Chapter Two

Afterwards, Donna could never properly explain her feelings when she saw the picture. It was a picture from a madman's mind, chaotic and senseless. And yet she knew what she was seeing, just as surely as the Doctor and River knew.

"The Tardis," she breathed.

The Doctor slowly drew something out of his pocket and laid it on the table.

"I reached into the crack and found this."

Donna picked it up and turned it over. It was a piece of the Tardis, burnt around the edges. Chaotic. Senseless.

River went into attack mode. "You put your hand into it? Your hand?"

Donna turned on her. Sure, she had told the Doctor not to do it, but River didn't know him. Why couldn't she just shut up? But before she could say anything, River laughed.

"I would've done the same thing," she said. "I've just never been close enough."

The Doctor was ignoring them both, studying the painting, his brow furrowed. Donna moved closer to him. There were a lot of questions she wanted to ask, but with River right there she didn't feel comfortable talking to him like she usually did.

"So," she said, in a slightly disinterested tone. "what're you going to do?"

"That's the question, isn't it?" He dropped the Tardis-bit into his pocket and turned away from the painting. "Is there anything to do when a time machine explodes? How can I know when it's exploding? It's powerful enough to blow a hole in time and space. What blew it up? And why?"

Donna thought he sounded slightly panicked. Out of instict she put her hand on his arm, with the feeling that River had her eyes on her every move.

"Well," said River. "I happen to have something that might answer some of your questions. Coordinates that I got from … well, we won't go into that right now." She tossed her black wig off and shook out her hair. "Glad to have that thing off. Let's get to the Tardis."

She strode (or sauntered; Donna wasn't sure which fit better) out of the tent to give orders to the soldiers.

"Are you scared, Doctor?" asked Donna.

"Yes."

"If it makes you feel any better, I am too."

He looked at her with just a hint of a smile. "We'll sort it out. We always do."

"There's something I've been wondering," she said. "If we die now; if the Tardis explodes with us in it; then what happens to River's future? And if she isn't there to save you in our past, then how can this future of ours even happen? It'll be a giant paradox!"

"If the Tardis explodes and causes a crack in time and space, and everything slowly gets pulled in until it never happened, I guess it won't matter much. But in the Library, when you were gone, River accidentally let slip something about the Pandorica. I can't promise, but I think we'll get out of it somehow."

He smiled at her, a full smile now, and she grinned back. "Let's go follow your 'sweetie', then," said Donna.

He pushed her lightly with his elbow. "I've never called her that."

"I hope you never do."

XXXXXXXXX

When they got back to Stonehenge, River insisted on going down to see the Pandorica. She and the Doctor went around and around it.

"Have you touched it?" she asked.

"No," said the Doctor.

"Well that's not like you, sweetie. Why don't you?"

He put out his hand, hesitating, and like a flash Donna knew what he was afraid of but wasn't telling her. The Pandorica was meant for him. She saw the realization hit River at almost the same time.

"Doctor, don't!" shouted Donna. At the same time River shoved him away from the box. But it was too late; his hand connected with it, and it came to life.

The Doctor fell back, wringing his hand as if he had gotten an electric shock. Donna ran to him.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah … just …" He looked at her, and she saw fear written on his face. He lowered his voice. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you what I thought. I …"

"It's unlocking from the inside, Doctor!" called River. She was scanning it with her vortex manipulator. "There are loads of protocols being disabled in there."

"All right," said the Doctor, switching moods completely. "We need to act fast. How long before it's opened, do you think?"

"An hour or two," said River. "Tops. Hang on." She shook the manipulator. "Something's interfering."

"Where is it coming from?"

"Out there." She pointed up at the roof.

"Come on," said the Doctor, grabbing Donna's hand.

They went outside and looked around. There was nothing visible for miles. The sun was setting.

"River, I need you to go back and gather as many Romans as you can."

"Romans?" spluttered River. "We don't need them."
"The Roman army is the best the world has ever seen. I don't say the universe, but this planet, yes, definitely. We don't have any Sontarans, so Romans will have to do." He added to Donna, in a low tone, "I'm not going in that box without a fight."

River mounted up and galloped away, and the Doctor continued looking around for a few minutes.

"All quiet," he said. "Let's go look at the Pandorica."

XXXXXXXXX

The Pandorica was glowing; clanking and clanging came from inside it. Donna stared at it.

"Maybe it's not for you," she said. "Maybe whatever it's for is already inside, and now it's getting out."

"In that case, it would be a future version of myself. The Pandorica recognized my DNA when I touched it."

He leaned against the box, looking very casual. If Donna hadn't known him so well, she would have thought he didn't have a care in the world.

"I'm worried about you, Donna," he said after a few minutes. "You don't know how to fly the Tardis. I should have given you more lessons."

"What good would the Tardis do me if … if you're gone?"

"You could escape, or something."
"If you stay here, then I'm not leaving, even if I have to wait a thousand years."

He laughed thickly. "I know you would." Another pause. "Donna … I don't know what's going to happen … but just so you know, I think you're the most brilliant person I've ever met, human or otherwise. You don't know what you mean to me, because, well, I've never told you. Not straight out like I should have."

"Oh, shut up," said Donna. "If you didn't like me, you would have left me in Chiswick a long time ago. You've told me every day in the little things you do. But I haven't appreciated you like I should have." She reached out and put her hand on his shoulder.

At that instant something grabbed her ankle. She fell with a shriek.