed off can take it from there. Toss me the brace!" Donna obliged and he caught it easily, bringing it to rest on his own arm restraint.

Unfortunately, they were running out of time. The machine operating the game started to move the boards toward the door leading to the outside field. The Doctor quickly used his newly freed arm to hold his broken arm brace to his legs' restraints. Just as they were releasing, he grabbed one for his arm. He looked up at a noise to see Donna had landed and was scooting away from the moving boards.

Licking his lips, he strained against the slowly releasing arm band, feeling it buckle as the chemicals on it ate it to pieces. It was getting close now, he really didn't want to be seen escaping. If they thought he escaped earlier, they would have to spread their men further, making it easier for Donna and him to escape. But he had to break free from this target now!

No sooner had he finished the thought, than the brace came loose. He dropped to the floor and rolled out of the way, just in time to not let his foot penetrate the light outside. He ran to Donna, and the two of them made a break for it, being careful not to be spotted.

Checking the surrounding area for guards, who most certainly knew about their escape by now, the Doctor and Donna scurried out into the clearing that led to the nearby woods. The TARDIS was parked at the edge, out in the open, yet still unnoticed thanks to its perception filter. All the travelers had to do was reach it and they'd be gone to their next big adventure.

But it was not meant to be.

Up on the roof of the escapee's most recent cover, a palacoraxion had just arrived to scout out the below area for the insulting outsiders. He quickly spotted them, running in the open like a pair of brainless Chebbits. Anxious to be the one to put a stop to their outrageous antics, the individual grabbed his rifle with one hand and set off the safeties with another. His third hand lined up the sights on his scopes as he steadied the barrel with his extended nose. Once all three scopes' lenses lined up with the lanky alien running alongside his red-haired companion, the palacoraxion allowed himself a small smile.

Forcing himself to be absolutely still, the soon-to-be-promoted prajor wrapped his finger around the trigger. His steady aim was focused on the back of the alien's neck, for a shot that would kill any palacoraxion immediately; he didn't doubt it would do quite a bit of damage to this doctor, as he called himself. Wherever he and his friend thought they were going, they weren't going to make it in time.

Taking in a quick breath, the palacoraxion fired the five kinalelo bullet right, square center at the Doctor's neck.

And waited.

The surprised prajor watched as some blue box that he hadn't noticed disappeared into thin air with the aliens inside. There was no trace of them, and no hint that either of them suffered a hit by a bullet of any kind.

The perplexed palacoraxion pulled back, sitting in a state of wide-mouthed shock as he went over what happened in his mind. He had disengaged all safeties, he knew he did. There was even the sound of the gun firing. He had felt the recoil, so it was definitely his gun. The sights were lined up, and he had perfect vision in all three of his eyes. What could possibly have gone wrong?

The prajor unsteadily unlatched the ammo pod, and checked inside. It was empty of all beridian lava, which was impossible enough in itself. But there, on the far wall of the inner chamber, was scrawled two words that could never have made it in there since the last time he'd filled it. Strange words that somehow sent a shiver through him, even if he didn't understand what they meant.

Bad Wolf.

She watched as her Doctor soared off, diving through time and space. He would live a while longer, in this form. As would his companion, whose death would have hit him far harder than his own.

The being made of time energy frowned as her senses discerned Donna as having a special purpose, now that she was no longer about to die. Perhaps the Bad Wolf should have stuck to her duties and not messed with what was meant to be.

But it was his way.

So it would remain hers.

Rose Tyler may not have been completely broken off when the Bad Wolf was born. She was still there, influencing the powerful entity. There was more to what happened to her than she had first suspected.

Perhaps it was time to get some answers.

Having decided that she could do nothing else, save helping her agents when they called, the Bad Wolf finally moved on through the multiverse. Straying further away from the segments similar to the life she left, a brand new collection of infinite universes opened up before her.

It was time to seek out the answer to the most important question. The question ringing throughout the multiverse as it writhed in pain. Her question that existed ever since an unexpected bump in time held her back too long to be saved by her Doctor.

Why am I?