Nautical Normality
Words: 349
Donna rolled her eyes and sipped from her pink, umbrellaed drink. Next to her, the Doctor enjoyed a similar concoction, and if she looked around, she would see the rest of the passengers doing much the same. She felt at peace, though it would have been more fitting to say that her surroundings felt at peace. Idle, yes, that would have been Donna's word of choice to describe herself in the current situation. Idle, boring, dilly-dallying, useless . . . at a certain time—she wasn't sure of when, and didn't know if she would ever become sure, because her idea of time was different now—Donna, her body, and her brain had decided that peace, and calm, and quiet were not unnecessary, but more quaint.
And now, as the TARDIS safely stood in the large suite that the Interstellar Cruise Company Corporation Organization had given them, Donna wasn't sure what had happened to the version of herself who had wanted a nice, safe, peaceful, predictable, normal vacation above all else. They'd saved a planet—maybe two, or four, but really, who was counting?—from some terrorists from the edge of the galaxy, and in doing so, had saved the ICCCO's daughters, which resulted in a free cruise.
It was nice, as far as cruises went. Who was she kidding? It was amazing! And, to top off the world-class buffet, rooms, and company, the entire thing was free. She grinned at the Doctor, who was still saying something to the man next to him, buzzing on about the life-forms in the ocean and how the ICCCO's ships never disturbed the environment they voyaged through.
It was a good idea, though, Donna thought, one that Earth cruise companies would benefit from. Still, she couldn't have everything. So, as a narwhal flipped up from the waves—"You didn't tell me they were real, Doctor! Does that mean unicorns are real, too, they're similar animals, right?"—Donna took another sip from her fluorescent drink and sat back in the woven beach chair.
Normality and calm were overrated, Donna decided. Free cruises weren't.